My Nepali Friend

We flew back into Kathmandu today. Amazingly, the flight ran on time, and the guide was there to meet us. Lekha took us back to the hotel, and we made plans to rest a little while before heading out to the university to see the program Daughter #1 will be attending. It ended up taking some time, since we didn;t really know where to go. Lekha had done some graduate studies there, so he was at least passingly familiar with the "campus". It looked more like abandoned school buildings, but this was indded the university. We went to the center for anthropology and sociology where the students were on strike and meeting with the professors. They were striking the low grades they had earned. The daughter thought this was a good idea, but I tiold her some things are better left in the east.

Eventually, we got a phone number for a professor, who put us in touch with the person who runs the program for the foreign students. He agreed to meet us and show us around the buildings that they will have class in. When we arrived, we were given fresh juice. It was all typical for our experiences of the Nepali people so far.

Let me illustrate this by telling you about my new Nepali friend, Afzal. Afzal runs a small jewelry shop in the Thamel district, not too far from our hotel in Kathmandu. When we first arrived here, we bought a couple of small things from him. Today, after we checked into the hotel, and before we were going to the university, I had a little over an hour to do some more souvenir shopping. As I walked past his shop, not even looking in the window, he ran out and asked "Hello, do you remember me?" I did. He asked where we were staying and told me his brother has a shop in another hotel. He then told me his life story. Literally. We stood at the entrance to his shop talking for about half an hour, before he asked me "Do you want something to drink?". Assuming he meant to get me something from inside his shop, I said yes. He then ran down the street and came back a few minutes later with two cold Sprites in his hand. We went in the shop to sit down, while he continued to tell me about himself, showing me a picture of his lovely wife, and telling me the story of how he came to open the shop last month. When he caught me glancing at my watch, he asked if I had to be somewhere. As a matter of fact, I did, and told him I was meeting the daughter to go to the university. Meanwhile, I had spent about an hour learning about Afzal's life. His father came from Calcutta to Nepal about 40 years ago when he was 15-20 years old. He eventually opened many jewlery shops, where Afzal and his 7 brothers (he also has 4 sisters) worked. 3-4 years ago, Afzal fell in love with a Hindu woman. However, Afzal's family are Musliom, and his father essentially disowned him. They gave him no money ("Not even 100 ruppee [about $1.50]"), and would not help him at all. He fame to Thamel with the clothes on his back. He spent his last 13 ruppee getting here. He got a job in a friend's jewelry shop, and for the next 3 years saved half his pay. When he found out from another friend that the storefront in Thamel that he now is in was being sold for $250,000 ruppee, he took his savings and a loan from the bank, and opened his shop. Yesterday he again went to his family to ask for some help and was again rebuffed. He is sad that he is losing his family, his brothers and his father, but he loves his wife. Her family is much more accepting of him than his family of her.

We talked about what it like in America as well. He was surprised to here that a single state is often as big or bigger than his entire country. He feels that we are lucky that the government pays for schooling up through high school. We also talked about his views of the political situation in his country.

AFter we got back from the University, we stopped in to say hello once more, and asked Afza for a restuarant. He literally closed up his shop and took us over to a nice restaurant down the street, He joined us for a drink and refused any food. We then went back to his shop, where we bought a couple more pieces. The daughter bought a ring that needed to be resized. He took it to a friend, leaving us alone in the shop with all his merchandise open and available, saying only "If anyone comes in, you sell them something, OK?". When all was said and done, we spent about 1200 ruppee (or $20 at the current exchange rate).

Now, can you imagine in the states having a shopkeeper, especially of a jewelry shop, spend a couple of hours just chatting, closing up his shop to show you around, and finally leaving alone with all the merchandise? Like I said, the Nepali are very friendly people, and I have a new Nepali friend.