Jan 19th

I did get my clothes all washed and dried the other day. It took forever and a half so I think I am going to use a local laundry service before I leave for the village. I had washed all my nice sweaters and jeans and it took two days for it all to dry hanging in the sun. Therefore, I was wearing sweatpants and a sweatshirt on the new year festival day. Oh well, I stand out enough here that I doubt anyone really noticed. Plus, nobody every says anything about what you wear because people simply wear what they have available to them. The female teachers at school wear the type of clothes you would probably traditionally think of when you think of Nepal or Inida. It is the bright, baggy pants and the shirts that are more like knee-length dresses with slits from the bottom to the hips. The key is all the colors are bright...I am not sure how to explain it so when I post pictures I will try to show one of those. A lot of people do wear jeans, though. I look out of place simply because my clothes are a little cleaner and I am fairly tall here...and I look quit different in general. As I said before, though, people look at me because I stand out not because they have anything against me or are being mean. The children on the streets often run up to me to say "hello" and are very proud that they just spoke English.

Yesterday the Nepali Prime Minister came to the school. It, of coarse, was a big deal including armed guards and snipers on rooftops. I got to play reporter as I happened to have my camera that day. I was taking pictures of the students' engineering projects and so was happy that my camera came in such good use today. The event was in the newspaper. I was dissapointed I was not in the background of the picture they used, but one of the reporters did notice me and wanted to talk to me before I left the school about my experiences. I dont know if that would go anywhere, but it would be cool. The students were very excited that the Prime Minister came to see them! A few of them even got interviewed by reporters and they looked happy beyond words and very proud of their school. There was a little show for the Prime Minister that the young children put on and then he, along with two other imortant people who had come, each gave a small inspirational speech. They had come to this school because it has been in the paper so often over the last week or two. He wanted to come and get good publicity while showing his support for the school.

Anyway, needless to say the project was delayed again today so the students are going to start that today rather than yesterday. I am learning some new Nepali words and also learned to make tea yesterday. I like it a lot and hope I can replicate it when I get back to The States. The tea is almost half milk (which they buy in plastic bags!).