This unit is an IDEAL springboard to discuss sensitive issues such as racism, sexism and class issues. What makes us a “cultural” group and what makes us an individual? (NOTE: You might want to have the students research their own cultural background before starting the unit. You could produce a multicultural “show and tell” background day.)

The students begin by discussing culture in general. What is cultural identity? The focus shifts to a comparison of other cultures. How is North America different from other parts of the world? The unit is setting the tone for how to behave/how to respect other cultures.

The country of Nepal is examined in great depth: facts, cultural considerations, tips for the traveler, and so on. You are invited to use the supplementary sheets on religion, history and art for a more comprehensive learning experience.

In the final assignment, a letter writing exercise, students are encouraged to examine North America from an outsider’s point of view using the information they have already learned.

Ask students to define culture. What are the elements of culture? What makes one culture different from another? Can more than one culture exist harmoniously together? Think of real world examples. Although the What is Culture? worksheet is intended to give students a very general overview, it is written for high school students. A general discussion of culture with points written on the board is adequate for lower grades. What is Culture – response is a worksheet designed to start students thinking about different cultures, and is appropriate for all grades levels.

The Cultural Diversity worksheet explores the differences between Canadian and American policies towards immigrants. This worksheet should be completed in pairs or groups of 3’s. Ask students if they have traveled to other cultures. How did they feel? Has anyone in the class moved from their homeland and ended up in your classroom? Make sure students understand the differences between assimilation and integration before they attempt to answer the questions.

HOMEWORK: Have students research ONE of the individuals on the Cultural Quotes worksheet for Lesson 3. Some are quite famous, others obscure.

The concept of “culture overlap” is something students probably experience every day, but aren’t aware of it. They’re munching on Mexican tacos, wearing Peruvian mittens and listening to British pop songs. Can students give any other examples of how other cultures influence them? The Dabbling in other cultures worksheet shows how students aren’t as “American” as they might think. This talk activity should be completed in pairs, followed by a whole class discussion.

Been There/Done That/ Got the T-shirt is a fun activity where students design their own “self-defining” T-shirt. Encourage them to be creative and think of new facets of culture, and not just the traditional ones. Students should sketch their designs, or write in great detail describing their shirt. Is it in your school budget to buy white T-shirts and have students actually make their creations? Can students bring in their own plain shirts and supplies?

Hand out the Cultural Quotes worksheet. Students should share their homework findings – WHO are these people who said these things about culture? In pairs, students should discuss and make notes on the cultural quotations to further their understanding of culture.

Now ask students what they know about Nepal. Explain the rest of the unit will be focusing on this Asian country. Is there a map in your classroom you can use to point out Nepal? Nepal - Just the Facts serves as a fact sheet backgrounder, introducing students to Nepal – by the numbers. The Getting to Know Nepal worksheet provides further information. Read the sheet through with the whole class and answer any questions, but don’t divulge too much information. Have students tackle Nepal – Questions in pairs. It should be finished as homework.

Take up the question sheet about Nepal. What interesting ideas did students come up with? Now make a list of questions on the OHP that pupils still want answered about Nepal – you will get to them in Lesson Six, so keep the list!

Read the beginning of Nepal – Questions Answered to examine brief answers given to the questions. The Time to Write script writing activity should be completed in pairs in class or individually as homework. Do students have time to present their scripts to the class? If so, allow them time to practice first.

Art in Nepal, Nepal’s History and Religion in Nepal worksheets provide more thorough information. Students could be assigned the topics in groups and a) make mini-presentations to the class OR b) make question sheets up for their peers to answer.

Music in Nepal is a look at the history of music in Nepal. Comprehension questions follow. The homework assignment, posters, should be displayed in the classroom.

Recipes worksheet is a fun exercise exploring the format of a recipe. Have students bring in their recipe for next class. You could create a class cookbook! Sell copies of the cookbook and send the profits to a sister-school in Nepal or contribute to a school-funding raising campaign.

Nepal - Cultural Considerations should be read together as a class. Discuss some of the considerations that seem “different” from North America. You want to make sure students understand its important to RESPECT other cultures – when visiting and within their own country.

Nepal – Tips for the Visitor will be fascinating to students who haven’t done any traveling. Make a chart for each of the topics comparing Nepal to North America. E.g.: Is it safe to drink water in America? Do we give tips at restaurants?

Are there any questions left unanswered about Nepal from Lesson Four? Address them now, or get the pupils to research the answers.

Cultural Itinerary makes students think about the effects they have on other cultures and vice versa. Reiterate how important it is to respect other cultures. Students write a letter to Nepalese teenager, detailing North American culture. Review informal letter writing rules. Is it possible to link up with a Nepalese school and actually send the letters? Search the Web! It’s a great pen-pal opportunity.

Nepal – Movie Listings gives students an inside look at movie listings from Kathmandu, with study questions. Other types of Nepalese entertainment could be compared to North American entertainment.

1. The second part of the unit, the Nepal section, could be duplicated using other countries. Students could complete a research project about another country.

2. A mini-unit watching the film East is East would be an ideal follow-up unit for older students. The poignant film explores an immigrant Pakistani family living in England. A real culture clash flick – upsetting, yet hilarious.

East is East is a backgrounder/film review. You could have students write their own film review after watching the movie. East is East – Script Writing gives students the opportunity to script a volatile issue. Pupils may want to come up with their own ideas, or write about similar issues in their own lives.

People learn culture. Many qualities of human life are transmitted genetically - an infant's desire for food, for example, is triggered by physiological characteristics determined within the human genetic code. An adult's specific desire for milk and cereal in the morning, on the other hand, cannot be explained genetically; rather, it is a learned, cultural, response to morning hunger.

Culture, as a body of learned behaviors common to a given human society, acts rather like a template (i.e. it has predictable form and content), shaping behavior and consciousness within a human society from generation to generation. So culture resides in all learned behavior and in some shaping template or consciousness prior to behavior as well (a "cultural template" can be in place prior to the birth of an individual person).

This primary concept of a shaping template and body of learned behaviors might be further broken down into the following categories, each of which is an important element of cultural systems:

• systems of meaning - of which language is primary
• ways of organizing society, from kinship groups to states and multi-national corporations
• the distinctive techniques of a group and their characteristic products

Several important principles follow from this definition of culture:

• If the process of learning is an essential characteristic of culture, then teaching also is a crucial characteristic. The way culture is taught and reproduced is itself an important component of culture
• Because the relationship between what is taught and what is learned is not absolute (some of what is taught is lost, while new discoveries are constantly being made), culture exists in a constant state of change
• Meaning systems consist of negotiated agreements - members of a human society must agree to relationships between a word, behavior, or other symbol and its corresponding significance or meaning
• · Because meaning systems involve relationships which are not essential and universal (the word "door" has no essential connection to the physical object - we simply agree that it will have that meaning when we speak or write in English), different human societies will inevitably agree upon different relationships and meanings

1. If people “learn” culture, who teaches it? Give more than one example:
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2. Think about the idea of a “cultural template”. Certain ideas, beliefs and symbols are typically associated with a country and its culture. With Switzerland most people automatically think, “Swiss Army Knives, Cuckoo Clocks, Alps and so on.” What do you associate with:

CHINA ___________________________________________________________________
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NEPAL___________________________________________________________________
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MEXICO__________________________________________________________________
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YOUR HOME COUNTRY____________________________________________________
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3. Can you think of separate “groups” you belong to in your society?
Name at least three:________________________________________________________
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4. Do you act “differently” in each of these groups? Explain.
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Who do you “teach” culture to? _______________________________________________
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What makes you an individual? One’s “individuality” and “diversity” tends to be defined by the country he or she lives in. But, different countries view immigrants in different ways. Let’s take Canada and America for example.

Canada is a multicultural country within a bilingual framework. Canada encourages immigrants to retain their home country’s associations through a policy of integration. One’s original heritage is often attributed when Canadians define themselves as, for example, “Chinese-Canadian or Indian-Canadian.”

The United States of America, the land of the golden mountain, favors a “melting pot” philosophy where immigrants are made to feel at home and become “American” through assimilation.

QUESTION: Which method, integration or assimilation, do you think is better? Why? List pros and cons for each.

People from all over the world move to Canada and America to live and work. But cultural diversity is not simply a matter of attaining a mixture of cultures and differences in a particular organization. Whenever cultural groups intersect - in the same town, the same school, the same workplace, they are rarely on equal footing. There is ongoing negotiation: whose cultural practices and beliefs will predominate, which group will benefit economically and politically, who will have higher social standing?

QUESTION: Do you think it is imperative that one culture dominates another? Is there a way for everyone to get along harmoniously? Why or why not? How many different cultures are represented in your class?

Many of the people who move to North America have difficulty finding a job. And when they are employed, they are often not in the profession of choice. Is it because they are “different?” Some businesses respond to “cultural difference” in the workplace in a variety of ways:

• Exclude - Those who are different are not hired at all.
• Segregate - Inside the gate but in a particular building or department.
• Assimilate - Everyone must follow dominant culture practices and beliefs.
• Accommodate - Will put up with some differences for core work issues, but you are expected to assimilate.
• Integrate - There are enough people from the cultural group that they are now an ordinary part of the organization, which reshapes itself to be comfortable for that group to operate in.
• Innovate - New organizational forms that aren't based on original dominant group's culture any longer.

QUESTION: Which of the responses do you think is most appropriate for a business? Explain the reasoning for your choice(s).

Matthew Arnold
Culture is to know the best that has been said and thought in the world.

Henry Ward Beecher
A man should be just cultured enough to be able to look with suspicion upon culture.

Samuel Butler
Culture is everything. Culture is the way we dress, the way we carry our heads, the way we walk, the way we tie our ties -- it is not only the fact of writing books or building houses.

Ralph Waldo Emerson
No culture can live, if it attempts to be exclusive.

Mahatma Gandhi
Culture of the mind must be subservient to the heart.

Goethe
Rather than by your culture spoiled,
Desist, and give us nature wild.

Matthew Green
Culture is like the sum of special knowledge that accumulates in any large united family and is the common property of all its members. When we of the great Culture Family meet, we exchange reminiscences about Grandfather Homer, and that awful old Dr. Johnson, and Aunt Sappho and poor Johnny Keats.

Aldous Huxley
Culture is but the fine flowering of real education, and it is the training of the feeling the tastes and the manners that makes it so.

Minnie Kellogg
The poor have no business with culture and should beware of it. They cannot eat it; they cannot sell it; they can only pass it on to others and that is why the world is full of hungry people ready to teach us anything under the sun.

Aubrey Menen
A cultivated mind is one to which the fountains of knowledge have been opened, and which has been taught, in any tolerable degree, to exercise its faculties.

John Stuart Mill
Culture is what your butcher would have if he were a surgeon.

Seneca
Culture is the habit of being pleased with the best and knowing why.

Henry van Dyke
Culture is an instrument wielded by professors to manufacture professors, who when their turn comes will manufacture professors.

Simone Weil
Are not the processes of culture rapidly creating a class of supercilious infidels, who believe in nothing? Shall a man lose himself in countless masses of adjustments, and be so shaped with reference to this, that, and the other, that the simply good and healthy and brave parts of him are reduced and clipped away, like the bordering of a box in a garden?

With global communication technology, especially with the advent of the Internet, cultural boundaries and group boundaries are much more porous. From the industrial era's hierarchy of tastes (working class, middle class, wealthy class... ), we have moved into post-modern patchwork, where groups take bits and pieces of other cultures and combine them in ever-shifting ways.

In what ways does your culture “dabble” in other cultures? Japanese ads often use many English words – often misspelled – to entice consumers. Muslim women in the Middle East wear DKNY dresses under their black chadors. Many South American countries have given up their own currency in favor of the more stable American dollar. Can you think of any more examples?

Let’s look at the ways in which Americans "dabble" in other cultures:

• Food: eating out, it is usually US versions of Italian, Thai, Chinese, Southern, Mexican, Japanese or French
• Music recordings and radio: World music, European classical music, synthesized "sampled" music
• Clothing: women especially will wear tokens from other places - a ring from the Navaho, a bag from Guatemala and so forth
• Dance
• Martial Arts
• Language
• Religion: most recently many Americans exploring Eastern meditation and Buddhism
• Knowledge of other cultures as display of status: those who have traveled extensively, lived abroad, studied in universities adopt ideas, habits, and bring back STUFF from other cultures, which are then shown off at home.

TALKING POINTS:

• What is truly “American” food, music, religion or clothing?
• When do the “dabblings” become American’s own?
• What's "American" and what's not?
• Should less powerful groups have a right to ask that you not use pieces of their culture?
• Where is one allowed to dabble? What are the boundaries? Example: When do people have the "right" to teach or practice other people's religions?
• Do Americans mind when other cultures “copy” American symbols or traditions?
• Do Americans influence other cultures? How?

The T-shirt is worn all over the planet – an item of clothing that is practical and inexpensive. The ultimate souvenir – how to boast you’ve been on holiday! T-shirts are considered displays of identity – a cultural communicator, as it were. People wear their college, sports team and employer T-shirts to show what groups they belong to.

Describe FIVE T-shirts you own:

Are any plain? Do they identify you as part of a group? Are they recent?

It’s time to be creative! You are to design a T-shirt that defines YOU as a person. Some ideas you might want to include:

• What country are you from?
• How old are you?
• How many siblings do you have?
• What are your parents’ professions?
• What are your favorite foods?
• Where have you been on holiday?
• What hobbies and sports do you enjoy?
• What future ambitions do you have?

What KIND of T-shirt will you design?

• Tie-dyed? Striped? Patterned?
• Colors? Words?
• Silk-screened?
• Size?

PEOPLE: The population is divided into two broad ethnic groups:

1. The Indo-Nepalese which include the Pahari, Newar, Tharu and the Indians of the Tarai, all of which account for nearly 80% of the population.

2. Tibeto-Nepalese who account for the remainder and include the more numerous Tamang, Rai, Limbu, Bhote, Sunwar, Magar and Gurung tribes. The Tibeto-Nepalese are related racially and culturally to the Tibetans.

POPULATION: Nepal’s population currently stands at around 22.4 million. The largest city is Kathmandu, the capital, with more than 235,000 people, although the population of the Kathmandu valley is around 700,000.

RELIGIONS: The official religion is Hinduism which accounts for 90% of the population while 5.3% are Buddhists and 2.7% Muslims.

LANGUAGES: The official language is Nepali, although over 20 distinct languages are also spoken with English also widely understood.

EDUCATION: Aged 25 or over and having attained: no formal schooling 41.2%, primary 29.4%, secondary 22.7%, higher 6.8%.

CURRENCY: The official currency is the Rupee (NRs) divided into 100 Paisa. Bank notes are for 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 rupees. Away from major centers changing a Rs 1000 note can be very difficult, so it is always wise to have at least some of your money in small denominations notes. Even in Kathmandu, many small businesses, especially rickshaw and taxi drivers, simply don’t have sufficient spare money to allow them the luxury of carrying a wad of change.
US$1 = 67 Rs (approx.); CAN$1 = 45 Rs (approx.)

TIME: Nepal is 5 hours and 45 minutes ahead of GMT (10 hours and 45 minutes ahead of EST, 13 hours and 45 minutes ahead of PST). This strange time differential is intended to make it very clear that Nepal is a separate place to India, where the time is five hours and 30 minutes ahead of GMT.

LOCATION & GEOGRAPHY: Nepal is located among the southern slopes of the Himalayan Mountains in South Central Asia. It is bound by China to the north and India to the east, west and south. The country is divided into three main topographical regions:

1. The high mountains of the main Himalayan Range, which include Mt. Everest, Mt. Lhotse and Mt. Makalu.

2. Kathmandu Valley, which is a circular basin enclosed by tertiary ranges known as the Siwalik Hills.

3. The Tarai, which is a narrow flat belt of land that extends along the southern border with India.

CLIMATE: Nepal has a typical monsoon two-season year. The dry season is from October to May and the wet season (the monsoon) is from June to September.

In summer (May to the early part of June, before the monsoon, are the hottest), Kathmandu can get very hot with temperatures often above 30ºC. Even in the winter the bright sunny days often reach 20ºC although with nightfall the mercury may plummet to near freezing. It never snows in the Kathmandu Valley and higher up the coldest weather is also the driest weather, so snow is unusual.

February-March-April, the tail end of the dry season, is a good time to visit Nepal. The weather gets warmer so high-altitude treks are no longer as arduous, although by the end of the dry season, before the monsoon breaks, it starts to get too hot for comfort. Visibility is not as good as earlier in the dry season since the country is now very dry, and dust in the air reduces that crystal Himalayan clarity. In compensation, Nepal’s rhododendrons and many other flowers are in bloom so there’s plenty of color to be seen along the trekking trails.

MAIN TRADING PARTNER: India (The biggest Nepalese community outside Nepal lives in India).

MAIN PRIMARY PRODUCTS: Barley, Cattle, Fruit, Jute, Medicinal Herbs, Pepper, Potatoes, Rice, Sugar Cane, Timber, Tobacco and Wheat.

MAJOR INDUSTRIES: Agriculture, Cement, Cigarettes, Forestry, Garments, Sugar Milling, Textiles and Tourism.

MAIN EXPORTS: Carpets, Leather Goods, Rice, Sugar and Timber.

MILITARY: 35,000 total active duty personnel.

Q: Is there anything that I need to be aware of about local customs and culture?<

Q: It says in my guidebook rickshaws are popular in Kathmandu. What are they?

Q: I know people visit Nepal to go trekking, but what else is there to do?

Q: What interesting things can kids do in Nepal?

Q: What can I buy in Nepal?

Your own Q:

Q: Ricksaws are popular in Kathmandu. What are they? Rickshaws are pedal-powered tricycles. Customers sit in a carriage on the back of the bike while the driver pedals around! Before you get on a rickshaw, make sure the driver understands where you want to go and how much it’s going to cost to get there. Although tipping is not necessary while riding rickshaws, a tip of about 10% of the total fare will be greatly appreciated.

Q: What do I need to be aware of about local customs and culture? As long as you show respect and sensitivity to local traditions, willingness to learn and adapt to Nepalese ways and values, you will be fine. Here are a few suggestions:

1. A "Namaste" is a common act done by putting the palms together in a prayer like gesture to greet anyone in Nepal.

2. Time in Nepal moves very slowly. Deadlines are approximate; nothing happens on time. Be patient! Anger and impatience will rarely make things better, if not worse.

3. Bargaining is very common in Nepal. You would often need to bargain while shopping and riding cabs in Nepal.

Q: I know people visit Nepal to go trekking, but what else is there to do? Nepal is a land of festivals - almost every day there is a festival in some part of the country! Although most festivals are of a religious nature, they are almost always of great fun. You shouldn’t miss out on them! Check out the posters in various restaurants and other public places in the tourist quarters to find out other cultural shows and activities that are going on. You can also go white water rafting, tock climbing, mountain biking.

Q: What interesting things can kids do in Nepal? There is an awesome zoo in Patan - see 106 species of birds and 665 different animals, have elephant rides and go boating! There are heaps of museums and art galleries in Kathmandu to visit, too. The coolest thing to do is go hot air ballooning! It’s a super way to view vast expanse of Himalayas and Kathmandu Valley!

Q: What can I buy in Nepal? Kathmandu is known as the shopper's paradise for art and cheap souvenirs. Foreigners usually buy embroidered clothes, Tibetan carpets, pottery, masks and puppets, metal work, jewelry, wood carving, statues, Khukhuri (traditional Knife) and Thangka paintings. Remember to bargain!

Q: What’s a Thangka painting? Thangkas are the traditional Tibetan painting of ceremonial and religious subjects such as wheel of life. Traditional thangkas are framed in silk brocade.

TIME TO WRITE: Imagine you are vacationing in Nepal. Write a script for ONE of the following conversations:

• You really want to buy a Thangka painting. Barter with the Nepalese vendor. You need to explain to him why you can’t afford his price and he will list all the reasons he needs the money!
• A rickshaw driver is giving you a tour of Kathmandu. What questions do you ask and what answers does he provide?
• You’re hot air ballooning over Kathmandu Valley. The conductor is pointing out various landmarks. What do you see? Does anything go wrong?
• The bus taking you from the hotel to the concert hasn’t arrived yet. You are worried you will miss the beginning of the concert if the bus doesn’t arrive soon. Script your conversation with the hotel clerk, keeping in mind that nothing happens in a hurry in Nepal.

TIME TO WRITE: Imagine you are vacationing in Nepal. Write a script for ONE of the following conversations:

• You really want to buy a Thangka painting. Barter with the Nepalese vendor. You need to explain to him why you can’t afford his price and he will list all the reasons he needs the money!
• A rickshaw driver is giving you a tour of Kathmandu. What questions do you ask and what answers does he provide?
• You’re hot air ballooning over Kathmandu Valley. The conductor is pointing out various landmarks. What do you see? Does anything go wrong?
• The bus taking you from the hotel to the concert hasn’t arrived yet. You are worried you will miss the beginning of the concert if the bus doesn’t arrive soon. Script your conversation with the hotel clerk, keeping in mind that nothing happens in a hurry in Nepal.

Architecture Walking the streets of Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, one cannot fail to notice the abundance of religious buildings in the city. Temples exist near or around royal palaces, as well as at important geographical locations including the top of hills, riverbanks or near wells. Private temples were built everywhere and can be found in almost every neighborhood.

The temples are sites of magnificent stone and woodcarvings. Most of the stone carvings are from the eleventh and twelfth centuries and reflect the influence of Indian art from the Gupta (5 and 6th century A.D.) and the Palasena (10th to12th century A.D.) periods. Woodcarvings, predominantly from the eighteenth century, are used to decorate pillars, door and window frames, cornices and supporting struts.

Temples are usually one of three types: pagodas, shikaras or stupas.

Pagodas are usually square or rectangular with a simple geometric design. The base of the temple holds an image of the god honored by the presence of the temple. The temple has several roofs that get proportionately smaller with height. The number of roofs is usually odd, since odd numbers are more auspicious than even numbers. Many scholars believe that the pagoda style of roofing mimics the multi-tiered style of umbrellas held over royalty or images of deities during processions. The building is usually brick, although the foundation may consist of stone blocks. The doors and windows are wood with latticed patterns for adornment.

Shikaras are similar in design to Indian temples, best recognized by a majestic dome roof. Some describe the dome as an unopened lotus flower or a folded royal umbrella. The base of the temple is square with many stories of balconies.

Stupas, designed as funeral mounds, usually have a cubic base with a spherical body and a towered roof. The cubic base symbolizes the earth's solidity, the spherical mound symbolizes water, the tower is fire, the ring above it air, and the crowned top symbolizes ether. Thirteen steps between the mound and the tower represent the number of steps to attaining perfect knowledge. Most of the stupa is painted masonry white but the four sides of the tower hold the omniscient eyes of Buddha.

Painting: The earliest paintings appeared in 11th century A.D. and consisted of illustrated manuscripts on palm leaf or rice paper. Thangkas, a more predominant form of painting, are popular among Buddhists in Tibet and date back to the late 14th century. These paintings on cotton are rectangular in shape and usually longer than they are wide. They are framed with three stripes of Chinese brocade of blue, yellow and red that represent the rainbow that separates sacred objects from the material world. Older Thangkas consisted of mineral-based colors, while current Thangkas are produced with vegetable-based or chemical colors. Frequent themes of Thangkas include images of Buddhist figures, the wheel of life design, or depiction of scenes or stories.

Literature: Literature appeared in Nepal during the 18th century. Poetry is the predominant form of writing from this period, but most authors are unknown. The following centuries brought more poets and writers inspired by religion as well as social problems. Musical lyrics celebrate the beauty of nature and life, or convey a legend.

Bronze Figures: Bronze figures, sometimes alloyed with copper, appeared in the valley around 8th century AD. These images usually represented religious deities or legendary figures. The most frequently used production technique is that of wax casting. Images often contain embedded semi-precious stones, usually coral or turquoise, or are gilded with gold.

Jewelry: Some women wear large disc earrings of bronze and copper, while others women prefer turquoise and silver earrings. Other forms of jewelry include nose rings, pendants, engraved silver belts, anklets and bracelets.

Pottery: Common forms of pottery are terra cotta oil lamps used to light homes during the festival Dipawali and flowerpots decorated with peacocks and elephants.

Preservation of Art: Many temples and statues are in various stages of disrepair throughout Nepal. Two earthquakes, one in 1833 and one in 1934, left a wake of destruction in the country. Until recently, Nepal lacked people with the scientific knowledge required for artistic restoration. Authorities also battle with the establishment of priorities; financing the development of infrastructure and addressing social and health concerns of the population detracts money from restoration projects.

Foreign aid projects specifically addressing the maintenance of palace squares and other historical sites are becoming more popular and provide valuable assistance in the preservation of Nepalese art.

For most of its known history, a hereditary king ruled Nepal. But, from the mid 19th century, hereditary prime ministers of the Rana family controlled Nepal. In 1951 the Ranas were overthrown and the monarchy restored under King Tribhuvan. Four years later, Tribhuvan was succeeded by his son, Mahendra. In 1959 King Mahendra established a parliamentary constitution, and elections were won by the Nepali Congress which had played a key role in the re-establishment of the monarchy. A year later, however, a royal coup led to the banning of all political parties and the establishment of a constitution based on the traditional village councils (the Panchayat system).

Mahendra ruled until his death in 1972 when he was succeeded by his son Birendra. Following a referendum, in which the Panchayat regime was approved. King Birendra persevered with the system, assisted by censorship and repression where necessary. As serious opposition grew in the 1980s, the King wavered in his response to the movement between more repressive measures and cosmetic administrative reforms designed to defuse the situation.

In 1986, a member of the minority Newari community, Marich Man Singh Shrestha, became Prime Minister for the first time, holding the office until his dismissal and replacement by Lokendra Bahadur Chand in 1990. During 1990, growing public unrest brought the underlying political tension to the surface, and forced the King to make concessions on the introduction of representative government. Following negotiations between the Government and the newly legalized opposition parties, a draft constitution was promulgated in Nov. 1990 which allowed for direct elections to parliament. The first poll under the new system was held in May 1991: the Congress Party took 110 of the 205 seats in the new parliament to become the largest single party; the United Marxist-Leninist Party (UML) became the largest opposition grouping.

Despite an overall majority, Congress was unable to lead a stable government and the next election was brought forward from its scheduled date in 1996 to take place in November 1994. The UML unexpectedly emerged as the largest party with 88 seats; Congress came second with 85. The UML formed a minority government, the first of six governments that held office over the next five years (including three in the year leading up to the latest poll).

The most recent election, staggered over two weeks in May 1999, returned Congress with 110 seats once again but given the faction-ridden nature of the party (a feature it shares with the UML) the new government is unlikely to prove any more stable than its various predecessors.

Nepal, the only country that is a Hindu state, boasts tremendous religious tolerance of the many faiths practiced within its borders.

• Hinduists predominate in Nepal as 80-85% of the population
  
• The next largest religious groups consist of Buddhists, 15-18%
  
• Muslims, 2% of the population

Common to all of these religions is the integration of religious expression within everyday life. In contrast with Western religions, these religions involve codes for individual behavior and daily rites of worship. In the morning, people gather at temples, sanctuaries or riverbanks to offer prayers.

Basic concepts: Cosmic law rules the good order of the world, be aware and respect cosmic law. Lead the life of a good Hindu, observe rules, perform all rites and accept the caste of birth. Caste system supplies code of conduct and rites. Encompasses all parts of life - who to take drink from, associate with, marry, etc.

Principles of Hinduism: Dharma religious law and moral code by which people can earn enlightenment. Karma is the life balance of action and reaction; individuals are responsible for decisions and consequences. Leading a good Hindu life will bring rebirth into a better life. Samsara is cycle of reincarnations determined by karma. Moksha is liberation from samsara; individual unites with universal timelessness: ultimate serenity, nirvana. Path to moksha is good Hindu life.

Philosophical doctrine and code of conduct is based on the three jewels:

1) Buddha himself: Buddha was born in Lumbini, Nepal around 544 BC as the son of a raja (title for rulers and wealthy landlords) who sought a reason for human misery. He left his family to experiment and travel; found enlightenment through meditation at Bodh Gaya.
2) Dharma: Buddha's teachings and prescribed conduct. Dharma is the doctrine of truths discovered through meditation.
3) Sangha: the community of Buddhists; showing the path to enlightenment.

In 1950, the first government-controlled radio station, Radio Nepal, went on the air. And in 1961, the Ratna Recording Trust began producing phonograph records of Nepalese music.

At Radio Nepal and Ratna Recording, musicians including Master Ratna Das Prakash, Nati Kazi, and Amber Gurung gradually drew together elements of Indian light classical music, Nepalese folk songs, and western harmonies, to develop a new, often sentimental genre which came to be known as aadhunik geet or "modern song."

Over the last half a century, singers like Prem Dhoj, Narayan Gopal, Aruna Lama, Tara Devi, and Arun Thapa have been featured in the private and public Nepalese media, and have developed aadhunik geet into a distinctively Nepalese popular music tradition. Unlike Nepali pop, aadhunik geet has been popular among people of all age groups, not just young people.

Today, recordings of aadhunik geet singers like Ram Krishna Dhakal still outsell many of the top Nepali pop albums.

Also emerging in the popular music media of Nepal in the 1950s was a music genre called lok geet or “folk song.” In contrast with traditional songs sung in villages, lok geet is heard on the radio and its recordings often combine musical resources from various ethnic traditions, supplemented with non-folk instruments and sometimes orchestration of modern songs.

Although banned until 1950, North Indian film songs have since become a prominent part of Nepalese soundscape. The culture and language of North India are similar enough to that of Nepal that the films and film songs became part of Nepal's popular culture almost overnight. (Nepali and Hindi are both Sanskrit-based languages, and a considerable amount of the vocabulary overlaps.)

Since the 1960s, Nepal has been a favored haven for western tourists and trekkers. With them came western pop music, which is now available in most Kathmandu cassette shops. The neighborhood of Thamel, Kathmandu's leading tourist district, has become a center of western-eastern cultural and musical interaction.

With the advent of satellite and cable television, MTV brought western pop into Nepalese homes like never before. Moreover, MTV changes its program of western pop much more quickly than a cassette store can change its inventory, so young Nepalese listeners find themselves spending more time listening in order to stay current. FM radio stations soon also began to offer a mix of western pop, Indian film-songs, and Nepalese music.

Inspired by the western pop musicians they were not only hearing but also seeing, many young Nepalis at the end of the 1980s suddenly started to pick up western instruments themselves. They formed their own bands and covered their favorite songs. Music schools like Kaleidoscope Music Academy or the Jupiter Music Centre opened up or expanded their offerings in "foreign guitar" and “how to read music” lessons.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, a generation of Nepalese high school and college students organized themselves into Western cover bands and performed in dynamic concerts of western hits - in English. Popular groups included Wrathchild, Crisscross, Chimpanzees, the Elegance, Prism and Next. The concert scene included not only auditoriums in schools but also large public spaces, such as Kathmandu Durbar Square, in a party to celebrate the Nepal Sambat, or New Year's eve on the Newar calendar.

Out of this spirit of youth-centered excitement later emerged a new sound that would come to be known as Nepali pop. Some of the bands were beginning to compose and perform original songs, often in Nepali. A few of these were beginning to make recordings, although affordable recording technology and professional sound studios did not become abundant in Kathmandu until the early 1990s.

Nepali pop is officially defined as music that is youth-oriented, produced in the private sector (rather than through government-sponsored media like Ratna Recording and Radio Nepal), and that incorporates not just western harmonies and instruments, but also western musical styles, such as rock, disco, rap, and heavy metal.

Nepali Goat Curry

In this recipe, the meat is marinated in a small amount of yogurt, ginger, garlic, red chili paste, turmeric, salt and butter for up to four hours. It is then cooked with several other herbs and spices. The meat cooks in its own juice with the help of water. The marinated spices add flavor and tenderness. It is served with rice, puffed-bread and a selection of chutney and vegetables.

Preparation and marinating time: 4.25 hours
Cooking time: 45-60 minutes
Yield: 4-6 servings
Serve with rice, lentil daal, and vegetable curry or puffed bread (Poori)

Ingredients:

1. 3 pounds lean goat meat, (bone-in or boneless - preferably from shoulder or leg), cut into 1 or 1 ½-inch cubes; remove excess fat
2. 1 tablespoon butter
3. 1 -inch piece fresh gingerroot, peeled and minced to fine paste (to yield 11/2 tablespoons)
4. 6 medium cloves of garlic, peeled and minced and mashed to paste (to yield 1 tablespoon)
5. 6 whole red dried chili pepper, stemmed, broken into 2 pieces, seeded, soaked in ½ cup hot water until doubled in size, drained and minced to fine paste
6. 1 cup unflavored plain yogurt, lightly beaten
7. 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
8. Salt to taste
9. 4 tablespoon light oil (any variety)
10. 1 pound yellow or white onion, peeled and chopped fine (to yield 4 cups)
11. 3-4 medium size vine-ripped red tomato, finely chopped or mashed
12. 1 tablespoon cumin, dry-roasted and ground
13. 1 tablespoon coriander, dry-roasted and ground
14. 1 teaspoon fennel seed, dry-roasted and ground
15. 1 cup water and more if needed
16. 1 or 2 bunches of cilantro leaves (fresh coriander), washed well, chopped to yield ½ cup
17. 4 scallions, white and pale green parts only, root end discarded and sliced into cubes

Directions: Wash meat pieces thoroughly with cold water. Prepare the herb and spices as indicated in the ingredients. In a mixing bowl, combine meat, butter, ginger, garlic, chili, yogurt, turmeric and salt. Rub and massage spices well into each piece vigorously by hand. Cover and allow the meat to marinate up to four hours in room temperature, or it can be placed in the refrigerator overnight. Bring it back to room temperature before cooking.

When ready to proceed, heat oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, add onion and cook until golden brown and until the oil starts separating from the side of the pan. Add tomato and cook until all the moisture has evaporated, stirring frequently. Mix ground cumin, coriander and fennel. Add marinated meat pieces and mix to coat the spices well. Add ½ cup of water and continue cooking covered. When it is boiling, reduce the heat to simmer. Continue cooking until the meat is tender and the sauce is reduced and thickened.

At this stage of cooking, the oil will start to separate and float on top of the gravy. Add more water (2 tablespoons at a time) if the meat is not cooked, continue cooking until the desired tenderness is obtained. The secret to success in this recipe is to keep adding small amount of water and let it evaporate before more is added. Remove from heat and salt to taste . When ready to serve, transfer to serving dish, add cilantro and scallions. Serve hot!

1. Did Arun’s curry sound tasty? Did the word “goat” put you off? What other North American meat could be substituted for goat flesh?
2. Recipes were originally passed through generations orally. Explain – using specific details - to a partner how to cook one of your favorite foods.
3. Arun’s recipe is written as a conventional recipe. Describe the characteristics of a typical recipe.
4. Make a list of at least five verbs you usually find in a recipe.

The many cultures found in Nepal are part of what makes the country so unique, and are often what leaves the most lasting impression with visitors. With the huge growth in tourism in Nepal, it is easy for aspects of foreign culture to overshadow local customs. It is important travelers are aware of local:

• regulations and that they abide by them
• customs and beliefs and how to respect them

Dress
Dress appropriately – shorts or revealing clothes are never suitable for women. Shorts are acceptable for men only when trekking; going without a shirt anywhere is not. Nudity is not acceptable anywhere. Modesty and reasonable neatness are especially appreciated when visiting monasteries, religious ceremonies or private homes. Sporting the local dress is a sure way to bridge the gap. Women's loongis (cotton wrap-around ankle-length skirts) can be bought and sewn together by any tailor along the way.

Feet, Hands and Foot Faux Pas:
Feet are considered unclean - never point your feet at or step over another person, religious object, food or eating surface and don’t let sacred images touch the floor.

Pointing at something with your finger is thought rude; rather, extend your right hand, fingers flat together. When giving and receiving, use two hands if possible, showing respect and appreciation.

Among Hindus, only the right hand is used for eating and passing items. Eating utensils are not shared, nor should you dip into food to be eaten by others. It is rude to offer or eat beef in front of Hindus.

Visiting a Temple
Always walk clockwise around Buddhist stupas, so that your left, “dirty” hand is farthest from the structure. Always remove your shoes before entering a Buddhist or Hindu temple or sanctuary. You many also have to remove any items made from leather, such as belts and bags. Many Hindu temples do not permit westerners to enter.

Visiting a Nepali Home and Teahouses
Fire is sacred, so do not throw rubbish into it. In a Nepali home the kitchen is off limits to strangers.

Behavior Public displays of affection are frowned upon. Raising your voice or shouting shows extreme bad manners and will not solve your problem, whatever it might be. Always try to remain cool, calm and collected.

Bodily contact is rare, even for shaking hands, although among Nepali men with frequent western connections it is becoming more accepted. Never touch anything or point at anything with your feet, the ‘lowest’ part of the body. The head is spiritually the ‘highest’ part of the body, so don’t pat kids on the head.

Photography Do not intrude with a camera, unless it is clearly okay with the people you are photographing. Only promise to send someone their photo if you are sure to follow through! Ask before entering a temple compound whether it is permissible to enter and take photographs.. Except when there is a posted charge such as in monasteries in Tibet, paying for pictures only encourages beggar behavior. Avoid using a flash inside monasteries as paint will disintegrate with repeated light exposure.

Language It is relatively easy to pick up a number of key phrases of the Nepali language, either using books or through speaking with the locals. This will not only help you get by when traveling in Nepal, it will also demonstrate your respect for the local culture, and go a long way in bridging the gap between you and the people you interact with.

Sharing Your Life Nepalis commonly ask why trekkers come so far to walk in the Himalayas and experience their simple ways. Try to communicate what you find enriching about Nepal and help them appreciate what they have. Explain the realities of your home country, good and bad. New friends enjoy seeing photographs of your family, home and everyday activities.

Channel Your Generosity Giving money, pens or treats to begging children creates a patron-pauper consciousness and should be strictly avoided. Candy ruins their teeth. Instead, give to a school, monastery or temple which benefits the entire community. Handicapped and religious beggars are traditionally supported by handouts, either food or a few rupees are appropriate. It is customary to leave a small donation when visiting monasteries.

Treatment of Nepali Staff Most Westerners hire staff to carry their belongings while trekking. Though porters' plights are difficult, recall that human transport is often the only way through this terrain and your holiday is providing jobs. Show your appreciation for staff with thoughtfulness, humor and tips!

Visas
Visas are required by most nationalities and they are available from embassies and consulates abroad, at India’s border or on arrival at Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan airport.

At the airport, and sometimes at border crossings, officials insist on payment in US cash dollars. One passport photo is also required. It is possible to get US dollars at the airport currency exchange counter (no credit cards), but US dollars in cash will almost certainly be unavailable at the land borders.

There are inevitable line-ups at the immigration counter at Tribhuvan airport, and there can be hassles at the land crossings, so it is preferable to get your visa before arrival.

Toilets
Throughout the country, the ‘squat toilet’ is the norm except in hotels and guest houses geared toward tourists and international business travelers.

Beside the typical squat toilet is a bucket and/or tap. This water supply has a two-fold function: flushing the toilet, and cleaning the nether regions while still squatting over the toilet. More rustic toilets along the trail may simply consist of a few planks over a hole in the ground. There could be a pile of grass and leaves, a handful of which should be thrown into the hole before leaving.

There is usually a bucket beside the toilet for toilet paper. Do not throw toilet paper into the toilet.

Public toilets are rare, but can usually be found in bus stations, larger hotel lobbies and airports, although the cleanliness may leave a bit to be desired.

Tipping and Bargaining
Tipping is prevalent in Kathmandu. In expensive establishments you should tip up to 10% whereas in smaller places some loose change or Rs 10 will be most appreciated. Do not worry about it in the really cheap restaurants.

Before bargaining, try to establish a fair price by talking to local people and other travelers. Paying too much feeds inflation, while paying too little denies the locals of reasonable return for their efforts and investments. Not everything is subject to bargaining: respect standard food, accommodation and entry charges, and follow the going rate for services.

Bargaining should never be treated as a matter of life and death importance– it’s usually regarded as an integral part of a transaction and is, ideally, an enjoyable social exchange. Nepalis don’t appreciate aggressive behavior. A good deal is when both parties are happy. Try to remember that Rs 10 might make quite a difference to the seller, but it amounts to less than 25¢.

Begging
The Thamel district attracts many of Kathmandu’s estimated 1000 street kids. Giving to them, however, is, at best, a double-edged sword. Firstly, the lure of easy money actually attracts kids onto the streets in the first place, and then gives them a powerful incentive to remain. Secondly, it’s a dog-eat-dog world, and children who are seen receiving money may well be beaten up and have it stolen.

Also highly visible are women, usually clutching one or two children. Rumors suggest that these women are often part of organized begging rings, and that the money they receive is passed on to an organizer. By giving to them, you are encouraging a further influx of people into Kathmandu where very few facilities exist for them.

Another popular scam involves a little boy asking you to buy some milk for his little sister. He’ll prove how smart and worthy he is by reciting the capital city of any country you can think of. After you’ve bought the milk, he will return to the shopkeeper, return the milk, and split the profits.

Food
If you can cook it, boil it or peel it you can eat it… Otherwise, forget it. Oranges and bananas are fine. Avoid melons – they are sold by the pound, and are often injected with local water to make them heavier. Vegetables and fruit should be washed with purified water or peeled where possible. Beware of ice cream which is sold in the street or anywhere it might have been melted and refrozen; if there’s any doubt (e.g. a power cut in the last day or two), steer well clear.

Water
The number one rule is be careful of the water and especially ice. It is not safe to drink tap water in Nepal. If you don’t know for certain that the water is safe, assume the worst. Bottled water is available everywhere. Make sure the bottle is SEALED when you buy it.

DISCUSS: What happens when we travel/move to another culture? How does a new place change us? How do we change a community we’re visiting? What is different when we go back home?

Now that you know so much about Nepal, you could easily fit into the Nepalese culture – or could you? Arun Lama, a teenager who lives in Kathmandu, wants you to come and visit him. He’s made a list of stuff you can do together. Here’s a snippet of a letter he wrote to you:

“On Saturday, we’ll go to the village of Namche Bazaar. Its kind of like a cultural trading center. People come from all over the region to trade and sell their goods at the outside market here. Some of the items available are corn, rice, eggs, vegetables, meat, jewelry, film, souvenirs, climbing gear, goats, cheese, chocolate bars, carpets and general clothing. It’s loud and smelly, but fun! The market is also an important weekly social opportunity for the people who live great distances from each other. What do you do on weekends to meet your friends?”

TASK: Now write a letter to Arun and tell him you’d like him visit you in your hometown! Imagine he’s going to stay with you for a week. In your letter, be sure to include:

• Tips for travelers to North America (refer to the Nepal sheet)
• Cultural Considerations (refer to the Nepal sheet)
• Facts about your town – population, etc.
• A detailed itinerary of what you are going to do each day:
  tourist attractions, entertainment, shopping, etc.
• A description of your family and how Arun will fit in
• Does Arun speak English?
• What items to bring with him
• Your own ideas ...

Find a local movie listing and compare it to the Nepalese movie listing above.

1. Are the times different? Explain.
2. How many languages can you see movies in in Nepal? In North America?
3. In North America, cinemas are called theatres. What are they called in Nepal?
4. Which movie do you want to see most from the Nepal listing. Explain your answer!

Director Damien O'Donnell - Certificate 15 - Running time 95 mins - Made UK 1999

CULTURE clash? What's that? For the Khans in Salford, Lancashire, England, in 1971, it means, do what dad says - or else!

George Khan, proud Pakistani and chip shop owner – ‘Ghengis’ to his kids – rules his family with a rod of iron. He thinks he’s raising his seven children to be respectable Pakistanis. George married a local girl, Ella. They own the fish-and-chip shop in their street.

The marriage has created a perplexing situation for the Khan kids. Some of the funniest moments occur as the siblings chat and joke with each other in their cramped house and chip shop or flirt with life outside their mixed-up family. They are sausage-munching, soccer-playing, disco-dancing coming-of-age English kids in Pakistani bodies.

George wants to sidestep this cultural confusion by making his children attend a mosque and forcing them into arranged marriages with suitable Pakistani mates, but to do so he must ignore his own choice of an English wife and their English life.

The film begins and ends with the escape of resistant bridegrooms, the defeat of George's will, and Ella as the angel. It is inevitable that the issue of marriage dogs and shapes East is East. As ugly as things get, and they are hideous by the end, the film never lets us forget that marriage is the essential plot of comedy.

George's command of the English language hardly stretches beyond "bloody" and "chips". He believes in rituals, especially arranged marriages. The children don't. They behave like any other family of teenagers - badly.

Ayub Khan-Din, the playwright, has recreated the feel of being half-Pakistani and wholly English; the Khans live in a house without a bath or inside toilet at a time when brown faces were not so common.

The comedy is sharp, the acting excellent, and the racial harmony likely to splinter as suddenly as family solidarity.

Whatever color lines may be tested and blurred here, gender remains a clear line in the sand. The Englishwoman married to an abusive Pakistani may finally reach her limit, but she will do the right thing and stand by her man.

East is East shows that while racial prejudice mars and divides us, even within our own families, it pales in the shadow of the order that unites all men, regardless of nation, color, or creed — the pecking order that is patriarchy. George is clearly “the ruler” of the Khan family.

Simply put, East is East is the often hilarious and sometimes painful story of what happens when two cultures collide within one family.

When Tariq confronts his father with a flat refusal to marry "a Paki", George suddenly assumes the identity of a pure Pakistani and Tariq responds by assuming the identity of a pure Englishman.

    George: "A good Pakistani son does what his father tells him"

    Tariq: "Dad, I’m not Pakistani. I was born here. I speak English, not Urdu."

    George: "Son, you do not understand cause you don’t listen to me. I try to show you a good way to live. You know the English, English never accepting you. In Islam, there is no black man, no white man."

George also straddles two cultures awkwardly. While he is a devoted member of the local mosque, he has chosen to marry a non-Muslim Englishwoman. George’s fish and chips shop is a quintessential part of working-class England. And he swears like a perfect working-class Englishman. But his own integration in English society concerns him. He confides to his mullah, "People say you can’t be English and still be a good Pakistani."

It is George’s desire to appear to be a good Pakistani that leads him to trouble. The mullah suggests that George will be more at ease if his sons are more solidly linked to the Pakistani community through an arranged marriage.

The attempts to marry his sons bring out into the open conflicting values, expectations, and understandings that until this point were not central to the connections within the family.

NOW YOU WRITE: There are many hot-button issues in the film, not just the arranged marriages. Choose ONE of the situations below and script the conversation:

1. A customer comes into the chip shop and asks Ella quite bluntly why she has married a “Paki” and, worse, why she puts up with his abuse.
2. The kids have all been grounded for skipping Mosque. They have grouped in the living room to come up with a strategy of defying their father.
3. Sajid has been asked to take his parka off by George. He refuses! Father and son fight it out, with Sajid explaining why the parka is so important to him.