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).
