I am a citizen from Nepal, a country with a great history, impressive geographical topographies but in a relatively bad present. A country which I believe most people don't know a lot about. AMA.

Do you believe that ecotourism related to the Himalayas is helping or harming your country both environmentally and economically?

It is a coin with two sides. Tourism is kind of a backbone to our economy. But with tourists came unmanaged garbage in mountain areas, drug cultures like heroin and cocaine, and also the pile of dead bodies of mountain climbers lying there helpless and unclaimed in the mountains.

Has the government taken any steps to cut down on some of these things?

Well, the royalty to pay for mountain climbing is crazy high, so people would think twice before making the decision to pay for what could be their death.

Thank you for the responses, I wish nothing but the best for your people and your country. In particular, are there any programs I could contribute time or donate to?

I'd say contribute to a charity organization established by Mahabir Pun. You can google and get unbiased info about this wonderful man yourself and consult all sources since it's your money I want you to know where you are spending it.

How to people in Nepal tend to feel about the dramatic events leading up to the abolishment of the monarchy and is there any pro-restoration sentiment in more traditional areas?

Oh, a very good question. Yeah, there are a lot of people who literally shout "Oh King, come and save your kingdom" whenever our ex-king passes by. The Civil War led by the communists was a brutal one (my own father, a journalist, had to go into hiding and couldn't be with me and my mother at the time of my birth for writing an article that negatively impacted the rebels), with a heavy death toll, and all it gave was an unstable government and few positives, like improved relationships with India and China. Lots of people openly support the restoration of Monarchy. The monarchy previously was a relatively democratic one with the Parliament and the Prime Minister's government holding a significant amount of power themselves.

I spent some time in langtang before the quake, in fact I lost friends there because of what happened. Do you know how the rebuild is going?

I'd say we have overcome the desolation of Civil War to a great extent. The desolation caused by the massive earthquakes are still in effect and we are overcoming it.

what’s the most important thing you think others in the world should know about the people if nepal?

From the racial stereotypes that I have heard about my country, and other people's knowledge of Nepal,

1. We are not Indians
2. We were never a part of the British Empire and were always independent from foreign invasion
3. Gautam Buddha was born in our country, the founder of Buddhism, not the laughing chubby Buddha that most people think of when they hear Buddha. He is a different person entirely.
4. Mount Everest is entirely the property of Nepal and not China.

Had no idea about the last 3 facts. Incredible. Do many people in Nepal follow Buddhism?

Yeah, it is the second biggest besides Hinduism. Technically, Buddhism can be considered an aspect of Hinduism as Buddha is believed to be the reincarnation of Vishnu, a Hindu god, who has 10 incarnations.

What international dish have to tried to create, or have wanted to, but lack the correct ingredients?

I'd say pizza. My sisters and I tried making it but lacked good quality cheese and made a corny (pun intended) mess.

My sister is Nepalese. Her father was killed and her mother brought her to an orphanage. I was not able to go with my family when they went to adopt her, and then the Maoist insurrection occurred shortly after. I’d love to travel there. How are you?

I am very fine, my friend. I am in Australia myself at the moment. But you should go make a visit there. You will definitely meet the nicest people there. And tell your sister I said "Darshan!".

I'm from Australia and have noticed a lot of Nepalis lately. Apparently Nepalis are the third largest nationality of international students.

Well, we are everywhere.

I live in Okinawa Japan, and I come across students from Nepal everyday. There are so many here, but I wonder isn't it very expensive to be a student here from Nepal? There are many Nepalese restaurants around here now and they are all amazing. The students seem nice and respectful, and i think they all must ride bicycles.

The visa procedure is easy there. My sister is in Osaka as well.

Don't forget, your warriors are known the world over as some of the fiercest and finest to ever enter battle. The Gurkha is known and feared by any warrior - and for good reason. I also highly respect Nepal for being (alongside Japan and just a few others) one of the very few places on earth where European boots have not marched in conquest. You were never colonized.

When I think of Nepal, the first thought that comes to my mind is strength and hardiness.

Therefore, if I may ask, what would you say is one of your country's most peaceful and calming practices? What do you think of that embodies"cozy home" to you? What sort of food, architecture, home items, or other things come to mind?

One of the most peaceful and calming practices that I can think of straight off the top of my head is, worshipping dogs. We have an annual festival dedicated just for our dogs where we worship them, put a garland of flowers on their necks and don't eat anything unless we have fed a dog ourselves.

Now that’s a type of worship I can support!

When is it? If I ever go to Nepal, I want to time it right

It's around October, during the time of Deepawali. It is a festival based on Lunar Calendar so the dates change every year.

Is it OK if tourists come, or would that ruin it?

Anyone is welcome.

• What are feelings toward/relations with neighbors in the region? (China, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar)

• Was the “Palace Massacre” of 2001 quite shocking?

Did you take a side during the Nepalese Civil War? The government or the Nepalese Communist Party under Prachanda.

As Nepal is a neutral country like Switzerland, it has no enmity against any country in the world and even a good relationship with China because of the Communist influence in politics. India is a sister-country and Nepal adores Aung San Suu Kyi.

And the Palace Massacre was a very dangerous and shocking thing. People absolutely loved King Birendra. We Hindus have a tradition of shaving our heads when our fathers die. A very big portion of Nepalese males shaved their heads. The mystery isn't solved yet. However, the conspiracy theories of his brother being the perpetrator, the Indian Government having an influence run around.

And I was too young during the Nepalese Civil War and only remember parts of the horrors of war. I utterly despise Prachanda, though.

Thank you for the answers.

That is very interesting. I never heard or knew of the conspiracy theories surrounding the Palace Massacre.

Could you please elaborate on your disdain for Prachanda?

He has hundreds of criminal cases against him. His party has committed several war crimes that he has never addressed. His tax reports are laughable and his son is a fraud that he enables.

What's your favorite story from your country's history?

That is a very interesting question and a tough one at that. I really love the story of the unifier of our country Prithvi Narayan Shah. So he was just a small king in a small kingdom of Gorkha and had great plans for unification. He had no infrastructure and weapons to do so though. So one day he discussed this with a very wise blacksmith, and the blacksmith said "I can help you, my king." and came back with a coin. He said this will help you win the war. The king was perplexed and asked what was the meaning of this? He replied, " I am but one citizen in your kingdom. Imagine if everyone gave you a coin each" So he started becoming a people's king, visiting them, and helping them. They in turn made small collections each and financed the unifying plan of Prithvi Narayan Shah to form a big kingdom of Nepal out of many scattered kingdoms.

Sounds like a nice way to explain taxes.

Yeah. Pretty much.

While visiting Kathmandu in 2015, I was told to wait a few minutes in the town square because the princess(?) was going to be making an appearance. A few minutes later, a tiny little girl poked her head out of the window. Locals were so excited they started crying. It was bizarre to see such a reaction. A local explained that the poor girl lives her entire life inside the building. Can you share more information on what exactly I was witnessing?

Oh, it was a Kumari, not a princess. It is a tradition in Kathmandu valley where a girl of Newar ethnicity is established as a religious figure until her first menstrual cycle starts. She is treated like a goddess herself where people spend a lot to please the Newari gods. While I don't support this myself, it would cause massive backlash to openly advocate against it in Kathmandu.

What happens to her after?

She lives a normal life then.

How are outsiders looked at in nepal? Especially ones who do not share the same religious beliefs as y'all.

From what I know and experienced, Nepalese can be the most wholesome to tourists. We have an unwritten law that "Someone comes knocking at your door in the evening, they shouldn't sleep hungry and without a roof". If you go to rural places, the kids would absolutely flock around you interested at you, especially if you are someone of a different skin complexion as they might not have seen someone like you before, speak in broken English to the best of their efforts, not caring if you speak English or not. I don't know if you like kids around you, but the kids here will absolutely irritate you with questions about yourself.

How about grownups? Any particular traditions? Like marriage/becoming an adult/funerals traditions or something?

Marriage is a tricky aspect as some self-proclaimed "higher class" people can be conservative about who their children marry. And funerals are like a march with four people carrying a dead body and people throwing coins along the way up to a river where the body is burned. It is the practice in Hinduism. The Christians have their own area for burying their deceased. Circumcision is a thing that is very much frowned upon. But there are some things that we have adopted from popular media and made a part of our culture too.

Lastly, any don'ts when going to nepal? Is there anything that might seem ok from the eyes of an outsider (european) , but it would bother a nepali citizen?

Don't talk about the taste of beef. A huge no-no here cows are literally worshipped as a mother and loved like people outside the world love dogs. The closest that you can easily eat would be buffalo meat.

How’s the buffalo meat taste?

A bit chewy.

To reply to your question dude, well zero fucks are given as to what religion you practise. Not one drop of blood has ever been spilt in Nepal, in the name of religion.We even chose to become secular despite being over 90% Hindus + Buddhists.

I have no issues saying Nepal is easily one of the most progressive shitty 3rd world countries in the world.

Our problem is rampant corruption.

Thank you for providing the perfect answer bro.

I was in Nepal a few years ago. What part are you from?

I was born in Sindhuli. A historical place where the Nepalese forces defeated the British Charge and defended the sovereignty of my country. It is about 130 km south of Kathmandu.

Do you own a kukri? Have any kukri stories?

I have one from Himalayan Imports.

Eh, we have one. But it is used for beheading goats, which is an annual religious tradition in my society. Sorry I don't have Khukuri stories from my own family but a while back a gang member chopped down his wife and her lover who she cheated with in a bus stop with a Khukuri if that helps.

Is it true you guys are really into cricket now? We have a Nepalese player in the Australian t20 league.

Oh very much. I grew up playing cricket myself and love to play it. It really gives us hope when our country isn't exceptional in other sports worldwide.

Nepal is on my list of places I’ve always wanted to visit. What would you suggest to a visitor who wants to enjoy the country for what it really is?

So, if you want to go to something religious and naturally beautiful, I would suggest Muktinath area. You can go trekking and take a cold bath in the lakes there.

If you are about partying, then Kathmandu and Pokhara are for you.

If you want something to do with wildlife, I would suggest the Chitwan National Park, Bardiya National Park.

Then there is the endless possibilities of mountain climbing with 14 mountains there above the height of 8000 meters. I could give you plenty of more but it might be Information overload for now. We can keep continuing it if you want to visit more places. These places are a must visit if you go there.

Food is a big one, one of my favorite things is to try new foods.

Well, that is a very difficult one to answer. You will have to literally visit all the places that I mentioned previously as their food are very different because of the climate difference among these places. But nationally recognized food delicacies would be Mo:Mo:, Yomari, Thukpa, Khalpi, Lapsi (A very exquisite pickle), Sukuti (Buffalo jerky) and some ethnic alcoholic beverages.

My buddy from work is originally from Nepal. He brought MoMo to a potluck last year. Those things are the bomb! He now knows he has to share with me when he brings them for lunch.

As a side note, the people that I speak to at work that are originally from Nepal have some of the best spirits in the office. It's like they're in a more content mindset than everyone else and I really enjoy that.

Yeah, I have heard that we smile a lot. I don't know why.

I want to marry a princess and become king?

Eh, it's a Federal Democratic Republic country now, my friend. No monarchy.

How has your country been recovering since the 2015 earthquakes?

Btw, thanks for posting. I have a lot of respect for your climbers and Gurka soldiers. Your country makes some of the toughest and most courageous people I've ever heard of.

Thank you for your compliments. With heavy corruption in handling foreign aid after the earthquake, we are still at progress.

Have the temples been rebuilt? I heard Bhaktapur was heavily impacted and it broke my heart.

It has been a slow process. Some are rebuilt but there's a lot more to go.

I am from India. What do you think of the complete freedom of movement between India and Nepal? We have many Nepalis residing and working here, including a couple of people I personally know.

While it promotes good relationships and preserves our brotherhood, the criminals easily fleeing to the other country can be troublesome at times.

I hope police forces of both countries can co-operate and solve these problems without hurting the free movement.

I really hope so.

Is global warming having any noticeable effects in Nepal? Is there awareness of global warming generally?

Yeah, the rain pattern is absolutely fucked in recent years. The rain has also increased. It snows in places it normally wouldn't

What goes on in a typical day for the average Nepalese citizen?

An average Nepalese citizen would begin his day by waking up and going to the bathroom as all people do. Then they break their fast with tea, or milk, and in some cases coffee. Then they eat rice, curry, and vegetables before they go to their respective jobs. Then the snacks are normally like noodles, rice again, or mo:mo, etc. Dinner comprises of rice/bread, meat like chicken, chevon, buffalo meat, etc. Some people do their prayers and worships in the morning, like my mother and in the evening. We normally tend to separate a time for our family after dinner where we discuss all aspects like schools, works, money, etc.

Curry for breakfast.

Like me after a night out

Curry rocks.

What's the IT infrastructure like?

Not that impressive but it is impressively rising. Most people nowadays flock towards studying IT based subjects and I am one of them. Our primary and lower secondary education system is something I believe is a very strong one and supports IT and STEM fields very much. There is plenty of scope for the development of IT.

why are your hdi numbers so bad? is it because of a lack of money or mismanagement?

Low per capita income.

What is your opinion on democracy? Do you support the protests that happened in the last two decades which shaped Nepals polity? How are the situations now?

I very much support a government system that is made of the people, for the people, and by the people. I could say a protest against monarchy was inevitable but the execution was horrible. I mentioned in another comment how my father, who was a journalist, couldn't be with me and my mother during the time of my birth because he had to go into hiding as he published an article that put the Communists to a negative light. The situations are a little better now with the coalition between the communist parties that at least prevented political riots, but I don't know how long is this pseudo-peace going to last.

What do you think went wrong in the last 50 years which changed the countries' economy ?

Political instability. The sole reason.

Not really a question, but I love Nepal and definitely want to visit someday. It's such a beautiful corner of the world. Many thanks for the insights into the history of the country (especially its unification!) further down in the comments, that was fascinating.

EDIT: I realised I do have one question, but it's kind of childish so I should probably apologise in advance. When I was a kid, I was really into cryptids and the Yeti stories that came out of Nepal and Tibet were one of my favourites. I had actually even compiled a journal of sightings and accounts, including excerpts from that one book by a Tibetan llama that laid out a biological classification of different species and such. I've completely stopped seeing accounts of sightings and such since the early 2000s, though. Are there still any rumours or sightings these days? Or has the fad kinda died out? Again, really silly question but yeah ^^;

It would be equivalent to Bigfoot in the Western media. Besides, whacko youtube videos of low quality, nobody here actually cares about the yeti.

This will be a double sided question : How much does Nepal depends on tourism generated by mountaineering and considering it's a deadly and messy ordeal, leaving bodies and trash behind, what's the public opinion about it? Also I have heard Nepal is putting good effort on cleaning Mount Everest (which probably might extend to the other 8000ers there) and I feel ashamed of how humanity can trash even the most remote places.

Tourism is literally the backbone of our economy. And the garbage in mountains is a serious problem. But we are proud of our mountains and love tourists who come to summit it too.

What's up with your flag? Is your country allergic to rectangles? (Source: a sixth grade project I had to do)

Lol, it represents mountains that our country is known for and proud for. Plus it's kinda unique and I like it that way.

What is a Nepalese meal everyone should try at least once?

I'd say go to a Thakali restaurant and try an entire "Thakali Khana Set" for full satisfaction. You can google an image of it if it entices your taste buds.

Has anyone rebuilt Marion Ravenwood’s bar?

Eh, the relics are stored in Kamar-Taj where Doctor Strange lives now.

A friend of mine who visited Nepal said he was surprised to learn that firewood is a form of currency there (cause it gets cold there).

Is this true? Do you have any good stories to describe how your life was shaped by this?

It is in very rural places but the practice is dying out because the standard of living is increasing with proper housing but not totally gone. I grew up in a small town where this problem wasn't prevailing and consider myself lucky for it. But there are still some places where it is common.

People who tell a lot of mountain jokes, do they Everest?

Nice one. Snorted a little.

How much do you love dal bhat? After leaving your country I was excited to eat anything else, but I’ll admit I do miss it from time to time.

I didn't know how much I wanted it till I left Nepal and came here to Australia. Very fulfilling diet but diabetes after the 40s is a bitch.

Hi, from Australia. Thanks for your AMA.

So, a few random questions:

• What does the everyday Nepalese person think about the influences of India & China on Nepal. I'm sure there are varying sentiments. Is this topic part of general conversation in Nepal?
• I know there are many, many ethnic minorities within Nepal, to which do you belong?
• I watched a documentary about water resources in Nepal, & the difficulties faces in sourcing water, including polluted groundwater. Do you know if any significant improvements have been made recently?
• How are foreigners climbing Mt Everest viewed? Many sherpas have died assisting wealthy foreigners climbing.
• Lastly: what is your favourite type of momo?

I've been to Nepal several years ago, and spent around a month there. Despite the many challenges faced by Nepalese people on a daily basis, I constantly found Nepalese people had a smile on their face and positive outlook on life (I know that sounds cliched, but it's true). You should be proud to be Nepalese!

Cheers

1. China has a good relationship with Nepal and with India, it's kind of a love-hate depending on which politician is in power. and India is a part of the conversation in Nepal, China, not so much.
2. I was born in a Brahmin family. It means scholars, priests, etc. My grandfather from my father's side was an astrologist. My great grandfathers from my mother's side were Royal Priests, i.e. organized religious ceremonies for the Royal family.

Why isn't buddhism more popular in buddhism's birthplace? I found this surprising.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Nepal

He was brought up in India and did all his studies and preaching there.

The main reason buddhism is not more popular in Nepal is because Buddhism is just an offshoot of Sanatana Dharma — a way of life. 'Religion' is a very narrow western concept of what we are, and what we should believe in; Eastern religions are a lot different and tolerant.

Buddhism was greatly (GREATLY!) influenced by Sanatana Dharma (you can call it hinduism). Hinduism is not a rigid religion, we welcome any change and beliefs in our DHARMA. Moreover, Buddha was believed to be a reincarnation of some HINDU God (IDK name, I'm an atheist HINDU), so people still see him as Hindu, other than the ignorant ones who can't seem to understand evolving is part of our DHARMA.

Note: Hinduism and Buddhism is not about believing in gods. It's about rationality, peace, acceptance and making our understanding more broad.

You can follow Hinduism along with any other religion — we won't call you sinner, or unholy, or incompetent to be called a Hindu, since we don't see our own religion as a religion.

You dont have to go temples, not even once in your life, to be Hindu.

You can loathe idols, but still you can be HINDU.

You can be anything. That bud chose to do so, and people started calling it Buddhism.

Our DHARMA can encompass anything.

I know its adherents have strayed far from its goal. But we need to understand that people need education to learn anything, even if it's some philosophy.

Do you wanna bring some changes in DHARMA and abrogate some rituals because it's of no use and instead harm people? YESYESYES, YOU CAN. That's the point of it.

BUDDHA did exactly that (AND so did MANY MANY MANY OTHERS — he was just more popular).

We didn't persecute them. We helped to erect them.

Thank you for taking time in your great answering.

It is because Hinduism was there before Buddhism was found. Hinduism is one of the oldest religions worldwide and is likely THE oldest. Also, Buddhism is considered an aspect of Hinduism as Buddha is believed to be a reincarnation of Hindu God Vishnu.

As a British Soldier, I woke closest with a lot of Nepalese individuals who join up with our commonwealth soldiers. What's the opinion of those that leave Nepal to join the British Army? Are they more respected or shunned for leaving?

They are respected like no other soldiers would. They are loved.

Why is Nepal heavily dependent on imports from India? I recently read a report which shows that even electricity is also purchased from Indian power generation units.

I am not from Nepal, but will give this a try, the country is landlocked with no ports and is in a hilly region, so very less expressway, and since himalayas block it on the northern side, south is the only way to go, and thus imports from India from fuel, electronics, automotive etc..

Yep, correct.

We are landlocked and have no access to sea. So the main ingredient of food, i.e salt is difficult to obtain too. We purchase electricity from India because the politicians bent over backwards to give India the rights to construct dams in rivers in our country and own the electricity produced from those dams.

Does it bother you that Donald Trump thinks your country is spelled "Nipple"?

No. The less he cares about us, the less likely we are to be the target of nukes.

Firstly, I’m so impressed with the amount of info you have about your country. Good on you for retaining all of that and being able to explain so many aspects of Nepal.

My question has to do with the Sherpas. Could you speak a bit on them and their insane expertise in mountaineering? How do Nepalese people such as yourself view them? I learned about them recently and am pretty curious about them.

You can relate Sherpas to Vikings. The lifestyle was what they were born around and tend to follow what they learned form their parents. And Sherpas are adored in Nepal.

Namaste! Kasto cha? Mero nama Kevin ho (I only know a bit more beyond that) :)

I spend a fair bit of time in both Nepal and Bhutan. I've traveled all across Bhutan, but have mostly focused on the Solukhumbu Region of Nepal (and of course the greater KTM area). I am going to assume you're familiar with the very strict and rigid rules for tourism in Bhutan (the daily fees, the required guides, and etc)? While I support Bhutan doing anything it feels is in its interest, my personal opinion is that it is not a good system. It restricts tourism to especially wealthy travelers (often who are much older) and almost has the feeling as if one is being babysat by their guide while in the country. It's beautiful, but it's ridiculously restrictive IMO. Because of this, I generally much prefer to spend my time in Nepal instead of Bhutan; I wish I felt as if I could travel both equally.

On the other hand, Nepal has been taking a lot of criticism for their tourism industry as of late. Granted most of this is focused on Everest trekkers, but it seems to be widening into other arenas. The criticisms have focused on unsafe practices, deaths, trash and debris, and other unpleasantries. I have no interest in hiking Mt. Everest, but I do love hiking in the Solukhumbu Region and it's unfortunate to me that its getting this reputation (I was actually just back in Nepal in October and November).

Do you have any thoughts comparing and contrasting the approaches from both countries? Do you like what Bhutan is doing with their strict tourism rules? Do you think this is something Nepal should strive for? Do you think the rules they have imposed are (a) fair to tourists and (b) fair to locals who might otherwise benefit from engaging in tourism themselves, but essentially cannot? What direction, at all, do you think Nepal should go in to address some of the wider criticisms? Is there perhaps a happy middle ground between the Nepali tourist industry and the Bhutanese tourist industry that perhaps both countries should shoot for?

Thanks in advance for any answers!

Considering Bhutan literally sent thousands of people of Nepalese origins living in Bhutan as citizens away without anything leaving them homeless, they always made a tribalistic impression on me. I am more on the side of taking in as many tourists as we can and I think our country is better in accommodating tourists.

Namaste! Indian here, what is the general perception Nepalis have of Indians?

We have a feeling of brotherhood with Indians. But I have to admit there are some severe racist assholes at times too. But cricket is what unites us, common people, the most.

I have some lovely clothes which I have bough from a few countries which claim to be made very ethically in Nepal, supporting local cultures and people and providing well paid jobs, I've always been very curious as to how true these claims really are; from your experience are the clothes made for export really produced in the great conditions the manufacturer claims? Thank you

The exported clothes are often made in cottage industries, i.e. family business where a small family sits around and knits carpets, hats, boots, clothes, etc. Animal cruelty isn't as serious as a problem in my country as the beef industry is non-existent. The meat is obtained from animals that are well-nourished and treated nicely. There are places where buffalo are treated badly and I used to avoid purchasing items in such places and refused to eat buffaloes. I'd say the exports being produced in great conditions is a pretty fair assumption.

Is there any common sentiment regarding homosexuality in Nepal? Thanks for the ama.

While we are progressing, some places are inherently homophobic, because they don't know anything about it. The concept of men liking men or women liking women is something they are never taught of in certain places which sucks. But we are improving.

What a funny coincidence, my husband and I are planning to go to Nepal later this year. And I have a bit of a connection with your country, in 1982 my father was there as a member of a Belgian expedition to climb the mountain Daulaghiri (sorry if I messed up the spelling in that). We are not mountaineers, though, probably won't visit the higher Parts of the country. One thing I'd like to know, is Nepal a bit Vegetarian friendly? I'll adapt if I have no choice but it would ben nice to know :)

Very much vegetarian-friendly. Our society respects being vegetarian but doesn't enforce it. And plenty of vegan food is available. So you're good to go.

Do "menstruation huts" actually exist, and if so, how common are they?

It is a discarded and illegal practice. It might be practiced in the most rural of the rural places where no authority, education, communication can go but not a big problem like the previous centuries. But even if one girl has to suffer that it is a problem for me.

Hi, I am an Indian. I have many friends from Nepal and we absolutely love you people here. Do y'all have the same feeling for us?

We're brothers, don't worry. But there can be some severe Indian-haters too who are that way because they dive too much into politics. But cricket unites us.

are the Nepalese Gurkha still a thing? I know they were a part of the british army when they occupied south asia but i dont know anything after that.

Yup, still a thing. British Gorkha force is still there.

How do you feel about scientist monkeys,dead people with shotguns and gay ninjas running around?

What?

What's your take on the Maoist insurgency in Nepal and in particular Prachanda?

Severely despise him for the unstable government he's caused.

Any restaurants recommended in Kathmandu? I stayed in Kathmandu for a couple of days during my Everest trek last year and can not find any good food :(

If you don't want something high-maintenance, go to "Shaandar Mo:Mo" in Baneshwor, Kathmandu where you get some majestic Mo:mo's. Also, Thamel area is an overpriced tourist-robbing place. Go to any Thakali restaurant for a good meal whenever you get the chance.

Hi, thanks for doing this. I am from Bharat and I have never visited another country, having decided not to do that until I've explored all the states of my country first. But when I do, (in few years, I hope) the first one will be Nepal - not only because it's economical, but because it's closer - like spiritually. What places should I visit along with the usual touristy places to get to see the real Nepal according to you? And the mode of transport, food, festivals etc. any tips/pointers?

Go visit Lumbini, the most spiritual since it's the birthplace of Gautam Buddha. Modes of transport would be buses in most places. Festivals, I'd say you'd enjoy Deepawali/Diwali, Holi and many others.

My parents honeymooned in Nepal in the 90s, and they're taking my brother and I to do a 10 day trek later this year! I've heard so many stories about your country my entire life, and I could not be more excited. Do you have any advice on what not to do, like habits foreigners seem to have that annoy locals or come off as rude?

Ask where you will find beef. It's a massive no-no. Also, if your are going inside temples, don't wear shoes, or anything of leather. Don't take meat products in a temple area unless it is the exact occasion for that and accepted by the ethnicities in that area.

is the country actually communist? what’s your opinion on the communist party and their government?

It's not that communist, to be honest. The communist party has some promising candidates but the internal conflicts have rendered them utterly useless.

How difficult is to find Bon teacher in Tibet who might actually speak English?

Sorry, mate. Tibet isn't in Nepal so I don't know that much about the place.

Whats it like living in a country that has zero economic, military, political or strategic importance on the world stage?

Without the nuclear drama and quarrel with other foreign countries periodically, life is more peaceful and we don't have to freak out about starting a war.

I see a lot of Nepalese security guards in Malaysia. Any reason for that?

It is a culture in eastern Nepal. Young lads who couldn't excel in academics and possess a good physique go to become security guards or the British force.

Ah I see. Is the pay a lot better than if they were to get similar jobs in Nepal? And why Malaysia though, instead of other countries?

There are more of them in Arab countries like UAE, Qatar, etc. And the pay is significantly better in those countries though it is far more dangerous.

How much does it cost to buy cocoa leaves in Tibet?

Sorry I am entirely uninformed since Tibet is a part of China and beyond Himalayas.