HHS Students Meet His Excellency  Dr. Arjun Karki, Nepal's Ambassador to the United States

Ambassador Karki hosted us at his residence for a Q&A and lunch.  Many thanks go to Aakriti Khanal (bottom right) for arranging our meeting.

We started our day by exploring the neighborhood around the Ambassador's residence. The US Naval Observatory was our first stop but the Secret Service kicked us out (home of Vice-President Biden) before we could take more pictures. That's Karina and Mahima.

Haley is a big fan of Norway's Princess Martha

Joe and Chloe. Chloe's sign language means  "Norway is cool."  

Artwork on the side wall of Norway's embassy. I'm not sure what exactly is going on here.

Katie (2nd left to the ambassador) What has been done to prepare for a future earthquake? ANSWER- A lot has been done to prepare. Earthquakes are common. The search and rescue helped from people Los Angeles and Fairfax County.

Beverly (3rd left to the Ambassador) What are your favorite places in the U.S.?  ANSWER- California. I love the mountains and the forests.

Evan (right, to the Ambassador) In your proposed constitution it states no person shall convert a person from one religion to another. Does that mean if a Muslim or Christian wanted to share their faith with a Nepalese with the idea of changing their religion, would that be illegal?  ANSWER- Sometimes people are influenced by money, power or promises. It is illegal to convert based on those reasons. However someone can convert after coming to their own spiritual decision.

Emma (center to Ms. Khanal) Would you mind telling us what you experienced during the 2015 earthquake? ANSWER- It was a gloomy day. I was babysitting my cousin and my grandma was watching TV. I heard a loud bang and everything started shaking. I was in the house I grew up in and was afraid I was going to die. I was holding my grandma and my cousin. We then ran outside. I lived in a tent for two months after that.

According to David, the coolest name of any country on Earth.  

Joe

HHS graduate Aakriti Khanal began our meeting by describing her experience during the horrific 2015 Nepal earthquake.  This was Aakriti as a high school senior in 2010 working on Capitol Hill.

Furva and other students then examined art in the residence.

AJ and Emma

Traditional Nepalese lunch was appreciated by all.

Henry, Devin and Cordale

Xochitl

Mrs. Gauree Thakuri (wife of Ambassador Karki) discussed life in Nepal and answered questions as we waited for Ambassador Karki.

AJ (right)-  What would you like us to know about the Nepalese people? ANSWER- We view the Americans as nice people because of their help during earthquake troubles. You should know Nepal has more to offer than just Mt. Everest. People in Nepal are very nice and have big hearts.

Sara (left)-  When did you learn English? ANSWER- I started taking classes in third grade. I continued throughout high school. Learning English was very hard. 

Furva- To what extent does the scenic beauty of Nepal contribute to Nepal being a spiritual country?  ANSWER- Nepal is the roof of the world because of Mt. Everest. Nepal also has a lot of nature and nature is a very big aspect of Nepal.  

Lindsey-  In the CIA World Fact Book is states Nepali is the official language of Nepal with 44.6% of the people speaking that language. Since that is the official language of the government, does that make it harder for non-Nepalese speakers to interact with the government? ANSWER- Mrs. Thakuri deferred to the Ambassador, but Lindsey did not get a chance to ask him.

Nicole (left- to Ambassador Karki) Does the government of Nepal or you as an individual have a preference in the upcoming election between Clinton and Trump? ANSWER- Nepal is VERY interested in this topic. We don't want to get involved. It is America's choice.  

Logan (right to Mrs. Thakuri) In Nepal the obesity rate is 2.9%. In the U.S. it is 35%. Do you have any advice for us on how to lower our rate? ANSWER- Nepal's obesity rate is low because we eat a lot more vegetables. This is because of the Hindu population and they are often vegetarians. Americans should eat less junk.

We decided to go outside and wait for the ambassador as Aakriti led an informal discussion.  

Nick- (left, later with Ambassador Karki) How much rebuilding has been done since the earthquake (April, 2015) and has the U.S. helped in that effort? ANSWER- Not much rebuilding has been done yet. The Nepalese are trying to work on new laws and legal procedures for the rebuilding. They are working on making sure the buildings that are rebuilt will not suffer from future incidents. Nepal is grateful for the U.S. support with search and rescue after the quake. 

The Ambassador arrives and we greeted him with.... 

Namaste! This represents the belief that there is a Divine spark within each of us. The gesture is an acknowledgment of the soul in one by the soul in another.

Keila- We noted you have Maoists in Nepal. Most people would associate that name with the negative aspects of Chairman Mao and communist China. What do you think of that group?  ANSWER- I can't say too much about that but the Prime Minister is a Maoist and we work closely with the government.

Karina (in Nepalese)-  What path did you take which resulted in you becoming ambassador to the United States?  ANSWER-

David- America has major terrorist threats from Al Qaeda and ISIS. Is Nepal the target of any terrorists? ANSWER- No but we are against terrorism. 

Carter- In your proposed constitution it states there shall be no prior censorship of publications and broadcasting. Does that mean the government could censor something after it has been released? That is, to stop it from happening again? ANSWER- We will always protect freedom of speech.

Riley- When you compare the age structure of Nepal and the U.S., Nepal is much younger nation. It is advantageous to have such a young population?  ANSWER- Yes. It is an advantage and Nepal is very interested in the younger population especially now since they are helping to rebuild. The youth are  ray of hope to Nepal as well as good assets.

Chloe (2nd left, to Mrs. Thakuri)- The Smithsonian documentary on the 2015 earthquake mentioned the quake obliterated centuries of culture. What are some of the things that can't be replaced. ANSWER-

Joe- How do you think Nepal will be different ten years from now?  ANSWER-

On behalf of our class Claudia presents Ambassador Karki with HHS shirt and water bottle. And the same for...

...Mrs. Thakuri and...

...Aakriti and...

...the person who prepared our wonderful lunch.

At World War II Memorial 

These students were reading this.... 

General George C. Marshall 

Matt (left, to the Ambassador)- In your proposed constitution it states every citizen shall have the freedom to peacefully assemble without guns. Are guns legal for hunting self-protection in Nepal?  ANSWER- Guns are illegal for all people in Nepal.

Claudia and Xochitl

Umm....?