Andrea and Katy travelled to Uganda to check out Forget Me Not’s newest project…The Love Project! This is Andrea’s journal….

Katy and I embarked on our journey to the Afrian nation oh Uganda on what I can only describe as heartbreaking yet hopeful.
After 38 hrs of uninterupted travel and 5 hrs of nap sleep, 3 countries in transit finally our feet touched the soil of Africa. Uganda. This beautifully lush landscape with the bluest sky above is home of FMNCH’s Love Project.
39 little souls, 1 housemother and terrible terrible poverty.
Katy and I carring with us our current 17 Sponsors well wishes arrived outside the terminal to be greeted by the largest smiles I think I have ever seen. Florence our hostess and mother to the gang along with beautiful Hannah,15, baby Abu 1 year and 2 little tots dressed in their Sunday best cream frilly dresses holding a bouqet of simple flowers each. These little charming girls are Gift,2.5 and Florence,4. Shyly the greet us with the softest tones of “Welcome Aunt” and “thankyou for loving us”
I could tell this was going to be a tough week. I dared not look at Katy and noticed she was not looking at me either.
Together with Frank, husband to Florence we bundled into the sedan. 2 large suitcases full of goodies from OZ, 2 wheeling cabit bags, 2 backpacks, 2 bouquets, three tots, Katy, Ande, Florence, Pastor Frank and the driver. Oh and Hannah of course. Don’t ask me but we set off for the Home. I enquired after about 45 mins and a young teenager on my lap, how much further.  With the reply, ‘God will see us there safley’ I thought at that point my dead leg was winging it’s way to heaven.
1hr 15 later and crippled, exhausted, excited and overwhelmed we seemed to be winding our way down the worst roads I have ever seen. It had rained all afternood and the road was 10cm in ‘Childers Red’ red mud. No place for a packed sedan but onward the driver went slipping and sliding and bottoming out on each bump. How can people live in this I thought?
I let me mind fly to my home of manicured grass, crystal swimming pool and aircon. I was surely on another planet.
We stopped and bailed out. On the small cement verandah stood a see if black faces and white white teeth in bodies of varying height. And there it was,  as with the beautiful children in Nepal and everywhere else I have roamed, laughter,  beautiful, singing laughter!! The language if everyones heart on this one glorious planet.
I recognized a few faces as Katy and I had studied the pictures we had received. Steven the young 4yr old Katy and I now sponsor along with Mietta and Clarrence. Jackie Alimo charming face and full of eagerness to touch we 2 Mozongu (whites)
We were taken inside this humble abode of crumbling cement render and makeshift curtains. Cement floor with muddy footprints everywhere. And a sea of smiles. We sat and each child introduced themselves.  Kneeling at out feet holding our hand and whispering their names to us. Again I thought I would loose it when Steven looked into my eyes for a fleeting second and said hello.
After the intros came the tea and the dancing. Beautiful gospel songs about hope and thanks for us being there and comming from so far to love them.

Soon Steven was on my lap and so far he has not left it.
It has been humbling to meet these kids. Who have nothing,… Really nothing. But for these few days they will have Katy and I and the love of 17 Sponsors.
This morning we  arrived at the home on our Bodaboda’s (motorbikes with a comfy double seat) to find Livingstone sitting solemnly in the armchair chewing on a piece of plastic and Akim loitering behind him. I enquired as to why no school today. And if they were well. To be told by Florence that as the school fees are seriously in arrears week by week children would be send home. These two little boys were the first to be asked to go home. Their new FMNCH calico bags, lay on the floor slightly muddy with a lonley notebook and gnawed pencil inside.
I had to leave the room. I know that crying for these kids will serve no purpose but trying not to cry for them took all the strenght I could muster. I looked at the sky and again thought of my usual pristine surrounds, my own children who sparkle with good fortune and again I am bought undone.
Again I cannot look at Katy….

Today was spent drumming, singing, dancing, motorbike riding to and fro. Emergency run for nappy purchase Extra bannanas, cordial, a box of water, biscuits and of course 2 Quick cokes.
The children had huge African Drums to play that had been hired for today and yowza those kiddies got da rythum Sista!!
And dance……..sheesh!! Once again I found myself up shaking my tail feather with a wig type traditional belt thingamabobby strapped over my bottom in order to really really shake it.
I got a stitch…
That was from the laughter at watching Katy doing her thing as well. I think the only expresion I can use is “LOL!!”
 Then came our drumming lesson. Katy got the single beat beat beat rhythm and I thought yep easy as… But then my sequence was demonstrated…. tikka ta ta tikka atatara boom boombabsboom and repeat. Uh ho… Let’s just say what ever happened today has passed. And leave it there!

Drumming party over, and the last drip of orange mango cordial supped we mounted our trusty Bodaboda’s and sped off into the sunset.

May we all feel blessed for all that we have!
Andrea

My Last Visit To The Girls
“I was a Blubbering Mess”

Meeting the Girls for the Second Time

I am not sure if I will be able to really put into words the type of expression I want to describe, here.

The second meeting of the girls was in fact more emotional and more powerful for me, and since I have spoken to a couple of seasoned campaigners and they seem to agree or at least relate to what I am trying to say. So please realize that when writing this I don’t have kids, I don’t have anyone who relies on me, who looks up too me, who actually requires me.. Now I am not writing that for some type of Ugh or sympathy, I am trying to make you realize how much impact these girls have had on me, coming from my point of view. I don’t have a child that no matter how many times they moan about having to go to bed, or that they can’t go out with there mates to the beach or park they will have forgotten it in the morning and love the fact that you are Just There !!

The afternoon came, the Taxi ride we survived, The path we walked and the screeching, laughs and cries of joy came and then the most powerful of all.

The look in the eyes of every single girl of acceptance to a higher level, of Ok your back !! Ok you really are one of us, you care, you are now my friend, my family, you are now never going to be forgotten. The look of joy, happiness and love in simply just seeing you there. Just having you in there life, just having you hold there hand when you are talking to some one else, just having your arm over there should when sitting having a cup of coffee, just placing your hand on their shoulder while standing looking at photos on the computer, just sitting and answering there questions about, Love, Life, marriage, Babies, Australia, Parents, Weight…. Yeah… School work, Jobs and any other subject they might bring up !! Just a simple hug, they get so much joy and in turn I was transformed into a Blubbering mess… Well inside anyway…

This being one of the most simply powerful moments in my life to date and then to tell you now it just gets stronger each and every time I go and visit defies my ability to describe how I feel in words….. Sorry…

Happy Holi

I felt like I was storming the beaches in some country gone crazy.

Just walking to the hotel the day before the Festival of Holi was a real challenge. As water bombs whistled past our ears we ducked and weaved dodged taxis and rickshaws. It was histerical.

Each time one of us was hit it bought so much joy to the locals. Katy was a great target coping several direct hits. I ducked to the opposite side of the street and huddled her across. Water trickeling down her face like a comrade  who’d taken a hit. Whack, I coped a flying ‘lola’ to the calf. Cold and wet we we reached the safety if HQ Annapurna Guest House. Katy’s back pack dripping as there was a leaking UXB punctured but not empty inside the front pouch. Crazy day and yet still 24 hours from the acutal Festival.

We rose early and set out to FMNCH as we promised.
Water bombs whilstled past our ears and splattered on the windows of our little taxi that was packed with 5 of us. Kathmandu taxis are small suzukis.
We banged on the gate and begged for a brief reprieve to deliver our bags to the dry safe zone of the meeting romm and that was the end of any hope of survival.
As the sun shone the water flew along with the calls Happy Holi. Soon enough out came complete buckets of water to be dumped on you unexpectedly. It was chilly to say the least. Devaki was named the bucket queen as she managed to get at least 1 bucket of icy well water and dye over anyone with their back turned.
 
Goma was a crack shot, managing to get a direct hit on the neighboring girls front door way and spash everyone inside.
 
In a moment of sanity I gathered my thoughts and looked at these dear souls all playing and celebrating together. A real family, large and happy.
Lars ran past me with a water soaker held against his chest. His face covered in colour like a solider with camoflage paint. He wore a grin from ear to ear!  
Several girls chased him and
squeaked with delight as he turned and fired his weapon at them sending each one in every direction laughing hysterically.
As we all dried off in the warm sunshine, I looked over the rooftop railing to the empty battlefield below littered with small spend cellophane bags. The grass every colour of the rainbow. I was once again overwhelmed to tears at the joy that is Forget Me Not Chidren’s Home.  

Mel and Craig Manley are treasured sponsors of Forget Me Not. This was their first visit to the Forget Me Not family in Nepal, but it certainly won’t be their last! Thanks Mel and Craig – and see you in Nepal in November!!

After leaving the beautiful countryside of Rani Pauwa we returned to Kathmandu to see the girls….and pick up Craig, Andrea & Katy. Being Craig’s first visit he was excited but a little apprehensive as to how the girls would receive him…..no need to worry….by the time we arrived at FMNCH to meet the three new arrivals, the girls infectious laughter,   huge smiles and many cuddles made him realise just how amazing the love at FMNCH is and what an amazing impact it has not only on the girls but upon all of those who are privileged enough to experience life at FMNCH.

Saturday was a day and a half. It started with a gym session at a local gym with Lars and Carla. Craig and I enjoyed the fact that there was no power, hence we could not see our reflections in the mirror as it was dark….until Lars opened a window….Carla gave a nasty abs workout…then off to “Java “for breaky.No we did not go the massive iced chocolates with cream, waffles with cream like Lars and Carla…but how come they look like that???? I did go the Pancakes…yes I know it defeats the purpose…but when in Rome…do what the 26 year olds do….ha ha. Then back to the Guest House to get back to FMNCH and bundling 21 excited girls into a school bus amidst avoiding water bombs, albeit not too successfully and bouncing along to the local cinema to see “My name is Khan”.

Many of the gang have already updated you with the goings on here so I will skip to the Holi Festival which was held on Sunday. What a day! Carla had organised white shirts and skirts for the girls and House Mothers….and for me….thanks Carla…and we arrived at FMNCH to everyone throwing red dye and water at each other. Luckily we had a warm day! After seeing the wonderful colours available out in the street, Craig, Katy and I ventured out into the streets to gather more ammunition….purple, orange, lime green, hot pink, turquoise, gold and silver dye! Fabulous stuff. The locals celebrating Holi were overjoyed to see Tourists braving the streets and took every opportunity to “bless” us with dye bombs and water on our way back to FMNCH. I managed to garnish a group of very mucho teenage boys with masses of hot pink dye…..oh yeah! But why did it look so good in their shiny black hair???

After several hours of throwing dye and attempting to miss (not so successfully) dye and water bombs from every direction we started to clean up. I had the job of washing the girls’ hair. What a hoot. We drew water from the well….until we lost the bucket DOWN the well. Then uncle climbed down the well and got the bucket…no rope, no harness no problem…..!The girls hair returned the beautiful shiny, glossy black lustrous hair….mine stayed a fluro shade of pink with a twist of orange…..hmmm.

Monday saw another Yoga session with the human pretzel. Even though I am NOT flexible, the session was fantastic. It just makes you feel SO good…. Craig headed off to Rani Pauwa to see the land with Lars, Katy, Andrea and Jas. Well they went in the bus and Lars rode a pushy all the way …as you do. Carla and I got into negotiating mode and set of through the streets of Kathmandu to purchase decorations for the upcoming ball.

Manjet (Manager of the Annapurna Guest House…and all round nice guy) took us to the markets. What an interesting place. Carla and I went through these very old buildings up tiny ladders, through very small tunnels, up more tiny ladders…..to come out in a small space full of fabulous textiles and other amazing articles. Then the negotiating began……

Later that afternoon we arrived..Albeit a bit late…back at FMNCH to play with the girls….our favourite part of the day! Lars bought his pushy back with him and we spent hours going around and around in circles, taking the girls for rides on it. It was such a thrill to see the girls receiving so much joy from their bike rides. We take so much for granted in Australia…

Tuesday was our last full day……Carla and I went to The Om Family Centre for a yoga session. Oh boy was our beautiful instructor flexible…..a tiny little girl who could twist herself into tiny little knots…with a great big smile on her face. After this I experienced a Shamanic Healing from one of the masters at the centre. It was a fabulous experience and I intend to go back to this centre when next we visit Nepal.

Manjet took Carla, Craig Lars and I back to the markets and a few other places to try and finalise some ball decorations, merchandise etc. Another fabulous experience. I just wanted to sit there and absorb the sights, sound and smells…..so much to do so little time…..

Come 4.30 we arrived at FMCH…..to a big surprise. The guys had organised a surprise 40^th  for me. Like they didn’t have enough on their plates! I can’t tell you the feeling of having 21 girls, 4 house Mum’s, and the FMNCH gang awaiting me with cards, smiles and hugs…..I was truly overwhelmed…in a great way….lost for words…and those of you who know me ,know that this is quite a task!

I was also treated to not one but two birthday cakes! The girls sang me “happy Birthday” …and clapped once for every year….their poor little hands must have been stinging by 40!

I treasure this day. My heart was soooo full of love and gratitude to being exactly where I was privileged to be….at FMNCH surrounded by wonderful people with an amazing capacity to give love in all of its shapes and forms.

My eyes well with tears of joy at the memory. After all the excitement of the birthday cakes we commenced an art workshop. Dikshya organised the girls for me and arranged the appropriate seating and water buckets. We then distributed the canvases, paintbrushes and paint. I asked the girls to paint whatever is in their heart…what makes them happy….wait until you see the pics. They will be on sale at the ball in June. They are amazing. 

The girls painted until there was no more light to see. Then Craig brought out the fluro bracelets…what a hit they were. He ended up covered in fluoro bracelets…they were hanging from his ears much to the delight of the girls!

Then came time to say Good bye….Oh my Goddess…keep it together Mel, keep it together. No such luck. I tried very hard but was unsuccessful. “No crying Aunty, be happy”. To think that we won’t see the girls for while just about broke our hearts…It is hard to describe how quickly a strong bond forms with the girls. Those of you who have been to meet them will understand, those of you who haven’t…I could not recommend a more worthwhile experience….

Thank you to all of the FMNCH team and to the February FMNCH Tour Group…..we just loved every minute of our trip. You guys are so much fun to travel with. To the founders and management teams- you should be soooo proud of what you have established. It is truly an expression of love in its highest form. Thanks for letting us be a very small part of the journey. 

Lots and lots of love,

Namaste

Mel and Craig

Jason Wall,  friend and Forget Me Not Family member from the beginning, came to my office two days before I was due to leave for Nepal and asked if he could come too! What could I say but, “Sure!”. Here is Jason’s first journal of his first meeting of the girls….we are sure it will be the first of many…

So, where to start..?, Well Namaste first of all to everybody.

This has been a long time coming, not only the fact that I have now been here for nearly a week but the fact that I have wanted to get to Nepal and in particular Kathmandu, for years, not the least since being involved with The Forget Me Not Family.

Just the name Kathmandu conjures up some wonderful images, some wonderful thoughts in ones mind, images of far flung wild frontiers of unexplored lands, of wild untamed cultures. Generally, of a people who survive, they don’t seem to do much more than survive. They battle amazing odds to get through there daily life, one that we as westerners, generally, would and do find so foreign in the concept of mere survival. The “Daily Grind” so to speak, really, for most is the Daily Grind in the very basic form as buy, prepare, cook, eat, do what you can to make a “Buck” and well get up and do it all again the next day !! For instance, today there was power for only 7 hours out of the 24 !! that’s a regular occurance…..

Poverty, is that why, I don’t know, The culture, the Class system I hear about, and from a westerners point of view, the complete lack of infrastructure, or the perceived lack off !! I am sure it is there in some way shape and form !! Its just hard to see from “Our Eyes”

Now Please, by no means do I mean to judge or imply that my initial response to this incredible place is negative, Its not, its just such a vast gap in what we perceive to be the ideal way of life, or at least what we are all striving for to what we actually need to do to simply survive on a daily basis that we have lost the ability to realize what is important to us, what is really important to us !! Do we need the flashy cars, bikes, houses, manicured back yards, do we need the I-pods, computers, stereos, designers wear, name brand shoes and latest glossy magazines ??

Or do we need to realize that to have someone there by your side to help, love and live your life with you, to achieve the simple things in life is not only so enjoyable and rewarding but it also spreads like an infection and makes the society we live in a better place….

Anyway Jason… Enough of your rambling !! What the readers want is not your take on life, love and sorting out the worlds problems, they want to hear about Kathmandu and The girls !!

I am not actually sure how to start, as you may already of worked out !! So lets start with the flight into Kathmandu as so many of my predecessors have done…..

Just as one would take the rustic charm of an old fence paling and use it to frame a scene from the Australian out back, with its browns, oranges, sun burnt golden scene, so did the cotton wool, like marshmallow clouds that were lite up by the sun take the rugged jagged, dramatic edges of the Himalayan mountains and frame their own picture. A picture that words can not describe, well my words anyway. Majestic, Huge, Wild, Wondrous all come to mind. These clouds were glorious in the bright clear blue sky, with sun shining and amazing clarity all the way to the top of the amazing mountain range. Pan down over the clouds to the land below and well that’s about where the clarity stops….. You did not realize, but you were about to start to breath that wall of dark, thick Smusttion…. Yeah, smusttion is my new word for what you breathe in Kathmandu… Its of course a mix of Smog, Dust and Pollution.

The airport gives the newby traveler to Nepal a wonderful introduction to what they are about to receive. Chaos, Mayhem and Madness !! But it is wondrous…. Yes wondrous Chaos, Mayhem and Madness… You are not to realize it, but your senses are about to be given the ride of there life. A ride that will see them polluted, bashed and battered, a ride that will see them caressed, nurtured and cared for. A ride that will also see them confronted, confused and down right shocked…..

You first of all get to do the Taxi rank shuffle, followed by the Look for your name head tilt and then in my case, the, “Oh Shoot, I didn’t get the number of the hotel head wobble……

Of course these all add to the adventure. The Taxi rank, when you realize it’s a Taxi rank looks more like a farmers market car park that has vehicles only fit for bush bashing all lined up. The Look for your name head tilt, well you don’t want that to be too obvious or you’ll get every man and his goat offering you a room, and then of course if you a bit silly like me and do things at short notice and no planning, then you finally realize after an hour and a half that nobody knows you are there and you now need to remember the name of that dam hotel they keep telling you about !! Lucky you kept that piece of paper and are able to get to a phone.

Then have the manager of said hotel send a car, and oh so politely kick a regular out of his room and then because you are from Forget Me Not, you have a bed for the night !!!!

The Annapurna Guest House is wonderful, they are ever so help full and I actually do believe, apart from giving them regular business that the manager really is appreciative of the sort of work Lars and The Forget Me Not family are doing !! He delivered a cake to the home today and we were all ensconced in the children having hugs, playing games, talking, singing and dancing when he arrived and he had such a happy smile on his face, one of such genuine warmth. He really did seem to be so impressed with the goings on and he seemed so happy to see us all there and the girls enjoying it so.

At this point I could go to any of my numerous headings I have !!

Holy Day

Goats Heads and Butchers Blocks

Meeting the Girls for the First Time

Meeting the Girls for the Second Time

Chitawan

The Rice Ceremony

The Fish Markets

That Night…….

I will of course start with “Meeting the Girls for the First Time”….

It was my second day here, I had survived a walk the night before through the local streets of Thamal without any Holly Madness, more of that later… There was Craig, Mel, George, Annie, Louise, Arie, Lars and I.

We had done The Taxi ride, I mention that because, its an event, each and every time you get in one of those things, it’s really an event to be amazed at, you survived…. No not so much so that but just that the car survived !! Again, more on that later…..

As we walked up the path to the home, there were knots in my stomach, so nervous was I. I was nervous of meeting these girls that I had only ever seen on DVD’s or photos. I was Nervous of how they would react, Nervous of How the Staff would react to this stranger traipsing into there world and almost expecting acceptance…… (I am sure that’s not how I felt, but can’t help but thinking that’s what it must of looked like.) I saw the building and realized I had seen it before, I noticed the roof, the balconies and then the most amazing screeches of joy and happiness as we were spotted by the girls and then there were the smiling faces.

I am so frustrated at my self for not noticing the first girl that came and grabbed my hand or threw their arms around my waist or jumped on a chair and clung them selves around my neck, at not getting the name and reaction of the first who asked me my name. It was impossible. It was a Blur, and wondrous, joyous amazing beautiful blur of acceptance and joy that I have never experienced before. NEVR.

They were real, they were beautiful in their simply being. It was so much more a powerful moment than I ever imagined it would be……. But there was more to come.

The house mums made us coffee and tea, the kids fed us apple and grapes, they rode bikes, laughed, danced, hugged the afternoon away and it was a Blur. Katie asked me later that night while waiting for the others in a restaurant, what I thought about meeting the girls for the first time was like. Well it made me have “another moment” !!! I had had a few that day, and believe me, I don’t do “Having a Moment” easily….

There was more to come….. The second heading I will write is “Meeting the Girls for The Second Time”….

In case you were wondering what has happened to Management Committee on this trip, wonder no further!  As well as Lars Olsen, our CEO, we also have Kate van Doore, President and Andrea Nave, Sponsorship Chair, who travelled to Nepal, and Kate and Andrea, onwards to Uganda. Due to complete busy-ness (!) we haven’t had time to complete journals as yet….but here are the first words from Andrea about her second trip to Nepal….

Dreams Awakening.

My feet touched the ground, my heart started running.

We three, Katy, Craig and I were greeted warmly and whisked away into the chaos that is the streets of Nepal.

Awake and Alive!

Garlanded, and eager we reached the comfort of Annapurna Guest House. The home away from home of Team Forget Me Not.

After a quick settle we were off to see our Girls.

As usual their home was ringing with laughter and squeals!

I was greeted as a long lost precious friend. Tears brushed aside, hands and cheeks held, finally my Ruma was at my side grinning from ear to ear. “How was your journey Aunty? I am so happy you have come back to me.”

From the shyest of beginnings this young lady has blossmed. She stands as a proud member of a large family. Respected within her position as one of the older girls. Willingly taking on responsibility and care for those around her.

During afternoon English class I was surprised at the growing confidence levels. They are all bigger obviously but their confidence and the sureness in their eyes sparle from deep within. These are contented, secure children.

Sneha stood up front and described her new college life. How she enjoys the practicle days at the hospital and very much loves the study. Later that afternoon we all had our pulse and our blood pressure checked and noted.

It’s inspiring to see her so gently comanding as her stethoscope is retrieved from round her neck and she calls for quiet so she can hear your heart beating.
I’m sure mine was doing double time as she looked intently at me with her serious ‘adult’ face.

Potential unfolding…. FMNCH’s dream awakening…..

Namaste ~*~
Andrea Aunty Happy at home!!

Colourful Holi

Nepal Trip Journal- March 2010

I arrived in Kathmandu on Monday 21st February. The hustle and bustle of Kathmandu airport was exacerbated by the strike action that was being held that day. No cabs. If I had of had a dollar for every time a lovely Nepalese man said to me…” Miss, your friend not coming…you been here over hour…strike day..he not coming” we could be well onto stage 3!
Heeding the good advice of my many new friends I employed the services of a private operator and also a Tourist Guide …who had the appropriate ID and took off into Kathmandu- Thamel in search of The Forget me Not Group.
After a bit of hide n go seek I landed at Annapurna Guest House with the wonderful Manjet who tracked Lars down and took me on his motorbike to the Forget Me Not Childrens Home to meet up with the gang and of course….to meet the girls!
Nothing can prepare you for your first visit. A lot runs through your mind prior to your arrival, however that blows out the widow with your first hug from one of the beautiful girls.
There is just so much to tell….I know many of the other group members have been very good in keeping you all posted with the happenings of the next few days……I very selfishly just wanted to absorb every moment and have not posted an entry until now….so I won’t go into detail about the amazing experience of the assembly at Serene Valley School where we watched the girls receive many awards with such pride, and met their Deputy Principal who has so much love for his students; visiting the land in Rani Paua- wow! I will digress here! We were so taken in by the beautiful surrounds of Kakani and Rani Paua. The bus trip up gave us a good insight for what we were in for, but nothing prepares you for your first view of the Annapurna Mountain Range on a clear day.The sky is bright blue, the snow capped mountains crisp white, the ground is literally paved with gold and silver…there is a mica in the rock/soli that glistens and reflects so much light…it sparkles silver and gold….so beautiful. The energy of the place is so strong and you know by feeling it that this is truly a special place and the children will be so happy here.
The local people were very curious as to who we were and where we were from….they were especially happy to bomb us with water…..I think you get extra points for bombing tourists!
Carla and I were lucky to meet……well we were laughing together after they bombed us….2 beautiful girls form the local school Anjita and Sumitra. We called into their school the next day unaware of how much attention we would attract….its funny though kids are kids wherever you go. The teenage boys showed off and yelled out from the safety of their groups, the older girls giggled and talked shyly and one or two brave souls came up and asked us one thousand questions then the rest of the kids followed and wanted their photos taken…..Hoochy Lou ( so named after her ability to consume Piro Prem’s Hooch),Carla and I attempted to clean out the dwelling on the land….after trying to negotiate the purchase of buckets, brooms etc in the village. We ended up with a “loaner” shovel that had to be back to its owner by 2pm and intruding on a swarm of not so friendly wasps who have constructed a lovely home on the walls of the hut….we decided we had gone as far as we could!
That night we were treated to dinner under the stars at our guest house …Ari had fallen to the dreaded verius squirtius bottomus (VSB), a treacherous but common disease amongst travellers in Nepal, so Carla Hoochy Lou and I wandered up to the Shiva Temple accompanied by fearless Chocco and had a magic time observing the goings on of the universe…..
The next day….. George succumbed to the dreaded VSB and after a day of avoiding food to stem the flow……became ravenous! Hence he has since been known as Ravenous George…and has been an many an adventure! The group has written a whole series on the Adventures of Ravenous George and include such tales as Ravenous George and the case of the disappearing toilet tap, Ravenous George and the Cheese & Ryvita VSB Fixer, Ravenous George & his precious honey, Ravenous George learns to share…..and an M rated version…ravenous George and the case of the curious concubines! The first edition will be in print by July and all proceeds will go the FMNCH……. predicted as a best seller……well it will be for the first 10 copies anyway!
Piro Prem took us up to a trout farm for lunch the next day…..where a Nepalese Fabio was attempting to seduce a lovely young girl with a trout dinner ( very expensive …about $17/kg) and beer! She was onto his wily ways and we think she survived his persistent charms! Inspired by the very fit Carla and Lars….I took up an offer to walk back to the village with Carla….it was soooo beautiful.The sun was setting behind the snow capped mountains…amazing views….great company…the perfect end to the perfect day!

I have so much to tell….however will do another entry later………
Lots of love

Namaste
Mel

From Lou:

hello to you all,

well today we had mo mo party with the girls, oh wow is my belly so full and i know that some of theirs will be too. up until today i hadn’t attempted to make these delicious little morsels but after creating all sorts of shapes i reckon i could have a go when i get back home.

It has been a great week, 7 of the group headed to Chitwan on Tuesday, we had a quite leisurely drift down for our rafting adventure before getting back on our bus for a somewhat interesting rest of the journey to our destination. The highlight for me was definetly on Wednesday getting the chance along with Ari to get out in the river for a ride and swim with one of the elephants. It all happened so quickly that i don’t think i had the chance to get terrified of what i was doing! Ending the day with drinks by the river was beautiful, pure magic watching the sun set and seeing the colours wash across the sky and water. Thursday morning our group boarded our bus for quite a long trip back to Thamel, it was certainly nice to see the familiarity of the guesthouse.

We have 2 more nights here before we head back to Hervey Bay, in ways i am looking forward to getting back home to the clean air that up until now have taken for granted. on the other hand i feel a sense of sadness to be leaving this place. something though that occurred to me is that i do not feel sadness about saying goodbye to the girls at the orphanage, they have such a lovely home there, with people who love and take the best care of them. they are in a very good place and their futures’ are so bright thanks to the Forget Me Not family and those who sponser them. There is such a postive cloud surrounding them all and i do believe that these girls will going on to do some very special things in their lives due to the strong foundations that are being put in place everyday.

To end this journal, i am going to list some of the highlights of my first trip to Nepal-
flying in to Kathmandu seeing the magnificient Himalayas
my first experience of being in a vehicle on the streets here, not for the faint hearted!
meeting and spending the time with 21 special little girls and the people who look after them
watching the girls dance, boy have they got the moves going on!
walking the land on which the new project is about to get started on
being here for Holi
elephants @ Chitwan
making and eating mo mo’s til i felt i could burst
this list could go on and on trust me and these points are in no specific order either

i hope so much to you out there who are considering doing a trip here in the future that you get your flights booked, just do it! Its been one of the best decisions i’ve made in my life. i knew i was in for a culture shock when i came here but i reckon i’m about to get another coming back home. What a magic couple of weeks i’ve had.

Namaste

Louise

From Ari:

Namaste all.

We left for Chitwan about 8:30-9:00am-ish on Tuesday morning. Our driver couldnt speak english at all- lucky us! We left Thamel and headed out past the centre of Kathmandu and we stopped at a petrol station. The fuel tank on the car was on the left hand side and the bowser was on the right, so our driver proceeded to mount the gutter and then ended up getting the end of car stuck in the gutter. The wheels were spinning and we were omg-ing. Finally we got out of the gutter and left again to embark on what was an eventful trip. From that point on everyone was slightly skeptical of our driver (Sham or Sam or something) after his shaky start, but i tried to remain optimistic. That was until we got out in the country where he began making random stops to ask direction to the rafting place. We all knew, esp Katy who has been a few times, that he had to keep going but, but Sha-sam kept on stopping. We could deal with that, but then we all noticed his particular style of driving. It was just so great going up hills in 4th gear. Maybe it was because he had already killed 2nd and was making an effort on 3rd gear. Dad i discussed how the teeth in the cogs were stuffed etc etc. Jase was on the wall without his regulation 3 cups of coffee. Dad told me to change gears for him, as it seemed he was the only one who couldnt hear the engine labouring. We finally arrived at the rafting place after no pee stops along the way. The rafting was awesome and the water was freezing!! It was good, but Louise and i agreed that bigger would be better and next time we go it will be after monsoon so it will be wild!! We met Sha-sam at the end of our rafting and apprehensively boarded the van.

You know when something really annoys you and you try do something else to take your mind off it. Well it seemed that rafting only took our minds of Sha-sam’s bad driving momentarily because about 1 min up the road i could hear Jase laughing in the back and dad saying, ‘change now.’ Katy and Andrea were attempting to put some music on to ease our troubles, but Sha-sam had that covered too, and replied by blasting bollywood music. I had my head on my travel pillow and i held up my fingers to indicate what gear we were in, followed by what gear we should have been in, followed by a prediction of what he was going to do next (i was in the passengers seat). This continued until we reached the outskirts of Chitwan, then the stops for direction became more frequent, even though Katy was saying, ‘No Di (older brother), i think we are going the wrong way’, and ‘excuse me Di, i think we should have turned there.’ We went up bumpy roads that was obviously the wrong way, and somehow we ended up at a hotel called Sapana Lodge. They directed us and after another few roads we finally got there at 5:30pm. Needless to say we were all glad to be out of that van. Jase had moved on from his lack of coffee and was now craving a cold beer. We went down to the river to a restaurant bar and ordered drinks and just sat about until dinner at 6:30 which was followed by a cultural dance at the hotel.

The next day we went along the river in dugout canoes which was beautiful. Only problem is that every time you turn your body, the canoe rocks to the side. Dad and Jase wouldnt go with the natural flow and were fighting it, causing it to rock even more. Our guide Vishie thought it would be funny to rock it even more considering there were crocs in the river After the canoe ride we went for a jungle walk followed by a visit to the Elephant breeding centre where we fed them pre-approved biscuits. We then travelled back to our little restaurant bar by the river and watched as the trainers brought their elephants down to wash them. Vishie told us that a couple of days earlier 4 tourists had been hurt badly by one of the elephants and that if we were to get on it would be a little on the hush hush. So he asked a trainer and then Louise and I waded in and got on its back. We splashed and played and had the best time, an absolutely amazing experience everyone should have. We all went back and had some lunch at the hotel and Louise and i sunned ourselves until we were dry and at about 3pm we went on an elephant jungle walk. That was crazy awesome! Louise, Jase and i rode together on ‘Beauty’, the youngest and silliest elephant. We saw rhinos, deer, crocs and monkeys After that fun we went back to our river bar to have some snacks and drinks etc as we had to leave the next morning.
Well the trip back was another adventure. Before we had even gotten onto the main road we had pulled over and asked several people to put air in the back tyre (probably a result of the fuel station fiasco). Once we got onto the highway we didnt stop, but we were going about 50km/ph. We couldnt believe it. On the way to Chitwan is was bewildering and a bit funny, but on the way back it was, ‘far out, this is bull***t. I am not going into detail because my eye twitches when i think about it! Let me just say that we left at about 9am and didnt get back til after 4pm.

Louise and i did some hardcore shopping on Friday and we visited the girls in the afternoon and just sat around and played and had fun.
Saturday was Mo-mo party and dancing and sari’s and everything pretty! It was a good day and you will see by the photos!
Sunday is the last full day so we are really living it up Saturday night and Sunday night trying to eat as much as we can

This trip has been such an amazing experience and i am going to work extra hard so i can come back in November!
You dont have any idea how much you impact the girls lives just by sending letters and speaking to them on the phone, so to meet everyone of them and see their little spirits and personalities shine is just beautiful. Everyone should be saving!

Ciao Nepal

See everyone soon!

Namaste- Ari

Annie’s Coming of Age

Namaste

I guess I shall start from our leaving Australia, which proved to be slightly eventful with Arielle getting car sick and us not being able to find due to road works the place we were leaving our car. Thankfully we sorted that out and arrived at the airport just before Lars, Carla and Louise.

The flight over was really smooth. We were on a new plane with all the modern technology arriving in Singapore on time. George made, as Arielle would say, a “bestie”, a really nice man called Ben, who’s company is “Maui-Jim Sunglasses”. As we parted at Singapore, he gave us $150 for the orphanage. We had a few hours at Singapore airport to look around then back on the smaller plane to Nepal. There wasn’t many on the plane so we were able to spread out and sleep etc. I was lucky enough to have a window seat and the view was so interesting all the way. The islands, then the constant change in the terrain, then all of a sudden, the breathtaking view of the Himalaya’s came into my view with the sun shining on the snow covered peak all so huge. It’s just like I’ve seen in Lars’ postcards but in real life so so much more.

As we flew through the gap of the mountains you get an idea of what Nepal is like. Beauty beyond belief an poverty like you have never experienced. Yet, all blending together and creating intoxicating , rich and diverse experience. We arrived at Kathmandu airport, no dramas, had Prem and Manjit (hotel man) waiting for us and we had our beautiful marigold leis draped around our necks and away we went to our private bus transfer.

It was quite busy but not as crazy as I expected with only a couple of beggars following us, it was quite funny as Lars had said not to give them money but just as we were about to get in the bus, I did notice Lars do a quick magician like transfer of money to the poor beggar man with only one leg. It was all done without fuss and no one else noticing. It made me realise that wherever Lars is, he will always be doing things for the goodness of others, not wanting any recognition, just doing it because it’s the right thing to do at that moment.

The traffic was pretty crazy but they are such seriously skilled drivers with horns being the most essential item. E settled into our humble abode, then over to see the girls, only to discover that Lars hadn’t read his latest email and in fact they were at the Police Academy with their school doing a massive song and dance concert day. So we unpacked our cases of items for the girls then went over. It was just like our school concerts only four times as big. The hall was huge and full of parents and family all proudly watching on. We got to see some of our girls dancing, met Barme who was so excited an gave us lots of cuddles. I couldn’t help but think, as we sat there proudly, where would our girls be now if not for Lars and Forget Me Not and its humble beginnings to where it is now with so many people all working together to one goal.

So, the plan was we would go over on Saturday morning to meet everyone. Saturday arrived, we were so excited!! We knocked and sung out at the gate and then some of the girls came racing out so happy to see us taking us inside and the rest of the girls came tumbling noisily down the stairs so happy to see us.

I was three quarters of the way up when Anita launched herself at me, hugging me and kissing me. I thought I was prepared for it however I found myself bawling my eyes out with the emotion of it all. Anita then took me by the hand, up the rest of the stairs, where she had waiting for me all the rest of the photos and albums we had previously sent. She showed me all of the people in them, naming them one by one. It just goes to show the value of these simple little albums is a life line of “family” to the children that they talk about all the time.

All our staff are so nice and welcoming and all the girls are so open, loving, giving and trusting in you. They are credit to their house mums. They put on dance shows for us and of course, we had to dance as well! All good fun! We enjoyed a meal together and got to know each other. The older girls are real teenagers – knowing what type of clothing they like, and certain types of hair styles etc. Lovely young ladies and so responsible with the younger ones

Finally we left with a promise of returning the next day. That proved to be a little more difficult as there was a strike with no transport. So we just had to walk back which was quite an interesting couple of hours dodging water bombers getting target practice ready for Sunday’s Holi festival. All good fun.

Tuesday we were guests at Serene Valley School where the girls attend. First we had to teach a class, then we were guests at a special awards parade ceremony. Once again we were the proud parents watching our girls get their awards for many and varied things. It was also great for them to have us there as you could tell they loved it and we got lots of great photos. We were also impressed with the school awards and the caring environment. The older girls told me how much they love this school, much better than the other one they went to. We walked back home for afternoon tea and my craft day. All in all, it was very fulfilling. The girls knew they wouldn’t be seeing us for a couple of days while we visited the land so after many questions of hen we will see them again, we left with all of the them waving us off, looking forward to Saturday when we would return to take them to the movies. Then of course, Holi was Sunday – what an exciting weekend ahead!!

For me personally, I’m loving every second. I feel at home in Nepal like I’ve been here before. I’ve had no culture shock, no adjustment problems and the food here is the best- so fresh and so tasty! The country may be poor but it supplies such a huge array of top quality fruit and vegetables, it never ceases to amaze me.

Then, of course, there are our 21 beautiful girls. I know you’ve all read it all before, but you can’t begin to imagine the pure love, care and concern they have for you. Trust me, until you experience it physically, you never will quite understand it. We all should be very, very proud of everything we have done towards this home and our future projects. My wish is that everyone of you could at some stage in your life come here and see that just by giving a little time, a little money and a little love, you can make a huge difference to children across the other side of the world. I guarantee you that the little bit you have given is nothing compared to what you get back.

Love Annie (Mum/Grandma)

PS The girls send their love to Freja Aunty and Molli-Anne

From the world our Forget Me Not Girls – Carla Thomas

Horns, foreign language, the cooler air of winter, strange but familiar smells, dust, smog, children at the taxi windows tapping away wanting you to buy a card or give money, and the colorful shops filled with pashminas, clothes, paintings, ornaments and so much more.
As it is my 6th visit to Nepal this in some ways feels normal like I have returned to my other part of the world, in my heart I feel at ease and at peace with this land.
Well it is already our 12th day on our journey and so much has happened. From seeing our beautiful girls and being showered with hugs and kisses to visiting the land at Rani Pauwa and making friends with Ajita and Samitra from the local school to the Festival of Holi plus yoga sessions in-between. We have been on the move since arriving.

A few of my reflective moments:
As a lot of you know my heart sings when I see the girls. With their big brown eyes that shine, their long dark hair that glistens in the sun and their smiles that go from ear to ear, I feel such warmth and openness each time I see all 21 girls.
My body dissolves when the littlest of the girls Junu calls out Aunty, Carla Aunty from the top of the stairs, waving her little hand towards me beckoning me to come an talk, to watch her dance, to show me something or to play games. As I sit down her cold fingertips wrap around my eyes and she says “Guess Who” and she giggles and giggles as we play the game.
As we sat down in one of the English lessons and some of the girls stand up to welcome us, tell us about Holi or school. Sneha our eldest girl that is now attending nursing college tells us what she has been learning and how she can take someone’s blood pressure, heart rate, temperature and that she is also doing practicum at the hospital. This sends goose bumps through my body, “how good is this”. We had Basundhara explain what was going to happen during the festival of Holi and that we were celebrating hope and unity, and that they were very excited, as this is one of the best festivals. At this point my joyous emotions were surfacing as I kept reflecting on when I first meet each girl to now. The Forget Me Not Girls have gone from quiet, shy introverted mice to individuals with personality and charisma plus. Tears started to gently flow as Junu (my extra soft spot) stood up and started singing the butterfly song in English. This little girl came to the Children’s Home two years ago, frightened, withdrawn and vulnerable (not speaking). That day she stood before us with shinning eyes a cheeky smile and a big open heart, what a moment.
The Forget Me Not team in Nepal including the house mothers Janu and Madavi deserve much credit as this home is ALIVE with love and a nurturing environment.

Red, Purple, Green, Blue, Gold, Silver, Pink plus many other colours were showered upon us during the festival of Holi. The festival of Holi or the festival of colours is a day of much celebration as it helps to bring the society together and strengthen the secular fabric of the country. In many legends the underlying truth of the day is the ultimate victory of good over evil. All over the streets people can be watched having fun, throwing colours and water-balloons, locally called ‘lolas’ on each other. Everyone becomes drenched in the coloured water. The girls were given white skirts and tops (thanks to Fraser Shores Retirement Village and Mel & Craig) so that by the end of the day they would all look like rainbows. As we entered the gates that morning it was one for all. Water bombs, buckets of coloured water, powered dye smothered over our faces in our hair and many greetings of Happy Holi. Smiles, laughter, shrieks and shrills filled the air as well as goose bumps on the skin as it is still the end of winter. So much fun was had by all. Deviki was the queen of the bucket, tipping cold water on everyone J
Sponsor presents were received with much pleasure. Photo albums and letters always a winner. Many of you will receive phone calls over the next few days so please be on alert.

Well it is a fine sunny day here in Thamel, Kathmandu. I must head out onto the streets of the hustle and bustle of bikes, taxi’s and people to buy some merchandise.

Much love from the world of Nepal

Namaste

Carla xox