The Children's Library Grand Opening!

Due to the delay in some of the construction in the library building there has been a delay in the opening of the library and therefore a delay in my return to America. I will be "home" a week later than expected...Sept. 6! I have been organizing and typing the lists of books for the library and getting everything ready to go, once the paint and glaze in the shelves and floors are dry. It is raining still here every other day so the drying process takes time.
"Nepali time" comes into factor here as well....

The opening will be officially on Monday at 4:15 p.m. and the entire village will be there....
the scholarship girls will be there and so will the women and teachers I've worked with this summer...it feels great!

I will take lots of photos and videotape as well...I'm planning on speaking a little in Nepali as well...we'll see how that goes!

HOpe you are all well...

missing you all so very much...my interent is down and I am on dial up in a mud hut....
can't upload photos.....

xooxxoxo
and Namaste~

Heather

Today~

Today and yesterday the scholarship girls came to the Gaun Ghar, (my home away from home), to learn how to play the learning games that will be in the library and to explore the books. The idea is if the girls know how to use the games they can "teach" and share with the other children in the village. It has been great fun exploring all the different books and playing games with the girls. They love the challenging spelling games, the synonym/antonym games, and also I taught them to play the All American Game- Checkers!!! They loved it!

The library is really beautiful....I mean...amazingly beautiful!

There is a sense of beauty and peace there that I hope you can "feel" from the photos (once I get them uploaded). I think perhaps this is related to many factors~ first...tremendous love and goodwill that this project has been brought forth with...the good intentions and best wishes of all of you who donated and who are keeping us all in your thoughts and prayers....also...the building itself is located at the heart of the village and when you stand on the front porch you can hear children playing, men and women working and moving through their day....Nepali music and a gentle breeze blow across your cheek and through your ears...."Namaste~" and smiles abound.

The library is built in the lower section of a building that is a holy place for people to stop and rest while they are traveling (called a Pati) Women gather here in the evening and sing and play music. The carpenters are from Chitwan and have been working so beautifully~ they are expert wood workers (Thank you to Digumber, once again for his "connections" and dedication to making this library quality for the girls!) Local village people have been working (for minimum fees) painting, staining, cleaning, carrying, working, working, working...... the shelves are half way in and I can see "the library" materialize before my eyes.

When I think of all of these things together, the love from all, and the amount of dedication and work it has taken, and takes to not only bring forth books, and literature, and learning....but the building, the workers, every person who has been involved...and the benefit (that we may or may not know~ the effects of our efforts.....) I have been moved to tears several times when I take all this in.....
and in...
and in......

it's really amazing.

The Library~ Progress Update~

Hello Friends!

I am having trouble uploading my photos, so I will have to write for now!
The past few days have been fast and furious~ there are workers everywhere in the library and
it is really coming along. It looks Dheri RAMRO....BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!
I have so many beautiful photos and I can't wait to show you! Everyone in the village has been stopping by to see the progress of the library~ everyone is excited...

The children have been visiting~ one sweet little girl came by and I told her we were building
a children's library...and that we brought many different books on many different subjects....and that she could come and read the books in the library~ She asked me "How much does it cost?"
I told her "FREE" and she said, "FREE?" and I said, "Yes!!!!"
I took her pictures at that moment...she was so excited and happy!!!!

I'm so excited!!!!!!
more later....with pics, I hope!!!!!

Library Update!

Digumber Piya and Pradeep inside the library...aren't the doors beautiful?????

Library Update!

Yesterday we bought the books for the library in Kathmandu! It was FUN hard work choosing a wide variety of books for different levels and interest. It took hours to gather them and once they were all packaged up, it did not look like that many books! OMG....I'm terribly excited! When I think of the people of Bandipur having a quality library (even if it is small) I feel so happy! I think about what a difference books and the library have made in my own life..... how wonderful to help provide this for others.

The books are being shipped to Chitwan and then to Bandipur...I do not know how all these things work in Nepal and Digumber has been absolutely a lifesaver....It would have been tremendously more challenging for me to do this without his help and "connections"!


I am hoping each year our volunteers and friends will bring books, send books, and donate books to keep the library growing. THIS IS A PROCESS.....and evolution~ it will be interesting to see how the children and teachers value the library....I think they will...the books are all high quality and on a variety of subjects and levels. We have to find someone to be the "librarian" and I am hoping for one of my women students or someone from the teacher's training to do the job~ when I return to Bandipur I will find the "librarian".

The inside of the library is being finished currently and I will return to Bandipur either this afternoon or in the morning to get everything "finished" before I leave. I will post photos...don't worry!!!!! :)

Pictures & People~

I've met and developed relationships with many people in the time that I have been working in Bandipur. The village people, who I see and greet daily; the staff at Gaun Ghar, who have become my good friends; my students, who have become my friends as well; and the scholarship girls, who are "our" girls. I have been able to learn a great deal about the culture of different groups, what the daily lives are like for different people, and to understand more fully what it feels like to be an "immigrant" (even though it's only for 8 weeks....) I met an Italian lady who actually has been living in Nepal for 17 years and I asked her how it was for her to be an immigrant here...she said, "They perfectly tolerate you, but never fully accept you." (That made me laugh so hard! I think she is a smart lady!)

Ranjana is from Gorkha. She works in the hotel in housekeeping and any other job they need her to do! The staff all work together throughout the day on little and big jobs...they laugh when I join in and help around the hotel too...I tell them that is part of "my culture" to work and help... "Americans are like that...." ~ Ranjana is just about the sweetest person I've met and when I first came to know her she always looked so sad. She has been smiling lately and we even make private jokes together..it's fun and hilarious. She often watches me and laughs as I give the male hotel workers and Digumber a hard time...my outspoken ways and expression of my opinions are not customary in Nepali culture for women...the women staff members see me as something out of the ordinary...but I can see the twinkle in their eyes as I wink at them and "call people" on their "stuff"!!!! :)

Sujan & Heather on Thani Mai (a local area to climb UP, UP, UP and the view is AMAZING!!!!)~ Sujan works in Kathmandu at one of the other hotels/restaurants that Digumber and his partner own. He came to Bandipur to participate in the English training for the staff. He is a great person! I've so enjoyed getting to know Sujan.... he is the eldest child in his family and he helps send his siblings to school as well as to provide for his parents who live in a reomote area of Nepal and are farmers. Sujan has the best attitude of anyone I've ever met and he is always asking me questions.... oh...and he loves Michael Jackson... he listens to my Ipod while he prepares food in the kitchen...one day I could hear the "Thriller" song loudly coming from the kitchen .... I knew it wouldn't be long before Pradeep (the manager) put that to an end...but it was funny! I imagined him down their doing the Thriller Dance.... (Sujan is the one who helps me read with the kids in the evenings...he wants to be a teacher....)

This little girl was doing a dance for me before teaching the ladies group one day...she was so beautiful as she did her Nepali dance with the older girls...isn't she adorable?

Three Taps is on the edge of Bandipur and this where the villagers and those who live in the surrounding areas come to bathe, wash clothes, and gather water in their water jugs for their homes....(we had to use these taps during the water shortage in Bandipur as well....) This little girl lives across the way from the hotel. Her grandfather is raising her as her parents have abandoned her. She is so cute and each day she is in the group of children who waits for me to read them a story! This day she walked with us to Three Taps to watch the start of the Krishna parade.

Children wait for the parade to begin and then they are able to act out their favorite religious and cultural stories of Krishna and Radha. It is fun to see the excitement and realize how these activities and festivials are part of their lives, their memories, and how they will carry on these traditions with their own children.

This is a picture of a village woman and her bull....it was taken on the way to the village where the Christian church was....this bull did not recognize us and he became agitated and acted as if he would charge us...it was very scary for a moment!!!! The lady beat the tar out of the bull and took him away from us....OMG....she is one tough little lady!!!!

~Festivals~

Krishna's Birthday Party brought huge crowds and wonderful costumes through the night!

This festival is called Gai Jatra a celebration to remember ancestors and honor recently passed family members.

This little girl came and sat by me quietly while we waited for the parade to come by the hotel. She did not speak for a very long time, but merely sat and waited. She lives outside Bandipur in the poorer area where the lower caste members live. Several of the children from the town came by and looked at her, as if "What are you doing here?"..... she held her self well and stayed. I felt happy sitting next to her.... :)

These children prepare to participate in the celebration of Krishna's birthday parade! This was a huge celebration that lasted from the morning well into the evening~ maybe you notice Danika/Dabika...

There have been many festivals while I've been here and each has it's own name, significance and traditions. It has been fascinating to be a quiet observer in these festivities and I wish I understood each one more so I could share that with you, but for now I hope the pictures will give a taste of what I've been able to see while I've been here. I think perhaps since the clouds hide the spectacular beauty of the Himalayans during the monsoon, the people bring forth the beauty in their costume, singing and dancing as they celebrate ceaselessly during this festive time....

~The World Peace Pagoda ~

The World Peace Pagoda on the top of a mountain in Pokhara...so beautiful and truly PEACEFUL~

I had the good fortune to visit the World Peace Pagoda yesterday! Digumber was in Bandipur and we both needed to get a few things from a "big town" so we drove to Pokhara for the day~

Pokhara is west about 1.5 to 2 hours from Bandipur and quite a "fun and exciting" drive... :)

I was able to get a small bit of shopping done, we were able to get the paint for the library walls,

and we both visited the bank (there are NO banks in or near Bandipur~ banks are only found in major cities such as Kathmandu, Chitwan, and Pokhara so you must plan accordingly!)

Digumber said if we had time we could go up and see the World Peace Pagoda and I was excited! It took us almost the entire day just getting our errands done....it takes "longer" to do business in Nepal~ people are not in a rush and oftentimes (at least this is what I find) it takes some time to get down to the "final answer"..... (I often become frustrated and say..."JUST SAY WHAT IT IS~ Let's Go!!!!!!" American Freakout...that's me!) :) but alas, we finally had time to go UP!

This is the "road" up to the World Peace Pagoda~ mind you the edge of the mountain is just to the right~ we met another car coming up on the way down and it took us five minutes to finally pass each other...we were literally 1 inch apart from each other.... (Nepal...got love it!!! :D)

The drive was absolutely terrifying! The road was several miles of jagged rocks and ditches that went straight up ~ I could not believe Digumber was going to drive his car up that hill...but he did.... he was determined (Jane~ the Digumbermobile made it!).... I couldn't say a word because I was so scared and at one point I thought we would slide off the side of the mountain!!!!! The car went sideways and slid.... Amazingly, with the skill of a person who has driven these types of roads forever, (he said the road to Bandipur was similar to this road until 5 years ago...omg...scary!) we made it to the walking area that would lead us up to the top of the mountain and the World Peace Pagoda.

It was worth it!

The moment we reached the World Peace Pagoda gate I felt instant peace and love...really, it was amazing~ There was a small building where a white woman monk with a shaved head was beating a big drum....the vibrations resonated through the building, through my body, and through my soul....I wanted to stay there and feel that feeling of bliss.... (Digumber said it would be funny if I ended up living there...and I thought to myself.... "not really that funny now...would it?"!!! :))

We left the beautiful worship area/drum area and headed up to the World Peace Pagoda . The view was astounding... 360 degrees of mountains, lake, and jungle/forest, along with the town of Pokhara~ my words and pictures cannot express properly the feeling of peace and thankfulness I felt...but I will not forget it.

Namaste~

A Four Hour Walk, Just Over that Hill & A Sermon on the Mt.

Me with the Christian fellowship~ it was fun to experience a Christian service Nepali style!

The people were so warm and grateful for my visit~ it was great!

During the training for teachers I met a young man who is currently finishing his education in teaching. His name is Ek Bahadur Gurung and I came to know through the training that he was a Christian, something rather rare in Nepal, and certainly out in the middle of Nepal. We chatted a little about our faith and beliefs and he invited me to his church fellowship. I told him I would be happy to attend and then found that his village w1 1/2 hours walk over the mountains. He makes this walk everyday to get to and from school each day and he walked every day to attend the teachers training as well. I agreed that I would visit his village and attend the church service and we decided on Saturday, August 8, 2009 (my son, Gabriel's birthday...)

While I was in Kathmandu at the bookstore I bought a NIV Bible for Ek Bahdur and a few other books and resources to help support their church. The monsoon has been raining fiercly off and on and I had already decided that if it was raining on this day I would not walk to the village, because the roads would be so muddy and there would be leeches for sure....I spoke to Ek Bahadur on Friday and told him if it was raining I would not go the next day. He said, "Then let's pray for no rain!" Sure enough, Saturday was CLEAR and SUNNY and we set off for his church at 8:15 a.m.

This beautiful cat caught my eye as I walked for hours through the mountains.

We walked through Bandipur past the Three taps area where many of the villagers go to wash their clothes, take baths, and collect water for their homes. As we left the village of Bandipur I felt fine and we began to walk and walk. The view was beautiful as we climbed out of the valley and over the side of one hill and down to the next. The road was a bit muddy from the rains before, but overall the quality of the road was good and it wasn't so hot, at least not as hot as it would be coming back. The walk was hard and long and the 1 1/2 hour walk for Ek Bahadur was a 2 hour walk for me... my face was red and I had to stop a few times when climbing really high hills, but I was okay. I have to admit I was tired and happy once we arrived! Pradeep, the manager of the Gaun Ghar Hotel, was with us and he walked so carefully in his perfectly ironed white long sleeved button down shirt and black shiny shoes! He was dressed for church, I was dressed for survival!!! (LOL!!)

"It's just over that hill." ~ Famous Last Words in Nepal! :)

After some time I couldn't help but ask..."Are we almost there???" "How much longer?"

He kept saying, "Just over that hill...." and I kept seeing hills that looked close, but I knew they were not!!!

Finally we got to his village, whose inhabitants come from three different tribes than are commonly found in Bandipur and the surrounding areas. The village and the people "looked" different and they even speak different languages. I told him I can only speak English and very little Nepali... and he taught me how to say, "Hi!" in Gurung... the children just looked at me like I was crazy... this happens often in Nepal.

The service was held in their "church" which was a small mud and grass hut, made in the common style of their tribe. It was quite interesting and wonderful! There were about 20 people including children and they all sang and spoke in Nepali actually. They used the Nepali drum to sing their songs and it sounded beautiful. The service was somewhat different than I have seen in the United States, but many things were the same. They said The Lord's Prayer, and read different scriptures, they took an offering, and gave testimonies of how they became Christian. Then I was asked to share something with them.

I shared my simple advice and favorite scriptures~ I talked about my Faith, Forgiveness, and Love~ They asked me questions about facing hardships in life and how to deal with the suffering of others~ We also discussed how to respond to those family members and friends who were not accepting of Christianity~ Faith, Forgiveness, Compassion & Love.... same as Buddha would say, or what we find in most faiths.... :)

It was a blessed day.

~Bina~

Bina


Bina is a girl that you like instantly. She has a twinkle in her eye and a smile that radiates from her entire body. She is curious, intelligent, hard working, and kind. She has a graceful spunk that makes you want to spend time with her. When I visited her home I was stunned by the simple charm and obvious energy it takes for bare survival.



Bina and her bag of treasures.


Bina holds her treasures in a bag that she hangs from the ceiling of her mud house to stay dry during the heavy monsoon rains. I had to smile when she brought out the things she "treasures" they were a poloroid photo from Jeffrey Kottler (that her brother marked on) and photos of Caitlin and Drew (two volunteers from Canada who recently did a marvelous job with the girls)! My heart smiled as I realized how the effort that we put forth makes a deep difference...at least to Bina.

Caitlin and Drew volunteered earlier in the year and made a great impact on the girls~ Bina treasures these photos.



These photos were taken by Jeffrey Kottler, the founder of the MGF, on a previous visit. He takes poloroid pictures of the scholarship girls and their families....these become lifelong treasures and reminders of those who care and believe in them. (And...naughty little brother drew on Bina's photo...)

Finally arriving at Bina's house...the climb was challenging but fun!




As we climbed up and around the narrow path that led to Bina's home I felt a bit frightened a few times because the path was very small with a deep drop immediately left...at one point, Bina took my hand to help me across and I was surprised by her strength! I was not going anywhere with her holding my hand... I could feel it! How do they manage that path in the rain and at night? I can barely walk it in daylight with someone holding my hand.... wow!



We came across an old blind man who was babysitting a small child by the edge of a cliff. I did not know how he managed to keep the baby safe because he had to feel around to locate the child and the edge of the mountain is so close.... We shared a few "Namastes" and watched for a moment...Bina told the little man where the child was and he quickly felt his way to the baby and picked the child up. Really amazing...we found out that was Bina's Grandfather and her cousin... everyone else was out working in the fields so Grandpa babysits! Everyone works! Somehow, amazingly, they work it out....

~ALL ABOUT ME by BINA~

My name is Bina Majakoti. I live in BandipurNepal and there are many things to know about me. First,I am 11years old and I’m in class 6. I go toBhanu school. I like school
because I can read,write, learn and see new English books. Another reason I like school is because my teacher teaches very well.There are six people in my family.I have 1 brother and 1 sister.My mother cooks food and my father digs the rice in the fields.Each day I cut grass,wash clothes,go to school,go to temple, and carry water. You can see there are many things to know about me.

~Biva and Mina~ Inspiring Sisters

Mina and Biva study at home to prepare for the next day.

Biva and Mina are sisters. They are both scholarship recipients and both amazing students! They walk each day for 1 1/2 hours each way to come to our daily sessions, and they have not missed a day! (Some of the other girls missed a day here and there for a variety of reasons, but they were consistent and grateful for every moment....) I could not help but be inspired by both of these young ladies. They borrowed the digital camera for the night to "document" their home life. I think you will find their smiles and determination as inspiring as I do.

Mina has received a scholarship for school for 3 years and her sister, Biva has received a scholarship for 2 years. Both girls are GREAT students~ I hope we can help them continue with their education so they can help their family and their country improve their lives.

Biva took this picture of her family....so she is not in the picture!

~ ALL ABOUT ME~ BIVA age 15

Beautiful Biva

My name Biva Maya Thapa. I live in Bandipur chhap Nepal ,and there are many things to know about me. First, I am 15 years old and I’ m in class nine .I go to Bhanu secondary school. I like school because I learn English and Math and I meet new friends. Another reason I like school is because my teacher teaches very well. My teacher is very nice. There are 8 people in My family I have one brother and 4 sisters in my family .I like to eat apples and oranges. When I grow up I want to be a nurse . My mother cooks food and my father digs the goat fields each day . I wash clothes ; cut grass ; go to temple and go to school. Clearly you can see there are many things to know about me.

I am happy for my scholarship because I now have a lot of notebooks pencils and ink. I feel happy because I can go to school. I have a school uniform which is a skirt, shirt, shoes and sandals. I also now have a back pack and a pencil box. Sometimes people come to teach us English, reading and science.

This is my mother starting a fire to cook daal bhat, our family meal.

~ ALL ABOUT ME~ MINA age 14

Magnificent Mina

My Name Is Mina Thapa .I Live In Bandipur chhap Nepal . First I am 14 years old and I read In class Eight . I go to bhanu secondary school . I like school Because I learn to speak English, read books on all subjects , and visit with my friends. Another reason I like school Is because my teacher teaches very well . My teacher is very beautiful . There are 8 people in family . I have one brother and 4 sisters in my family I like to eat oranges and bananas . When I grow up I want to be a doctor . My mother cooks food and cuts grass. I help my mother and go to the school . Clearly you can see there are many things to know about me .

I am happy for my scholarship because I now have a lot of notebooks , pencils and ink . I feel happy because ican go to school . I have a school uniform which is a skirt , shoes, sandals. I also now have a backpack and a pencil box sometimes people come to teach us English ,reading ,writing and science . They are nice.

This is a picture of our buffalo.

~Puja Ceremony & Festival Month has Begun~

Yesterday Digumber and Munni (Digumber's wife) offered puja at their hotel, Gaun Gahr (where I am staying during my time in Nepal). The ceremony was held in the room at the top of the hotel and it was quite elaborate. I did not know what to expect and I felt a little strange attending the ceremony because I needed to meet the girls at 10:00 a.m. to visit their homes.

This would make me have to leave the ceremony early and I did not want to disrupt the service by leaving early, but Digumber and Munni both explained that it would not be a problem... so I attended for a short time. It was fascinating~ I really admire Digumber and Munni for their dedication to their cultural and religious customs. I had a wonderful day and enjoyed receiving a blessing from two of the Brahman priests before they left~ I have received blessings from a variety of faiths and feel honored. Digumber and Munni fed many of those in the village who were needy and many people came by to offer their well wishes and join in the festivities.

In celebration of the puja we planted a new bouganvilla in front of the hotel and everyone joined in. It was very fun and special.



Pūjā (Devanagari: पूजा) (alternative transliteration Pooja, Sanskrit: reverence, honour, adoration, or worship) is a religious ritual performed by Hindus as an offering to various deities or distinguished guests. It is done on a variety of occasions and settings, from daily puja done in the home, to temple ceremonies and large festivals, or to begin a new venture.[1] Puja is modeled on the idea of giving a gift or offering to a deity or important person and receiving their blessing. The two main areas where puja is performed is in the home and at public temples. There are many variations in scale, offering, and ceremony.

Festival time has started in Nepal now~ especially among the Newari people. Each night the men in the village get together and play drums and cymbals for hours as they play and chant they move throughout the village and it's almost hypnotic to watch and listen. Girls are not allowed to join in...so the girls just clap their hands on the side of the street and watch!! (You know I wanted to play the drum!!!!) :)

I was so lucky because Munni dressed me in a sari last night! I was a bit shy at first because I have never worn a sari before, but all of the Nepalese people loved it so much that I couldn't help but feel happy they were so enthralled with me. Munni is a very elegant lady and has all the "right" jewelry and clothes so she made me look so nice! I felt like I was playing dress up and we even ate dinner in "our fancy clothes"...it was so fun! I will always remember that day!

~ Our Scholarship Girls Go Above and Beyond~

Our scholarship girls have been working hard learning new vocabulary, reading, and writing. I've been teaching them how to write cohesive structured paragraphs for school. It has been refreshing each day because they are so enthusiastic. Honestly, at times it's a little shocking, because their desire to learn and their ability to attend to the academic work and what I'm asking them to do is intense. Their learning is serious business to them~ as a teacher this inspires me to give them my best. As I mentioned earlier, I tend to like to "play" when I teach and the girls are not used to it as they are very reserve and literally express little to no emotion unless explicitly asked... but yesterday was different.

I told the girls they would be writing paragraphs about themselves and then we would post them on the blog! They have been very excited~ yesterday I brought down two laptops and an alphaboard for typing their paragraphs and my digital camera so they could "document" Bandipur and their lives in Bandipur. I taught them how to type their paragraphs first and amazingly, although they do not have computers, each girl typed her paragraph wonderfully... I think what shocks me is how these girls attend to what they are doing~ very focused, unending perseverance, and a determination to excel...quite frankly I have not seen this type of devotion in students before~ I like it! :)

There were two computers, one MAC, one PC (thank you Ivy!), and the alpha smart board (thank you Jeffrey!) As three girls typed their paragraphs I taught the other two how to take photos with my Casio digital camera (thank you Youko!) At first they were shy and hestitant to take pictures, but within 5 minutes they became more relaxed and began playing with the camera and phtographing many different things~ including ME! (Since I am here alone I do not have many photos of myself...Now I have a lot!)

After each girl finished her typing I asked the girls who knew how to use the camera to "train" the other girls~ in this way they are also helping teach their new skills and I get to "watch" them...I also told the girls that many people do not know that much about Nepal, so it would be nice if they could take photos and explain about their village, their lives, and their culture. They were really excited. I gave them an assignment to take the camera out into the village and to each take 5 pictures~ it could be of people, things, animals... they LOVED THIS and I was able to take pictures of them exploring and HAVING FUN LEARNING!!!!! It was so wonderful... the girls really enjoyed this process and I cannot wait to post their writing and photos so you can share in this great fun!

Throughout this experience I felt the girls becoming more comfortable with me as they were asking me for help..."Heather, could you come here please?" "Heather, photo?" (when they took my picture!) It was a blessing to see them gain confidence with the computers and camera and they really took ownership of this experience.....GREAT!!!!! Very Inspiring~

Today we are going on a "field trip" to each girls home so we can document whatever they would like to share with you. Two of the girls Biva and Mina live an 1 1/2 hour away...so they may have to borrow the camera for a night to document!!!! (Or I may visit them on a day when I am not teaching full schedule...)

You should be seeing posts by the girls shortly! I'm excited to see what they choose to share with us! I will also be videotaping as well...what great fun! :)

~Spider Note & UPDATE~

Last night as I started to clear my bed off so I could go to sleep, a HUGE brown spider crawled from my pile of "stuff"...computer, Nepali books, journal~ etc. I was so scared! I let out a small cry when in reality I wanted to scream! That spider had been sitting on my bed with me for goodness knows how long!!!!!! OMG!!!!!

Now... what was I to do? I really did not want to kill it... spiders are "good"... but... I really did not want the spider crawling on me at night either....what to do? One thing was for sure...he had to move from my bed...so after I grabbed my camera and took his picture, I grabbed my shoe and gave him a good "whack!" I could hear him hit the floor....I let out a small yell~ (it was late by the way and I'm sure people could hear me...I was also debating going and getting some of the staff members...but really, that would be so silly....after all....it's just a spider...right?????)

I found Mr. Spider sitting under my bed... he looked a little "dizzy" but still okay~ I gathered my flashlight and secured my mosquito net securely around my bed and tried to go to sleep....it was difficult....because I kept feeling as if I heard crawling sounds through the night....

YIKES!!!!!! His eyes are "glowing"~ :)

I hope he has gone outside now!

~ UPDATE~

Yesterday while I was crossing the square photographing the girls I saw a large brown spider "walking"... same size, same color...perhaps same spider... I was quite surprised and I started taking photos of him as he walked/hopped across the way..... just as I was watching a bee/wasp of some type swooped down and landed on the huge spider and tackled him...within moments the beautiful spider was dead and crumpled~ it was WILD!!!! All of this happened right in front of me and I took pictures of it.....amazing.... Later in the evening I couldn't find the spider in my room....

I'm still wondering if that was "my spider" or not....

~The Women's Group~

Enjoying a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and milk tea party! It was fun to watch them explore peanut butter!

Here are a few of the women I work with each day~ I teach English to them each day from 2:00-3:30. It has been great fun and I have learned so much about Nepali culture, Nepali language, and have been welcomed into their village and their lives. Many of these women are the leaders in their communities, shopkeepers, teachers, and hotel owners~ they have been so gracious and hard working. Each day our language class is filled with new vocabulary, phrases, and lots of laughter. It's been fun getting to know each person~ I have asked them to write something to post on the blog and I've started taking their photos to share with you.

They are excited! :)

Bimila (middle left side) has become one of my "best" students and she works so hard each day speaking English that I cannot help but adore her! The other students are "jealous"....(I really think they are!)