From Okhaldhunga to Oklahoma- I This is the story of Ram Prasad, a Nepali caught between two worlds. Many Nepalis, both at home and abroad, will find it familiar. Read Part One below. By Dr. Ambika Prasad Adhikari Kathmandu provided the best of both worlds, a sophisticated urban life in the midst of mountainous landscapes! The setting in Nepal The fifties were an interesting time internationally and for Nepal too. Many nations, including neighbouring India had just become free from the clutches of Colonialism. Following the Second World War, many countries of the world had begun the nation building process and were gearing up towards development. In Nepal, democracy was instituted for the first time in her history. Extraordinary personalities in all fields, such as B. P. Koirala and Laxmi Prasad Devkota, had begun to lead Nepal towards modernity in politics and literature. Many pioneering events had just taken place in a country of just 10 million people. For example, Radio Nepal had been launched, and the aviation era had dawned in mountainous Nepal. Nepal was negotiating with India to construct its first highway ever? the Tribhuvan Highway? linking the nation?s capital with the India border, a gateway of the outside world to exotic Nepal. Innocent early life in Nepal This cohort of people born in the fifties essentially constitutes the present day mainstream leaders and professionals in Nepal, and runs the country. Belonging to this cohort, Ram Prasad was born in Okhaldhunga, a far away hilly district of Nepal, a place that is, even by Nepali standards, still waiting for modern development. Ram Prasad?s parents were farmers, belonging to a family that had lived in the same village for ten generations. Ram?s elders were adept in farming activities, like tilling land, chopping trees, shepherding cows, hiking through the forests and picking fruits. Awed by their outdoor skills, he followed in their footsteps and learnt the ways of survival in the hinterlands. Life close to the land and nature is the best. Henry Ford once said ?chop your own wood, it will warm you twice?; it was exactly the practice in the hills. In retrospect, living in the midst of a concrete jungle, and winding highways in Nepal or in America, Ram often finds solace in the thoughts of those days. Ram did not go to grade school then, as his parents? taught him the three R?s at home. In those days, there was no climbing up of a long ladder of schooling, as the kids are grilled through today. There was no need to start at Nursery then move on to lower KG and Upper KG before embarking on even Grade one ? to Ram, this process looks like a Ph. D. already. Most of his classmates started at whatever grade they wanted to, like third, fourth, fifth or even sixth! Sweet life in Kathmandu After a couple of decades of leisurely education, household chores, and moving around to make a living within Nepal, Ram finally got an opportunity for higher education in Kathmandu. Wow, that was quite an achievement, and life felt good for Ram! Kathmandu provided the best of both worlds, a sophisticated urban life in the midst of mountainous landscapes! The hot Momos in the cold Kathmandu weather tasted sumptuous, and people were friendly. Ram fully indulged in it, as much as he could afford. After graduating, Ram became a teacher. Bachelor life with a monthly salary of Rs. 500 tasted great, and he enjoyed parties almost every evening with Khukuri Rum and buff barbeque! The corner restaurants and bars of Kathmandu streets catered well even to his income. In retrospect with one single bill to pay for a room, life was practically stress-free, with no need for Yoga classes or psychiatric counselling! In fact, with his salary he was already a middle class Kathmanduite! Craving to go to a ?foreign? land Within a few years, though, the lure of going abroad prevailed on Ram. America was the preferred destination. It was a romantic thought, half way around the globe, a rich and developed country beckoning the poor Nepali! Ram?s image of the US was created by some films in USIS, the colourful pictures in the ?Free World (Swatantra Bishwa)? magazine, and stories from people who had visited the ?Promised Land?. In 1969 when the USIS in Kathmandu exhibited the pictures of Neil Armstrong walking on the moon, the US became the ultimate destination to many Nepalis. Ram fantasized of working in NASA and helping send people to the moon. Further, America was a land of big corporations like GM, Fords and Coca-Cola, where people earned untold amounts. Some people even believed that money grew on trees in America! Slowly the ?land of milk and honey? became an irresistible destination, and Ram had to mobilize all his intellectual might to realize the dream. A graduate of a local Nepali school, he ventured into the hardship of TOEFL, GRE and filled out miles of forms in order to make the trip to the US. The only way for ordinary Nepalis to come to the US then was on government scholarship. The commonplace sight of Nepalis visiting the US these days for a week?s vacation, or to observe the birth of their grandchildren was unthinkable then. Only royalty and perhaps the top hundred elites of Nepal could visit the US or Europe on their own. For mortal Nepalis like Ram it was impossible to come here privately, and a scholarship remained the only salvation. Finally in America After preparing for almost a year, Ram Prasad finally landed at a dazzling International Airport in America. Before the school actually started, Ram got busy with tours of super markets, trips to fast food restaurants and orientation parties where alcohol flowed like water in the river, and there were mountains of food. Life tasted sweet and smelled fresh! The journey to a new world for a poor Nepali thus began, and it will take Ram through many memorable experiences, both sweet and sour. To be continued... (Dr Ambika Adhikari is associated with Arizona State University, USA. Ram Prasad is a fictional character)