Caste and Karma: cultural differences

here's my latest submission to Canada Corps:

With all the training that goes into preparing volunteers for cultural differences, you’d think this is a major stumbling point for all overseas interns. But for some reason I’ve found that I am rarely upset by or even aware of cultural differences.

Perhaps this is because VSO cushions us, eases us into our placements with in-country training and cultural sessions. Perhaps, however, it’s because on a personal level I don’t tend to focus on the culture someone is from, but on the person and who they are. People are the same the world over. They can be friendly. They can be curious. Sometimes all they want is your money. Typical conversations, whether in English or Nepali, will focus on families, jobs, friends, where people come from and where they want to go. These are the same topics you’d use with anyone, anywhere.

Of course, there are cultural differences between Nepal and Canada. Pastimes are different, work habits are different, clothing, how traffic works, priorities, all of these things aren't the same. For example, every morning I am bound to cycle past ducks, goats, dogs, definitely a cow or two, all the while weaving between a horde of other bikes, motorcycles, three-wheeler transports called tempos, busses, obnoxious taxis, cars and ubiquitous pedestrians. But these things that I see on any bike ride, it can be argued, are a consequence of economics, not culture. You change the poverty level in Nepal and these differences would wane.

One thing that wouldn’t change, however, is religion. The Hindu and Buddhist influence is everywhere. Magnificent stupas and pagoda temples are easy to find in Kathmandu. Temples are often built, in accordance with Newari architecture, at the top of houses. Tiny shrines are ensconced in sidewalks and along walls. In fact there’s a temple near my house and I haven’t found it yet; I only know it’s there because I’ve been awakened by the ringing of bells that are sounded after an offering.

Religious beliefs play a deep, deep role in how Nepali culture interprets the world, for better or for worse. A woman I met on the street once asked me what caste I belonged to. When I told her there isn’t a caste system in Canada she was absolutely dumbfounded- the possibility had never even occurred to her.

Because of where I am working, a lot of the cultural differences I’ve encountered have to do with people with disabilities. All the time I am asked how the disabled are treated in Canada. My colleagues nod appreciatively when I tell them how nearly all buildings are wheelchair accessible -that's one of the things they are fighting for here. My favourite is telling them about the wheelchair accessible busses, the ones that collapse on their wheels and have a ramp that folds out.

I guess the most difficult cultural obstacle I’ve encountered isn’t one that I’ve have to face personally, but my colleagues have. In Nepal people with disabilities have to fight against a very difficult, cultural-specific stigma: their own karma. Being born with a disability is often seen as a punishment for something done in a former lifetime.

The only way you can overcome that is by changing the culture: promoting awareness, lobbying the government and creating opportunities for the disabled. I guess that’s not exactly the way you’d normally deal with cultural differences, but I think in this case it’s acceptable.