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Since the last time I wrote I have had fresh litchi fruit from India a couple of times and it has become a new favorite fruit of mine. It’s so juicy and sweet. Hehe.

Yesterday, around lunchtime, I and my colleagues went outside of Kathmandu to a place called Sakhu, where we had been invited to the opening ceremony of the non-governmental organization PA Nepal’s new children’s home and school. It took about an hour to get there by taxi. The environment out there was really nice, peaceful and inspiring. It’s a great place for children to stay and learn. We stayed there for about two hours and got a short tour of the place by Indira Rana (chairperson of PA Nepal), met with various people, children etc. We were also served some snacks. I had a really nice time and it was nice to get outside of Kathmandu.

My Bonnie is over the ocean, my Bonnie is over the sea…

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The situation regarding fuel in the Kathmandu Valley is really bad right now and it’s getting worse. There is a huge scarcity of fuel in the valley, and many times people have to wait 6, 8, 10, 12 hours to get some fuel, if they get it at all. The fuel supply in Kathmandu is only 50% compared to the demand. I see people standing in line the whole days to get fuel. It’s a really difficult situation.

At work: I have been involved in developing proposals, I have made a visit to a home with prisoners’ children etc. I’m constantly learning new ways of looking and working with children and I try to open up my open mind as much as possible.

Road Trip 110 km outside of Kathmandu – 10-11 May
In the morning, on the 10th of May, I packed my stuff and made myself ready for a road trip together with my friends Prabesh and Aalok. We left Kathmandu around 9 am and drove in the Arniko Highway towards our destination; The Last Resort. Along the way we stopped in a few places to take photos, stretch our legs, have lunch and so on. This day I was feeling really sick, my nose was clogged and it felt like I had a fever. We arrived at The Last Resort after noon and we had a nice buffet lunch where they served continental food. I enjoy it, because having continental food is something I rarely have nowadays. The place in itself, The Last Resort, was a really nice place, located in a very scenic and peaceful surrounding. To reach the resort, we had to cross a suspension bridge hanging over the Bhote Kosi River. After resting after the lunch, then Aalok made himself ready to bungy jump. While he jumped (160 meters), I and Prabesh were taking photos and video clip. I told them both, never in my life I will do that jump. After Aalok had climbed up the hill and had his rest, then we took our car and went up to Kodari, which is the border town to Tibet (China). When I was there and saw the city of Khasa in Tibet on the other side of the border, I really wanted to go into Tibet and travel there. I received a special feeling at the time. We then returned to our resort and had drinks, before having our dinner. One of the dishes in the buffet was spaghetti with meat sauce, it was really yummy! Hehe. We had a great time in the evening, chatting, eating, drinking and spending time together. Our accommodation was a tent with one single bed and one double bed, I slept in the single one because of my sickness.
     The following morning I woke up to the sound of the river and various birds making noises as well as fresh air. It was nature, just nice. I really enjoy these times in life. We had a nice breakfast buffet this morning and after checking out we then started our journey back to Kathmandu. Along the way we stopped in a few places. On this day I was feeling better, but still with a touch of the cold. We got back to Kathmandu in the early afternoon after have been on a great road trip giving inspiration in beautiful sceneries.

Last week I was invited one evening to have dinner together with my landlord’s family and a neighboring family as well. I really enjoyed the Nepali food being served and spending time with them. That day I got many positive words in my ears from different directions, so I was happy.

This past Wednesday there was a strike in the Kathmandu Valley, because of an earlier murder of a well-known figure. This day no vehicle movement was allowed, and most stores were closed, so most people were walking around.

Postcards – Thank You all for sending me postcards.

Strolling among toys in a department store…

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Post – I have received my first load of postcards as well as a music CD from a friend. It was really nice to get, Thank You all for sending it to me.

One day while I watched one of the channels on my TV it was showing a movie with Swedish subtitles and Swedish commentators interpreting the movie, I laughed when I saw it. It felt strange seeing it. I don’t know about the movie, but there were Swedish actors in it.

The past Sunday I and Aalok went to Bhaktapur (another district in the Kathmandu Valley) to do a little sightseeing. We went there by taxi and as we walked into the Durbar Square in Bhaktapur I got a feeling of something old. It was really nice to see the typical Newari architecture in the temples, buildings, houses etc. We walked around in Bhaktapur for a couple of hours. When I saw the Nyatapola Temple I was really excited, the temple is beautiful and it felt powerful. I truly enjoyed Bhaktapur as it has a much more traditional Nepali atmosphere compared to the areas where I’m usually spending my life.

This past week while on the way home I have been thinking about the street dogs, as they are inevitable. They roam around everywhere. One day while I was walking home there were three street dogs barking at me. It felt like they could attack at anytime. They made me a bit scared. I really dislike the street dogs, at the same time it’s a sad sight as their conditions are extremely poor and it’s easy to see that they suffer most of their time from various diseases as well as difficult environments. Still, I don’t like them. They’re becoming too many in the streets.

Speaking of dogs, I heard a rumor this week that Ludde is not the same as before, his color has changed. Hang in there Ludde! Haha!

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