I realize that I complain and criticize Nepal a lot. It’s so easy to drown in negativity but today, as I was squished in a bus I came up with a quick list of why I love this country:
1) Fix things (Nepali Keti)
As Nepali Keti has written about in her blog (http://www.nepaliketi.net/2011/10/14/good-as-new-nepal/), here, in Nepal, we fix things.
Be in worn down soles of our shoes, a tear in the seam of our backpack, a circuit problem in our water heater, or even problems with our phones – we will sooner take it to a repair store than we will replace things.
I think this is wonderful because it’s smart and it’s economical. It’s sure given my favorite shoes an additional year or two of life, and it makes my paycheck last much longer. Wins all around!
2) Credit
Nothing is more embarrassing than making a purchase and then having to change you mind because you lack the necessary funds. In Nepal, this need be the case. With shopkeepers that will ask about your well being and the well being of your family, there is a beautiful comfortableness that exists when you can say, “Ma bholi tirchu hai?”
The trust that exists between people, and the flexibility we offer in small payments is unique and has come in handy when I don’t have as much cash as I thought I did.
3) “Affnai mannche”
Coming from a communal society sometimes means we’re closed off to those not within our circles. But once in a while, you end up making links to different circles and over a few short conversations, or perhaps a cup of tea – it’s likely that you’ll make it to be their affnai mannche. And when you need a spot of help, they’ll make a call saying that you’re their own sister (or brother) and the bureaucratic nightmare won’t seem so bad, the job will get done, and you’ll walk away thinking ‘only in Nepal.’
4) Opportunity
People may disagree with me, but there is a butt load of opportunity here. Since Nepal doesn’t have too much, there’s a lot that can be (and should be) done here which means opportunity!
My parents and most people I know who have been able to make a better life were able to do so through hard work and innovation. If you’re looking for a quick buck, there’s many ways to immerse yourself in the world of Nepal’s corruption, but I know many honest families who took a look around them, thought about what they could do, worked at it diligently and were able to make some thing of themselves. It’s possible here, people are impatient and aren’t smart.
5) Size things
Often I hear people say, “Kathmandu is too small” and on several occasions, I’ve agreed. However, there is a beauty to being in a city where we don’t need six degrees of separation, about two will suffice! The beauty of this – no one stays a stranger for long. And if you’re new to town, you being to feel at home rather quickly.
It doesn’t take long to see, there’s a lot to love about Nepal. At the end of the day, Nepal is home, and for a lot of people who spend years away – there are plenty of reasons to come back.
Saani has no real goals and aspirations but she sees opportunity in everything and goes with the flow. This is probably because she loves exploring and discovering. She writes for fun but for the same reason she also cooks, reads, and spends a lot of time on random websites that offer a chance to learn all sorts of tid-bits on life.
http://www.parakhi.com/blogs/2011/11/03/why-nepal/