It suddenly struck me that it really has been 21 years I have been living in Nepal and I wanted to let you know – ‘Why?’
The moment I set foot on Nepali soil, I knew it was the place I wanted to be. I’d come for a 3 week holiday – trekking, river rafting and a safari on the Terai. The 3 weeks passed at warp speed and I found myself sobbing uncontrollably as I saw Kathmandu disappear under me from the window of my return flight to the UK.
It took me 3 months to get back and that was April 2001 – I’ve never looked back and have enjoyed every minute of my experience and growth here.
So what keeps me here? I think the first reason is the people and the welcoming nature of everyone. I have never felt a stranger in this country and have found such friendship and willingness to help. I’m fascinated by and have never tired of the different cultures, religions, traditional dress and of course the variety of food.
There are too many other reasons to write here but I’ve always said, if I feel elation as I fly out of this beautiful country, then my time here will be over. I’m pretty sure it isn’t going to happen.
In addition to the people, when writing about Nepal, it is, of course, impossible not to mention the sheer awe-inspiring beauty that is everywhere from the soaring Himalayas to the flat lowlands of the rice-laden paddy fields of the Terai. As a foreigner, I also find beauty in the architecture of the ancient temples, monuments and even the small, product-laden shops in places such as Ason.
A further reason is an ability I have to contribute my skills to people who need them. The challenge and unending road of teaching English has been a personal goal for my time here. We all know how important the English language is and has become in Nepal, and I feel such a deep need to contribute my skills to help everyone gain a greater grasp of it.
Over the 21 years, both working for the ‘British Council’ and for my own company, ‘English For All’, I have helped students in many different ways. For example, to go abroad to study and achieve their dreams, business people to achieve promotions in their jobs, mothers and fathers to improve their language to communicate more effectively with their children and government ministries to communicate with their foreign counterparts. Every time, the tremendous satisfaction of seeing someone improve is worth every minute of my investment.
There are too many other reasons to write here but I’ve always said, if I feel elation as I fly out of this beautiful country, then my time here will be over. I’m pretty sure it isn’t going to happen.
Thank you to all of you for making me so welcome.
Susan Deith is a Director at English For All Language Training Center.
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