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THIS IS NEPAL Words by which to Live

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Casey Ek, USA
Journalism,UK
American university's School of Communication

 
 Upon arriving in Nepal, I was at a loss for words. I didn't fully understand what I had gotten myself into, nor did I have a solid idea about the work I would be doing with local media. It seemed like the program would have no structure at first, and I was nervous to get started. Would my reporting be fair? Will I offend anyone with my point of view? Is it polite to take photos of that? These are all questions and concerns that were answered with a single underlying truth about Nepal: the pressures of Western culture are almost completely non-existent.
I lost count of how many times plans changed because either myself or the person I was meeting got caught up drinking chiya with a friend or some similar situation. The mix up—if you can call it that—would often warrant the same response: "this is Nepal."
There really is no place like Nepal, I couldn't have asked for a better program to have facilitated my stay and my work. It's hard to put into words how grateful I am to have gotten the exposure as a journalist I have needed in such a magical place. Between an incredibly generous host family and magnetic, eclectic sources, my time in Nepal was simply invaluable to my professional and personal lives. This place has truly become a part of me.
 
Ceasy is student of 
American University's School of Communication
Washington, DC.