Surendra Shahi, 30, who ekes out a living by selling colorful artifacts to tourists in the durbar square, easily hooked the French tourists by uttering a few words in French. [break]
Visibly amazed at a Nepali man uttering French words, the couple was drawn to check out Shahi´s artifacts. They even bought a few items after a little bargaining.
Shahi revealed that he learnt French at Bishwo Bhasha Campus, located at Exhibition Road in Kathmandu. He then joined Alliance Francaise De Katmandou, a French cultural center in Kathmandu, to improve his French.
“When you approach foreign tourists in their own languages, they feel excited and are more willing to listen to what you have to offer,” he said. “It helps our business.”
Shahi is one of the numerous souvenir sellers in the area, most of whom have some knowledge of more than two foreign languages.
PHOTO: RIWAJ RAI
Most of the male sellers in the area can speak and understand French and English. “We are not perfect in these languages, but we can somehow manage to communicate,” said Shahi. “And, they understand what we say.”
Aligned in neat rows, it is impossible to ignore these street stalls filled with colorful beads, khukuris, masks of various deities and metal as well as wooden trinkets. At present, there are around 60 souvenir stalls in the area.
According to Shahi, many of the sellers who speak foreign languages were trekking and city guides before. “Young boys, who have souvenir stalls here, often take up jobs as trekking guides, which is like a seasonal break for them to learn foreign languages. When you are obliged to speak with the tourists, you gradually learn their language,” said Shahi.
Krishna Budhathoki, 41, originally from Ramechhap district, echoed what Shahi said. “I also picked up bits and pieces of Italian, German and French besides English while working as a guide,” said Budhathoki. “I could not earn much money, but I learnt various foreign languages. I am quite satisfied.”
He can converse in Italian, Spanish, German and English with appealing articulation. Being an outspoken person right from his teenage years, learning languages was never a difficult prospect for him, Budhathoki said.
PHOTO: RIWAJ RAI
“Speaking to strangers was never a problem for me. Before establishing these stalls, I used to hand-carry the items and approach passing tourists around Basantapur. Those were the days when I learnt these languages,” said Budhathoki.
“It is more like a necessity for us. The ability to mutter something at least in broken English is a must in this business. Of course, it is always better if you know more languages,” he said.
Manoj Khatri, 19, another souvenir seller, cannot speak multiple languages. But he is well-versed in spoken English. Khatri, who runs the stall with his elder brother Manish, has the fluency of a regular English speaker.
“We work and learn English side-by-side. This language has become a sort of breadwinner for us,” said Khatri. “Most of the tourists know English. The Chinese are an exception. In their case, we bargain by typing down the numerals in calculator,” he added.
Most of souvenir sellers in the area have been engaged in the business from their early youth and for some it is an occupation that dates back to generations. Robin Khadki, 50, shared that he was a fourth generation member following the family business.
“My great grandfathers sold souvenirs here and so did my father. I have embraced this business for decades. Even the bricks here know us,” said Khadki.
“My father´s English during that time when the flow of tourist was gaining momentum was admirable. His habit of talking in broken English at home helped us a lot,” added Khadki.
Talking about their business at present, most of the sellers said that the business has gone down drastically. The decline in the number of tourists visiting the area coupled with increase in the prices has directly affected their business.
“The materials used in making all these souvenir items have become expensive, causing their prices to shoot up compared to the past years,” said Shahi. “There used to be 108 stalls here but now only around 60-65 are left,” added Shahi.
However, Khadki shared that interference from local guides in their business has become a big hurdle for them. “Guides always try to decide the final price of the items to suit the budget of the tourists they are with. They do not bother about our price margins,” said Khadka.
According to Khadki, all the souvenir items made out of metal, wood, and bones are brought from Khasa, India, while some are even made in the valley itself. “Manufacturing cost of the metal products is high in Nepal, but they are of better quality and design,” said Khadki.
Peak business season for these sellers start from February, when various festivals draw tourists to the area. “Nowadays, it is not just the tourists. Even the locals are buying these items regularly,” informed Khatri.
“More and more Nepalis are celebrating foreign festivals these days. Exchanging gifts among friends and loved ones during these festivals have become a trend, contributing to the rise in our regular customers,” said Khatri.
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