Tuesday 18 September 2012

The Rain !.

Maybe its to do with  the climatic change,  it has certainly  affected the  monsoon season here. Apart from a very sunny day when I first arrived, it has been raining  ever since !

Uma says it is totally out of character, but that is no consolation to me and the volunteers here .Some of  the roads have deteriorated into big  holes with  puddles, muddy and squelchy when one  puts one's foot on it Our shoes and trousers are caked in mud and splashes from the passing cars.... It is not pleasant to say the least. Uma has taken to taxi for even the shortest journey  round the corner, just to avoid getting splashed and  her feet/footwear being covered in mud. And I am seriously considering doing the same! I am no hero.

The worst part of this wet weather is the inability to wash anything. Everything in and out of the suitcase feels and smells damp. The only positive thing I can see is whether I will break my personal record on the length of time of being  in a pair of jeans. My personal best, or rather worst  is 7 days. Its 5th day today and counting ...Urgh....The other day, I looked into the children's bedroom  and wondered 'why is Rajesh ironing, of all things, a sock?' Then I realised that his socks were too damp to wear to school. He was trying to iron dry his socks before going to school !

Reading through the local papers, large areas of the Eastern and central part( where Kathmandu is ) have been flooded .I suppose we have to count ourselves lucky that we are dry and generally warm most of the time.There are quite a lot of school holidays around at present. This has given me a chance to talk to the kids leisurely. They have all largely become very relaxed with me , having seen me and stayed here for the previous 4  years

I have been using this opportunity  to find out from them individually about their families, and times before they came to the Orphanage. I guess with 8 growing children/teenagers, it is not possible for Uma to do everything.With the 4 older ones, I wonder what they are thinking about their lives to date and their future? Having met and spoken to the other sponsored children from Neel Barahi school, the contrast is quite stark.Uma's children are able to verbalise some ideas of what they want to be as they enter the senior forms.The children from Neel Barahi  just looked blankly at me , not understanding where I was coming from. Maybe I am being unrealistic here, given that those children have a somewhat disadvantaged living condition.In addition , with the constant flow of volunteers passing through the orphanage, the children have the exposure of different cultures, values and role models they aspire to, and most importantly a chance to practise English speaking.

I have been heartened and impressed by what I have seen here. The investment  we have made have been worthwhile to date. I look forward to the kids' future with great optimism. And thank you all .You have made it happen. And the kids say 'thank you ::)


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