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One of the greatest lessons that I have learned in my three years in America is that there exists a tremendous lack of understanding and a generally high rate of hilarious stereotyping on both sides of the globe.
In Nepal many people still think America is all about skyscrapers, beaches, big cars and one-night-stands. America is imaginatively reduced to be made of New York City on one side and Los Angeles on the other; while everything in the middle is a big farm and everyone is a cowboy. Similarly, a surprisingly high number of people in America assume that just because Mt. Everest is in Nepal I have climbed it. And another thing, just because I am from South Asia doesn’t mean I can help you with your math homework or fix your computer.
 Photo from: http://158.130.17.5/~myl/languagelog/archives/SouthAsiaLocalLang.png There are many reasons why ill-informed people think of South Asians in terms of stereotypes, so I will list a few of these stereotypes and try to dispel them . See full post
Tags: International, Religion, Culture
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The best thing about being a human is our ability to feel compassion without any regard to natural or imaginative boundaries. Mitrata-Nepal Foundation for Children in St. Louis, Mo. is one such organization that is helping to create a better environment for hundreds of children in Nepal. Founded in 2005, this organization provides shelter, medical care and educational opportunities for underprivileged children in Nepal. Through its fundraising activities it links children in Nepal with sponsors, and supports a group home for children in Kathmandu run by the Mitrata Nepal Foundation (an NGO in Nepal).
 Photo from: http://mitrata.org/Default.aspx The organization was founded in St. Louis in 2005 by Dr. Christine Schutz of Logan University and Dr. Nancy Williger in collaboration with Mitrata Nepal Foundation in Kathmandu. It is unique in its approach toward child welfare, because its main focus is the one on one relationship between child and sponsor. By doing so, it not only provides a home through financial aid but also provides the child with a family and an emotional support system.
Another reason why the Mitrata-Nepal Foundation is distinctive is because it supports these children into adulthood, assisting them in becoming educated and independent. Seeing a child into adulthood is important to complete the mission of the organization. Doing so decreases the chances of a child being somewhat stranded half way into his education. To accomplish this, Mitara-Nepal Foundation has five basic methods: 1) Child sponsorship 2) Operational support 3) Career development and scholarship 4) Technical assistance 5) Cultural travel. See full post
Tags: Culture, International, Education
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After five years of successfully hosting the Himalayan Night, Namaste Nepal, the Nepalese student association on campus, is back for another year.
The event is a way of showcasing the Nepalese culture to the Truman and Kirksville, Mo. communities. The show consists of a wide array of Nepalese dances, skits, fashion show, presentations and food. Given the diverse nature of the Nepali society and Nepalese students in Truman, Himalayan Night is a must go event for diversity enthusiasts. The show provides a unique opportunity to experience a completely different culture. Through the show, the Nepalese students attempt to educate while entertaining.
 Photo from: http://namaste.truman.edu/Gallery/Pages/Himalayan_Nite_09.html#8 Himalayan Night is a good opportunity for people to experience diversity who have not had a chance to travel around the globe. As an international student from Nepal, I recognize the importance cultural events play for both the audience and the hosts. While Himalayan night offers a chance for Nepali students to represent their roots, it gives the domestic students a chance to appreciate it. It is a refreshing break from the sometimes mundane way of life in the flatlands of America. And although the show is hosted and organized in the heart of the Midwest, the students manage to provide a pretty authentic replica of the Nepali culture. The food provided is prepared from scratch by the students. The dishes selected for the event range from a simple day to day meal to a dish prepared solely during festivity. The dances are performed by students who are trained and semi-proficient in genuine Nepali dancing. See full post
Tags: Culture, Events, Food and Drink, International, Entertainment
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Ernest Hemingway, a well-known journalist and novelist became a legend in American literature in the 20th century through his extensive global travels, but it is the Midwest where he had his start.
 Photo from: http://www-tc.pbs.org/wnet/americannovel/timeline/images/hemingway_pic Ernest Miller Hemingway was born in Oak Park, Illinois on the 21st of July, 1899. He was hired as a journalist for The Kansas City Star after graduating high school. While working for the newspaper in early 1918, he volunteered for the Red Cross and was shipped off to the Italian Front where he was severely wounded. He returned home America only to fall in love and go back to Paris. He received a Nobel Prize for Literature in the October of 1954 while in Cuba. After his experience in various jobs and locations, he finally returned and settled in Ketchum, Idaho before he died.
Ernest Hemingway’s legacy is the manner in which he changed writing. Hemingway’s introduced what is called the Iceberg Theory. Just as the name suggests, this theory explains that only some facts are written but a deeper meaning is lurking out of sight. The Iceberg Theory is unmistakable in Hemingway’s writing. See full post
Tags: Historical figures, Culture, Environment
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Kathmandu, Nepal is buzzing with tourists from all over the world every mid-February. Hindu pilgrims flog the Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu to celebrate Shivaratri (the Birthday of Lord Shiva). Pashupatinath temple is one of the most important shrines for Hindus, and is located in the heart of Kathmandu. Pashupatinath means the Lord of Animals; and since Shiva is the Lord of Animals the temple is dedicated to him. Shivararti is a very important night for Nepali Hindus. Shiva is seen as a protective deity, almost an unofficial state deity, by many Nepalis.
 On Shivaratri, millions of worshippers attempt to pray in the main temple complex, but with the monstrous lines, not all are able to worship. However, not all come to the pray. Shivaratri also provides a good day for families to come to the temple complex and enjoy the festivities. The temple complex is bustling with performers, small bazaars, snake charmers, and magicians. The day is marked by parades and also giving to the poor. Free food for the poor is provided by various charity establishments, but the line leading to free food can be as long as the one leading to the temple.
Shivaratri also has a cultural significance. Lord Shiva is known as the god of mystics, a god of the underworld, of dance, and intoxication. The Shivararti night is marked by inviting friends and family to a bonfire, food, singing and drinks. See full post
Tags: Religion, Events, International
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American college students have a different idea of how to dress than I do. In my first week at Truman, my roommate had a 7:30 a.m. class, but didn’t wake up until 7:25 a.m. What happened in the next five minutes may have changed my life forever. He put on his sweats and wandered off to class leaving me awestruck at the sheer indifference of his genius. Without his intending to do so I was acquainted with the idea of wearing sweatpants to class and it blew my mind!
College students in the U.S. dress up for class informally and this was a new concept for me. Back home, in Nepal, getting ready for class is a daily ritual. Many of the colleges still adhere to the uniform dress system, while the other still insist in having some strict form of do’s and “don’ts in regards to student dress code. Wearing shorts or sleeveless shirts are a big no-no. We must dress in a way that lets our professors know we respect them. That is not to say that we dress up in business attire every day, but we are expected to wear shoes, pants, t-shirts (to say the least) and if possible to have our hair combed. I don’t mean to say that the majority of American students dress this way.
 Photo from: http://www.hptops.com/db_images/thumb/sweatpants Still, wearing shorts and sweats to class without your professor asking you to leave is as alien a concept to me as the United Nation to Attila the Hun. The right to freedom of speech also allows students to wear t-shirts with various messages on them, a theme unheard of in Nepal. I also found wearing t-shirts of the organization you belong to, free t-shirts you receive or t-shirts from high school very common in the U.S. See full post
Tags: International, Clothing
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