- ON THE WAY TO SCHOOL
Its 6.30pm and thought Id just quickly write this.
The day started with the familiar sights and sounds of Dandaswara, goats playing and chickens rushing around with their clutch.
After such a good day at school yesterday I knew it couldnt last.Today was just a nightmare. Every thing seemed to be louder, the children more unruly and it was difficult for me to concentrate let alone them. The walls to the classrooms do not go up to the ceiling so you get the noise from 4 classrooms all in a row!
My first class 2 were actually great, and they usually are. Very responsive and want to learn, they remembered every thing we did yesterday and I feel like I m making some progress with them.
Nursery, which I usually enjoy now, were running riot and the lady in charge just seemed to give up trying to gain some sort of control.
Class 1 my worst lot, never concentrate, hitting each other, or winding each other up in some way or other were even worse today. Constantly getting up, dropping their pencils deliberately, and fighting ( there are lots of boys in this class) Photo of the 3 main culprits. Arjung, sundass, and Arun. They were being so naughty that my attention was always with them. I looked up and noticed that 2 of the little girls had actually fallen asleep. Interesting lesson? Great for the confidence!
Class 3, I was exhausted by this stage! a really nice bunch of kids ranging from 8 to 13 years, age range so great because some didnt start school until they were 10. One particular boy Seesan, he is 13 and just tries so hard, very serious, but delightful.Sometimes families will keep the children at home to help with the animals and daily life.
Noise and interuption is a real problem at the school and interestingly they dont seem to be aware of it,some of the classrooms are like building sites with piles of rubble, broken furniture, bricks. It is common place for a group of older children to walk in with another broken bench or desk and just dump it on top of the pile with a crash. If there is a child screaming in nursery it just carries along the tin roof.
Back into staff room for a cup of very sweet black tea, that is a daily ritual! then home. Not sorry to finish today.On our way home Bhartak (the local shop keeper) gives me some of his home grown roasted coffee. Back home cup of tea. Kedar appears and says that Man wants to walk around the coffee garden (as they call it) today. So, as I never want to miss anything, boots on and we re off.
Man leads and sets the pace. Impressive for a person of his age. The path is narrow, rocky and very up and down, every time I look up at the beauty of my surroundings I end up tripping. You really do have to keep an eye on where you are putting your feet. Kedar grabs my arm and saves me on numerous occasions. I notice I am the only one wearing a pair of walking boots, everyone else is in flip flops or just regular shoes. We stop regularly to look at the coffee plants and Man and Kedar discuss. The coffee plants are all varying ages, they are brought on under cover and then planted out at about 16 months old. All the women in village make the compost used for planting out. As we walk there are several very deep pits dotted around the area about 12ft by 4ft used for making the compost,it is beautifully fine,Kedar lets it run through his fingers proudly! it is also put around the plants several times a year. Apparently it only takes about 2 to 3 months to make. Im not a gardener, that seems quick to me! The whole coffee project is a cooperative and there are 80 people involved who have all chipped in with a bit of land, for which they are paid a rent. Women(see photo) from the village are employed to weed, mulch,check they are shaded,if there is no natural shade, and tend the plants with Kedar and Cockta(who is away because his mother is sick)in charge. Lots of holes have been dug to plant out another batch, with Kedar very carefully measuring the distances. See photo.... There is a bug attacking some of the plants. An organic spray will be made and used on these.
Our walk takes us through the area that my home looks out over, and its as lovely to be in it as see it from a distance every morning with the mist and the sun breaking through (see photo)We walk the narrow pathways up and down, and I imagine Man as a boy playing and helping his mother here. Hes like an old goat who knows every inch. After a couple of hours with much discussion, Man suggests we go home via Rams house. Ram is another important person in the village, he is the Chairman. He is Mans brother in law, infact a brother and sister married a brother and sister. We wind our way round and up and arrive at Rams house, a lovely welcome from him and his wife, who made tea. They insisted I try the local millet wine, which I have avoided until now. I here it can make you blind!!! To their huge amusement I did have a few sips.
Ram also has an electric mill (which accounts for the noise I occasionally hear in the evening)The villagers bring their rice here to get rid of the husks it is for the whole community. see photo. Arjun one of my naughty boys arrives with his mother and a sack of rice. Interesting to see how shy he was with his mother around, not like that at school!
Alot of pleasantries are exchanged and Kaman and I decide we ought to get back, as we havent got water. I have my wash and spend some time alone in my room. I can hear Santo shutting up the chickens and goats.Lutchens appears calling for me to come and milk the buffalo, I explain that I have just washed. Santo has prabosh with her see photo as Nitu is working in the coffee plantation and is not back yet. He is crying, I suspect be wants his mother. I frequently see her with Prabosh attached to her breast in the afternoons. The insects are getting louder and taking over from the birdsong, and the sun is going down.
Supper as usual Daal Bhat. Man pays us a visit, to invite me to his home for breakfast in the morning, and the usual crowd appear. Kedar, who seems to be involved in most things and helps everybody, is taking the honey from a hive tonight for a neighbour. I would so loved to go and watch but it would have been rude to leave Man.
We can hear everyone getting terribly excited, lots of shouting and laughter. Eventually Kedar appears leaping up the stairs and very proudly presents me with a bowl of honey freshly plucked from the hive. Delicious!! Kaman will make some bread tomorrow and we will have it for tea. The honey came at a price, poor Kedar has 6 stings. I get the wasp eze. Early night tonight.
Just when you think it cant get any better...............IT DOES.....
The following morning we go for breakfast with Man, Kedar joins us and helps Mans sister in law cook the most delicious onion ommelette. photo All done by 7.30am I go back to my room to do this, the women are doing their washing............Am going to Namche school today about one hours walk away.
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