Sunday 17 februari 2008

Sunday, 17 February 2008POKHARA.
At 7.00 a knock on the door, our coffee was served!!
Around 8.30 we were at the house, were the routine was very disciplined.
Mina was polishing the shoes (her daily duty), the other girls were on the roof, taking care of each others hair.
3 Years ago Rebecca and I had to help them with this, but now the older girls like Manju, Alina and Rosila are doing the hair of the little ones.
Dahl Bath for the kids in – to my surprise – silence. Brushing teeth, washing their own plates and time to get dressed for school.
Sudeep is now one of the older boys and he is like a military trainer: all kinds in line, left right left right.
As a perfect line we arrived at the school. Kamal asked Renske to come to see the classrooms, so she ended up pulled at her arm to see all the classrooms by Binod.

I wanted to see the headmaster but this morning he had meetings with parents, so at 14.30 we will go back, talk with the headmaster and give him the English reading books. Also I want to ask him then what the school needs.
I received an email from Voula UCAN in which she asked what to buy, so they can sent it to Nepal.

My impression of Thak’s house was, that they are all well looked after. The school shoes were still very good, maybe they could do with new school sweaters and skirts.
In the study room I saw enough notebooks and also the clothes were okay, although maybe they do need some new ones. We will check this out later. I don’t want to ask Thak straight, because I think of course then he will come up with a long list of what is needed.

In the afternoon before the school was out, we had a meeting with the headmaster of the Shining Star Boarding School. We were invited in his office, coffee was brought in. At one point Renske and I noticed that we forgot to take our shoes off!! Quickly kicking off our sneakers and while the headmaster was answering a phonecall, I rushed out to put our shoes outside in line.
We had a nice talk with the headmaster. On my question what the school needed, he answered: we don’t want money, we want compassion and love for our children.
I showed him my book and he was really pleased with it. Asked for a copy, and I told him that hopefully there will come a new print with updating of this journey also in it. Of course he will get one then as well.

In our conversation he said that the school would be very happy with science-lesson materials and books, like dictionaries, teaching methods, etc. After our very polite, kind and etc. persistence finally he told us
that they did need two small cupboards which could be locked for two classrooms, so the teachers could lock the lesson material away and did not have to bring it in every day again. So, that is our mission for the next couple of days.
He invited us for Tuesday, 11.00 sharp at the school. There would be a meeting and handing out prices to students, something like a mini parents day. He also wanted to introduce us then as benefices. I hope he will not do this, calling me up to the podium in front of all parents and children!

At 16.00 the children came out of class and together with Julia and Amy, the volunteers, we walked them back to the house. There Renske and I left them, because on Wednesday they will be leaving and we thought it would be nice for them to have the kids for themselves those last few days.

Still very cloudy, till now we have not seen the Fishtail or the Annapurna Range. Anyway, we went to Busy Bee to sit on the roof terrace, a bit of sunshine, nice and relaxing.

For diner we went to H.E. and oh what a party! Julia and Kacey, the two Australian volunteers were sitting with us at the table. Julia is not much of a speaker and we are calling Kacey, the scientist-teacher! Miss shunshine.

The meal was delicious, pasta, potatoes and something like a cheesepie, but as long as the two girls are here, we will not spoil our diner with this depressing atmosphere.

Just for half an hour on the internet in our hotel, then the power was off again, so around 22.00 we were in bed, sleeping like a baby.

Suba Rathri, R & R from P.P. (by the way we developed already over 200 pictures!).