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It's also a total dump. Very disorganized 3rd world country. Thailand in contrast is an order of magnitude more developed, especially Bangkok. The traffic is i

It's also a total dump. Very disorganized 3rd world country. Thailand in contrast is an order of magnitude more developed, especially Bangkok. The traffic is intense chaos. The streets are very dusty and dirty. Food is semi-ok in the few western style restaurants in Kathmandu otherwise it's just (mostly) rice (hard, not soft fragrant type) and some crappy sauce loaded with MSG. Rubbish is everywhere, I mean literally it's like living in the middle of a dump site. Just a few things to consider before you all go "Woah, Nepal is so awesome".

aatishnn 10y ago
> Rubbish is everywhere, I mean literally it's like living in the middle of a dump site. I think naming places would be a better explanation to this rather than saying everywhere. Yes, littering is a problem here in cities like Kathmandu but many villages are still untouched by this problem. Nepal comprises mostly of villages.
- ensiferum 10y ago
  I found the small villages are equally dirty and littered considering the size of the populations. Also it seems that most tourists contribute to this problem by behaving like idiots in this regard as well.
asitdhal 10y ago
Thailand is a different country I guess. Nepal is a country of mountains and Thailand is definitely not. But, both are 3rd world countries.
- homarp 10y ago
  According to http://brilliantmaps.com/first-second-third-worlds/ http://brilliantmaps.com/first-second-third-worlds/ while Nepal is 3rd world, Thailand is not.
  - CPLX 10y ago
    That map is nonsense. The first, second, and third world designations have always been political divisions. First world being western, second being communist, and third world being everything else. Even more inexplicable is that they note this fact in the text and then just disregard it. I mean I sort of understand what they are trying to do and I know other people sometimes make this mistake but it just ends up being confusing. Mexico and Thailand aren't second world countries unless you just arbitrarily decide to misrepresent what the phrase means, since the whole point of the damn distinction in the first place was to represent the global battle for supremacy between capitalist modern countries (first world) and communist planned economies (second world). The big issue in the cold war was which of those two worlds would win the battle for the third world countries. So when a former third world country modernizes and becomes more market driven with a more western style economy but you mark it as a second world country, you've literally described the opposite of what actually happened.
    - homarp 10y ago
      so what do you think of http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/third_world.htm http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/third_world.htm ? In the original comment, I'm not sure the usage of 3rd world was in relation to cold war/political division.
- seanmcdirmid 10y ago
  Thailand is upper middle income like Mexico and china. Nepal is low, like much of Africa, other poorer countries in South Asia. In comparison, India is lower middle income, so richer than Nepal and poorer than Thailand.
mixmastamyk 10y ago
It's everything you said and much more: https://vimeo.com/121045965 https://vimeo.com/121045965 There was also a huge earthquake recently, mr. negativity.
- ensiferum 10y ago
  what you don't see in that video is also the piles of rubbish along those trails. Sad! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2572675/Mountain-rubbish-Climbers-told-pick-8KG-litter-want-scale-Mount-Everest-mess-doesnt-count.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2572675/Mountain-rub...
  - blunte 10y ago
    Maybe this is my hypersensitivity, but whenever I read a little one-liner followed by: Sad!, there's one person I think of. And trust me, that doesn't help me accept what the author of the one-liner said.
    - OJFord 10y ago
      > Maybe this is my hypersensitivity, but whenever I read a little one-liner followed by: Sad!, there's one person I think of. I assume you mean Trump; I don't think that's hypersensitive, I've never heard anybody else punctuate their remarks with their emotion like that.
    - adamjc 10y ago
      Given he linked to the Daily Mail, it probably goes doubly so.
williswee 10y ago
thanks for the perspective!
pjmlp 10y ago
Thanks for the colonialist attitude! Those countries won't get better if we don't help them.
- smcl 10y ago
  To be honest your second sentence could be considered a pretty colonialist attitude
  - pjmlp 10y ago
    Not when by helping one understands working together with the people on those counties and provide them the means that they need to fulfill their goals.
    - programmernews3 10y ago
      Are you talking about the white mans burden?
      - pjmlp 10y ago
        No idea what you are talking about.
        notmarkus 10y ago
        "The imperialist interpretation of "The White Man's Burden" (1899) proposes that the white man has a moral obligation to rule the non-white peoples of the Earth, whilst encouraging their economic, cultural, and social progress through colonialism. "In the later 20th century, in the context of decolonisation and the Developing World, the phrase "the white man's burden" was emblematic of the "well-intentioned" aspects of Western colonialism and "Eurocentrism". The poem's imperialist interpretation also includes the milder, philanthropic colonialism of the missionaries: "The implication, of course, was that the Empire existed not for the benefit — economic or strategic or otherwise — of Britain, itself, but in order that primitive peoples, incapable of self-government, could, with British guidance, eventually become civilized (and Christianized)." source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_White_Man's_Burden https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_White_Man's_Burden
pradeepchhetri 10y ago
Looks like you had a bad experience in Nepal. Sorry for that.
geomark 10y ago
I kind of doubt they have anything on Bangkok when it comes to traffic. After all, a recent study showed Thailand has the world's worst traffic congestion. Nepal wasn't in the top 10. [1] [1] http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1201869/thailand-has-worlds-most-congested-traffic http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1201869/thailand-has...
godot 10y ago
I feel like you shouldn't be downvoted (is that what lighter grey comments mean on HN?). Although this is a rather negative outlook, this actually gives a different perspective that's helpful to people who have no knowledge at all of the area (like myself). I would say I learned something, having this along with the linked article talking about the more positive aspects.
checker659 10y ago
I'm from Nepal. I live in Kathmandu. Your comment is spot on.
linuxkerneldev 10y ago
> It's also a total dump. Very disorganized 3rd world country. Thailand in contrast is an order of magnitude more developed, especially Bangkok. > before you all go Woah, Nepal is so awesome I am curious what triggered you to write such a negative comment. The article did not give me the impression of a nationalistic rag or a puff-piece trying to hide flaws. Rather, just as the title says, it is about "Remote working in Nepal: What it’s like now in 2017". The author gave useful and balanced descriptions and comparisons as far as I can tell. I've never heard someone intelligent dismiss an entire country as a "total dump", let alone a place that's well known for scenic views like Nepal. Even a novice traveller knows that developing countries have infrastructure issues like trash management and that one's quality of life will not be equivalent to Palo Alto. That said, even our own "premier" cities have spots that are trashy. Heck, it wasn't that long ago that Coyote Creek near San Jose was pretty much a dump. I'm curious what useful data you wanted to contribute to the conversation.
- ensiferum 10y ago
  Of course it's a subjective definition. I've been to many 3rd world countries and yes usually they all share the similar problems. But the only 2 in really bad ecological shape that come to mind (where also basically no effort is done) are Nepal and Indonesia. Scenic views. Yeah you can enjoy them while standing on a pile of trash. Just keep your eyes peeled to the mountain tops! "That said, even our own "premier" cities have spots that are trashy. " I'm not sure I'd call it a premier city then. "I'm curious what useful data you wanted to contribute to the conversation." I find it kinda lopsided to read an article that only mentions the good things without giving a proper/full picture. Some people might not really understand what it's like in a 3rd world country.
  - linuxkerneldev 10y ago
    > I find it kinda lopsided to read an article that only mentions the good things without giving a proper/full picture. Did we read the same article? Here's some points the author made that seem to contradict your claim. 1st paragraph: "boy oh boy, there have been major changes" That implies change, ie: it was worse before. 2nd paragraph: "There was obviously major corruption going on behind the scenes, which prevented this improvement from happening for so long. " "In bigger cities like Kathmandu and Pokhara, the hotels have always been a bit hit-and-miss" "Visa regulations in Nepal are a little stricter than in Thailand" Having re-read the article, I'm glad the author took the time to present this. > Some people might not really understand what it's like in a 3rd world country. I'm not sure your description of an entire country as a "total dump" is accurate or helpful to people like me who genuinely want to understand what it's like in a 3rd world country. Luckily, there is a broad range of independently captured data on Streetview, even of the Annapurna trail, Kathmandu so folks can evaluate conditions for themselves without bias.
patrickg_zill 10y ago
I admit that is surprising, since many of the best Indian restaurants in Denver, Colorado, are run ... by people from Nepal.

aatishnn 10y ago

> Rubbish is everywhere, I mean literally it's like living in the middle of a dump site. I think naming places would be a better explanation to this rather than saying everywhere. Yes, littering is a problem here in cities like Kathmandu but many villages are still untouched by this problem. Nepal comprises mostly of villages.

ensiferum 10y ago
I found the small villages are equally dirty and littered considering the size of the populations. Also it seems that most tourists contribute to this problem by behaving like idiots in this regard as well.

asitdhal 10y ago

Thailand is a different country I guess. Nepal is a country of mountains and Thailand is definitely not. But, both are 3rd world countries.

homarp 10y ago
According to http://brilliantmaps.com/first-second-third-worlds/ http://brilliantmaps.com/first-second-third-worlds/ while Nepal is 3rd world, Thailand is not.
- CPLX 10y ago
  That map is nonsense. The first, second, and third world designations have always been political divisions. First world being western, second being communist, and third world being everything else. Even more inexplicable is that they note this fact in the text and then just disregard it. I mean I sort of understand what they are trying to do and I know other people sometimes make this mistake but it just ends up being confusing. Mexico and Thailand aren't second world countries unless you just arbitrarily decide to misrepresent what the phrase means, since the whole point of the damn distinction in the first place was to represent the global battle for supremacy between capitalist modern countries (first world) and communist planned economies (second world). The big issue in the cold war was which of those two worlds would win the battle for the third world countries. So when a former third world country modernizes and becomes more market driven with a more western style economy but you mark it as a second world country, you've literally described the opposite of what actually happened.
  - homarp 10y ago
    so what do you think of http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/third_world.htm http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/third_world.htm ? In the original comment, I'm not sure the usage of 3rd world was in relation to cold war/political division.
seanmcdirmid 10y ago
Thailand is upper middle income like Mexico and china. Nepal is low, like much of Africa, other poorer countries in South Asia. In comparison, India is lower middle income, so richer than Nepal and poorer than Thailand.

mixmastamyk 10y ago

It's everything you said and much more: https://vimeo.com/121045965 https://vimeo.com/121045965 There was also a huge earthquake recently, mr. negativity.

ensiferum 10y ago
what you don't see in that video is also the piles of rubbish along those trails. Sad! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2572675/Mountain-rubbish-Climbers-told-pick-8KG-litter-want-scale-Mount-Everest-mess-doesnt-count.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2572675/Mountain-rub...
- blunte 10y ago
  Maybe this is my hypersensitivity, but whenever I read a little one-liner followed by: Sad!, there's one person I think of. And trust me, that doesn't help me accept what the author of the one-liner said.
  - OJFord 10y ago
    > Maybe this is my hypersensitivity, but whenever I read a little one-liner followed by: Sad!, there's one person I think of. I assume you mean Trump; I don't think that's hypersensitive, I've never heard anybody else punctuate their remarks with their emotion like that.
  - adamjc 10y ago
    Given he linked to the Daily Mail, it probably goes doubly so.

williswee 10y ago

thanks for the perspective!

pjmlp 10y ago

Thanks for the colonialist attitude! Those countries won't get better if we don't help them.

smcl 10y ago
To be honest your second sentence could be considered a pretty colonialist attitude
- pjmlp 10y ago
  Not when by helping one understands working together with the people on those counties and provide them the means that they need to fulfill their goals.
  - programmernews3 10y ago
    Are you talking about the white mans burden?
    - pjmlp 10y ago
      No idea what you are talking about.
      - notmarkus 10y ago
        "The imperialist interpretation of "The White Man's Burden" (1899) proposes that the white man has a moral obligation to rule the non-white peoples of the Earth, whilst encouraging their economic, cultural, and social progress through colonialism. "In the later 20th century, in the context of decolonisation and the Developing World, the phrase "the white man's burden" was emblematic of the "well-intentioned" aspects of Western colonialism and "Eurocentrism". The poem's imperialist interpretation also includes the milder, philanthropic colonialism of the missionaries: "The implication, of course, was that the Empire existed not for the benefit — economic or strategic or otherwise — of Britain, itself, but in order that primitive peoples, incapable of self-government, could, with British guidance, eventually become civilized (and Christianized)." source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_White_Man's_Burden https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_White_Man's_Burden

pradeepchhetri 10y ago

Looks like you had a bad experience in Nepal. Sorry for that.

geomark 10y ago

I kind of doubt they have anything on Bangkok when it comes to traffic. After all, a recent study showed Thailand has the world's worst traffic congestion. Nepal wasn't in the top 10. [1] [1] http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1201869/thailand-has-worlds-most-congested-traffic http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1201869/thailand-has...

godot 10y ago

I feel like you shouldn't be downvoted (is that what lighter grey comments mean on HN?). Although this is a rather negative outlook, this actually gives a different perspective that's helpful to people who have no knowledge at all of the area (like myself). I would say I learned something, having this along with the linked article talking about the more positive aspects.

checker659 10y ago

I'm from Nepal. I live in Kathmandu. Your comment is spot on.

linuxkerneldev 10y ago

> It's also a total dump. Very disorganized 3rd world country. Thailand in contrast is an order of magnitude more developed, especially Bangkok. > before you all go Woah, Nepal is so awesome I am curious what triggered you to write such a negative comment. The article did not give me the impression of a nationalistic rag or a puff-piece trying to hide flaws. Rather, just as the title says, it is about "Remote working in Nepal: What it’s like now in 2017". The author gave useful and balanced descriptions and comparisons as far as I can tell. I've never heard someone intelligent dismiss an entire country as a "total dump", let alone a place that's well known for scenic views like Nepal. Even a novice traveller knows that developing countries have infrastructure issues like trash management and that one's quality of life will not be equivalent to Palo Alto. That said, even our own "premier" cities have spots that are trashy. Heck, it wasn't that long ago that Coyote Creek near San Jose was pretty much a dump. I'm curious what useful data you wanted to contribute to the conversation.

ensiferum 10y ago
Of course it's a subjective definition. I've been to many 3rd world countries and yes usually they all share the similar problems. But the only 2 in really bad ecological shape that come to mind (where also basically no effort is done) are Nepal and Indonesia. Scenic views. Yeah you can enjoy them while standing on a pile of trash. Just keep your eyes peeled to the mountain tops! "That said, even our own "premier" cities have spots that are trashy. " I'm not sure I'd call it a premier city then. "I'm curious what useful data you wanted to contribute to the conversation." I find it kinda lopsided to read an article that only mentions the good things without giving a proper/full picture. Some people might not really understand what it's like in a 3rd world country.
- linuxkerneldev 10y ago
  > I find it kinda lopsided to read an article that only mentions the good things without giving a proper/full picture. Did we read the same article? Here's some points the author made that seem to contradict your claim. 1st paragraph: "boy oh boy, there have been major changes" That implies change, ie: it was worse before. 2nd paragraph: "There was obviously major corruption going on behind the scenes, which prevented this improvement from happening for so long. " "In bigger cities like Kathmandu and Pokhara, the hotels have always been a bit hit-and-miss" "Visa regulations in Nepal are a little stricter than in Thailand" Having re-read the article, I'm glad the author took the time to present this. > Some people might not really understand what it's like in a 3rd world country. I'm not sure your description of an entire country as a "total dump" is accurate or helpful to people like me who genuinely want to understand what it's like in a 3rd world country. Luckily, there is a broad range of independently captured data on Streetview, even of the Annapurna trail, Kathmandu so folks can evaluate conditions for themselves without bias.

patrickg_zill 10y ago

I admit that is surprising, since many of the best Indian restaurants in Denver, Colorado, are run ... by people from Nepal.