The boy I poked in the eye

the_boy_poked_in_the_eye, originally uploaded by rpb1001. This boy I accidently poked in the eye. This photo was taken during the tea drinking session after the Karate demonstration. After this a group walked to get the bus into kathmandu. On the way after getting a coffee and donut - for some reason I tried the tedious trick of pointing to a non-existant crumb of donut on his sweater. Naturally he looked down and I lifted my figer up to his face ha ha ha etc. Except I brushed my finger across his eyeball. he was very good about it. He got his revenge by saying that something about me smelled, maybe my hand, which I then self-conciously sniffed and he pushed (quite hard) on to my nose.

Small burning tile breaking femail

Small burning tile breaking femail, originally uploaded by rpb1001.

This is quite self-explanetory I think. Roof tiles, flames, small girl, attitude

karate tubes demonstration

karate tubes demonstration, originally uploaded by rpb1001.

If you have ever wondered what to do with old fluorecent strip lights, here is an option: donate to the Vashanavi karate club for one of their demonstration days.

I was invited, as a guest of honour it turned out, by Sunil, who I met a couple of weeks ago on the Nuwari marathon puja day which I will write about and backdate. The demonstration began at 8am and I turned up smelling very slightly of old Everest beer.

He is a karate teacher and runs the class that some of these students choose to take. They pay his travel and wages and by the look of things it is all run on a thin shoestring judging by the ragtag collection of outfits (and lack of) which cost around 6 euro each new.

Anyway, the results were pretty impressive given the circumstances. There were more girls than boys, 2 blackbelts and a definate can-do attitude. I has a front row seat, as a guest of honour and witnessed full body contact sparing between a couple of 11 year olds, smashing of roof tiles, the above destruction of old tubes and a motorbike ridden by a cool 'master' across the stomach of an unusually large student.

Afterwards we had tea and biscuits. Very civilised.

Morning walking

Morning walking, originally uploaded by rpb1001.

I woke up at 5.30 am with a dry mouth, needy kidnies and no source of drinking water for an hour or more. I looked out of the window from my bed (in via via hostel) and watch the morning activity. People walking places, the occasional card or motorbike and the local baker steaming something making occasional hissing noises. All still quite quiet, dark and cold outside. Then two men with a red and green flag started to divert traffic from the main road, down a side road. It looked like something was going to happen, perhaps a political rally, I didn't know. But then came streams of people. A parellel centipede of people in their thousands mostly wearing traditional dress. Got up and took some pictures although it was too dark even to focus. Then a car came, stopped and lit the scene with its headlights. So you can see the line of Nuwari women in traditional dress. They are carrying large brass teapots filled with rice, sweets, biscuits to offer at temples.