Some more photographs



A paraglider coming in to land beside the lake at Pokhara

A paragliding yeti?

 

The local juice bar, with stones on the roof to keep it down

Hats and Holidays

I managed to persuade the staff at school  to put up a reward system for good behaviour today.   A chart in the classroom was too big a step but all the primary school's children's names are now on the board in the 'staff room' and 3 have stars next to them.

 Surprise, surprise, it's another holiday!   Not for the rice harvest as the weather is still not good.   Hopefully some of the crop can be harvested soon.

It would be good to know in advance and then I could plan my day, hopefully I will get a lift into town.

A delightful couple staying at the Lodge kindly left a bag of goodies (hat, gloves, pens, etc) to distribute. The children will be thrilled.  They get so much pleasure from a small note book.  I will try and take a photograph of the recipient of the hat!

                                    Aruna and her very shy little brother are so proud of the hats knitted for them last year

Very, very wet

               

                     Day off in Pokhara.   It is wet!

Rice Harvest

The rice harvest festival has been postponed because of the wet weather so the government schools in Nepal will be open next week.  We are all hoping for sun to dry out the crop.

Another successful school day today.   I have managed to put up  names on the wall without too much staff resistance.   The poster is out of the children's reach as the teachers were concerned that it would just be pulled down.   Had success too with a very naughty boy who had a tantrum.   He could not have his pencil until he sat on the floor... it took a while but eventually he understood and now we are best friends!

I have a free day  tomorrow when I hope to find a Buddhist monastery in Pokhara - if I can get a lift into town.  

Back to school again on Sunday.

Weather

All the airports were closed in Nepal this morning due to bad weather.   There was very heavy rain last night.   I walked to school under an umbrella today, but not with my usual bamboo stick.   This was a mistake as it was very slippery underfoot.

My friend Boss, the dog that has adopted the Lodge here, didn’t come to school  with me today because  he frightens some of the teachers.   Last night he came down to my room with me.   Marcus told me this was unusual as he was wary of the leopards.  Leopards?   Could be exciting!

The rain is a worry here as the locals are ready to harvest their rice which is now ripe, but wet.   This will affect the school holiday which was due to be next week.  I am hoping to have a few days free to see a little more of Nepal, but now don’t know when this will be.

This is a photo of the delightful Sangam.  His mother died giving birth, and his father left him in the village.   I am not too sure who looks after him.   He is 6 years old, very enthusiastic, keen to learn, and loves posing for the camera.  Let’s hope he can continue to stay in school.   I am finding it difficult to stay detached…

 The teachers and children think it’s freezing but it’s not cold by English standards -yet.

A change in the weather

It was a good day at school today and I  managed to demonstrate lessons with the staff understanding what I was trying to achieve.   I didn't take my camera so have no photos to post.

The weather has changed so suddenly.   It is misty and cold and many of the children were wearing woolly hats to school today (supplied a couple of years ago by the Red Cross)  This is more like the temperature I was expecting.
  Thank you so much Susan at www.belladdinotte.com   and Sheela from www.patra.com
for sponsoring me by supplying warm underwear. The write-ups will be coming soon but I don't think I will post  photos of me wearing them at the foot of the Annapurnas!
  

Some random photos. Have you seen the previous blog?

Regulars on my daily commute to school

Daily hay gathering for the buffalo and goats

Washing out to dry  around the hay

Seconday school assembly and a marching lesson

Japanese tourist taking a close-up

- and paying for it

Just seen two teenagers shovelling concrete into a basket strapped onto a woman's back. She looked about 70, but I suppose you'd age quickly if your job was to carry around cement in a basket held in place by a strap around your head. Didn't get a photo as I saw it from the bus.