A Birthday to Remember

I had heard rumours of a birthday party but it was all very quiet last night so I was thinking I was about to have a quiet day.

At 9 this morning, a truck rolled into our yard and the kids went tearing out the front door. The caterers had arrived.

I had to pretend very hard not to notice the commotion and head up the hill to the other home. There we watched a Nepali movie and I had a 5 minute nap on Binu's nap.

The children had their regular Saturday tiffin meal of rice flakes and curd. I have to admit, I am game to try most food in Nepal but I do have to pass on the curd.

After tiffin the kids all got ready and we headed back down the hill to play. Dinner was to be served at 4 pm while there was still light.

Anita and Sunita decided that I needed to be put into a sari to look truly Nepali. Good thing I had come well prepared (thanks Mum!).

The dinner buffet consisted of dhal bhat, goat curry, mutton skewers, fruit salad in yogurt and Nepali sweets. Some neighbours came to join in the festivities but the absolute highlight for me was watching the kids eat their fill and then go back for seconds ... and thirds ... and more.

There were many sighs of appreciation and I have to admit it was the best dhal bhat I have eaten in Nepal!

When I was young, my mum had always sighed "Wait until you are a mum, then you will understand." I had never believed her but today I finally understood what she meant. I have carefully stowed into my suitcase 50 handmade birthday cards. Each made with love. I had never understood how a mother could be so thrilled by and display with so much pride wrinkled, straggly, pieces of paper glued together. Today I understood. Each card was painstakingly created with hearts of gold. I am truly loved.

So I now head off to bed at 8pm, stomach filled, and heart overflowing.

Many, many, many thanks to Vinod who organised the whole event with a day's notice!

I love you all & thank you for all the wonderful wishes for my birthday,

Fi

Basnet Sisters

Dear Friends,

Tonight I would like to introduce you to two very special little angels.

In the mornings, on the days I can make it up the hill to greet the children and walk them to school, we pass a little Hindi shrine at the gate of one of our neighbours; Kabita Basnet will stop, ring the bells to invoke the god and places a tikka blessing on my forehead. Of late, Tom has also been a recipient on these morning blessings.

Kabita and her sister Apsara have only been at Papa’s House since April of this year. They were located at a refugee camp with their mother who did not want them. I cannot imagine anyone not wanting to provide a home for these two gorgeous girls. Their mother came to visit in the summer and left after stealing all of the girls' new clothes. You wouldn't know from daily interactions with them that they have had anything but a blessed life.

Apsara is 10 and is a little shy but has fledgling leadership qualities. She is her room's captain and organises all the other smaller girls into their night clothes and tucks them into bed ready for the goodnight rounds. Of late, she has started sharing her bed with Sita to keep warm. Tonight a new little girl joins the home and she will be moving into Apsara's room. I have no doubt she will be welcomed with open arms and cared for very well.

Kabita (13) has a quick wit and has picked up English very, very well. I would've pegged her as having several years' of English education under her belt, not just a few months. Academically, she places 1st in her class of 50 students. I have a very, very soft spot in my heart for Kabita.

Today it was half-Holi and we were able to take the girls down the hill to get a couple of samosas, soda and crisps. They decided it was an occasion to really dress up in their best lingas and we made quite a spectacle heading up and down the hill. I tried very hard to make sure Apsara's linga didn't drag through the mud and water puddles but I don't think we were very successful. Her beautiful black skirt came home crusted in the brown and grey mud that is Kathmandu valley. We truly had a wonderful afternoon with some lovely young ladies.

I very much look forward to watching them continue to bloom. Should God ever put it in our hearts to adopt, and Nepalese law is changed to allow the adoption of siblings, Kabita and Apsara would certainly be extended an invitation by Tom and I to join our household.

With love,

Fi

Male Bonding: Part Deux

Good evening Web Wanderers,

Today was by all accounts a "typical" day here in Nepal, but those are exactly the days that teach the life lessons I came to Nepal to learn.

From left to right we have Kancha (5), Maila (8), and Sandesh (10), the three sons of the cook didi, Dawn Kumari. I don't know Dawn's story, nor do I dare ask, but she's a single mom raising three *very* spirited young men. As she works her tail off caring for the 36 children in the first hostel, her boys are always the first to greet us at the gate each morning when we arrive to spend a few minutes with the children before walking them to school.

I never really gave the importance of their greetings each morning much thought until today. I don't know what it was about today in particular, but I reckon it must have been the look in the boys' eyes that finally tipped me off that they weren't simply rambuncious young boys who saw a living jungle gym, but rather desperate for male attention.

When we first met Kancha, both Fiona and I thought his name was Bipen. Each morning we would greet him, and he would complain insistently about something in Nepali that neither of us could understand. It was more than a week into our stay that somebody finally heard his protests and informed us that his name was in fact Kancha. But despite our complete lack of intelligence, he never held it against me, and spent any time he could hugging me, teasing me to pick him up, or simply pushing other kids away so that he could cuddle in by my side.

Maila is the shy one of the three. He takes a backseat to Kancha, patiently waiting his turn, should Kancha be distracted long enough to take his place on the Super Bounce Machine (The boys like to pretend they're jumping while I lift them high above my head.) Never to be seen with a frown, each morning begins with, "I love you, Father."

Sandesh is the generous soul of the three. While he is very happy to hold my hand and play with me like the others, he also seems aware that his brothers need the time with me as well. Every day since we've arrived, Sandesh has presented us with a present. It is usually a paper airplane, but plastic toy soldiers and heat seeking missiles off a long broken helicopter have also found their way into our pockets. We try to insist that he take them back, but he is adamant that we MUST keep his gift.

And so it dawned on me that these young boys need my attention just as much as the older ones. Sure our conversations are in words rather than sentences, and I surely cannot impart life wisdom on them, but just having a man pick them up, rough house with them, and then tell them that he loves them has just as much impact as affirming the older boys dreams. Seeing me not hitting girls, or waiting my turn in the food line are just as important of life lessons. Each lesson doesn't have to be a philosophical vision of the world... Sometimes the most important lessons are those where they simply mimic your actions until they become habits of their own.

In the end, I figure I'm learning more than I'm teaching, so this is the cheapest tuition I'll ever come by for the quality of the education. While I do admit I sincerely miss the comforts of home, the trip was a critical stop on my life's journey. I guess that means I need to start thinking about my next tattoo. Your suggestions are welcome and appreciated.

Best,

Tom

Twins from Terai

Dear Family & Friends,

Tonight I would like to introduce you to Anita and Sunita who are both 17 and from the Terai region of Nepal. We were very surprised to find out that they were twins because not only do they look nothing alike, they also have very different personalities.

Anita and Michael met us at the airport. Anita immediately took to insisting on carrying my hand luggage and my jacket.

Over the past two weeks I have come to rely on Anita as my guide through the shopping mazes of Kathmandu and on Nepali culture. She is street smart to the core and would make a wonderful ISA for Tom's SSIP group at Maxim. She speaks 4 languages and has only recently added English to her repertoire. I truly believe she would take America by storm if given the chance.

Anita knows the value of things. She makes me laugh when we negotiate. A price will be agreed on and while the vendor is placing the items into a bag, she will try for more rupees off. Occassionally I will tell her how much I would be willing to pay and she will think it is too much money but instead of arguing with me, she will just set a lower price and work up to what I am prepared to pay. Usually I leave paying a lot less and she will flash me a grin and a wink. I love her tenacity and vigorous spirit. Unfortunately Anita suffers from chronic pain and doesn't like to take her medication; she is a girl after my own heart.

Sunita attends the local high school that is taught in the Nepali medium. She didn't feel that she would do as well in a school that taught in English. She is a romantic dreamer. She doesn't walk, she floats. Like her sister, she has a heart of gold and would never think ill of anyone. While Sunita calls me "mummy", Anita calls me "sister". Sunita reminds me of a very young and innocent part of myself.



I cannot begin to describe how wonderful these girls are. They are so kind, so welcoming and ever so generous.

Sending lots of love,

Fi

More Pictures

Yeshorda & her new bear. Rajan & his new monkey - they haven't left each other's side today so hopefully the monkey will help calm his night terrors.

Iggy & his new car. Tom & Depa showing that Tom is "Santa in training"/

Sita and her new winter wrap. Michael taking a few minutes' break.

Hari and Purna's puppy (it was a very popular puppy). Cila and her new watch.

Christmas Collage

Bursting to get into the present room.

Since everyone has been greatly anticipating Christmas photos, this entry is just going to be a collection of pictures of the kids and their gifts.

Thank you to all of you who helped make this happen. I will admit, I was panicking as the kids were getting their present for fear that someone was going to miss out entirely because despite going through the Christmas list multiple times, someone got skipped. Anyway, apart from a couple of sizing issues, which will be resolved over the next few days, everyone was accounted for.

Purna & his new "puppy".

Group shot as they are waiting to open presents. My favourite photos of the day; my little Hugh Hefners in their bathrobes.

"Baby" Anita trying to figure out what she got for Christmas (bathrobe).

Anita & her prezzies. Ashok & the new cricket bat for the home.

Mary opening her presents. Sumitra and her new bear.

Sabita and her new jacket; she looked like a beauty pagent contestant. Bhumika will all her new sleeping companions.

I will post more pictures tomorrow because the internet connection is just super SLOW!

Sending lots of love from Papa's House,

Fi

Not a Creature was Stirring...Well, Maybe One...

Merry Christmas dear Web Wanderers,

I must still be a child at heart...Here it is, 2:30am in the morning, and I'm bright eyed (and I can't even blame it on jet-lag!). Who knew that at 34 years old, I could still get excited about opening presents on Christmas morning, especially when none of the presents have my name in either the "To" or "From". Just the eager anticipation to see each child's face as they see how much Santa loved them this year.

Wow, what a difference 2 weeks can make. While I still am resolute that Fiona and I made the right decision not to have children of our own, I have gotten a peek into the joy and pride each of you must feel each time you gaze into smiling eyes. Combined with the utter responsibility of young men looking for clues as to how to proceed on their journey to manhood and young ladies looking for the traits they will one day search for in a partner of their own, and it's almost overwhelming. As most who know me would agree, I'm the last person these children should look to as a role model, and it's certainly not role I'm comfortable with. But I trust that God helped put me here for a reason, so I will do my level best to be the man Fiona fell in love with 13 years ago, and hopefully the children can incorporate that small nugget into their own lives and not be burdened with the rest. Even if it's simply that Fiona's and my purpose to be here is to show the children how two people can truly love unconditionally and equally, despite all of their imperfections and blemishes, then the trip will be a success.

It's just past 3am, and if I'm to survive the marathon ahead, I should try to get a few more hours of sleep. God Bless each and everyone you. So, dear friends, I close in my most hearty voice,

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!

Tom

Adrenaline Rush

Tonight was the first night I was truly scared while in Nepal. While conceptually we understood the current political climate was less than stable, our experiences to date have been nothing short of mundane.

As Fiona and I were walking back in the dark to the 2nd orphanage after saying our good nights at the 1st, I saw a pack of men approaching just as we arrived at the orphanage gate. The gate locks from the inside, and you have to wait for somebody to come let you in. I quickly rang the bell, hid Fiona behind me, and nonchalantly wielded her walking stick as the men drew closer.

The futility of my defense became ever apparent when it became obvious that it wasn't a pack a street thugs, but rather young Maoist soldiers (some looked as if they just hit puberty), all heavily armed with AK-47s and enough ammunition around their necks to rival Mr. T's jewelry. So there I stood, watching at least 100 soldiers (I kid you not) march pass, completely helpless should one decide that my presence was somehow offensive, praying for the gate to open.

The gate did open, and Fiona and I quickly slipped inside, without incident, but it did highlight that we weren't at Summer Camp. This is real life...How well would you react to armed rebels marching down your street in the middle of the night? Things we cannot fathom until it happens to us is just a simple reality to the locals. The ability to take a night time stroll with Fiona in Mountain View suddenly has a new appreciation.

Sorry for the lack of a picture, but I have nothing appropriate, and pulling out my camera at the time strangely didn't cross my mind.

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve....Sitting around watching Christmas movies and eating chocolates with the children is sure to lower my blood pressure back to normal levels.

Best to all,

Tom

HipHop in 'Da House

We are not sure if the little kids are excited about Christmas yet but they sure are loving the Christmas movies but the last few days the little ones at the new home have been crazy over their new "HipHop" names.

Everyone here is crazy about HipHop or what they perceive as HipHop. Tom saw Dhiraj one morning and in the big NBA introduction voice said, "It is Deeeee-raj!" From then on, all the other 13 kids wanted their own new names.

So, it gives us great pleasure in introducing our new HipHoppers:

Dhiraj: Big D or just "D"
Ashok: A-Bomb
Purna: Happy (he was most unimpressed by Panther and insisted on Happy)
Ashika: Lil Miss Sunshine
Bhumika: Bee-Bop
Sabina: Sapphire
Sumitra: Yogi
Roshan: Shaggy
Hari: H-Bomb
Jeny: Jenny from the Block
Ishwar: Iggy
Tilak: T-Bone
Yeshorda: KitKat
Rajan: Eyeball
Vinod (House dad): Bollywood
Mary-Kate (House mum): Captain Nemo

If Christmas morning is anything like the past few days (and I am sure it is going to far exceed) it is going to be insane in the most wonderful way.

Sending love from Nepal,

Tommy-G and Fifi-G

Gifts From the Heart

Dear World,

This morning was like every other morning in Dhapasi. We had tea and biscuits with the kids in our house and then got ready to take on the day. We headed up the hill to walk the other kids back down the hill for school.

On arrival at the yard, Binu told me my neck looked cold. She showed me her scarf and asked if I knew how to make one. I said yes, I know how to knit and crochet but her scarf was very pretty. She mentioned that her mum had made it for her but she had another one in her room and this one was for me.

I was just blown away. Just the day before she had handed over her last half handful of makai (Nepalese corn kernels that have been burnt & a few get popped along the way) that her mother had sent down from Gorkha with a volunteer who had visited her village. These are all extremely precious treasures for Binu, yet she is more than willing to share with a virtual stranger.

I was telling Tom about the makai and he stated that he is always amazed that the children with the least are the most eager to share.

I tried to return Binu's scarf, not because I did not appreciate the gesture but because it was too large a treasure to accept. Instead of taking it back, she proceeded to tie it into a tighter knot around my neck with the instruction of not to take it off. The only way I know how to repay such generosity is to crochet her a new blue scarf since it is her favourite colour.

Binu's generosity outstrips her remarkable athletic ability. I am almost almost convinced that the kids from Gorkha are born with an extra athletic gene. She is part of the group who wakes up for their 5:30 am karate class. We have been to watch the karate class and let me tell you, it is C--O--L--D at that time of day!!

I tear up every time I think about this morning and I know I will cherish this little blue scarf for many many years to come.

With a happy heart,

Fiona

Quick Update: The Carnivore Challenge

Dear Family and Friends,

I just wanted to let you all know the Carnivore Challenge was a huge success. We raised just over $2,000, which of course we're receiving the match on! For all those who contributed, THANK YOU! I think I'm now officially a vegetarian.

You guys are awesome. The kids are going to have a marvelous Christmas. With the additional funds, each child is getting a new pair of winter slippers, gloves, bathrobe, and a watch (Fiona found a great deal on "Baby G"s). We got a basketball, and I'm currently looking for a hoop (may have to have one custom made by a welder) and we'll pick up a couple Cricket sets as well (yes, it pains me deeply, but what can you do?).

Merry Christmas to all,

Tom

Male Bonding

Hello again, Web Wanderers,

To follow up on my adumbration from last night (yes, I'll wait a moment for you to grab your dictionaries), I wanted to share with you my experiences with the older boys of the house.

From left to right, we have Chham, Saroj, and Hikmat.

Chham is a 13 years old, and comes from a long line of Gorkha warriors, and boy, you can see it. At 13, Chham is already SOLID. When he shakes your hand, it's already a manly shake. When he gives you a hug, you can feel the raw power he possesses. My guess is under the right environment, he would grow up to be a Heisman Trophy Linebacker.

Saroj, at 14, is the comedian of the three (but they're all quite funny). You would never guess that this is the boy that had to escape a Maoist compound in the middle of the night and navigate the jungle on his own to freedom. He always has this smile on his face, but he really cracks up when the situation warrants. Today, we were walking down the street together as we passed this group of women. They all smiled, and we exchanged our "Namaste"s, and continued on our way. The women were talking and laughing amongst themselves as they walked away, and Saroj, got the biggest, brightest smile on his face and started teasing me, "Ooooooooh, they all think you're SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO hand-some!!!" Supposedly, the women were commenting that I was largest, most handsome man they had ever seen. Mind you, these were all 40-50 year old women, and the irony wasn't lost on Saroj.

Hikmat, at 16, is the most introspective of the three. Although he is not as athletically inclined as Chham, or as outgoing as Saroj, he has impressed me as a very kind soul. He was the first to share his chips and soda with other children, both in the neighborhood and at the home. Hikmat also has an eye for fashion. He joined the sewing class and is quickly growing quite talented on that front.

When I first arrived, it was quickly apparent that these young men had hearts of gold. But, I found the constant stares, often times from within my personal space, uncomfortable to say the least. Chham in particular intently stares and hangs on my every word, while inching closer and closer as if I won't notice. Then the realization hit me that he's desperate for adult male role models, which is short supply. Here's a young man, separated from his village, whose only male role model is a man who has to share his attention across 50 children. The orphanage itself is heavily weighted towards young girls (as they are generally the most at risk), and the entire staff for his home is female. Combine that with the fact that 95% of volunteers are women, and I suddenly became on the very few people that can help teach him how to grow up into the man he's destined to become. I remember a very lost 17 year old, who Destiny delivered to a small town in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney. There, Jim Hulbert took him in as a son and for the first time in his life made him accountable for his actions and showed how much one could accomplish by channelling his temper into a positive force of change. I can never pay Jim back for what he did for me....All I can possibly do is try to pay it forward.

So today, the four of us sat on a park bench, drinking soda and scarfing down potato chips, and talking about anything and everything. We talked about men and women being equal, but opposite, and the importance of finishing their education and establishing their career before pursuing a family. Chham and Saroj shared their dream to be airplane pilots so that they could travel the world. You could see on each face the power of having their dreams affirmed. But more so, the simple fact that they got 2 full hours of my undivided attention. Just us men, doing what men do best....teasing each other over who the other has a crush on.

They're going to grow up to be outstanding men, in the truest sense of the word.

Best,

Tom

Bittersweet Evolution

Good evening Web Wanderers,

Today was the day the children suddenly lost their sheer fascination with me. Actually, it started last night, so let me regress...

Each night, since men are not allowed in the girls' rooms, I have been hosting star gazing sessions on the top floor balcony with the girls from individual rooms. It started out with a few of the girls seeing me taking the boys up to look at the moon with Michael's telescope, and quicker than wildfire, every girls' room was jockeying for a position. So each night, in the freezing cold, I've been sitting up there, helping the girls look at the craters on the moon, and using the opportunity to speak to each of them about the importance of believing in themselves and their dreams. Even if they didn't entirely understand what I was saying, they hung on every word I had to say. I figured even if they they didn't completely understand that evening, a seed was at least planted that would eventually bloom in the knowledge that they are indeed good enough to become the doctors, teachers, nurses, and astronauts they dream of becoming. Each night, I've had to eventually send the girls to bed because they would have stayed up there all night, alternating between looking at the moon and warming up in my arms, if I had allowed.

Then last night, the girls whose turn it was in the rotation came up for their astronomy lesson. Each was very excited to see the moon, but much less so in my conversation with them. I wrote their desire to quickly escape back downstairs to the cold evening air and was secretly quite pleased myself to escape the chill so early.

This morning, however, it became clear a metamorphic change had taken place. Jeny, one of the tickle bunnies, goes bananas every morning when she sees me; running up to me, jumping up and down to be picked up, and then using me as a personal jungle gym. Today when she saw me, she greeted me very politely and then returned to whatever it was that had her interest at the time. Then Ashika and Rajan, both of whom usually fight over who gets to stand on my feet this morning, gave me a similar welcome...A very warm good morning, and then racing off to their own activities.

Not exactly sure what to make of it (but not complaining either as my knees and back gave a mutual sigh of relief), I made my way up to the first home to interact with those children before walking them to school. As I arrived, I got the initial rush of "Hello, Father!" with warm hugs, but 5 minutes later, I suddenly realized that for the first time since I stepped onto that playground 1 1/2 weeks ago NOBODY was latched onto me. Nobody was vying for my affections. Nobody was showing off their hacky sack skills, or demanding that I watch them do a back flip. I was simply standing there watching the children happily playing amongst themselves, seemingly impervious to my presence.

Here I was, finally getting what I had been secretly wishing for for the last several days. So why was it so bittersweet? With all of my interactions with children in my adult life, I have been a novelty...Never more than a couple hours at a time, so I have always been the newest, biggest, most amazing thing they've ever seen. Somehow, in the last 24 hours, I became such a fixture in their lives that my presence no longer jolts them from their daily routine.

After a few moments of contemplation, I'm OK with that. Sure, there is instant gratification that comes from having children desperate for your attention, but there is a much deeper gratification when the children become so comfortable with you that they don't feel as if the moment is going to be lost. The lesson learned is that it doesn't mean they appreciate me any less, but rather they have installed me as an integral part of their lives. It's going to make leaving nearly impossible. I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I have cried in my adult life. On January 5th, I'll be moving on to my second hand.

I have other thoughts to share with you, but I think I shall end this entry on that note, and save the rest for another day.

All the best to you and yours,

Tom

The Toy Maker of Jamal

Hello World!

What a wonderful day! Anita, Nora (volunteer from Canada) & I did a mega shopping trip today. It started off at the clothes shop where we ordered 50 bathrobes, 50 pairs of gloves, 16 pairs of jeans & 14 t-shirts.

Then we stopped to price out Christmas trees and toys at Namaste market and flooring for the new shed/schoolroom at a different store.

We saw Bisha (the regular taxi driver for the orphanage) looking for a fare so we were very happy to flag him down to take us to Jamal. On my shopping list was 22 soft toys. After my experience with the slippers, I wasn't holding my breath. After 2 shops, I was starting to think I was going to spend all day there. The toys were of poor quality and the faces were a little scary.

I detoured into a stationery store and as I came out, noticed giant stuffed monkeys and dogs hanging out of a window across the street. After asking around on how to get to the second floor of the building, we ventured down an alley and up a dark stairwell.

We walked into a toy making shop. We had found the toy maker of Jamal. I was thrilled beyond belief.

He told us to pick all toys we needed and then we could discuss the price. I was a little tentative but after picking all 22 toys we needed, he started listing of the prices. 80 rps, 110 rps ... I was trying so hard not to show how happy I was. The toys at Namaste market started at 250 rps and were not half as well made as these ones.

So we now have 22 toys, sitting in the storage room waiting to be wrapped and sent off to their new "parents" to be loved and hugged and to keep their "parents" safe through the darkness of the night.

I truly cannot wait to see their faces on Christmas morning.

Tonight Tom and I came home from Papa's House to the 2nd home to the sounds of Jose Felliciano singing Feliz Navidad and the kids jumping up and down thrilled at the sight of their first Christmas tree.

Little victories are oh so sweet here in Nepal.

Take care, keep warm and we send all our love,

Fi

Disasters of Trivial Proportions

Dear Family & Friends,

There comes a day in every adventure where things just go wrong over and over and over again and you pray so hard for the day to end so that you can start anew with the morning light. Days where at that moment in time you simply want to cry, but once you stop to breathe and get a good night's sleep, you realize how truly trivial the "disasters" of yesterday actually were in the grand scheme of things.

Yesterday, I was meant to go shopping with the older girls to whittle down the Christmas list and Tom was taking the older boys go-karting. We went our seperate ways around 10:30am, and when we finally re-grouped at 4 pm, we immediately noticed that each other's face just showed the wear of the day.

Tom & the boys took a taxi down to the go-kart speedway. Firstly, their meter was rigged and a 100 rps. ride turned into a 500 rps ride. So after fuming over that, they turn around and notice that the go-kart track is closed for the day since it was Holi! Tom was DEVASTATED! But the boys just shrugged and shook their heads in the South Asian fashion and said "OK". They took a bus back to Namaste market and were treated to soft drinks and potato chips. Tom couldn't believe how his big treat for the boys was just shot to pieces and the boys didn't complain once. They just felt happy that they were out for the day and Tom had spent time with them.

Nirmala, Sangita, Bino, Samjhana & I headed out to Jamal to get 33 pairs of winter slippers for the kids since they are just having plastic flipflops at the moment and their little feet are just freezing cold. It was quite an amazing experience dealing with the various vendors. 1 slipper was 90 rps per piece but when I asked for a discount because we were going to buy everything that they had, the price would go up to 110 rps per piece. Huh???

I have to admit, I threw a bit of a tantrum 2 hours into the process and we had bought nothing. I couldn't communicate with the vendors directly to tell them exact what I wanted and what I was prepared to pay, or even for that matter, what I thought of them. Now, little Bhumika has developed her own sign language system. Frustrated and at a loss, I flipped a vendor what I now call "Flipping a Bhumika"; you clap your hands and swing one hand up and ending in a "L" shape finger point.

Here is a picture of Bhumika demostrating.

We did manage to buy all the slippers we set out to get but it took several vendors to fill the order and negotiating with many more vendors over the price.

However, we didn't manage the 50 bathroboes, 50 gloves and mittens, 12 t-shirts or 20-odd teddy bears. I felt like a shopping disaster!

I had volunteered to cook for the entire home. I was going to make chow mein topped with egg and chicken and chilli. After the exhausting shopping trip, I thought making dinner for 37 kids and 3 didis and 2 volunteers was going to be the calming exercise I needed to unwind. I think some days I am just crazy.

Tom tells me it was prehaps the worst meal I have ever cooked in my life. The children were trying to figure out how to eat their dinner and be thankful and polite to me.

Let me tell you, there is no worse feeling in the world than when you think you are sending children to bed hungry because you sucked in the kitchen.

When I went it to tuck them into bed, I was hugged and kissed and loved with abandon and thanked profusely for cooking dinner. By the time I made it to the last room, I couldn't contain my tears. These children hold no grudges, they love unconditionally and are so forgiving. Despite every boo boo, tantrum & miscalculation we managed to make in a day, the love and the kindness shown to us is truly breathtaking.

My lesson for the day has been that something done from the heart, with great intentions, should it meet a disaster, the receiver will still receive it in the spirit in which it was intended. Our real job in the next 3 weeks we have left here is to continue loving them and reminding them how very special they all are.

From my heart to you,

Fi

Happy Birthday, Dear Depa

And a good frosty morning to you, Web Wanderers,

It's Saturday morning here in Nepal, and after a couple hours of work this morning on some of the business / accounting tasks given to me, I have a few minutes to share with you a most remarkable day yesterday.

Yesterday, we finally had the opportunity to celebrate Depa's birthday. We met Depa our first night (her birthday), and when asked what she would like for her birthday, she replied, "I really would like to go out to a restaurant and eat American food." So we scheduled a trip to "The Roadhouse", probably the most famous Western restaurant in Kathmandu. They serve everything you can imagine, from Pizza to Burritos to Steak to TGIF styled Potato Skins. Depa had one more request; she asked if it would be possible for her brother and sister, Roshan and Cila (who also live at the orphanage), could attend as well. How could we possibly say no to that?

So we hired a taxi for the afternoon and drove into the Thamel district. Upon entering the restaurant Roshan's face lit up like a Christmas tree. It was only then that we discovered the Roshan had *never* been to a restaurant (of any kind) before in his life. While Depa and Cila have been long term residents of Papa's House, Roshan had continued to live with his father in a nearby holy place that has become a slum for the impoverished. It was only with the acquisition of the new house that there was a bed available for him.

We sat down at the table and told the kids they could order anything they wanted on the menu. Roshan was the first to loudly whisper "PIZZA!!! With EVERYTHING!" Depa ordered the spaghetti, and Cila the chicken kabobs. When asked what they wanted to drink, they all carefully studied the menu and came back with a single response, "Chocolate Milkshake!"

I just wish I had my camera out when Roshan's pizza was delivered. It was 14 inches in diameter...The only things wider at the table were his eyes and smile. Multiple the following picture by 100, and you'll have a pretty good idea of his expression.

Fiona and I were amazed at how much food these kids could pack away. Depa and Cila finished their plates and each had a slice of the Hawaiian pizza Fiona and I ordered for the table (yes, I gave the Ham to Fiona). Roshan got halfway through his pizza before pooping out, but also had a slice of the Hawaiian as well. At this point, Cila found my sunglasses on the table and start playing with them. When Fiona pulled out her camera, Cila struck a movie star pose.

When then waddled down the street, our bellies far too full, when Depa shyly asked, "Would it be ok if we have a slice of chocolate cake?" Stunned that they could possible eat another bite, we agreed, and had the taxi driver drive us to a bakery, where Fiona and I sat in awe as each child polished off an entire slice of Black Forrest cake.

Our day ended with each child picking a wool cap (like the Peruvian ones you see at REI) we saw a box of for 90 NPR each (~$1.50). The kids were thrilled for the colorful additional warmth, and ran back telling each of their friends how amazing their day was. When was the last time you got that excited over a Combination pizza and a watered down milkshake?

In closing, I want to extend a very warm thank you to all who have contributed to the Carnivore Challenge so far and to encourage those who are thinking about it to go ahead and pull the trigger. The dollar for dollar match is still in place, but only for a short period longer. If a pizza can create so much joy, imagine the thrill of Christmas morning awakening to presents of their very own.

Best of the season to y'all,

Tom

Caste-less Beauty

Hello World!

One our first night here, I sat down for dinner next to a girl named Kabita. Her first question to me was "Do you know what caste is?", followed by "Do you have caste in Australia?" and "Do you care what caste I am?"

Most of the children at both homes are from lower castes and even though they are young, they have been laughed at, treated poorly and ignored just because of their surnames and the colour of their skin.

Today I am introducing you to Kabita & Kabita M. Two gorgeous girls with wonderful spirits who have been told all their lives that they are not good enough for marriage, not good enough for anything because of the colour of their skin and their caste. Since living at Papa's House, they have come to realise that they can dream and they can be anything they want to be.

Kabita is 12 years old, I am not exactly sure which caste she is in but she is most happy that we don't care. She dreams of becoming an astronaut like Valentina Tereshkova or a doctor if the NASA space program will not accept her. For Christmas she is hoping for a big soft doll to keep her company in bed because she has a recurring nightmare that a man comes and takes her away and chops her feet off. She can hear Michael looking for her in the distance but she cannot get to him because she has lost her feet.

I was shocked to hear about her night terrors because she is such a loving child. She was the first to start calling me "Mamu" (mummy in Nepali) and is always the first to greet us at the gate when we arrive with hugs and kisses. Tom & I are going to make her a dream catcher to let her know that when she sleeps we are looking out for her.

Kabita Mahato is from the Terai region. The Terai is the bread bowl of Nepal but the girls are not considered beautiful because they are "too dark" from working in the fields. She has the most gorgeous smile and kind heart. She wants to be a nurse. Tom and I tell her at any given opportunity how ramri (beautiful) she is. She bursts into a gorgeous smile and start giggling.

Everyday we are in awe and wonder that these children are so well behaved, so well adjusted and so very loving to us and to each other. They are already cross with us that we have been here a week and are leaving in 3 - they want us to stay for at least a year. We love them all very dearly and think we are going to have our hearts broken very hard when we leave.

Sending lots of happy smiles,

Fi