Our readers find that yes we are cool as a nation and people and they have listed many reasons that they feel make us one of the coolest people on the planet, and being calm, brave, hospitable are a few of the picks

Nepalis were named one of the coolest nationalities by CNN Travel — I totally agree with this. So, what qualities make someone cool? Science says friendliness, personal competence, being trendy, attractive, emotionally controlled, honest, humorous are some qualities that make you cool. And if we think most of the Nepalis pass all of those.

Despite having different people from different backgrounds, religions and castes living together, there is no dispute like some other countries have. Moreover, Nepalis are not aggressive or short tempered, but we are happy and satisfied. We are happy with what we have and we usually don’t have any dissatisfaction with what others do to us as we really don’t care, or that we don’t want to argue. We can say that we are cool in this regard. Nepalis are frank with everyone and can make friends wherever they go. They don’t have ego, arrogance or a negative attitude. We can say that Nepalis are really cool and listing Nepalis as one of the 14 coolest nationalities in the world is a good choice.

— Simran Karki, Pokhara

Nepal always being a non-aligned country follows peaceful principles, regulations and authority. Neglecting the past shameful behaviours of Nepal’s political activists, Nepalis can be termed one of the coolest nationalities in the world. Actually, Nepalis are mostly calm and do not lose their temper easily. They are not sensitive and they usually do their work in conscious mind. One of the cool behaviours  of Nepalis is that they do not try to show off but are satisfied with their untidy dress sense. They embrace every visitor with honour and respect.

— Kirti Shrestha, Pokhara

I am neither a Nepali nor live in Nepal, it is not possible for me to define the exact reason behind the coolness of Nepalis. But I definitely agree with the coolness of Nepalis and applaud them for it.

During my trip to Nepal in 2015, it was nice to witness the relaxed lifestyle of the common people right from Sauraha (Chitwan) to Pokhara. I thought perhaps the picture would be different in Kathmandu. But I got amazed to notice that despite the large density and hustle-bustle of Kathmandu, it is also a cool place. Despite deluge of traffic and pedestrians on the ever-busy crowded streets, people do not lose their cool. By drawing inspiration from ‘Live and let live’, the cycles, bikes, buses and pedestrians coexist peacefully on the streets and junctions and adjust with each other without getting involved in any argument or clash.

Durbar Square also presented me a nice experience. We visited there in the evening before the earthquake and I saw innumerable young couples gathered there, sitting on the stairs of the series of temples. Yes, just sitting side by side and taking among themselves. No indecency or obscene display of affection publicly. What a civilised ambience!

Actually a sense of confidence and self-respect give birth to coolness. Perhaps the reason behind Nepal’s coolness lies in its confidence, self-respect and attachment to its rich cultural legacy, tradition and values.

— Kajal Chatterjee, Kolkata, India

Nepalis wear old and torn clothes, but they have neat and tidy clothes to welcome their guests. ‘Athithi devo vaba’ means the guest should be considered as god. Nepalis never celebrate Independence Day as they are independent since the birth of sun and moon, and till the sun and moon remain in the universe. They respect others and more importantly they respect their self-esteem and nation.

Despite geographical difficulties, Nepalis live with full satisfaction and joy. Nepalis have good coordination among each other from top of Mt Everest to the lap of Arun Valley. Even 7.5 Richter earthquake was not able to shake our confidence and attitude.

Nepalis are softhearted. They can tolerate any kind of sorrow but can never seen others in difficulty. World needs peace and Nepalis are the peace makers.

— Arsenic CA

Not so cool

Seriously, are Nepalis cool?

I guess you have neither seen the struggles of youth abroad nor the daily pains of citizens in Nepal. Staying away from one’s family is not easy. Battling dusty air and vibrating vehicles everyday is not decent. Getting things done in governmental offices is not a child’s play. Hearing numerous helpless people and binding our hands bring disappointment. Nowadays, Nepal seems to be progressing with good economic growth and ongoing projects for betterment though they bring to naught. This is why I believe coining cool for Nepalis is not cool.

— Saugat Baral, Pokhara

Personally speaking, I don’t think so. I doubt about the source of this list.

If we were so cool, why would we opt to go overseas for peanuts? Nepal is a naturally rich country, but instead of working on home soil and beautifying it, why would we go to the Gulf countries and make a paradise out of a desert? Why would we be so proud to celebrate the cultures spread by globalisation?

Cool doesn’t mean giving up your originality and go as per the wave of globalisation. It doesn’t mean being mere consumers and forgetting nationality.

Yes, cool is good if it means promoting inter-dependency, giving space to beliefs, religions, cultures with due respect to your own socio-cultural norms and values.

Nepalis might have been called cool because of their secular attitude toward social beliefs and religions. Radical opinions have never got comfortable space in our history. They are not swayed away by the propaganda that the extremists spread. This is the reason Nepal has not observed any scuffle that could spoil social harmony. It may also be the reason why Nepal is considered fertile soil for human resource to destination countries because they can adapt to almost all weather and cultures.

But it is time to debunk the myth and prove that Nepalis are equally creative and original as they are brave and tolerant and hard-working.

— Shyam Uprety

Nepal is known for its unity in diversity, bravery and wonderful hospitality throughout the world. Despite being famous for peace and harmony, I don’t really agree with calling Nepalis one of the 14 coolest nationalities in the world.

We may definitely be cool, but the present Nepal does not fit in the top 14 taking into consideration its reaction during the border blockade, the strikes and bandas, and now the low grade, high tempered reaction to the worthless uploads on social media. Surely our ancient heroes proved their calmness and intelligence, now most us Nepalis are moving ahead with an aggressive, short-tempered and reactive mindset due to political and personal conflicts defaming the title of the coolest.

Yet we should not forget the hospitality and kindness of village people and some humble residents of towns too, who represent the cool personalities.

— Sajina Bhandari, Pokhara

We are way too cool!

Besides being an attraction for tourists, there are several other factors that make us cool. We Nepalis are brave. We hardly care about tomorrow and believe in being hedonistic. We have been fighting (or simply facing) problems like landslips on highways, security lapses at the only international airport of the country, and garbage disposal issue of Kathmandu, for years. Yet we worry little about a permanent solution to any of them. In the first place, this carefree attitude is perhaps what makes us cool. The fact that this country is able to rub shoulders with others despite the political and economic status it is in, makes the coolness of the country inexplicable. I will only be glad to be proved wrong!

— Ram Prasad Sharma, Ranibari, Kathmandu

I agree that Nepalis was chosen as the 14th coolest country in the world because of the legacy of our brave, kind, helpful, selfless  and adventurous men. They know to respect others and do what they say. They are ready to die but never be back once they decide. Tenzing Norgay is called the ‘Icon of Cool’ who “reached summit of Mt Everest with Sir Edmund Hillary, but casually stepped aside and let his hiking buddy hog all the credit”.

— Dipa Mahat, Hetaunda

Nepal is developing/growing in terms of religion and culture, technology, and moreover mentally (intellectual).  We see changes in eradication of painful practices, unconditional love (no matter where we are) and regular support for Nepali participants on international stage/competition. These could be the major factors to determine coolness.

We need change for growth. Kudos to Nepalis who are optimally supporting changes either in the way of life, fashion, food or tradition. Hence, I believe that to be cool is to act in accordance to time and situation.

— Shradha Neupane, Mahankal, Panitanki

Nepalis were among 14 of the coolest nationalities on a recent list, but I wasn’t able to digest the news. It can be appropriate for up to 35 per cent of the population, but the remaining 65 per cent strongly says that it is not appropriate. Why is Nepali considered a cool nationality? Is it because there is no occurrence of battles and fights so far this year, or the fact that Nepal is wealthy in the view of Himalayan range cause we have the world’s highest mountain? If there was a war, strikes, in Nepal, then there would be  no sign of Nepalis being called cool.

— Jenny Gurung

We Nepalis are generally very pessimistic, especially about our own country. So it comes as no surprise that foreign media has designated Nepal as “cool”. It is refreshing to live in a cool country like ours. Ask any optimist person why Nepal is cool, and you might get an avalanche of reasons: beautiful natural scenery, exotic wildlife, diverse cultures of over hundred ethnicity, 10 UNESCO world heritage sites, sophisticated art and architecture of the Valley, Buddha’s birthplace, and the list goes on. National pride has no shortage in our country. Few countries can claim so much heritage. It is a matter of civic pride that some foreigners see our nation with such positivity.  Why doesn’t Nepali media report such refreshing news and events more often?

— Nerinav

As soon as the term ‘cool’ is linked to any conversation, our brain implies that to someone who is positive, adventurous, fun-loving,  down-to-earth. And I believe Nepalis being named one of the coolest nationalities is so relevant to our natural surroundings, habit and culture. It is scientifically proven that those people who cherish nature are often cool and positive.

Even after 10 years of civil war and devastating earthquake of 2015, we never lost our smiles and hope. We can’t deny that more than half of our population live in poverty. Each day someone is dying due to poor road infrastructure. Each day dead bodies of our fellow migrant workers is parcelled to our international airport. But even after all this we are still going strong and happy. Whether it’s time to celebrate our own centuries-old festival or lately followed Halloween, people come together to share brotherhood and friendship, dancing together to evergreen folk songs as well as banging their heads to hardcore rock music. We are cool because we don’t pretend to make our selves cool; it’s just comes naturally.

 — Timothy Lama

To some extent I agree with the cool list. We are calm and patient. There are more qualities in us that make Nepalis cool. Being the children of brave Gurkhas, do not have fear. That is why most of the time we seemed relaxed. Looking at our surroundings, we can say that Nepali have the most patience within them. The hospitality we show others soothes us. We even share the credit or respect we gain with the other people. We do not get furious too easily. As all people are not alike, some of us are uncool too.

— Deepshikha Gurung, Pokhara

To be honest, I do not know whether Nepalis are one of the coolest nationalities of the world because I don’t know how are we cool and for what reason. What can I say for sure is we Nepalis are highly tolerant in nature for the fact that we love to respect every tourist coming to our country as gods and we love to serve them by all possible means no matter how much difficult it be. On top of that, we have been habituated to toil much harder abroad than we do back here in Nepal without even getting concerned about the conditions.

— Pratik Shrestha, Buddhanagar, Baneshwore

There are many factors that make our country one of the coolest in the world. The religious tolerance where there are 125 races speaking 123 languages and following 10 religions makes an important factor for our country to be a cool country. We have unity, peace, problem sharing and problem solving together. We live in a society being active members and helping directly or indirectly in the development by carrying out various development works. We follow the rules of the land and our rights are protected that makes a strong bond within the country. The geographical diversity makes hardships for people, but we as a whole stay calm and adjust in what we are because we are country lovers. Hence, the above factors determine that our country deserves to be one of the coolest in the world.

— Tulip Gyawali, Minbhawan, Kathmandu

As we all know beauty attracts the eye but personality captures the heart. People of various castes, cultures, religions reside here and they have their own way of living which make their personality even more cool than others. Nepalis are peace lovers. They are helpful and cooperative. People are not aggressive or short tempered. They are always ready to help each other in good or bad situation. They are positive and well behaved with others. These qualities make Nepalis one of the coolest nations of the world.

— Pratima Gurung, Pokhara

Not the most obvious choice but with a population of more than 14 crores statistically, Nepal must have its fair share of cool Nepalis. Nepalis have a fairly cool outlook on life embracing a diverse range of cultures, rich heritage with casual pride, breathtakingly beautiful city of Pokhara. They have their own natural flaura and fauna. Nepalis are never seen in a hurry to get anywhere. They are friendly and always calm and composed and in control. During the border blockade, Nepalis didn’t resort to conflict.They were not short tempered and scary, instead calm and even tempered. They even remained cool in the face of disaster. According to CNN, Tenzing Norgay reached summit of Mt Everest with Sir Edmund Hillary but casually stepped aside and let his hiking buddy hug all the credit which is definitely cool. To sum up, Nepalis are really cool with even temper, friendly nature and their outlook.

— Aakriti Sharma

Various factors are responsible for making Nepal one of the coolest nations of the world. Since, ancient times good-will has been found to be existing among the Nepalis. Social and religious tolerance is a sign of respecting other’s faith and convictions. Being the country of the brave, courageous and gallant warriors, our history depicts that they protected our country from foreign invasion. ‘Icon of Cool’ Tenzing Norgay Sherpa reached the summit of Mt Everest. The colours used in our national flag and words used in our national anthem and ractice/implementation in practical life is a unique quality that make Nepalis one of the coolest people.

— Kamal Aryal, Pokhara

The beauty of Nepal has dazzled the world, while the bravery of Gurkhas has brought honour to the country. We have also made our own identity with our hospitality. As civilians, I believe we are one of the most benevolent and considerate people in the world given the circumstances. From centuries all ethnics groups and cultures co-existed without any controversy. All the cultures and traditions are respected and celebrated hand-in-hand. Even though the vast majority of Nepalis belong to the Hindu religion, there are also those who belong to other religions such as Buddhism, Christianity, Islam and others. We have liberty to practice any religion we wish to. There has never been any bloodshed in the name of religion. Each and every religion is practised side by side without any interruption.

Another fact about Nepalis is that we have a very good survival streak. Why survival streak you may ask? Because we have survived the load shedding for many years, we also survived a border blockade, and let’s not forget the dreadful earthquake which left us grief-stricken.

— S Mhrz, Lalitpur

Just wearing a hip-hop dress with cool hairstyle and carrying a branded gadget will not make you a cool person. For me cool is being bold, self assured, listening to others and then presenting yourself in a positive way. You will find the same kind of behaviour in every Nepali. No matter how terrible a disaster may take place, we have the will power to handle it and have the confidence to tackle it. In this sense, we are cool. Whether it was the devastating earthquake or the blockade or the political instability, we have got the diligence to fight it — in this sense, we are cool. We take every issue seriously and solve it calmly in the right way. We are calm, composed, genuine, sensible, caring, and more than anything, we are united and these are the reasons why Nepal is one of the coolest countries in the world.

— Apil Baral, Pokhara

“Like all pimps and players, you’ve never seen a Nepali in a hurry ...” This statement makes me think. Yes, we became one of the coolest nationalities, but just because we are not in a hurry for anything does not makes us cool. Time is very important and we have to learn to manage our time. Otherwise, we are cool, we love everything, our hearts are beautiful.

— Barsha Paudel, Kirtipur

What makes you cool? Your personality? Your attitude? Well, in case of Nepalis, it’s certainly their calmness. It is not easy to find a very aggressive Nepali. It’s nearly impossible to find Nepalis protesting against any sort of suppression on them. No one here tries to poke his nose into other’s business. Well, “someone was killed abroad, the government executed him”, Nepalis do not react to it. People never look forward to taking revenge. They never try to agitate for others because they have their own businesses to handle, own stomachs to fill. If there’s a bad news, they just listen to it, have a sip of tea and face palm. It’s as simple as that in Nepal. Nepalis may be introduced as one of the coolest nationalities, but unfortunately I consider the so-called ‘coolness’ of Nepalis as their unnatural and compelled silence and calmness.

— Ashim Baral, Pokhara

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

With the onset of monsoon, the roads of our Capital have become very dangerous — even having claimed human lives in addition to making it very difficult to commute daily. It is not a new problem though — this and many other such problems have been making our life hell throughout the year. How does it feel to live in such a city? What is your dream city to live in and why?

­Send your replies in not more than 200 words by Friday, July 28, 2:00 pm to Features, The Himalayan Times, e-mail: features@thehimalayantimes.com