Globalized experience

We had been studying over a semester at RYI when we received an unexpected proposition: to acquire a Salsa dance voucher, an opportunity to take regular lessons for one month in a Latin American dance studio, here in Kathmandu. 

We agreed and very soon, we were in possession of a creased piece of paper, which had obviously gone through many hesitant hands before coming to ours. Perhaps Buddhist students were not up to such kind of distraction? 
Along with that, our benefactor gave us thorough instructions about how to reach the studio by public transport. The white bus to Krishna cinema, cross the bridge, then the yellow bus, pass the American, Russian and Chinese embassy, step off at the European Bakery, buy delicious cream roll, walk 10 minutes and here you are.

I was a bit anxious: how would the rather small Nepali react to this six feet tall giant Swiss girl? Wouldn't it be embarrassing if my dance partner had to face my cleavage or break his neck to look into my eyes? 
Soon enough, our Nepali instructor explained how he had been taught New York Salsa by a German dancer, how this studio was a unique place in Kathmandu and that if I really felt embarrassed, I could stick to my Russian partner - closer to my physical constitution. 

However, everything went smooth and I found out that Nepali were not only taller than expected, but also tolerant and polite in the other case. One month wasn't enough to really assimilate Salsa - a new kind of grammar of the body in addition to our Nepali and Tibetan language courses - but we had the feeling that our weekends became slightly longer and that our two cerebral hemispheres were stimulated in a more balanced way.

Chloé from Switzerland