Another #LifeEh observation. This one about how I did everything I could to leave behind, "escape" from, and rise above the yoke of the Bhote label...only to return to Nepal as a middle-aged man after spending pretty much all my adult life abroad studying, working, and traveling just to discover I have come full circle!
The first month and a half back in Nepal following my ordeal in Qatar, I discovered a lot of people, both on social media and outside, who were interested in what I had to say and did. The attention, while flattering, made me quite uncomfortable, and at times embarrassed. But while on social media I gave the impression of doing decent enough job of moving on with my life, internally and also in my daily life, I was struggling greatly. With hardly any emotional and social support, I was having to deal with that on my own, by myself.
Last January I decided to drastically cut down on my social media activism in Nepal. Additionally, I also decided to cull my Facebook friend list and make my Facebook posts viewable only by friends. Four months later, I came across yet another reason to do that.
Something I have been curious to learn more about for a while: Why are Nepalis so defensive when it comes to comments about, or criticisms of, their beliefs or cultural practices? And why is one of the objections always, "You can't view it through Western lenses"? Here's an example of one such instance which got me scratching my head...again.