By sheldonwongg
Studying in Nepal is not exactly your traditional study abroad experience. From the transportation, to the customs, to the everyday nuances, you'll find differences from every angle. However, I could not be more grateful to be studying in Kathmandu. In so many ways, I have begun to understand the ways in which the world operates and dismantle the associations I have instilled in myself. I think one of the biggest surprises I've encountered since coming to Nepal was just how wrong my preconceived notions of Nepal and Tibet were. Like most people, I thought Tibetans floated on air and didn't have the capacity to get mad at people. However, they are human, just like any other group. It sounds silly looking back in hindsight, but these stereotypes are ingrained in us and it takes a lot of reflect to fully understand how deeply embedded our ideas of the world are. The greatest form of learning I've done here in Nepal is unlearning. Unlearning what it means to be part of a global society, to associate two things together, to question the purpose of systematic belief.
One of the most humbling moments of this trip was hearing Tibetans thanking us for coming to study Tibetan and calling us courageous for being able to leave our country and travel to a place like Nepal and India. It really hit hard to realize how incredibly lucky I am to be able to travel and see life like this, but also have the comfort of knowing that it is temporary and that life as it is right now is only a point in time; a fleeting moment before I move on. I am constantly reminding myself that because of pure luck, I'm in this position and because of luck, they are in that position. I think one of the conversations I had with a member of my homestay sums it up pretty well. He said: Take what you learned here and don't forget about us [Tibetans], but when you go home, you have a place to stay, food to eat. All you have to do is be a good person.