Returning to Nepal with a US degree, good or a bad idea?

You've made some fantastic points there, Kalopani.

But I thought the thread merely asked a simple question, "Would you return to Nepal or rather work hard to achieve something in the US". As such, I don't think discussing the situations of students or even comparing the lives of Nepali students in the states vs Nepali students in Nepal is appropriate.

I certainly agree that if you've already completed your education in the U.S. and are unable to find a decent job, you'd rather return back than work in gas stations but why'd one return back if he's got a decent job in the states?

More often than not, Nepali students in the States struggle their way to earn their degrees. They bust their asses, work hard, study hard ( and party hard too ) - all in hopes of making it big. Or getting a decent job and leading decent lives. Of course, problems and issues do arise - those related to payments, economic conditions, job market, language barrier et al. But even then, do you reckon you'd rather return back after having spent a fortune to earn your degrees?

As we're all aware, Kathmandu's inflation is so damn ridiculous that its unbelievable at times. When you're making 20k/month and when the price of commodities cost as much as they do in the States, how're you going to cope with that?

Back in the States, even if you worked at a gas station, you could earn enough money in a month to buy you a flat screen tv. A TV of save size costs over 150,000 Rupees here! When are you going to be able to afford it?

Further, say you're from some rural areas of Nepal currently in the States and decided to return back, it's almost impossible to buy a piece of Land in Nepal as the situation has gone beyond control! An ana of land in decent areas cost 40 lakhs! ( that's 60k! ).

This is Nepal for god's sake! We make 600 dollars per year and lands, commodities have become so damn unaffordable.

So again, unless you've failed to land a job in the US or are working in a gas station despite holding a Master's Degree, returning back will be a big step backwards. Nepal's condition has worsened so much that it's depressing at times.

There are people riding automobiles costing over 1.3 crores, owning properties worth 10 crores and yet, the country is so poor. There's no security, no electricity and no water supply.

Return back if your parents are well-off ( but like I aforementioned ), it won't be the same as visiting Nepal during your breaks! You'll need to man up, bear the responsibilities and cope with all the pressures that will be mounting on you! Thus, work hard, study hard and try to settle in the States.

Nepal is a paradise but when the entire country is run by thugs who carry a "nothing to lose" attitude, even a sacred place like this can turn into hell.

Believe it or not, if you made it big here and a bunch of "gundas" tried to extort money (which they definitely will), you'll have nobody to look up to except god. The Police is incompetent and the government is simply clueless.


So again, think 10 times before thinking about returning to Nepal. Escape this romanticism about leading a decent life here and come back to reality. foods or watching ghisa pita movies.

 For the record, I live in Nepal. 

@AgniBikram, you've made a good point friend.

It boggles my mind to hear people back in Nepal these days taking about lakhs and crores as if it were petty change. When I was a kid growing up in Kathmandu back in the 90's even buying a motorcycle was a matter of pride, and nowadays, luxury goods get swallowed up like candy.

Until 5 years back even working a menial job in US could afford someone a house and a car in Kathmandu. Now, even with a decent job it's a far cry. I went back to Nepal after 6 years in 2009 and I was in for a huge surprise. Houses, apartment, shopping malls had sprung up everywhere and the upper strata of Nepalis seemed like they were having it good.

However, on the flip side,  I saw that the reality of 95 percent Nepalis was that no matter what they did, they would just be getting by on their rented, mosquito infested 'deras' without a decent job or three meals a day. Most of all, the void was of hope, or rather the lack of it.

If there is one thing that has grown in Nepal in the 2000's, its INEQUALITY. If you're from a wealthy family and have a ropani or two of land inside ringroad, it wouldn't be a bad idea to go back. If you put 1 crore in a bank and you would get 12 lakhs a year in interest. If you're of modest means or you're from rural Nepal, you will want to shoot yourself after a month or two of returning.

yes my point exactly, one should not leave a suitable place for a worse one. if you're well settled in the US ,if you have a green card or in a process to get one i don't think people are carazy to just pack up and leave the US. most of the time, people who talk about going back are the ones who are illegal or in f1 status and don't see any prospects. so let's not forget the main audience here.  for the record i have lived in Nepal for 21 years and lived in the us for 13. and i am sure i will have no problems adjusting back to where i was 13 years ago, if i have to.   yes,i have worked for dhotis and pakis and it's not worth it. i was writing that post for the f1 students who can't seem to land a job or get papers. of course if you have a good job and have gc , do not leave...  

 btw, Agni ji if i am not mistaken the original question of the thread was , "Returning to Nepal with a US degree, good or a bad idea?" ( it is still there if yo uscroll up :) ) not merely asking for what you suggested.   how can you talk about Nepali degree holders in US who want to return and exclude F1 students? hmmm

 True. I suppose I got a bit carried away after reading Dolphin's post. Where on earth one can make 100 thousand rupees per month ( starting salary ) with a MBA degree, I'll never know. 

But yeah, I think your point echoes mine too. If you have a GC with a quality education, or even doing your masters or phd you're better off living in the States. However, if you're doing nothing productive ( as in working for Dhotis ) despite having a degree, you ought to get your asses back and launch into life. 

What you have in Nepal and not in US, if your family, your parents. Every moment spent in US is moment not spent with them. As we struggle here in the US, our parents age in Nepal. And before we know, they will have died. And it will be too late to regret. Then any motivation to go back to Nepal will be worthless.
I moved to the US when I was in my late teens; I was excited about my new life and did not bother to look back and think about my parents. Now it's been 12 years in the US, and each time I think about my parents. Each time I go home to visit, I see their wrinkled face and greyed hair. And I see it more and more during each visit. Before they used to tell me that there was no point coming back as Nepal has not future. But today I can feel that their sentiment has changed. After 12 years, they miss me as much. They must wonder if I will every be back to spend time with them during the last stages of their lives. And brining them to the US would be like uprooting a well grown plant. It will just dry and die off in a new soil.
So this is where I am today; go back to spend time with the most imporant thing in life or stay here and hold on to the comfort and some money but all alone.

hurray i think there are many of us who are in the same boat. it is worse when you have kids. then you are really divided. we have already missed out a lot in life while trying to struggle here. while stressing for school, jobs and immigration we forget that our parents are waking up at 4 in the morning to pull water into the tank. while we are over joyed by our accomplishment such as getting a work permit  here we forget that they are fighting with the crowd while running around for errands. we forget that our little bhai bhahees , bhanja bhanjees are getting older and getting married and going abroad for studies. when we go see them we have no connection. our relatives are getting older and dying and we can't be there. yet, like someone up there said we wait till weekends to hangout with Nepalis. i don't know about you but when i was in my late teens and early 20s i loved going out and trying things but now i am in my mid 30s i like to stay home and hang out with other Nepalis..i feel like i can relate more with my fellow people than talking about turkey for 3 hours, or lawn care which don't interest me. my friends in Nepal are lot happier than me. they never worry about losing jobs or being unemployed. they have become managers and enjoying their lives with their loved ones.

 Interestingly, I was thinking about going back, and I ran into these comments here.

 In fact, I am a borderline case-- I may make about same amount of money if I stay here as I would in Nepal. Some of my friends have made tons of money lately back home, and are riding good cars, and  I have been wondering, if I think I am good, and if those jerks are successful in what they are doing, why not me? With US education, shouldn't I be confident about running successful business in KTM?

If merchandises are expensive in KTM, there must be people who can afford them. In fact, there must be lots of people who can afford them. Who are those people? It can't be that the handful of MPs or ministers are the only consumers of these shops. There has to be thousands. Probably These people are successful businessmen. Even in the states, only businessmen are very rich, others have to work their ass off to pay off their house loan anyway. (How many years does it take to pay off a house loan in New York?) After thirty years of working my ass off for white people, what will I be left with? Crumpled skins and wistful look at my youth? And, going back to the consumer base of stuffs in KTM, if there are a lot of people who can buy cars, those fancy apartments, houses, goods, then I am sure the system exists where you can be one of those people. With US education, I am assuming I will find some way to crack into these elite groups. Of course, I am walking around with mediocrity, then it wouldn't matter whether I am here or in Nepal, I will be miserable soul, looked down upon by successful men and grinding my way to the end of the life.

Another thing is, often successful people don't complain and failures have thousands of complaint and they are loud. If someone leaves Nepal after DV shutting up his business in Nepal, then it is evident that his business was not going anywhere, and here in the states he will have one thousand reasons to badmouth Nepal. My friends shrug off the problems caused by corruption (yes, it is there, but we know how to manuevre around it). In fact, there are some good things too. In Nepal, if you make money in doing business, you make money, you hardly bother about paying tax. (Just pay some minimum). Run private schools? All profits are yours. Run trading office? All profits are yours. The income tax is like 25% if you are listed as an employee. Interest gain tax is 6%. These things point to an environment where you should think about some kind of business rather than looking for job. And business opportunies are aplenty, of course you have to be patient. One day, there will be market for things such as 7-11 store, 24 hours coffee shops, packaged food etc etc.

At the end of the day, do whatever pleases you. These days, I miss Nepali food. Gundruk, Masyaura, different achars, taas, sekuwa etc etc. If you are a successful man in Nepal, you will have tons of things to enjoy there. If you are a failure, or if you are one of those lousy lazy guys who don't know that starting out as a Rs 25 thousand per month MBA freshman doesn't mean you will be forever stuck there with 25K, then I am sure Nepal is no good for you. Jobs in any business should be considered an opportunity to learn the trade, make connection and start a new business, and shouldn't be considered a place where you stay forever.

Here are a few things about life in the states. I never considered these people successful: waiters, postdocs,  barbers, gas station attendants, liquor store attendants, small time programmers etc etc. If you are in these positions for more than 2-4 years, then you should consider yourself an unsuccessful person. If you are one of these and continously say bad things about Nepal or you feel jealous of other successful people, then you should really see treatment because not only you are a failure but also you want others around you to be a failure. If you are changing your jobs fast and moving up the ladder in the process, then you have my respects. Most likely, you are also one of those persons who never speak bad of Nepal. 

 Btw, most of the people around where I live get greencard by applying for asylym. It seems it is like 99% success rate these days. Why greencard is such a big deal anymore is beyond me.

where do you live newstudent?

Dimag kharab bro,
I know you are here in this thread but using some other Id; come out with your original man, I m missing u, lol

newStudent, it does appear that you're living in the bubbles that holding a job that pays you enough money in Nepal ( albeit for a starter ) is a decent return. 

Like agnibikram said, newstudent seems to give a lot of importance to money. Yes, money is important, but it is not everything.
If you had a decent job, relaxed life with your parents around, would not that be great? On my last visit to Nepal, I saw some of my friends who hold regular jobs. They probably make Rs.20-30k/month. And belive me, they looked way happier than me. They know the hardship of living in Nepal, but I know the lonliness of living in the US. You can surround yourself with other nepalese, but at the end of the day, you know you are alone. The ones who love and care about you are back in Nepal.

 I think it is ironical that Agnibikram is accusing me of stressing on money. He is the one who calculates how much one can make all the time.

GC is taken for granted--because as far as I see, almost every Nepali around me have by now applied and received their greencard. Let's face it, lawyers who visit Sajha do so to make people greencard. I know graduate students have worked as legal councillor and made tons of money on these green card scam here. Furthermore, almost everyone except decent Nepali student working his ass off in a college town middle of nowhere seem to have greencard.

Agni's portrayal of dire situation in Nepal relies on his assumptions that 

(1) Roads will never constructed anymore.
(2) Consumer Price will keep on rising.
(3) Land price will either remain same or keep on increase. etc etc.

That's normally hardly the case. Anyone who has seen a city grow knows that (1) is not true. In Nepal too, roads have been made , it is just that they are not made in KTM. Agni's version of our country also means only KTM. But more than that, if educated people return, they will make road. They will inject some sanity in insane KTM where locals used oppose making another ringroad.

Nepal's consumer price rise has saddened me, but it has a flip side. If you own some land in village, you can actually make a decent money by raising cash crop. Rising food prices are the only way to make villagers/farmers well off. Furthermore, it is a phenomenon that has touched both India and China lately. When things become cheaper there, so will it in Nepal.

(3) is obviously not true, and the land price is reducing. You can get an apartment at about 20 + lakh. In America, long ago, they killed natives and took away their land. So,land is abundant here and one can buy land cheaply and make house cheaply except in the cities with land rationing (like San Francisco or more dense city like New York).

Now, look at this news that came a day or two ago: Nepal couldn't spend kharab of rupees (billions of dollars) given by donors. Rightnow, govt has money, donors are eager to give, but good engineers are scarce. You guys probably don't know but a hydropower engineer in Nepal (with MS degree, and 10 years of experience) makes almost Rs 2 Lakh per month.

The key is to identify which subject to study here. If you are a road engineer, sooner or later your day will come. If you are a hydropower engineer your day will come. I see big future for food engineers too as packaged food etc will have their day. But if you are doing PhD in lifesciences working on some species in Antarctica, I don't see how you will get any chance in Nepal that can satisfy you. When you are studying something, you will have to make sure that this has future in Nepal.

If you have a house in KTM, more or less ,your parents are now raking in Rs 50,000 per month, then I don't see why you should be afraid to go. With 1 Lakh per month, you will be able to visit American once in a while if your visa status is not screwed. Regarding car, I don't know why you need car in KTM. KTM should ban car in most of the places, introduce electrical vehicle. I used to live in Jawalakhel and walk all the way to Amrit Campus to take class about 20 years ago. KTM is a small city, we should really make driving car very expensive there, and promote bike riding and public bus riding.

I am not saying everyone has to go. Like I said, if you are a c-programmer, a nurse or so on, you should stay here if you like it here. It doesn't cost much to produce another c-programmer or nurse in Nepal. But if you are not enjoying here, you miss food or other environment there, or if you have some decent business plan, Nepal is not a bad place to go. In fact, it may even be a good place to make your career rightnow.

 हया मुला गुलेहरु खुरुक्क नेपाल जान छोडेर के करैराको । 

 We all are discussing what we can do or what we cannot do in Nepal and in United states.

Can anybody share their experience who has return back  to Nepal and how they feel. and compare the two lives. 

you know what is the problem with all of us. WE are shit scared to go back home becuase we fear that we might fail. plus it's a peer thing too. all of our friends are over here in the US and we fear that we'll be all alone by ourselves in Nepal.

I know it is true for me.

 old english, Agnibikram has clearly said he is in Nepal right now. 

Nice input by him. It's more practical than anything I have heard before.

 @grgdai,

NO offence but I mentioned who gone back to Nepal. 

Agnibikram sounds more like he never lived out of Nepal. (Grass is always greener on other side)