Tuesday, Feb 20
Kiran met us around 7:45 a.m. in his 4 wheel drive Pajero (bigger than ours was). He drove us up to Naudara (used to be the last night of a trek before the day walk back to Pokara!) The mountains were stunning. Kiran showed us his magnificent property right on the top of the ridge. We went to a private school called Morning Star next to his property. The principal showed us around very proudly. He had made visual aids of the digestive system, reproductive system, etc. out of bottles, balls, etc. He was very proud to show us what he had made.
On the way back we stopped at the Tibetan camp but it was Losar, Tibetan New Year, and everything was closed. We went to a Buddhist temple where there were butter sculptures for Losar.
We came back to Pokhara and stopped off at Nadipur at the government school that Kiran is on the board of. Parvati, Durga’s wife, used to be on the board, too. Very cute kids – all from Sarki (leather worker caste) and Dummai (tailor caste) very poor families. No facilities at all but very bright faced kids reciting the alphabet in loud, sing-song voices. Tuition is 10 rupees a month (68 rupees to the US $).
We stopped by our old house and walked around the outside. A Nepali family live there now and where the cornfield used to be in the back they have a mushroom farm. It is in quansit hut like greenhouses with cones of sawdust that the mushrooms grow out of. They sell them to restaurants. We went to Kiran’s shop and Mary Jane bought lots of cloth.
We went to lunch at Mun Maya’s. She’s so sweet – we had dal/bhat and French fries, yogurt with bananas and sugar for dessert (in one of my old Tupperware bowls, she said) and chai from Lalu’s shop. Indira, who was the cook at the compound came and brought us lapsi achar and dal mot. Her daughter-in-law is a helper in Hong Kong so we took dried goat meat, dal mot and lapsi achar to take to her. Mun Maya says that Indira still makes cakes, cookies and bread like she used to make on the compound when ever people visit (and she looks like it, too!!). Indira has become a Christian since she was at the compound. I remember INF people praying for her. She lives next door to Uttan and her daughter is married to Uttan’s son, Noel, who worked with Richard at DCP. 
We went to see Uttan. He is looking pretty old and frail. Mary Jane was moved to tears, meeting all those people. Mun Maya was puzzled at why she cried and asked me why. I explained to her how touched she was to meet them. They really are such fine people.
We invited Kiran and family, Durga and family and Jagan Gurung for dinner at the Barahi. The hotel did a wonderful spread for everyone. It was outdoors in their patio with two big cut drums with fires built in them. There was Nepali dancing – the cultural show they have every night – and a wonderful Nepali buffet. They brought appetizers for ever before we ate the buffet. Anil (Durga’s son) and his wife Sabita and 5 year old son came. Sabita’s father owns the Barahi. Anil has a PhD in Environmental Science and is doing research at Ohio State. His specialty is alternative energy for developing countries. They live in Dallas, Texas. Anil says his son speaks Nepali like David did! His wife is very pretty and speaks perfect English. They also have a 7 month old son. Parvati had a happy time and got me up to dance with her. It was great to be able to host them. They were very appreciative. Durga said that Parvati hardly ever goes out at night but she was so happy to come and had a wonderful time. At first she kept refusing food saying she had just come for a good time but gradually she ate more and more food and went back for seconds.
Next Day - Wednesday
Visual aids for science and health classes made from locally available materials. Very clever!
Part of Morning Star Boarding School with Fishtail in the background!
Losar (Tibetan New Year) decorations made with butter and barley flour (tsampa) at the Tibetan camp at Hyangja.
Gita, Kiran, Kiran's mom and Kapil on a cellphone in their Mahendra Pul cloth shop.
Parvati, Richard, Suzanne, Durga, Jagan, Anil, Kiran and Gita at the party we hosted at Hotel Barahi.