I don't know how often you guys have come across this situation, but I think its a serious issue.

Does Nepal really have an identity of its own in the world arena, or are just a faint shadow of India and nothing more?

I work in an IT company and certainly the people I meet are mostly educated ones among the americans. But whenever I meet anyone new and introduce myself and tell them that I am from Nepal, they immediately respond,"Nepal, isn't it a part of India?"

They know a lot about India. they know Taaj Mahal. They know Sarukh Khan. they know the actres in Bride and prejudice. They have heard of the actress Richard Gear kissed like a pervert.

They know a lot about Pakistan. They know the name if the lazy game played in white clothes with a ball and bat. They know about Bangladesh, Srilanka, Maldives and even Bhutan.

But when we comes to Nepal, I try to remind them of the Everest. But then again they end up saying,"Nepal, isnt it a part of India?" And today I felt really bad.

It used to be a little better while at University as many people in University used to be aware of Nepal, because of the high volume of Nepali students. But outside that, it sucks.

Guys, what can we do as a Nepali to help Nepal build an identity of its own at the world stage? I will stop listening Hindi songs or watching movies from today. I rarely watch Indian movies or listen to their songs though.

CrystalCracker,
I have been facing problems
The solution I can think of is increasing the Nepalese community in different states and organizing the prorrams that reflect cultuure and giving thme free CDs about our senic beauties like Pokhara and trek routes,Mount Everest and more
I am too embrassed that I have to locate Nepal by giving the boarders of China and India


But u should stop attaching my privacy for more suggestions

To be continued.............

if u come across that situation tell them how the f*** did u get urself into IT field i thought u guys were educated o well u know what go get a f***ing ATLAS and look for NEPAL...... i used those lines in my high school days lol

man i don blame others who don know about Nepal...........We lack the power to show our identity
One eg......In most of the Nepali partys we just play indian music ............once i tried not to play hindi music but u know people get angry...........that time i thought we really suck bad
about promoting our identity ...........lets see how people respond

This notion of Nepalis claiming that the only way they can claim their identity and Nepali Nationalism by doing LESS INDIAN THING is so laughable!!!

I wonder this sprouts from our own insecurities to be able to identify ourselves as Nepali first than others judging us to be Indians. In a country where a substantial sub-group of NEPALIS speak hindi, in politically incorrect terms, LOOK indian and this sub-group of nepali population that have lived in Nepal much longer than the SO CALLED NEPALI LOOKING NEPALESE are LESS NEPALIS certainly begs exploration no?

I will stop listening Hindi songs or watching movies from today. I rarely watch Indian movies or listen to their songs though.
Whatta A genius! Sure, that's the only way you can save your identity dude! Listen to as much english songs and hollywood movies which will probably never ever influence your nepali pan. Man! you put John Nash to same!

I thought that I won't write a comment, but couldn't stop after reading your sentence:

LOOK indian and this sub-group of nepali population that have lived in Nepal much longer than the SO CALLED NEPALI LOOKING NEPALESE
For god's sake, let's not instigate, alrite? I never write comments on ethntic titles, but let's not go on and write irresponsible comments. I'm responding to you because you seem to be a nice person, and just thought to let you know what I felt after reading that. Well, if you've evidence, I'm ready to buy your words. Otherwise let's not start another war saying who came first, and who is more NEPALI.

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Gahugoro,
My sentiments semi-ditto! I don't understand how we become less nepalis by listening and watching or even following HINDI movies and songs and become more nepali by dismissing them and assimilating to MORE FOREIGN CULTURES? But then I grew up as like many of our fellow compatriots absolutely discriminating THIS SUBGROUP OF POPULATION giving them the derogatory term. And I see the same indifference today from our government as well. It has nothing to do with the country INDIA! It is the ignorance of the people that they can't separate two nation states. Most students in academic settings do recognize nepal very differently. In a country where the native people can't even point where US in a map, what do we expect from others? :)

As for one trivial evidences of many, the people from Mithila (janakpur) whom we often confuse as INDIANS were there long before we made Nepal our home but that doesn't make us less nepalis either. and that wasn't my point either!

In a nutshell, this quest for a NEPALI IDENTITY that we so proudly claim to have isn't having anti-indian sentiments. But that's just me! Instead of worrying about what people think about Nepal, isn't it more important to think what we think of ourselves or what we believe our IDENTITY to be! Its funny to me while we are all for assimilating all races and ethnic groups in one entity, we continually marginalize one sub group by identifying them as people from another state :). But again, to each their own!

Snurp, I was silly intepreting it in own way. I do agree with you. I used to think like crystalcracker wrote, but no more now. I do watch hindi movies and listen their songs, and read their books. I take it as the same I do with english by listening, watching, and reading in english. I can't agree more with snurp that 'it's more important to think what we think of ourselves'.

My Identity as A Nepali: 100% PURE NEPALI

100% PURE NEPALI. NO DHOTIS MUSIC OR WHATEVER.

100% PURE NEPALI. SONGS THAT IDENTITY US AS NEPALI.

100% NEPALI

Stick and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.

Listening to Indian songs and watching Bollywood movies do not make anybody less Nepalese, nor that watching Hollywood movies make anybody more westernized. As more and more Nepalese community starts to migrate to USA, the recognition will become gradually evident to the rest of the USA. So, it will take some time before we can introduce ourselves as Nepalese without boasting on the Mt. Everest first - unless, some Bir Bahadur decides to go on rampage in the US University, then the identity becomes more prominent.

I am perfectly fine if somebody comes to me an says "You look like an Indian". Its easy to confuse a Nepali for an Indian.

What matters to me is when they ask, "Isnt Nepal a part of India?"

And for that, we need to love and spread our culture, music, movies, literature, history. I will be compiling a CD about Nepal and distributing it to whoever in my company wants to know about Nepal. I can enlighten at least a few of them.

crystal can i have one too hehe just incase

Namasker, hi meet me miss natasha, from Malaysia.The only things that i would like to say is you people dont have to worry about being crucialize conscience of prevalent for prvincialism about signage Nepalese identity in this world.Out from the box i am really keen on interest of this exotic country,the people culture, language and even songs, though i am belaterately total strangers from this society. Being Malaysian i am observe Nepalese comunity as part of Asian that have thier own unique culture`s and trendsetter of its own unique identity.Such instances due to my survey in the net line base info ;the people of Nepalese is very warm wellcome and open towards me in the -eg:Yahoo// site and very keen rapport in terms of social be frienders,friendship- awareness and so on. THIS makes me feels that you people are very nice and i didnt feels likes a stranger in your society.Thanks!.Back in my very own country, i saw the development of Nepalese comunity in economy is progress and be respectful from local community. I didnt see why a person must be not proud or lost of the Nepalese version centrical vitae .Mother India is conjugate and substancialist whilst Nepal is fundamental factors.Axe of universal peace and religeous status, part of your Shiva domain provincial status, Everest wonderous phsycaly and even the neophytes sanskriti compassing subversion of stellar languages. Infact i mysely frankly to say i luv Nepal culture, and i had even made my own id in the line; eg nepal_rose@yahoo.com.
so be proud of being Nepalese.as saying being Nepalese citizen is your very own lucky lottery winner/jityooooo DVVT instead of ......bla bla bla!!!!
Why dont we......daniabat kurakani....

BigBallaR,
I will surely give you a copy.

Natyavaruval,
I understood the gist of what you are trying to day. But kudos to your english.

Crystalcracker, if you're serious, don't forget to include beautiful pictures from pokhreli threads, and there're few other blogs showing beautiful pictures from Nepal, and you might wanna check out the NTB's Nepal info CD as well (that is free too).

Thanks... NTB's is a great one.