26 February, Thursday.

01:00 I went to sleep and this night I did sleep a bit better than yesterday.
08.00 awake
08.30 breakfast at H.E.
09.00 On my way to the house. Today somehow the children just won't move. We are late for school! Another sunshiny hot day.
Back in my room, where I started to make the Sponsor book. My comments, the bills, the pictures concerning the projects.
Next to that picture album I will make an album with the touristic pictures, our travelling and the children. I finished the sponsor book up to Chitwan.
Electricity is on until 14.00, so from 12.00 till 14.00 work on the computer.
Around 13.00 I gave up. I am exhausted, so I layed down on my bed for one hour.
Now sitting in the sun at the Japanese restaurant in front of Mountain Villa for a quick pancake-lunch before I have to be at school at 15.30 again. No volunteer today, no teacher today, so I have to go. Otherwise I think I would have layed myself down on a blanket on the balcony for a few hours. Ke Gerne? = what to do?
Tonight after dinner I have to go down Lakeside to call to Holland, mum's birthday, but for sure I will be in bed very early for a full night sleep (or at least a good rest).

15.30 waiting outside the school. Jeevan, Bipana and Binod were the first ones to appear. And they were determined to 'kill me softly'. They sang a Nepali song for me and when it was finished they all jumped on me, kissing me over and over again, saying we love you - we love you - we love you. A huge lump in my throat trying to keep my eyes dry.
Then the headmaster came outside looking for me. Next week it is Parents Day again and he wanted to invite me personally! Thank you.

He asked me if I could stay in the school sometime to help him and the teachers to prepare for Parents day. My tired - emotional brain - picked something up about fixing the library. I know he said also something about 'fixing' another room, but I do not know exactly what (and was too tired to ask again, probably would not have understood anyway at that moment).
I said that I am very busy, but that I will come to the school in the morning, dropping the children of at 9.30 and then stay to help. Then I will find out what else he has in mind.

Coming back at the home Thak told me that I was on my own today: no volunteer, no teacher. HELP!!! I am TOO tired!!!! My silent prayers must have been heard: at 16.00 the teacher came and at 16.30 the Dutch couple Clara and Greg came in.

Clara sat down with me in the study room and she will not easily forget me: when the tea was brought up (Thank Buddha, finally they remember I do not like sugar tea with buffalo-milk, they bring me black tea) I spilled it all over her!
In our conversation I learned a lot more. They have been to the new school with Thak and she said it is a very good school. Very disciplined, clean, big classrooms and the principal told them that his school is emphasizing on computer lessons ("it's the future"), sports and giving the students as many opportunities as possible after school time to attend those classes, without paying extra for it. Sounds good. One of the next days (in my busy schedule) I will go with Thak to visit the school, so I can see for myself and to make pictures to show you as well.

I bought an extra copy of the drawing book (The simplified Art) to give to Bimal. I know he has NOTHING that is really HIS. I wrote inside: For Bimal - an 'Artist', with love from Sanghita and Elounda.The look on his face when he read the message: I have never seen such a big smile, such happy (water) glittering eyes! It is so easy to make someone happy, to make someone feel special (for 4 Euro only).

Bishal came up to me: where is my paper, where is pencil? I did buy some, so now he also has his own sketchbook and pencils. I told him that next year, when he is a little bit holder, he can go for painting lessons also. Another happy boy.

I think by now all the children got something. The boys drawing materials, tomorrow the girls will get the beads to make bracelets and the little ones can start to make hats and aeroplanes from the paper Rita gave.

I gave all the younger children also a pencil and 5 sheets of drawing paper. Thank YOU! I love you!

18.00 back at H.E., relax in the garden till Dahl Bath is served at 18.30. Yummie.
An after dinner coffee, a quick phone call home to say Happy Birthday and then I dragged myself up the stairs to my room.
20.00 half dressed I fell asleep, that exhausted I was.
I woke up around 22.0, put my pyjama on and fell asleep again to wake up at 08.00 next morning.

Suba Rhatri.

25 February, Pokhara. Discovered: Bimal is an ARTIST

Wednesday, 25 February 2009. Pokhara

08.00 My ‘Kitty alarm went off.
Because of my late falling asleep last night, I had to drag myself out of bed.
09.00 at H.E. for just a coffee, no time for breakfast. But then Pashipathi told me there is no school today! Well, that gives a positive swing to the day. So: breakfast: toast with jam and another coffee in company from Doreen, who also had an unexpected day off.
10.00 back to my room, to work 2 hours at the dictionary again.
As soon as the electricity was off on my way to the children.

Although I was later then promised, they were very happy to see me. The 3 little ones hanging around my neck, the other ones coming down one by one: Namaste Sanghita, how are you? I am going to miss this good morning when I am home again!!!
While the girls were still upstairs, cleaning up their rooms and/or washing their clothes, I had the time to have a chat with the older boys.
Finally I also had the change to take Bimal (as you know, my very special boy) a bit apart and to ask him if he was really doing okay, if he was happy AND if there was something special he wanted to do.
He whispered in my ear that he also would love to learn painting/drawing, that he wants to become an artist.
That was for me the sign to take him with me, back on our way to my room to go and collect the new drawing books we bought in Kathmandu!
I tried to explain to him that he also can get sponsored for painting lessons, but that first he has to learn better English. Despite his age (sorry, I still don’t know exactly his age, I think around 14) his English is very poor compared with the other children. This is due to the fact that only since end of 2007 he came to the home, before that he was living in a remote village, where they even never see a tourist!
Giving up the conversation, with in my mind to have another conversation with him when Kay is back and she can function as translatior, we walked back. You should have seen Bimal’s face when I handed over the books AND the sketch book in which I quickly wrote HIS name. He had something, ONLY for HIM!! He was holding it like a treasure.

Arriving back at the house we went into the boy’s room, where he quietly could have a look into the books and where Kamal was making his homework. With the help of Kamal I explained again that the books are to be used by the older girls and boys and I asked Kamal if he could help Bimal with the English explanation about dimensions in the books. Kamal was very willing to do so and also he was ‘eating’ the book. His face, when he saw the pictures of a still life, worth a fortune and for me the moment to mention again that next time on my visit I wanted to see a different painting from him and Arjun than that same old Fish tail mountain!!!

Kamal took the time to show me his portfolio. With a big smile he said that the paintings, drawings he was showing were made about 2 and 3 years ago. And I could see the difference; he really has become much better with his paintings and techniques.
He also showed me a Thangka painting. He worked 3 months on it and I think he did an excellent job.
The Thangka paintings have a special technique, performed by monks. You are using a very small brush (2, 3 or 4 hairs only!) to paint the miniscule details! (see picture).

As shy as Bimal is (as I learned to know him), when the other boys came into the room, they just took the books up and started to look into them. I took one book of them (they are very similar) and I handed it back to Bimal.
Straight away he started to sketch a head with a face in HIS own sketchbook.
I saw that the shape and the dimension were not right and that Bimal was trying to copy them from the book too small. Again I asked Kamal’s help: if he could draw a bigger head (egg shaped), so Bimal could practice the dimensions and to put eyes, nose, mouth and ears in it. Straight away this treasure of Kamal sketched 5 head shapes on the first paper and handed it back to Bimal to practise.

Sujan entered the room (of who also with my ‘investigations’ I had found out that he wanted to learn how to drawn) and gone was the other book. To his room, where straight away he also started to practise. (pictures of Bimal and the other boys).

Time for me to leave the boys in their room and to have a look where the rest of the kids were.

Entering the study room a nice surprise: Michael, Big Mamatha, Alina and Sofia were sitting there, practising how to draw flowers and colour them, from The How to Draw Flowers book WE gave them!
It is their day off, and they are voluntarily in the study room!!! (pictures).

Little Binod with always too much energy (I am sssssssspiderman!!) came in and to give the girls a break I handed over my camera, so our house photographer could make pictures of us. (see pictures). At his age I think he really has an eye for making pictures. It took him ages to make the picture with the 4 of us, that one had to move a bit to the right, the other one more to the middle and so on. Finally mr. Binod was satisfied and he made the picture.

Shiva, around 20 years old now and an ex-family member, now living on his own in Pokhara, came to visit. He asked me last year already for a digital camera, so together with Sudeep I showed him my old camera, explaining about the battery, the battery charger, the card reader (thanks Mike, that is now your donation) AND that Shiva is welcome to come and borrow the camera, but he always has to bring it back to the house again, so everybody can use it.
Happy Shiva let the house with the bag with camera; he was on his way to shoot pictures to download on his computer, so he can use those pictures later for his paintings. And again, we managed to see something different next year than the good old Fish Tail Mountain!

Time to go and see Mongol, our singer and guitarist! I gave him my recorder with a minicasette with the explanation that I have to take this tape recorder back with me, but that I would love it if he could record some of his singing on this tape, so WE can hear him singing when I come home.
I think just out of politeness he stayed 10 more minutes sitting with me, but after he was gone and I did not see him anymore by the time I left!
So, be prepared, we can hear OUR sponsored singer soon!!

What was next on this eventful day?
Ah yes, Thak came up to me and we had a chat sitting outside.
We discussed when we are going to the paint-teacher and which of the children are going to these classes: Kamal, Arjun to continue their study. Raju, Sujan to start with the study.
Also we will try the same day to go to the computer school to sign Sudeep up for an additional 3 months course (during his holiday), to sign up Manju and Alina for the beginners course.
Another day we will go with Rasilla to the cooking school to sign her up for the cooking course.

This time I had a much more relaxed conversation with Thak then before. I already realized when I was back home yesterday that maybe it is not his mistake that he ‘hides’ material, but just the ‘not knowing’. In our conversation today it was clear how much he worries and cares about the children.
And I give it you to do: with just 1 father (uncle) and 1 mother (auntie) to take care of a family of 23 children!!!

Then I got a big shock: in our conversation he also said that he wants to change school!!! After the exams he wants to take the 20 children away from the Shining Star Boarding School and to send them to another school!! He explained me why: the toilets at S.S.B.S. were not clean he said, he wanted me to have a look at them at my next visit (tomorrow morning) and to check out the area with the water pump.
Also one of his complaints was that the school ground is sandy: the kids look terrible when they come home after school, dusty, dirty school uniforms and shoes.
Next: the SSBS has no library. I told him that now they have!!
Next: the SSBS has access for the students to only a total of 6 computers, while the other school he is thinking of has a big library with 20 computers available!
SSBS is not organizing enough in sports. The other school does and organizes competitions between schools.

As said, it was a big shock for me: I thought the SSBS was making a lot of effort to teach the children as good as they can and they really ‘care’ about the children. Reason why WE are supporting this school.
Tomorrow morning my ‘home work’ will be indeed to check out the toilets, the water pump and if the wall charts we donated or on the walls (which I expect they will be).
The teachers are such nice people, I am sure Rita Chamelli will be as shocked as I was at first sight, but maybe Thak is right. He said to me that the other school he is thinking of is also a boarding private school, but that they are of upgraded quality.
Sunday afternoon he will take me to the other school, so I can have a look myself. (Saturday the schools are closed).
I will certainly go, have a critical view at the other school, because for me it is NOT only important about to have better facilities, but more to really interact, care about the children and have an open mind (which the SSBS teachers certainly proved already to have).

Even IF Thak decides to place the children in the other school, I do not regret it that we have donated the books, the wall charts and the globe to the SSBS, because I KNOW they are using them and they are for the benefit of ALL the students at this school.

At 16.00 Dan (an ex-volunteer) and Pramot (the homework teacher) came in, time for me to go.
Together with Doreen we jumped in a taxi to Mahendra Pool, the big city of Pokhara for some ‘fundraise shopping’.
Doreen wanted to buy some real footballs and balls for the younger children, to be used during the suggested break, so the children would get some fresh air and could get rid of their build up energy, ready and calmed down again for another session of 3-4 hours inside for the last few hours at nursery school.

I was going for a hunt for a battery for my laptop. Again this was a flash shopping trip. Just ask the taxi driver to stop at a shop with real footballs, it saves you a lot of time AND energy to walk around trying to find those shops yourself. In the same shop I saw that they had exactly the same sketch books as the one I gave this morning to Bimal, so I purchased a few more, for the other ‘future students for the painting lessons AND some different pencils with different hardness.

Leaves me to close this day with a comment about Bimal, the one who keeps breaking my heart.
I will show you with the help of the pictures I will make that he IS an artist. Leaving him this morning, trying to draw the shape of a head, that looked anything except a head, he proudly came to me 4 hours later to show his first attempt AND his last attempt. Again I could not keep my eyes dry. And you will see why looking at the pictures!! His first scribbles and what he was capable of only 4 hours later!!
Beautiful eyes, a sensitive mouth, a perfect nose. Kamal came also outside, while Bimal was showing me his work and behind the back of Bimal he made the WOW movement and the PERFECT sign with his hands. A silent applaud accompanied his surprise and admiration for the talents shown by Bimal.

This makes me to reconsider the decision of sending him for painting classes next year. Thak already mentioned also Bimal’s name (if the funds were available) to put him also on the list for the painting classes and I think we should put him ALSO on this list THIS time already!!

Oh dear, it is already 01.00 o’clock now. Probably, especially after putting my thoughts and impressions of today on paper (not running around my brain anymore) I will be able to sleep now. I better do, because tomorrow my wake up call is at 08.00 and NO holiday from school tomorrow!!

Suba Rathri and speak to you soon again.
And once more, and I can not do this enough, thank you all for your support. I would not be able to achieve so much without your generous gifts!!

Love you all and also a BIG THANK from my kids

Sanghita

24 February, Pokhara.

Tuesday, 24 February, Pokhara.

08:30 wake up alarm
09:00 get up, coffee served on the balcony. And………… electricity!
I start to get into a rhythm:
8.00 alarm,
8.30 breakfast at H.E.;
9.00 C.W.A. to bring the children to school.
Depending on the electricity availability:
- if yes: 2-3 hours on the laptop working on the dictionary job
- if no: to the Garden restaurant to write, sitting in the sun. Internet. Lunch.
- 15.15: on the way to collect the children from school.
- 16:00 study room time, which I can use to either write diary (like I am doing now), to work on the Manual for Volunteers at C.W.A. and if needed to help the kids with their homework. But, they have now also a Nepali teacher coming to the house every day (his name is Pramot).
- 18.30: diner at H.E. (socializing with the staff and volunteers).
- After diner: Internet café, nightcap, room.

This morning a bit different schedule.
I slept a little bit longer (after the travel of yesterday), had 2 hours electricity left which I used for working on the dictionary.
At 12.00 the power was off again.
Shower, H.E. coffee, chat.
To the village for brunch, while updating yesterday’s diary.
15:13 together with Kay to collect the children from school.
And again a lot of surprises: I found out that Kay as a volunteer in the C.W.A. did not know that the house has its own website!
She did not know that there are files of every child … in the office!
So it is very clear that it IS necessary to write a manual for the volunteers in future.

Tomorrow Kay is going for 3 days to Chitwan and I will ‘take over her duties’.
After 3 days she will be back in Pokhara for 5 or 6 more weeks, so she can finish writing the Manual.

When she comes back from Chitwan we will take the beads to the home. I already saw that one of the top cupboards in the study room is empty, the perfect place to store (and NOT hide) the boxes with beads.
There are also some positive points:
- one of the top cupboards is filled with new homework books; the other is containing colouring pens and some paper. VISIBLE!!

I feel like a kind of detective, sniffing around, observing, but it feels good to be able to get the home a bit more ‘organized’. To KNOW that the materials donated by YOU and other sponsors will be used.

Kay, the volunteer, is a great girl. Born in England (English parents), but with her parents she has seen a lot of the world. She lived also a few years in Nepal when she was young, so she speaks fluent Nepali!
17 Years young and full of ideas and enthusiasm. We both are very happy to be here at the same time and to be able to make a difference.

Sitting in the study room, Sofia – my little angle – came to sit on my lap. She was talking non-stop and tried to read my diary. She can read perfectly English, but of course now she saw a lot of new words. What is this, what does that mean? Nice to know that she actually learned something today.
She was folding a boat from paper, and then put it in my bag to take it home. I will not take it out of my back until I go home, knowing that she will check every day that it is still there.

At 18.00 it was time to go home. Dinner at 18.30 together with Doreen, volunteer from Germany for 4 weeks. She is placed in a kind of nursery, development centre. She is taking over from Claire, a woman from Canada who was there as a volunteer for 6 weeks and is leaving tomorrow.

From the talk under dinner I understood that also she is a teacher and she had many ideas. She told Rohri (assistant manager of H.E.) that the teachers were very open-minded for new ideas and she was pleased to be able to teach them new games, new songs and a new method of teaching. Also she commented that it would be better for the little ones to give them a break in between. At the moment they are in a small room with too many children of different ages and she said that after 2 hours the older ones are getting bored and overactive.

Tomorrow Doreen will suggest to the teachers to take a 15 minutes break in between, take the children outside for some fresh air, running around and get rid of the build up energy.

The electricity came on again at 20.00 so I was on my way to the Internet place. There I spend about 2 hours to upload the promised pictures from a CD, but it took me ages to get just a few pictures done!
Around 22.30 the Internet closed, back to my room, still electricity so I started to type out the diary days from before with the pictures inserted. I saved them on my USB-stick and tomorrow I will give it a try to update the website this way.

Tired I thought it was time to go to sleep, but I ended up in one of my famous sleepless nights.
So many ideas, so many new impressions again (I learn so much, get so much new information every day) that I just could not ‘shut down’ my head. At 3.30 I was still awake!!!

Finally I fell asleep, must have been around 04.00, because when I turned around at one point the electricity was on again (from o4.00 till 08.00 said the schedule).

23 February, Monday. Touristbus from Kathmandu to Pokhara

06.00 wake up call.
The hotel wanted to serve me breakfast, but eating at 6.15 is really too early for me. A nice coffee was enough. Again the receptionist apologized for the misunderstanding about our breakfast the first morning (they charged us, while we were on B&B).
I said not to worry and as to confirm that the hotel and service is good I told him that my last 2 nights I will be staying in the Mandap hotel. That made him obviously happy: a big smile.

When I payed my bill last night I found out that the 3 nights were only Rs 3.000 (I owe you some money Reet) and NOT the 20 US a night as they told us before.
Could have to do something with a phone call Dill made to the hotel?????

Around 6.40 Darjan (the youngest, cheeky guide) turned up on his motorbike. Dill finally left the office around midnight so he could not come this early to say goodbye. No problem, I think that he is working already enough hours without also taking care of me.

Last night to my surprise (and embarrassment) I only found out that he is married and has 2 sons; one 7 years old and a baby of almost one year old.
That again shows what kind of man Dill is: always thinking about others, taking care of everybody (including the staff of H.E.) except himself.
In my letter I put in his organizer, I asked him to please start to learn to say NO sometimes and to start to take care of - think about himself more. I know, some of you are smiling now, 'look who is talking', but I did learn this and am still learning to continue doing this.
Life should be sharing, giving and taking, not just only giving nor only taking. Sharing and compassion. One of the reasons that I need Nepal at least once a year: to re-affirm this way of life.

So, on the motorbike with the blue bag with a few kilo of beads between us on my knees on our way to the bus stop. Darjan was checking my face in his mirror and said: 'you look very happy, like you are enjoying it'. 'I do' I said 'I love motorbikes'.
He said he might take me for a motorbike ride through Kathmandu when I am back for my last days. I do hope that will work out: a trip to one of the monasteries outside Kathmandu on a motorbike, what more could I ask for!

The bus left around 7.15. Kathmandu-Pokhara: 200 km - 400 Rs (but for me free, courtesy of H.E.).
Sitting in the front, window seat with a Nepali young woman next to me, who fell asleep 10 minutes after departure. Wearing 4 layers, so also not cold this time.

Today it is a festival day: Shiva rathri = the birth date of Lord Shiva (and the only day of the year that smoking marijuana is legal).
Soon I found out that this trip will take more than the usual 4-4 1/2 hours: everywhere on the road we had 'children roadblocks'. The brave children were standing just in the middle of the road, sometimes pulling up a rope to stop the traffic. We were allowed to pass, only after they had blessed the driver with a Tika and receiving a small 'passing fee'. The driver was having great fun as the passengers did, about those persisting kids AND he was clever enough to indeed pay extra for his Tika after a few blockades. Now at the next blockades they saw his tika from far, lowered already the ropes, wooden barricades and were running along the side receiving money given by the co-driver, given while we continued driving in low gear.

All the slowing down moments gave me an excellent opportunity to finally succeed making pictures of the scenery along the road Kathmandu-Pokhara. I tried this already so many times, but and the speed and the humping-bumping-jumping of the bus made it impossible thus far.

I dozed of a little bit, but could not really sleep. Two stops as usual at a restaurant and finally around 15.00 we arrived in Pokhara. I jumped in a taxi to bring me to H.E. (Rs 130) where they were waiting already for me. A coffee, a fill in about our stay in Kathmandu, my program for the coming 3 weeks and making the arrangement that I am more than welcome to join the volunteers for breakfast and diner every day. I said I will gladly accept this invitation, but that I want to pay for it. The answer was No! 'You do so much work for Nepal and the children, you will try to bring groups next year, this is our Thank you to you. You are part of our family.

Up to my room, my Pokhara Penthouse, to unpack and have a shower (the electricity is on!)
A lay down for one hour, but I could not sleep, too many things running around my brain, too excited to see the kids again.

A tasty Chow Mi with a lot of vegetables served on my balcony by the Japanese restaurant in front of the hotel, brunch in the sun, but.... with chopsticks only. I actually managed to get the food in my mouth for the first time in my life with the chopsticks! Of course it did help that it was mie instead of rice, because for sure with rice on my plate I would have ended up eating with my hand again.

Time to go and see the kids!
First I stopped at the Shiva temple which is on the way to their home, but I could not find them there. Continued my way to the home and approaching the house I already could hear their excited voices.
A big Namaste Rita, where is Rita, how are you, how long you stay, the little ones hanging on my back, clinging on to my legs. Finally every body was ready, supplied with their bamboo sticks on our way to the temple.

It is indeed much warmer here in Pokhara then it was in Kathmandu. I ended up pealing off 2 layers of sweaters!

The older boys took care of putting the bamboo sticks in the huge fire while Kay and I kept an eye on the jumping little ones, waiting for the loud bangs when they slam the hot sugar canes on the floor. Every body after the sugarcane explodes and opens is chewing on the sweet wood. I only had a small piece, wondering how they could chew so much wood, being so sweet!

Thak took the little ones home, a bit later Kay left with the 'middle group', while I stayed with the older ones. Sudeep told me 'healingstories' of the snake shaped Goddess of this temple, explained the festival and we watched the men dancing in trance on the repeated music. Some of the men where that high of the smoked marijuana that at the moments the music stopped they fell down or where stumbling around not having a clue where or who they were. The kids giggling of course, whispering 'they smoke something'.

Around 21.00 time for the kids to go home AND time for me to go back to my room.
Too tired to pick up my diary, just relaxing on my bed, a little bit of reading in the book Rita gave me as a present and soon lights out!!
Life is beautiful in Nepal!!!!!!!!!!!!!

22 February, Kathmandu: Chamelli's departure

09.00 my new alarm works well!
Breakfast at Mandap Hotel and yes back to H.E. office again. Rita said farewell to everybody and at 13.00 our taxi was waiting outside the Mandap Hotel to bring us to the airport.
(A big THANK YOU to Dill for arranging everything so smoothly for us, being not real 'clients' of H.E., but 'just' FRIENDS!)

Despite our different ways of life, looking at it and living our lives very differently - which sometimes caused misunderstandings, arguments and discussions - both of us where very emotional at Rita's goodbye.
She is on her way home now, back to 'her world', leaving me behind in a part of 'my world'.
I think I can speak for the both of us saying it was a big experience traveling together, sharing a room together, but most of all Sharing Nepal, the projects and my kids together.
We both have learned a lot those last 3 weeks, about each other (her way, her world, my sometimes clumsy, insufficient way of explaining, expressing myself), but at the end of these weeks we parted as the sisters we used to be, with a lot of respect for each other and compassion for each other.
It will be good to meet up again in Crete, to share our day-off in Elounda on the beach, probably in the beginning memorizing our 'adventures' in Nepal and laugh together about it.

I certainly want to 'praise' Rita for her great participation during this trip. To mention a few things of her 'once-in-a-lifetime' experiences:
no electricity, a lot of less comfort, her Canoetrip on the river on our way to the Elephant Breeding Center (she hates water, is scared of it - like I suffer from being afraid of heights) - which she actually enjoyed after her first 'being afraid'.
Lessons in patience, different food, all kinds of transportation, etc.
If I can find it I will get her a t-shirt with the words "I SAW, SMELT, TASTED and DID NEPAL! Which she did indeed.
Bravo Rita and a big Thank you for your willing, trying and doing this shared experience with me!
Your family and friends will fall of their chairs when you show them the pictures. They HAVE to believe that you've done all and everything!

Also a thank you for 'teaching' me. I know this experience of travelling together will be of great value next year when I will go back to MY Nepal again with hopefully one or maybe even two groups of people on a 'sponsortrip'.

Bravo, Thank You and see you soon in Elounda Bahinie (little sister), Rita2 or your Nepali name: Chamelli (Jasmin).

Back in Thamel on my own. 'Report at H.E. and on my way to the Internet, where I was able to update you with 2 days adventure, until the electricity was off again. I failed to insert the pictures, because the computer I worked on had a broken CD-rom drive (grrrr). I will try again in my favourite Internetplace in Pokhara.

Found a nice little present for Dill: a small leather organizer that will fit in a trouserpocket or jacket pocket to safe all his papers in. An idea of Rita. She noticed that his jeanspockets were full and Dill explained: left pocket just scraps of paper, unimportant. Right pocket: important notes. Back pocket mobilephone, other backpocket some money. Now he can collect all this and organize it in the leather case.

I went with Lolly to a local Dahl Bath house where we were going to meet Dill later. A very tasty Dahl Bath eaten with my hands, while Lolly kept me company. When my food was finished Lolly walked me back to the hotel and he left.

Waiting for Dill for goodbye in the hotelbar, nice and warm, sitting close to a firebasket with my nightcap - writing - until 22.30.

(Oops 22.30! Dill called that he was still in the office, that he will be here in the morning to bring me personally to the busstation.
He first assigned one of the other boys, because we were supposed to meet tonight for a Dahl Bath and a last drink together.

23.15 in my room, have to leave the writing until tomorrow, have to try to get some sleep with my wake up call at 06.00 tomorrow!
(with other words: have to 'switch' my brain off!).
00.00 lights out.

Suba rathri.

21 February, Saturday. Kathmandu. Shopmission Sponsors.

Alarm: 09.00
Breakfast: 10.00.
On our way to H.E. again, where this time Nabin was. He joined us for a drink at New Orleans Cafe. rita and Nabin had a catch up about our 'adventures' of the past 3 weeks, which opportunity I grabbed to start to fill in the missing diary pages.
Accompanied by Nabin again on mission for the sponsor project.

In a conversation with Kay - the volunteer at C.W.A., we learned that she had a 'big' wish. She wanted to do creative things with the children, but she said there was no material in the home to use. I have to check this out when I am back in Pokhara (one of the many thing my To Do list). We promised her to try to find the things she wanted for her 5 weeks more volunteering stay at C.W.A.

A book about origami and coloured paper (so Jeevan is NOT using the homework books of the older children anymore to build his 'rockets') and beats to make bracelets and necklaces with the girls.
Happy with her ideas we were more than willing to get her this material.
In the Pilgrims book house Rita found a few excellent books with examples of being creative with paper. In the back of the book were a few pieces of coloured paper.
Nr. 1 on the list done!

With the great help of Nabin we also got to a whole sale shop of beads, where I bought with YOUR money a few kilo of all kinds of different beats and the thread needed.

Next step: finding boxes to safe the beats in.
Again Nabin (with my backpack filled with a few kilo beats on his back) took us to a small shop somewhere in one of the many side streets. He knew exactly what we needed AND where to find it. Without his help, we would never have found it AND for sure would have got lost, with our famous sense of direction.

On the way I spotted a small kiosk that had coloured paper. rita bought several sheets of each colour. Together with the how to books that is again her donation for the C.W.A.-kids.

Next move: a warm sweater for me and a watch! So far we used Rita's mobile or her watch for the time and the alarm. With her leaving tomorrow I do need my own (my mobile runs out of battery every time with not enough time of electricity to charge its battery). I ended up with a mini alarm clock, pink with Kitty on it, for small children, but it does do the job.

Last on the list: a warm sweater. In one of the many trekking material shops I found easily a fleece. The North Face sweater and our shopping mission was very successful and rather quick completed.

A bit tired, but very satisfied again - a little rest in our room while Rita packed for her departure tomorrow back to England.

Back at 20.00 at H.E. where we met Dill, Nabin and 2 other guides (I am useless with names) to go out together for our last meal at the Northfield Cafe this time.
The boys took us to another local bar for Rita's farewell drink.

23.30 back in the room, both ready for a good night sleep.

Suba Rathri.

20 February, Friday. With the touristbus from Pokhara to Kathmandu.

wake up call 06:00.
06:30 outside H.E., but the door was still locked and we saw nobody around. A few minutes later a taxi stopped and asked if we were going to the bus station. Yes, so we hopped in and were brought to the bus station.
About half an hour later the bus of World Wide Tour Travel came: with a group of Himalayan Encounters inside! Lolly, one of the guides of H.E.: "Where were you?" and I had to explain.
The bus left at 07:30.
We had the backseats, more then enough space. Only, at the other window a woman was seated and she had her window open. I was freezing, realizing I forgot my third 'layer'. She closed the window a little bit, but it took a few hours before it started to warm up a little bit, me in the meantime hoping I was not going to end up with a cold!

Two stops on the way, where we only had a drink, no food with the risk to get an upset stomach (of which Rita already was suffering a little bit).
Very busy on the road, an accident - which held us up for a little while (cigarette time) and at 15:00 we arrived at Kathmandu. A short walk through Thamel to Mandap hotel, where Dill booked us a room for 11 US!
Not really a big difference of room, but indeed a big difference in price compared with the Kathmandu Guesthouse!

We first dropped of our luggage at the reception and went straight to the H.E. office to 'report' that we were back safe. I called Pokhara to apologize for the misunderstanding this morning and to thank them for the great service and care they took of us.
After again a warm welcome back, a tea sitting in the sun and a quick catching up we went for a proper check-in and a bit of unpacking and refreshing to the Mandap Hotel.

At 20:00 we met Dill at H.E. and the three of us went to Rum Doddle for a nice meal.
A few other guides joined us when we were having our after dinner drink at the bar. The bar was packed, live music ( I will tape this music before my departure when I am back in Kathmandu), a few trekking groups of H.E. were there with their guides, the dance floor full with happy 'jumping' people. I also ended up at the dance floor.

This time with leaving the bar I was walking in front and we did not end up in the kitchen or toilet, but in an dead-end street! So much considering the sense of direction for the two Rita's!

Now there is a new rule in Nepal: the bars close at 23:00. Not so bad, time to have fun, but in bed at a decent time so we are not sleeping away the following sunny day.

Although also here we have beautiful sunshine, we both notice that is much colder in Kathmandu then in Pokhara.

In bed around 23.30 to catch up some sleep after the early rising and the travelling, so we will be able to get up around 09.00 for our last day together in Kathmandu - Nepal tomorrow.

Suba Rathri

19 February, Thursday. Pokhara. Rita's cloudbuster!

09:00 wake up.
Another beautiful warm day.
We went to H.E. for a coffee, Gomaya and many other guides I know from before are there. Nice to catch-up with them.

At 11:00 Rita left with Sun Rise Paragliding, I stayed with the volunteers who were going paragliding with Blue Skye. They gave me a lift to the starting point. I was there still in time to make pictures of Rita's take-off.
Not sure what was more scary: paragliding or 'flying' down the road in free gear! But I did enjoy the peace and the views. We had a clear view of the Himalayan Mountain range, but flying down on this bumpy 'road' with this speed made it impossible to make pictures.
Blue Skye dropped me off at their office, so I started to walk towards the landing zone.
After my walk for about already 25 minutes the jeep of Sunrise passed. I tried to stop them, shouting, waving. They did wave back very friendly,, but that was of course not good enough.
Right: turn around - start walking back to Lakeside.
Halfway the Blue Skye jeep passed and stopped. Again a ride until their office,, which left a walk for me from one side of Lakeside to the other. Arriving at the office of Sunrise the girl told me that Rita indeed was back already.
I checked Zorba's restaurant, above the office, where we many times went for lunch, hoping Rita was waiting there for me, because we did plan to have lunch after her flight. Nobody.
Walking to H.E.: nobody.
Up to the room and there she was, fixing her hair (we had electricity).

To Mamma Mia finally (14:30) to have breakfast/lunch.

I was supposed to go to the children and have a conversation with Thak, but the morning took all my energy and we were running late.
At 19:30 we will get picked up by Shiva to go to the Radio station for our 'interview'. Both of us did not really want to go and Buddha did listen to our prayers. When we were waiting outside of H.E. at 19:30 a small boy came up to us and told us that the interview was cancelled.
Yes, that was good news.
That gave us more time space. First a quick check about my ticket. It is arranged now for the 16th of March, one day later. The arrival time at Athens and the departure to Heraklion is a bit tight: 1 1/2 hour. Knowing that it takes quite a long time to get the luggage from the Bahrain flight, I asked George to change Athens-Heraklion 1 or 2 hours later.
A quick email to mum, she was worried not hearing a long time from me. She was right, it is not like me to leave all of you such a long time without news and from Monday I can really update you every day or every second day.
Even with my writing I am updating backwards, (missing still 11 till 18 February).

(Now Friday 20 February) am writing this in my diary, sitting in New Orleans Cafe with a coffee, while Rita is chatting with Nabin, our guide to Bhaktapur in the beginning of our trip).

For our last evening a nice meal at Teatime.
Around 23:00 back in our room, where I had to do a quick packing for the 3 days Kathmandu.

Suba Rathri
Sanghita

18 February, Wednesday. Monastery, C.W.A., Thak, Park

9:00 wake up.

Around 11:00 with Bikky - our H.E. taxi driver to the Tibetan Monastery.

Another warm (hot) day, we can see the Fishtail, but not the full mountain range, so we hope that tomorrow the clouds will be gone when we go to Sarangkot.

The monastery was beautiful decorated, they are preparing for next week for their New Year. (picture).

On our way out the Tibetan saleswomen were waiting. It is about 10 of them. We told them (like last year) we were going to buy 1 piece of each one of them.

It is fun and they do have beautiful things.

After bargaining with them (and they do give you a hard bargain) one of the ladies called me back. I told her "I am bankrupt, no more money, but then all of them shouted she wanted to give me a present. Again at the end of the line I had almost more presents then things I bought!

All of them made me and Rita a present.

Bicky and I had a laugh when I was at the stall of a very old lady. When I started the bargain her friend explained that she did not speak English. As soon as I said my price the old lady shouted in clear English: four hundred fifty!. "So she does speak English!" I said to Bicky.

He fell over from laughing.

Back at H.E. to report and to collect the blue bag which I can use for the only 3 days travel to Kathmandu.

A walk to Lakeside, collecting rita's prints and 'brunch time'.

Around 15:00 we arrived at C.W.A., where it was a busy day with a lot of visitors.

A Dutch couple walked in. I met them in 2005. They travel regularly to Nepal. They sponsor the son of the owner of the hotel where they always stay and they always visit the CWA-kids. One of their friend in Holland sponsors Mina and they took a lot of pictures especially of her. I had a talk with them and we agreed on the fact that all the children were looking happy, healthy and well taken care off. Their first impression was that the home did not look so 'in need' as in 2005.

Another visitor was Dan. English and volunteer in 2007. Since then he is coming back to Nepal every year (also to visit his Nepali girlfriend), including 'of course a few days to see my kids again'.

By the time everybody (including the homework teacher) was ready to go to the Park again, Thak invited me in his office. He asked me about my program for this year, but I back fired to him what HE had in mind.

I have been 'interviewing' already some of the children, so I did had an idea of who with what to sponsor.

Thak suggested that Sudeep should continue the computer school. with which I happily can agree. He is an excellent student (as also the headmaster told me) and he is really using his computer knowledge. After college he want to work as a web designer or any kind of job involved with computers, so I believe this will be be a good 'investment'.

Next on Thak's list was Rasilla. As soon as she has finished the exams, he wanted to send her for cooking lessons. Again we agreed on that.

Kamal and Arjun 3 or 6 months (depending on the price and the funds) continuation of their painting lessons. In my talk with the boys they said that their teacher is a good teacher and they would be very happy if it was possible to continue the lessons. Done.

Mongol's singing lessons. Thak said that he wanted to wait for the school results with the exams, because Mongol's results were not as good as they used to be. When he passes the exams with a good result he can continue the singing lessons. Thak mentioned to change teacher. In my talk with Sudeep he said that he was very surprised about how good Mongol's voice had become since the lessons, but he also mentioned that Mongol wanted/needed more variation in songs and styles now.

So, it will be indeed a good thing to change teacher.

I mentioned that Manju wanted to learn computer, so Thak agreed that she could go together with Sudeep to the computer school in Mahendrapool (Pokhara City).

Thak said that next year, when I come back and I do have some funds, we would look at 5 or 6 children in line to see what interests, special talents they have and sent them to extra training.

Continuing our conversation I got upset with Thak. His English is poor so anyway it is hard work to talk with him.

I asked him about the boxes that Voula had sent in july/august 2008. He said he collected them in Kathmandu.

I asked him about the boxes for the school and then he said that all the boxes were open. Now it proves that he kept the materials - planned for the school - for the home. He did mention 'a light bulb', so the box with science material for the laboratory for the school are in a cupboard in his office!

I will have a meeting with him again tomorrow and I will try the most to get the cupboards in the office unlocked, so I can check what is 'stocked' in there. I don't think Thak does this with a bad meaning, but I have noticed before that he stocks material instead of using them and make them accessible for the volunteers to work with them.

I will check again the study room to see if we can make there some space for the available stock, so the volunteers can see actually what is at their disposal. I do agree that controlling the use is in order, but to lock them away in an office makes them useless. It's gonna be a tough one, but I feel I have to try to get the materials "in sight" and that the volunteers coming in the future will have the key = access to the available materials to work with them in a controlled way.

Also I will try to get the materials - mend to be for the school - back to bring them to the school, where they will be displayed in the library (under control), accessible for the teachers And the students.

After this talk we went to the park, where I sat down with Sudeep.

First he tanked me and YOU over and over again for our help with his future.

He 'confessed' that Thak was keeping materials away from the little ones (fair enough), but that also the volunteers were not aware of any stock or that they were supposed to ask if materials they wanted to use (for example good drawing paper, card board paper, paints, beats, etc) for creative hours was available.

Next week - when I am back from Kathmandu - we will see together what we can do about this.

Time to check the emails and it was good news hearing from Suk in Chitwan that he received the books, the globe and the money!:

Playing and talking with the kids. Rita said goodbye to them, I promised to pop in in the afternoon before we will leave to Kathmandu on Friday with also the promisse that next week I will be in the home every afternoon. With their happy smiling faces as reply we left.
Gongka keeps asking me if I want to stay for Dahl Bath in the house, I also promised her I will stay next week and we will have more time to spend together. Another happy big smile with a big hug!!

Diner and book to our room. I am very tired from all this talking, trying to get/do things right, but it is a happy tiredness and I do sleep well most of the nights!

I received an email from George, Plora Travel, Ag.Nikolaos: my flight Kathmandu-Athens on the 16th of March is cancelled by Gulf Air!!
He asked me if I wanted him to book the flight for the 17th or if I wanted to contact Gulf Air myself. I requested him to change the flight together with my Athens-Heraklion flight.
So, now I have to wait and see if he can manage to get everything arranged for one day later.
Unnecessary to say that I do not feel sorry at all about this cancellation, as long as it means I can stay LONGER and not have to leave sooner.

Time to sleep. Suba Rathri, with a lot of love from Rita Sanghita and all 'our' children.

Tuesday, 17th of February 2009. Shining Star Boarding School. We got 'tika-ed'!

Tuesday, 17th February 2009. Shining Star Boarding School. We got ‘tika-ed’!

Around 14.00 we headed toward the Shining Star Boarding School with the world globe, the atlas and some wall charts (purchased in Kathmandu).
The headmaster spotted me right away (and later we found out that naughty Pashipathi, manager of H.E. had made a phone call to the school to warn them we were on our way!!!)
And there it happened again:
Tika from top to bottom, flowers and tea.
While we unpacked the gifts the headmaster had sent one of the teachers to go and get the students of the highest class, they are the Student committee.
Hand shaking, introduction about who we are, my story as volunteer in 2005, by the headmaster, pictures!!
The principal showed us around:
The nursery class and the huge difference with the Chitwan school knocked us of our feet a little bit:
the walls were painted green, every where butterflies hanging down from the ceiling, drawings on the wall, carpet on the floor AND a slide and wing, donated by a Dutch couple!!

Next was the library:
Our donation of the two cupboards last year made the principal decide it was now really time to set up a separate room as library. In the library a Nepali volunteer woman was working, motivating the children to come and visit her and take a book home to study and or to read.
Also in the library were two cupboards with science materials.
We went into a few class rooms, not packed with children as in Chitwan, I think he told us there were about 25 to 30 children in one class room.
Some wall charts on the wall, drawings of the children, things Rita had explained to Suk to try to accomplish in his village school.
I made a lot of pictures of the classrooms and will send a copy of them to Suk, so he can show the teachers of ‘his’ school, what we were talking about.
The headmaster talked and talked, what they had in mind to accomplish, but he explained they needed time (and funds, but that was not the most important) to make a successful progress to give the students the best possible method of learning.
By then it was time that school was finished, the children came out of the classrooms, which gave us the opportunity to move on.

Shining Star Boarding School 17/02/09

It’s Rita 2 once again. Unfortunately during the weekend I haven’t been too well, but fate has lent a helping hand and has kindly given me strength today to visit the Shining Star Boarding School here in Pokhara, which is funded and supported by the local community.

Whilst purchasing the wall-charts and educational provisions back in Kathmandu, we also bought a few books and wall-charts for the Shining Star Boarding School, along with a globe from a bookstore in Pokhara. Rita has told me that this school is much better equipped for teaching pupils both with its resources and positive learning environment, so I can’t wait to see the differences in comparison to the government run school in Chitwan.

Firstly we went to see our dear friends at the Himalayan Encounters to show them what lurked in our large, black bin-liner. I don’t know who was the most excited, us for finding and purchasing exactly what was required, or the staff at Himalayan Encounters at seeing the resources that were about to be delivered to the school.

We walked the 5-minute walk to the school, and were given various inquisitive looks along the way, before immediately being met by both a security guard who asked us to sign in, and the Principal, who had been alerted to our visit by one of our friends from Himalayan Encounters. Rita and myself looked at each other as neither of us could emotionally go through yet another elaborate welcoming ceremony as our emotions were already at the point of being tear-jerking, so we were both relieved at receiving the obligatory tika three times by the Principal and two senior teachers in an intimate, short ceremony, and receiving a handful of flower petals along with a glass of ginger tea. The Principal called across the 3 head children of the school, to receive ‘your’ donated items and a small, formal ceremony took place as hands were shook and the learning resources were presented, and greatly received. The children smiled proudly at the newly acquired gifts and posed eagerly for a photo opportunity.

On completion of the ceremony, the Principal guided us around some of the school and I was amazed, and happy, to see a learning environment that I could have almost compared to that of an English school. The interior walls of the nursery were brightly coloured and displayed some of the infants’ artwork; there was also a slide that we were told was a popular item used when the weather was wet. In the junior classroom, again there were various samples of pupils’ work dotted around the room along with various wall-charts. We were told that the average class size here was just 25 pupils, which felt like a realistic and manageable number. The school also had a room that had been turned into a library and a local volunteer worked there. The lady volunteer made sure that any book or resource that was borrowed, was done so in the correct manner and we knew that everything that we had taken that day would be both looked after, but more importantly, it would be used to its full potential. The whole ambience of this school was completely difference to that of the school in Chitwan, and even the Principal’s ethos that, ‘every resource should be made available for every child’, was a credit to his school’s philosophy of making learning fun. He also acknowledged the holes in his own childhood and educational opportunities, as he had desperately yearned for a basketball net so that he could, let off steam’and so one of the first things that was ever purchased for the school’s yard was exactly that, and as it was almost home-time, we witnessed several of the older children making use of this item, complete with its backboard.

As many of the children left for home, we left to see the children in the CWA Home, and I have to say that, in my humble opinion, the Shining Star Boarding School is a credit to Pokhara and that if we can All continue to support the school in Chitwan, that a new, exciting metamorphosis could emerge; a creative, stimulating environment where teachers want to teach and pupils want to learn.

Once again I wish to thank every one of you who has donated and supported the Nepal fund. I have felt privileged not only to be a part of this sponsorship, but more importantly to witness how Your donations have really made a difference.

First to the house and around 17.00 (after homework) with Kay, the teacher and the kids to the park again.
Just when we wanted to join the kids to the park, one of the teachers of the Shining Star walked in. He specially came to see us. He is doing a radio program and he asked us if we wanted to be his guests in his tourist talk show on Thursday. We had to sit down with him for a rehearsal interview.
Finally we could go on our way to join the children in the park for again some badminton and frisbee games.
For diner we tried a different restaurant, the food was okayish but not that good to go back to again.
Both tired of this day filled with enough emotions and happenings, to our room for a good night sleep.

Monday, 16 February 2009. On my own to the kiddies.

Monday, 16 February 2009. On my own to the kiddies.
Rita’s stomach is still not well.
After preparing the blue bag from Himalayan Encounters for Suk (one of the staff members of H.E. is going to Chitwan) I left Rita in the room, sleeping and resting and I went on my way around 16:00 to see my kiddies again.
We had a good time in the study room; I started to have an ‘interview’ with the children, one by one, to see how they really are and if they had special wishes, like painting lessons or something else.
I found out that Rasilla wants to become a teacher for small children after she finished college.
In the holiday she would love to go to a school to learn how to cook. Happy with this wish, I promised her we would make arrangements for this.
‘Little’ Sofia loves reading. She took a fairy tale book we bought for the home last year from one of the cupboards, climbed on my lap and together we did some reading.
Bimal want to become an Artist, he would love to go to painting lessons as well. I did tell him he first needed to learn and study very hard the English language.
Raju also wants painting lessons.
Manju wants to learn how to work with a computer and she asked if it was possible that Alina could come with her. Also would she like to learn how to draw, which makes the How to Draw books a good present.
Arjun will continue the painting lessons, started last year. He is happy with his teacher.
Kamal is also happy with the painting teacher and would love to continue as well.
Sujan would like to have painting lessons.
Mongol would love to continue his singing lessons, although he needs to change teacher then. The teacher from last year was okay, but there was no further progress. He was using the same songs over and over again.
Around 18.00 it was time to go home, check how Rita was doing.
She had slept almost all afternoon and was fit enough to join me for a meal, although it had to be just a light meal.
Diner, night-cap. Bedtime.

Sunday, 15 February 2009. Day Off.

Sunday, 15 February 2009. Day off.
Rita is having a bit of stomach problems, so we decided to have a day off.
A bit of lazing around on the balcony with our daily served cup of coffee from downstairs and then on our way to the Lake View Restaurant, where we dat ourselves down in the warm sun, Rita resting, me catching up with my diary.
To play it save, for a bite again to Tea Room Restaurant and …. yes, again an early evening.

Saturday 14 February 2009. How many people fit in a Suzuki Matari 800?

Saturday, 14th of February. How many people fit in a Suzuki Matari 800?
07:00 alarm
08:00 breakfast.
No school today, so on our way to the home.
With a few children walking to the land where the new house is in progress.
It was quite a long walk, all the way towards the landing zone of the Para gliders.
After about 45 minutes we finally arrived at the house.
The building is huge: they plan 3 bedrooms for the girls on the first floor.
3 bedrooms for the boys on the ground floor.
A big kitchen with a window through which they can pass on the Dahl Bath to the children in the big dining room. The kitchen and the dining room will have a lot of light, surrounded by many windows.
A TV. room, a big study room, a private room for Thak and Gongka, the office.
Gongka told us that they are expecting that the house will be ready in another 1 ½ year!
On the same piece of land Gongka’s brother already build a house. We were invited in this house, where Gongka’s sister in law straight away was busy with making tea for us and the children.
The children could watch a bit of TV. knowing their way in this house AND very familiar with ‘Auntie’ (sister in law).
Gongka’s brother has planted a lot of vegetables, potatoes and rice.
I think it is a good thing that he is living on the same land, I remember seeing him a lot of times in the house, fixing electricity problems and many other things. He will be of great help for this big family of 23!
Plus the land is already cultivated and they are growing their own veggies and potatoes there!
Thank had sent a taxi to collect Gongka, me and the younger ones.
But once the taxi was there everybody wanted to go home with taxi, no walking!
So we ended up with: Rita2 and Gongka in the back covered by 6 children!
I was sitting in the front with two little ones on top of me, trying to keep the space for the driver and his gearbox.
Bishal ended up with the best place: in the hood.
So, we made a new record: 13 people in a Suzuki Matari 800!!!
A shame we were not able to make a picture of this ‘package’ in the car, but the kids were sitting on my camera!!
A big laughter at the home from the other ones when they saw us coming out of this little car, one after the other!!
We stayed with the children, today was no school. Around 16:00, when the teacher arrived (on his day off!!) we went all together to the park to play football, badminton and with the frisbees.
Around 18:00 the sun went down and it was getting chilly, so time to march the happy, tired children home.
Diner again at teatime, the usual night-cap and again at a decent time to sleep. It is tiring so many children and so much fresh air!!
Suba Rathri!!!!

Friday, 13th of February 2009. My First visit to the Children!!

Friday, 13th of February 2009, my first visit to the children!!
Rise and shine, the sun is out, a nice warm day.
To Mahendra Pool again with Bicky, a taxi driver, arranged by H.E.
He proved to be a treasure.
We were on the mission of trying to find a World Globe, thinking that would be a hard, maybe even an impossible task.
Not with Bicky as company!
We arrived at a bookshop and Bicky was determined NOT to leave this shop, unless we had everything that was on our list.
He made the kind of lazy staff of the book ‘kiosk’ jump and run to get what we wanted.
The world globe was to our big surprise not a problem at all. Just only mentioning the word ‘globe’ made one of the boys showing up with a world globe in English AND one in Nepali!
Problem no.1 sorted: the English globe from OUR money for the Shining Star Boarding School. (2 euro!!!)
The Nepali globe a present from Rita for the school in Chitwan.
Next on the list for the Chitwan teachers:
a book about World History, in the Nepali language. With the help of Bicky we finally got two of the same copies of a good teaching book.
a book for teaching Science, again in the Nepali language.
Geography, Nepali
English Language, Nepali
Teaching Mathematics, Nepali
and 1 more copy of the so desired Ekta school Atlas (from Rita)
Mission completed, all for the amount of: 16 Euro!!
Next thing on our list: a computer shop, where I could by an USB stick. The USB I brought with me from home was somehow full (???).
I now have an USB stick of 4GB for 12 euro.
Happy with this successful ‘quick’ shopping we asked Bicky to bring us to a nice place somewhere in the sun for a drink. Of course he took us to a restaurant of a relative of his, but it was situated in a nice garden, away from the dusty big road, so fine with us.
Back in Lake Side to finally go and see the children for the first time!!!
They were playing in the garden; some were in the study room. Binod was one of the first who spotted us, Rita is here, Rita is here!
Every where it was NAMASTE RITA!!!
Curious as they are, to Rita2: what is your name, where are you from?
Most of the kids were in the study room. The exams are coming up soon and every day at 16.00 a teacher is coming to the house to help them with their homework. Also there is a volunteer, Kay, a young girl, English but she speaks fluently Nepali!!!
After two hours Rita wanted to go back to her room, not feeling that well.
For our diner to Teatime. The waiter there recognized me and even showed us ‘my’ table from last year!
A nice meal, but it did upset my stomach a bit: it blew up like an elephant again. I think it also had to do with the build up tension of seeing the kids for the first time. It surely made it clear to me that next time when I am arriving in Pokhara, no matter what time and/or how tired I am, I will go straight to the house to see them. Not this unnecessary build up of tension emotionally!
A night cap and back to the room, where we went to sleep around 23.00 o’clock.

Suba Rathri
Sanghita

Thursday, 12 February 2009, Pokhara

Thursday, 12 February 2009, Pokhara
I have to try to remember what happened this day, because I am writing this now the 28th of February.

I think the only happening of this day really worth to mention is that I went to a dental clinic in Mahendra Pool (Pokhara Centre)
Already in Elounda I had problems with a tooth in the far back of my mouth, which even made me speak sometimes with a slurrrrr.
Being fed up with this already wobbly tooth I went to the dental clinic.
The treatment was very good. First I had to fill in a medical form, and then one of the dentists took me to his treatment room and asked me a lot of questions.
The tooth was already standing loose, so it did not take much effort to take it out.
Lucky enough it did came out, without any complication like breaking or root problems.
They gave me tablets, which I should take for 5 days, 3 a day after every meal.
I was not supposed to eat or drink something for the first 4 hours, but duuuuuuuuuuh no nonsense.
After one hour I was eating my late breakfast with my daily cup of coffee: no problem. I did take a tablet after my lunch and later in the evening after diner, but I noticed I had stomach problems.
So: no more tablets. I HATE tablets. They are supposed to help you, to make you feel better, but so far any kind of tablet I have to take is making me feel shit!!
So, also that experience is now on my list: a visit to the dentist for only 21 Euro!
This was for a consultation (8.50 E), extraction (12.50 Euro) and the tablets (2.50!).
Can’t do that at home!!!
Happy with this tooth out of the way, I can actually chew my food again and my slurry speech is gone!!
Problem solved!!!!
The rest of the day we spend in the garden of Lake View Restaurant, sitting in the sun, reading, writing, relaxing.
Evening diner at teatime and an early night. Rita not feeling too good and both of us maybe still a bit tired from the travelling.