Merci, thank you, Ghislane

Friday, May 14

Merci Ghislane pour venir me visiter ici a Child Haven. C’etais deux jours merveilleux. J’etais triste de te laisser hier soir a Kathmandu pour revenir a Jorpati/ Aaru Bari en micro bus! Eh bien, a la prochaine!

Yes, my trekking friend, Ghislane, came to visit me for a couple of days here at Child Haven and we had a wonderful time together. She stayed with me at Arjun’s place for the two nights and returned yesterday to her little hotel in Kathmandu. As you know during the 7 – 8 days of total shut down in Nepal I was safely ensconced here behind the Child Haven walls . But Ghislane’s travel/ trekking plans out of Kathmandu were thwarted. Undaunted she made good use of her time; she enjoyed the lack of traffic and pollution as she wandered the old streets and allies of Tamil and bargained for lovely gifts to bring home to France.

The first thing we did when she arrived was to go for a long walk . The small path leading us away from Child haven brought us to the top of a hill and the Gokarna Temple. It felt as if we were trekking again! Ghis was ecstatic being away from the hustle of K’mandu. Great views, lovely plants and purple and pink flowering trees.

The highlight of our evening walk was to find that there was a Buddhist e’ven song’ in full swing. About 40 or 50 chanting Buddhist monks with the accompanying sounds of huge drums, conch shells and long thin trumpets and the profoundly deep lower-than-bass monotone of the oldest monk leader monk. Another ever solicitous monk in sandals walked around the two lines of seated young monks carrying a short leather strap. Through the open gothic style windows we could see the surrounding hills and countryside on this beautiful evening. What a magnificent way for Ghis and I to gegroup! We were so thrilled with our evening that we stopped at an unlikely looking open terraced bar place to share a couple of beer and French fries! The first beer (ssh!) since coming to CH! We were the only guests in this optimistic venue. We sat there, thrilled with ourselves. We were still at quite a height above the valley and savoured the peace and the openness of life.

I later showed Ghis around the CH home and the school and introduced her to some of the staff. The next day, Wednesday, she played in the yard and sat around with some kids; they loved her! She came away from CH warmed by numerous huge hugs and a new hairstyle!

On Wednesday we walked to the nearby Bauddha square and duly circum ..ed the largest stupa in Nepal, had a western breakfast in a tourist driven restaurant atop an ancient building. And we did a little shopping.

Yesterday, Thursday, we first took a microbus to "the most important Hindu temple" on the banks of the holy Bagmati River in the Eastern fringes of Kathmandu. Pashupatinath is also one of the most important Shiva temples on the subcontinent and "draws devotees and sadhus (wandering Hindu holy men) from all over India". Shiva is the destroyer and creator of the Hindu pantheon and is best known in various terrible forms, but he has also a peaceful side as the lord of the beasts. Shiva is the shepherd of both animals and humans. We saw sadhus, or holy men, in cavelike shelters. We watched, as respectifully as possible, from the other side of the holy (and very polluted) Bagmati, two cremations on burning ghats. Log fires are built, shouded body lifted on top, straw added and the fire is lit with little ceremony. Apparently it takes 4 hours to complete. Family is there, the men do the duties. The women go home first to prepare for the post-cremation event. Monkeys bounded about nearby, bouncing on the tin roofs and jumping noisely into the river. One brave little monkey had no arms but stumps; it was amazing how he was able to get from place to place.

When the ashes and clothing from one former person were placed on the flowing river and as a family man swept away the last of the debris it was a poignant time for Ghislane and I to contemplate mortality and Buddhism.

Next we took a mini bus to a popular area of Tibetan Tamil in Kathmandu and, after a little gentle and pleasant brousing and luncheon we went to an OUTDOOR SWIMMING POOL in a fancy hotel and darn well LUXURATED there all afternoon! You have no idea … well maybe you have!!! It was fantastic. In and out of the pool and onto our chaise longue to repose awhile before returning to swim another couple of lengths. And then a HOT SHOWER! I washed my hair in hot water and almost broke into an aria!

At the end of our day yesterday it was unfortunate that we could not toast our parting company before I would take the micro bus back to Aaru Bari. Why? I had (my first) upset tummy, or, the runs! After a tenuous and bumpy bus ride I returned home, had some warm water and went to bed early.

I had been invited to join Carol and the teenagers today on a bus trip to Tatopani. I did not go. I just don't want to face the eight hours of bumpy bus ride, so am using the day to go to CH, write this blog, catch up with your e-mails, and make my teaching plans.

Now that the strikes are over and I have met the regular teachers and leaders of the Tara CH school my official teaching program is every Sunday and Tuesday, from 10 – 4, all grades both days. Wednesdays I will spend with the grade 10s, swimming or other activities. I will continue teaching the Didis, or home care women 3 times a week and Hari, the Assistant Manager, most evenings. I will plug in a time 1 – 2 times a week in the library when I am available to any student wanting to talk or have extra help. This all should keep me out of mischief!

It's a long blog today, but I just wanted to tell you about the wonderful two days that Ghislane and I had together. It was a great break in this rather interesting full time volunteer job here at Child Haven.

I trust that each one of you is having a wonderful summer.

hugs, Dyane