KATHMANDU, May 15: The most obvious way to describe a lollipop would be a flat or round candy on top of a stick. Why have lollipops? Well, if one savors flavored candies, then lollipop serves the best since one can keep her hands clean by holding only the stick and also be relieved by having to finish a huge candy at once.
It’s not completely correct to assume that as people grow up they let go many practices and develop newer ones such as being fed by mother’s hands and watching cartoons.
There is indeed a child hidden inside every human being no matter the age. Not many years back, there were limited options for candies in Nepal such as pop-tarts, orange balls, kinder surprise, ghurra (pink colored tablet on a thread) and lipstick chocolates ruled the minds of children.
Tanya Singh, 19, who is preparing for MBBS exams, shares, “I still eat lollipops since it reminds me of my childhood and of course the candy flavors are delicious. But my lollipop habit now is reduced. I crave for it only at home when my cousins and friends join in.” Sadly unlike those days she can’t move around in public having it since it may be considered somewhat vulgar for a girl to be portraying an act that can have double meanings.
Similarly, Ghanashyam Neupane, 18, teacher at Chelsea International Academy, adds, “I love lollipops but can only enjoy it with friends; else people ridicule boys of our age having lollipops as feminine or girly.”
At one hand, some youths have to limit their cravings for lollipop due to the fear of mockery and misinterpretation by the society. On the other hand, there are those who do not bother about who thinks what or how others interpret it.
Sabak Bogati, 20, a BBA Student, adds, “I often join in with my sister and friend to have lollipops and I love it. But somewhere in the back of my mind I have hesitation due to the double meanings given to sucking a lollipop.”
“I savor it everywhere. It doesn’t matter to me whether I have company or not. Some of my friends join in and they also treat me with lollipops,” says Subina Shrestha, 19, a student at Kathmandu University.
Although youths also long for lollipops, the available varieties of lollipops in Nepal are very limited, as Subina further adds, “There’re very limited options like pimpoms, alpenlibe and strawberry flavors. I would love to try out other flavors too but we have to compromise with what’s available here.”
However, the Sweet and Sour Shop in the United World Trade Centre at Tripureshwor sells imported lollipops of varied flavors such as watermelon, apple and cherry. Salesperson Mina Lama informs, “We mostly have children and teenagers buying lollipops here.”
Simply, lollipops are affordable, fun, easy to have, delicious, and yes, stylish as cops, detectives and villains in movies have it, too!
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