IT’S CHIRSTMASSSSS

After a couple of days in Tansen after my trip to Okuldunga it was time for Dan’s and his friend Alex to arrive in Tansen on the 20^th of December. The day after Dan, Alex, Bimila and I went to Saran’s parents’ house for lunch and a few hours later is was time for Dan and Bimila’s wedding party. This was very exciting for everyone. I had only met Dan in England and met Bimila in Nepal so it was lovely to finally see them both together. There were lots of people there from Bimila’s family and also Saran helped Bimila with the invitations and also a lot of teachers briefly passed through which was also nice. I love Nepali food but the curries at the wedding party were particularly delicious and I left feeling very full. I walked down to the party with the Bashyal Family after waiting for Abhi to come back from school. There was music, food, and some raksi (home brewed rice wine; a bit like paint stripper). A really lovely evening to be part of. As Saran and I were heading to Pokhara the next day I made sure I had an early night so headed to bed.

The next day I met Saran in Tansen at this parents’ were we had some tea and then got in a taxi down to Bartung where he had called ahead to a tourist bus and had reserved us some seats. Turns out that we didn’t need to book seats as the bus wasn’t even half full. A very strange and rare sight in Nepal, especially at the moment with there being a lot less buses on the roads.

For anyone that has travelled anywhere with me, I normally hear an engine and fall asleep. But, on this 6 hour bus ride I didn’t fall asleep once. A personal achievement that I felt particularly proud of! When we got to Pokhara Saran checked into his friends hotel, I checked into a hotel that Barbara and I stayed in before and then I went back out to do some personal shopping. My family had transferred me some Christmas money so I felt that I probably should go out and get myself a little bag and some books. Frustratingly, I had bought a load of books when I was in Pokhara last time and I had the intention of bringing them as the shops buy them back at a reduced price, but, I forgot them! We then went out for a meal to a Vietnamese restaurant Pho 99 which do really great food and the service is also good. Then it was to climb happily into bed with a new book and have an early night.

On the 23^rd Saran came up to my hotel in the morning before he went to Batase school. Unfortunately the night before when I was in bed he’d gone for a walk he had his wallet pick pocketed. This was a real knock to us but thankfully he wasn’t hurt. Money can be replaced but people can’t. I then gave him my camera so he could take some photos of the school. Saran was going up to Batase on his own as we felt that the village was hit hard in the earthquake and me accompanying him would be more of a hindrance than a help so he went up on his own with a list of questions and a camera.

After saying goodbye to Saran I went to find some coffee and breakfast and had a really relaxed morning reading in the sun, as it was a few degrees warmer than Tansen it was bliss. Then later that afternoon Dan, Alex and Bimila arrived in Pokhara and after they were all checked into my hotel we went out to find some lunch. There looked like there was a really cool restaurant in an old plane. It turned out to be a bit of a disaster, after ordering and my salad (some squares of cucumber and carrot) and Bimilas soup arrived it turned out that they had forgotten about Dan and Alex’s food so we paid up and went on the hunt for some real food. We ended up eating at a pizza place where the food came out super quickly. For some reason my body’s decided to reject gluten but I decided I’d risk it and have a pizza anyway. I paid for it later. That night we then went out in hunt of more food and a place that wouldn’t forget half our orders. We did and the food was brilliant, we even had a couple cocktails.

The following day it was Christmas Eve and in true European style we celebrated then rather than on Christmas day. I went to extend my visa and it was surprisingly simple normally you’re bumped from one Nepali official to another, but there was none of that, just had to wait a few minutes for the boss to stamp my visa. We were expecting Saran back in Pokhara the following day, but being the wizard that he is, he had made it back to Pokhara by about 10.30am on the 24^th. Then in the afternoon we rented out a boat and went and explored the lake for a couple of hours before the sun went and it got cold. We timed in perfectly and were back on land just as the temperature started to drop. That evening we went for a Nepali/ English Christmas dinner with roast chicken and gravy… but also with noodles and salad, which was an odd twist. We then headed out to a bar where things got a little hazy.

The idea was that we would all get up at 5.30 to go and watch the sunrise but as most people were feeling a bit worse for wear having celebrated a little too hard, we didn’t. I was feeling okay so I went to get some breakfast and read in the sun. I met a couple of people while having breakfast and an about 2 hours later Dan, Alex and Bimila came down for something to eat. Alex, very bravely, then went off to do some paragliding and Dan, Bimila and I went to do some resources shopping. After a while squatting in the corners of a book shop we had found a good selection of books to take out to the schools. Dan wanted to head back to the hotel for a nap and I went out to find some lunch and to call my family, who I knew would be up already. After some more reading in the sun on the balcony of our hotel it was time to eat again (I’ve definitely taken to the Nepali culture of eating a lot). As it was our last night together in Pokhara I was really glad that we came across a really nice place that looked Moroccan, was playing south American music with a Nepali menu. It also had two fires inside and had a really good atmosphere and the food was also pretty great. As we were all getting up early the next day we had an early night.

I spent most of the 26^th on a bus. Dan, Alex and Bimila were going to Kathmandu as Alex was flying to the UK, and I headed back to Tansen. Unsurprisingly I slept a lot on this bus ride home. I then met a 4 people in Bartung. 2 people were from the American Peace Corps who were really interested in what I was doing. I gave the girls my number so they could call me and the other two were a couple who are living in Vietnam. I called ahead and got them a room at the homestay which they seemed happy about.

I was hoping to get back out to the schools on the 28^th but it seems that they are doing end of term exams so I’m not sure when I’ll next be out. I’ll just have to transform my bedroom back into a factory and get on the resources making. As the schools break up for a 20 day holiday on the 6^th of Jan and don’t go back until the 26^th. I’ve never been to a country that has so many holidays, no wonder it takes forever for anything to get done. But it is super frustrating, although you know that there is nothing that you can do about it. 

A pic nic at Bhalebas and finally to the elusive Okaldunga.

I got the bus down to Bhalebas mid-morning and Saran picked me up on the bike to take me up the village. We went straight to his house as I was keen to see the progression from when I was there last. Although he had to wait a really long time for the building work to start he’s finally got a structure with a roof and says that he’ll be living there within 2 weeks!! Which is obviously such fantastic news. I also spent some time playing with Sohan, Saran’s son, who is always such a delight and a little bit of a show off.

Then we walked 10 minutes down to where the pic nic was taking place. I could only imagine the views as it was a pretty hazy day so there weren’t really any views, it almost looked like were about to fall off the edge of the earth. The food that we had was very delicious and because I’m sticking to a vegetarian diet out here, the teachers were very concerned that I was only having one type of curry which was more than enough for me. The children spent some time playing games with the teachers, singing and dancing. The food was also cooked on a fire which gave me a real sense of home as we do lots of outdoor activities for my parents business.

It also made me laugh how the men were completely incharge of cooking- something that you don’t tend to see in homes. It reminded me of how some mentalities change in the summer in the UK when the BBQ’s come out!

When the sun started to drop and it got cold we walked back up the hill to have some tea and some raksi for Saran. I’ve had raksi before and it definitely isn’t something that’s my taste. Raksi, is a home brewed rice alcohol and is more like paint stripper than anything else I could compare it to!

On the 17^th I then got up early for breakfast at Saran’s house, omelette and tea as always. The true breakfast of kings I believe. Then we started the almighty journey to Okaldunga. We started towards Butwal and before we reached there took a track off of the main road. This track seemed okay for a while apart from a couple of HUGE puddles. The views were also amazing I was going to ask Saran to stop on the way back but unfortunately we went a different way. Which was really disappointing not only because I missed loads of great photo opportunities but also because the road we took home was actually worse than the road there and Saran’s bike was damaged a bit.

We arrived at the school just as assembly was starting which was nice. As in all schools all the children were in the rows of their classes to do the exercises and then sing the national anthem before going into school. The children were very interested in my and gathered round as I walked around the school. I don’t think the blonde dreadlocks help me blend in. I had a chat with the teachers about how the school was doing and how the building work was going for 4 new classrooms that the government were funding. On top of that they’ve also said that they need 2 new classrooms and a library as 4 classes at the moment are in really terrible temporary classrooms. We had lunch at a lodge very close to the school that was really delicious food! It’s really hard to escape great food in Nepal and I’ve not got sick of eating rice yet, which even for me is a bit of a shock.

The journey home was genuinely terrifying, my body ached from holding on so tightly and being bumped around. Now that really was a white knuckle ride. As we said that they journey up had been a little ticky the teachers suggested that we go home a different route. This was a bad idea. The road for a long way up was just very small stones so Saran and I pushed the bike up for a bit then he managed to get it going and made it to the top. I had a rather sweaty walk to the top in the afternoon sun and as I stopped to catch my breath a load of tennis ball size stones started falling from the cliff above, I soon decided this was a sign and I shouldn’t stop walking to I made it to the top rather red faced and hot. Saran said that something had gone wrong with his bike and it was going to have to be fixed when we got back to Tansen. The rest of the track back to the pitch road was kinda okay. There were still parts that made my heart race and my stomach flip, but there were also parts that reminded me of moors in the summer. Which was kind of an odd feeling and one that I didn’t expect to feel. When we got back to Tansen it was home sweet home and Janaki greeted us with chia (tea) and oranges which was lovely. I then shared some mince pies that my mum had sent with Janaki and a guest from Australia with more tea later that afternoon and even though I’m on the other side of the world, I’m feeling quite Christmassy. 

Teacher training without my right hand woman and a morning at Bagnas

When I was at Amrit we asked if there was anything that they needed for the first aid box, a women asked for more sanitary pads for the girls, which got me thinking. After a bit of research about the Nepali culture surrounding puberty, menstruation and contraception, I thought that it was a topic that needed to be covered by some sort of teacher training. As I am the first woman that Manisha UK have placed in Nepal I thought that I was in the perfect position to deliver such training. We invited one woman from the secondary schools to come to Tansen for this training.

In previous generations, and maybe now in some remote villages, women were exiled from their homes during menstruation. They had to sleep and eat in cattle sheds and were not allowed to cook or touch cooking utensils that the rest of the family were using. They were not allowed to be touched and were not allowed to go to school. These traditions are now changing and as it is a topic that I am confident to speak about I was really enthusiastic to make this meeting happen.

The women who came were happy to share their own experiences and stories, as was I, and the whole meeting was a really positive one. The teachers that came were very happy and kept repeating their thanks for the training and how helpful it had been for them. I also bought 100 sanitary pads and waste bins for the disposal of the pads. I had to make it very clear that they pads were for emergencies and not for everyday use as this would become unsustainable and all the women and girls would start relying on Manisha to always provide them, which is something I really didn’t want.

The following day, the 14^th, I walked over to Bagnas for the morning. I had the intention of spending the whole day there, but there was a wedding in the village to less than half of the children were in school so it didn’t seem like a very good use of my time to spend the whole day there. I spent some time working with a community paid teacher there who is brilliant and voiced her concerns about not wanting to teach whole lessons that day as the other children would miss out. I was also able to observe the head teacher there which was very interesting. The children here are always a pleasure to be around and are very keen to learn. 

Schools, Meetings and the Shiva Temple.

I spent a couple of days in Tansen walking around the town doing more photocopying and designing resources as my eyes were pretty swollen from all the dust on the bike. Luckily by the time that we went to Amrit on the 6^th the swelling had completely gone down.

Saran and I travelled to Amrit on the bike the morning of the 6^th which was a nice journey. The track up to the school wasn’t too difficult which made a nice change so I didn’t ache too much when I woke up the following day.

We got the warmest of welcomes when we arrived at Amrit School. The lower school were all lined up with flowers to give and we had more Tika. The students all seemed so happy, which is always really lovely to see. I had a meeting with the teachers and discussed the schools needs and the facilities that they have already. I was able to take lots of photos to show their twin school the difference that the money that they have raised and the impact that it’s having on the children’s education. I also made a short video of the children saying thank you.

Unfortunately, after the second earthquake this year the school suffered a lot more damage than we had originally thought. I had the rather frustrating task of relaying this information back to the UK, to then put forward the idea of supporting the building of some new classrooms at Amrit as well as Mahachap a and Dumre. Saran and I then had to go back to Tansen as we had a meeting with Sargar, a close friend of Manisha’s.

He had met a man in Kathmandu when he was there who was working for room to read and had said that if we provide the schools information; class sizes and the total numbers of school children for the schools that do not have libraries then they would be able to send someone out to assess the schools and decide if they can provide libraries.

I spent the 7^th and at homestay and in the office making sure that I was up to date with emailing twin schools and suggesting that they start preparing something to send to their schools here in Nepal. A moral boost which is needed.

There were two women who stayed at the homestay for a couple of nights Jaz and Jill. Unfortunately Jaz got sick one of the days that they were staying and Jil, Janaki and I went to Shiva temple which is about a 20 minute drive from Tansen. Unfortunately, in true Nepali style, the car broke down about a 15 minute walk from the temple so we walked the rest of the way which was really lovely. Janaki was a great guide and it was really useful having a Nepali speaker so we didn’t get lost. We got to the temple and I was a bit surprised with how new it was. The Shiva statue was brought from Kathmandu only 2 years ago. There are plans to expand on the land and to make it more temple like as at the moment there is only a statue there. The signs and promotion surrounding the statue, made it a little less special. But, it was a lovely day out regardless. The car was fixed a couple hours later and when we got back to Tansen Jill and I went for some momos.

The 9^th Saran and I ventured to Jheksang which is only about 4km from Amrit. This again was a really lovely visit although we weren’t able to spend very much time there, what I saw I was so pleased with. The staff were very warm and welcoming and asked for some books for the older students for the library as room to read only provided primary level books. So I made a note of that for when Saran and I go to Pokhara. 

Schools, Strikes and a wedding.

I spent the 25^th deep in cutting and laminating more resources for the schools. I had sets of sounds, fruit and veg and opposites printed for each school so laminating and cutting them up was a big task. Saran and I went to Mahachap on the 26^th for a meeting to discuss what their village can contribute to the new school buildings. We were warmly welcomed by the teachers, and the children were happy to see us as ever. The meeting was very positive and I was then able to report to the UK what Mahachap and Dumre had said that they could contribute. The trustees in the UK can then draw up an agreement which will be translated into Nepali and signed by the head of the school, the heads of the village and school committee and a representative from Manisha UK.

On the 27^th I had a short meeting with Saran and Sargar to discuss registering in Nepal to have an NGO status. I relayed the information back to the UK which was similar to what Dan found out when he was here. Which is always reassuring as normally in Nepal you ask the same question to three people and get three completely different answers.

I then spent Saturday the 28^th again making more resources. I’ve turned my bedroom into a make shift factory. Saran and I were planning on going to Okaldunga on the Sunday for a night but I got a phone call from Saran on the Saturday evening saying that there was a traffic strike and that we couldn’t go. From what I could understand this was one political parties reaction to what is happening in the Terrai. As we couldn’t get hold of anyone from Okaldunga on Monday we have had to delay our trip there.

Saran and I went to Pipaldanda on Monday and I spent the day observing teachers lessons. I was so impressed with the amount of effort the teachers are putting into their lessons. In particular the head teacher. During a Science lesson with class 2 she brought in two different plants and the children were able to talk about the different parts of the plant; which parts were above and below the ground and what colours they were. The children were enthusiastic about learning and were able to answer her questions. I also saw a great maths lesson in which the children started by reciting times tables (that can be boring wherever you are in the world). But, instead of chanting them the children sang them, which I thought was good. The teacher then used laminated numbers to do different activities with the children, who were all clearly enjoying themselves and learning in the process.

Tuesday the 1^st I spent in Tansen in the office and going to print more resources and order some posters to be made, but frustratingly, the pixel count wasn’t high enough so I’m going to have to redesign them. I also had a short meeting with Saran as I had some questions for him about ordering some new shelves for classrooms and Mahachaps twin school has made a generous offer too. Saran also invited me to his cousin’s wedding the following day in Butwal which was really lovely.

I got the bus down to Bhalebas on Wednesday and then Saran picked me up on his bike and we went to Butwal for the wedding party. Although we didn’t spend very long there only about 3 hours the reception area looked really great, loads of decoration and wonderfully flavoured food. The bride and groom looked spectacular and the vibrant and rich colours of a Nepali wedding put ours to shame. After the wedding we got back on the bike and rode to Bhairawa where Saran’s other cousin lived. Saran then ventured towards the border with his cousin in search of fuel and I devoured the last third of yet another book. They came back with 30L of fuel to get us home and to another few school visits.

The next day we travelled back to Tansen. I didn’t sleep very well so I had a very relaxed afternoon; hadsome lunch and then a nap. Due to all the dust driving through Butwal, my eyes swelled massively and I could barely see. After a couple of days the swelling went down and they were back to normal. A guest called Maria also arrived from Pokhara, she is from Germany and is on her way to the Indian border. 

What a truly inspiring visit at Bhalebas.

So on the 22^nd I had to make my own way to Bhalebas. I’d had caught a few buses on long journeys which had always been fine, this time it was a short 20 minute ride and Saran met me at the other end to take me up the track to the school. I was, as always, greeted very warmly by all the staff and the children.

I couldn’t have been happier with the effort that Bhalebas have put in, not only in displaying and using the resources that we have brought previously; but also the ways that the teachers were so easily adopting our teaching approaches. 80% of the lessons I saw were brilliant with teachers using different resources and most of the children in the classes engaged.

I was only planning on staying in Bhalebas one night and going to Dumre the following day, but in true Nepali style the meeting was put off a day so I got to stay in Bhalebas another night, which I was more than happy about. So after breakfast at Saran’s house we chatted in the staff room about what I was going to do that day. I chose again to do another day of observing- making sure I saw the teachers that I had missed the day before.

The second day at Bhalebas was no disappointment either, the teachers here from what I can see don’t exactly write a lesson plan but they’re bringing resources to the lessons which means they’ve at least thought about what they’re going to do that lesson.

As I think I have said in previous blogs, Saran’s house was really badly damaged in the earthquake. He’s currently in the process of building his new home and I can’t believe how quickly the walls have gone up. With the current fuel shortage, getting materials has been a real struggle and has meant that there was a delay to the building. But, finally, things are looking really great. Three bedrooms a sitting room and a kitchen with a small balcony at the front too.

On the 24th, after my second breakfast at Saran's house, Saran

and I made our way, on his motorbike, to Dumre which is fairly close to Bhalebas. Again we were very warmly greeted by the head teacher and the members of staff. The meeting here was to discuss the building plans for the four new classrooms that we’re planning to fund. The school has agreed to supply the labour and Manisha UK will then supply the materials. It was a very positive meeting and it’s a big relief to know that we both have the same expectations.

As the school was so badly affected by the earthquake, with already very poor classrooms, the government along with a Korean charity are funding two classrooms. Which is good to see that Dumre are getting help from elsewhere too.

Unfortunately, after watching BBC news at Saran’s house the first morning I was there and talking to Saran it’s become very obvious that the trouble and the blockades at the boarders don’t seem to be getting any better. Two people were killed by police and an ambulance and a truck full of medical supplies have been torched. I’m constantly thinking how lucky we are in Tansen as the only effect we’re seeing at the moment is the rise in fuel prices as we’re having to buy it off of the black market.

My last week with Barbara and even less fuel and gas.

Barbara and I started our 6^th week by going to Butwal to go shopping for resources among other things. Butwal is a large town on the edge of the flat, hot, Teri region of Nepal. We were expecting it to a very hot trip but as winter has started to set in it was a lot cooler than both of us anticipated. We bought a good range of Science books and other books for older children including some biographies for the school libraries. We also bought some more essentials; laminating pouches and whiteboard markers as well as some Montessori type toys for younger children.

Barbara and I then worked through Thursday 12^th making and designing more resources to get made and put together for when I start visiting schools. I’ve spent a lot of time photocopying and laminating different resources for all ages so then I can work with the teachers and show them the learning that can happen through play.

Friday the 13^th (unlucky for some) was the main day of Tihar. Tihar is the Nepali equivalent to the Indian festival of Diwali. There are 5 days of Tihar; first is the day of the crow to celebrate their uses as a messenger, second is the day of the dog and they loyalty is celebrathed (even though most dogs are strays), the third was the day of the cow and the god of wealth Laxmi, the fourth is the day of the ox and is celebrated for their uses for farming and the fifth day is the main day of Tihar where brothers and sisters celebrate each other. Although this wasn’t the first time I have been in Nepal for Tihar it is the first time that I have experienced it in such an inclusive way. Dhanni and Abhi had been invited to the village for the main day so they left early in the morning. So at the homestay there was Barbara, me, Janaki, a French man and his Nepali friend and two guests from Belgium. We celebrated with Tika and as you can see, so much food. Janaki had spent the previous days cooking solidly for Tihar.When Dhani and Abhi returned from the village that evening, I gave Abhi a small gift that I had got for him when we were in Pokhara.

Wednesday was a very special day for two reasons. Sadly, it was the day that Barbara left us and travelled to Kathmandu; but is was also the day I was supposed to graduate. We said our goodbyes to Barbara and wished her well for her journey back to the UK. And then scrolling down my Facebook news feed later that day, there was a flood of the most beautiful pictures of everyone from my course graduating. So proud of my friends for working so hard- we definitely all deserved it! It was a tough gruelling three years but we can safely say that all of those assignments are nicely behind us.

Thursday was then a strange day looking out of my door for Barbara and her not being there! A very strange adjustment as we grew so close after an intense 2 months. I then met with Saran late morning to give him some money for the mini whiteboards that he’d ordered for the schools and 3 big ones to replace broken ones. I then spent some time labelling and stamping books so they are ready to be distributed to schools.

The following day I had a short meeting with Saran and Sargar to talk through the next steps that we need to take before building starts at Dumre and Mahachap. As I am not qualified in building and have very little experience in building I’m gathering all the advice I can get.

Then the next couple of days over the weekend have been quiet I’ve been making the most of the beautiful weather sat on the balcony making resources and designing new posters on my laptop to then go and get them printed soon and then distributed to the schools. I've also been dreading the day that the gas runs out for the kitchen and our hot shower. Such a privilege in Nepal, but once the gas has gone I'm sure that it will be missed! 

This coming week I’m hoping to visit, Bhalebas, Dumre and Okhaldunga. As there is only me and Saran now travelling is a little easier as we can go on the motorbike. Sargar went to a place near the boarder and bought 150L of fuel on the black market and we bought 20L off of him so that should keep us going for a while, fingers crossed.