Our Days

Many people have asked KC and I how we spend our days in Nepal because 18 of the 20 kids attend school. Well, two days a week we join the children at school teaching conversational english and we spend one day a week at a local center for children who have not had a formal education.

The children of Sam's House attend a private school called Gorkha English Boarding School (GEBS). It is located about 2 km from the house. The school is nursey to grade 10 and has an enrollment of 350 children. KC teaches upper kindergarten through grade 2, I teach grade 3 through 7. We try to find challenging ways for the children to exercise their english speaking skills in the classroom and encourage them to practice outside of school as much as possible. We teach 5 classes a day on Mondays and Wednesdays. I also help the football team in the mornings. There has not been a formal practice schedule so we instituted practice from 7:00 am t0 9:00 am. The kids love getting out on the pitch. They are eager to learn offside traps, new formations and set plays. The team participates in a tournament once a year with the other schools in the area. We are expecting big results in the next tournament.

The center for local kids has been extremely rewarding for KC and I. The children who attend come from a variety of situations; children from agriculture families, children whose family could not afford education and girls who come from rural areas and work as live in nannies in Pokhara. The children enjoy our presence as much as we enjoy their eagerness to learn. We are always greeted at the doorstep with huge smiles and treats. Their favorite questions are about our families but I love to talk about the size of buildings and subways to blow their minds. They think I'm crazy, I wish I could bring a couple to the States so they could come back and tell the tales.

The pictures below are from both schools.



















GEBS welcomed us with a full school reception. The grade 10 students played the keyboard, guitar and drums while others sang. We were deeply touched by the heart felt performance. The students and faculty truly appreciate our team and efforts. It has been an absolute pleasure for KC and I to be part of their school. This is a picture of KC and I enjoying the performance on stage with the students behind us.
















We received flower garlands and mallas. Both gifts are a traditional way of welcoming or wishing friends and family safe travels.
















KC and her students at the local center. You can see one of the students holding KC's hand, a sign of their affection and gratitude for our short time as their teachers. The center is two rooms. The first room is open to the street, the second is enclosed and the walls are filled with the alphabet, days of the week and colors.

















I review the letter "I" for the class. We spend extra time on pronunciation. I must say I never thought I would be explaining the difference between the long 'i' and short 'i' to a group of Nepalese children but I can't think of a better way to spend my afternoons.