1st September:- A whinge.

There have been days when I have really questioned why I am here. The place is quite frankly a hole. The food is shocking and these poor little mites are really not cared for. Most have some type of skin infection. Their robes are filthy, but in the main they look happy and everyone is so friendly 'good afternoon sir' echoes through the courtyard every-time I pass. The thing that really gets me down is the lack of cleanliness. It's appalling. I have a bathroom which rarely, very rarely has running water. While appreciating that is a luxury in some areas, here it appears to be as easy as filling the tank. The state of the bathroom us something to behold.



Given I am volunteering, and the monastery get money for that, you would have expected it would be reasonably clean. It reeks. The problems of no water were exacerbated when I was struck by food poisoning. After each (of many visits) to the loo you, obviously have to pour water to get rid of the waste. This meant many trips down three flights of stairs to a tank that did have water, to collect it for the essentials. There are several hundred monastery's in the city. They all exist on donations. Their residents are taken from villages and orphanages and they are educated by the monks. There are, in addition to this two full time teachers. I suspect there is competition and I would not be surprised if , in order to cut costs and do other things, that corners are cut. Corners that include health, hygiene and food. Maybe I'm being a little cynical....



I was laid up for 2 days with my food poisoning, it was not a pleasant experience at all. Other than to visit the loo I didn't get out if bed for 36 hours. I was quite surprised of the lack of interest initially from my 'programme co-ordinator' I sent her a text before classes three days ago. Received no response, emailed Bhupi, got a reply. A hope you get well soon and that us the last I have heard from the office. I feel more than a little put out given that I had put hours of work in, even before my placement, to help out in the offices.

For the first couple of weeks I went into the office every day to see if there was anything I could do. I've stopped doing that now. I stay up here at the monastery, grim as it is, and am taking extra classes 1:1 with some of the older monks. Ram, whose 23 and studying for his IELTS which is an English course was the first to approach me I give him 30 minutes in the afternoon and then an hour in the evening. I have now collected another two. I have the first lessons This afternoon. So far I am teaching.
7:20 - 8:00
8:00 - 8:40
8:45 - 9:30
2:00 - 2:30
2:30 - 3:30
3:30 - 4:00
7:00 - 8:00

And that's 6 day a week. It's bloody hard work. I guess, after 3 weeks of my 8 weeks done, I'm only staying because of the boys. If I did it again I would check out the Monastery myself and make sure it has half decent. I would also sidestep the volunteer organisation. I realise they are doing good work in other areas but they are not very supportive towards those working on the the main programme and don't appear to have done any 'due diligence' to make sure the facilities are acceptable. The ongoing support is non existent. I have not seen my 'co-ordinator' since she dropped me off here and her lack of contact while I've been sick has been worrying.
I would feel much more comfortable giving my cash direct to the Monastery. This one certainly needs it....


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Location:Z St,Kathmandu,Nepal