Observations

It is my second week in Kathmandu and I’ve noticed some social differences. First off, the people seem to be more community-oriented; they are more focused on the betterment of the community than being better than their neighbors. The women are very family-focused. Through certain writing assignments, it seems their day consists of prayer, cooking, cleaning, and teaching their children. I have also noticed their cultural view on body image. Most of the people in advertisements are lighter-skinned and thin. This is common in Asian countries (as well as in the West), but it does not seem to be as big of an industry then in other countries. This could be defined by the area of the valley I am in, but it is just something I noticed.

As for other social factors, the further in the mountains you go the fewer amenities they have. Clean water is not a luxury anywhere (naturally) in Kathmandu; all clean water comes from bottles. Most places have access to the internet but it seems that most people do not have computers or desktops. There is also no consistency with electricity, the power goes out randomly every day. From talking with my students, I’ve noticed wealth discrepancies. Wealthier people tend to have bigger houses, some of which include prayer rooms. Other students rent one room in a house or apartment. Laundry rooms as we know them seem to be obsolete, no one has mentioned these appliances in their house, however, there are many appliance stores that sell washing machines.

Anyway, those are some things I’ve noticed in the past two weeks!