Email problems

Not able to send or receive emails at the moment – sorry if you have written and are awaiting a reply.   Hope to get this sorted soon

Arachnaphobes beware!

This is Cyril the Spider who lives behind the mirror in my bedroom and comes out each night for food.  He has not yet moved more than 18 inches from the mirror and squeezes himself back under at dawn.  

 So far we have lived together in harmony but we are both wary.   Cyril has long legs, a powerful body and fangs.  I am sure he could move with great speed if he saw me approach with a glass.  I wonder if he has a family?

The daily commute

 A long walk back up the hill with food for the buffalo

A Day in the Life of...

Positive feedback was received after the staff trip to Pokhara.   The teachers asked children to pick up rubbish without prompts yesterday and I got an unexpected personal – and much needed – morale booster.   Life is good and after a very cold night, dawn has just broken over the beautiful snow capped peaks.

  I attempted to paint some watercolours of the mountains a few days ago but discovered my palette hasn’t got Payne’s Grey.   Artists…. advice please.  (have no black either!)

Alice from SMA has kindly sent me some photos of her pets in England which I will use to demonstrate an English lesson with the older children this week.  If some other ex pupils could send ‘A Day in the Life of’ by email too it would be very helpful.  ( A  bit like Mrs Clive’s Monday morning diary writing sessions of old!)   Hopefully I will be able to post results of similar work done here.

Tibetan Village

Had terrible stomach cramps last night and felt quite ill.   I have now become a member of the Kathmandu Trot Club.  As Saturday is the only day free from school I was determined to make the most of it and went to visit theTibetan Refugee camp with the two new volunteers.   Unfortunately many of the shops and the carpet factory  were closed because it was Saturday. 

This stone has a meditation mantra written  on it

A very happy young monk showed me around the Monastery.  

Even the goats were smiling at the refugee camp

I had been laughing and joking with these jewellery sellers but although they were delighted to have their picture taken they found it difficult to smile for the camera.  There was lots more laughter when they saw this photograph.

 We returned to Pokhara and came across a colourful religious procession walking down the main street. It was very noisy with different groups playing instruments and chanting

These girls were wearing amazing headdresses

Today the primary staff and Headmaster from Amar Jyoti visited the Fulbari Montessori school in Pokhara. We were shown around by the owner of the school and then sat down to discuss views.

  There is a vast difference between government and private education here and at first the staff were overawed by the facilities at the Montessori school.  

At the end of the morning however they all appeared to be more at ease and started a lively discussion about how natural resources such as pebbles, nuts and leaves could be used for teaching number work and as inspiration for art activities, etc.

  It was a delight to see the children in the secondary school picking up rubbish in their playground this morning before we left. 

 The children have been used to dropping any rubbish they have directly on the ground and the use of bins has not been encouraged in the past. The next project is to get the rubbish tip moved from next to the kindergarten class in the primary school. Most mornings there are rat droppings on the volunteers' work in the staff room.  

  I pass this little one each morning on the way to school. She always shouts out 'Namaste' and 'How are you?'.
 I don't know why she doesn't come to school herself as she is certainly of school age.

Book donation

A wonderful parcel of books arrived from the USA for the school here today sent by www.papertigers.org (Thank you Marjorie)

The aim is to put these book sets into the hands of children in different parts of the world.   The books are chosen to promote greater understanding and empathy among young people from different backgrounds, countries and ethnicities, together with the goals of reading and literacy.   I am looking forward to sharing them with the children here and sending feedback.