Posted by: Vivant December 11, 2013
Tardiness - The Often Forgotten Nepalese Pride
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Very entertaining but I must protest  Gaushala is by far the worst traffic bottleneck in Kathmandu these days. The place has inflicted enough suffering that I can't bear to see any other spot in Kathmandu steal that honor. I think Chabahil  has  improved somewhat after they tore down a few buildings, widened the roads and deployed more traffic cops in the area. Unfortunately, with all the religious and heritage sites in the Gaushala area, me thinks they will need to dig a tunnel to solve the problem there. Then there is Teku of course - the mother of all bottlenecks followed by the Thapathali bridge. Come to think of it, you would probably have to go outside Kathmandu to find a place that isn't a bottleneck during rush hour.

As for being late, it's  part of Nepali social grace.  If you arrive at a party before the hosts, you insult them because you remind them of their tardiness. Some people might even think you need a life if you have nothing better to do than show up at social events, particularly weddings, on time. Ke garne? As they say, if it's an invitation for a wedding, you reach around 6:30 PM if it's winter and 7:00 PM if it's summer. Don't make the mistake of looking at the time on the card :)


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