Wednesday 20 August 2014

Day 27 - Books!

Up before the alarm for a warm shower and dressed. Someone keeps lining up all my toiletries in height order! Decided to have breakfast out so went to Cafe Swotha for the "healthy breakfast" of scrambled egg, wholemeal toast and marmalade, curd with dried fruits and banana and a cup of tea...all on one plate (not the tea obviously!!). It was very tasty and filled me up.

Walked the temple route to school past the stone tanks which have been filled with water again. When I asked about this I was told it is not another festival but just for swimming in and having fun. On the way home from school there were several boys from class 3 and 4 who were swimming and called me over very enthusiastically.

Signed in and carried one of the boxes of books halfway to the school before being relieved of it. Climbed up to the library and opened the first box when the others arrived carried over by the staff. They seemed really delighted with the books and I'm pleased that they are the right sort of level and very good quality. 
 
The boxes arrive


Ramina and Koruna insepcting them.

As librarian, Ramina now has to cover them all in sticky back plastic and then catalogue them all by hand and on the computer.

The games library but we couldn't find the dominoes. I made some out of paper to demonstrate how to play.

Spent the first lesson checking my planning and chatting with Ramina,who presented me with a pair of knitting needles, then headed to class 5 to get them for circle time.This was on what makes us feel sad and went better as the children are more comfortable with both the format and me. Then I had a break before teaching maths (the empty sum challenge) and social.In social we are talking about good and bad habits. I debated what to do for this lesson and decided to do it as a circle time discussion as it was with class 5 again. We started with a round then we talked about bad habits and what their effects are. It was a sensible and wide ranging discussion in English and Nepali and the children started to talk a little about people they know with bad habits. I felt a lot better about my teaching abilities after this morning's lessons!
Class 5

"Social" - this is a mix of history, geography and socail studies. This lesson was done through circle time.



The children knew a lot about the harmful effects.

Found this on the wall too late! Will use it tomorrow.

Lunch was a cup of milk tea in the library then bamboo, gourd and potato curries with rice and lentils (delicious!). Then it was class 2 who are a lively bunch! As the books had arrived I pulled out "We're going on a bear hunt" and did this with them. We went through vocabulary first then I read them the story. Second time through we dramatised it and the children repeated it. It was a lot of fun. If I was here for longer then I would get them to learn it for performance.
Lunchtime games.

The rest of the afternoon was non teaching and I transferred the electronic resources I had brought over onto their system and deleted things that were not suitable. Then I gave a dominoes lesson and chatted to some of the teachers as well as preparing the lessons for the next 2  days. On consideration I'm not entirely sure they will work....I need to sleep on it.

At the end of the day I joined class 4 for homework and gave them the camera to take pictures. This is the result...





I then left a little early with Koruna, the headteacher, and we went to the shop where she presented me with a woollen hat as a memento. Today is the "party" day for all the employees of KTS and we went right up to the roof where there were many chairs, food and drink. We were served curries - peanut, potato,buff, beaten rice, bamboo soup and pickles all of which were HOT. This was washed down with Nepalese home brewed strawberry wine - sweet and interesting! - then curd with a milk sweet to cool down. It was very pleasant with all the people involved chattering away and I discovered that there were 450 expected for the party but the whole organisation incorporates over 2000 people. It's a big operation. Some women knit from home so they can take care of the house as well. I am constantly amazed by the flexibility and adaptation of KTS to help as many people as possible.
Mountain Dew (fizzy drink) or strawberry wine.

Chatting over food.

The food being served.

Delicious Bhaktapur curd with a milk sweet that I couldn't pronounce(made by boiling milk until it is solid - no added sugar).


Koruna and I left to go shopping and walked up to Mangal Bazaar to her friend's fabric shop. Here we were greeted enthusiastically and I was shown a dizzying array of beautiful silks. I chose in the end a blue and green patterned 6m length of sari silk and paid just under £15 for the lot!! It's all wrapped up in newspaper so I can't take a picture of it but I need to work out what to do with it when I get home.

Bought an extra packet of sweets for the children then got some money from the ATM and walked home past a world record attempt involving dancing - couldn't quite work out what it was raising awareness of. Home and skyped Mum and Dad before having a quiet evening in. I was planning to do my washing in the machine and had left the washing basket where I would remember to do it but it has disappeared so I assume it has gone to the laundry!!! Oh well, I'll have clean clothes to pack.


2 comments:

  1. Another day, another curry [and fesival/ celebration.] Gerald

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  2. Well, Jane. After being very lax due to G&S shows, popping into school, Ruby Wedding Anniversary and starting our holiday, I have now caught up with your blog. You are certainly packing a great deal into your days. Please make sure that you find time to rest as well. Yet it sounds as if you are enjoying almost very minute (bites and infections excepted) You have some fantastic photos and your blog is great reading - a book in the making! We are now in France. Not sure when you return but take care.
    X

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