Dubai

On our way to Spain we decided to stop off in Dubai to catch up with my cousin, Jane, who works for Emirates Airline. After spending 2 months in India and Nepal, Dubai was a real shock to the system, further enhanced by the fact that Jane took us to some of the fanciest places and we indulged in decadence for 2 entire days. Drinks by the beach and 50 floors up, amazing Middle Eastern food, swimming pools and shopping malls (which are not normally our thing but Dubai’s are pretty spectacular...)

It was great to see Jane again and was our last chance to see her in Dubai as she is heading back to the land of Oz next month to begin university. After travelling around the world in style it will certainly be a significant readjustment for her to play the role of student again. I can’t imagine what her 17-18 year old uni friends will say to her dropping the occasional “I just wish the cafeteria would get their croissants from that little patisserie on the Champs-Élysées” or “this exam was harder than a 12 hour flight to Nigeria”. 

Nepal

Excuse the wordiness of this blog but we’re a bit behind on our travels – we’re in Barcelona and we still haven’t blogged about our time in Nepal or Dubai yet!

The orphanage in India is conveniently located at a border crossing in Nepal’s south west. For almost a year of our lives (2010 and now) we have looked out at the Nepalese hills but have never once been there. Our main reason to go was to visit 2 of our friends from Australia, Leigh & Tamara Filmer and their 2 girls Mikaela (maybe misspelt) and Jasmine (probably isn’t). These guys (Leigh, nurse & Tamara, pharmacist) have worked in regional Nepal at the local government hospital and a leprosy rehabilitation clinic for the past 3 years.

We were shown around their workplaces and they explained the intricacies of their work, the difficulties they face and their plans for the future here in Nepal and beyond. Whilst they live pretty comfortable lives for Nepali standards it’s definitely a step down from their lives in Australia where they both left well paying jobs and friends and family to help the development work here in Nepal.

Leigh also introduced us to young American woman who started a children’s home here in Nepal, and we spent an hour with her discussing the situation and comparing the Indian orphanage to her Kopila Valley Children's Home and Primary school in Nepal.

Overall the greatest thing about visiting Leigh and Tamara was just spending time with them, sharing meals and playing (incessantly I might add) with their 2 bundles of energy. The family is moving back to Australia for 6 months before going back to Nepal for another 3 year stint. We’re very much looking forward to catching up with them in a few months back in Adelaide.
The rest of our time in Nepal was divided up between Pokhara (17 hour bus trip) and Kathmandu (8 hour bus trip). We didn’t do a lot in that time – just enjoyed spending some time alone after 2 months of being around others.

Goodbye India

Our time in India has come to a close. We’ve had a great time catching up with everyone at the orphanage, both kids and staff alike. In our time here we taught swimming lessons and computer training, installed the school security system, assisted with the school plumbing, updated records, along with day to day tasks such as cleaning, cooking and child-taming. This trip was quite different to our longer previous visit with less regular work to fill our days. Next time we visit, we’ll be more prepared and bring activities and materials so that we can more effective.

Our best wishes to the staff in the mad rush to complete the new school building by end of June and with the arrival of the monsoon. We have already heard reports of large downpours that are a mixed blessing – with cooler weather but making everything more difficult. We’re in Nepal now but you’ll hear more about that in the next few posts.

Weighty Matters

Before we left, Miriam and I have been going through a particularly lethargic period. Too many restaurant meals and our sedentary lifestyles had caught up with us and we were both a bit on the hefty side. Well, it’s amazing what a change in diet, a bit of exercise and extended periods of sweltering heat will do. Between us we’ve managed to lose 15kg in 6 weeks! Brad has lost a whopping 10kg and Miriam, 5kg. That is the weight of this small child that we have photographed for the purposes of this blog. 

P.S. I'm now wearing glasses

New Kids On The Block

No, we didn’t organise an 80’s nostalgia night, we’re talking about 5 new kids that have arrived here at the orphanage since we’ve been here. Four boys - Shivam (5), Rampal (6), Vishal (6), Ankit (8) and a girl, Jyoti (9, 2nd from right). Surprisingly these children have fitted right in here without any hesitation or concern. The biggest hurdle for them right now will be to learn English as it is spoken widely here at the orphanage and attached school. 

Of the children here, most have at least one parent alive but due to family situations and poverty, they cannot look after the children properly and bring them here. The standard of living, education and future prospects are much improved by coming here and those who have parents can see them during scheduled “Parent Days”. Each of those shown above have their own unique personalities - Shivam (sweet), Rampal (rambunctious), Vishal (softie), Johti (story teller) and Ankit (after only 1 day here I'd say "determined to learn to swim"). The other children rally around them, showing them the ropes and helping them integrate.  

My how they've grown

To give some perspective on how the kids (and us) have changed – here’s a few before and afters from our previous visit (2009-10) and now.

In sickness and in health

Back in 2009/2010 we spent 8 months here at the orphanage with a hardly a hint of illness. This time however, both of us have had a bout of diarrhoea (Brad 1 day, Miriam 3) and Brad has just been out of action 3 days with a flu/fever illness. The staff and children have also been stricken by similar illnesses, every day it seems there’s someone missing from meal time or school. To combat this, the staff have decided to install a large water purification system - called a Reverse Osmosis (RO) system. This system, installed in the dining room, will provide enough clean drinking water for all the children’s needs and better yet (from the children’s perspective) the water is then chilled in a cooling system, an excellent way to “beat the heat”. Miriam and I spoke with the staff about the cost of the system and it coincided with the amount that Miriam’s grandfather and Brad’s uncle provided us before leaving Australia – so a big thank you to them!

Kind of related to health is our weight which was at an all time high when we left Australia but thanks to India, we've both dropped a considerable amount (B 5-6kg, M 4kg). So if you're after a rapid weight loss regime we can recommend a dose of illness combined with low-energy food.