Bridging Worlds Volunteer Journals

Lin Rosney Online Journal
Lin Rosney Australia Saathi - Kathmandu, Nepal

April 14, 2004 Happy New Year

Well you have just had Easter - we have just had Nepali New Years!!

I spent NYE with Bianca (Another Jagriti volunteer, for USA). We spent the night drinking dodgy punch and dancing with drunk Englishmen, a spaced out German looking American old man (thought he was German as he was wearing socks with sandles and shorts) and a bouncy Belgium Ski instructor who shouted the group champagne as we stood next to a seedy looking Nepali man whose gun fell on the floor of the nightclub (don't worry he noticed and casually picked it up and put in back in his pocket - and yes we did move to the other side of the club...).....a good night and it seems Nepali's spend it in much the same as we do back home.

On Ney Year's Day I went to Baktapur with Bianca's host family to visit Granny. Baktapur is an amazing town - totally medieval (with the odd Internet cafe of course), with very narrow winding streets, beautiful wood carved temples and market squares. There is a huge festival over the New Year period and on this day they were attempting to raise a 50 metre high wooden pole (about twice the width of a telegraph pole) by a team of young men pulling at it with thick ropes (sort of like a tug of war with 50 men versus the pole). The Pole had snapped the night before and killed two people so this was the second attempt - I noted no additional safety precautions had been taken as a result of the previous days failure.

Eventually the pole was raised to many cheers and immediately several young lads started to climb up the ropes and then scale the pole to reach the branches that had been tied to its summit as these were good luck. Very scary stuff to watch and I looked around for the safety nets (but there is no public liability insurance problem here...). Once the pole was up they could then drag the huge wooded chariot towards the temple to house the statue of the god the chariot was carrying. All this was watched by about 20,000 people packed in the square and hanging out of the balconies and perching on roof tops of houses around the square (also accompanied by much symbol clashing, drum beating and the occasional animal sacrifice).

It was fantastic to watch the ceremony with Bianca's host dad as he explained everything that was happening. I was also lucky enough to spend the night at the family's grandmother's house - which was a traditional Baktapur house - very narrow, 4 stories, clay floors and the ceiling not quite tall enough for me to stand up ( I had a laugh to myself thinking how Adrian would manage in the rooms - he's 6'2" I am only 5'7"!). We ate our meals on the kitchen floor and I got to try Rice wine (similar to about 100 proof vodka I would say) and Rice beer (let your fosters lite (or budweiser) go flat and warm and thats about the taste, and it looks liek milk). It was interesting for me to compare the cultures of the Newari caste to the family I am staying with, and made me realise how sheltered I have been to some of the hardships faced by Nepali people (poor Bianca does not even have running water - I was complaining just because mine was cold!!).

With only a week to go I am busy trying to get things finished here ( which is very hard especially when like today the electricity went out in the office at 1.30pm so could not work on the computers!!) and doing shopping and cramming in sightseeing which I have left to the last week - of course.

see you all soon

Lin

April 3, 2004 Bal Ashreya Shivir Shelter

Just wanted to share with you my experience when I went to the Shelter last week to photograph for the website and child sponsor scheme.

When you see the difference in the children from the drop in centre (where the street kids go for temporary assistance) to the shelter, you can hardly believe the kids come from the same background. The childrens brightness and faces tangible proof that the programs are making a difference whithout a doubt. With the success of the three stage program (drop in centre/shelter/ reintegration with family-where possible) Saathi hoping to open programs and shelters in more areas of the Kathmandu valley.

When I was there with the children and they were holding my hand, or playing games or testing out their english with me, I felt happy and sad at once. Happy because the children are generally happy and healthy and cheeky and safe at the shelter. Sad because I had read their case histories and know the types of horrors most of them had endured at such young ages. Sadder still, knowing there was ten times as many kids still on the streets suffering and lonely and exposed to further abuses (there are rumours that peadophiles are moving more to Nepal due to crack downs in other parts of asia and lax laws in Nepal - an area Saathi is lobbying to change). Also worried because due to the maoist conflict more and more families are moving to Kathmandu and the city is becoming more polluted, overcrowded and unemployment a real problem - which feeds the cycle of poverty and abuse that drives the children to the streets in the first place.

Bal Ashreya Shivir

(Volunteer at the Saathi shelter
in kathmandu, March 2004)

I surveyed the scene before me,
confused and somewhat sad
The children they were clamering,
for the camera in my hand.
"Take a photo of ONLY me"
was the repeated pleading cry.
Each wanted to stand out from the crowd,
and look me in the eye.

For in their life, each had blended in
to the dark corners of the streets.
They had found invisibility
....that most magical of feats.
They had known the lonliness thats born,
when surrounded by a crowd.
They survived the dark and passed through death
and handed back their shroud.

Little witnesses so small
to torture, hunger and disease.
They had known the worst that man can do
yet give smiles with simple ease..........

..........Because now they know they matter,
SAATHI knew they weren't the same.
They tore the invisibility shroud
and found childs name.

Food and Home and School and Play
for each life is guaranteed.
Their personalities can shine bright,
their basic rights have now been freed.
So the cries of "Photo Maam",
success after a long hard fight.

......and the SAATHI team will still search for more
darkened lives to light.......

2nd April 2004 Talk about multitasking!

In the past week my job description would be as follows:

1) actress - well you all know about that one!!

2) Professional photographer - spent Friday at the shelter photographing the kids for the child sponsorship as well as website and brochure photos

3) Graphic artist - myself and Kathryn spent a few days designing a brochure to promote Saathi and the new website - will pic it up from the printers today

4) Courier - personally escorting the disk of the above brochure to the printers on the other side of the city (just around the corner - yeah right!!) - to beg for him to get it printed before this weekend so Kathry can take back to London and to make sure the disk worked (only every second blank disk you buy actually works!)

5) Web content consultant

6) Online payment controller (more about this in a future mail)

7) Grant proposal writer

8) Marketing manager - finding outlets for the paper products and organising designs, samples and brochure

9) Fundraiser and IT consultant - currently trying to find funds (about $800) to buy the office a new computer so we can network the office and get their files sorted - anybody with ideas to get cash for this most welcome!!

10) IT trainer - training staff on why they should use excel for a lot of things instead of only MS word!!

11) Stall holder - selling paper products at a local school fete

I think I've just expanded my CV 10 fold!!

I suppose you are all getting used to me not being there by now - well don't get too comfortable only 3.5 weeks till I'm back on Aussie shores.

Am off on a 3 day trek this weekend around the Kathmandu Valley - so getting in walking practice before the three day bandh (strike) next week - there will be no taxi's or public transport running for fear of reprisals from the Maoists who called the bandh.

take care
Lin

3/25/04

HOW TO LOSE 5KG in 4 WEEKS - you can do it, too - join our program

The Marmalade Toast Diet (for get the soup diet or Atkins!!)

6 Simple Steps

1 -

take one Australian volunteer, 2 English NGO staff and one Kerry Lass

2 -

mix the above with a bottle of Aussie Cab Sav and several bottles of Sam Miguel (pref 650 ml bottles)

3 -

ensure the Australian checks wallet at about 10 pm and realises there aren't many rupees left in the barrel - so is forced to switch to Rassaan (local Vodka) and soda water (suspiciously served in Fanta bottle with lid intact??)

4 -

If steps 1 and 2 have been completed correctly the Aussie in step 3 probably won't notice if the bar tender puts ice in her Rasaan (THIS STEP IS KEY TO THE WHOLE DIET) - Normally the Aussie would ALWAYS say 'No ice please' as is usually made from tap water

5 -

repeat steps 3 and 4 several times over - no matter how many bars you go to

6 -

If steps 1 to 5 are completed on a Saturday night, by Monday morning you should be ready to start the marmalade toast diet - basically as follows

Breakfast - marmalade on toast - ensure maid does not put any Nepal butter on the toast. Not only is this fattening, tastes slimy and salty, it is bright white and does not compliment marmalade,

Lunch - ignore usual delicious array of vegetable curry and pickles and just go for two spoonfuls of rice and a small helping of lentil soup

Dinner - preferably marmalade on toast again - but you may alternate with roti (sort of like a very light pita bread) and lentil soup again - ignore families cries of 'eat more'

That's it! Of course if some of the ingredients in steps 1 to 5 are unavailable in your country, supplement with appetite suppressants and laxatives. A good trick is to also get in your car and head to your local round about and do about 30 laps to simulate nausea effect.

Hope this has been of help and you can save money on weight watchers and lite and easy!!

Take care,

Lin

3/24/04 Serious Stuff

Despite the vicious rumors, I have not quit my work at Saathi to follow my long held Hollywood ambitions. So I thought I better do a bit of a Saathi update...

Saathi means friend in Nepali. It is an NGO that has been running since 1992. It was originally set up to provide advocacy and shelter to victims of domestic violence, which up to that point was basically a no-go discussion area in Nepal. Since then they have expanded their programs to include street children and cross border trafficking of women (which is still happening at an alarming rate - and often even if the women are returned they are socially stigmatized and abused).

They run a shelter for the women and street children and a drop in centre where street children can come for short term needs (food, medical, informal education and short term accommodation). Where possible they provide counseling to the children and their families in an attempt to re-unite the child with the family. Often the children are on the streets due to the extreme poverty of their families (as well as alcohol and sexual abuse) so Saathi provides the family with a scholarship to send the children to school to encourage the parents to keep them at home.

In both Kathmandu and rural Nepal, they have set up income generation projects for the women victims to restore their self-esteem and provide them hope for the future to be economically independent. (There is no social welfare system for the women to rely on like in western countries, and very often a women without a husband or other male family members to look after her is completely socially excluded.)

As well as direct intervention programs, they also run educational workshops and rallies to raise community awareness and also lobby the government for the change in discriminatory laws. For example citizenship can only be gained through the father - if a street child was not registered at birth (often happens) and he doesn't know who is father is he/she is officially not a citizen of Nepal and therefore can be denied basic rights and job opportunities later in life.

The main areas I have been able to help with are setting up the child sponsorship and other fundraising procedures that have come about because of the web site design (a great job has been done by Quarriers in Scotland to organise this). Tomorrow myself and some Nepali volunteers will be going to the shelter to photograph and interview the children - so as soon as we have the payment methods finalised the program will be ready to go (and yes don't cringe I will be sending all of you information about how you can support the children - there are 42 children in the shelter and about 20 who have been re-integrated with their families - and you would be surprised how far our money in the west goes over here!!).

It is really important for Saathi to get the sponsorship scheme up and running as it will mean instead of seeking funding from INGO's to run the shelter and re-integration program, they can use the INGO funds to further the cross border trafficking and domestic violence programs. Getting funding from INGO's is a very competitive process and the fear always is that 'next year' you won't get the grant so the program will have to be stopped. The problem is also as Saathi's reputation is increasing more children and women are being referred to them - the shelter is already using mattresses on the floor as all the beds are full!

Another problem also arises from the Maoist problems. At the moment there are signs that many INGO's are restricting their funding to Nepal - despite the fact that the conflict is generating even more displaced women and children (just last Saturday gone 40 more families were left without financial and emotional support when the Maoists attacked a police compound. Just think at an average 4 per house hold - that is 160 women and children now need support!)

My other project is to try to find some outlets for the handmade paper products the women at the Kathmandu Shelter produce in their income generation project. It has been going for about a year, but as yet no one at Saathi has really had the time to fully focus on the selling end of the production (which of course is vital to its long term success). It is a difficult job as there are lots of competitors locally - so the only option is to try overseas. So please if anyone has any contacts let me know!!! They produce diaries with handmade paper, photo frames, gift boxes and bags (like wine bags etc), jewelry boxes etc.

With 4 weeks to go I feel like there is still so much to do - but also you have to factor in Nepali pace of operation (I had a laugh with my colleagues at Saathi yesterday - we agreed that in Nepal you generally meet about 1 and a half hours after whatever time you actually stay!! - they get a great kick out of me stressing out about arriving on time all the time). But I will be training the staff and leaving a list of what needs to be done for the next volunteer to work on (any offers?)

Take care,

Lin

NEWSFLASH - March 23, 2004

Well I was going to write you a little story about what the food is like over here - as so many of you have asked.....but NEWSFLASH

On Friday evening at 9pm I make debut as a Nepali TV star!!! Thats right. I was discovered as I walked to work yesterday (always knew it would only be a matter of time). This big van with tinted windows drove past and about 5 Nepali guys were leaning out very obviously staring at me....I put on my best "I'm a tough western women don't mess with me face" (you get good practice at it) and kept walking. Next thing I knew, the van pulled up a the guys jumped out. They explained they were from a very famous Nepali Current Affairs satire show and they needed a person to play a foreigner part and could I do it that day. Still a little suspicious I said sure and gave them my work phone number.

So I went to work and everyone knew about the show and all thought it was a great laugh. So Santosh (the director) and his crew came to the office at about 4.30pm (after supposed to be there at 3pm - but thats about right in "Nepali Time") and everyone was very excited - Santosh said - did you tell them I was coming - I said "no I just said a guy from a TV show" - he said "well they all know who I am you know" - oops sorry.

So basically I played a London boss talking to here Nepali employee who was just about to go on holidays to Kathmandu. They set the London scene by throwing a big heavy snow jacket on the back of the chair and I got to say great lines like "you are a very nice lady, I think you will come back to work here again."

Santosh said I have great potential to be an actress........mmmmmm.....goodbye accountancy!!.....although the hubby may say I always have been an excellent Drama Queen!!

Unfortunately you'll just have to take my word for it as I don't know anyone with a video recorder!

bye for now, Lin

3/15/04 Lin the Tourist

REWIND... last Sunday, 3/7/04

After taking about an hour for what should be a 15-minute walk from Thamel (main tourist area), I arrived at Durbar Square (historical centre of Kathmandu). Somehow I always manage to get lost and instead of strolling down the tourist main drag being harassed by tiger balm sellers, I wandered into a seemingly endless maze of dingy damp laneways where poultry and fish are sold from open tables and tailors work in crowded rooms on pedal sewing machines.

I ended up on some major highway with a sign over the bridge notifying everyone that this was a 'horn-free zone' in aid of reducing noise pollution (big cartoon picture of this guy with a finger pressed over his lips - shhhh) - I think you can guess that no one was really paying attention - the noise and pollution nearly made me sick, so I got out my lovely purple floral hanky that has become my best friend in Kathmandu and covered my nose and mouth. I wandered down the road for a while until I came to a hospital - I was able to locate it on my map and after turning the map upside-down was able to figure out I needed to take the next right to get to Durbar square.

At first Durbar square was not as impressive as I had imagined - it was missing the obvious grandeur of its European equivalents. The buildings were merely brick and wood and looked fairly run-down and the square was all concrete with no gardens at all. However I met a Nepali guide (Raan) who convinced me that 300 rupees was worth it to get an informed tour of the area - and he was right (although I know I probably paid too much, it's not much in Aussie dollars ($6) and I really hate haggling).

The first temple we went to was small and the intricate woodcarvings were certainly very beautiful - but the most interesting thing was who lived in the temple - Kumari, the living child-goddess. Basically, a few hundred years ago the King miffed off a goddess by trying to grope her, so she cursed him and then he cried like a baby so she relented and said she would come back as a child and he better treat her good then. So every few years (when the existing goddess reaches 12-13 years) a new goddess is chosen. Several 4-5 year old girls are put through tests including being locked in a dark room overnight with scary noises and face masks and whoever comes out the bravest is the new Kumari. She is taken from her family (with their permission) and lives in the little temple. She is brought out a few times a year to parade around the city on a chariot. She is given education and a pension when she gets too old.

I looked up at the balcony where I could hear the child (oop, sorry - goddess) playing wondering what it must be like to be a living goddess. I was answered when a yellow tonka truck came tumbling over the railing missing my head by about centimetres.

After showing me around the other temples and getting some photos of fake Holy Men that harass the tourists (you've just gotta do it!), Raan took me to the back of the palace where there were about a hundred Nepalis crowded around a circle. They were celebrating some sort of festival that only happens every 12 years (there are as many different festivals in Nepal as there are different castes and different ethnic groups, each with their own traditions). In the centre of the circle was about 10 people wearing elaborate, giant face masks acting out what seemed to be a play. I had noticed red paint on the ground as we approached the circle - but now that I could see into the centre of the circle (from the temple steps), I realised there had been a sacrifice of a sheep and a goat (this is quite frequent at Nepali festivals).

I won't go into details for the delicate among you - but I surprised myself by my reaction. I had thought I would be totally repulsed by the sight of an animal sacrifice - but I wasn't at all. Perhaps it was because it was part of a ritual and not just for the fun of it - or perhaps, as I have found at other times, it's like there are so many new sights and smells and sounds that your brain just sucks it in and then stores it to be processed later.

Anyhow I felt privileged to have been able to witness the masked dancers as there were no other tourists around at the time. I thanked Raan, gave him his 300 rupees and followed his directions back to Thamel (and, yes, it only took 10 minutes this time!)

FAST FWD... this weekend, 3/13/04

I booked a trip to Nagarkot - about 30 km (2 hour bus ride) from Kathmandu. It is reputed to be one of the best Himalayan view points in the valley - well, not this weekend, the whole valley was covered in a thick white fog that did not lift the whole weekend - so I couldn't even see the next hill let alone Mount Everest.

I thought at the very least my trip would be compensated by the promise of a hot shower at my hotel room - and yes it was hot - but I couldn't figure out to get the cold water working so it was too hot for me to use - I just stood in the steam for a while dreaming about what could have been...

However all was not lost; on Sunday morning, I met a local guide called La La on my way down to have about a half hour walk around the village before my bus left Nagarkot at 10 am. I had met him briefly the day before, so we got to talking. He offered to take me on a trek to this temple which is the oldest in Kathmandu Valley - about 2 hours walk away. I had read about it in the trusty Lonely Planet and had want to do the walk, but given my already proven lack of navigational skills decided not to. So I was delighted by La La's offer and accepted - only problem was, I'd have to catch one of those local buses back to Kathmandu instead of the tourist bus.

The walk passed through several little villages that were no more than two or three brick houses, a couple of goats and the occasional buffalo. The countryside was undulating valleys with terraces covering every inch of available hillside, where the villages grow wheat and corn and other vegetables. We passed dozens of kids on their way to school (in impeccable uniforms, as is the trend over here) and many more who obviously never go to school. This upset La La, as his parents went without quite a lot in order to be able to send him and his brothers to school. He said he tries to explain to the parents the necessity of education, but because most of them had never been to school themselves, it was hard to get them to understand. It was really valuable for me to see the type of villages and families and children that Saathi works to assist.

The views along the walk were spectacular (especially if you used you imagination a bit and imagined the valley without all the fog!) - I know the photos won't do them justice.

Just about half an hour from the temple, we met an English guy called Alex whom I had met the night before - I was relieved at the time because we had just done a bit of a bush walk (very similar in scenery to an Aussie bush walk) and the thought crossed my mind that maybe it was stupid to be walking alone in the bush with a man I didn't know and nobody knowing where I was (but then again, you gotta trust people otherwise life would be very boring). The best thing was (as fate would have it - for the second time that day) Alex had hired a private car to meet him at the temple and to drive back to Kathmandu!!! So I asked for a lift (saving me an extra hour's walk after the temple and a crowded bus ride!!).

The temple was worth the walk (more like 3 ½ hours not the promised 2) - it was more like a little medieval village with the temple sitting at the top of the hill (except all the village shops sold tourist souvenirs) - the temple itself was intricately carved and colourfully painted with several statues of Hindu gods around it - some dating over 1000 years old.

Just as I got into the car with Alex, Ami - a Japanese girl I met the night before (and whom we passed on the trek about 3 hours before) - came running up to the car - she had found the eyepiece of my camera that had dropped off on the trail and had literally got to the temple just as I was getting into the car (fate struck for the 3rd time that morning!!)

So all in all a good weekend even if I didn't see the little ole mountains... and, yes, after 3 hours walking, I am still in agony every time I get up off my chair!!!

Work at Saathi is progressing - but slowly. The Nepali concept of time and efficiency is a little different from mine - but I am learning how to get things done. I am also learning a lot about Nepali culture from the women I work with (about castes and arranged marriages, etc.). Anyway, this is a tourist report - more about Saathi in the future…

Lin

Subject: week 1.5

Namaste - Tapailai kasto cha? (hello - how are you)

(please excuse spelling mistakes - keys are very sticky!!)

Under the watchful eye of Kurt Cobain (there about 6 giant posters framed and hung around the Internet shop) I have come to the conclusion that what Australian culture could benefit from (actually what it really needs) is a nationally sanctioned water fight! Absurd perhaps? But a reality in India and Nepal annually. On Saturday we celebrated the Hindu festival of Holi - the festival of colours. Basically every man, woman and child proceeds to use water pistols, balloons, plastic bags, hoses and garbage bins full of water to completely saturate anyone within a 20-mtr radius. To make matters more interesting (and to the delight of washing powder advertisers the previous week), coloured dye is added to the water and coloured tikka is smeared over everyone's faces (supposedly a blessing but I think really just for the fun of it!). The fantastic thing about the celebration is that there is no one on the sidelines saying, "Oh no I'd rather not get wet" as you would probably hear in an Australian version.

So watch out everyone, our first BBQ on my return will be "Holi down under" and no one will be spared (and yes I know it's almost winter in May but that will be about the temp it is in KTM at the moment so it will only make it all the more authentic!!)

On the subject of cold water, did I mention I have the pleasure of a freezing cold shower every morning? I spend about 10 mins pepping myself up for it - and believe me its not my usual 20 min 'lets get ready for the world' soak like in Aus - I dread ever couple of days when I actually have to put my head under water to wash my hair - remember it is about 15 degrees in the morn here at the moment! I think every single one of you should have cold showers for the next week in sympathy for me - I double dare ya!

Bus update:

I abandoned catching the bus to work in favour of the 1/2 hour walk each way - purely for fitness reasons of course! While I enjoyed the opportunity to really get close to my fellow commuters, the chance to suck in some KTM air for 1/2 hour every morning and arvo was too good to pass up (note that in last week's Nepali Times the air quality was recorded as 190 pm10 - the unhealthy range is between 121-350 pm10).

Taxi update:

This has become my preferred means of reliving boredom - forget skydiving, this is an extreme sport on a daily basis (all for only $2 a go!). Now that I am over the initial 'close your eyes and everything will be ok' stage, things have only gotten better. I can now fully appreciate the nerves of steel of the drivers and revel in each skilled swerve, the subtle tones and layers of meaning in each horn blast and even better I can actually witness how many times I can have a near death experience in every trip - its sort of like an arcade game with lots of obstacles in the road and you win when you get your tourist to destination pretty much in tact (I think they have three lives anyway?). I still haven't worked out why it's only the driver that has access to seat belts.

Work update:

I am really excited with my work at Saathi to date. A Scottish charity called Quarriers is helping Saathi to get a website designed and I met with Kathryn from Quarriers last Tuesday. The website concept has grown and grown and they are now including a volunteer program, Child Sponsorship and other fundraising like 'buy a goat' and 'buy a brick' (to help build a new shelter). However while its easy to incorporate these things into a website, no one has put into any thought about how the programs will actually be run. So I am in charge of getting them off the ground, writing procedure docs and preparing standard docs and assessing staffing and funding etc. I talked to the counselors from the children's shelter yesterday and they are going to be talking to the children in the next week to explain to them what Child Sponsorship is all about etc. Then in two weeks time I'll go to the shelter and take photos of each child for the Sponsor packs and get the case histories and details of each child (with the help of some Nepali uni volunteers I met last week). In the mean time I am setting up all the registers and controls, etc. that need to be done. Also I am doing a case study on the paper products making that they have set up in the shelter to train the abused women and get them to be economically independent. I went to the shelter yesterday to see how they make them and talk to the women, they are really keen. They make beautiful diaries, photo frames, light shades, gift and jewelry boxes as well as envelopes, cards and paper gift bags. So far they have been able to sell some envelopes, etc. to schools and a few offices but very few of the handicraft items as there is a lot of competition. I will be organising a proper products and spec list as well as trying to identify a few potential markets (like fair trade stores overseas etc).

I really don't think I will be able to do everything I want in two months. However hopefully with the volunteer program on the website they will get more volunteers and I have already put together a task list (which is about 2 A4 typed pages so far) so when I leave someone else can pick up from.

So much more to tell you - sightseeing etc - however must start the walk to work now.

3/1/04 Well - she made it!!!

Despite popular disbelief, I actually did the board the plane on Friday and - ta da - am in Kathmandu! And I think I have been through just about every emotion in the last two days - happiness, shock, fear for my life and a tad lonely (you don't realise until there are people all around, but no one you can really communicate with except on a basic level).

I was met at the airport by Arjun (a cousin of the family I am staying with), which was a minor miracle in itself since I found out that he had to sweet talk an army guard to be able to come to the airport terminal; due to the security problems only those actually with a ticket are supposed to be at the airport.

Then I was huddled into a taxi (think 1970's Corolla) and the driver and Arjun proceeded to have (what I thought) was an argument for the next 10 minutes while we were driving to our destination - very concerned that we both would be chucked out of the cab. Arjun later informed me they were just discussing the price.

I nearly had a coronary at the traffic - there basically are no rules - you can drive whichever side of the road is the most convenient at the time and rely on your horn and faith in God and utter certainty that the other guy will swerve before you have to. There are also no footpaths and no clear rules on when a pedestrian should let a car pass or vice- versa - just shut your eyes and hope for the best - but it all works somehow.

The family I am staying with seem to be quite well off by Nepali standards - the house is 3 stories and all the floor is marble, sparsely furnished but with all the mod cons (including cable TV) as well as two maids who do all the cooking and cleaning (Ado can we get one?). On Saturday afternoon I was taken to a children's birthday party (relatives of the family) - we caught a taxi and I quietly drank in the sights and sounds and smells of the city as we drove by - dirt roads, sidewalk markets, mangy dogs, open fires where people were cooking their lunch and buildings under construction everywhere. We then pulled into the courtyard where the party was - it was jammed pack full of BMW's, the latest Hyundai assents and Landrovers - I was still in shock from all the poverty I had just seen and this really confused me - the first of many contradictions I suspect I will encounter.

The family I am staying with regularly houses paying foreign guests and are well used to catering to them (like filtered water and supplying a fork to eat with instead of hands like Nepali's use). They have two little girls, Paku and Dallu (5 and 4 years) who are also very used to foreigners and speaking English.

I start work later today and am a bit nervous as I will be catching the public bus and apparently they are really crowded - not sure exactly what that means yet - but I'll let you know!

I should be able to write quite frequently as there are three internet shops about 5 minutes down the road from where I live in Sukedahra, New colony - each one is about half the size of our bedroom at home with 3-4 computers - very dark and dingy and crammed in between open butcher shops and fruit stalls - again it surprised me.

Lin