Living and working in Nepal

untoward advance – that’s what a Nepali woman would do.

Of course, you may want to strike up a relationship with a Nepali man. There’s a long tradition of women travellers falling for trekking or rafting guides and Kathmandu has a small but growing community of women who have married and settled. However, Nepali men are not without their own agendas: exotic romance, conquest, perhaps even a ticket out of Nepal. Be aware also that many Nepali men use the services of sex workers and that HIV/AIDS is a growing and largely concealed problem.

Meeting Nepali women

A frustrating aspect of travelling in Nepal is the difficulty of making contact with Nepali women. Tourism is still controlled by men; women are expected to spend their time in the home, get fewer educational opportunities than men and speak much less English. If you’re lucky enough to be invited to a Nepali home for a meal, chances are the women of the house will remain in the kitchen while you eat. Upper-class women, who may even work with foreigners, are often well educated and free of these restrictions, but they have few encounters with travellers.

Sexual politics are different among highland ethnic groups. Along trekking routes, many women run teahouses single-handedly while their husbands are off guiding or portering. Proud, enterprising and flamboyant, these “didis” are some of the most wonderful people you’re likely to meet anywhere. There are a few female trekking guides now, too (see p.214).

Working or studying in Nepal can add a satisfying focus to your trip, and deepen your understanding of another way of life. It’s certainly the best way to meet and get to know Nepalis.

Unfortunately, you can’t stay longer than 150 days in any calendar year on a tourist visa without special permission (though that means you can stay almost a year if your trip straddles two calendar years). To stay longer, you have to get a longerterm visa (such as the business, residential or study visas), but they require an application from an accredited organization to the relevant Nepali government ministry.

If you feel you’ve received a lot from Nepal, volunteering is a good way to give something back. The old people’s hospices in Pashupatinath and Chabahil run by Mother Teresa’s Sisters of Charity welcome walk-in help on a day-to-day basis. The Kathmandu Environmental Education Project (KEEP; Wkeepnepal.org.org) and Himalayan Rescue Association (Whimalayanrescue.org) offices in Kathmandu always use workers, and can put you in touch with other organizations. Orphanages have boomed in Kathmandu and Pokhara, but be cautious if signing up to volunteer with these places; a depressing number exploit both the children in their care and the volunteers who fund them, siphoning off money and gifts and, in some notorious cases, subjecting the orphans to all kinds of abuses. For longer-term volunteer work, postings with the Peace Corps, VSO and other voluntary agencies abound, providing you’ve got the relevant skills. People with experience in education, health, nutrition, agriculture and forestry are preferred. Many other aid agencies (such as Action Aid, Save the Children, CARE and Oxfam) operate in Nepal and occasionally take on specialists. If you just want an open-ended arrangement for a few weeks or so, teaching English is a good option. Language schools in Kathmandu and Pokhara occasionally take people on, although the pay is negligible. Numerous organizations run longer, more formal teaching programmes (see p.46), but you’ll pay for the privilege, once you’ve factored in training and support fees. Paid work is almost impossible to find locally, and it’s against the law to work on a tourist visa. Some people find jobs as guides, but you may want to question the ethics of taking a job that could be done by a Nepali. Qualified masseurs and yoga/ meditation instructors may be able to find work in Kathmandu or Pokhara. If you can persuade the Department of Industry that you’ve got a good idea, you may qualify for a business visa.ipi8hfBu+Fu1Tqp6g5eaALs=

Studying

A few language schools in Kathmandu offer intensive courses in Nepali, Newari or Tibetan (see p.117), and there are opportunities to study Tibetan Buddhism (see p.100). Several American universities run study programmes in Nepal; see p.133. For anything longer term or more formal you’ll need to