February, 2002

"Have you climbed Mt Everest?"

STEREOTYPE QUESTIONS REGARDING NEPAL
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The first question I encountered when my American dormmates came to know that I was from Nepal was, well...

"Have you climbed Mt Everest?" 

The truth is, I have only been upto ghandruk once, but I told them that i have reached the Mt Everest Base Camp which is at the height of some feets i made up.., and they were mighty impressed. Earlier, the other common comment would have been that they had thought that Nepal was a part of India or China's Tibetan  territory.

Well, now thanks to the fact that Nepal has been in the world headline news quite a many times, that people outside finally seem to know that there is indeed a country called Nepal. But sadly, they now happen to think that it is a country with only mountains full of prayers incanting monks and shotgun waving maoist guerillas; crazy royal romantics who wipe out their entire family for love, and not to forget the forgetful(or is it dumb)lionhearted folks who dare to board a plane with a bag full of guns and knives. And I personally wouldnt entirely blame them for that either.

Back to the main topic. 

What are the kind of stereotype questions you have encountered regarding Nepal by American and other foreign nationals?

Like..

Have you climbed Mt Everest?
Isnt Nepal a part of India?
Isnt Nepal all mountains?
Do you know martial arts?
etc...

What was your reply to it? or what would be your reply to such questions?

Feedback on the topic would be great. 

When i came here three years ago, i came with memories of a country which is a peace zone, where Lord Buddha was born, the country of great king Janaka, Sita,  Bhrikuti, Arniko, the land of mount everest, the home of brave Gurkhas, and so on. How I miss that feeling !
Now, I realize that i had almost forgotten about all those, while trying to comprehend the stuffs that have happened in the past couple of years, and are still going on. Again, I do miss that feeling. Very much !!  


Om Prakash Shrestha
Canton, NY
http://nepal-usa.cjb.net

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