Kathmandu:

Nepali students bitten by the American dream but having failed to realise it, might want to reconsider their choice. When it comes to quality education, the country Down Under ‘Australia’ has as many opportunities as the US.

With the objective of providing information to the interested students, Pac Asia and the Sports Bar and Café jointly organised the ‘Australian Day Out’ with support from the Australian embassy on February 3. The Himalayan Times was the official print media.

Held at the Nepal Academy premises, it was not just about getting information about Australia but rather total Australian package fiesta. Along with the information, visitors got to enjoy mouthwatering Australian delicacies. The students not only got to know about the universities and education Down Under, but were also got the chance to whet their appetite with Australian food and beverages.

Australian ambassador Graeme Lade inaugurated the event. Though the cloudy weather dampened the organisers’ spirits a bit, ambassador Lade lightened the worries saying, “The drizzle in the morning is more of a good omen for us in Australia as we Australians consider rain a good omen.”

And the rain (by default) got to be a kind of an unofficial theme at the event. The organisers were preoccupied with the thought of what to do in case of a downpour, while Salil Kanika, who enthralled all those gathered with the music he made with the traditional Australian instrument called didgeridoo, said, “I performed to gods of rain to delay the probable rain.”

Kanika on the didgeridoo added the Australian spirit to the whole ambience and the theme of his performance was basically nature.

The decor of the premises also added to the totally ‘Aussie’ ambience.

The huge flexes of the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge were the favourite photo-op for the people. A huge flex featuring the Aussie stars like late Steve Irwin, Russel Crowe, Kylie Minogue, Savage Garden, Nicole Kidman gracing the entrance also succeeded in making the venue very Australian.

The function itself was very interactive as Pooja Gurung went around asking people questions about Australia. Gift hampers were given to those who gave the correct answers.

In the lucky draw of the entrance tickets (organised by Qantas), Dr Pragya Gurung and Laxmi Acharya were lucky winners. They won tickets to fly to Australia.

A joint stall put up by the Australian Nepal Chambers of Commerce, Nepal Australian Friendship Society and Alumni Association offered membership to those who had come back after completing their studies in Australia. The stall’s objective was to provide a meeting place for those who had business links in Australia.

The packed stalls of Pac-Asia was proof enough that they had been able to reach their target audience. Those who came were satisfied as they got the information they were looking for regarding universities in Australia.

It was not just the youngsters who had turned up. Families had also come to enjoy the Saturday afternoon. The delicious Australian cuisine and the fun corner with different rides made it a fun afternoon for all.

According to Gagan Pradhan, proprietor of the Sports Bar, the Aussies’ favourite food — barbeque — was the most happening in the food stalls as the weather also suited the appetite for smoked and grilled meat and some more.

Though the weather did affect the number of visitors who visited the event, it failed to break the spirit of the organisers as they are planning to make the Australian Day out an annual event.