MONDAY 7th DECEMBER

Well again the children didn't attend school because of a holiday or possibly fear of the Maoists since nobody knew until the kids reached school. After a visit to the home we caught the bus across town to the markets to have matresses made for the children who didn't have them. We had five made and purchased ten new bed sheets. We also purchased a big bag of rice as they had run out the day before. Here we met Ramji Bastola, a businessman and owner of the shop where we bought the matresses. He is something of a big shot in Pokhara, member of Chamber of Commerce, Lions' Club Director, and he play shuttlecock every morning with the Chief of Police. He has three children all in the medical profession. He drove us back to the children's home in his new car. This was good as we would have struggled even fitting on the bus with our bundle of matresses and sack of rice. On the way to the markets the bus had been crammed like a tin of sardines, with people even sitting on each others laps.

Back at the home two Australian girls from Sydney came to visit for the afternoon. We all helped make momos for tea. This turned into a huge production line with much mirth as we tried to get ours the same shape as Joti's (Chandri's wife) but filling kept falling out the side. A blackout in the middle of the process added to the confusion, but with candle light we managed to feed everyone. After tea there was some impromptu singing. The four oldest girls stood out the front and danced and led the singing. They were terrific and really showed a confidence that wasn't there when they were just playing. The kids sung at the top of their lungs and all had a good time. Just before we left for the night the power came back on.

SUNDAY 6th DECEMBER

Normally the kids go to school on a Sunday, Saturday is their only day off, but when they reached school they found that it had been called off for the day because of the Maoists. The Maoists called a general strike. Everyone complies because they damage any vehicles that are seen using the roads. Rumours are that six police were either killed or abducted a few days before. Many shops were closed and others closed when the Maoists marched up the road. It wasn't a big group marching, though they were vocal, but they were friendly towards us....maybe cause I had a red T-shirt on. Apparently they received about 40 percent of the vote in the last election. But the person I spoke to thought they were losing support and would be lucky to get 30 percent in the next election. As a consequence of their being no cars on the road there was little smog and pollution and for the first time we could see the snow covered peaks rising up almost infront of us. They are spectatular but we have not been able to see them until now.

So after breakfast we went early to the home. We were joined by a couple from Tasmania, Adam and Jennifer, and two fellows from NSW. For a while there seemed like more adults than children, but the children really enjoy the attention.

I have been teaching the kids the Australian 'Cooee' call. When I arrive at the foot of the hill I call out and they rush to the gate and answer.....sometimes all at once. We spent most of the day playing and talking with the kids. We also drew up plans for a chicken coop as we have talked about buying chickens and goats for the orphanage. In the evening we could hear the Maoists chanting, we found out the next day they were chanting 'victory, victory'.

cremation

Today we went to a cremation. I am not sure what to say about it yet. At first I didn't feel anything. I couldn't really understand that there was a real person under all that wood and fire. Then someone's daughter started screaming “Mum, why did you leave me?”
In Australia we don't show our grief. This family wailed and cried. The woman who died was loved. I think seeing so much emotion was a little confronting for me.
I took some photos from far away. I tried to show respect, but it is hard to know the correct way to act.
I did not photograph the cremations close up but some tourists were moving mourners out of the way to get better photos of the dead.
Some tourist showed no shame in standing close enough to touch and photographing the dead's face and grieving family.
Some tourists are jerks.

Pokhara

We did get a little sick from either the food, the water or the air pollution......and so had a very restless night and then an early start. We boarded a bus to Pokhara where the orphanage is. We went by tourist bus because it is more comfortable and drives slower and is safer.....and usually don't have people on the roof. Most Australian school buses are better. The road was steep and very narrow. Although two lanes wide in many places one side was unusable. The road was also full of heavy trucks,Tata brand trucks. Each was highly decorated in bright colours, streamers and fancy iron work. They often had pictures of gods or loved ones painted on them and supported names like: “Open heart” “Too busy for love” “Nepal Pride” “Mongolian dream”. The road wound around and down some amazing mountains. Beside the road were little huts made from all different materials, from mud bricks, to corregated iron to plain sticks. Often they hung out over the cliff. Most were small stalls or workshops, or some had animals in them. Villages were a row of store fronts,each selling groceries, local produce or crafts. They were all squalid and covered with dust. Often on the road trucks would pull up, blocking one lane, and the drivers would use a spring beside the road to take a bath or to wash their clothes, which would be drying on a piece of ropestrung between two trucks. Trucks, buses and cars would simply overtake one another when they come to another vehicle in front. Many, many times we would see buses two abreast going around a blind corner as they overtook. Twice we stopped for meals,which were very good local food.

We arrived in Pokhara, the bus being greeted by a swarm of taxi drivers all trying to give you their card and get your business. Nobody was there to meet us and we waited for an hour. The taxi drivers were very friendly and offered all sorts of help. They showed off their knowledge of Australia and Australian music (they could name three bands) only breaking when another tourist bus came in.

Our guide arrived and took us to the motel then the orphanage. The Everest Children's Home. It was run by Chindra and his wife. They had two children of their own and looked after ten orphan children aged from four to thirteen. The children were all happy and excited to see us. They called us uncle and aunty, though this soon changed to grandfather and aunty. They loved my hat and soon had it out of shape as each tried it on. There were two American tourists who were now staying at the home and helping out, Jean-Luke (born in Canada) and Ashleigh, and Claudia, a German girl who was staying at the motel and came up every afternoon to look after the kids. Ashleigh was travelling for a year with the intention of not using airflight. Already she had travelled by train through Russia and Mongolia; next she was headed for India and then into South-East Asia.

That night they cooked us a meal, well we helped. Everything seemed to be cooked and Jean-Luke was worried something was wrong because they had never cooked so much before. He kept asking what was going on but they gave vague answers and avoided commenting. We found out the next day that they cooked everything when they saw the size of me and were worried how much I would eat and that they wouldn't have enough food for me. In truth my meals were smaller than the children's so they ended up with lots of food for the next morning.

The next day we helped dress the children and walked them to school. It was a half day so we picked them up again at 1 o'clock and took them home. We spent till 7 at night playing with them. I wanted to tell them the story of The Three Little Pigs but thought they might not follow it with their limited english, so I drew the story in cartoon form on the blackboard. Then I told the story with lots of actions. Half way through I thought these kids have no idea what this story is about, but at least they are amused by the actions. However at the end the older girl, Alisa retold the whole story in Nepalese, and the kids have asked for another one. We took the kids to the park and taught them games we used to play, such as Red Rover Come Over and Giant's Treasure, and the Claudia taught them a game Storks and Penguins. It was fun watching Amanda walking around imitating a stork. The adults were the first to wear out. Some of the kids have psychological problems and Jean-Luke told us this was the first time one of the girls had joined in at playing. She had been a house servant who had been abused before being rescued and so had few social skills and usually just watched the others playing.

More and more we discovered some of the problems at the home. The stove hadn't been working for weeks and they had been cooking outside on an open fire. Jean-Luke quickly fixed this by cleaning some of the pipes. He also fixed the refrgerator which hadn't worked for a while. We later learnt two of the kids didn't have matresses so the plan is find two today...they cost about $4 Australian dollars. We know this because Jean-Luke had to have one made for himself as there was none there when he arrived

Language lessons

Namaste – I bow to the god in you. What a lovely way to say hello to people. I haven't really got used to saying it yet. Younger people are supposed to initiate the Namaste ritual and I find that a bit intimidating. I have been practicing on the hostel staff.

We have had two Nepal language lessons. I am terrible at it. I can not remember the words in the right situation. Today we lernt Chaahi:daina, it means I don't need (and yes the word has a semicolon in the middle of it). We did a million other things but without my notes I don't know what they are. I am really going to struggle to control a class.

KATHMANDU

Kathmandu airport had similarities to a paddock or a country airport in Australia. We went through two security/customs screenings. At the first the red light flashed …..but the only customs official was talking to someone else so ignored it. At the second one someone else was already going through so the guard waved us to walk around the screening gate and out. We were met, ripped off by someone carrying our bag and bundled into a car.

Then our world changed! Conditions on the street were just from a different world. No amount of describing what we saw can fully explain it. Movies about the end of the world portray a better scene then what we saw. People were sorting through piles of rubbish heaped on the side of the road. There were beggars and everyone was dirty. We were scared, and didn't know what we had let ourselves in for. No house seemed livable, As we reached other traffic we realised there were no road rules, nor even lanes. The most essential part of the car was the horn, and motor bikes, rickshaws and bicycles dodged in and out. We came to another area that was just as chaotic but there were stalls and 'shops'. Roads were just a little wider than the cars and there were no footpaths. We were happy, and relieved, to reach our motel. In the lobby a hose was draining water into a drain in the middle of the room. Our room was very basic, there was no hot water and only one light worked, the TV didn't work and the toilet seat slid off in pieces. We met another Australian girl, Sarah who was also doing the program, and a Canadian, who had just completed an all women trek. The Canadian, Sheila, had been there a while so showed us a place to eat that first night. We ate at the Electric Pagoda, the electricity went out twice so we were dining by candle light.

The next morning, woken early by dogs barking, I went for a little walk. So as not to get lost I stayed in the one straight street.....I got lost! I found the river. It was the filthiest drain of a river you could imagine. Grey water and full of rubbish. Cars were already everywhere. All manner of cars. Many looked like lawn mowers hooked up to carry a load behind. And school children were already on their way to school...all immaculately dressed in uniform and tie. Australian students should hang their heads in shame. After a good breakfast we had a language lesson and then in the afternoon a visit to two temples, including seeing a living god....though she did look a little bored.

We have been here a few days. Nothing is as bad as the area around the airport. Having said that it is still a different world, very confronting. It is extremely crowded. Pedestrians, bicycles, cars, dogs and the odd cow all compete for the roadway. Every building is dilapidated, run down and covered in dust. There is rubbish everywhere. On the piles of rubbish you can see the odd dead rat, and there are mangy dogs wandering around or just dropping down anywhere and sleeping. Every imaginable building material is used in the houses. Every nook and cranny seems to be a shop or work space. Men squat in the most primitive of conditions, with rubble and dust all around them and using very basic tools turn out carved table legs.

A school girl asked to take a photo of me on her camera phone today. The tour guide explained she wanted a picture of my blonde hair. I hadn't realized but it has been a while since I have seen another blond. I also realized I may need a new phone as even Nepali children are carrying better technology than I am.