A New Bond

The other day I came home and noticed that Noah, the dog that comes with the house that I am sitting, was looking a bit mangy. His winter coat was coming off and needed a brush. So I hunted around for a brush and he was quite happy to let me brush him. However he would not turn over and let me get the other side. So he is looking a bit lopsided... Now this is not a one day project and I really need a new brush, but I think that he is finally warming up to me. So we have a new bond now and hopefully soon, he will not be the shaggiest dog in the hood!

Rats Love Poison!

I have been working on poisoning the rat that lives at my house, but it is thriving on this cakes! Grr!
I guess I will need to get a cat...but I will have to wait a couple weeks to make sure the rat is poison free before sending in a cat.

Some days just have too much drama!

I ain't complaining...but..

After five days of rain, the sun is out this morning and the roads are starting to dry.

It has been very nice to have the rain... it is much needed... but with all the construction and dust in the city, the rain makes some wonderful, gushy mud and large puddles! The other day a friend of mine, her two girls, and myself went searching for the largest mud puddle we could find. And so of them were huge. It was good fun and even the drizzle didn't dampen our search.

But... I am glad to see the sun this morning. I know that the students will be too, as on raining days they are cooped up in the classroom for all the recesses.  

So we are drying out and all praying that the Dept. of Roads has all the roads paved before the monsoon season arrives in June! Wishful thinking.

Sunday Concert

The Tri-School Festival was on Sunday at Lincoln School. It was very well attended and the students from all three schools ( KISC, Lincoln and TBS)  did a good job singing their hearts out to tunes of the Lion King and Beethoven's 9th.  It was a nice afternoon, in spite of the rain outside.

My Weekend Adventure

I have realized with school and daily living that I have been living within a very small triangle. Store, School, and Home make up the three corners of the space that I travel in. So Saturday after Nepali church, I decided to bust out of my triangle and go on an adventure.
I walked home through a neighborhood that I had not been in before. It was a bit out of the way and involved some hills, but it was all good and I saw an area of town I had not seen before.
Before going home, I stopped at the store to get some groceries and as I was headed home, some Nepali friends stopped in their car and invited me over to their house. I told them I would cook lunch for them.  So off we went.
I cooked lunch and we had a good meal. They were gracious in their comments, although I did see the pickle jelly come out at one point.  After lunch we sat around talking and listening to the rain. When the rain let up, I decided to have another adventure and see if I could get home. They offered to drive me, but I said I really wanted to try the public transport. All I had in my pocket was 60 rupyees, but I thought it was enough and if not, I would walk the rest of the way.
So I walked out to the road and hauled a Micro Bus. It was crowded. The micro seats about 12 normally. I was number 17.  The  20 rupyee ride to the Ring Road junction was fairly quick, so I survived leg one.
Then I caught a local bus at the RIng Road and it was also 20 rupyee. There is quite a bit of space on these large buses and I had a seat to myself and one for my groceries. I got off at my stop and crossed the road to hop into a tuktuk for the final jounrey to my hood. Now usually the tuktuk seats about 7 comfortably, but who ever gets comfort? I did! I was the only one on it. So for 15 rupyees I got to the nearest intersectionto my house and alighted there.. to walked the rest of the way home with 5 rupyees in my pocket and a smile of accomplishment on my face!
I love adventuring!

Training

Thursday and Friday, I have been helping out with some teacher training at a school in the valley. On Thursday, the four trainers and I did a tag team on reading and writing, playing some easy PE games, working on positive disciple issues, and getting the teachers started on lesson planning. It was a small group and the training was in English. I think that the teachers were not catching it all, but on Friday we will spend the morning reviewing and not teaching much new. Then we will break out into subject areas and walk them through the lesson planning steps to help them plan better for the new school year.  I have really enjoyed preparing and presenting. So glad that I had had an opportunity to work with this team and share in the learning!

Flat Tire

This morning as I was walking to school, I got a flat tire. You know, it usually happens when someone steps on the back of your heel and your shoe comes off. So there I am walking and I get this flat tire. My first thought was, 'who snuck up on me that quietly?' With my curiosity peaked, I turned around to congratulate them on their stealth, only to find a shaggy-coated street dog looking up at me. He had been sniffing my lunch bag and gotten too close.
So I bopped him in the nose with the bag and continued on to school