The way of living in
other countries just amazes me. What is socially acceptable? Why is something
that is completely wrong in the United States…a way of life in another country?
It is crazy to think you can hop on a plane, travel for a little over 20 hours
(if you’re lucky to pick a flight with a short layover…) and end up in a place
like Bhaktapur, Nepal. The people in Bhaktapur actually use their roofs religiously
on a day to day basis to do domestic activities along with interacting with
their neighbors! From my experience in the United States, the only time it is
socially acceptable to be “hanging out” up on the rooftop is when you are:
1. Fixing the roof/building a house
2. Hanging up decorations for the holidays:
Christmas, Halloween, etc.
3. Teenager trying to “escape” in the middle of the
night…
4. All you can drink rooftop experience watching
the Chicago Cubs (They will win one day!!!)
On that same note,
something that also sticks out about Bhaktapr, Nepal is that the houses line
the narrow streets and shelter communal courtyards at the center of the blocks.
Not only are the roofs and rooftop porches a part of their daily lives, but the
streets have important functions. Aside from sleeping, the people of Nepal
spend about 80 percent of their lives outdoors (I think it’s safe to say they
don’t have PlayStation or Xbox…there is no time for Call of Duty). The streets
take on many functions, symbolic and practical. In addition to major courts or
plazas, each neighborhood has large amounts of public space where the people
socialize, especially at the natural or artificial ponds, where clothes are
washed and bathing occurs. If someone was bathing down at the pond, at least in
my neighborhood, I’m pretty certain the cops would be called and some sort of
public indecency ticket would be awarded to the lunatic. Besides bathing and
washing clothes in the public, the people of Bhaktapur just sit outside their doorways
at the edge of the street, spinning or weaving, chopping wood, or even making
gravel by splitting rock! The streets are also for the goats and sheep. So
imagining a neighborhood in the United States where people are preparing food,
drying clothes on their roofs, making clothing, selling food on the streets,
bathing in public and sheep/goats roaming around freely…. People here would
have a heart attack!
Something else that
would be amazing to see is the view from the rooftops in Bhaktapr. Being able
to see the Himalayan Mountains while you’re preparing food or catching up with
your neighbor would be amazing!
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