Sunday, December 9, 2007

Clouds of Dust & Tickle Bunnies

Today has been our first full day in Dhapasi and wow, what a different world it is here.

Tom and I are staying at the new home (Yellow Building) where Michael had reserved us the master suite. As an extra bonus this home has solar hot water. We were in bed by 9 pm & woke up at 3:30 am and decided to organise all the supplies we brought with us. By 5 am we heard the kids moving around downstairs. They were off for their morning jog. At 5:30 we heard heart wrenching sobs coming from the boys’ room. One of the little ones woke up in the dark crying since he couldn’t find his brothers. They had decided to let him sleep in since he was too little to take on the morning run. After a cuddle and continual reassurances that everyone was still here, he settled down and broke into his trademark toothy grin.

After their run, the kids fill the courtyard and go through their exercises; jumping jacks, stretches and the like. Tom joined in and made many new friends.

When we planned our trip, we thought it would be lovely to introduce all of you to the children, didis (big sisters) and other staff here.

I am going to start the introductions off with three gorgeous little girls I have nicknamed the Tickle Bunnies.

The children in the new home are very shy. Given their recent history with their last caregiver, it is not surprising. On our arrival, they were all very polite but wary. This morning while most of the children were in the yard for their exercises, I discovered Ashika, Jeny & Bhumika tucked into a single bed keeping each other warm. I stopped for a hug and discovered they really liked tickles and would start giggling before your hand could make contact with them.

From right: Jeny, Ashika, Bhumika.

Ashika is the most outgoing of the group. She is cute and she knows it. When she is caught doing something naughty or told to do something she is not happy with, she will just smile brilliantly and tell you with a shake of her head, “NO!”. She discovered the joy of dancing on Tom’s feet.



























Jeny is quite the little spitfire. She was the one who initiated the tickles. She has limited English but is very happy chatting to me in Nepali. When I cannot respond, she put both little hands on my face and looks me deep in the eyes and starts chatting in Nepali again. As long as I smile, hug and tickle, she is quite happy with our interaction. She is also the only one that insists that Tom pretend to be a monster and chase her around the yard. She sure is a little personality!













Bhumika is has special needs. She is learning to walk but is much faster on her hands and knees. All the children dote on her and she responds with a beautiful smile. The center of her world at the moment is Mary Miss, the super efficient, wonderful volunteer here who has been running the home school.

Tea and sweet biscuits is served at 6:30 am. After tea, Tom and I headed off to the other home up the hill to start a session of hair braiding and getting ready for school. Shortly after we arrived, “Holi” was declared and school was cancelled. The disappointment in the children was just palatable.

Breakfast of dhal, rice and vegetables was served at 8 and at 9:30, 11 of the children walked down to the Yellow Building for a visit.

Just after 10 Anita and Sangita accompanied me to the bank to exchange currency and to a fabric shop to buy material for koltas for me. We walked down to the main street. By the time I reached there, I was quite certain I would not be allowed into any shops because I was covered in a deep layer of dust. Like Jamaica, there is constant construction in Nepal. With concrete and granite being the main building materials, there is just a layer of dust that covered everything.

When we arrived at the bank, I wasn’t sure we would make it in due to the large crowd gathered outside waving paperwork at the guards but Anita assured me that there were provisions for foreigners and we were ushered straight through the door.

The fabric store was yet another experience – Anita drives a hard bargain and Sangita was very determined to get me into colourful koltas. I succumbed to peer pressure.

Tom is constantly surrounded by children. He is the biggest, whitest, reddest person the children have ever seen. They think he is Spider-Man because they can see his scar from his surgery on his wrist. If allowed, they would spend hours just rubbing the inside of his forearm!

Much more soon,

Fi

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