Ten things about Nepal...

---

All the buses are elaborately decorated: painted inside and out with images of the Gods, of Lotus flowers and mountain scenes. Most are also complete with decorative metal or mirrors on the inside ceiling, pictures of Bollywood stars or Avril Levigne, and the occasional tinsel or trim around the front window.


The only safety precaution needed against the steep, winding mountain roads is a flashing Buddha on the dashboard.


In remote villages the arrival of foreigners raises the equivalent excitement of the circus coming to town. Their general curiosity and interest in what we do is so intense that a group of local children actually watched a guy read a book for over half an hour.


Everybody and their grandmother has a cell phone. The young monks at monasteries can be found texting, and even poor woman sitting along the side of the street who can barely afford food will pull out their cells and make a call.


None of the salesman have ever heard the term "target market". Are two young women really going to be drawn to your restaurant with the promise that you will be showing the movie "Rambo" tonight? And how many people are going to impulse buy a miniature chess set or violin while walking down the street? or a poster of the Himalayas while they are waiting to board the bus? You have to know your market.


The roof of the bus cannot just be used for securing luggage or as extra seating but also a reasonable way to transport twenty or so goats over hundreds of kilometers. No cages or anything are needed, just pill them on and go.


All the concert T-shirts that don't sell in the West end up here. There are so many young Nepali boys wearing gear with Brittany Spears or Usher on it. And of course Avril Levigne. They love Avril here.


When the people have any sort of problem (ie with the government) the answer is to hold a strike. Then of course those who disagree will hold a strike in protest of the first. Both strikes of course will block traffic and cause massive delays which add hours onto travel time....enough to make want to hold a strike against them.


Many restaurants will claim to have "American style" pancakes, apple pie etc, or "Italian style" lasagna (a loose term often applied to various pasta dishes). Everything is still Nepali style though, distinguised by a certain quality. On the trek we deemed this quality the "hint of yak" in the food. Especially noticeable when Nepali/western hybrid foods are attempted, such as tuna momos. Disastrous.


Paying for things is always a hassle. The ATM's only give big bills and nobody, it seems, in the entirity of Nepal has change. Also, at restaurants the frenzy of calculations, especially if you ask for seperate bills, takes as much time as eating the meal.


Everyone is so eager to help that even the most simple jobs end up being a team effort. While waiting in line at the Indian Embassy I watched such a team polishing the sign. There was one person standing on a chair doing the actually act of polishing, anouther man holding the can of polish, and yet another holding an extra rag. And of course two others standing around watching, no doubt giving bits of advice or encouragement. It clearly was a five person job.


The Nepali men are so affectionate towards each other. You can't walk down the street without seeing them holding hands. And on long bus rides they all snuggle up together at the front to go to sleep. It's so cute. It's especially cute when they try to hold western guys' hands. It really freaks the poor white boys out. On my rafting trip they got used to it pretty fast though. Soon they were holding hands around the campfire at night. I wonder if they will continue this behaviour back home. Probably not.


Okay, that's more than 10 things but it's such a famtastic country. I loved it.

---