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Barbecue is mainly enjoyed in the summer in the UK as it is too cold in the winter months. It is an enjoyable way of meeting people and many families have their barbecues in their own premises and invite friends and families to join them. It is a congenial occasion in a relaxing ambience to unwind after days of hard work. It is for this very reason that the Association holds its annual barbecue in August to get together not only Tamus but also other Nepalese and nationalities as well. To make the day more interesting, raffles draws and various other entertaining activities like musical chair for the ladies, fun races for the children, 'thelo' (throwing of a stone of certain weight), tug-of-war and other interesting games and activities are arranged, all for good fun and laughter.
No doubt the highlights of the barbecue are 'thelo' and tug-of-war. Everyone fervently joins in the fun instilling gusto and zeal in the participants. The 'thelo' is a very popular event in the Gurung villages especially during festive seasons and many villagers travel from great distances to witness this highly entertaining yet competitive event. It is believed that this practice was used to select a king 'mru' in the olden days. The person throwing the stone the farthest was crowned the winner and a white turban 'kregi' was wrapped around his head by the leader or senior elder person of the village. This would then follow with well wishers garlanding and showering him with flowers. They would also give him money to reward him for his win. In keeping up with this Gurung tradition, the Association also crowns the 'thelo' winner in a very much the same manner. The tug of war is another attractive event that gets everyone on their feet to cheer for the teams. It is fun to watch yet tiring for the participants who are exhausted after a hard pull.
1st Barbecue 'sue-kai'
The first Barbeque was held at Fresh Ham Pond at Farnham Jungle Park on Sunday, the 16 th of July 2001. Some prominent Gurung personalities like Shri Prasad Tamu and Captain Maitalal Tamu, a former Pilot of Royal Nepal Army, were also present at the barbecue. On this occasion, £1,400 cheque was exclusively presented to Mrs Maya (widow of late K B Lama) and her daughter by the Association. It was a bright and sunny day and about 300 people attended the barbecue.
2nd Barbecue 'sue-kai'
The second barbeque was held at Frimley Green Lodge Park on the 11 th of August 2002. Again, the day turned out to be pleasant and there were at least 700 people present. Many interesting and fun filled games were arranged for the ladies and the children. Everyone had a very wonderful day and met many friends and families. The 'thelo' competition was again the crowd puller and this year the winner was Indra Kumar Gurung. He was crowned in the traditional way and won the prize of £50 which he kindly donated it to the Association. As the sun began to set, the crowd slowly disappeared and the Association members began the tedious task of clearing the area.
PS: Like Lochhar and football articles with photos posted onto our website, the same format will follow after this year's barbecue.
