FANTASTIC!!

Driving back from the monastery the two monks in the front were humming along to the catchy Hindu music. I asked if it was the radio or a CD. When they said it was a CD I asked if they had the cover so I could see what it was called. They ejected the CD so I could read the title. They were a little sheepish as I read out: Romantic Love Tune volume 1.



I arrived back at the Childrens' Home to a very pleasant surprise. The chicken coop had so far been a fiasco. The first American volunteer, John-Luc had started the project.....several times. Each time different and with plans that would rival the Sydney Opera House. Each time I had had to reign him in and draw sketches of a reasonable project which would be achievable. Then despite promises that he wouldn't leave before the coop was finished......he left. There were piles of bamboo and pieces of wire. New volunteers would be dragged into the project and made to trek across town to look at other coops for ideas and to the markets to buy materials. Amanda and I decided to back away from the project, except to help with sketches of ideas or money for materials. When the two new Australian boys, Jude Antcliff and Jono Holland, talked of building the coop we thought maybe it would happen. However when they mentioned movable baskets, then buying double bunks and converting them into coops, and then finally, when they arrived home with a load of old wood I was worried the whole thing would fall in a heap again. However I was wrong! Arriving back from the monastery the two boys, Jono and Jude had done an absolutely wonderful job. With very basic tools and scraps of wood they had worked extremely hard and made a chicken coop to surpass any other in Nepal. I take my hat off to them!


And then the day got better. Jade Holland, Tess, Maya and Amanda had decided to cook an Aussie barbeque for the kids. During the day they had shopped for the food, including a very interesting trip to a Nepal butcher to buy buffalo meat. In the afternoon they made Israeli salad, potato salad and then the boys constructed a makeshift barbie from chicken wire and cooked the meat. Admittedly when it was put in front of the kids they didn't look too happy and were looking around for their rice and screwing their noses up at the charred meat. But once they tried it they loved it and the whole lot disappeared.



Jade and Kristen had made paper pyramids with the kids, under which they placed candles to give a paper lantern effect. The boys mixed up damper and showed the kids how to wind damper on a stick and cook it over the coals, then Jade poured honey down the inside of the finished treats. The kids finished with honey all over their hands and clothes.
Then we all sat around the camp fire singing songs. Kids sat on volunteers' knees and now and then I would feel a little hand feeling my scratchy head or face, or a kid would quietly give you a kiss on the cheek. It was very moving and Chantra, Jodi and the kids were so appreciative.

In the afternoon other visitors, Skye from Singapore and Melo from Slovakia, had donated pillows and games for the kids. And Jean, from Korea bought them apples. I was very appreciative and moved by how giving, how wonderful, and how hard all the volunteers were working to make the kids happy. To me this was the best night of the trip so far.

After leaving the kids we also met Tom Orr from Parkes who had just arrived in Pokhara that evening with his brother.