Things Living in Kathmandu Has Taught Me

Robert Crew is a Finnish born and has spent 35 years of his life living in Helsinki. For the past 6 months, he has been living and working in Kathmandu. Through his blog, he has shared things he learnt about his motherland Finland after living in Kathmandu for months.

Excerpts:

1. Variety adds flavour to your life

Crew writes: “The people are truly what make it a country of choice for travellers. It has almost 27 million inhabitants, 13 different languages (officially recognised, not official languages), as well as tribes and ethnicities in such abundance that it could make an anthropologist faint with exhaustion. This makes a wonderful mesh of cultures, habits and rituals to try and wrap your head around. To the relief of the foreigner, English has a deep foothold here, and communicating is as easy as in any international airport.”

What this has taught him about Finland:

Crew’s 6 months experience in Nepal has made him realise that a country becomes more fascinating and impressive when it embraces multiculturalism.

2. The Ultimate Key to Happiness is Not Money

Nepalese people are well-known for their outstanding hospitality and generosity. He writes:”Don’t be alarmed, startled or scared when you are suddenly dragged into someone’s flat or makeshift dwelling for a cup of tea, some local momos or some home brewed Raksi rice liquor. Rejecting an offer is seen as rude, and you will most likely be served the best they can offer, down to the shirt off their back” Traveling here will give you new friends for life.

What this has taught him about Finland:

Though Finland is materialistically richer then Nepal, it is spiritually poor. He realised that cherishing little things in life brings more happiness than money does.

3. Food is glorious. Germs are not

Hitting a local street kitchen to experience the authentic experience comes with only one disadvantage i.e. sanitary conditions of those eateries.

What this has taught him about Finland:

Crew writes:”While it’s clear Finnish food could do with some spicing up, it’s also clear that our famed love of rules takes the risk out of eating out. Sometimes, it seems, being overly bureaucratic has its benefits.”

4. We do party like it’s 1999

Thamel is an ideal place to let loose and unleash the party animal inside you. Crew Writes:”Sitting in a local café gobbling down local beer, you’ll soon have made friends from all walks of life, who quickly want to exchange numbers, become Facebook friends and will like every single post on your wall for good measure.”

What this has taught him about Finland:

Though Finland’s nightlife is awesome, it doesn’t make them as sociable as they could or should.

5. There are worse hangovers than a Koskenkorva hangover

The purity of spirits and the fact that Nepalese beer are recycled can give you a feeling of 75 year old alcoholic on the end of a 40 year bringe on waking up. A great hangover cocktail should definitely be expected.

What this has taught him about Finland:

There are even worse types of hangover than the ones you get from partying with a bottle of Koskenkorva.

6. Public transport is much better when it’s less crowded

Travelling around kathmandu Valley in an overcrowded bus can be quite an adventure. Crew Wrties: “The rides can be enjoyable social experiences with majestic scenery or roller coaster rides on narrow mountain roads with a 100 m death fall on one side. If you’re prone to travel sickness or are faint of heart, pop a sedative, put on your headphones and try to sleep.”

What this has taught him about Finland:

Public transport might be insanely expensive but it’s fantastically comfortable and fantastically reliable.

“Having lived here for over 6 months, I can say that Nepal is, without doubt, one of the world’s most colorful and amazing countries. If you visit it, like me, you’ll probably learn a lot about the country of your birth, too – both how it could be better and how it could be worse. For me, perhaps the most important lesson has probably been the power of a smile to deal with life’s challenges. That’s something I think we could try harder to apply in Finland too.”

Courtesy:http://inktank.fi/7-things-ive-learnt-finland-living-kathmandu/