I was introduced as 'the art-teacher',which was an honor for me. Here you see the little kids aged between 4 and 5(ECHL) who were asked to make a drawing what ever they liked. For the first time these kids used color pencils.
We took half of the class to the 'new' library, which was opened while Cynthia and I were here.
The school can now offer the children a variety of 2000 books in different levels and languages. They consider it as a sacred place.

he was the last one.

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after school teaching in Tibetan language and prayers

 Karuna, my sponsor child. A shy, adorable kid only 4 years old. She comes from the Dalit village, not far from the school. Dalit people are the 'Untouchables', people with hardly any change to improve their lives. Children are mostly kept away from schools, because of the need of the parents to help them in household, work on the land or taking care of the babies

for them it was THE time to get a new school uniform, no luxury I would say

arrival of the fun parts. We had to wait for this delivery 2 weeks.  Finally we could introduce the kids to puzzles and other toys. So much fun!

Playground and the house of the principal Tashi and Tenzin and their 2 year old Chocky

 This picture you see often in Nepal. Sherpa's who carry all the luggage from the tourist high up in the mountains. I have seen them carrying dozens of boxes of coca cola and beer, all on request of the tourist.

 Mules waiting for more to come. This is in front of our Kailash hotel. Still under construction, hopefully one day it will be up and running. I have my doubts.

changing old for new

 Laxmi, the help for the family of the principal. A beautiful 34 year old Dalit woman. Mother of a daughter of 16. She is around whole day filled with love and devotion.
A new school uniform is part of the sponsorship of NZ$ 152.00 per year. The other part is for books and teachings.
They get 2 pair of pants/skirts, blouse, tie, jersey, belt, cap, shoes and 2 pairs of socks and for the girls long stockings.

It was a big puzzle to get his new socks on. His feet were so dirty and cracked. He could finally change his flip-flops for real leather shoes. Look at his worn-out oldies.

Proud and uncertain with all the new clothes

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Udesh, my other sponsor child, also a Dalit child from the other village.

Karuna again, look at her hanky pinned on her shirt. Many kids have running noses.
I pray for both of them to stay at the school and hope that they finish and can have a 'normal' future.

for many Nepali/Tibetan women stone cutting is their job.
They earn NZ$ 1.00 per day.

 From Kathmand I traveled to Jumla, a village in the norht-east of Nepal. One can only come here by plane, truck or mule. The so called 'high-way' is dangerous and many times closed because of landslides.
Here is the Kailash Bodi School, with Tashi as school principal. Tashi lived a comfortable life in Nelson for 3 years, used to our normal circumstances: hot shower, reasonable warm house, a car, flushing toilet and water from the tab. He gave up all this to go back to Nepal with his wife Tenzin to start a private school. The main reason for him was to keep the Tibetan tradition and the language alive
This school is sponsored by "In Time Trust", founded by Cynthia. We were together here in Jumla to be with the kids,  help out where ever needed and feel the need of the children and the people. There is so much to do here and it is hardly not to explain how life is in this forgotten part of the world with its beautiful, adorable and kind people.

stone cutting

always willing to give a smile

a weekly necessity to do the laundry in the river

mid August till mid September.

Sanne arrived the 18th of August and Ruben came surprisingly 1 week later for 10 days.

For them it was 9 years ago since they left their Motherland. Great to go back to family, friends and places with lots of memories. 

The Summer Weather Gods were with us most of the time. 

 During the summer season many cities and towns have a Fair, like this one in Hoorn, historic city in the Northern part of the Netherlands. Sanne and I are here in the 'Zweef' (sway mill) overlooking the city

 You cannot leave the Fair without a delicious famous 'oliebol'

 The 'snoep kraam' all kinds of sweets. Huge candy sticks, gigantic lollipops and nougat.

 bikes, bikes everywhere. This is a protected area for which you have to buy a ticket

 Amsterdam, around the corner I had an apartment when I was 20 years old and lived their for 3 years.
The 'famous' coffee shops where you can buy your daily cannabis.

 The Dam Square with the 'New Church' and left the Palace where we visited an interesting exhibition about the time the Louis Napoleon (brother of THE Napoleon of France) ruled over Holland, the first king of The Netherlands.

 One of the canals in Amsterdam: the Singel. Left is the Flower Market. The stalls are floating sheds
A must visit for tourist where they can buy tulip bulbs and many others

 Isn't this amazing: hash-cookies, mushrooms, lollipops, you name it.....

 In the past this building was a storage, nowadays an apparent building. Typical Amsterdam

 The latest way of transport: de 'bakfiets' I have seen mothers biking with 2-3-4 kids amongst the groceries. A cheap and very economically way of transport.

 A typical Dutch landscape; the lowlands. 60% of The Netherlands is below sea level. Every year millions of euro's have to spent to keep up with the force of wind and water.

 The bridge in Edam

 MADURODAM in The Hague. A tourist attraction where the whole of The Netherlands is made in miniatures. Here the Cheese Market in Alkmaar

 The New Church in Amsterdam

 A stunning moment on the North Sea shore, Egmond aan Zee

 This is very unique even in Holland. I had one of those cottages for many years, my brother has it now. From May till end of August we spent most of the summer times here.

 Volendam, authentic village on the IJsselmeer. Not very long ago the people walked in 'costume'. Famous for their fishing: smoked eel, their music and their dialect.

 Here we get dressed for a picture in costume, it was so much fun.

 I choose to get dressed in the male costume.

 The 'smaller' house in Volendam

 Our little dream house, we found this beauty on www.airbnb.com. Little house on the waterfront in Edam. here you  see the back with a gorgeous garden. We rented this for 2 weeks.

 De Zaanse Schans, an open -air museum with working windmills (for spices,, grains and nuts). I went to college not far from here and biked every day 20 ks.

 authentic wooden houses

 The first grocery shop: Albert Heijn, a huge multi national nowadays

 clocks, clocks and more clocks. In this museum they have them for weddings, funerals, kids in all sizes. The varied from village to village. Awesome.

 We picked up Ruben from Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam. I love this new sign.

 We spend a few days in Egmond in our old 'beach-villa'!!!!

 Eating from the wall. Put 1 euro in the hole, open the door of your choice and there you go.

 Dutch cheeses and Dutch herring, a must have..

 Volendam, the quay with ice-and fish stalls and hundreds of tourist from all over the world

 The Brown Fleet, authentic sailing boats. Not for fishing anymore , now for tourists.

 Ready for the picture

 A novelty, water tanks with littles fish. They eat your dead skin cells. What a sensational feeling.

Cafe Spaander, the whole interior is hanged with paintings from. In the past many painters came to paint here. some of them could not pay the rent or had to stay longer because of bad weather conditions  and paid the bill with a painting. The staff members work in the authentic costume.

 Narrow streets in Volendam

 Sloot (ditch) with 'kroos' a kind of little green water plant

 Edam Cheese market. A summer tourist attraction

 picnic with my cousin Dirkje and Sanne's friend Aifa

 Sailing with my dear friends Sjaak (off-shore friend of Jan) and Ineke

 We sailed to Marken, another totally different old village not far from Volendam. Here you see their authentic costumes. right is a 'bedstee' In those days people slept in a kind of a cupboard

 Marken

 Ruben managing the boat, he picked it up pretty quickly. We were all amazed

An the last one, a photo from Volendam.
I can look back to a wonderful time in Holland. 2 more days for my next adventure starts.