I decided that the best way to celebrate the weekend and treat my dehydration and mild heatstroke brought on by yesterday's hike would be to overnight in the city centre on Friday night and treat myself to a blowout high protein meal. As usual I got the microbus to drop me off in the Jamal area which is the old part of the city and my favourite. Although I was heading for Thamel I love the walk through the narrow little streets where everything still feels authentic. Thamel is wonderful in its own way and has beautiful handicrafts and better bookshops than I've seen in the UK but it's very touristy and 'spot the whitey' is not a game I particularly enjoy playing. Went from hotel to hotel looking for a good deal and finally chose one, for more than I'd budgeted (ended up costing £7p.n!.), on the basis of a quiet bedroom overlooking the garden, a soft pillow on the bed, en-suite bathroom (with loo roll!!!!) and hot and cold running staff all happy to keep me supplied with Fanta and beer. On another occasion I will go to an authentic Nepali restaurant but my craving, like a starving lioness, was for meat so I chose a place called New Orleons Cafe which was really delightful. Candlelit tables, blues playing (though competing with the acid house (??) from the stall across the street) and a superb menu which covered everything from local food to items like chicken in rosemary and fish with butter sauce. Perfect. I deliberated between steak (what cut I don't know) for Nr470 (£3.80) and fillet for Nr475 and opted for the fillet. It arrived sizzling on a cast iron dish, two big pieces (buffalo seem to have larger fillets than cows do) and with masses of veg and potatoes. Those I swept to one side and concentrated on making an absolute animal of myself with the fillets. All slightly spoiled by periodic tummy cramps (inevitable in this part of the world at some time or other) but nothing was standing in my way. God how I enjoyed that meal! A nightcap afterwards then back to the hotel for a beer in the garden and the joy of knowing that I wouldn't be woken up at 4 in the morning by praying and chanting (mine is a very religious household and rises very early, weekend or no). I didn't actually surface until nearly 10 o'clock and felt completely decadent. My tummy was decidedly unhappy so I trawled up to a little place I found that caters for tourists and bought some plain marie biscuits and a tiny jar of honey for when I got home, and also some ginger tea. You can get imported tea in bog standard cardboard boxes but local tea is something special. It comes either in a little embroidered pouch with a tassled zipper or in a beautifully decorated cardboard box. All for 80p! I don't much like ginger tea but presentation like that makes it pleasurable.
I don't really know what's happening with the political situation at the moment. There never seems time to stop and read a newspaper. There are still protests in the city though (nothing new for Kathmandu) and trucks full of riot police are constantly flying by. I saw a number or them around the city, bunched together with their shields ready, but couldn't see why as there wasn't any obvious trouble.
Back to school today and the boys seemed happy to see me back. As soon as I get into my 'office' there are some waiting by the door to bring me pictures they've drawn. My wall is plastered with them (pictures that is, not boys). My first class, the baby class, is only supposed to comprise 8 boys but Tenzin told the class 2 boys that any who want to catch up with work can attend this one as well so the numbers generally hover around 15. That's so gratifying but it does make it difficult to give more attention to the couple who really need it. I've asked to have extra lessons with one in particular and that was granted but Tenzin felt that just 1 lesson would be enough. It really isn't and I don't want this little lad falling behind. When the more advanced boys have finished the exercises I give them they don't disrupt the class but instead move in to help any children who are struggling. It warms my heart, really, but again it makes it difficult to see how much work a child has done of their own volition and how much was prompted. I've bought them all their own exercise book which must be handed in at the end of each lesson and this at least lets me monitor progress a little more easily. Before it was a matter of writing on scraps of paper, or in books for other lessons (generally buddhist philosophy) and I just couldn't keep track of things. Now at least I can correct and mark work. I could do with advice really - I have no training, I've never done anything like this in my life, Tenzin leaves me totally to my own devices and the faith everyone has in me terrifies me!
I don't really know what's happening with the political situation at the moment. There never seems time to stop and read a newspaper. There are still protests in the city though (nothing new for Kathmandu) and trucks full of riot police are constantly flying by. I saw a number or them around the city, bunched together with their shields ready, but couldn't see why as there wasn't any obvious trouble.
Back to school today and the boys seemed happy to see me back. As soon as I get into my 'office' there are some waiting by the door to bring me pictures they've drawn. My wall is plastered with them (pictures that is, not boys). My first class, the baby class, is only supposed to comprise 8 boys but Tenzin told the class 2 boys that any who want to catch up with work can attend this one as well so the numbers generally hover around 15. That's so gratifying but it does make it difficult to give more attention to the couple who really need it. I've asked to have extra lessons with one in particular and that was granted but Tenzin felt that just 1 lesson would be enough. It really isn't and I don't want this little lad falling behind. When the more advanced boys have finished the exercises I give them they don't disrupt the class but instead move in to help any children who are struggling. It warms my heart, really, but again it makes it difficult to see how much work a child has done of their own volition and how much was prompted. I've bought them all their own exercise book which must be handed in at the end of each lesson and this at least lets me monitor progress a little more easily. Before it was a matter of writing on scraps of paper, or in books for other lessons (generally buddhist philosophy) and I just couldn't keep track of things. Now at least I can correct and mark work. I could do with advice really - I have no training, I've never done anything like this in my life, Tenzin leaves me totally to my own devices and the faith everyone has in me terrifies me!
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