An inauspicious start to our Christmas holiday as we are both struck down with Giardia, David has terrible cold and cough and all flights delayed by fog in Kathmandu. When we eventually reach the Pacific Guest House, it is freezing and we have a tiny room with no natural light, cold shower and lumpy cotton mattress. Went immediately to the big shop and bought a fan heater to stop David shaking. We managed to be fairly jolly when we went out with friends about to set off for Dorset and Delhi for their Christmas treats. On Monday David felt worse and went to the clinic while I went to VSO to prepare for the action research workshop next month. Text message conveyed severe upper and lower respiratory tract infection and suspected malaria. Tests inconclusive. He spent the next few days sitting in the sun in many layers of clothing attempting to keep warm, then diving under many layers of bedcovers still fully clothed in the evenings. Shakes subsided; malaria unlikely; as the antibiotics started to alleviate the respiratory infection, his face erupted into a massive cold sore. He remained cheerful and determined that we should go to Bardia. So after a successful few days work, we returned to the airport to find no flights to the Terai because of fog, but we eventually got to Nepalgunj in south west Nepal by early afternoon on Saturday 22nd. We were met by a jeep and the charming Raju and sped along the western part of the Mahendra Highway, passing small mud villages, rice stacks, laden buffalo carts, bright yellow fields of mustard, surprisingly pink pigs, and YCL road blocks. Gradually the forest thickened on either side of the road, and we entered the national park. An hour of dirt road, fording two rivers and passing through many prosperous looking Tharu villages brought us to the lovely Tiger Mountain lodge (no tigers or mountains) in traditional mud and thatch. After a delicious daal bhat snack, we walked in the sal forest, hearing wild elephant and parakeets, seeing fresh tracks of rhino, leopard and tiger, holes of porcupines and pythons and seeing crocodiles, deer (various) and monkeys (various). We returned past the 5 domestic elephants eating their supper, and were greeted by tea and popcorn around a blazing fire, hot shower with an alarming jet propelled shower mat, dinner and a bottle of wine, before retiring to our room where hot water bottles had been placed in the huge bed. The only other guests were a white Kenyan couple doing research as part of an international rhino conservation project. Rhinos are severely threatened in Bardia. The 80 transported here from Chitwan were all poached within a year. An early morning walk on Sunday; the misty forest smelled remarkably like an English beech wood in autumn, but there the similarity ended. Many tracks and noises, but few animals. After a late breakfast and relaxing morning in a sunny hammock, we set off into the forest on top of the enormous Laxmi Kali in a sturdy howdah. A green sea of towering elephant grass opened before us and we crossed rivers of swirling waterand seemingly impenetrable thickets in search of elusive animals. After 2 hours she sank to her knees so we could dismount with some dignity, and we were jeeped to a tented camp by the massive Karnali river where we spent Christmas. Safari luxury, with big tents, hot showers, camp fire, the wine bottle and hot water bottles. There were 2 resident python beneath the camp, the female with a ‘waist’ measurement larger than mine. A perfect Christmas day, rafting down the Karnali in warm sunshine, watching birds and Gangetic dolphin playing, stopping for a picnic on the river bank, before meeting Laxmi Kali on a sand bank. Worries about mounting were short-lived, as she knelt down, hooked her tail into a stirrup and propelled us up her mountainous backside. We encountered wild elephant (surprisingly not poached for their ivory) on the way back to the lodge. Christmas dinner (lots of vegetables but no sprouts) was followed by a flat brownish cake with Merry Xmax in white icing. Two more days of elephant safaris, walks and reading in hammocks. Colonel Jim Edwards, the founder of Tiger Tops and owner of the lodge arrived on our last night with some of his children and their friends, with much hospitality and entertaining stories around the fire in the evening.
We spent 5 hours in Nepalgunj airport on Thursday afternoon waiting for a plane, and a further 4 hours at Kathmandu airport on Friday waiting for our flight home. Security tried to confiscate David’s candles as a WMD. We did not know that domestic planes flew at night – there are no lights on the planes or the runways. Everest by moonlight was spectacular and landing a big surprise!
Saturday, 29 December 2007
Saturday, 15 December 2007
Training, training, training
My naïve assumption that the English training package had been divided amongst ‘experts’ in particular areas has been shattered. After half an hour with Kumar discussing what he was planning for the next day, he confessed that he has never heard of the topic before. There is nothing helpful in the trainer’s guide. “Perhaps you can deliver it?” Perhaps not, but I was able to make some suggestions to help him out. We did some good professional development activities today, using grade 10 students from the school, to find out about students’ problems in learning English. I was happy watching the teachers sitting cross-legged on the field with a small group of students, encouraging them to talk. We had done some work on phrasing questions beforehand, getting rid of some eg ‘is your teacher bad?’ ‘does your teacher beat you when you make a mistake?’ Lots of good points, which will provide a focus for the classroom research session tomorrow. As we were finishing, a demonstration was parading past the ETC (a frequent occurrence), and a group of women came in with a petition to be delivered to the PM’s residence further down the road. It was a demand for implementation of the legislation for 33% female representation in parliament written and signed on a series of bedsheets. We all added our signatures enthusiastically. There is only one woman in the secondary group.
The atmosphere in the training room is much more positive and relaxed now we know each other better. Many come early in the morning to talk to me – the first time they have every spoken to a native English speaker – and they want me to comment on what they are trying to do in their classrooms. The delightful Lilanath stays at the end of the day, as he is late every morning. ”I do not go to temple and pray to god; I go to the deaf school to teach the children as a volunteer”. We have planned a visit when the training is over. One of Kumar’s better ideas was to form groups by making them pick from a bag of sweets. They are now proud to call themselves ‘milky bites’, ‘choc drops’, ‘mango sucker’ and ‘coffee crème’. The person selected for the house captain role each day (responsible for time management and keeping order) now has a small brass bell. Surya used it very effectively today, especially keeping the disruptive ‘milky bite’ Shiv Narayan under control. He is the class hoodie, with the fur trimmed hood of his anorak permanently up. Today he was also wearing an anti-pollution facemask. Most teachers add extra layers of clothes daily, as the temperature continues to drop; Umapati is growing a winter moustache and we all go to the field to warm up between sessions. The ‘routines’ that Durga and I have created are beginning to have some effect, so now the teachers ask “ where are your objectives?” when a new trainer comes, and point out that he is telling them to develop student-centred teaching, while demonstrating teacher-centred methods. Progress?
David’s teaching goes from good to better. More children come every day, so more name cards have to be made each evening for the following day’s activities. Farmers have also started coming from the fields to hover in the doorway of English lessons to see what the teachers and the strange man are doing. Soon they will be able to join in the chorus of ‘Old Macdonald’.
Good business for the bicycle repair man this week, as we have acquired 3 punctures and a leaking valve! A long cycle ride on Saturday to reach Kulabari, Anita’s village, to meet her family. Aama sends huge bundles of greens for us every other day. Aama was waiting to greet us, the first time I had seen her since she appeared at the end of our bed one morning. At the back of the house are 3 cows, a goat and a vegetable garden with potatoes, spinach, garlic, onions, peppers, chillies, greens, cauliflower, pumpkins, herbs… and more. It is fertilised by the waste from their own biogas producer, which provides their cooking fuel. A splendid example of self sufficient living. We had a lovely afternoon, with lots of snacks and many local children coming round to try out their few words of English.
We are going to Kathmandu on the 18th for a 3 day planning meeting at VSO for an action research workshop in January. On 22nd we are flying to Nepalgunj in SW Nepal and will be met at the airport and transported to Tiger Mountain in Bardia National Park for a Christmas treat. Back here on December 30.
The atmosphere in the training room is much more positive and relaxed now we know each other better. Many come early in the morning to talk to me – the first time they have every spoken to a native English speaker – and they want me to comment on what they are trying to do in their classrooms. The delightful Lilanath stays at the end of the day, as he is late every morning. ”I do not go to temple and pray to god; I go to the deaf school to teach the children as a volunteer”. We have planned a visit when the training is over. One of Kumar’s better ideas was to form groups by making them pick from a bag of sweets. They are now proud to call themselves ‘milky bites’, ‘choc drops’, ‘mango sucker’ and ‘coffee crème’. The person selected for the house captain role each day (responsible for time management and keeping order) now has a small brass bell. Surya used it very effectively today, especially keeping the disruptive ‘milky bite’ Shiv Narayan under control. He is the class hoodie, with the fur trimmed hood of his anorak permanently up. Today he was also wearing an anti-pollution facemask. Most teachers add extra layers of clothes daily, as the temperature continues to drop; Umapati is growing a winter moustache and we all go to the field to warm up between sessions. The ‘routines’ that Durga and I have created are beginning to have some effect, so now the teachers ask “ where are your objectives?” when a new trainer comes, and point out that he is telling them to develop student-centred teaching, while demonstrating teacher-centred methods. Progress?
David’s teaching goes from good to better. More children come every day, so more name cards have to be made each evening for the following day’s activities. Farmers have also started coming from the fields to hover in the doorway of English lessons to see what the teachers and the strange man are doing. Soon they will be able to join in the chorus of ‘Old Macdonald’.
Good business for the bicycle repair man this week, as we have acquired 3 punctures and a leaking valve! A long cycle ride on Saturday to reach Kulabari, Anita’s village, to meet her family. Aama sends huge bundles of greens for us every other day. Aama was waiting to greet us, the first time I had seen her since she appeared at the end of our bed one morning. At the back of the house are 3 cows, a goat and a vegetable garden with potatoes, spinach, garlic, onions, peppers, chillies, greens, cauliflower, pumpkins, herbs… and more. It is fertilised by the waste from their own biogas producer, which provides their cooking fuel. A splendid example of self sufficient living. We had a lovely afternoon, with lots of snacks and many local children coming round to try out their few words of English.
We are going to Kathmandu on the 18th for a 3 day planning meeting at VSO for an action research workshop in January. On 22nd we are flying to Nepalgunj in SW Nepal and will be met at the airport and transported to Tiger Mountain in Bardia National Park for a Christmas treat. Back here on December 30.
Saturday, 8 December 2007
Breakthroughs?
The pampered cow that wore a raincoat during the monsoon now has a smart paisley blanket on winter mornings. It starts getting cold about 4 pm, so we are now only swimming at weekends. David has just worked 12 days without a break at Bal Rani, as their school self assessment took place over last weekend. Teachers, students, community members, parents and the DEO have been working together on a new school improvement plan. The staff are really keen to improve both their teaching and the school, and he feels he is making some headway. Babaram from the DEO has been interested in David’s presence and involvement in the self assessment, and has come back to school to watch David’s lesson observations and feedback. He has now managed to talk through a teaching and learning action plan with the head and the DEO, and VSO are interested in using this as a model for future placements. His team teaching has been going well, and he planned to take Gayenau’s class when she was away on Thursday. The children had made name cards that he had then typed and printed for some work in English. He was disappointed that the children did not remember the alphabet song he had taught them the day before, but as he tried to match children to the name cards, realised that he was in the wrong class!
I’ve resisted invitations to work through another weekend training programme, although I’ve had great fun with a group of secondary teachers doing Life Skills this week. A really inventive programme, with lots of games and role plays. The human noughts and crosses competition on the school field drew many spectators. Cow poo was an additional hazard, and the goats became very frisky. I also did my bit for World AIDS day, with a quiz and discussion.
The primary teachers have trickled in from the hills during the week and we were up to our full compliment of 60 by Friday. They range from bright young men in smartly pressed shirts, trainers and baseball caps who call me ‘auntie’, to elderly men in traditional Nepali dress, and stout middle aged sari clad women who call me didi. We have interesting ‘mixed language’ conversations. Training for English and Maths secondary teachers has also begun, so I am working alongside Durga with the English teachers. They are finding it very difficult to work in English. Its hard to plan ahead, as training mostly follows what teachers do in class – pick up the text and see what’s next. However, he has put several suggestions from the last training into practice and we have now agreed a ‘good practice model’ for all trainers to follow. Quite how this will be done is yet to be determined, but it’s a start. Some of the training materials are good, but others range from the dull and irrelevant to the bizarre. Today’s session on social inclusion, where we organised some very effective role play (a new experience for the trainees) ended with a handout on English customs: “Do not be surprised if you are called flower, chuck, me duck, mate, gov or treacle. It is perfectly normal.” “Do not remove pickings from your nose, clean your ears (bike key is the favourite implement for this activity here), spit (frequent trips to the window to clear nose and throat and expel vast quantities of mucus is common) or pass wind in public places”. Having watched the poor young trainer today struggle with the less than helpful and largely irrelevant materials in the guide, I’ve agreed to help him do something more active and relevant on Sunday, while Durga is visiting elderly relatives in Jhapa.
My sixtieth birthday has been and gone, with party hats and cards at breakfast time and the ceremonial harvesting of our first radish. The day was not without incident; the training was probably the best we’ve done together so far, David came to meet Bedu at the end of the day and we all had pepper tea at Thapa’s mosquito infested tea stall. His arrival caused much interest amongst the primary teachers, who quizzed me about aglo manche (tall man) the next morning. My treat of a bucket of hot water at shower time was spoiled by smashing the bathroom light as I swatted a mosquito with my towel. Naked, dripping, cold, surrounded by broken glass, in the dark, and sixty. We ate dinner at Friends’ Restaurant near the bus stand; in addition to good Indian food, the menu boasts ‘hard liquor’ and single cigarettes. The bhai (waiter) is charming and looks after us well, the paper napkins are not torn in half and our elbows do not stick to the tables. Dinner for two £1:50. Very dark cycling home, under the orange saucer of a new moon, where David surprised me with birthday cake (the best attempt at chocolate cake Kiran’s bakery could manage) complete with candles (6).
Meanwhile Saroj, in the absence of Tanka and Amita who have gone to Kathmandu, has set up a slalom course in the garden in anticipation of his motorcycle test – a 5 minute exercise weaving between 6 posts without putting your feet on the ground or falling off. The rice harvest is coming in from the fields piled high on ox carts, handcarts, rickshaws and heads. An impressive pile is being built next door.
I’ve resisted invitations to work through another weekend training programme, although I’ve had great fun with a group of secondary teachers doing Life Skills this week. A really inventive programme, with lots of games and role plays. The human noughts and crosses competition on the school field drew many spectators. Cow poo was an additional hazard, and the goats became very frisky. I also did my bit for World AIDS day, with a quiz and discussion.
The primary teachers have trickled in from the hills during the week and we were up to our full compliment of 60 by Friday. They range from bright young men in smartly pressed shirts, trainers and baseball caps who call me ‘auntie’, to elderly men in traditional Nepali dress, and stout middle aged sari clad women who call me didi. We have interesting ‘mixed language’ conversations. Training for English and Maths secondary teachers has also begun, so I am working alongside Durga with the English teachers. They are finding it very difficult to work in English. Its hard to plan ahead, as training mostly follows what teachers do in class – pick up the text and see what’s next. However, he has put several suggestions from the last training into practice and we have now agreed a ‘good practice model’ for all trainers to follow. Quite how this will be done is yet to be determined, but it’s a start. Some of the training materials are good, but others range from the dull and irrelevant to the bizarre. Today’s session on social inclusion, where we organised some very effective role play (a new experience for the trainees) ended with a handout on English customs: “Do not be surprised if you are called flower, chuck, me duck, mate, gov or treacle. It is perfectly normal.” “Do not remove pickings from your nose, clean your ears (bike key is the favourite implement for this activity here), spit (frequent trips to the window to clear nose and throat and expel vast quantities of mucus is common) or pass wind in public places”. Having watched the poor young trainer today struggle with the less than helpful and largely irrelevant materials in the guide, I’ve agreed to help him do something more active and relevant on Sunday, while Durga is visiting elderly relatives in Jhapa.
My sixtieth birthday has been and gone, with party hats and cards at breakfast time and the ceremonial harvesting of our first radish. The day was not without incident; the training was probably the best we’ve done together so far, David came to meet Bedu at the end of the day and we all had pepper tea at Thapa’s mosquito infested tea stall. His arrival caused much interest amongst the primary teachers, who quizzed me about aglo manche (tall man) the next morning. My treat of a bucket of hot water at shower time was spoiled by smashing the bathroom light as I swatted a mosquito with my towel. Naked, dripping, cold, surrounded by broken glass, in the dark, and sixty. We ate dinner at Friends’ Restaurant near the bus stand; in addition to good Indian food, the menu boasts ‘hard liquor’ and single cigarettes. The bhai (waiter) is charming and looks after us well, the paper napkins are not torn in half and our elbows do not stick to the tables. Dinner for two £1:50. Very dark cycling home, under the orange saucer of a new moon, where David surprised me with birthday cake (the best attempt at chocolate cake Kiran’s bakery could manage) complete with candles (6).
Meanwhile Saroj, in the absence of Tanka and Amita who have gone to Kathmandu, has set up a slalom course in the garden in anticipation of his motorcycle test – a 5 minute exercise weaving between 6 posts without putting your feet on the ground or falling off. The rice harvest is coming in from the fields piled high on ox carts, handcarts, rickshaws and heads. An impressive pile is being built next door.
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