Thursday 29 May 2014

Wednesday 28 May

Today I feel as if a shift has happened for me. I feel I am here and more accepting of what is and where I am rather than so often thinking of home and how different it is here and if only 'they' would do this or that or wouldn't it be better if the stairs were clean or the wi fi worked or the food wasn't so spicey. We are slowly making things more comfortable for ourselves and I guess getting used to the status quo - we are such creatures of habit and oh so quick to judge and I guess bottom line find fault!! This evening I wrote Pema, the lama who lives on the same floor as us and who showed us our rooms etc, a letter in which I asked if there was anything I could do help get the neon light in my room replaced or to get a globe for one of the three lights in room as we would be staying at the monastery until the 30 th June and I feared my eyes might be adversely affected by the flickering neon light and having to read by the rather weak light of my head lamp!!! As I went to leave it in his room or on his door he appeared so I gave it to him. He read it and then immediately suggested I move to another room along the passage three rooms from my current room. Yay to be shortly followed by Ah as he could not find the key!!! So let's see what tomorrow brings.... 

So for the moment I sit wearing a head lamp and pretending or feeling like I'm in a 60's disco! 

Today I really enjoyed the teaching as I now get to know the boys. So the weeks suddenly no longer stretch into a never ending future of what am I doing here as I finally feel that I am here for a reason and that this can be more than a time to be got through! My tummy is still rather shakey but not intolerably so and I am keeping rehydrated - it really does seem to come with the territory as three of us are experiencing this. The French girl has been here since 5 th April so presumably her immune system has adjusted? I am really enjoying the eggs here - I don't know how the chooks are fed but I am eating at least one or two a day - as is, either boiled or scrambled with no salt etc. 

I am reading a really interesting book, thank you Bryce for recommending it- The snow leopard by  Peter Matthiessen. It all takes place not far from here and is full of much more than his search for the snow leopard. 

It is interesting to have so much unschefuled time at my disposal - seems like a luxury I have not had for a long time  - not that I am frantically wukking all the time at home - more like I am frantically playing all of the time and doing Shambhala stuff of course. Here days are filled with lesson prep, teaching, preparing meals, cleaning, washing self and clothes and sitting practice and blogging and reading and also chatting to the other volunteers. On some days we pop out of the monastery to get the odd supplies and a coke. Today I have not gone out at all. I watched the sun go down from the top of the building - very beautiful . Kathmandu valley is surrounded by pretty high disappearing hills - at least three rows in any one direction covered with dense forests and straggling abodes dotted around. It's quite a fantastic view from up there. Not sue if I have already mentioned we look onto the air port so see many planes really low as they come into land. Kathmandu sprawls in all directions but we are way above the hustle and bustle and dirt of street level. As I write the boys are busy with pooja - a sound I am getting used to. The other night I held the phone over the balcony for John  to hear - he remarked it sounded like a giant swarm of bees or a formula one racetrack inside ones living room!!! Take your pick!! 

So I think the French open has begun- I wonder if Roger will be playing given his twin boys are now about four weeks old and of course here's hoping my boy mister Rafa does ok! 

So enough now - must say I have  not given TV much thought. On another tack though I do wonder at the lack of sport or physical activity available to these boys- once again so different from our system altho having said that not all of our children have access to sport, in fact the majority don't so not so different after all! 

Have just had a late supper - well ninish which is way after the others eat - boiled rice in chicken stock which Jen prepared for herself, to which I added two beaten up eggs, which I cooked on the gas plate, followed by marmite in hot water!! Delicious! 

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