My first days in Nepal: "Gen Z protests" and culture in Kathmandu

It marked the beginning of the so-called "Gen Z protests", which resulted in the government resigning and fleeing the country, and a state of emergency being declared.

In other words, my first days in Nepal have offered everything but what I expected, yet have proven to be all the more relevant for precisely what I am here to study; peace and conflict!

Please be aware that a lot is happening in a short period of time now, and the information presented here may become outdated quickly. The text provides a snapshot of the situation during our first days in Nepal.

It didn't take long before I experienced the demonstrations I had read about myself. What started as a peaceful youth rebellion was met with violence from the authorities, with fatal consequences. The political situation in Nepal was turned upside down.

The citizens have been willing to die for their country, to stand up against a corrupt regime that has used the people's tax money to finance its own lucrative lifestyle.

The riots surrounded us in our university town of Pokhara on our second day in the country. The atmosphere was palpable. It was as if the air was vibrating.

Many of the Cultural Studies students gathered on the rooftop terrace of the student house, and stayed there for several hours.

We heard motorcycles roaring around the city, accompanied by cheers and honking.

Around us, we saw smoke from all directions. In a building close by, we watched the flames spread from room to room, while people threw out fully packed bags and evacuated through the window.

Indeed, the protesters went after all properties that could be linked to the government. For that reason, the fire trucks did not enter the city either – fearing they themselves would be set on fire.

It was a truly unique feeling to witness all of this; a somewhat all-consuming state of shock, followed by many questions. As the evening progressed, the sky grew grayer and grayer, and the air heavily polluted.

The monsoon rain announced its joyful arrival later in the night.

Important historical buildings, of legal or sentimental value, have been burned down and vandalized. Police stations have been set on fire, and over 1500 inmates have escaped from prisons across the country.

The country is in a political limbo, and it shows.

While we were greeted by a bustling cityscape on the first day, there is now a curfew with empty streets and closed shops. Outside, burnt buildings are surrounded by lit furniture and broken glass.

Nevertheless, I feel safe, and I believe the main reason for that is the attitude of the locals. When they talk about the events of the past few days, there's a twinkle in their eye. They say they are relieved, and they look towards the future with hope and enthusiasm.

I think it's very special to experience this up close, both the destruction, but also to see the hope among the people. It's a unifying feeling, to be able to stand up against injustice and turn the political situation upside down in just 24 hours.

Many people I have spoken with say that it is now the turn of the people, and that the younger generation should be involved in building and strengthening the country further.

This is simply a hyper-relevant time to study peace and conflict in Nepal, where we practically get to experience and reflect on the theories we learn in the classroom. I believe this fall is going to be a very exciting semester, with valuable life experience and new perspectives.

Aside from the protests, Nepal is an incredibly exciting country, with beautiful nature and a vibrant cultural life.

I was very fortunate to get a taste of this with a 'temple run' in Kathmandu before the riots started. We had our own driver for the day who took us to four different sacred and historical sites. This is something I recommend all students to do!

We started at the Buddhist temple Swayambhu Mahachaitya, which is situated on a hill with a fantastic view over the entire Kathmandu. This temple is also called 'Monkey Temple' because there are so many monkeys living here.

Being here was a delightful medley of smells, sounds, and impressions. Both the monks in the temple and the locals responded enthusiastically to our questions, and took us on a tour around the temple where we got to spin Tibetan prayer wheels.

Later we visited the Hindu temple Pashupatinath by the Bagmati River. Inside the temple itself, only Hindus are allowed to enter, but we were able to walk around and see the area, which is teeming with both people and cows.

In Hinduism, it is a common ritual to burn the body along a river when someone dies, and then scatter the ashes in the water.

We witnessed this funeral ritual outside the temple. Here, there were pyres upon pyres along the riverbank, and we got to witness three stages of a funeral; a body being prepared, one being carried up to the pyre, and one that was almost completely burnt. It was quite a special experience to look straight into the fire, and feel the smoke in your face.

We also visited Kathmandu and Bhaktapur Durbar Squares, two central areas in and around Kathmandu.

Here we got to see many different temples and historical buildings. One of the things we learned that I was not aware of before is that traditionally, the caste you are born into determines the profession you should have.

One caste, for example, is cooks, while another is woodcarvers. Our guide came from a painter caste, and took us to his school to show us the work he and the other students had done. He has now studied for six years, and was only halfway through. Here, one must apprentice for twelve years before one can call oneself a 'master'!