Speed Rabbit!!!!! (Dec. 28)

Simon says, "give yourself antlers!"

Time for shopping!!!!!!!  John and I decided that since there wasn't much we could do at the Himalayan Hope Home (HHH) instead we would buy some toys/games for the girls. We bought games that were physically active and/or worked on developing their English speaking skills.  Luckily close to Tashi and Lakpa's home is a small shopping mall with a store similar to a Kmart in the U.S. (but much smaller).  As soon as we entered the store a little boy around the age of 12 honed in on us and decided to be our shopping guide.  After explaining that we were buying toys for 30 girls he got really excited and enthusiastic about showing us all the cool toys that they may like.  He was genuinely excited for what the girls were about to receive!  We asked him if he worked at the store and he said no but that he was "comfortable" at the store.  Hmmm.........we weren't sure what that meant but we were happy to have his assistance.  Shopping for the girls was super fun, imagining what they would like to play.  We ended up buying hula hoops, medium and small sized balls, badmitten rackets and birdies, jump ropes, an English Bingo game, Uno, watercolor paints, and paper.  As we walked down the streets of Kathmandu we chuckled at how we REALLY stood out now!  Let's face it.......we stand out like a sore thumb in Nepal!  White skin, blue eyes, different clothing.......and John's height!  We have "Gringos" written all over us!  Now we are walking down the street with bags and boxes in our hands......and the icing on the cake are the two big hula hoops around John's body!!! Haha!  It's like we have a beacon blinking! 

...and there's more in our backpacks on our backs!

We got the the HHH early before the girls got home from school just in case there was something we could do to help.  

HHH from outside their gate. 

Their small potted garden. 

The home was very quiet when we arrived but that soon changed the minute we heard a group of girls knocking on the door of the fence surrounding their home!  Immediately the home came alive with "hellos," smiles, hugs, and laughter!  The girls are the pulse and beat of their home!  Right away when they get home they immediately change out of their school uniforms and into their regular clothes.  The Nepalese government requires all students, no matter if they are attending the boarding school or the public school, to wear uniforms to ensure equal treatment of all children.  

The girls in their school uniforms. 

After a quick snack of something similar to oatmeal we all headed up to the roof to play some games that I taught the girls.  We played a number of games like Speed Rabbit, Zip and Zap and Simon Says.  Speed Rabbit is a cooperative game where you make shapes of different animals with two other people.  I also chose those games because it incorporated English into the game.  We laughed a lot and just got to be kids!  It's amazing how quickly you can connect with others through play.  It wasn't long before we were laughing out loud, giggling, holding hands and even hugging!  

An alligator!

A rainbow with a leprechaun inside!

Simon says!

Simon says, "be a buffalo!"

I wished we could stay there longer.  Because Pema had to walk us to an area away from the home to catch a taxi, we had to leave before it got dark to make sure Pema got home in time for dinner and nighttime activities with the girls.  I was sad to leave but ready to continue a relationship with the girls and this organization.  Learning English is a very important part of their education for their future success.  I am hoping to find some students at my school in Granby that might want to be penpals with any of the girls at the HHH. Many of the girls at the home love speaking English and dream of coming to the United States some day.  Krisma is around the age of 12 and often pretends she is in the United States and has conversations with herself in English.  She really has a passion for the language!!!!  The girls at the home definitely have a special place in my heart forever!  Thank you HHH!!!!

The girl on the left is the youngest at the home (3 1/2 years old). She was absolutely precious and I loved watching how the older girls really looked after her.