Technically, it is impossible to measure the absolute temperature of a medium. As soon as the thermometer is placed within the sample in question, it will have an effect on the outcome.

As a group of researchers, we were very aware of our presence and conscious of the effect of our be-ing on the outcome of our research. Although we could not fully grasp what kind of distortion we were causing as foreigners, we were quite sure that the answers we were getting from the people that we have met were tainted by our very presence. We’ve discussed this issue countless times and to talk about this further would be to beat a dead horse.

But an interesting thought is that we have to be aware that the opposite is true as well. Often we worry about the sample being corrupted by the thermometer, but we rarely consider the effect of the sample on the measuring tool. I can confidently say that I have been changed by my experiences in Nepal. For starters, I have learned to appreciate basic hygiene measures taken by our municipalities. Public bathrooms never looked so clean in my eyes. Tap water never looked so fresh. The black and white stripes of a functioning crosswalk never looked so beautiful. The silence of the streets never so calming.

Yet we have to be aware that there have been negative influences that we need to be careful of. I’ve found myself attempting to bargain the price of a particular good in a designer’s store. The store clerk gave me a polite “no.” I am pretty sure I caught a flicker of disbelief in her eyes. Likewise, there are things that are acceptable in one society and not in another. We knew this coming in, we need to be aware of it coming out. We must carefully shed some of the habits that we have become accustomed to during our two weeks there.

Friends, remember: we drive on the right side of the road.