Wednesday 17.2.10 Update from Kathmandu

I did not realise that St. Valentine's day is celebrated heremuch more than in the UK. the Rotary dinner was a St. Valentine's dinner and there were about150 Rotarians and their wives trhere.We were introduced and asked to come up to the top table where each of us, including me a male, were presented with a white rose, in the name of brother and sister friendship. I gave mine to the nearest Nepali lady sitting ata table in front of me to, Iay say great applause from the gathering. Later that evening she approached me with her husband to say that she had trained at Manchester Royal Infirmary for 2 years and that she had been to Blackpool to see the illuminations! Her husband was a retired doctor! Out of all the ladies present that evening I gave mine to a fellow medic! That is karma for sure! All in all a most pleasant evening. Nepali music and dancing were included.
Monday we could not go to the home because of riots in the streets! On the Sunday a bus killed 2 people and seriously injured 3 others.Thecrowd took to the streets demnding instant justice, set fire to 4 buses. The police responded by firing tear gas shells and the distuirbance continued overnight. We were adviseed not to travel from the hotel. The day therefore was spent by the hotel pool reading and sunbathing. Yes the temps here have been consistently between 24-26 celsious, not bad for February, and the sun shines all the time!
A bit now about the orphanage. One approaches it down a quiet lane, passes through a gap in a big metal gate into a cobbled courtyard where before you stands a 2 storey building. This on the ground floor houses the offices. the first floor houses the big boys dormitories of which there are 2. One sleeps 8 in bunk beds, the other 10 in similar beds. Climbing the stairs one comes tothe flat roof where the babies playin the mornings.Beyand this building along its side we pass a small courtyard, a sort of playground to pass on your right a washouse, next to it is a very dark basic kitchen,where one cooks on 2 gas burners. Ahead is the communal dining room. On the left are 3 flights of stairs 51 steps to be precise. On ther first is the dorm for the babiesan tiny toddlesr, the 2nd floor the dorm for the school going girls again bunk beds, and on the top floor the play rooms for the toddlers that we look after.
There are toilets on each floor but for most of the day, because of the daily electricity cuts, lasting 11 hours per day, there is no running water. A bucket of water is available to wash ones hands.
Since Yesterday, Margaret, a nursery teacher back in the UK has got thoings organised and at last we are able to structure some sort of lessons for about an hour in the mornings. So far it is quite clear that the kids love it. PersonallyI find this time the most satisfying for I feel even I can be of some help. After this the kids just love to make little necklaces of coloured, their dexterity is excellent. By now they know who we are. I give them 5 minutes of PT before the morning lesson and hope to get them into the playground to play basketball in the afternoons.
I had a wander this pm around the warren of little streets that are near our hotel, if one can call them streets. There are some genuine paved big roads, but for each one there must be a hundred, what I can only describe as very narrow rutted tracks. How there can be 2 way traffic on such roads, if thatis the correct term for such thoroughfares I find hard to justify, but such traffic exists and it daily amazes me how cars, trucks and motor bikes get anywhere!
This Friday is another public holiday, but we shall go to the home for the morning.
It appears that the Everest flight is booked!
By the way all the big boys, when they see me, call me hajur bahje! That means grandfather, nice I think, for they are a grand set of boys. Thnaks James for the info re Man. United. I would be pleased if something can come about from their photo.
That is it for now from a very sunny and warm Kathmandu.
As always,
Namaste!