Maiti Nepal Jan9/09

As I made arrangements to meet Shikha at Maiti Nepal this morning, hotel staff drive me. My driver gets lost a number of times so fortunately to leave an hour early was a good plan. The traffic seems chaotic.

The offices for Maiti Nepal is in a nice complex. I sit in the waiting area. Shikha is a petite woman and warm-I like her. She shows me around and then takes me to meet the principal, Flora.

Flora asks me what I would like to do. I tell her teach english and perhaps do some art with the students. I find out that I will teach english to 8 years old as the younger ones won't understand my english so it will be frustrating for them. The first couple weeks I will sit in with the teachers in Class 1 and 2 to see how things run and hopefully get a better picture of what they want me to teach.

I find out that I must wear a "kourtasoulwal" a traditional long top and pants to school instead of my western clothes. As Hotel Ganish Himal is too far from the school, they will help me find a closer hotel.

I wait in the canteen and have a snack and coffee until someone is available that can take me to the hotel.

Buddha (20's) takes me to Hotel Arun and talks to the staff to confirm a price and that they will be careful with cooking my food so that I don't get sick. This is a hotel for Nepalis and only a 2 minute walk to the school. I agree to stay here starting on the 16th January so I have a couple days to get my bearings before school starts. The charge is 500 rupees a night.

She gets a taxi for me, gives them directions back to my guesthouse and negotiates the fare. I am very grateful to Buddha for all her help.

When I get back to the guesthouse I ask Rinku where I can easily find a place to buy a "kourtasoulwal"? She gives me directions to Bag Bazaar. It is straightforward but seems further than I think.

The first shop I go into, I sit down and the male clerks pull out various outfits for me different colours and materials, plain, glittery, etc. I mention the price range that Rinku had suggested.

I pick out 2 outfits to try on, one a light blue with orange, pink and green trim and one burgandy with olive coloured pants. It is fun and I like how both look on me. We haggle on the price. They give me a discount as I am a volunteer. They measure to make some alterations. The 2 outfits are 3000NPR plus 300 for alterations.

I can come back in about a week to pick them up.

At the restaurant, a young man starts chatting with me so I ask him to join me. He is Brad from Vancouver, here to trek to Everest Base Camp.

In the night I hear a dog yelping, it really sounds dreadful...I imagine that other dogs are attacking it.