Easter 2009

If last month was ants, this month we’ve moved on to battle with cockroaches, there were so many in the kitchen cupboards that by the end the children were picking them up by hand and taking them outside. I preferred the calmer, more adult approach of standing on a chair crying. We also have a mix of ghekos, lizards, a bat, which hangs each night off the clothes rack and of course mosquitoes!! How they love me.

We are continuing, slowly to get to know our Nepali neighbours. We’d our local “Jim McFadden”, wife and 2 daughters here for afternoon coffee and tea. The girls went to another neighbour’s birthday party and we’ve been for daal bhaat again.

In March, was another festival called “Holi”, as part of this, there is a tradition of throwing water and coloured powder. All of the foreigners arrived at classes that day in old clothes. We made it safely to class, but on the way home were “holied” in a lovely bright purple!

House hunting continued, but now the house we’re in has been signed to INF for another long term contract, so we’ve decided to stay. Stephen now has a vegetable patch and has been busy planting. Yesterday we went furniture hunting.

Language learning continues slowly. Stephen bought a fridge and with his limited Nepali and a few extra rupees was able to get our new fridge delivered to our house, the old fridge taken to another ex-pat house and their fridge taken upstairs to their landlords! We were all very impressed. Shopping yesterday I pleasantly realised I can actually now quite easily communicate at that level. Understanding what’s being said back isn’t always so easy. There’s only so many times I can say, “Pheri bhannus,” or “bistaarai bhannus”-(please say again, please say slowly.)

Easter here, our first main Christian event since leaving home. It’s been quite emotional at time singing familiar songs. The children did the Easter story in assembly. What a mix of international children, parents and religions! Being here, has helped to bring the familiar story to life again and given a new perspective to many of the bible verses. Stephen and Patrick took part in an Easter parade. All the churches gather and walk through Pokhara.

We went on our 1st trek, Royal Trek, done by Prince Charles and Mick Jagger, only the best! Actually not on the popular tourist trail, so accommodation pretty basic, we only counted 3 mice in our room the 1st night. We travelled with 2 small bags, and met an American couple on the same trail who had 5 porters fully loaded up!

Missed out seeing Ireland claim the Grand slam. Dad gave us a good 2nd hand account and mum posted out newspaper reports. Gave us great satisfaction, especially when there are Scottish, English and Welsh expats out here.

I eventually made it up to Western Regional Hospital. I’d heard it was very grim, so was pleased it wasn’t as grim as I’d imagined. Everyone I met was friendly and welcoming. I didn’t feel overwhelmed which I took as a good sign. No doubt that feeling will come in 8 weeks after I start work !!!!

We enjoyed meeting up with some fellow Irish people, Crooks from Ballymoney and Rosie Slater who did the job before me and her team from 1st Portadown . To them thanks for taking the time to meet with us, we enjoyed the craic and encouragement.

Well another month down. Ants have been my main obsession, especially the ones in the fridge, much prefer my morning coffee without ant! Last Saturday another army of ants started to crawl across the kitchen from the opposite side. I’d tried water, salt, powder, the only remaining option was good old fashioned elbow grease, boiling water and dettol! I now have the cleanest kitchen in Pokhara! A can of heavy duty spray also helped, great stuff, you spray and 20 mins later go back into the room to find many ants that previously couldn’t be seen and at the last count 5 cockroaches. Thank goodness for Stephen and Patrick.
The group of children who come and play is growing. Shrove Tuesday saw 7 children at the table for pancake, banana, and homemade chocolate sauce, DELICIOUS! Today at long last there was a boy for Patrick to play with. Patrick came with me to a local shop on Sunday and the whole way down the road all we got was, “ hello Patreek” The children continue to feel really settled and happy.
Earlier in the month was a festival, at night people lit bonfires at the cross roads. They heat sugar cane sticks in the fire, then bang them on the ground, when they let off a loud bang and sparks. The children enjoyed having a go and we ate the syrup from inside.
Last Friday after classes we played volleyball. It started friendly, with mixed, Nepali, Bideshi(foreigner), female, male teams. It wasn’t long til the ladies got sent off and a team of Nepali teachers vs western students played. Pretty competitive stuff, with “quiet” Stevie showing his true colours and skills! Sorry to say the teachers won.
Have been getting around more by bus, am quickly learning the words, ‘full’ and ‘bus’ do not go together. Also a great way to practise language as everyone is really friendly and interested in why we’re here.

Well we've been here just over a month so thought it was a good time to update you all on our journey so far. Saturday here, so that means church for us. I often sit and miss you all back in Bushvale and the familiarity of the service and people I know. That said the Nepali christians have a lot to teach us about christian living. Daily prayer meetings at 5:30a.m. are common.

After spending 2 very busy days of induction in an overcrowded and smoggy Kathmandu, we travelled to Pokhara by bus(a 7 hour journey). Our time here has been spent so far settling the children in school, and for Stephen and me attending language classes each morning and orientation for an hour each afternoon, when we're introduced to office staff, and given info on Nepal, it's culture, church, and general expat living.

So what's living here like? Well first impressions are of dirt, dust, heat, animals and people everywhere, but as we start to acclimatise, Pokhara has a lot to offer. The Himalayas are truly amazing, we don't see them every day, but when they do emerge from behind the clouds they remind us of God's greatness. The touristy area has plenty of restaurants to choose from, and the main shopping area has 2 supermarkets where many western foods, at inflated prices are available, about £9 for a jar of Nescafe! We live near an area called Ram Bazaar and are now realising that most things can be bought nearby and we don't have to journey up to Mehandrapul.

Daily living brings many differences,
1: mainly 16 hours without electric, so when it's on we have to ensure pcs etc are charged and water is pumped up into the tank, (we've been caught out a few times on that one), homework completed.
2: Ensuring there's always a torch, or candles readily available for when the battery back up breaks down,
3: Getting up early, really not much enjoyment in lying in too long as the noise of dogs and cockrels has usually woken us up by 5a.m
4:Boiling water and constantly being on guard when eating and brushing teeth, so far only Patrick has had vomiting.
5: Boiling milk
6:Buying food little and often, doing a BIG shop and storing food is not really done, getting it from shop, space, and keeping it fresh being the main issues for us.
7: Walking most places, but taxis are easily got for longer journeys and the buses are fun, very bumpy and you can squeeze onto a seat that's not really big enough only to have someone squeeze in beside you!
8: Being stared at ALL the time, Westerners are around in the touristy area and where we live, other westerners who work for INF, but families are unusual, particulary when the children have red and blonde hair.

Poverty is very apparent, we were invited for tea with a Nepali family, 2 of the daughters come and play with the girls. I have honestly seen better houses at the folk and transport museum, but we had a lovely evening, as we ate our daal bhaat while sitting on the floor and all the neighbouring children staring in the window while we ate.

This family are christians, the dad works away in Dubai, they have 4 daughters, not good in this culture, and mum does heavy manual labour to earn money. There are 2 elder daughters, 14, and 16 who I think do all the house chores and the 16 year old had cooked our tea. This week we have heard that the 2 younger girls who come and play, Muna, 7 and Sagun, 10 are to be sent to live in the village where mum comes from because they can't afford to buy food here in Pokhara, apparently this is common. This means poor schooling and children having to work in the village. Sagun is very upset

A German family living nearby, their didi's (Kamala) husband had a motorbike accident and had to have a plate put into his elbow. This family now have a hospital bill they cannot afford to pay alongside buying food and the rental of their house.

This is a daily prayer, who do we help and how do we help? Nepal is full of Saguns and Kamalas.

Please pray for us:
-as we learn the langauge
-for safe travelling on the roads, we go to an IS weekend conference at the end of this month and in the middle of March will travel for a week to Nepalgung.
-for God to bring into our lives the people He wants us to meet and that we will see and love them as He does.
-as INF continue to look for a suitable house for us to live in
-for our families at home as we adjust to being separated.

Give thanks with us for:
-the children settling well at school and in general
-for health
-for the other new arrivals, 3 other couples and the friendship and support we have in them
-for all the people we meet Western and Nepali who are so friendly


To all of you, thank- you for your kind words and actions before we left and for your continued support which enables us to be here and really encourages us.