Nepal? Not so much. The family would absolutely LOVE it. Weddings here in Nepal are both elaborate and not as elaborate as western weddings. They are elaborate in the fact that everyone in the village it takes place in comes. Celebrations can last for 3 days or more (at least in my village). Like I shared before, people walking by can be invited to celebrate too.
Another volunteer last night mentioned how we all went through this long application process thinking we knew at least a little bit of what it would be like living in another country. However, you never thought of what you’d actually find yourself in different situations. I have shared somethings before, but not sure I have quite gone into depth about the Nepali culture - therefore I will write out my experiences and attempt to explain.
1. I have experienced being locked in my room from the outside. My bhais took my combination lock to my room not realizing that the other access to my room had been nailed shut. 20 minutes I finally got out after I used my Leatherman to make the nails come out far enough to be pulled out by a hammer.
2. Nepalis have meetings that happen, but don’t always notify you even though they may have expected you to show up. Apparently there was a nutrition training that afterwards everyone asked why I had not been there, but yet didn’t bother to tell me about it. Other times they will call you as the meeting is happening for you to come quickly.
3. I was at a Nepali restaurant and some Asian customers asked if dahl baht was available… Essentially, that is like asking if Mexican food is available in Mexico. It was hard not to laugh at that question!
4. A guy was having some alcohol and kadja in our kitchen. After meeting me, he asked semi formed questions repetitively. One of them was “Tapaii…jane?” That means “you…go?” Even though I was fairly certain he was trying to ask again when I was going back to America, I asked him what was the question.
5. At a volunteer’s house, women on their cycle cannot go into the kitchen to eat. However, they can go into it to sleep at night… Note: PC requires us to have our own rooms so regardless of cycle cultural practices that could involve females needing to sleep in a different place during it - that policy means we as female volunteers do not need to follow that.
That is all I can think of for now…