12.21.19
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Wow. My semester abroad is already over. I haven’t been able to write my final blog post due to the end-of-semester craziness, as well as jet lag, but I’m now going to pour my heart out. I’ll start with a recap of what I did this semester, followed with a reflection of my feelings and experiences, and then finally ending with what I hope to do in the future with this amazing opportunity. (Getting back into the essay-like grind, haha.)
In the fall of 2019, I studied abroad with the SIT: Nepal: Development, Gender, and Social Change program, which lasted about 15 weeks. The SIT program center is in Naxal, Kathmandu, and for the first 2.5 months, students lived in other Kathmandu neighborhoods with homestay families. During this time, students attended classes every week day, which included an intensive Nepali language course, a Development, Gender, and Social Change Seminar, and a Field Method and Ethics course. Nepali language teachers, our academic director, and notable Nepali guest speakers lectured about various topics about Nepal, including history, gender, caste, religion, environment, and current events. Students also participated in two excursions. The first one—the minor excursion—was for one week in Darjeeling, India, and Ilam, Nepal, where we learned about commodification and production of tea, as well as plantation working conditions. The two-week major excursion was a hike into and out of the mountainous rural region of Mustang, Nepal, where we lived with homestay families in the village of Larjung, one of the many Mustang villages. We also took an Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) to determine if our Nepali language skills were adequate enough for us to survive if an accident were to happen. Our final month was designated for our Independent Study Project (ISP) period, during which we developed original research topics and decided our own living accommodations anywhere in Nepal. I ended up staying in Kappurdhara, Samakhushi, Kathmandu in an Airbnb, and I researched the effects of yoga on anatomy and physiology and hand-illustrated the following in a dotted journal: a human depiction of the yoga pose, the name of the pose in both Sanskriti and English, the benefits of the pose, the methods on how to perform it, and any notes and precautions in performing the pose. (I developed a blister from writing too much, haha.) We ended the semester with final presentations of our ISPs and other farewell activities.
My experience abroad was absolutely life-changing. I originally planned to do the SIT China program, but could not due to my peanut allergy. However, I do not regret traveling to Nepal. I had limited experience of doing independent activities, so going to a different country and living by myself was completely out of my comfort zone. Nepalese culture and language are completely different, but I have come to see and love the every aspect of this country, especially the easy social interactions I can initiate with anyone. I am so thankful for the depth of cultural immersion in this program, such as living with Nepalese homestay families who spoke limited English and being able to develop my language skills so much that I scored an Advanced Low on the OPI. My love for Nepal was realized during the ISP period, where I lived in an Airbnb and was happily surprised with the family-oriented atmosphere and closeness, despite me not being Nepali. This experience further fuels my desire to learn more languages and connect with more people around the world.
Some of things that I found most challenging were the different standards of living and the different cultural nuances. Before coming to Nepal, I was such a clean-freak. I would be disgusted by dirt anywhere on me or inside a room. I would consistently wipe down and sanitize all surfaces. Sometimes I would take two showers a day. Clothes were thrown in the hamper even if I wore them for only a few hours. But that’s completely unrealistic to do in Nepal. There, I was embraced by the dirt flying up from the streets, but I got used to wiping off a mask of black at the end of the day. There, I grew desensitized to the public surfaces that weren’t sparkling clean, which made me more appreciative of the frequently-cleaned private areas of the house. There, I created a record of not showering for a week while in Larjung, because there was no hot water and it was consistently cold. And there, I wore the same clothes during every day of the trek because we had to travel light and any other clothes I would bring would just get dirty anyways.
Cultural nuances are to be expected in every setting you go to. It took me a while to get used to and learn how to deal with people pushing food at me to uphold their value of “guest is God” despite my body not being able to handle it. Children barging into my room due to the sense of family and no barriers was something that I got better at tolerating. Hacking and spitting onto the streets is now something I am indifferent to. And, dealing with people consistently asking me if I am married, if I have a Nepali boyfriend, and if I will marry in Nepal now humors me. I think that the marriage ideals in Nepal is something that I will most definitely respect but not necessarily carry with me. Unfortunately, I’ve been harassed quite a few times, both online and physically. But thankfully, I’ve been able to find support in others who helped me through these situations. And I’m not saying that this aspect is unique to Nepal—harassment occurs everywhere. I guess that this is just the first time where I’ve experienced it first-hand, which is probably aided by the close-knit, family-oriented atmosphere present in Nepali culture. Additionally, apparently it is becoming a popular trend to marry a foreigner (especially an American) to find a way to leave Nepal and settle in a better country. But despite that, I usually wave off these discussions with a good-hearted laugh and a “bhabishya maa bhar parchha, tara ma Nepal maa bihaa garchhu, holaa.” (“It depends on the future, but I might marry in Nepal.”)
What really captured my heart was the incredibly friendly, welcoming aspect. Honestly, I would feel safe going to any person’s house because I would receive food and a place to stay. Doors are literally kept open so that friends and family can freely come and go. Also, friends are typically regarded as family members, especially if they come from the same village. Familial terms—daai, didi, bhaai, bahini—are used everywhere, within the home realm and out on the streets. Because of this, everyone is so welcoming and helpful. I don’t feel intimidated to ask people for directions when I’m lost, or to just strike up a conversation with anyone. Additionally, I especially developed a strong connection with my Airbnb owner and his friends. They’ve welcomed me with open arms, and they even admitted that they considered me as family right when they met me. I’ve spent a month with them and honestly, I felt much closer to them than my own family, despite the language barrier. But my Nepali improved so much with them, and even now, I mix up my Nepali and English (and my Nepali and Chinese). This is such a unique feeling that would be so much better understood if people experience it for themselves, which I highly recommend. We’ve had so much laughter and good memories, and I am so thankful to have come across such a positive experience.
Because of my time in Nepal, I have definitely grown and developed as a person. I found out that I love to dance, that I love to talk, that I love to connect with people, that I love to eat daal bhat with my hands, that I love to study at cafes, that I am still freezing in 50 degree Fahrenheit weather, that street food is amazing, that there shouldn’t be any reason for me to doubt myself or to limit my talents and interests. I’ve accomplished so much and experienced (I’ve used that word so many times already, I apologize) so much, and I’m so proud of myself to have done this.
I would love to be more involved with international affairs. Before this trip, I was more set on pursuing physical therapy, and relating to my creative ISP, I would like to study yoga more in-depth and learn how to implement yogic values into the practice of physical therapy, especially since there is an increase of the use of yoga in various forms of therapy. But before I set foot in this life-long career, I would love to spend some more of my life traveling and living in different cultures. I want to try to do another study abroad opportunity while I am still in undergrad, and I plan to travel after graduating. I was thinking that an Asian tour would be amazing. But then I also got to thinking about Peace Corps. I think that would really be another life-changing moment for me if I went into the Education sector and participated in Nepal’s education program. I would love to go back to Nepal so that I can use my language skills and reconnect with the culture that had helped me grow so much.
All-in-all, I highly recommend studying abroad, or just going abroad in general. I think that everyone should be able to experience (oops, there is that word again) a different lifestyle because not only would that help to learn about different people, but that would also help to appreciate and understand one’s own way of living. I think that one can learn better about their own culture when being exposed to another. And, I highly value cross-cultural communication and understanding. I want to be a global citizen, and I want to be able to connect with everyone I meet, wherever I go, despite any language or cultural barrier. Everyone should have the opportunity to travel the world, to study abroad—not necessarily in the academic sense, but to help create a better understanding of the world and each other. It is so important to embrace the existence, the being, the is, from different viewpoints. The world is absolutely, undeniably beautiful, and should be seen from every point.
