I'll never complain about an appliance again!

One of the interesting features of Third World living is the intermittent electricity, which requires us to always wear our “jewelry” (headlamp/flashlight) at night so we can find our way when the lights go out; and patience is required when we want to check email or dry our hair and the power goes out halfway through…

And then there’s the laundry. Nepal is a very dusty place, so clothes (and bodies) need to be washed regularly. The lack of electricity necessitates bucket baths and laundry washed in cold water… and to think I had the nerve to complain about the long cycle on our wonderful French washing machine!

But all is forgotten when playing with the kids. This weekend we had a tennis tournament on our mud court – which was viewed by an avid audience of pigs and goats, who were mostly interested in eating the ball if it came their way. After that, the net was raised to volleyball height and the older boys played an intense volleyball match (for money)against the boys from another children’s home. A multi-purpose sports court!

On Saturday we had a Sports Day for the younger kids – three legged races, spoon races, crab walks – with prizes for the winning team. These kids love to compete, which is a good thing, because there’s a wider world out there, the evils of which they are only too aware. They’ve been through experiences we can’t even imagine… but for today, it’s good to be a kid…