Monday 9 June 2014

Monday 9th June

So another satisfying day ends. After being joggled and rattled and jiggered around all day on Sunday, I decided I deserved to take it easy in the morning to give my body a chance to put itself back together again - talk about a grueling non stop massage for six hours!! 

So while Jennifer went off to teach for two hours to pay her rent as she puts it, I took it easy and looked up this Montessori training centre in Kathmandu that trained some of the teachers. Judging from the number of Montessori based preschools around, they've been pretty busy. I hope they respond to my email asking if I can visit their centre. 

Then Jen and I headed into Boudha to find an ATM and for me to check out prices of items I'll need to set up the practical life areas. We walked all the way - about half an hour- with me popping into little spaza shops to ask prices - all more expensive than the place Um had taken me to on Sunday. At the Boudha stupa we found this restaurant that Jen had been taken to on Sunday when she met a woman called Gloria who is the friend of one of Jen's American  friends. Gloria has lived here for 26 years and certainly knows her way around.  I enjoyed the first red meat since arriving here - a bacon burger with the full monte - chips and a salad with what has become my default drink, coke! It was absolutely delicious - all for R 40 compared to Jen's beer that cost R35!!! 

We then set off to find a four floored supermarket store that Gloria had told Jen about. On the way the heavens opened for what seems to be a regular afternoon occurrence. We had our umbrellas so all was good. The super market was wonderful. I had taken a tape measure so spent a couple of happy hours measuring and or noting the prices of bowls, mats, straight sided containers, trays, brooms, dust pans, buckets, tongs, sieves, drying cloths, dusters. As usual I spotted no suitable jugs - always hard to find. Jen went on a food buying spree and shocked me by spending R 400!! It suddenly sounded like such a lot! Compared to the R12 I spent on two egg cups - R 5 and a sharp knife - R7! We can't eat the food at the monastery as it's too spicy for me and usually has wheat in it which Jen can't eat. Anyway at least we know we won't starve! 

We then caught a taxi home as to catch a bus with all our parcels would have been impossible - we were lucky enough to jump in just as the rain started again- the road was like a river. Check Jen's blog as she took a couple of photos. 

So I then worked out what it might cost to put together practical life areas in the ten classes and it looks like I can create 18 activities for each class for about 4000 NRs each. We'll have to see tomorrow when I go shopping with Um how accurate my gestimates are!! I must now work out how many of each item we will need. I reckon we will need to come back to the supermarket for some things. So tomorrow I'll bus across to the office and how about this. I discovered there is a large swimming pool in a park near the office so I plan to take my costume along with me and check it out! Obviously the important thing to establish is the state of the water! It's bad enough remembering to keep my mouth closed whilst showering without having to do the same while swimming! I am hoping that the pool will be chlorinated so it will be fine. Watch this space! 


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