| Username |
Post |
| stayingabroad |
Posted
on 10-Mar-02 08:14 AM
"I love my country but I have not been back for visit since 2 years ago. The last time I went back for visit was in 1999 and it was a hectic & short 2 weeks which passed by as if with speed of light. Do not be mistaken; I feel very happy to go back for visit. I grew up in a foreign land but I never forget the memories or attachments of my birth-place. If then, why haven't I visited more often? It's not the distance. From the country I currently reside, it takes less than 15 hours of plane ride.
First of all, I dislike having to "pay" my way through, beginning from the Tribhuvan International Airport. If I didn't have a "present" for those in-charge, I could be the last one leaving the immigration counter. Never mind the fact that I only might have one small luggage with me. In many places, a group of people will swarm to you and offer their "help" to make your official paperwork more efficient. Of course, you have to give something back in return. You see, in the country I live in, there is no such thing. As long as I am honest, I can get things done efficiently anywhere and any time.
Being a girl, I love shopping. But when back in Kathmandu, I simply hated going to shops because I had to do the endless round of bargaining and looking out for best deals. I do not understand why the shops will double the selling price when the buyers will eventually slash it down to original price during the process of bargaining. Do we really enjoy wasting time that much? I simply do not understand. That is why I adore the fixed-price-policy in shops of foreign countries. I like the fact that I don't have to worry about whether I am paying the right value. Even if I was overcharged, I can be sure it won't be double.
When I was walking along the crowded streets of kathmandu (New Road), I was scared of being run over by cars as well as people. I heard obscenities being shouted over the traffic. Are we not supposed to be religious Hindu's people? People seemed more hostile than ever during my last trip. On the road, they looked at you from head to toe, as if what you are wearing tells them of your character. I really hated having to carry a thick wallet whenever I went out to buy something. If only they had such thing as credit card, it might help.When I was a kid, my mother made me wear all those gold ring, bracelet, and chain whenever we had to go for certain functions. I simply disliked that. I didn't understand why I had to wear all those; to impress people? To be accepted as one of them? Nepalese people have the habit of adorning from head to toe in as many gold chains, bracelets, and rings made with big (the bigger the better) diamond,and every other valuable stone available in our country. Mind you, there are people who wear those all the time. I wonder; don't they find those very heavy? Do they think a person's quality or status can be determined by how many diamonds or how much gold he/she possesses? When my Significant Half presented me with a gold diamond ring (as symbol of our "unofficial" engagement), I asked him why he didn't get a white gold or silver (which I prefer over gold) ring with diamond. His answer was simple; "I don't want your parents to think I can't even afford to give their daughter a gold ring".
I was amused at his answer but saw some truth in it. Probably our old folks have this mentality in their mind (not that my parents judge people by their wealth).
I love meeting my relatives and friends whenever I go back for visit. But why can't they understand that being in a foreign country isn't as glamorous as they thought? When we give them the true pictures of "suffering" stories here, they think we simply are finding excuses not to help them. It's true we might have a better life here (latest technology at our fingertips, no mosquitoes, not a single power failure, better education). However, what they do not see are the times we have to work under heavy pressure,have to face the hostility of some racists, and having to constantly prove to others that we can keep up with this ever-changing world we live in. That is why I hate those people who go back to our country with glorious tales, which were probably made up to save face at times. Why cant we be truthful & shed thetears too?
My foreign friends tell me of how beautiful our traditional attire is. Though I have to keep tightening grip on "kathmandu" every couple of minutes whenever I try, I still find it something of a treasure. So I was rather upset when I saw many youngsters in kathmandu, wearing mini skirt, tight jeans and skirts or even trousers to temples. It is good to be modernised so that we can keep up with advanced world. However, I think we should not lose our culture & traditions. I live in outside Nepal but I still try to pray every day & whenever I was scared, . I wonder whether the younger generation in Kathmandu is still following our religion & culture.
I have never been to countryside of Kathmandu. The furthest I have been to, outside Pokhara, is which is my parents' hometown. All my foreign friends, who visited Nepal, complimented on the politeness, kindness and ever-smiling faces of our countrymen. I cannot recall whether they only meant those at villages. However, I remember seeing those qualities when I saw the video footage of my relatives at a village, far from city. There is no doubt in my mind that our countryside still beholds the many qualities of our Nepalese people. That is why, one day, when I am old enough to retire, I will go back to Nepal where I can be surrounded by people who speak my mother tongue and who will always be willing to give a helping hand.
Until then, I love my country but I will still have to reside in a foreign land."
As submitted to http://NepalWorldNews.Com
We thought the article was great. Whats your viewpoint on the issue?
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| kancho |
Posted
on 10-Mar-02 11:54 AM
blah blah...complain...complain..complain!!!
If you just see all negatives, why go back to Nepal at all? Even for a visit? Just stay whichever country you are at and sulk.
So there!
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| anepalikt |
Posted
on 10-Mar-02 09:21 PM
I agree with Kancho! And (sorry to say this) she sounds terribly shallow. No Credit cards and having to bargain?! Girl, you obviously are not going to the right stores! And this "wearing even trousers to the temple" business has been going on for long time, whats the big deal?
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| sunakhari |
Posted
on 11-Mar-02 08:22 AM
stayingabroad, did you submit this or did someone else?
Whoever it was must have been living under a stone all these years. K nachindo nakkal parikakheyko???
I personally do not own nor desire gold jewellery but jewellery is a part of our culture. The newaris, tamangs and other groups can be identified by their ethnic jewellery. I'm SOOOOOOo sorry to hear that the DIAMOND was set in yellow gold only to keep in stride with the tradition.
Is the writer trying to find sympathy here? or empathy? Or is just plain STUPID?
You couldn't use credit cards in Nepal and had to bargain? Obviously, you were shopping in Bhrikutimandap. And bargaining is part of our culture as well. Where were you born?
You were shocked to see girls wearing pants and skirts to temples? WHY? god wasn't complaining so why the heck are you? Did you wear kaichey marey phariya and chaubandi cholo all the time you lived there or while you were visiting? WHAT?? YOU DIDN'T?? SHAME ON YOU!! Thats our national garb!
STUPID STUPID ARTICLE!
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| NK |
Posted
on 11-Mar-02 09:31 AM
Priceless. Earth shattering revealation. Eye opening theory. For a second I thought the piece was written by Gyatri Devi Spivak. Especially this, and I quote, "Being a girl, I love shopping" sentence is precious. Being a "girl" myself I have this incessable desire to shop, shop shop and shop more. Isn't that what being a girl is all about. You hit the bull's eye my dear.
One thing I did not undersand though. You obviously treasure our culture, heritage and go as far as deriding, well, in your words, "rather upset" when you see all those youngsters wearing skirts and tight jeans and god (!) forbid having the nerve to wear those even to see gods in their residence, but when you see womens wearing jewllery you cannot stomach it. Hmmm.... And yeah, I am with y ou sis, what's up with that thing called bargaining. A plastic would have solved all the problems. Yes! And when you said, "... Even if I was overcharged, I can be sure it won't be double" using the plastics, you hit the bull's eye. I am not so smooth on theory of Economics but your obvious keen grasp on nitty gritty of this discipline is simply mind boggling. Plastics. yes, Plastics. they are the cure all, be all. Why can't those fools of my alma matter dont' get this simple fact?
And, I agree with y ou 100% percent on your declaration, "when I grow old one day, when I am old enough to retire, I will go back to Nepal where I can be surrounded by people who speak my mother tongue and who will always be willing to give a helping hand."
What is the mother country for after all, right?
(the article asked for a viewpoint so I hope you don't mind my viewpoint, nevertheless a bit skewed, I am afraid)
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| sally |
Posted
on 11-Mar-02 12:41 PM
OK, I’ll jump on the bandwagon. Better later than never ...
Girlfriend, if you dislike having to “pay” your way through the airport, then DON’T. They’ll still let you in. Really. Which is more important: your time or your honesty?
Speaking of being in a rush, am I detecting a trend here? Bargaining takes too much time, eh? Kind of like being honest at the airport. Of course you hated it. You were only there for 2 weeks, had places to go and people to see, and didn’t know the “real” prices anymore cuz you’d been gone so long. Next time, stay longer or stop looking at the clock.
Now on to your fashion statements. You dislike wearing lots of jewelry (one part of the traditional culture), but you don’t like the fact that other girls are wearing trousers and mini-skirts.
OK, I’ll ignore the contradictions for a minute. I share your concern about cultural loss in clothing. I happen to think that South Asian clothing is terrific. (Notice I did NOT say “traditional,” since culture is always changing. Kurtas are much more fun than boring undecorated Western styles, but we can’t exactly call them “traditional.”) South Asia is virtually the ONLY place left on this earth that actually has a fashion alternative to the McDonalds-and-Mall look. So I hope the South Asian sense of style is something that will always be the vibrant, creative, and ever-changing alternative that it is today. Otherwise, it would be such a loss–not only of uniqueness and creativity, but also of dignity. It’s so depressing to see “fashionable” upscale KTM girls in clothes that were too tacky for the K-mart bargain basement, so China sent them to Nepal instead.
But actually, come to think of it, I don’t think the uglification of urban fashion was your point. I think your point was that don’t want to go back to visit cuz (a) some Nepali girls are trying to be too Western; and (b) Nepal isn’t Western enough.
Huh???????
Oh yeah. Also, people in Nepal didn’t understand the West. Don’t you think that your Western friends who haven’t spent much time in Nepal–the one who imagine that all Nepalis are polite, kind, ever-smiling people who feel happy without material possessions–would be just as hard to convince of the complex reality? Of course your relative can’t understand. They never will, unless they come here for a long time. But let it be.
Meanwhile ... when you go to Nepal, please take off your watch. You're in too much of a rush, girl.
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| MANUS |
Posted
on 11-Mar-02 01:11 PM
Hey poeple,
Let her vent her frustration. Its all good....Let it out girl. Look at it this way.... yes you are bling blinginin' but all those who are complaing about your bling bling ARE BLING BLINGING TOO. We all are here bling blinging about something.
BLING BLING.... HEELLLL YEAH!!!!
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| sally |
Posted
on 11-Mar-02 01:39 PM
Gee, Manus. Can't we bling bling about her bling blingin'? Btw you can bling back at our blingin', too, unless you're too blingin' rude, and then we'll bling bling at the bling blingin' blinger.
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| krishna |
Posted
on 11-Mar-02 04:43 PM
What I hear you (article's author) saying is: "Life in Nepal...Does It Suck?" (see similar thread, "Life in US...Does It Suck?") I wonder how much the self-righteous trip she's on cost and whether she had to haggle for it. Maybe it's the new "been there, done that, got the superiority thang. Last time I risked going to K-du, all I got was a stinking case of blue-green-cryposporidium-giardia (free of charge, of course!). But, hey, look at the bright side--one sure feels like royalty sitting all day on the throne! ;)
As for the closing line, well, I love daydreaming, but I still have to live in reality.
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| joie de vivre |
Posted
on 12-Mar-02 08:03 AM
GOSH SALLY!
I can't stop LOL!
All the bling blings being thrown around at the blingers!!
U GO GIRL!
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