New Place

I have a new place. A huge praise....now to figure out where to start and then pack...More when I have the keys...

TCK hanging with TCKs.

I have friends who are leaving this weekend and to help them in their packing, I offered to take their three children for a half day excursion around the city so the kids could take final photos and have a last hurrah about the town, while the parents finished packing.

Not sure about the kids, but I had a great day. It is always interesting to see the city through the eyes of others and looking at their photos and what they wanted to capture gives insight into their thoughts.

We walked around old Patan and through the markets. We stopped to eat momos at a café tucked away in an old styled house. We dodged motorcycles and taxis and crossed busy streets like natives. The kdis were a joy to be with and when I asked if they were interested in going to a coffee shop and hang out they jumped at the chance. So we hopped in a taxi and headed down to Thamel, where were we to meet the folks in the evening and had milkshakes and floats while playing card games and watching wrestling.  We had a grand three hours of being coffee shop couch potatoes before finally meeting up the parents and heading over to a Israeli restaurant for dinner. The funny thing about the restaurant was all the painted pigs used for décor and the black lighting. The food was good, and they even served “Or to the Queen”, which is Nepali version of an Indian dessert called, “ Hello to the Queen.” In the USA we would call it a jumbo size ice cream sundae on top of graham crackers!  

I enjoy doing things like this, but I am definitely ready for a long nap now. 

End of the Year.

All dressed up.

I was so exhausted from the last day of school and all the end of year celebrations that I had to take a break and recover.  There was a Secondary final assembly, a Primary one, and then the End of Year Celebration/Gradution. It was ridiculous!
Here are a couple photos from the day's events!

Seniors

Just glad to have some peace and quiet now for a couple weeks!

The Yatra

The Yatra is done and in the hands of students and staff! And it lives up to it's name, the Journey.
When I first came I asked to see the yearbook so that I could get
to know the students. I was told, much to my horror, that there wasn't one.
So I knew that had to change. Another TCK teacher and I went on a crusade to
get the school to do a yearbook and found a champion. She gathered some students and staff together and after a year of photo taking and asking about the progress, here is the
finished product. And it is all in color! Amazing!
 The yearbook staff did  a fanastic job. I was able to pick mine up at lunch time and took it to my lunch time duty with Grades five and six.The kids were hanging over my shoulder to see it. They kept asking, "can I see it!?" I said, " No, get your own."

Later in the afternoon, the TCk teacher and I celebrated by signing each others book and being happy that we had pestered enough! It was a warm fuzzy!

Last Day of School... Finally!

Tuesday was a long, but fun-filled day!  We started the morning off with assembly, saying goodbye to students and staff.  Then we practiced for the last day assembly and sixth grade graduation.  After all those festivities, it was Sports Day. There were three events: floor hockey, futsal, and high jump.  My house team – Makalu only had five students and one of those had an injured foot. So during the futsal, I actually got to play! That was quite a sight, but we all had fun.  

In the afternoon, I had art class and had the grade six help me with the art of sorting and throwing things away! They were not so happy, but we got a lot done. The fifth graders helped me hang up banners and posters for Wednesday’s final assembly and then it was time for the Sport’s Day assembly. Unfortunately Makalu did not win but they were good sports and enjoyed their piece of candy. This year’s winners were Annapurana. 

In the evening we had our fellowship group. We went to our favorite Korean place and after eating had a time of prayer for those who were leaving.  It is hard for me to say goodbye to friends, but I am working on being better about dealing with it. It is slow going though.

On the way home, I got a number of a place to rent and called when I got home, but they only spoke Nepali, so will need someone from work to call.

So now it is Wednesday … the last day of school.. oh the excitement!

Drowned Rat

Today for lunch I opted to sit outside under one of the tables with an umbrella. About five minutes after that decision I regretted it. As I was sitting there enjoying my buff and daalbhat, it started to rain a bit. the students were running around in it and the recess monitor asked if they should go to the classrooms. We have some huge tents set up in the courtyard at the moment, so I had an idea and said that they could play under the tents until it passed over. So the kids all rushed down under the tents.

And then..... the heavens opened! I mean opened. I think it was just plain buckets being poured down. The drops were so big that at first I thought it was hail. And it just kept coming. The umbrellas at the tables were giving no one any protection and we all climbed up on the tables. Then the wind came and I was drenched in seconds.

The primary principal had showed up about that time under the tents and got all the kids in line, but then we had to figure out how to get them to their classrooms without getting soaked. Recently we have purchased some nice tarps to cover our sandpit and pino pong tables. I ran out into the downpour to get one and brought it back to the tents. We unfolded it and a bunch of teachers and students held it up for the others. It didn't quite stretch the whole way. So the principal yanked one of the table umbrellas out and this allowed all the students to tunnel through without getting soaked. It was quite the adventure!
It took me all afternoon to dry out!

Last Week of School!

Finally.... this has been a long year and there were times that I never thought the end would come. But we are now in final daze countdown.. and yes, the word 'daze' is what I typed. It is still full on... and I have two more art classes on Tuesday. So it is crazy. As I have done exiting interviews and staff evaluations the main thing that keeps coming out is  that there are too many events in this last term... and I would second that!. It's so crazy!..oh wait I said that already. Now even I am confused.

On Wednesday evening we have graduation (all three of them) and a farewell dinner, and then the kids stay for a prom like dance party. I am not staying because I need to be at work the following day for testing and teacher work day.  But I'll be glad when Friday comes and everyone is gone for the summer and I can get some work done!

three days and counting!

Goodbye Weekend

New recipe

bonfire

my 'nepali' sisters

After a hectic couple days at school, working with the MUN, I crashed and got a good night sleep. I woke in the morning and got some wash done (we have a new power schedule with a couple more hours of electricity), then sat down to read a book on British History. Ended up taking a nap ( yeah it was that exciting) and woke up just in time to walk over to church.  After the service, I was invited over to a friend's house to try some Newari food. It was quite good and I tried my hand at cooking too.

After a relaxing afternoon, I had a farewell party to attend for another very good friend. There seems to be a lot of farewelling lately.  There was a bonfire, so I decided to roast a sausage. As the fire's flames charred my offering, I saw something move in the burning pile of wood. At first I thought it was my sausage falling off the roasting fork... but then it moved again. It was a toad about the size of my fist! If he had stayed much longer in the fire, I could have been eating frog legs instead of sausage, but I guess it got too hot in the fire for him... so he took a flying leap. He eventually hopped over to cooler ground under some bushes.
The rest of the evening was delightful (it didn't rain!) and another goodbye has been said.

At church on Sunday, there was a farewell service and more goodbyes. This is the toughest thing about living in a community like this.... all the goodbyes. Looking forward to the day when I don't have to say that again!

It is MUN!

We all survived and the second day went alot better than the first! ( the feedback is fairly good.) But now the MUN is finished and I have no big events on my plate for the rest of the school year... which is three more days. Oh wait.. I am heading up a team for the PRIMARY Sports day.  Drat!Go Makalu! ( remember to wear purple on Tuesday.) Then I will be done...I hope!

MUN Day 2

Got a little bit side tracked yesterday in the sessions but I like when the discussion is headed today. The Dais members are doing a good job of keeping things moving and I will be interested to see what today's resolutions stir up.

I am still not sure how the students are taking it in. For the most part the ambassadors are doing well. There is a lot of new stuff and the USA and Russia delegations are running the show. But since the topic is Child Soldiers, I would love to see those countries actually dealing with the issue in their borders speak up. Maybe today!

I can say this... I will be glad when 3PM comes!

MUN Days

In Feb. I was asked if I had any suggestions for the secondary end of year events. Each year two days are spent concentrating on a subject to allow students a more in-depth experience with that subject. Last year the art department had a cultural art program over those two days.  So I was asked for my suggestions.

Now one should know if they give a suggestion, that it is possible that it would  become their job to see the fulfillment of that suggestion carried out... one should know!

As the theme of this term is one of our core values:justice, I suggested that the school run a Model United Nations session on a subject about a child issue... and thought that child soldiers would be a good idea.  It was immediately adopted and I was put in charge! ARGH!!!!

So after collecting a team of experts and spending many hours of figuring out how to run one of these sessions, today is the first day.  I am quite nervous about it all because I have heard at least one student complain a couple times that he is disappointed that he is not getting to do art again this year and this MUN thingy will be so much work cause they have to write, research, and debate!  ARGH again!

My main job is all the grunt work and keeping everyone supplied with what is needed, like pens, paper, room assignments, and water.  During the opening session, I am to give a speech about child soldiers in Afghanistan, acting as a former soldier who confronted a child at one stage. Should be an interesting story.  I'll let you know how it goes, once I think of it.

I know there will be gaps, but I am hoping they are not too gaping and that once involved in the whole ordeal, the students will see merit in it.  I have a survey for the students at the end.. that I probably will not read cause I am too nervous about their comments. Anyways I am on a high learning curve over the next two days. Need to put on my safety harness and start climbing...

Rain and Bandhas

It finally stopped raining! and then a bandha is called for our area. This time it was called by national educators. So never a dull moment.
We have one week of school left and I am looking forward a break. I actually sat down the other night to make a list of the projects that I needed to get done during the four weeks of summer break. After I wrote the list, I was so tired, I went to bed and it was only 7:15 in the evening.  But I do plan to take a couple days off to celebrate Independence Day.
Well, back to work.

Smiles from the Freezer

While looking for something to eat this morning, I opened the freezer and smiled. Ahh! Potatoes.
I had a very happy breakfast. Hopefully it will keep me smiling throughout the day!

This weekend

riding boars

Had a busy weekend this weekend.
On Saturday I helped out with a phonics training all day! There were 31 teachers from the valley school and they all seemed eager to learn. So that was a blessing.

petting elephants

Then on Sunday after church a couple friends and I decided to go to lunch at this one place. Because there was a bandha ( which came as a surprise to most) we called to see if they where open. They were... but we had walk there. It took about 30 minutes and we had a light rain part of the way. But I have to say, it was actually quite enjoyable to meander through the empty streets and uncrowded sidewalks. I also realized that when there is a bandha and you are walking, you look up at the building more. I kept saying, "I don't remember that place before." It was strange.

It was good to get out of my south side routine and see another part of the city again. Good friends, good food, and good exercise! Overall it was a pleasant weekend.

Camera Club

As part of my enjoyment at work, I teach a group of Grade 1-3 students an after-school club. It is the photography group and yesterday for our last hurrah we decided to do..funny photos!  They were quite excited about it, once they got the hang of it.
This one of them all being vacuumed was my favorite and it came out fairly well. They all loved it and had a good laugh about it.
The other one that I thought was funny was of one the kids sitting on a huge ball.
It was a good club and one of the students said, " I wish this club could go on forever!" To which I replied, " It can! But I don't need to be the teacher now. You have some skills and know how. So go out and snap photos all the time!"

ONE YEAR and counting

Trust me, I am counting....

Well it has arrived! I have been here for ONE YEAR exactly! It has been an interesting year.
In Nepal they say of the terrain ... a little up, a little down.. so mostly flat!
That is a good description of this past year!  Ups and downs...but when I look back at it.. it is mostly just a flat plain.
So I start on year 2 and wonder with adventures are in store!?

Thank you all for following my meanderings  I appreciate your interest and prayers. I am thinking of heading off on a new venture of blogging over the course of this next year and working on some storying telling ideas. But I will keep you up to date on happenings here at the top of the world.

Taking Suggestions

I am not in the best of shape this week. I have had a lot of trouble with my wrist and have been wearing my brace a lot.

Then on Sunday, while my didi was at the house, we worked on getting a door open that had expanded with all the humidity, and when it finally gave, I fell into the concrete wall with my head. I checked for bleeding, and upon finding none, I put cold ice on it. But it still is very sore.

Then I think I have bed bugs. So dealing with alot of itching.

 I need a vacation to a place with no worries. Any suggestions?

Lighting Show

The other night, a friend was having a birthday party on the roof of her place. It was all decorated nicely with candles,  twinkling lights, and soft music. But I was more interested in the lighting show that God was putting on in the southern skies.  At the south end of the valley, a huge thunder head was growing and the lighting flashes and strikes were awesome. I was reminded of the idea that lighting is the flashes of light that come from the throne room of God when the angels are coming out and going in through the doors.

We could barely hear the rumbles of thunder, which was good since we were on the roof, but I did take some video. Alas it was not with my camera... but it was still pretty cool to watch.

Greetings from the Sink

This morning, I walked into the kitchen and flicked on the light. In the kitchen sink was one of those deadly-looking, reddish-pink, centipedes. I had killed a spider in the sink the night before and this four inch long centipede had slide down into the sink for a late night dinner party. However he could not get up the slippery slopes, even with all those legs. So he had hunkered down for the rest of the night, until I appeared over the rim of the sink this morning.  He reared and I jumped. Then
I quickly grabbed my bug spray and had at it. It wiggled and squirmed for quite a bit. It even flopped itself in a pool of water resting in a spoon. But I took another spoon, with a very long handle, and chopped it up.
While all this parleying was happening, I snapped a few photos of it. It is now at rest in my trash can...i mean rubbish bin.

To the Point

In Art class we are doing a unit on pointillism. So the students are working on Australian art motif using paint and QTips. They were quite exasperated about the  large size of the paper that they had to fill last week when the project was introduced, but this week was better as they came in and got to work. However about twenty minutes into class, I heard one student say, "This is going to take me six weeks  to finish and we only have three more weeks left! I'll never get it completed!" I just had to smile. The drama of Grade 4 Art never bores me!

Not a Manly Enough Umbrella

The other day, we were in the midst of a downpour when one of the manly guys working in the Administration Building bursted into my office and asked, " Do you happen to have an umbrella? I need to pick up a piano." My first thought was ' You can't pick up a piano with an umbrella." But I went with my second response and said. "Sure"  I fished around in my bag, pulled it out, and handed it to him. He looked at the umbrella and said, "On second thought I will wait until it quits raining."



WHAT? Too girly?!

I missed the 300 mark!

I just realized that I wrote my 300th blog and didn't even blink! Oh well, you are now reading  a celebratory 302nd blog instead. Here is an interview I did  with myself about blogging.

Interviewer: So number 300 and 2. did you ever think you would get that many blogs?

ME: Well, I figured I would get close. I was trying for 365, one for each day, but I guess that was a bit unrealalistic really. I mean you have to account for sick days and bandhas!

IN: Have you every done a blog before?

ME: No, not a blog. Journals and diaries yes. But a blog? Nope.  I was actually a bit shy about doing one They seems so public. In the past I had journaled but that was just for myself and I didn't do it consistently. But this time, I wanted to bring my family and friends with me on the journey. So I decided to take the plunge and blog.

IN: So what do you feel you have accomplished with this blog?

ME: Well, as mentioned before, I just wanted to let my  friends and family know how my first year in Nepal was panning out. What interesting sights I had seen, lessons I had learned, and experiences I had endured. I think I have given an entertaining and informative picture of my first year here and hope that people know better how to pray for me as their share in my experiences.

IN: What's next?

ME: Blog 303.

Have Fridge, Will Travel.

These trikes carry all kinds of things. I have seen veggies and fruit stalls on them. a ladder, some re-bar, about a ton of cardboard or styrofoam and then today I captured a fridge being wheeled to it's new home on my camera. Hope the fridge made it.

My Dog Climbs Walls

Sometimes, my dog, Noah, needs to get out and roam the streets. But often I am not home to let him in and out of the gate, so he just climbs walls and lets himself out. When I first moved in, he had  fairly easy access in to the yard through the back fence. However with the building construction happening back there, a new fence has been built, so Noah  had to find other ways into the yard.  I had been wondering about this, but I see he has find a new way back into the yard.  I have just been waiting to capture it on film.

He is quite an amazing par four athlete!

Photos of Singapore

Three Thumbs Up!

Beautiful Sunrises

A hamburger wrapped in lettuce

and friends from Singapore

meeting with friends from Korea

Oh she sailed away on a balmy sunny day.....

My niece!

the new bumboats

with the Merlion.

Out on a bridge.

Back in the Routine

So I have been traveling the past two weeks and not had access to the blog spot. But I am back on Top of the World again and ready to get back into the swing of blogging.

My trip to Singapore was a good one and one that I needed to do. The school I use to work at, was celebrating their 20 anniversary and it was fun to be a part of that celebration. I also got to see some of my favorite students graduate. I hadn't told many people that I was coming down, so the surprised faces were worth it. Just wish I had had my camera out.

I got to see a lot of friends, have some good food, shop a bit, go adventuring, and rest some. It was a good trip but  glad to be back in the familiar. Need to get back into the routine of things. Only 23 days of school left!