Its the day after Mum's (dec) birthday and also Mary's and I wonder, Lesley, why I have 12 of your blogs on my blogspot site, and 4 or 5 of your blog, Wilma?!! One of these days I will work out this blog thing and also catch up with family, friends and my news on Facebook!! Ok, June 17th, and I am staying with friends, a large tres francais family in the French countryside. They live outside the beautiful, wanna-live-here town of Annecy. This past week went with Raymond on a 2 day hike up two mountains, through forests and bypassing fields of wheat, corn, poppies and delicate flowers, following the Le Chemin de Saint-Jacques (Compostelle) route alongside and sometimes away from the Rhone. The break away in nature was something superb for me.
Time to be a bit retrospective .... the month (April-May) in Nepal offered for me more wonderful teaching English/ communications experience. I was invited this year to be part of a medical (midwifery) team from UBC (University of British Columbia) working with several medical (nursing/midwifery) teams in Kathmandu. I gave english and communication classes to nurses, midwives and teachers in four hospitals. It was a most rewarding experience. I am happy and honoured to be invited back to teach these people who are anxious to improve their English skills. I also revisited the Childhaven home in Ari Bari, a small village outside Kathmandu where I taught in 2010. Thanks to friends and welwishing donars we were able to buy and install a projector and screen in the Green Tara School Library as well as set up the internet for educational purposes only. I was honoured that the founder of Childhaven International, Bonnie Cappuccino, attended our official opening. Indeed, these were, I think, exciting and hopeful times for students and teachers alike!
After Kathmandu, Cathy and I met some friends in Paris, and after schmoozing around the city for a day, we took off on bicycles along the Loire River for five days to follow meandering peaceful routes and to visit various endroits, and not forgetting to taste the various wines and cheeses. After this so-pleasant interlude I took off on my own on the first of my Eurorail paid-in-advance train trips through Europe! First, to visit Ghislaine and Regis in Pradinas, a small village in the south of France, not cited on most maps,. It is near to Rodez and Toulouse. In these few days I got a taste of what it is like to live in the south of France..... mmmmmh!!!! Second, to briefly check out by tourbus the glorious city of Barcelona and immerse self with the wonderful architecture of Gaudi.'s, still unfinished, cathedral. Third, to spend a week with school pal Rosemary, and taste what it is like to live in a small village outside Palma, Mallorca! Again I was surrounded by an active extended family. Despite the various activities the two former Glengara Park School friends managed to break away and spend quiet times on beaches, soaking up the sunshine and indulging, every few hours,on the local fresh foods (and me) the wines. We snorkneled around rocks, watched amazing flamenco dancing, and spent an overnight together in a monastry called Santuario de Bonany, Petra. Oh yes, and so much more... Then ferry and third set of train trips to Annecy, near to Switzerland. Here I am! and, I have been, for the past 4 or 5 days, with Raymond and Linda and their family and enjoying the traditional living in the French almost Swiss countryside. I leave for Paris tomorrow and then on to London and will stay with Meriel and Tom Forsythe for a week before taking, on June 22, the last adventurous leg of my European sojourn, to Dublin to see Auntie Evelyn, now 93, relatives and friends. I will return to Vancouver on June 30th.
So, ca y est! and now to finish my packing and to the last daylight hours in Annecy! This is only a soupcon of what these past two months have been for me. How privileged I am and I pause a moment or two to give thanks... Now, back to my particular drawing board, and to beans and rice and to the next phase of my life!
Thanks for your interest. hugs, Dyane
Time to be a bit retrospective .... the month (April-May) in Nepal offered for me more wonderful teaching English/ communications experience. I was invited this year to be part of a medical (midwifery) team from UBC (University of British Columbia) working with several medical (nursing/midwifery) teams in Kathmandu. I gave english and communication classes to nurses, midwives and teachers in four hospitals. It was a most rewarding experience. I am happy and honoured to be invited back to teach these people who are anxious to improve their English skills. I also revisited the Childhaven home in Ari Bari, a small village outside Kathmandu where I taught in 2010. Thanks to friends and welwishing donars we were able to buy and install a projector and screen in the Green Tara School Library as well as set up the internet for educational purposes only. I was honoured that the founder of Childhaven International, Bonnie Cappuccino, attended our official opening. Indeed, these were, I think, exciting and hopeful times for students and teachers alike!
After Kathmandu, Cathy and I met some friends in Paris, and after schmoozing around the city for a day, we took off on bicycles along the Loire River for five days to follow meandering peaceful routes and to visit various endroits, and not forgetting to taste the various wines and cheeses. After this so-pleasant interlude I took off on my own on the first of my Eurorail paid-in-advance train trips through Europe! First, to visit Ghislaine and Regis in Pradinas, a small village in the south of France, not cited on most maps,. It is near to Rodez and Toulouse. In these few days I got a taste of what it is like to live in the south of France..... mmmmmh!!!! Second, to briefly check out by tourbus the glorious city of Barcelona and immerse self with the wonderful architecture of Gaudi.'s, still unfinished, cathedral. Third, to spend a week with school pal Rosemary, and taste what it is like to live in a small village outside Palma, Mallorca! Again I was surrounded by an active extended family. Despite the various activities the two former Glengara Park School friends managed to break away and spend quiet times on beaches, soaking up the sunshine and indulging, every few hours,on the local fresh foods (and me) the wines. We snorkneled around rocks, watched amazing flamenco dancing, and spent an overnight together in a monastry called Santuario de Bonany, Petra. Oh yes, and so much more... Then ferry and third set of train trips to Annecy, near to Switzerland. Here I am! and, I have been, for the past 4 or 5 days, with Raymond and Linda and their family and enjoying the traditional living in the French almost Swiss countryside. I leave for Paris tomorrow and then on to London and will stay with Meriel and Tom Forsythe for a week before taking, on June 22, the last adventurous leg of my European sojourn, to Dublin to see Auntie Evelyn, now 93, relatives and friends. I will return to Vancouver on June 30th.
So, ca y est! and now to finish my packing and to the last daylight hours in Annecy! This is only a soupcon of what these past two months have been for me. How privileged I am and I pause a moment or two to give thanks... Now, back to my particular drawing board, and to beans and rice and to the next phase of my life!
Thanks for your interest. hugs, Dyane
