Challenge: "Namaste" - Welcome to Kathmandu!

"Namaste" --  a common spoken greeting or salutation originating from India but also used in Nepal. It is a customary greeting when individuals meet, and a salutation upon their parting. Initiating the exchange is seen as a sign of respect in other hierarchical settings.

For many people, stepping off a plane into Kathmandu is an exhilarating shock - the sights, sounds and smells can quickly lead to sensory overload. Whether it be buzzing around the crazy polluted traffic in a taxi, wandering down the narrow winding streets of the old town in a rickshaw, marvelling at Durbar Square or dodging the tiger balm sellers and trekking touts in Thamel, Kathmandu can be an intoxicating, amazing and exhausting place.
In this Challenge students from RDHS (Ridgetown), Sevenoaks (Sevenoaks / London) and Future Hope (Kolkata)  will learn about the social geography of Kathmandu, having provided me with ‘questions’ and ‘fieldwork’ that I will conduct to put into context how history, geography and religion have shaped Nepal’s capital city. How does Kathmandu compare to London / Ridgetown / Kolkata? What are some challenges that the city faces going forward?

Some general facts about Kathmandu:

Rush hour in downtown Kathmandu

• Area: 150.67 sq. kilometers 
• Population: I million approx 
• Location: Kathmandu is situated in the Central Nepal amid Himalayas.  
• Longitude: 85.22 to 85.36° East 
• Latitude: 23.43 to 23.71.02° North 
• Climate: Summer 36°C to 22°C, Winter 18 °C to 0 °C 
• Language spoken: Nepalese, Newari and Maithali 
• Religions: Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam 

Interesting facts:
Population of Kolkata, India: 5 million approx
Population of London, England: 7.5 million approx
Population of Ridgetown, Canada: 3,400 approx

Rush hour in downtown Ridgetown

Fieldwork:

Questions from Students of RDHS, Sevenoaks, and Future Hope:

1. Who has priority on the road - animals, pedestrians, cycles/rickshaws, motorbikes or cars/buses/lorries?
2. Do Health and Safety laws exist in Kathmandu (or Nepal in general)?
3. How does "Kathmandu General Hospital" compare to the Canadian ones - which one would you prefer to be admitted to?
4. How much is gas in Kathmandu?
5. What is the minimum wage
6. What are some of the jobs available in Kathmandu – for locals? for westerners?
7. What is the common religion
8. What do tourists do when they are there
9. What is a typical day like in Kathmandu for the population?