6 Things Only a Nepali Will Understand

June 1, 2015

Nepal is a unique place on earth: we’ve got a 15 minute time difference, the best mountains in the world and just went through an epic earthquake. Here are a few more things that only a Nepali will understand:

1. It is not freezing cold everywhere in Nepal all the time

Just because we’re situated among the Himalayas, not all the Nepalese people live at extreme altitude. The land surface of Nepal varies from 59 meters to 8848 meters and is divided into three vertical belts: Terai, Hill and Mountain regions. It would be fair to say that most places in Nepal have a very moderate climate throughout the year.

 

 

 

2. Dal-Bhat is dal-Best

We all have comfort foods – and for Nepalis, it is definitely Dal-Bhat. It could be rather shocking for new people to see us eating a lot of rice, but to many of us, it is the most effective way of filling up our bellies! Nepalese do eat breads and sandwiches too, but not as a regular meal. Rather, it is very common within Nepalese that they eat rice and lentils as their main course at least two times a day.

3. Children live with their parents even after marriage

Some outsiders might consider it really strange that we live with our parents even after turning 18 or 21. The trend of extended families still living together continues in many parts of Nepal where 10-20 people from a single family live under a same roof.

4. Trend of arranged marriage Arranged marriage still exists!

Would you trust your parents to pick your spouse? Well, it’s an important trend in Nepal where a young person seeks his/her parents’ guidance in finding a suitable match for him or her. This is due to the strong ancestral influence, especially in Hindu religion. This culture also symbolizes the trust  that we have in our parents. There is also this recent trend of searching a suitable bride or groom online. Check out Nepal Matrimony!

 5. Saying ”You’ve Gained Weight!” is not an insult

You may often experience in Nepal that people notice and nurture you in a different way. Saying you’ve gained/lost weight while meeting a friend after some time is the most common way of starting conversation. Also, when you go out as a guest to somebody’s home, you will see the host trying to make you eat more, even if you say it’s enough. This is a classic way of showing respect in Nepalese family!

6. We aren’t all sherpas

The population of Nepal is more than 26 million, with remarkable diversity from those living in the high hills and those living in the city. We have more  than 100 ethnic groups with different cultures and spoken languages. Sherpa is one of the tribes renowned to the world for having great mountaineering skills, but it is not the only tribe that we have. We invite you to learn more about our country and our people on your visit here!

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