Cultural Shocks in Nepal

Cultural shock is a sense of confusion and uncertainty sometimes with feelings of anxiety that may affect people exposed to an alien culture or environment without adequate preparation. Cultural shock is simply a situation that get formed when someone is moving to a new place, where there is new culture , lifestyle and rituals. Cultural shocks can be good and bad, but basically cultural shock refers the strange or awkward situations that may come in front of us. Cultural shocks are the results of furriness or preparation of understanding the places we are going to travel and the culture of that place.
Nepal is a diverse country for different lifestyles, cultures, rituals and religion. So Cultural shock is general thing here. Cultural shocks In Nepal are described below in points:

Appearance and Living style:

In places the poverty is shocking. There are piles of garbage next to rivers, people sleeping in gutters, meat being butchered on a tarp next to the street. There are buildings that are older than most countries, rat’s nests of electric wires, 8-hour power cuts and beggars on top of beggars. In general, Nepali people are highly uncomfortable with nudity and immodest clothing. To avoid this, men should wear a top, even when it is hot. Women should cover shoulders and wear skirt/shorts at least to the knee. If you can wear Nepali traditional clothing (kurta or sari for women, daura suruwal and dhaka topi cap for men) this is usually welcomed as a sign that you respect Nepali culture. Having a clean and tidy appearance shows respect for yourself and for those around you – so keeping your clothing, hair and facial hair tidy will be appreciated.

Places and Festivals:

Nepal is a crazy country for beautiful places and festivals. From the world highest mountain peak to world deepest valley, Nepal carries the places alongside. In Kathamndu, the Capital city we can observe the anciet sculptures and monasteries and temples. And when we travel to Himalayan region we can see the snow mountains. If you are travelling here, in September- October, You will be able to see the festive vibes, Kites in the skies, people wearing red “ Rice with curd” called Tika. So just don’t feel strange . Its at all Nepal.

Cleanliness:

In Nepal, the left hand is considered unclean (used for the toilet), while the right hand is clean. It is best to eat and drink with the right hand only. Giving and receiving (handshakes, money, gifts, food etc) should also be done with the right hand, while using the left hand to touch the right wrist or arm. Likewise, one’s mouth is considered unclean. When individual glasses aren’t provided, the Nepali style of drinking from communal water jugs is to tilt your head back and pour the liquid into your mouth. Another ‘unclean’ body part is the feet. It is polite to take shoes off before entering temples and many homes, and to avoid pointing the soles of the feet towards people.

So , above mentioned issues are the very basic cultural shocks that one can feel while visiting Nepal
Kudos!! .