Saturday 30th Msy

Well this comes from what I am very happy and relieved to describe  two happy campers!! No doubt we are around the corner and finally feeling good about being here - I know I am finally seeing more than the filth and mess and chais and finally experiencing the energy of Nepal and the lightness of the people. Really makes me realise how entrenched I am anyway Ito comfort zone, creature comforts, expectations ....

We four volunteers set off after class on Friday after agreeing we would go on strike and not return until Sunday evening, ie miss Sunday classes! 

At the trusty  hotel premium our new home away from home Jen collapsed on her bed and I decided to head out to look for dusters to avoid a repeat of the chalk nightmare. I found seven dusters which should clean the desks without covering the boys in chalk! I then spotted a place advertising Montessori based classes so decided to go in. I had the most delightful conversation with three men who took me into the preschool area which had all sorts of teacher made decorasies hanging from the low ceiling, child size chairs and tables and nothing else hinting at Montessori!  Anyway they gathered some chairs offered me some tea or juice (which I declined as we've been warned to do in case tap water is used in the preparation) it was fascinating - once they heard I was from SA they immediately started talking about Nelson Mandela! And in fact told me to tell people who asked that I come from Nelson man delays country - and he was right - everyone we have mentioned Madiba's name to light up and tell us what a great man who was!! Instant connection! Anyway this guy knew a lot about SA - rattled off names of our cricket stars, listed our minerals.... Once again I was asked my age and got the usual shocked response - no one will believe that!!'they asked how old john is and then why he wasn't here - when I relied he was working , they gasped - as in he is still working at his age!!! John you didn't hear that!!! So I plan to pop in on the school this morning to meet the teachers while the children are there - watch this space. Friday evening saw a bunch of volunteers enjoying supper at the Delima gardens an outdoor restaurant set down an a passage way off the seven corners a street close to the hotel. Well I paid for my indulgence later that night!! I mean really - does one beer and chicken breast equal indulgence!! I laid low sat morning while Jen headed out for brekkies. After a few crackers and rehydration salts and the ever trusty coke we headed out for what turned out to be the best day we have had thus far, 

We caught a taxi to the Monkey temple in Swayambhu which is on a raised area looking over the Kathmandu valley. We loved it - the taxi driver called Prem insisted he wait for us and we were amazed when he would not accept the 300 rupees ( R30) (for taking us there saying we could pay at the end- should've seen warning lights flashing! Anyway we explored the temple - fascinating and a feast of colours, animals - dogs and many very laid back monkeys happily feeding off the devotees offerings placed at the feet of the many statues- Jen is going to show me how to post pics to relieve my long screeds of text but in the meantime do look at Jen's blog to see her pics and version of our adventures. 

The Nepalese are really friendly and many are into hugging. I got to hold my first Nepalese baby - adorable of course with kohl smeared around his eyes of course. His mum was beautiful in a stunning yellow sari as was his granny who started chatting to me - she was wearing as brilliant red and gold sari - so friendly . We bumped into the family as we were leaving and we exchanged another warm hug! Jen even took photos of one young couple and immediately blue toothed it to them!! I'm filled with admiration!! 

From monkey temple we went on a hair raising ride - even more so than usual - just when one thinks it can't get any worse - to look for the white temple which our taxi man said we had to see. He was not waiting in the car park as arranged so we tried to call him but Jen's phone was out of battery so now a dilemma - we could take another taxi but we owed Prem NR300. Another driver asked us if he could help so we called our guy Prem on his phone. - no reply!

Finally Prem called the driver back to say he got hungry and was 5 minutes away! So off we went to find this not be missed monastery. It was in a stunning location - high above Kathmandu valley but sadly it had closed by the time we got there. In fact it is a nunnery called Druk Amitabha Mountain- open only on Saturdays - we might go back if we can face the ride again!  When we finally got back to Hotel Premium in Thamel mister Prem informed us we owes him NR 4000!! Quite a hike from the original NR 600 which Akkal had got hi to agree to when we set off! Yes we had added a leg and yes he did stay with us( his choice!) Anyway we are learning and said NR 2000 - totally not on so I then said I was going to call Rossam from the hotel while Jen waited... At which point he hastily agreed to accept NR 2000 and pushed off!!! Hmmmm ... Neither of us is very good at this bartering thing - I always feel that ten rand more or less won't affect me but will make a big difference to the other guy! 

Then we headed out to a delightful place for sups with a live Nepali band of five older men playing traditional instruments - we even spotted three stars over head - the big thing here is to eat out in the open all be it surrounded by buildings so one looks up through a narrow chimney of space, depending on the size of the outdoor area. El fresco Nepali style!!!

Friday 30 May

So was given my new room yesterday but in fact had a bad night and felt really grotty so didn't go to class and stayed in bed to catch up on sleep. This is a really fickle condition that takes you up and down! We have all had it do can empathize with each other. At this stage there does not seem amybpointbin resorting to anti biotics ... Anyway I felt good after theornongs sleep - I was very proud of Jennifer who tackled class one for two hours on her own - noean feat as there are over 40 little boys ranging in age from 6 to 10 all wanting your attention! I spent the afternoon getting my room moved and sorted - basically bunked!! Not something this first goodie two shoes does often!

So today I woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed and ready to face the imfamous class one boys. Jen went off to take class six - an easier, in many ways, group as there are fewer of them for a start and they are older but not all of them know the letters in the English alphabet - so tricky having such wide ability ranges in one class.

So this morning, as I walked across the large courtyard between the class room block and our accimmodation, I was attacked by little boys saying "class one/ class two etc" as they implored you to come to their class! Poor little guys really seem to want the volunteers rather than the Mepalese teachers. The classes are bare except for a white board or black board which is usually so shiny it is difficult to write legibly on it. The boys sit on benches attached to a table like surface. There is no teachers chair or desk or table - that's it. Each child has aotley selection of exercise books and a pen. So we started off sounding out the sounds of the alphabet - one by one as I went around and listened to each child repeating the sound (a, b . C, m, f and o). They were happy to do this - actually they'll are happiest when reciting by rote! I then got them to put all their books on the seat next to them - a very foreign concept - and then handed out chalk and one torn off piece of loo paper. They then had to write the sounds on their tables while I went from boy to boy correcting how they formed the letters! Teechavteecha teecha was all unheard!! Well bybthe time we  had done four letters there was chalk everywhere - on faces, hands, in hair, walls and of course being little boys they took great delight in making their palms purple etc and scaring each other!! So we used pieces of toilet paper to rub off the letters each time and of course soon there were pieces of screwed up loo paper all over the place!!! Talk about thinking throw ones lesson before hand!! The up side was most of them were forming the letters correctly and I could guide their hands while they held the chalk. So myission is to get a whole bunch of small face cloths so we don't waste paper. While we played games to one side of the class room - a big advantage is that there is enough space to do wxercises and sing songs without having to move furniture- three boys cleaned the table tops with black board rags. I then gave them each a drawing to colour in with crayons I brought with me - thanks Karen! They loved that and that was the lesson!!! They did clean up all the bits of tissue paper and throw it in the bin downstairs. The class rooms do not have bins in them and often in the first class of the day , you can be in the middle of a lesson when suddenly there will a knock on the door and a team of little guys with grass brushes ( exactly as we see in rural areas at home) will come in and crawl under the tables and benches to sweep the floor! 

So pretty far removed from grade Obat thevRidge or any Montessori schools I've taught on!!! But I know I am going to get into the rhythm of it - I am thinking of staying with class one in the mornings for the two hour session and maybe teaching class two in the agternoon session . That waybthetecwill be consistency for them and maybe I can get through the sounds in the alphabet. As so often happens a lot of them know the names which does not help with phonics and reading. I will obviously have to ring the changes and get some alphabet flash cards organized. 

Right now we, the four volunteers at the monastery are back in Thamel at the Hottl Premium for the weekend. We are meeting tonight for a meal with everyone. I am going to pop out soon to look for card board to stick the pictures I brought with me onto. 

Jen and I are also planning on visiting a couple of places this weekend. We are expected to teach on Sundays as well but we decided we needed some time to recover from this dam tummy bug so told Pena at the monastery we would be back Sunday evening! 

 

So cheers for now as I head off to find cloths etc!! Your obey for the children is being put to very practical use at this stage altho of course these little amounts are the tip of the iceberg of your generosity!

Friday 30 May

So was given my new room yesterday but in fact had a bad night and felt really grotty so didn't go to class and stayed in bed to catch up on sleep. This is a really fickle condition that takes you up and down! We have all had it do can empathize with each other. At this stage there does not seem amybpointbin resorting to anti biotics ... Anyway I felt good after theornongs sleep - I was very proud of Jennifer who tackled class one for two hours on her own - noean feat as there are over 40 little boys ranging in age from 6 to 10 all wanting your attention! I spent the afternoon getting my room moved and sorted - basically bunked!! Not something this first goodie two shoes does often!

So today I woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed and ready to face the imfamous class one boys. Jen went off to take class six - an easier, in many ways, group as there are fewer of them for a start and they are older but not all of them know the letters in the English alphabet - so tricky having such wide ability ranges in one class.

So this morning, as I walked across the large courtyard between the class room block and our accimmodation, I was attacked by little boys saying "class one/ class two etc" as they implored you to come to their class! Poor little guys really seem to want the volunteers rather than the Mepalese teachers. The classes are bare except for a white board or black board which is usually so shiny it is difficult to write legibly on it. The boys sit on benches attached to a table like surface. There is no teachers chair or desk or table - that's it. Each child has aotley selection of exercise books and a pen. So we started off sounding out the sounds of the alphabet - one by one as I went around and listened to each child repeating the sound (a, b . C, m, f and o). They were happy to do this - actually they'll are happiest when reciting by rote! I then got them to put all their books on the seat next to them - a very foreign concept - and then handed out chalk and one torn off piece of loo paper. They then had to write the sounds on their tables while I went from boy to boy correcting how they formed the letters! Teechavteecha teecha was all unheard!! Well bybthe time we  had done four letters there was chalk everywhere - on faces, hands, in hair, walls and of course being little boys they took great delight in making their palms purple etc and scaring each other!! So we used pieces of toilet paper to rub off the letters each time and of course soon there were pieces of screwed up loo paper all over the place!!! Talk about thinking throw ones lesson before hand!! The up side was most of them were forming the letters correctly and I could guide their hands while they held the chalk. So myission is to get a whole bunch of small face cloths so we don't waste paper. While we played games to one side of the class room - a big advantage is that there is enough space to do wxercises and sing songs without having to move furniture- three boys cleaned the table tops with black board rags. I then gave them each a drawing to colour in with crayons I brought with me - thanks Karen! They loved that and that was the lesson!!! They did clean up all the bits of tissue paper and throw it in the bin downstairs. The class rooms do not have bins in them and often in the first class of the day , you can be in the middle of a lesson when suddenly there will a knock on the door and a team of little guys with grass brushes ( exactly as we see in rural areas at home) will come in and crawl under the tables and benches to sweep the floor! 

So pretty far removed from grade Obat thevRidge or any Montessori schools I've taught on!!! But I know I am going to get into the rhythm of it - I am thinking of staying with class one in the mornings for the two hour session and maybe teaching class two in the agternoon session . That waybthetecwill be consistency for them and maybe I can get through the sounds in the alphabet. As so often happens a lot of them know the names which does not help with phonics and reading. I will obviously have to ring the changes and get some alphabet flash cards organized. 

Right now we, the four volunteers at the monastery are back in Thamel at the Hottl Premium for the weekend. We are meeting tonight for a meal with everyone. I am going to pop out soon to look for card board to stick the pictures I brought with me onto. 

Jen and I are also planning on visiting a couple of places this weekend. We are expected to teach on Sundays as well but we decided we needed some time to recover from this dam tummy bug so told Pena at the monastery we would be back Sunday evening! 

 

So cheers for now as I head off to find cloths etc!! Your obey for the children is being put to very practical use at this stage altho of course these little amounts are the tip of the iceberg of your generosity!

Wednesday 28 May

Today I feel as if a shift has happened for me. I feel I am here and more accepting of what is and where I am rather than so often thinking of home and how different it is here and if only 'they' would do this or that or wouldn't it be better if the stairs were clean or the wi fi worked or the food wasn't so spicey. We are slowly making things more comfortable for ourselves and I guess getting used to the status quo - we are such creatures of habit and oh so quick to judge and I guess bottom line find fault!! This evening I wrote Pema, the lama who lives on the same floor as us and who showed us our rooms etc, a letter in which I asked if there was anything I could do help get the neon light in my room replaced or to get a globe for one of the three lights in room as we would be staying at the monastery until the 30 th June and I feared my eyes might be adversely affected by the flickering neon light and having to read by the rather weak light of my head lamp!!! As I went to leave it in his room or on his door he appeared so I gave it to him. He read it and then immediately suggested I move to another room along the passage three rooms from my current room. Yay to be shortly followed by Ah as he could not find the key!!! So let's see what tomorrow brings.... 

So for the moment I sit wearing a head lamp and pretending or feeling like I'm in a 60's disco! 

Today I really enjoyed the teaching as I now get to know the boys. So the weeks suddenly no longer stretch into a never ending future of what am I doing here as I finally feel that I am here for a reason and that this can be more than a time to be got through! My tummy is still rather shakey but not intolerably so and I am keeping rehydrated - it really does seem to come with the territory as three of us are experiencing this. The French girl has been here since 5 th April so presumably her immune system has adjusted? I am really enjoying the eggs here - I don't know how the chooks are fed but I am eating at least one or two a day - as is, either boiled or scrambled with no salt etc. 

I am reading a really interesting book, thank you Bryce for recommending it- The snow leopard by  Peter Matthiessen. It all takes place not far from here and is full of much more than his search for the snow leopard. 

It is interesting to have so much unschefuled time at my disposal - seems like a luxury I have not had for a long time  - not that I am frantically wukking all the time at home - more like I am frantically playing all of the time and doing Shambhala stuff of course. Here days are filled with lesson prep, teaching, preparing meals, cleaning, washing self and clothes and sitting practice and blogging and reading and also chatting to the other volunteers. On some days we pop out of the monastery to get the odd supplies and a coke. Today I have not gone out at all. I watched the sun go down from the top of the building - very beautiful . Kathmandu valley is surrounded by pretty high disappearing hills - at least three rows in any one direction covered with dense forests and straggling abodes dotted around. It's quite a fantastic view from up there. Not sue if I have already mentioned we look onto the air port so see many planes really low as they come into land. Kathmandu sprawls in all directions but we are way above the hustle and bustle and dirt of street level. As I write the boys are busy with pooja - a sound I am getting used to. The other night I held the phone over the balcony for John  to hear - he remarked it sounded like a giant swarm of bees or a formula one racetrack inside ones living room!!! Take your pick!! 

So I think the French open has begun- I wonder if Roger will be playing given his twin boys are now about four weeks old and of course here's hoping my boy mister Rafa does ok! 

So enough now - must say I have  not given TV much thought. On another tack though I do wonder at the lack of sport or physical activity available to these boys- once again so different from our system altho having said that not all of our children have access to sport, in fact the majority don't so not so different after all! 

Have just had a late supper - well ninish which is way after the others eat - boiled rice in chicken stock which Jen prepared for herself, to which I added two beaten up eggs, which I cooked on the gas plate, followed by marmite in hot water!! Delicious! 

Monday 26 May

 Today we taught our first class at the monastery- all a bit and miss as at the nunnery! There is no plan or record of what has been done before. I went in with a plan once again mistakenly assuming that as this was the most advanced class we could look at a globe and show them where we are from but we were met with blank expressions. It seems written their English is in most cases ahead of their spoken English but once again, difficult to ascertain levels of comprehension. We ended up playing action games - a two hour lesson which actually works better as it gives one time to ring the changes and end up with the famous copying! I messed up completely by using a permanent marker on the white board so Jen went off to get various cleaning agents to sort it out and spent the rest of the lesson painstakingly cleaning  my mistakes and residue from who knows how many lessons as well!! It was pretty noble of her and fetching it entailed down three floors across a long courtyard and the up fourvfloors to our rooms and of course back again!!! 

I then started getting tummy cramps - possibly from a mango I had eaten yesterday- anyway I felt extremely sorry for myself so opted out of teaching the afternoon session. Jen joined the French girl with class one . She said it was a nightmare with 40! Kids each wanting the teachers attention. It is really hard for her as she had no experience with children. 

Anyway on the up side - I slept most of the afternoon trussed up in three layers of clothing under two blankets. It rained and thundered last night which I enjoyed altho I battled to get to sleep once again. At least I have bought milk powder so tonight I will try it with calcium powder and honey altho maybe not the best for tummy at this point! Wow fascinating what becomes ones focus and how ones decisions are so different - not decisions really but what one's priorities become and what takes on such significance . Really getting a sense of what it is like in very different living conditions and circumstances. Bottom line I guess I have a feel for what a fish that's jumped out of its bowl might feel like!! Certainly comfort zone takes on a new level of understanding!

Josh sent me some wise words saying that travelling is such a great mirror, it manifests our unconscious stuff so readily for us to see; so conscious travel is like life on fast forward. He added "keep those compassion levels high especially towards yourself. Remember you are in the perfect place for what you need to go through...." He then reminded me to take time off and relax. So thank you dearest josh who set off yesterday (27th) with Kate Louise, his wonderful girlfriend, for six months to South America - catching the train from B.A. to Tucuman in Argentina to spend time with his family from his Rotary exchange year, then north thro Bolivia to Peru. 

Jen and I bunked afternoon classes to take a taxi to the VIN office to gobthrobtheir store room of donated activity books to bring some back for us to use with the boys. So easy to say - we caught a taxi - what a mission to accomplish!! It involved setting off on foot, stumbling across a row of taxis with sleeping drivers inside  - on the way Jen got chatting to a woman who as far as we could figure out, wanted us to come and eat at her house for which we would not have to pay - I took her number and she insisted on taking my email address - watch this space... Anyway Jen phoned dinesh who told the taxi man where to take us and negotiated a price having first asked us if we were inside the taxi yet! Once again driving is like nothing I have ever experienced - like orchestrated chaos with motor bikes coming from all sides, cars a centimeter away on both sides and no anger or impatience - just the never ending hooters warning of one's prescence!! There appear to be parts of this enormous sprawling city where the road widening is complete and there is no building rubble in the roads but still there is nothing like the order we are used to in our streets! The upside I guess of the shocking roads and the congestion is that one  has no option but to drive slowly and I guess this is why there are so few accidents in spite of what one would expect. At one point we were so a steep hill and were convinced that the taxis clutch cable would snap - most of the taxis are absolute rattle traps not surprisingly given the condition of the roads! So enough we made it there and back and felt pretty good about what we brought back! We spent the evening cutting up limitless books and sorting for classes! 

Last night was a bitcextreme though - I had no lights in my room, there was no water in the bathrooms and we ran very low on our supplied bottled water... We did have water in the kitchen which of course needs to be boiled. We do have a two plate gas cooker so they much to say thanks for! 

Tum a little shakey but I'm feeling much better. .... It is amazing to me how contact with home and loved ones uplifts me - I suppose it is a no brainer - I have given a lot of thought to the early missionaries and people who set off not knowing where they were headed or what they were in for - incredibly brave and trusting souls and of course without any of the benefits and back up that  we have - least of which being medical!! 

I realise too that one of my high lights is to blog so hang in there those of you who are still journeying with me!! Do excuse the errors as I can't always see that well!! And sometimes I just want to save what I have written without editing so I don't loose it!! 

Sunday 25 May at Jovi Kadhampa Monastery, the new monastery

YWe now found ourselves in vastly improved accommodation! There is a god out there keeping an eye on two Suit Efricin mamas!!!! The ever trusty Akkal brought us to to check out an alternative   home and it was a no brainer although scary to see how the older monks were shouting at and wielding the ever present stick as the boys clustered round the car to catch a sighting of their new teachers! We then drove back to the Mahayana nunnery to pack our things and say goodbye to the girls which I was dreading. So with very heavy heart I packed while listening to the girls chanting pooja before supper. There were a couple of older Chinese nuns there who had been teaching them. As they saw the case being put into the car they realized what was happening and I tried to explain that Jennifer's chest could not manage the dust and she was going to get sick. Fortunately Dinesh had told me that I would be able to visit them or even return to teach for a day once a week or so. But it was heart breaking - I was in tears and so choked up and as the girls cottoned onto what was happening more and more of them started crying. One little girl Monita run off and came back with a Buddhist medallion which she pressed wordlessly into my hands - we were both in tears in fact she was sobbing as we drove through the gate. I just wondered how many times in their short lives they have been left

So we have now settled into our new accommodation - separate rooms each with two beds and a pedestal. There is a great shrine room right on the same floor where we sat today. We have our own volunteers kitchen which we share with a French girl called Manon who has been here twoonths and an Aussie called Ben who is leaving on Tuesady next week. Jen will move into his room as her room looks out onto the bogus dorms where's Ben's andine look over the houses next door and up towards the hill suurounding Ksthmandu valley. We have yet to catch a glimpse of any mountains!! So here' s the thing. This place is also filthy - it seems cleanliness she's not big in Nepal - certainly all that we have seen!! Jen is totally bummed as it was not what she expected from places supposedly practicing Buddhism - where is the kincdness and awareness?? So most of last and this morning was spent cleaning- put rooms, the kitchen  and the bathrooms which it seems we share with the other volunteers and a couple of monks who live in this floor/ Ben tells us that they are not the most aware fellows When it comes to cleaning up after them!! So Jen and I went out today to are ally good and spotless supermafketvand bought all sorts of cleaning cloths and soaps to put in the four communal bathrooms, which have a loo and shower and basin in one room. 

Right now I am lying on my bed under the mossie net which I set up this evening as last night I was kept awake by what seemed to be only one mossie- powerful little sucker though as It won!! The windows do have nets on them but I had left the door open earlier. The boys are doing pooja now  right below us. The building is built in a square with a large well like space  in the middle sobthey  sitting in rows and chanting which would be fine except they are leaf by one of the older boys who is bellowing into a mike which is held too close to his mouth  - the noise from him is pretty excruciating - really get the feeling that he should be put out of his misery😃 in true Aussie way, Ben calls it " Nepal - whose got talent!!!" Which we (and the boys!!!) are subjected to twice a day from 6.00 to 7.30 then again at night from 7.00 to 9.00!!! Once again an older monk patrols with the long stuck which is slapped down next to a boy - we can look down on what is happening - haven't seen anyone hit yet! 

Saturday 24May

Wow woke up at 9.30 - longest sleep since leaving SA- a combination of  exhaustion and YAY! Too much Tequila coffee liqueur! Jen brought a bottle from SA for a friend which turned out to be the wrong thing so hey we had to drink it! So last night a group of volunteers enjoyed a merry evening at th Electric Pagoda around the corner from the hotel premium where we spent last night. Jen and I caught A mini bus from near the nunnery to come onto Kathmandu to an afternoon feedback meeting at the VIN office. Oh my - SA taxis take on a new look now! At one point there were 28 people crammed into the taxi!! Amazingly everyone was so good humored - giggling and laughing with no angry voices as elbows dug onto sides and faces were shoved into shoulders and worse! It rattled its way through the never ending assortment of motorbikes, scooters, ancient busses and trucks, small cars used as taxis and of course the constant stream if pedestrians walking on the edge of the road as the sidewalks are being dug up everywhere to widen the roads. So we wear our face masks all the time. Unfortunately we were ripped off by the taxi toute- same as in SA - he shouts out the route and collects the fares. It seems we paid 10 rupees for a max 40 rupees trip! Akkal our driver was outraged and wanted to know if we knew the registration number!!!

We then had to walk what we had been told was am 8 to 10 minute walk to the office! Forget it! We arrived utterly deleted and vet unhappy campers about 40 montes later having clambered through the rubble, debris and unsavory sights and mess that is on the roadsides. It's a constant exercise in mindfulness I guess which is really energy sapping. I guess until we get accustomed to this it will continue to be so- so hard not to judge but rather to accept as the way it is  - so these daily encounters are the spiritual path....I can only imagine how I will delight in our roads while seeing so much with new eyes. I guess roads in Masi could compete with this but our fortune is we can escape the roads in Masi! Also it seems to me the roads in Masi are less hazardous with children safely playing ball etc on them while that is out of the question here 

It seems Saturday besides being a day. I am standing on the 6th floor lookiing out the window at washing hanging from everywhere on the roofs of the homes I am looking down on. There are a couple of children bathing in a tub and getting dresses, an old woman sitting in a shady spot on her patio. A feeling of peacefulness, roof top garden and hens growing, straggly tall trees searching for sunlight between buildings, shoots growing impossibly out of cracks in walls, debris on top if rooves and solar panels everywhere.