Monsoon Rains and Thunder Storms

Most afternoons in Mcleod we experience thunder, is a strange noise as it is echoing off the Himalaya's, rather calming and theaputic.  Each evening we have also had a lightening shower.  The other evening Janet and I sat in bed with all the lights off and the curtains open just gazing out of the window.  The whole sky would light up white and the Himalayans were sillohetted against the sky.  It is beautiful, we also get the most amazing folk lightening. 

Its also rained a little each day, the monsoon rains are heading north.  But its refreshing and cooling and everyone loves the rain.  As I write it is raining now outside, the Buddhistmonks in the rain splashed red robes wander by the window andthe Tibetan children look up to the sky with there mouths open.

Its a wonderful sight.

Karen x

First day at St Mary's - Class 10 - Flags of the World Project

What an amazing day.  I was a bit worried about working with class 10 as these children are 15/16 years old.  Thinking about Ellen and her friends at Cavendish, I could not think of anything worse than teaching that age group.  But these kids were not spoilt by the media and what we take for granted in the Western world.  They were innocent and child like in every way.  Very curious about how we arrived in India, aeroplanes and trains. 

We spent the morning un-packing our cases, Sister Jancy was mesmerised by what we had brought.  I explained again what our plans are for each class and showed her the resources.  She is so gentle and caring, immaculatly dressed and calm.  She has such a grace about her. The children idolise her.

Lunch was a treat, in the UK you rarely get a chance to grap a sandwich.  Here everone sits down at a long table and eats a full meal.  They laughed at our banana sandwiches.

After lunch it was my turn to teach..... I was amazed by how calm I was and how I just got straight into it.  Vexillology - The study of flags... This was our first lesson.. First I explained why we have flags.  The children copied things down in their English books, we then went onto the fun part.  Making the flags, the kids loved it. They were so excited by the paint and what they were going to do.

As they finished one flag they had the opportunity to make another one.  I bluetac each one on the board, even the teachers joined in and made flags.. They loved the handmade paper. I gave the class a quizz about flags when we they had finished painting.  Each correct answer they got a flag card. When they had finished I got the kids to move all the tables and we played indoor games with some of the equipment we purchased, it was too hot to go outside.

At the end of the school day (2.30) I created a display.  Sister Jancy's eyes were popping out her head.  All the teachers (especially the male ones) stood and starred at me balancing on a chair putting up the display. 

Great first day teaching.

Karen x 

Breakfast with a Guru, Lunch at a Waterfall & Dinner on a Banana Leaf

So much to see, so little time...

This morning we had a little lie in (8.30am).  We were invited to sit with the most amazing old grandad you could ever imagine seeing. Orange and yellow robes and the whites beard, just like santa. He spoke good enough English to communicate and we discussed his ill health.  He looked bloody great for what looked like 200 years old.  However there always seems to be an motive behind some peoples smiles and kindness, he handed Janet a string of beads which she took (she will NOT learn).  And then he showed us his medical prescription and wanted money.. Well what do you do?  He was so cute, almost looked like one of the seven dwafs.  We obliged and gave 100 rupees each, which is only a couple pounds..

We are started to become amune to the begging, well I am.  Janet however is such a softy.

After breakfast we headed up the mountain to the Bagshu waterfall, I've been to Niagara (so nothing too spectacular) BUT the view OMG the view.  You are right up high in the mountains, its quiet and the air is clean.

However the journey on foot was not so good.  Families from the Punjab and Ragasthan holiday here, so it is really busy with cars, horns hooting every where.  Also most of them havent seen westerners, especially not red headed fat or fat ones, so yet again we got loads of attention.. Ha ha ha

We met some lovely familes, a Sikh teacher with her extended family and a Hindu extended family too, they both shared their fresh fruit with us and were very hospitiable.  This wouldn't happen in Hemel.

We headed down the mountain and found a tiny shop that sold Vick rub and knifes. We bought both. Once back to Mcleod we went to the Green Shop/Project and  gave them some resources which we had, which were not for St Marys, they are doing such good work.

No time for a shower, hot, stinky and dirty from all the dust we went straight to a open air gig.  This was organised by the Mountain Cleaners and the Clean up Dharamsala Association.  Great powerpoint on a big screen, great music and dinner on a banana leaf.  Lovely evening.  Fireworks high in the mountains and a lightening storm. WOW. Never seen sheet/fork lightening quite like it in my life.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama

OMG OMG OMG

Today we woke early as we heard that the Dalai Lama was giving a talk at the Tibetan School up the mountain.  We wondered down to the square and a few police and not so many people were gathered. We found a seat very easily next to a stray dog and a Tibetan family.  As we waited the policeman who was acted as security for that like area, decided to go get a cup of tea. LOL.  He sat down in only what can be described as a make shit garden shed and drank his tea.  Five minutes later we heard his walkie talkie screech and he jumped up and ran out.  Two minuted later a police vehicle passed by.  Seconds after that we saw him, waving as us and smiling the Dalai Lama.  He passed and everyone moved away getting back on with their business.

We however decided to climb the mountain, up to the school.  It was breezy and cool in the shade of the huge pine trees, so we were ok.  Then we were yold to take the short cut which was up the side of the mountain and not on a road.  We did, I was ok.... not puffing and panting as I thought.  I practically ran up the mountain.  I put this down to my FitFlop sandals.  Janet however was knackered.  I got to the summit twenty minutes before her....  I waited patiently until she reached me.  We then followed a voice, his voice.  We rounded the corner and there were hundred not thousands as of people sitting under a canope watching and listening to the Dalai Lama.  His voice was intoxicating his laugh was warming.  Such a lovely experience, one I will never forget.

We decided to get into our first electric rickshaw instead walking down the mountain. Ha ha ha ha ha very funny experience.

We had lunch at Nicks and then we went on the hunt for the stationary shop, failing to find this we ended up at the Buddhist Temple.  Well I never........ I do not know what it is but India families love me. They want me to touch their children and have their photos taken with me, its surreal.  I think it has something to do with the colour of my hair as they innore Janet LOL.

The Temple was really busy, loads of Tibetans and monks and tourists.  We touched the pray wheels and walked inside the inner temple.  We took a seat next to an early lady who looked about 100. A few other oldies gathered and before long they were laughing at Janet.  They spoke no English but the lady sitting next to Janet wrapped her tiny fragile hands around Janets upper arm. She burst out laughing they all laughed it was so funny to witness.  They kept making gestures to Janets size compared to theirs....... I have never laughed so much.. Being fat got us attention, we got lots of photos and we really saw the funny side to it.

We left the temple and found the stationary shop, bought the place out...  We then stumpled across two ladies working in Mcleod selling tickets for an open air concert.  We bought two and will be popping along to the Indian/Tibetan beats tomorrow night.. 

Day 4 in India - Mcleodganj

Went out for dinner last night to Nicks Italian Cafe, doesnt look very Italian but it sells pizza and pasta, along with many other great dishes.  I had cauliflower chesse and tibetan bread.  Mett to nive tibetan brothers who told us all about the hardship of their people it was very sad.

As the sky grew dark the temperature plummeted, I was freezing.  Im off to buy a blanket for tomorrow, I will use it like a coat.  Our beds were welcomed as we were exhausted.

Good morning Mcleod.  I am not sure how the buddist monks meditate here as it is manic.  Car horns, chatter, people, cars and cows every where. Breakfast today was banana pankcake and water.  I feel so stuffed with all the lovely Indian food, I need to stop eating or I definatly will be returning fatter than when I left the UK.

We headed down to St Marys School today, a little nervous.  We should not have been.  Sister Jancy greeted us and she is such an amazing lady.  We talked for hours before our tour of the school.  We visited each class and were introduced to teachers and children all of whom were smiling up at us.  Sister Jancy told them all to say good morning.  There accents are delicious, you could eat them all.  I wonder how many of them I can bring home. LOL.

We left as lunch time was finishing and we were overwhelmed by the children, all of them wanted to say hello, shake our hands and have photographes taken.  The photos say it all.

Back in Mcleod now, in our hotel foyer in the internet cafe which is our lifeline and saviour.  We dont seem so far away from our loved ones when we can converse over the WWW.

Karen x
   

Day 4 in India

After a restful night on the train (Janet snoring). I woke up hyper again.  Janet is hot hot hot all the time I am coping really well with the heat, humidity and sun, so I am taking it in my stride. We met our new driver Sonny and off we went for a lovely breakfast of omlette and toast.  Then the three hour drive to Mcleodganj, so different to Delhi.  Countryside, laid back atmosphere. The mountains rose up on the horizon, totally awesome.  Climbed the steep hills in our car and then chaos hit again when we arrived in Mcleod as roads are narrow (not much wider than a car) and lorries, rickshaws, people, cows, dogs, monkeys and motorbikes all travlling up and down in different directions. 

Arrived at our lovely hotel "The Green Hotel". Lovely views, lovely and clean, lovely people. Lovely everything..  Relaxed for a few hours and then had banana pancakes and lassi for lunch.  Went on a walk past all the shops. You dont get harrassed as much here.  The long walk back up the steep hill was ok.  I though I would have had a heart attack in the heat but I was ok.


Karen x

Day 3 in India

Wow, Wow, Wow.........  After a very early morning call we headed to the Taj Mahal at 5am.  Our guide hailed a peddle rickshaw OMG Janet went into panic mode which I found so funny.  She got in the pack, I managed to squeeze one bum cheek in next to her AND Raj our guide sat on the seat facing us.  The poor guy didnt have a seat, he must have been pulling 40 stone, everyone on the elctric rickshaws was looking at us as if we were bonkers.  We received so much attention not helped by our guide for the day Raj, who took a shine to me.. It was hilarous. We even did the whole photgraphic thing! Which was so funny, we felt like celebrities.

Everything about India is craxy, catotic and amazing.

We have seen so much, I really am lost for words (for once).  Cows in the street, monkeys on the rooftops, buffalo in a shop. hundreds of bikes, motorbikes and rickshaws all heading in different directions.  One man drove a motorbike with his mate on the back holding a sheet of glass 5ft X 1ft no gloves, nothing.  There is NO risk assesments, health and safety etc in India.

After leaving Agra and the Taj Mahal we visted many more wonderful places, then headed back to Delhi.  We went to the Red Fort and at the Lotus Temple we were the only westerners.  Well what a commotion we caused, I couldn't stand on the hot sandstone tiles in the sun because they were bloody boiling so I was hopping for one foot to the other, everyone looking at me as if I was crazy.  Everyone wanted there photo taken with me NOT Janet I think its my big boobs and red hair.  We then went to Humayuns Tomb just before sunset.  Totally peaceful, we wondered around and were not harrassed althought pointed at and laughed at.  One the way out we took the wrong exit and ended up in a park with hundreds of muslim boys and young men playing cricket, dozens of games all taking place at the same time.  It was as if we were coconuts on a shy, balls coming at us in every direction AND we were the only women running around ducking out of the way.......... Again crazy...

BUT not as crazy as Delhi train station OMG  people actually shit on the train line in front of you, I was hyper and shaking, Janet was having a panic attack..... We were a bit scared at first as everyone AGAIN was starring at us.. But we managed to calm ourselves down and settled for the two hour wait.  I had to cover my head because everyone is facinated with my red hair...  The train turned up and onto it we jumped straight into bed, we were knackered.  The toilets on the train were better than those on the Hemel to Euston. 

Karen x