What to do if other people are living in your house?

All of us, we either live in an apartment or a home in America, right? We go to school or go to work and then we come back home. We are tired many times when we come back home. And all we want to do is relax, rest and sleep. Maybe we want to watch some TV. Maybe we want to have a little conversation with our roommates or family. Maybe we want to laugh a little before bed.

So we do this everyday. We work hard in school or work. And then we go home and we hang out with our family or roommates.

But let us say that oneday you go home, and you open the door, and there is no one that you knew in your home. And you look around your home, and all you see is that there are a whole bunch of new faces.

This is how I feel when I go to Kathmandu. I go to Kathmandu and I see that there are many other kinds of people living in Kathmandu that I don't recognize. There are people from all the villages all over Nepal who have come to Kathmandu. And it makes me want to ask: "What are you doing here?"

Kathmandu is a mess. Sewage mess. Load shedding. Water not flowing through the tap. Why is this happening? Why is my home such a mess? Why is my apartment so filthy? Why do I have to stand in line in my own home just to brush my teeth? Why do I need to ask permission in my home just to use the lamp to read my magazine?

In many ways, it is a capacity problem. Kathmandu was never designed to support so many people. The population in Kathmandu has doubled and quadrupled. So it is like my apartment is a 2 bedroom apartment. But there are 30 people crowded in this apartment. This sucks!

the apartment is stinky and smelly. There is dirty laundry everywhere. Hygiene is poor because everyone is crowded. I don't ever recognize half the people in the apartment because there are so many new faces. Who are all these people? Where did they come from?

Once upon a time, people from villages all over Nepal came to Kathmandu for economic opportunity and education. This has been going on since the Rana sassan and Shah Kingdom and Panchayat. But now they come to Kathmandu because of a lack of security in their villages. They come to Kathmandu so that they can feel safer.

So it is like people are coming to live in my apartment because they don't feel safe in their own apartment. So I am asking them: "Hey, why are you here? Why are you in this apartment? You don't live here. Go to your own home."

And they are saying, "Well, my apartment is not safe. I live with a very violent person. I am scared of the violence in my own apartment so I have come to live in your apartment."

So I feel bad hearing this. I don't want to kick this person out of my apartment when they have come here because they want a sense of shelter. I can feel that they are battered and feel wary and hurt. They have gone through a lot of abuse in their own apartment. Many of these people have gotten hurt in their own apartment. And because they are scared and battered, that is why they have come to my apartment. They feel they will be safer. And they are right. My home is safer than their home.

So I don't want to kick them out of my apartment. My apartment is Kathmandu. This is where I grew up. This is my home. This is where my family lives.

So all over Nepal people are coming to Kathmandu. Kathmandu's population is growing. And because of the capacity problem, there is more sewage in Kathmandu than can be processed properly. There is not enough water to go around. And there is not enough electricity for everyone according to their needs. This is a big problem.

What is the solution?

The solution is to kick everybody from the villages out of Kathmandu.

I know how rude my words must sound. And I am not trying to sound rude. What I am proposing is a solution. The long term solution for Kathmandu is to improve the infrastructure, education, and security situation in the villages in Nepal so that the villagers will go back to their homes. Because if they go back to their apartment, then my life will be more comfortable. If there are only 5 people living in my apartment, then I don't need to stand in line to take a shower. Then I don't need to wait my turn to use the lamp to read my magazine. Then the trash will not be smelly. And there will not be laundry all over my apartment. Then there will not be crying children all times in the night.

Then I will be peaceful. And my Kathmandu will be the beautiful city that it was, like when I was a child growing up in it.

Good try but not good enough. What a stupid analogy.

Here's why: According to your analogy, americans should be kicking us all out of this country because so many of us are here? And they'll help us make our country safer (like they are doing it in different parts of the world)??

And Kathmandu has been a mess for a really really long time my friend. We were too naive and young to see the real world around us then. Do you think Middle East was peaceful before ? or the increased media today has made us feel more aware about middle east?? 


Oh wait! you might ban me from this thread cause the comment might be offensive to you :)

True, Snurp, I might ban your comment. But I'm not going to. Why? Because I don't consider it to be a totally assenine comment. If I thought it was a totally assenine comment, yes, I would delete it. I would delete it without any regret.

Not only did I not consider your comment to be assenine, I actually thought that it was brilliant...to some degree.

You said:
According to your analogy, americans should be kicking us all out of this country because so many of us are here? And they'll help us make our country safer (like they are doing it in different parts of the world)??

Snurp, you are right in saying that all the conservatives in America who do not want America flooded with immigrants, should be motivated to help countries like Nepal develop. You are very correct about this.
If Nepal were to develop, many of us, who are currently in these countries, who are missing home, we would in fact, go back to Nepal. Not all would go, but many would. We would go back to Nepal from America the way many of the villagers living in Kathmandu would go back to their village if their villages had all the priviledge and facility that Kathmandu has.

I smell selfishness in this article. One point in time I think your family also moved to Kathmandu from some other place looking for opportunity just like the villagers(like u described) are doing today. I think Nepal is the apartment of all Nepalese and they have the right to move freely as they wish.

The answer is simple. It is because of the greed of your parents for rent. If you don't rent your apartment, there won't be anyone in your apartment. You make 3-4 floor buildings when one floor would be enough for you becoz u want to rent the others.

Goodass,

You smell correctly. Maybe you're smelling some "Good Ass." Sorry, couldn't help making the joke.

Have you heard of a term called "Enlightened self-interest?"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enlightened_self-interest

You said you smell selfishness. How I would reply to that is to say again: you smell correctly. I would say: Acting in your self-interest is not always a bad thing. The essence of Capitalism is about acting according to your self-interest. Are you against Capitalism?

If my brother's home in the country/villages/ mountains is clean, then he will live there. And I will take my family from the city to go visit him during Summer holidays. Kathmandu is very hot in the Summer.
If my other brother's home in the Terai is clean, then he will live there with his family. And I will take my family from the city and go to visit him in the Winter holidays. Kathmandu is so cold in the Winter.

And if my home in the city is working properly, then both my brothers in the Mountain Village and the Terai can send their children to live in our apartment in Kathmandu. 
My brothers and their family are always welcome to my home in the city. My brother can come and live in my apartment anytime he has work to do in Singadurbar. Or if he wants his children to get education in the city, he can always send my niece and nephews to Kathmandu. They can live with me and play and talk with my children and go to school. After all, what are brothers for? I would be happy to do this for my nephew and nieces because they are part of my greater family.

If my nephew and nieces become stronger, then my family as a whole becomes stronger.

Wouldn't it be great if both my brother and I have clean homes in the village and in the city? Think about how much more options we will have then. Right now we are all trying to crowd in my tiny apartment in Kathmandu. It is uncomfortable and unhegienic for all of us. None of us are fully happy with the current solution.

So, by helping my brothers out, not only would it clean up their homes, but in the long run, it would improve relations in the whole family. And the family as a whole would have a lot more options.

That is called "Enlightened self-interest"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enlightened_self-interest

Jaya Nepal!

Horny Ji, sorry Homeyji,

" Acting in your self-interest is not always a bad thing."

I have to admit I believe in your statement and I am not against Capitalism either. So if you think you are acting on your self interest thinking to throw out the villagers from Kathmandu, what do you think those villagers are doing? They are also there in the capital for their self interest. They are also there for their own gain and not yours. Everybody seeks their own benefit and if they see opportunity they will seize it. They would not care someone like you who think a certain part of their country is your apartment and what not.  And like Snurp pointed out, if you are in America then you should be deported immediately. Also I do not know where in KTM u live but according to your perspective, you should not even walk out of your house. You know why? Because, again in accordance to your perspective you might be trespassing someone's virtual property since someone else thinks that the road you are walking or the place you are visiting is their apartment. I think your perceptions contradict. I sense you are rather more scared of competition.

"If my brother's home in the country and villages is clean, then he will live there. And I will take my family from the city to go visit him during Summer holidays. "

If you think no one should come to your so called "Apartment" you should refrain from going to others too, be it  for summer vacation or winter or autumn or monsoon.

हुन त म काठमाडौंबासी होइन, न त गाउँबाट काठमाडौंमा सर्ने बिचारै छ, तैपनी यो होमेपाजी (होमेजि होइन, होमेपाजी लोल!) को कुरो सुन्दा कन्पारो तातेर आयो! अस्ति citizen of nepal लाई भन्या थिएँ यस्तै कुरो, आज होमेलाई भन्दै छु:

काठमाडौं तिम्रा बाउ को बिर्ता हो र अरुले त्यँहा बस्न नपाउनु? कि तिम्रो मावलका बा ले तिम्री आमालाई दाईजोमा दिएर पठाएका थिए र काठमाडौंलाई निजी सम्पत्ती जस्तो गर्या?

अनि बि. ति. दब्लु., पानी खान नपाए, बत्ती बाल्न नपाए, सुरक्षा नभए, हाम्रो गाममा आउ! २४सै घण्टा बनबाट बगेर आको सफ्फा पानी खानि सौभाग्य पाउँछौ! सोलार र विन्ड-मिल बाट बिजुली निकाल्या छम हाम्ले, तिम्रो काठमाडौंमा जस्तो टुकी बाल्नुपर्दैन! "तल्लो घरे साइँलोको गोठमा चोर पसे रे!", भन्नि सुन्नै नपाई सब गाउँले खान लाग्या गाँस नि छोडेर हसिया, खुर्पा, कोदालाको बिँड, नाम्लाको पातो, खन्ती, जे भेटिन्छ त्यही बोकेर चोरलाई खेद्छन! बडीगार्ड नै राखे नि त्यती सुरक्षा पाउदैनौ तिम्ले काठमाडौंमा! मेरो काठमाडौं रे, गाउबाट आको मान्छेहरुले गर्दा बिग्रियो रे! कुनै दिन हाम्रा गाउँमा गएर चाउचाउको खाली पोको मात्रा फ्याँक त, कानका जाली सात दिन सम्म बज्नी गरी भेट्छौ गालामा!

Jantarei bro,

Dude, I love your sense of humour man.

And hey, be careful who you're inviting to your gaun hai, bhandeko chhu. Mo ta auchu gaun ghar ma motorcycle chadera. Chatta basera bhaisi ko dudh ra, taja tarkari ra ghyu haleko bhaat khaana. I love the fresh mountain air of the villages. Lauro tekera aunchhu.

Any advice for us city boys from Kathmandu about what we should bring when we come to the gaun? Mo ta auchu mero sabai sathi bhai lai batulera. Saanchai ho. Ani hamlai khwaera piaera rakhhnu parla hai.  Sochera bola.

Oye Jantare, timro gaun ma hami Kathmandu ka keta haru lai baas milcha ki mildaina?! Lau bhana aile nai. Tya aepachi na chine ko jasto garnu paindaina...bhandeko chhu maile aile nai!

 Well you don't have to kick them out. Kathmandu ma gaule haru janasankhya "sahariya" bhanda dherai cha so it's impratical.
Arko kura, don't you understand that this is cause of political unstability in the country? 
Aaba timile afno aparment ko bareko matra bhanna khojeko ho bhane ta latta haneni, jhutta haneni balai ho.

Shikha ji,

Hajur lai gaunle haru ko kattakka hridaya dekhi maya lagyo jasto chha. ho?

 Nepali bhaye pachi Nepaloharu ko maya ta lagi halcha ni! Malai ta Nepal ko paristhiti dekhera Nepal ani sara Nepali haru ko
lagi naramro laghca. Tapai jasto pade-lekheko manche haru aali politics join garera desh ma sudhar lyai diye sabai gaule haru awashya nai aa-aafno native place pharkinchan ni!

Are you from FROG family? Kathmandu was a big lake- home of frog.

Shikhaji,

In Nepal's long history since Prithvi Narayan Shah, which King, minister or politician have you respected the most? I am always struggling to find politicians or kings that I respect or look up to as a rolemodel.

Maybe you know some people that I don't know.

 I liked King Birendra, not necessarily for his leadership qualities. 
Anyway, I see you made couple of Nepal-related posts; seems timro bhitra ko Nepali jagyo. 

Teita Shikhaji, tyo jagaran dekhi malai pani dar lagiraheko chha. Kasari selaune hola?