18 February, Wednesday. Monastery, C.W.A., Thak, Park

9:00 wake up.

Around 11:00 with Bikky - our H.E. taxi driver to the Tibetan Monastery.

Another warm (hot) day, we can see the Fishtail, but not the full mountain range, so we hope that tomorrow the clouds will be gone when we go to Sarangkot.

The monastery was beautiful decorated, they are preparing for next week for their New Year. (picture).

On our way out the Tibetan saleswomen were waiting. It is about 10 of them. We told them (like last year) we were going to buy 1 piece of each one of them.

It is fun and they do have beautiful things.

After bargaining with them (and they do give you a hard bargain) one of the ladies called me back. I told her "I am bankrupt, no more money, but then all of them shouted she wanted to give me a present. Again at the end of the line I had almost more presents then things I bought!

All of them made me and Rita a present.

Bicky and I had a laugh when I was at the stall of a very old lady. When I started the bargain her friend explained that she did not speak English. As soon as I said my price the old lady shouted in clear English: four hundred fifty!. "So she does speak English!" I said to Bicky.

He fell over from laughing.

Back at H.E. to report and to collect the blue bag which I can use for the only 3 days travel to Kathmandu.

A walk to Lakeside, collecting rita's prints and 'brunch time'.

Around 15:00 we arrived at C.W.A., where it was a busy day with a lot of visitors.

A Dutch couple walked in. I met them in 2005. They travel regularly to Nepal. They sponsor the son of the owner of the hotel where they always stay and they always visit the CWA-kids. One of their friend in Holland sponsors Mina and they took a lot of pictures especially of her. I had a talk with them and we agreed on the fact that all the children were looking happy, healthy and well taken care off. Their first impression was that the home did not look so 'in need' as in 2005.

Another visitor was Dan. English and volunteer in 2007. Since then he is coming back to Nepal every year (also to visit his Nepali girlfriend), including 'of course a few days to see my kids again'.

By the time everybody (including the homework teacher) was ready to go to the Park again, Thak invited me in his office. He asked me about my program for this year, but I back fired to him what HE had in mind.

I have been 'interviewing' already some of the children, so I did had an idea of who with what to sponsor.

Thak suggested that Sudeep should continue the computer school. with which I happily can agree. He is an excellent student (as also the headmaster told me) and he is really using his computer knowledge. After college he want to work as a web designer or any kind of job involved with computers, so I believe this will be be a good 'investment'.

Next on Thak's list was Rasilla. As soon as she has finished the exams, he wanted to send her for cooking lessons. Again we agreed on that.

Kamal and Arjun 3 or 6 months (depending on the price and the funds) continuation of their painting lessons. In my talk with the boys they said that their teacher is a good teacher and they would be very happy if it was possible to continue the lessons. Done.

Mongol's singing lessons. Thak said that he wanted to wait for the school results with the exams, because Mongol's results were not as good as they used to be. When he passes the exams with a good result he can continue the singing lessons. Thak mentioned to change teacher. In my talk with Sudeep he said that he was very surprised about how good Mongol's voice had become since the lessons, but he also mentioned that Mongol wanted/needed more variation in songs and styles now.

So, it will be indeed a good thing to change teacher.

I mentioned that Manju wanted to learn computer, so Thak agreed that she could go together with Sudeep to the computer school in Mahendrapool (Pokhara City).

Thak said that next year, when I come back and I do have some funds, we would look at 5 or 6 children in line to see what interests, special talents they have and sent them to extra training.

Continuing our conversation I got upset with Thak. His English is poor so anyway it is hard work to talk with him.

I asked him about the boxes that Voula had sent in july/august 2008. He said he collected them in Kathmandu.

I asked him about the boxes for the school and then he said that all the boxes were open. Now it proves that he kept the materials - planned for the school - for the home. He did mention 'a light bulb', so the box with science material for the laboratory for the school are in a cupboard in his office!

I will have a meeting with him again tomorrow and I will try the most to get the cupboards in the office unlocked, so I can check what is 'stocked' in there. I don't think Thak does this with a bad meaning, but I have noticed before that he stocks material instead of using them and make them accessible for the volunteers to work with them.

I will check again the study room to see if we can make there some space for the available stock, so the volunteers can see actually what is at their disposal. I do agree that controlling the use is in order, but to lock them away in an office makes them useless. It's gonna be a tough one, but I feel I have to try to get the materials "in sight" and that the volunteers coming in the future will have the key = access to the available materials to work with them in a controlled way.

Also I will try to get the materials - mend to be for the school - back to bring them to the school, where they will be displayed in the library (under control), accessible for the teachers And the students.

After this talk we went to the park, where I sat down with Sudeep.

First he tanked me and YOU over and over again for our help with his future.

He 'confessed' that Thak was keeping materials away from the little ones (fair enough), but that also the volunteers were not aware of any stock or that they were supposed to ask if materials they wanted to use (for example good drawing paper, card board paper, paints, beats, etc) for creative hours was available.

Next week - when I am back from Kathmandu - we will see together what we can do about this.

Time to check the emails and it was good news hearing from Suk in Chitwan that he received the books, the globe and the money!:

Playing and talking with the kids. Rita said goodbye to them, I promised to pop in in the afternoon before we will leave to Kathmandu on Friday with also the promisse that next week I will be in the home every afternoon. With their happy smiling faces as reply we left.
Gongka keeps asking me if I want to stay for Dahl Bath in the house, I also promised her I will stay next week and we will have more time to spend together. Another happy big smile with a big hug!!

Diner and book to our room. I am very tired from all this talking, trying to get/do things right, but it is a happy tiredness and I do sleep well most of the nights!

I received an email from George, Plora Travel, Ag.Nikolaos: my flight Kathmandu-Athens on the 16th of March is cancelled by Gulf Air!!
He asked me if I wanted him to book the flight for the 17th or if I wanted to contact Gulf Air myself. I requested him to change the flight together with my Athens-Heraklion flight.
So, now I have to wait and see if he can manage to get everything arranged for one day later.
Unnecessary to say that I do not feel sorry at all about this cancellation, as long as it means I can stay LONGER and not have to leave sooner.

Time to sleep. Suba Rathri, with a lot of love from Rita Sanghita and all 'our' children.