Cultural Customs of Nepal

Throughout my first few tutoring meetings with S., I have noticed some tendencies that reflect his cultural background. Each time we meet up for tutoring, we exchange greetings and farewells that consist of a firm-proper handshake and S. also gives me a subtle head bow, something that is an integral part to Nepali culture. Younger people in or from Nepal often view anyone older or more mature with great respect, even a westerner like myself. I may be only two years older than S., but due to his cultural background, he naturally treats me with similar respect as he would treat a teacher. Another custom from Nepal that S. still carries with him is their cultural unawareness for punctuality. S. has shown up to our tutoring meetings late each time, but for Nepali standards, he would not necessarily be tardy. Nepali time, in regards to casual appointments, is later than the time mentioned, perhaps maybe even by one to two hours. S. teachers informed me that he is often late before I met him, but they also mentioned to me one area of western custom that S. has made improvements on, and that is communication. Apparently when he was first started out as a student in the United States, he did not understand the importance of communicating with teachers when he was going to be absent and figuring out what he needed to do while he was absent. Now that he has gained more time in American society and the education system, he has adapted a better sense of communication and the importance that it carries. It is important for teachers to understand the cultural backgrounds of their students because it allows them to put situations like these into a greater context. Students that come from different cultural backgrounds carry prior customs from another country, and if a teacher is aware of these customs they have, they will better be able to reach their educational needs.