Back in Singapore

I made it back to Singapore late last night.  I spent the day/night in Nangi on Friday, travelled from Nangi to Pokhara on Saturday, and then flew from Pokhara to Singapore yesterday.

When I woke up on Friday, the sky was really clear.  I've attached some pictures of the view from the village.  I also had a chance to take a look at where the solar heater will be installed.  It should work pretty well.  I think that the roof will hold the weight of the unit without a problem, and there is plenty of water pressure to feed the unit.  It all faces south, which is perfect, and there are no big trees to shade the panel.  Fingers crossed that it all goes according to plan...

This is the house where we will be staying.

View of the mountains from Nangi.  The edge of the house we will be in is at the far right - so this is basically the view from the porch...

The path from the campsite (where the solar heater will be) to the village and school.

I was a little nervous on Friday because my guide left early in the morning to attend a meeting, so I was left alone in the village.  But I didn't need to worry - the teachers at the school were really warm and friendly.  They all came and introduced themselves to me.  I spent a lot of time with a man named Krishna, the grade 9/10 math teacher.  He took me to his classroom, and we talked about ideas for setting it up so that it would be a better learning environment for his students.  We talked about ways to integrate computer technology into his lessons.  It was amazing to talk to him about issues that are similar to those in Singapore - in a place that has intermittent electricity on a good day and where no one has a refrigerator.  The school has really put an emphasis on using technology so that its students are developing skills that are so important for their future.  Krishna invited me to his house for dinner - very interesting.  We all sat on the floor on mats in the same room where Krishna's wife, Soonu, cooked on a wood-fueled stove.  In addition to Krishna and Soonu, there were three other men that were somehow related to Krishna.  They served meat, and Krishna would only tell me (and only after I had some - as he grinned while I tried it) that it came from the "head".  They also served me a HUGE plate of rice and a scrambled egg.  It was great, but I could only eat part of it, and they seemed to think that there was something wrong with me that I couldn't finish it all.  Only Krishna and I used utensils - everyone else ate with their right hand.  It was a wonderful, but somewhat overwhelming, experience.  I definitely felt very much out of my element, despite their warm hospitality.

The school

Krishna's son...  This was the ONLY time he sat still during the time I was with him.  He will keep my kids busy and laughing.

The women in the village making lokta paper.

I tried so hard to get this little girl to smile at me, but this is as close as I could get...

It was definitely a great trip.  I feel much more comfortable with getting our project completed while we are there.  I also feel better about what I need to bring to make the kids comfortable - especially Brad (my picky eater).  I'm now working on figuring out if there is a way to make interesting things - like bread or a cake - in a dutch oven over a gas stove...