Volunteer Log Stardate 2005

After a timely reminder from the blog site that I hadn't been on it for 30 days (more now)I realised I'd better finish the epic (at least this part of it - amazingly some people want to know what comes next - me for one!)I've just found this and realised I never published it - ah well, a never-ending story.

My last week in Kathmandu was full of all the things I like to remember about Nepal and it seemed to go on for ages.

On Monday morning, after seeing my trunk of souvenirs, clothes, cushion covers etc and a bag full of books and papers safely on its way to Newcastle airport (very efficiently dealt with all the way)I went to the VSO office for my exit interview with Purnaji. I'd written all the notes for this several weeks before and only glanced at them briefly, so as he started to read, I was surprised to hear him laughing and saying 'You're not going to retire' - apparently I'd written that my first task would be to find out what it was like to be retired - he then went on to read that I might re-volunteer for shorter placements after a year or so and told me there would be a job for me in the office at the beginning of 2009 - I did a Nepali waggle of the head (which can mean yes, but is usualy quickly forgotten) and was then stunned to hear Purna tell everyone at lunchtime that we weren't really saying goodbye because I was coming back! Through a process of Chinese whispers this eventually reached Clare in London - apparently I'm returning to Nepal,in March! No way - and I'm waiting to see what other doors open , though I'll definitely be back at some time.

On my way back from the office (walk and bus) I realised I had forgotten to see the finance officer to finalise my accounts, so the next morning I walked to Patan via Thamel and Durbar Square, just taking in the sights, sounds and smells again. Much as I dislike the effects of the traffic, the inefficient waste collection service and trying to walk on pavements covered with merchandise, I do enjoy the city and feel comfortable in the areas I know well.

I spent the return journey doing shopping - pashmina jumpers and scarves were on the list plus a turquoise treat for myself.

That evening I had a meal in the guest house with my replacement, Doreen. While trying to keep a balance between realism and optimism about the situation she would face, I realised again how much I would like to be in her shoes, but with two years experience behind me.

It was always a Kathmandu treat to visit the hairdresser at the Shangri-la Hotel, so off I went early on Wednesday morning. There was another British woman in the salon, but being spectacle-less, I couldn't take much notice of her. When she left, the hairdresser said 'Did you recognise the lady?' It turned out to be the Ambassador's wife! I should have said 'See you tonight'.

That evening many volunteers gathered with other ex-pats for the British Embassy carol service. Although we say we go for the rum punch, mince pies and sausage rolls, the service itself has been a reminder of home for the last two Christmases and now reminded me again what I had missed about Christmas Eve. This year the Ambassador had decided to hold the service under a brightly coloured tent in the garden. The hedges twinkled with fairy lights as we were serenaded (?) into another section of the garden by a young bagpiper. To the 2007 volunteers this was surreal, to the old hands it was something we had come to expect - and would be something to miss.

On Thursday I felt I needed a walk, so I set off for Swayambuth - the monkey temple. As a landmark from many parts of the city, including the roof of the PGH, it seems to be ever present, the four pairs of eyes overseeing all that the city has to offer.

The walk brought back memories - my first visit with Roz, just ten days after arriving (I was scared of the steps-but they are steep!), taking both sons during their visits, floodlit views at night. As I crossed over the river a funeral party was approaching one of the ghats, then looking along the garbage strewn banks, past the egrets and up to the level of the kites, I could see the white mountains and remembered that on that first visit this bridge had offered us our first view of what everyone associates with Nepal, but which for so much of the year keeps itself hidden from anyone who doesn't venture right into its territory.
There was however a 'first' on this occasion - I'd never seen the Himalaya from the temple, so the view of the valley had added value this time.

On Thursday evening I met up with a group of volunteers for a final Roadhouse pizza. Although I associate so many places with daal bhaat of varying quality, Kathmandu was certainly the place for top-class pizza!
There was one thing on my 'to do' list which I thought would make a great final day - a trip up the Manakamana cable car, on the Pokhara Road. I'd first heard about it on my village stay in Dhapakhel, when I'd been given a souvenir ring and told this was one place all Nepalis wanted to go. Newly weds go to pray for sons, goats are sacrificed regularly (30rupees for a goat to travel up, but no price advertised to travel down) and it's a place to be avoided on Saturdays.
So early on Friday morning I set off for Kantirajpath (now known as the Kings Way) where I'd been told I would find the bus opposite the Nabil Bank. When no bus had appeared opposite the bank, but several had parked and left from the other side of the road, I decided to investigate more closely and found my bus just in time - this was going to be a typical Nepali day - I could feel it!
Arriving at the entrance to the cable car about 11am, I was horrified to see a very long queue snaking down the approach road. I'd heard that the cable car operators stopped for lunch at 12 o'clock and I could see I wasn't going to reach the front of the queue by then - but word quickly spread that the cars would continue working as there were so many people (a local festival whose significance I never fully understood was the cause).

Eventually I reached the top and made my way through crowded stalls selling every kind of souvenir to the temple square. As it was impossible to get near, I followed my nose up some steps, past the seemingly endless queue to present sacrifices at the temple and eventually came out on a hillside with stunning views towards the mountains. I was trying to take it all in when a young man (one of only a handful of white faces) I'd seen in the cable car queue came up to me and thanked me for leading him up here. He was with a group of Nepalis who had never been before and seemed to think I knew where I was going! They took my photo and I exchanged e-mail addresses with Joseph who was a British student working in a human rights organisation in Kathmandu. It was a very happy chance meeting as the information the organisation publishes is unbiased and very informative.

As I really wanted to make sure I was back in Kathmandu by early evening I set off down the hill again and afgter watching the local band in action I took the cable car down and soon caught a Kathmandu-bound bus. The journey was uneventful with some splendid views of the mountains in the sunset glow until we reached the city. Knowing that the terminus was nearer than the first main stop in Kalanki, I stayed on the bus - big mistake. If I had taken a taxi I'd have been back at PGH before I eventually got off the bus - what a reminder of the traffic situation in KTM - all or nothing.

I had arranged to eat with Doreen and we were joined by other new volunteers, sharing experiences, hopes and fears. As we were finishing, Geraldine rang to ask me to go for a drink with her and Karen - in no other place than the Malla Hotel (5 stars - the only time I had been in was briefly when the students from Farnborough had been dropped off there). Another farewell to contend with, but a pleasant and surprising ending to a typically surprising Nepali day.

And so to Saturday. I'd arranged to have a Mike's breakfast with a group of volunteers and that took most of the morning. By coincidence Jo had also arranged to meet friends there, so more hugs all round. I then wandered through Thamel and spent an hour or so reading in the calm of the Garden of Dreams - what a haven.

I was pleased that noone was around when I went back to PGH for my bags, but Bram managed to bring tears by presenting me with a khaadaa scarf. This was just as much leaving home as leaving Hetauda had been the previous week.

After the airport formalities and a fairly comfortable wait, my last memories as we crossed the tarmac to the plane was of flaming mountains in a dark blue sky. Life hadn't always been so peaceful, but the memory of such sights had often kept me going.

Au revoir Nepal - I wish you well.

Happy New Year! Yes it's already 2008, but I've only just started thinking about finishing this part of my blog. Considering the last two weeks in Nepal is creating a range of emotions, but with fingers crossed that my newly acquired laptop (with-allegedly- a memory large enough to accommodate all the photos)will behave and my new broadband connection will react a little quicker than good old NTC, I'll start with the last week in Hetauda.

The office was very quiet, but on Tuesday I received a call from Krishna at Adhunik school to say a representative from the British Council was going to the school to check up on the Global Link with Oak farm School in Farnborough - would I go along? I met a very lively young woman (no sign of a kurta or sari)who is really trying to solve many of the problems being encountered by schools involved in links. She has talked to many teachers who say they are unable to fit in work for the link because of the constraints of teaching an exam-based curriculum. This was repeated by Krishna who said that the pupils had to use their own time and money (both in short supply) to contact the English pupils (they were delighted when I said I would take letters to post once I was back in the UK). If the opportunity arises for me to work with the Global Link in the UK, this is something which must be explained to schools over here before they consider setting up a link. These are some of the young people who were the partners of the Farnborough students sitting in front of a very impressive poster advertising their college.

The next day I visited Shree Devi to show the teachers the presentation I'd created and to share my reports. I was given another armful of bangles and a Buddha staue as a leaving present - a lovely reminder of a school with great potential and a female head who deserves respect.
I also spent time walking round the bazaar saying goodbye to some of the traders who have become friends and taking final photos. There are many changes taking place in Hetauda, including building for people who have chosen to move north from the uncertainty in the Terai and pink and purple railings on Main Road courtesy of Berger paints - the day I left, the newspaper was proclaiming that land prices have doubled in the town - my thoughts about goddess Laxmi being welcomed during Tihar seem to have been correct.

On Thursday I spent a happy couple of hours with Purnam, the new tenant of my first house and her friend. Sitting in the sun by Urmila's house, I commented on the vivid red nail polish Purnam was wearing. Within seconds I was being painted - hands and feet - armed with bangles, then whisked inside to be dressed in a wedding sari, encouraged to have a dance and then taken outside again for photos. Unfortunately (or fortunately) the camera batteries were on the blink so there isn't too much evidence, but I was left wishing I'd met these people earlier.

On Friday afternoon the office staff who were present (including the DEO and Mahendra - returned from sick leave, but still looking decidedly unwell) and some of my RP colleagues, plus Shrawan and Ram Chandra my office buddies all gathered in the DEO's office. After a discussion about the order of speeches and an agreement that we all knew each other, therefore didn't need intoductions, Himsharma the other section officer opened the proceedings by reminding everyone while we were there and invited Uma to make the first speech. When she'd finished, she presented me with a puja vessel and still more bangles and gave me the first red tika on my forehead. This was the sign for each person present to add a tika and to present me with red flowers. Some of the comments were very thoughtful and I really did appreciate the effort that some of the guys had made to be there for me. Mahendra then made a speech (unlike everyone else he spoke in English)and explained that there had been many problems but he thought we had done some good work, then I had to respond ( well practised Neplai!) and told them that I thought the most important change at the office was that they were beginning to share their experiences and this was the way forward, then the proceedings were closed by the DEO, who referred to the changes that needed to take place and the role of international organisations like VSO before presenting me with the traditional gift of a water jug. Having entrusted my camera to an RP, it didn't really surprise me that I again appeared headless - a pity as my forehead and nose were completely red.

I needn't have worried about going home in this embarrassing state-after eating a delicious dessert called dudh malai(milk and cream)I was offered the office vehicle and accompanied by Uma and Padma off went. Arriving at my house we were met by my landlord who had been holding a puja for the new house that day and were immediately offered puja food. It was a very good ending to my relationship with the DEO - the two people who were to work with the new volunteer both saying how much they had learnt (from VSO rather than me, I think, but at least I was there to make it possible)and I was actually quite glad when Jo sent a text to say she was still in Daman and wouldn't be at the Avocado, as I had time for reflection.
The following morning I went to church and was overwhelmed by gifts (a traditional shawl, more bangles and beads and a very handy purse) and messages of good will. My memories of Hetauda will always be bound with these people, particularly at Christmas. My new connection has made it possible to upload this clip of the service - very typical singing and clapping-men and women on separate sides of the room and little Sumit very interested as he peers round his dad's legs.

After the service, Urmila and Maile came round to help me move my furniture. The previous week, Purna had arranged with my landlord that I could keep all my furniture in one room until Doreen came to hetauda and needed it in her home. When I had asked about a lock for the door of the designated room I'd been fobbed off and when I asked again on the Saturday morning I was told the furniture had to go in the little room on the roof - fine, but annoying as I'd started storing things in my room and the bed had to be dismantled to get it up the stairs. Thanks to Maile everything fitted in, except for the large kitchen table which went under the stairs. We found out later that the family is not going to live upstairs now, but is going to let the first floor to an organisation - so all the rooms are needed - and they'll make a fortune!
The rest of the day passed quickly as I went round to Urmila's and met her sister, her niece and the niece's eighteen-month old twin sons. What a handful!

Later Jo and I went to Pradipta's for an excellent daal bhaat and I gratefully took advantage of Jo's spare room for the night.
On Sunday morning I'd been invited for food at Urmila's before I left on the jeep at 9am. I'd said I didn't want much, but of course rice,daal, veg and egg all appeared and I managed to clear my plate - remembering how I struggled with daal bhaat at 9am during my family stay on in-country training, this was quite amazing before 8am. When I got back to my flat (my only tears were when I left Urmila-Sumit was too busy eating sel roti, thank goodness) Pradipta had arrived to collect some curtains (which I'd left with Jo) and to help with the luggage. Maile came along to help too and the two of them struck up a relationship which led to Pradipta employing Urmila as his cleaner! The picture shows that help was needed to load the luggage on the vehicle.

The journey to Kathmandu turned out to be such a wonderful experience that by the time I arrived the sadness of leaving had been overtaken by the wonder of the views I'd seen - a real example of sukhadukha (happy-sad) which I had been elling everyone I was feeling.
My driver had told me that we were going on the Daman road, but after a stop at his office this changed to 'a new route' from Kulekhani. It turned out to be up and over the reservoir, then along the road round the reservoir, which I'd last travelled on a motorbike six months earlier, to my favourite village - Markhu. After having not had time to make a final visit there, this was a wonderful surprise. What was even more amazing was the amount of water which was now covering the one-time football pitch(the photo was taken in June 2006) and the stretch of water under the bridge(the earlier photo was taken from the bridge). Comparison with December 2005, when I first saw these views, makes me wonder again about the management of the Nepal Electricity Authority - load-shedding will not be missed.


Soon after leaving Markhu, we met a group of people walking towards us. I spotted a young man I recognised and he spotted me - Deepak,one of the teachers from the training at Markhu - there was only time for surprised looks and waves, but a memory remained of when he recited 'One potato, two potato' for us and dressed up a Red Riding Hood - a real hope for the future of teaching in that part of the country.

After one missed turning, we finally turned onto a track which led up the hills to a village called Chitlang, then over the top and with spectacular views of the mountains all the way down we entered the Valley for the last time (or so I thought).

It's now 3rd December. The last two weeks have been busy and the next two weeks will be the last two weeks.

Back on the 18th November, (Mangsir 2 in the Nepali calendar) it was time for the monthly RPs' and supervisors' meeting. I was really pleased to hear the RPs making their reports and even more pleased when one of the women RPs told me 'we (I think she meant the two women) asked for more sharing' - at last! At the end of the meeting Mahendraji asked if I would like to say anything and I shocked him by saying 'yes' - well I wasn't going to pass on my last opportunity. Having thanked them and wished them well I told them I was going to take their photos to give to the new volunteer, so that she didn't spend two years trying to match names,faces and resource centres. I haven't attached the rogues' gallery.

When I read the newspaper the next day, I learnt that Maoists had reclaimed land near Bhutandevi school belonging to 'an Indian citizen'. It was only when I went down the road to buy vegetables that I noticed the red flag flying in the field next to my house (it's between the two trees in the photo) - I'm not sure what they plan to do with it, but it was a sign of things to come. Later in the week the newspaper reported that land attached to two properties belonging to former Home Minister and my old neighbour Kamal Thapa, had been seized - I take it VSO aren't going to tell me to move again!
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The next day I finally went to Shree Devi School - despite being told the schools would be open the previous Wednesday, they had all stayed closed until after the Chaatt festival. I had a long talk with the head madam about what she saw as the value in having grade teaching and discovered that she could understand that teachers could get to know their pupils better, that time could be managed more effectively without breaks and that reference could be made to learning from other subject lessons because teachers would know what had been taught. When I asked if she found it difficult knowing all the curriculum subjects (the complaint of the grade teacher at another school a few months ago)I discovered that in fact two teachers shared each class, so they only had to learn about three subjects - oh well. I did observe her deliver a model lesson to class 1, though. It was full of warmth, encouragement and short breaks for a number song and a bit of 'Brain Gym' and the steps to addition of tens and units (without carrying figures!)were very clear.

When I said I would return the next day I was told the school would be closed - yes, another local festival - when people celebrate and worship the tulsi (basil)plants they have in their gardens by decorating them.

However parsi (the day after next)I returned and spent a whole day observing and taking photos. The school is very fortunate to have whiteboards in the classrooms and although there were no materials in the ECD room there was a teacher who knew how to teach using games.

This is a picture of a poster I used in many training sessions until one school took a real liking to it and it disappeared. Obviously someone else has been training here as the poster was displayed on a classroom wall. The scene causes great hilarity and the participants can always talk about the issues which need improvement. Unfortunately, in some schools many of these issues are all too real - but definitely not at Shree Devi.

The next day I was off to another school, this time out in Hatiya, where Richard (having cycled up from Birgunj the previous day)wanted to take photos of children using the natural materials on display in the ECD class. Although we were given a display rather than a normal morning (at least we hoped it was), we did see a range of activities. Here children are being given grains of salt and sugar(eyes closed) before having to describe the taste - salty and sweet!

I took this photo simply for the bag - will this little girl ever enjoy the new Nepal?

That evening Pradipta treated us to a genuine Indian fish curry. He'd promised no bones 'or only the big one' and it was in a very tasty sauce, but we left the head to him!

On the Friday of this week I'd been in the office less than half an hour when the Hetauda RP came in and asked me to go to a higher secondary school out to the west, where there was going to be an interaction of the school's stakeholders, which had been called by the PTA. I was asked to give a short talk about how parents, teachers and the SMC (governing body) work together in the UK and how the local authority and government are involved. The headmaster was under considerable attack about standards of behaviour, uniform and teaching (particularly of English) and after collecting everyone's comments and complaints he began a long series of excuses. He was interrupted at one point by a management committee member who said he thought the programme had been advertised as an 'interaction' but it didn't seem to be interactive. I don't know what the outcome will be for this particular school which has 'namuna' in its name - a 'model' school - but if there is so much interest (50+ people at the meeting)I hope the pupils eventually get the quality of education they deserve.

At the weekend I joined the Birgunj boys (Richard and Kors) for a trip up to Daman to see the view (Himalayas east to west)and a walk down through the jungle to the valley, as described to me by Sandy when she was living up there. After a 7am start and a three hour bus journey with amazingly clear views down to the Rapti valley, Hetauda and the hills to the south, and glimpses of white mountains to the north, we were ready for tarkari, chick peas, sel roti and beaten rice (and chiyaa of course) before heading up the viewing tower for a better view of 500 miles of the Himalayan range. (Trivia: Himalaya means 'abode of the snow' from the Sanskrit hima - snow and alaya - abode) My previous views had been from a bus and a jeep, so it was good to be able to take time to try to realise what exactly I could see - 9 of the 14 highest mountains in the world, with an average height of 15000ft. The nearest mountains are about 50 miles away and we were already at a height of nearly 7500ft - I still can't comprehend the scale.

We weren't the only ones heading for the tower - these sacks of wood and leaves were heading in that direction too!

We headed back up the hill and into the jungle along a paved path to a temple site for Buddhists and Hindus. My information was that the path then continued down to the valley.We couldn't see anything until a barefoot man carrying a sack of wood appeared through the trees. We followed him down a steep, slippy,narrow, winding path (where was the trusty Rotary walking pole?)until we came to a stream which flowed and fell over and between large boulders and needed jumping and crossing on stepping stones. There were many pools with flowers and the occasional fish - a real secret valley.

We were occasionally overtaken by friendly groups of men and women carrying large sacks of wood but otherwise had the place to ourselves. After 3 hours or so we reached ploughed fields and then the road and headed for a chiyaa pasal at the bottom of the hill in Shikarkot. Having found the lodge where I stayed when I visited Sandy, we set off to find a route the guys could run the following morning (they are now in serious training for the Delhi (half)marathon). As we headed back up the hill into the sunset, the full moon rose behind one of the surrounding hills - a lovely end to a very enjoyable day.

After a good daal bhaat we were playing cards when Sandy's colleague Pemba from Global Action came in for his evening meal. There's something about being greeted as a friend by a Nepali that still makes me feel good (and it impressed the locals). The fresh air had its effect and I was asleep before 8.30.
The next day saw us take the 9.30 bus back. This time the journey took 4 hours, including a food break at Daman and a roadside toilet stop durng which Kors was asked all the usual questions about his origins, what he was doing in Nepal, where he lived etc and when he said 'Birgunj' he was told there was a bandh - which after his story of tyre-burning as he came up on Friday could have been true, but fortunately wasn't.

Having passed the planned election date (22nd November) there was always a fear that demonstrations may escalate. In fact the country is at a standstill - the new parliamentary session was postponed while the parties 'continued their homework' and then when it did meet on Thursday there was hardly anyone there. It's now been put off until Wednesday.

Prachanda contradicts himself every time he opens his mouth - he wants to find a way to support the government but he wants his members to demonstrate for his parties new demands and says they'll fight for forty years if necessary. They are still causing misery by demanding contributions and carrying out abductions. The Prime Minister is ill again, many ministers are talking about each other and we are going nowhere. And to think we could have been a republic by now if only they had held the elections. Letters in the paper today were saying how everyone,even in rural areas is just tired of the ineffectual government

The good news is that the country has risen in the UN's Human Development list by two places (still 142 out of 177). The enrolment rate across all levels of education has gone up 2% to 58% and life expectancy is now 62.6 years (up 4 years for women in the last two years and due to the decrease in infant mortality).

The rest of last week I spent writing and sorting and preparing a display for the office for World AIDS Day. On Friday afternoon I waited for the phone call that would tell me Purna and Doreen had arrived. It didn't come until after 6pm - there had been brake problems in the hills and they had a 2 hour delay. Better late than never I met my replacement at the Avocado and heard about the new intake, language training and Doreen's life in international schools in Singapore and Africa, her search for a home in Portugal and her 21/2 years researching for a master's degree in Nepal.

Saturday morning was spent at a meeting at Uma madam's resource centre where Purna gave a spirited description of VSO's work and talked to the heads about Doreen working in their schools. They had to decide the criteria for choosing which schools would benefit from a volunteer. Also at the meeting (for gender balance) were the women from the SMC training course. I really hadn't thought they would come on Saturday morning, but I was so pleased when some of them answered questions and made comments. At least they know someone respects them.

We repeated the exercise with another group of heads on Sunday morning, before having daal bhaat and the VSO jeep set off back to Kathmandu. Purna has agreed a price with my landlord for storing the furniture in one room until Doreen returns and needs it - that saves me a lot of hassle, but I am dreading taking down my pictures and taking off the cushion covers.

I've just got an e-mail to say Pradipta is back from another visit to India and has invited himself round here tomorrow - with Indian snacks. Jo is back from a field visit on Wednesday and I want to see Jose before I leave, so hopefully the week will be busy (I understand we're having a ceremony at the DEO on Friday).

What shall I miss? The weather - most of the year and just now in particular. The colours - the blue and white of the mountains, the brown and green of the hills and the paddies, the multi coloured bustle of the bazaars. The pace of life - I enjoy walking everywhere. The fresh vegetables and fruit and the way they are cooked. Music on the buses. The local Imam - my personal alarm clock. Festivals almost every month. The friendliness and generosity of many people. And what won't I miss? Spitting. Cheeky schoolboys (and girls sometimes). Load -shedding - particularly when the fans are off in the heat of summer. Cold water showers in the winter. Roads in need of repair. The habit of serving or speaking to each person who comes into a shop or office without finishing the business you are involved in. Mobile phone ring tones (Auld Lang Syne has a new meaning!)- I think they are used more sensitively in England. Strikes and road blocks. And what am I looking forward to? Hot baths and fish and chips.

My decision to stay in Hetauda for this holiday (Friday to Sunday) was justified. As I stood on my roof on Friday I could see coloured lights in every direction. Last year was good, but it seems that this year everyone has joined in the celebrations with fairy lights and / or candles, fireworks (mostly ones that sound like machine guns or bombs, but also some rockets and Roman candles and plenty of sparklers)and plenty of traditional singers. The nursery next door did everything - the 'We wish you a merry Christmas' playing lights, fireworks every night and then the singing and dancing on the lawn. My house was lit up, including flashing lights on my balcony, and when I came in on Friday evening from a walk in the bazaar, there were even candles on my steps and later on the steps up to the roof, though the candles out on the roof wouldn't stay alight. It looks as though Hetauda is going to be very prosperous next year if Laxmi, the goddess of wealth visited every house with lights on!

The festival was almost spoilt by another day of unseasonal weather. It wasn't very bright on Friday morning, then about 11am thunder started rumbling round the hills and by 1.30 the wind was blowing leaves off the trees and there was a short hailstorm followed by 90 minutes of very heavy rain.The electricity was on and off until after 7pm. As most of the roads in Hetauda have been 'under the digger' this summer, walking up to the bazaar in semi-darkness was a muddy affair, but it was worth it.

In the market

Laxmi puja evening

On Saturday afternoon I went round to Urmila's only to find I'd been asked to help make sel roti.

As I left she invited me to go for daal bhaat the next morning. After I came back,Sanu arrived with a plateful of Bhai Tika food (for Sunday) - sel roti, ladoo (rice sweet), sweet cake, fruit.

She had only just left when the Hetauda RP, Drubha, rang - he'd promised to invite me to his house over Tihar, but I was more than honoured when he invited me for Bhai Tika, a family celebration between brothers and sisters. I wasn't going to need to cook on Sunday (or for a few days!)

This morning Urmila gave me fish with my daal bhaat (I still don't cope well with the bones), but as I told her I was going to Drubha's afterwards, it was a manageable amount. I made my way south out of Hetauda by tempo, having been told to get off at the interestingly named 'FM Road' (there is a big sign which announces national FM radio). Drubhasir was waiting and took me to a lovely house in a small rural community five minutes from the main road. Here I met his wife,younger brother and his two children, younger sister, two daughters, son, two granddaughters and five year old grandson. All these people have a special name in Nepali depending on whose child they are (brother's, sister's, older, younger etc).It's something I've never come to terms with - I'd rather learn people's names.

The ceremony took two hours. I finally came home about 3.30 after another daal bhaat. Tempos are few and far between today, it's the one day when people really do take a holiday and I thought a walk would have done me good after all the food. I brought with me a big bag of foodstuff (a gift from my 'sister') and I have a very colourful tika on my forehead and a mala of everlasting flowers to hang in my room. I also have a series of photos which make sense of the whole day.


I thought it would be a solemn occasion, but this family at least, had a lot of fun and were happy to include a foreigner as their 'sister' for the day (I got my tika along with Drubha's wife, so I was clearly 'related' to him).

And by the way - happy 1128 (Nepali Sambhat) - it's the new year we celebrated with Purna last year - where has the time gone?

If anyone can remember, that was the title of my very first post when I set up the blog while I was training in Birmingham in August 2005. When I started writing this post it was 5 weeks to go before I leave Nepal -it's now only 4 because I got sidetracked by Tihar, so I've removed what I had written and started again.

The two weeks between Dashain and Tihar, which last year were very quiet at work as the new DEO took over and the RPs were all hiding in their resource centres wondering whether their jobs were safe, were very busy and I began to feel envious of Doreen having the opportunity to see some of the new initiatives through - though I feel some success in that they ever got off the ground in the first place.

The first programme was supposed to be a refresher course for the women who attended the women SMC members' training out in Hatiya back in March. As only 5 of the original participants were there (with 8 others) it was more of a repeat than a review,but it was good to hear one young woman say that after the first programme, she had felt able to tell the other members of her management committee (the men)what she saw as her role. The highlight for me was one of the women showing us how the men react when she speaks - the body language was so expressive- she is obviously very perceptive but very frustrated. I think we have realised that while courses to support the women are important as they give them an opportunity to say things they would not say in front of the men, training involving them as well is necessary.

The following day I had been invited to be the 'special guest' at a musical chairs event at the resource centre at Mayurdhap. The journey out there is always enoyable - tempo ride, wade across the channels in the gravel beds then walk up the Nepali equivalent of a country lane.This time it was made more interesting by the company of the RP's daughter - an articulate young lady in grade 7 at Hetauda's Christian run English medium academy. The private schools did not go back between the two holidays, so she was having a day out to with her mother and she was also going to meet her aunt, another teacher who was taking part in the musical chairs game.

I learnt that the event was to recognise the contribution of female teachers (patronising or what?)and there was one teacher from each of the schools in the resource centre area (had they had a run off to see who was going to take part? - I didn't ask). I soon realised this was going to be very competitive - there were prizes of 200, 150 and 100 rupees for the winners.

On the first circuit I took what I thought would be a short piece of video. It turned out to be nearly a minute before the 'music' (a blindfolded pupil sitting in the centre of the circle with the school 'bell' - an oblong piece of metal and a hammer) stopped.
On watching it afterwards, one teacher is seen very cleverly hurryng between the chairs and then slowing down so that she will have a chair in front of her (no going backwards). She turned out to be the eventual winner, though not without jutting elbows, a couple of stewards' enqiries and a reinstatement. There was a good lunch afterwards!

After the weekend I had the pleasure of an hour's bus ride out to the east, a delicious daalbhaat at the headmadam's husband's shop (it really was like being in the zoo with children coming and peering over the counter at us) then a 11/2 hour walk with Umamadam (the RP) and headmadam to another mothers' meeting. The way took us through jungle, across countless streams (we had waited to hold this programe as the way had been flooded for several weeks)and finally along a gravel bed with tall cliffs - the scenery of the road south.

The school had been built by the community several years ago, but had only come under the DEO's authority two years ago, when the head had been appointed. There is one other teacher (the wife of the SMC chair). There are 52 children in grades 1-3, but only two classrooms, though a new Japanese-funded building is under construction. A group of women and children was waiting for us and over the next hour they were joined by many more until there were 43 women and at least as many children, some perched on the planks which made up the walls of the classroom, their heads almost touching the tin roof.

Four women admitted to being able to read and write and two of them were chosen to record the 'group' discussions (there wasn't room to make four groups). There was obviously a good awareness of the value of sending children to school and of the need for them to have equipment and uniform and it was also clear that this would be a struggle for most of the families.I would love to see the school in operation, but when the RP wrote in the school record book, she showed me that she had been there twice in the previous year at 6 monthly intervals, so we shalln't be going again in the next month - but headmadam does the walk twice a day!

The next day I was back in Hetauda for a long-awaited training session for PTA chairs. This had been suggested when we did the original women's training at the beginning of the year and although I had been frustrated that it had never happened because the RP was absent, I had to admire him for finally insisting that we do it before I leave. I had to leave before the last session as there was still planning to be done for the following day's big network meeting with all the (I)NGOs working in the education sector in Makawanpur district.

This was a really big event which had been suggested by the DEO after seeing one that had been run in Parsa when Shannon was there (talking of whom, she was involved with bombs and bus accidents in Nepal and now in less than 6 months in Bangladesh she has encountered a possible tsunami and a cyclone).

As there is no record of which organisations are working in which schools or resource centre areas, it is quite possible that some schools are receiving support from several donors, while others are going without. Monitoring the effectiveness of scholarships and retention programmes is also going to be easier if communcation channels are set up. The DEO was present for some of the day and also took the opportunity to launch a newsletter from the resource centre in the far east (where I haven't been) which just happens to contain an article by yours truly. He is really a great guy, not a faceless character at all!

The meeting gave me an opportunity to meet some of the people I've met along the way - Prem from PLAN (now promoted to a post in Kathmandu), Pemba from GAN (saying Sandy may be coming back in the new year and asking me to go to Palung before I leave),Purna's brother Ganesh representing their organisation NEST and gave Mahendraji a chance to ask me to say a few words at my last programme - no need to remind me!

The network meeting was also an opportunity for Laura, a volunteer who works on advocacy and networking projects in Kathmandu, to come out to the country and I spent a couple of evenings with her at the Avocado. The staff up there were beginning to think I'd moved in as I was there almost every night the previous week.

The first of my visitors was Richard, on his way back from the Annapurna Circuit with tales of crossing the high pass after the snow that we had experienced in Muktinath and hearing of the death of a young Frenchwoman from altitude sickness. While we were at the Avocado, we met Duane (ex International Red Cross, now UNDP)and I spent the next night with him and Jo. The following day there was a meeting of programme office staff and one of the new partner organisations, so I was invited for daalbhaat. Just like buses - three nights out came along at once!

I think that's just about caught me up to this week, when I've spent time in the office writing up all my reports. The RP told me schools would be open from Wednesday, but in fact they are closed until tomorrow, so next week I'm going to spend some time in the school round the corner from the office observing (and hopefully supporting) their initiative to introduce grade teaching ie not a separate teacher for each subject, but like our primary school system. I've also promised to take Richard to video the nursery we visited when the volunteers came to Hetauda as he wants an example of good practice to show his RPs and I want to squeeze in a visit to Jose's village - yes he's back again.

Yesterday was Chhatt, a terai festival which is gaining popularity across the country. After presenting large amounts of food at specially erected puja places along river banks women worship the setting sun, standing in the river often with lamps. They then stay awake all night in order to worship the rising sun the next morning (and if last night was anything to go by use a lot of firecrackers to keep themselves awake!). There is a great belief that after doing this wishes will be granted - perhaps that's the reason people other than the madeshi are celebrating - they've tried everything else and there is a great desire for a settled nation. The new session of parliament starts on Sunday, lets hope Prachanda and Koirala lit a few lamps yeterday!

And I've started packing.