CHITWAN

Having been here nearly a month and a half I decided to take a long weekend and go down to Chitwan (organised by the excellent Adrift Adventures company (http://adriftadventure.com/).  I spent Thursday night in Thamel and then Shiva, who runs the company, organised for me to be escorted to the bus bank and onto the bus.  Just as well as it was VERY early and left to my own sleepy devices heaven knows which bus I'd have ended up on otherwise.  The trip out of the valley and down to Chitwan is absolutely magnificent.  I'd organised to go rafting along the way so was dropped off at the rafting point on the Trisuli River.  Apparently this is normally a grade 2 - 3 but being monsoon season had built up to grade 4.   Being naive to these things I initially thought the supports across the middle were seats.  When told we actually had to sit on the edge my reaction was "you want me to do what?!!".  A 5 minute run down on paddling techniques and we were on our way and very quickly into the rapids.  

My bags I entrusted to the people at the centre to have transported to the drop off point but my camera and purse I put in a water tight container which was secured to the middle of the raft.  I put on my waterproofs, happily thinking they would keep me relatively dry (I travel light so didn't have many changes of clothing) but once the water got really rough  nothing on earth would have stopped me being drenched.  It was better than any roller coaster - the ride up waves and then the stomach churning drop down into the water again, all the while trying to avoid rocks and other obstacles.  Every now and again the river calmed sufficiently for us to enjoy the views and for some horseplay between the two rafts to take place, mostly involving a huge amount of splashing with our paddles.  It was a 3 hour trip that went by far too quickly!  Sadly it was impossible to take photos along the way but when we reached the drop off point I took this one.  I would really have liked one of the rapids themselves though.  

Onwards to Sauraha, a little village right by Chitwan National Park itself.  You can stay right in the park but the prices are astronomical and personally I liked Sauraha, a sleepy rather laid back little place where pony carts and elephants wandering through the streets are a common sight.


There is an elephant breeding centre here and the baby elephants are more cute than words can describe.  It is also the proud possessor of Nepal's first set of twin elephants! http://www.asesg.org/PDFfiles/Gajah/30-53-Thapa.pdf

Due to delays waiting for a bus from the rafting point to the hotel we arrived rather late and very hot and tired.  I was told that there was a problem with my room and so I couldn't spend the first night at the Hotel Rainforest, where I was booked in, but instead was being upgraded to the Westwood, just 200 metres away.  What a lovely hotel!  Every amenity I could wish for AND A BATH!! That seemed positively decadent.  The next day began with a safari into the jungle on elephant back.  Because of the time of year and the heavy rains there wasn't much game to be seen but I really didn't mind that.  I've already done game viewing in Africa although I would have liked to have seen an Asian Rhinoceros http://news.discovery.com/animals/rhinos-rebound-in-nepal-110426.html.  We did, however, see an absolutely enormous python devouring a fully grown monkey.  The mahouts made the elephants go quite close to it which upset them and they made strange whale type cries of distress.  

I thoroughly enjoyed just trundling along through the jungle on my elephant. After that it was the elephants' turn to be given a treat so off we went to the river to bathe them.  One lay down on command and the mahout helped me up onto it, along with a couple of girls who were also on the trip. Into the river we went and we all had half an hour or so of huge fun being sprayed with water by our elephant.  Eventually it just rolled over in to water and we scrambled off and gave it a good scrubbing.

 It was a thoroughly good weekend of just doing touristy things - canoeing on the river, being led through the jungle by a guide and learning about nature.  I learned that tree vines always grow in a clockwise direction, that termite heaps here are quite different to those I was used to in South Africa and I saw orchids growing naturally on trees and in such profusion!  What a sight that must be in May when they're in flower! 


While walking in the jungle the guide told me why local people are so frightened of sloth bears and why they dread meeting them.  The name sloth bear suggests a slow, rather cuddly animal.  Far from it!  The size of a large dog if they feel threatened by people they rear up on their hind legs and attack the face and especially the eyes.  While this is disturbing I think it show incredible intelligence.  What other animal knows that the best way to disable an enemy is to attack their vision?   

Spotted Deer.  I could make countless puns but I'll refrain . 4 types of deer live in the forest but we only saw these. Very little game indeed - a wild pig, the python and a lot of monkeys.  Not surprising at this time of year though as the vegetation is dense and thick and offers no end of hiding places.

This photo was taken while out in the canoe.  I've never experienced a storm quite like it - rain so fierce I couldn't open my eyes as it hurt too much. Utterly beautiful though.  

SCHOOL UPDATE

I've completed the first week of my conversational class and it seems to be going a lot better.  For the first couple of days I stood in front of the class full of boys, all looking at me expectantly, feeling as if I was in one of those nightmares where you have to give a piano recital in front of a packed audience and suddenly realise you can't play the piano!  The boys were all so optimistic but shy to speak and I found it difficult engaging them all.  I taught them to play 'Taboo' and volunteered to go first, partly to demonstrate the game but also so show them that I was willing to take part too and have fun (and make a fool of myself).  From there we progressed to 'Who am I?' which they enjoyed immensely.  They played in pairs, the only rule being that only English could be spoken and they relaxed, talked and laughed.  They finished an entire pad of Post-It notes and I was very impressed at some of the answers they had to guess eg colour, Antarctica, a sunset and, in one of my favourites, a boy had his own name pasted to his forehead.  I got off lightly in taboo - I had to guess that I was Buddha and somehow I did it!  A thoroughly good icebreaker though and now they're relaxed enough for us to move on to roleplays with scenarios like making an appointment to see the doctor.  It's still difficult to hear them all speak individually and some of them have approached me and said they would prefer 1-to-1 lessons too.  I can understand that because as it's a class of mixed ages and abilities some of the pupils with less advanced English understandably feel shy about speaking in front of the others.  Some have taken to coming to chat to me in my 'office' so now I arrive in the morning not only to a deluge of little ones bearing gifts of drawings and newspaper cuttings, but also the older pupils carrying work to be checked or just wanting to chat.  I have a 2 hour lunch break but again no sooner have I finished eating than all my companions are waiting on the doorstep for me to invite them in.  I don't mind though.  At lunchbreak today in my office  I had 2 of the boys playing a board game I taught them, 1 wanting me to correct work, 2 playing handball with me (those foam filled balls I bought from Poundland were the best purchase I made) and my senior pupil patiently waiting for his lesson to begin.. 


Tomorrow there are plans for the whole school to walk up into the mountains to a picnic spot.  The younger boys especially hardly ever get to leave the school so it would be such a treat for them to have the space to run freely and play out in the open.  Everything, however, hinges on the weather.  Some rain is obviously to be expected at this time of year but a heavy downpour would force the outing to be cancelled. Oh I'm hoping for a nice day!

SWAYAMBHUNATH

Yesterday I took the early microbus to Swayambhunath Temple (also called the Monkey Temple on account of the amount of monkeys that frequent this area).  Not knowing my way about I took the western staircase up rather than the steeper but far more atmospheric eastern way.  


Nothing could have prepared me for the sheer scale and majesty of the stupa when I reached the top. 

According to my Lonely Planet book the earliest confirmed mention of the stupa was in AD460, around the same time as Roman rule in England came to an end and the dark ages began.  


The above photo shows just 2 of the four faces of the Buddha that gaze out over the city and Kathmandu Valley.  What looks like a nose is in fact the symbol of unity, the Nepalese number 1 (ek) while above that the third eye symbolises insight.  All around the base of the stupa are butter lamps and prayer wheels with the mantra Om Mani Padme Hum which pilgrims spin as they make their circuits. The amount of carvings everywhere took my breath away.  The detail and sheer beauty is astounding.  I spent ages just gazing up at a set of carvings midway up one of  the houses.  They showed the circle of life, beginning with a boy then going through the ages showing a healthy man striding up a mountain, then an old man struggling up with the aid of a stick and finally men carrying a casket up that same road.  Sadly my little camera just isn't powerful enough for me to capture the detail and beauty.  A lady who owned a nearby stall said that each artist had their own unique style and that the art is dying own now.  She blamed internet and tv for introducing a new influence into the art.  Maybe so but throughout the ages every new style must have been seen as rather avant garde.  

  
I felt as if I couldn't possibly take it all in and just wanted to sit and look and look.


Today was meant to be a day preparing my lessons for the week.  I was told on Thursday that the amount of lessons I give is to be increased so that the older boys can have help with every day English. My days therefore will now be as follows:  9.30 - 10.30 conversational English with these boys, 10.30 - 11.00 Class 1 (I don't feel comfortable that their lesson will be cut short), 1.00 - 2.00 Class 2 then 2 separate 1-to-1 lessons with 2 of the senior boys.  They should each have half an hour reading and practising English but they are both so incredibly interesting and take such enjoyment in their lesson that it often goes well over the allotted time period.  


The rain this morning was torrential but it eased slightly mid morning and Mando told me that conditions were perfect for planting the little rice plants.  We went off to a field near the school where some other women were already working and I was initiated into the mysteries of rice planting.  The little plants were tied into bundles and we had one of these each.  The trick is to wade ankle deep into the flooded field, take each plant one at a time and, holding it between 2nd and middle finger (that's what worked for me anyhow), push it into the mud to anchor its roots.  My lines were rather drunken and disorderly so it was decided that I should do the rows down the side of the field where I could use the banks of mud along the edge as my marker.  That worked but I felt so slow working alongside the others.  And unkempt. And clumsy.  We finished that field then began on another near the house next door to Mando's and at the end I looked as if I'd been dragged through a hedge backwards, sideways, every which way, and the other women still looked fresh and lovely.  Quite unfair! 

So now I know how to plant rice.  I also learned this morning not to walk in the grass in sandals during monsoon season.  This was made clear when I discovered 3 leeches clinging for all they were worth to my foot.  Mando firmly refused my suggestion to sprinkle salt on them and instead carefully removed them for me and gently put them back in the garden.  That really brought home to me the feeling of respect for all living things.  I came here to teach but the knowledge I'm gaining is far more than I could ever impart.  Not just of culture and language but of compassion and caring, laughter and gentleness.  

SOME OF THE DOWNSIDES (AND UPSIDES)

Woke to an ominous, leaden sky and typically I've left my umbrella at the school.  Never mind - I've got my waterproofs so I'll wear my rucksack underneath and arrive there looking like Quasimodo.


Although I've never for a moment regretted coming here the first 2 weeks were fraught with health issues.  Within days of arrival I developed a sinus and chest infection that felt as if it would never end. One of the senior monks tells me that when he first arrived from Tibet he felt exactly the same so we agree that it's probably just the adjustment to a different climate (although the pollution doesn't help).  I managed to badly sprain my knees by overdoing things on my mountain hike but took my mind off that my falling down a flight of stairs and hurting my arm, derriere and pride.  The inevitable squits set in and for days I had cramps and alternated between being feverish and freezing cold.  That didn't last long though thank heavens.  The ultimate finale was when I was returning to the house one evening and a dog, which I know and like but which can be temperamental, went for me and bit me.  My mind went into overdrive trying to remember all the things I was told about animal bites here and I was shaking all over - not because of the bite but because of the fear of disease.  I made it bleed as much as possible and then sprayed liberally with iodine.  I could only go to the medical centre in the morning but they saw me first thing before I went to the school and quickly and efficiently gave me my rabies jab. The only thing the 'doctor' asked was how the dog was.  He said to try and keep an eye on it and make sure it stays healthy.  I know what he meant, that if it showed signs of being unwell it could mean it had rabies so then I'd have to get further help.  Still though I couldn't help seeing the funny side and had the giggles all day every time I thought of it.  Headline "Dog bites woman - dog dies".  Happily both dog and I are still fine.


There are numerous dogs here, some in loving homes but others strays and some with the most terrible mange.  Dog owners generally try to protect their dogs against disease and have them inoculated but Mando showed me her last vet bill and pointed out that the cost of the standard rabies/parvo virus/ lepto inoculation has gone up from Ns500 last year to Nr1300 this year.  How can poor people possibly afford an increase like that?  It's vital, for the sake of both the dogs and the people, to keep up annual inoculations but how if the income is so little?


Rubbish disposal is a problem too.  There is a charge for rubbish removal and as many people as possible pay this and have it disposed of properly.  Some people, however, just can't afford it and every day I see men and women carrying bags or bins down to the field behind the house and just emptying them there.  I can't really blame them because if you have absolutely no disposable income then what do you do?  I read in this week's newspaper though that there are plans to increase the cost of rubbish removal enormously and in proportion to the size of the premises producing the waste.  That means that schools and hospitals will suffer the most and they just can't afford this increased cost.  It's a bit of a catch 22 situation.  Money is needed to get rid of the waste but a lot of people and businesses just can't afford to pay.


PM Bhattarai has flown off to Rio for the summit amidst a storm of protest and a show of black flags not only from the opposition but from his own party which seems set to split.  A lot of international analysts say a split cannot work.  The problem is that the assembly has been dissolved, there is no longer any constitution and a lot of people seem to view him more as a 'caretaker' in power and I think that's where the anger lies - that he has gone to Rio to represent the country.  When I ask who could replace him no one can give me an answer. I really need to try to understand more.


Tomorrow the weekend begins and I'll probably go to Jamal and then wander into Thamel for the day to do some shopping, get a much needed slice of cake and post a letter.  A lot of bookshops have a basket where you can put any letters that need posting and they organise it for you.  Very handy.  A visitor is arriving at the house in a couple of weeks, an elderly Japanese lady who comes to Nepal every year to celebrate her birthday.  She used to be very active in the schools here and I think she rather sees this as a home from home. As she's in her 80s I've offered to let her have my room, which is near the bathroom, and move instead into a room up on the roof which at present is used for storing all the paraphernalia not needed by the household.  I love the idea as it's higher up so has better view and is quite private.  The only downside is that at night there will be no access to the bathroom at all.  Mando and I have been highly amused thinking of solutions to that particular problem!  I'll use Saturday cleaning it up and getting it ready and then I think it'll be quite cosy.  

MY CLASSROOM

My class 1 and class 2 boys in my classroom.  More than half of class 2 attends the first class, voluntarily, as well as their own.  A couple of the cheekier ones managed to get into both photos.

The walk to school.  The road is lined with stalls selling absolutely everything a person could want.  The medical centre is a little stall sandwiched between one selling stationery and another selling sweets and cold drinks.  Inside there is a rickety bench where you sit if you need medical treatment and, although there are no white jackets or stethoscopes, the staff are quick and efficient.  The side road that leads past the temple to Vishnu http://www.vegetarian-restaurants.net/Nepal/Kathmandu-Valley/Budhanilkantha-Temple.htm (see below) is filled with stalls selling marigold garlands and flowers beautifully arranged to be bought as offerings.  It also sells the best street snacks imaginable!  Best bought in the early morning when freshly cooked and hot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmWssLWo7J4

Twice a day, early in the morning and as it starts to get dark, people gather here to ring the bells and beat drums.  A bit like the rooftop butter lamp ceremonies I see every morning but on a much larger scale.

TEACHING IN BUDHANILKANTHA

My days have quite easily and naturally set into a routine.  Up at 6 at the latest (the rest of the household wakes at 4 so I'm a bit of a late riser) and up onto the rooftop for my morning pikka cha (black tea). With the prayer flags fluttering above me I drink my tea and watch the clouds rolling in over the mountains, the women lighting butter lamps and incense for the gods, the children playing or helping with jobs before the school day begins and the numerous dogs cavorting and playing in the fields amongst people, chickens and the occasional buffalo.  This morning it seems that a water pipe had burst in one of the fields and the children were having a wonderful time splashing in the stream of water and shrieking with laughter.  Washing facilities are limited and a number of people have to resort to using the tap from that pipe and wash as best they can outdoors.  Everyone is so clean though - I'm constantly conscious of being sticky and damp with perspiration, even immediately after washing, but everyone around me always seems fresh and clean.  


Time to make sure my lessons are ready, have a breakfast of rice and dhal and then, although there's a short cut to the school, I walk there through the market, stopping along the way for fruit (a big papaya maybe or lychees with the branches tied with string) to share with the boys, for a freshly cooked samoosa, piping hot and with pastry as soft and melting as butter (just for me) and for The Himalayan newspaper which I buy to keep myself in touch with the news and for the sports pages so covetted by the boys.  All along the way there are smiles and hands raised in Nameste.


When I first began teaching here I could be certain of having half an hour or so in my 'office'  to lay out my lessons ready for the day and just mentally prepare myself.  Now that's no longer possible as the moment I sit down there's a delegation of boys waiting to be invited in to present me with pictures and generally chill out.  I try to use that time with the littlest ones to play with my flashcards and go over words we've learned. I'm constantly overwhelmed by how genuinely happy the boys are and how eager to learn.  The school has so few resources!  For 80 boys there's no bathroom but just one outside tap which they use for their ablutions and laundry (yes they all, even the littlest ones, wash their own clothes and bedding).  There are just 2 squat toilets between then and 4 members of staff (self included) and they don't have beds (although there's a rumour that some may arrive next month).  For all that though there's not a single discontented child here and I think the only thing they would really like most of all would be an area large enough to play football.  


My classroom is a third of one long room which has been divided almost all the way across with pieces of hardboard so a passage way runs down the front.  I have a cracked whiteboard and a desk and apart from that the room is bare.  The posters I bought with me have been put up though and that makes it all quite cheerful.  I start each lesson with 'Simon Says' which is useful for prepositions, direction, colour, all sorts of things and I've swung away from the formal 'sit and listen' approach and have gradually brought in board race games, gap fills etc which are a great success.  The boys were shy about participating at first but are now far more enthusiastic and are desperate to be called up to write on the board even when they don't know the answer.  I can't stop comparing this with the complacency towards learning that a lot of Western children have.  As it's a boarding school and none of the staff stay overnight I asked one of the senior boys how control is kept.  He said that the boys don't need prompting to do the jobs that need to be done.  They get up just after 4 every day of the week for prayer, chanting and meditation and at the weekend (Friday and Saturday) it's up to them whether they play first or clean their rooms and do their laundry first.  Whatever they choose it gets done.  There are no school holidays - most are orphans so where would they go?  Those 2 days a week are all they have.  He told me that so long as they're not playing in such a way that they could get hurt then they're left to have fun.  Yes, but what about the times when they're sick or hurt or have nightmares?  As a mother my heart aches for them.


When I go home in the afternoon I often go down the alleyway that passes behind the school and from the rooftop, from windows, from the corridors and the playing area come shouts of "goodbye miss".  When I look back robed figures are waving me farewell.

ARRIVING IN NEPAL AND ROOFTOP OF MANDO'S HOUSE

The perfect way to start a morning is standing on the rooftop, prayer flags flying, watching the clouds blanketing the mountains and, sometimes, an eagle lazily circling.

There's been a long-running battle between the camera package I installed and Blogger but I think I've finally won!  No time to download any more now as I've dashed home during my lunch break but I'll put some more on my blog soon.  Probably not tonight as I'm off, straight after school, to a local stable (wonderfully called Wind Horse Stables) to see about buying a leading rein for Mando's dog Sheru.  We're at our wits' end thinking of ways to secure him - so far he's broken THREE strong chains since I've been here!  Not a big dog but feisty and very strong!