This is respone to previous post made by nice_guy_with_mba
Nice_guy_with_MBA
and any other people who are thiking to return back to Nepal for good. Well, let me be the one to break the bad news, ITS NOT !
Returning back for Rs. 30K/month job is not a wise idea, not even for Rs. 50K/mo !
Let me elaborate it in way that you will understand;
1. Dirty Politics: You will say, when have I ever cared about it ? Never participated in any hooligan acts or rallies.... and afterall when had Nepal had stable and good government ? I just dont give a damn......
BUT, then you were young and were dependant upon your parents earnings. Now, you dont and can't want be dependent upon them ? or rather want to help them to live by your earnings?
Its then politics interferes with your life.
Just going to office on public or private vehicle becomes like a jungle safari. Regular traffic jams at every nooks. Then unwanted rallies blocking more than half of roads every day. Unexpected chakka jams, every now and then without any concrete reasons are makes your journey to and from your workplace feel like hell.
Yes, I have been through it.
2. Money:
Nrs. 30K/month is NOT A BIG AMOUNT if you plan to live in Kathmandu. Even a Bank Teller makes 25K here.
Funny, a mason (DAKARMI) who works building houses, charges Rs. 750/day plus Breakfast & Lunch. A Labor (Jyami) charges Rs. 500/day plus breakfast & lunch. So, Rs. 30,000 is actually NOT ENOUGH for a family (4 people) with their own home in KTM.
Price of Tomato & Potato till Rice, Grains, Meat are MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE than USA in Nepal. And if you plan to eat out (somewhere Hygenic) then Rs. 1000 for a lunch per person is not a big bill. There are street food stalls too, but you will to take huge risk with your health to test how strong your immune system is by drinking contaminated water, cooked rotten vegs, expired meat products, food cooked in recycled oils (food cooked for more than 5 days in same oil), etc. You can get a lunch for one for ard. Rs. 100- Rs. 200, but you will have to spend more than Rs. 5K in medical bills later.
Medical expenses are way too expensive here in Nepal due to most of us dont Insure. Also Insurance over here dont cover complete medical charges. They pays somewhat 5000-10000 per year but take premium ard. 12,000 per year. So you will be fool to even insure.
A doctors visit in good nursing home (Norvic) costs Rs. 450 per visit. If you get admitted then nursing home will Not discharge you until they withdraw minimum 50K - 100K from your bank account by making you do numerous tests frequently. A normal single room in a nursing home costs ard. 2500 - 5000 per night. So, you can imagine how much you need to save for your health. You whole year savings will get lost with one medical emergency.
3. Luxury:
Well, if you plan to buy a car over here the cheapest one costs Rs. 800K, Tata Nano which is prices Rs. 100K IC in India. Its annual insurance & taxes will cost you another 50-60K per annum. The most common one in the City; Hyundai Santro, Maruti Zen, Alto costs ard. 1500K-2000K.
If you plan to buy a land and build a house within the Valley then you need at least Rs. 10 Million to 20 Million for 4-5 annas land with 2-3 storey home.
In terms of Wine & Dine, the city offers lot of options from Bhatti's (Un-Hygenic) till top 5 Star bars & pubs. Food in bhatti's are sometimes even better than 5 star ones, but you need strong immune system after having the meals to not fall sick.
If you are thinking of Marriage, then set aside at least Rs. 1.5 Million to 3.0 Million for the function, party, clothes and jwellery.
If you think you can always earn that money by working for someone else in Nepal. Then you are dreaming my son. Cutting all the expenses, it will take more than 10 years for you to save 1.5 Mil (if your salary is Rs. 30K/month)
4. Security:
Well, lets say if you are foriegn return and have lot of greens stashed in bank or home. Then you are always prime victim for Kidnappers & Corrupt Govt. officials (IRS, we call it IRD in Nepal though).
You will either need to hire good tax auditor who works not on salary basis but on % of total amount that you have to get legitimised.
Or you will have to bribe tax officers to cook the books correctly and legitimise the green that you bring in this country.
Even the remittance money that you send from US to Nepal, has to be shown as income and pay tax for that by the reciever. Else, that kind of money becomes illegal.
Above from those top level crocodiles, who will be preying over you for greens there exist whole bunch of other thugs who will be trying to get hands over you.
If you think you are smart just because you have cash and you just returned from US of A, maan then you are mistaken.
In public transport, you cant argue with any one not even KHALASI, he will have big mouth and words than you. He will make you feel you are on his mercy while travelling on his micro or bus, despite having paid for the fare.
Taxi drivers will give you run out of your money within few kilometers. From Airport to New Raod, in Kathmandu fares of taxi would vary from Rs. 200 - Rs. 600 based upon the taxi meter tweaking. So, more guillible you are, more advantage these people will take.
But if you think you are some kind of Sunny Doel in olden bollywood movies, who can revolt, then you are in BAD LUCK to be in KTM.
Never get into fight against Khalasi, drivers, waiters, parking lot toll takers, etc. These low level workers have good connections and soon make you pay for it by beating you so bad that you might end your life. Or making issue so terrible you might not leave home ever. Protests, rallies even Chakka Jam just becasue you put hands over them. It may sound far fetched in USA, but such things have happened in Kathmandu many many times.
Plus there are many political parties youth wings, these people might come anytime to your house and rob you, threaten you for whatever reason, while police and law will sit blind & mute watching whole episode like some hindi masala entertainer. These youth groups recruit people who have no job and are notorious ones, olden days tole dada's. They will do anything for money. And if they know you have money, then they will get after you in the name of donation, raffle, charity, etc first. Then in the name of security, community service, etc they will ask regular money like in hindi movies - HAFTA.
You will get tired before starting anything new in Nepal. If you start a new business, then these hooligans from different parties will come and ask for donation plus they will force you to hire one of them. No qualification, No skills required, just hire them else face the consequences. For e.g. if you hire one from party 'A', then party 'B', 'C',...till 'Z' will knock your door either pay compensation for not hiring their people or hire one from each of their groups. Finally you will have to shut down whole buisness. Recent example Surya Nepal Garments Shutdown.... Even Gyane (Former King) couldn't withstand these hooligans, how can you and me ! Think !!
5. Family:
You can get constant love and care from your family, thats one thing which motivates you to get back to Nepal. But, you are forgetting, in Nepal its not just your family you need to deal there is whole branches of extended families... mama, kaka, thulo buwa, bhanja, bhatij, fufu, etc etc .... These people will constantly nag you for a month or two for this and that.
Believe me, you will meet lot of gold diggers too, which will be hard for you to not get interested with them.
They will flunk you western life style in Nepal itself.
& If you think you can get away with one night stand...
then ohhh boy you are so mistaken....
Consequences are so drastic that you might ultimately fall in to trap of getting married with that girl.
Believe me confrontations in Nepal are not so easy like in US, where both parties say what they have on mind and finally come to some compensation medium. From next day, life becomes normal.
In Nepal confrontation cases run for days if not months long. Families gets involved, relatioonships get broken.
You might get unwanted calls every now and then threating your life if you dont do what the other party says. Even after you pay off the debts for any issue you will be constantly reminded of your mistake every now and then by your family members (immediate and extended) and your eneminies making your life in Nepal like a hell. Leg pulling, making you feel smaller than others are some of most popular hobbies of Nepali people.
So anyone who thinks Nepal is better place to be in After studies, even after reading this. Then from my own experience, you are already doomed. Not even Pashupatinath will be able to Help You !
All the content in this post are only my opinion, which are based upon TRUE EXPERIENCES of many foreign returned Nepali's. Who most of them have luckily made way back to foriegn land, while some are still repenting in Bhatti's...
