Just a quick journal before I disappear for a couple of weeks to do Vipassana.

Busy couple of weeks of festivities and socials - mainly with Sabina's family, but also a day out at the Garden of Dreams and a Newari bhoj (feast)... Have also been back at work - although only for 2 days last week, everything shuts for Tihar - and when offices open, they were both pretty busy with other things or people were away, so not an awful lot done... bit of word training, bit of IT policying, bit of website, bit of access databases.

Highlights of week, along side all festivities - the mountains are out in all their glory - usually only in the morning... but so nice to have them back. Must arrange a weekend in Nagarkot to really soak them up. On a small negative - weather is getting cold at night... and the bizarre habit of taking your coat off when you leave the house/office.. and putting it on again when return home - also adding socks and soon to be thermals when you get back in..

A few photos all online - you should be able to work out which belong to which bit of journal.

Sunday 15^th October: Garden of Dreams - children's day
Warm sunny day.. and an afternoon of bizarre things - a nepali magician (who I think had just been gifted a Paul Daniels magic toy set), a Belgian magician - did funny things with string. Men in long skirts playing the bagpipes.. kids covered in face paint.. all in the beautiful setting of the newly opened garden of dreams. (mentioned this place before as Peter and Rosemary had their wedding anniversary party there).

Monday 16^th October: NNDSWO day. Staff meeting; Went shopping for 2 new computers... think we got a good deal... 2 computers, 2 printers, 2 UPS, 2 pen drives all for just under 80,000 Rupees (about £500). They are for districts not central office, so hope they hold out as long way to bring them back. Went out for dinner with Sila in evening, I was full of cold and neither of us could be bothered to cook.

Tuesday 17^th October: Chamber of Commerce called strike... but as at NNDSWO no problems with work. However not much to be done with the staff that were in office. Nancy called and asked for some help with camera and her computer. She lives at this side of town so went and helped her for a couple of hours.. in return she took me out for a Japanese Lunch (one of few places we could find open).

Wednesday 18^th October: Off sick (stinking head cold)

Thursday 19^th October: FEDO - return of internet, printing and network problems. Tried all the tricks I could - network just fails sporadically, for no reason I can see. Did get internet back, although only on the main computer/server... unable to share it on the network. It was all working in morning, and could see no reason why it should suddenly stop. Called IT shop out to visit, in hope they would know what they are doing.

Friday 20^th October: FEDO. Computer man there when I got in... although not much resolved, in fact some was worse (he changed the settings I did to make internet work, and internet stopped working).... and then electricity went. Although we found printer problem was because of broken USB cable. Then 4 hours power cuts to save energy for Tihar (festival of light) - not good timing.. one computer in middle of rebuild, auditors coming in.... Nice time sat talking (mainly Nepali) with Lalitpur office girls... they did the Bhailo singing thing for me. Got electricity and internet back for 2 hours in afternoon, before electricity went again...

Friday evening: Newari Bohj - Newari New Year/cultural thing with Sheila. Started well - clear skies... then the heavens opened and the courtyards filled with water (and intense smell of toilets everywhere)... we were about to call it quits - when there was a quick change of plan - culture and dancing postponed and all leaf plate meal (eaten on floor) moved into nearby Museum. Ate a variety of dishes (21 in total I think) - including "fried organs" washed down with a rather strong local brew.... Sheila and I the only bideshi in there for most of evening, so got quite a lot of attention - people around us explaining about all the 21 dishes, how they had to be eaten in a certain order for the best health benefits. Was full of cold during meal, and FEDO girls had warned me not to eat the bamboo dish as that combined with a head cold can be dangerous... however I ate, and lived to tell the tale.

Randi was up from Biratnagar, and this is the last weekend I will probably see her in Nepal for... maybe I will get to her wedding in Norway next year... but a big if, as no idea where I will be with work and things.

Anyway, met up with her in Lazimpat - Jess should have been with us, but she was hauled up and diagnosed with Giardia - although she and Cary did make it out to Thamel later, and we enjoyed the usual rundown of shared symptoms and experiences...!

For the afternoon Randi and I went up to Boudha - large Bhuddist stupa/temple to east of Kathmandu. Met up with a couple of other UN workers - one who was here on holiday from Kabul (also called Randi). Other Gro, just started and is going to work out in Nepalgunj. We started off with lunch... and then had a slow wander around the stupa before going back to the very swanky Hyatt Hotel that they were staying in. Had a very small afternoon tea, as was unwilling to pay a days wage for a slice of cake...lots of tourists.. which has to be a good sign.

Randi (from Kabul) not feeling well, so she and Gro stayed back at the hotel. Randi (the other one) and I went on into Thamel to meet Jess and Cary. Went back to Buddha bar for the first time since David and Migyoung's leaving do(I think).. staff and owner pleased to see us and reminding us to come back soon... we had several happy hours cocktails before heading to Roadhouse for slap up pizza meal.

Sunday 24^th October: Lazy day mostly - shopping and washing clothes... phone call from Lakpa (trekking guide) who was briefly back in Kathmandu - had been to Everest base camp and was flying straight back out to Mustang... that was about all I could make out from call as it was entirely in Nepali. Nice that he had rung though as didn't know where he had been and had read in newspaper about a Lakpa Sherpa, age 25, from Solokumbu who had died in mountain accident. Sherpa a common name among the trekking and porter world though..

Monday 23^rd October:

Evening - went round to Hanneka's (and Vons - new vols) new place that is not so far from me, and then on into Thamel for Jess and Randi's birthday do. A bit of a song and dance with the restaurant not giving us big enough table, Randi, Hanneka and I went off on a search for somewhere else to eat.. but by the time we found somewhere, got table set out for 15... and phoned back to the others some had ordered... so cancelled that table, went back to decide what to do... and then ended back up at the place we cancelled from. However, despite all initial problems, turned into a good night...

More farewells though... as unlikely to see Randi in Nepal again...

Tuesday 24^th October: Bhai Tikka (Brother day, Tihar)

Lovely day with Sabina's family - for 2 rounds of Bhai Tikka, a very colourful ceremony, that is to wish long life and happiness on all.

You start by tikka-ing a lemon and then move on and repeat on your bhai(brother). Sisters give gifts of fruit and sweets, brothers then give money to sister.. (Laxmi/money puja).. You then eat lots of food. This was repeated twice as we went from Sabina's house onto her Aunt and Uncle's house. After food lots and lots of singing and dancing until small hours (10am here).

Was talking with them about my up coming Vipassana... apparently you lose around 5kg weight while doing it...(sitting meditating for 10 hours a day and you can loose weight...??).. but then you put 7kg back on afterwards. Actually I do remember David and Migyoung talking about the weight loss thing, so will keep you posted on that one.

Driving back home whole of Kathmandu lit up with Tihar lights... so nice!

Wednesday 25^th: NNDSWO closed. Worked/lazed at home. Went out for meal with Chris, Pat and Rohini... trekkers re-united.

Thursday 26^th: NNDSWO. Few bits and pieces in morning. Felt off colour and had a couple of hours sleeping at home. Back later - bit of IT policy and access database with Kashi (I have some MS-Access homework to do... reminding me how out of touch with coding I am).

Friday 27^th: IHRICON. John phoned to say not so many people in office, so said I would just come in for afternoon. Went up to VSO in morning - drop books off for other vols (copies of Socio-Economic and Demographic Dalit surveys that NNDSWO produced). Picked up post (including copy of Inside Careers book with article I wrote about being an IT Adviser for VSO). Couple of nice letters from Joyce too - thank you! Back to IHRICON for Dhal Bhat at 12 - took in some drinks and biscuits as a tihar(ish) gift. Did some website work with Biyana.

Went into Thamel to meet up in Tashi Daleks, with Rutti (and Sarah here from UK), Roshan and Sheila (and Ben and Josie, their kids) and Eric (up from Birgunj). Momo soup and the infamous Tibetan bread with honey.. washed down with a few beers.

Saturday 28^th October: BBQ at another of Sabina's Aunt and Uncle's house

Another great evening of food, dancing and singing. As appears to be the norm in UK the men did the meat on the BBQ.. and the women did everything else. In the gardens of the house were avocado trees (a German friend had given them seeds 20 years ago) - this is avocado season and there were plenty on the tree! So I taught them how to make guacamole... lovely. And with avocados the size of coconuts too. Was given one to take home too... will add to the last big feed before Vipassana.

(Sean scored 104 points in one go at scrabble... mutter, well done him!!!)

Tomorrow we are out for Claire's birthday. Going to a place called Nanglos which is as close to a British looking pub we can find in Kathmandu.

Think that is all for now... it is 1am here, I can't sleep...will be back in touch in a couple of weeks with tales of Vipassana...

Lx