Homeyji, I have cousin sisters who live in Ohio. They came here close to 15 years years back. The funny thing is that their fashion sense in wearing sarees and kurta-suruwals are the same as when they were in Nepal 15 years ago. When they go back to Nepal, they want to go to the custom tailor in New Road at Namuna tailors and order the same style of sarees as 15 years ago. Fashion in Kathmandu has moved on to explore other styles in kurta-suruwals and sarees, but my cousin sisters feel that they are being authentically Nepali only when they wear the fashion 15 years ago. My other cousins and friends living in Kathmandu make fun of these cousin sisters for being old-fashioned. But these cousin sisters of mine do not know any better.

I think that we can get stuck in an era like that. Whatever era we were in Nepal, we tend to feel that is the only way to be Nepali. I think especially people who go to bidesh are like that. They are stuck in the time and era when they left Nepal. So in that way, we Nepalis are like a time capsule. We idealize and treasure that era and think that is the only way to be Nepali. I think that is what you are going through.