NEPALBY

PORSCHE NICHOLS

@porschenichols

Nepal Basics

• Capital: Kathmandu

• Currency: Nepalese rupee (NPR)

• Languages: Nepali (official) 47.8%Maithali 12.1%

• Religion: Hindu 80.6%

• Population: Approx 30.5 Million

• Country Risk Rating: D

Up until 1951, “the modern era”, Nepal had no

Schools

Hospitals

Roads

Telecommunications

Electric Power

Industry

Civil Service

Fun Fact

Government

• Parliamentary Democracy

• Chief of State: President Ram Baran YadavHead of Gov: PM Baburam Bhattarai

• Governments in Nepal have tended to be highly unstable; no government has survived for more than two years since 1991

• Still have not formed an official government

Geography

Land locked between India and China

Lots of Hills

Nepal has eight of the worlds’s ten highest mountain peaks– Himalayas/Mt Everest – 8,848 M tall

Culture

GREETINGS:

• Men/Men & Women/Women: Meetings begin w/palms pressed together, at chest, saying “Namaste” which means “I salute the god/goddesses in you”! (handshakes are common w/those familiar with western culture)

• Men and Women: Same as above but should not initiate handshake!

Communication

Greetings:

• Always use right hand when shaking

• Male: Can accept handshake with men and women, but never initiate (especially married women)

• Handshakes are soft, does not mean anything

Communication

Communication Style

• Often say what you want to hear to be polite• Don’t use direct ‘no’

• They tend to ask personal questions but you should not do the same

• Thankfulness is more of a facial expression than verbal

• Don’t call friends parents by name (Amaa or Buba—Mom or Dad)

Communication

Personal Space & Touching

• Arm’s length is perfect, esp btwn Men & Women

• Friends often walk holding hands/arm & arm

• No PDA – Frowned upon

Eye Contact

• Eye Contact with same gender okay, opposite sex should avoid it.

Communication

View of Time

• On time is not valued (business & social)

• “Nepali time” – run late for everything

• Expect delays at all levels• Busses, Taxi, Plane, Hotel Room, Etc.

Communication

Gestures

• Pointing your finger is bad – means “I have something against you!”

• Blowing your nose in public is rude

• People spit and through stuff – no law against littering

• Belching after a meal is in tribute to the meal

• Impolite to refuse refreshments

Communication

• Never keep shoe’s upside down – bad luck

• Spilling rice (esp cooked) and walking on it – Insult to Hindu Goddess of Food

• For a long travel – take sip of yogurt

Statistics

• Infant Mortality Rate: 43.13 deaths per 1,000 live births (compared to 6 in the US)

• 25.2 % below poverty line

• Unemployment rate 46% (15. 1% in the US)

Social Media

• Top 3 Brands on FB• Ncell• Ace Travels• Australia Education & Career Consultants

• Top 3 Celebrities on FB• Shakira• Salaman Khan• AKON

Top Websites

• Facebook

• Google

• YouTube

• Yahoo

#SOME BY THE NUMBERS

• 11% internet penetration

• 42% phone penetration

• 98% of internet usage comes from mobile

Source: http://www.slideshare.net/wearesocialsg/we-are-socials-guide-to-social-digital-and-mobile-in-nepal-dec-2011

Thank you!