My temporary life in urban Nepal

In the last week of my current stint at the village school, I was invited to spend a night in Kalabang. Apart from some final hours of family time, it was also going to be an opportunity for early morning mountain views from ‘the top of the hill’.

I already knew from the comings and (mainly) goings at school, that the village has been having a bumper harvest this year. It was not unusual to find a child was absent for a day when their family had reached the critical point of the rice harvest. But now the rice is in, and they have made a start on the millet and other crops, and the construction of haystacks that will feed the livestock over the winter.

Taking a nostalgic wander around the village with the boys after school, I really noticed how lush and vibrant the countryside looked. And of course there were people everywhere, working hard, right up until it was too dark to see properly.

At this time of year there are also a lot of baby animals around – buffalo, goats and lambs – including one lamb seemingly born while I ate my breakfast the next morning!

Unfortunately it wasn’t a clear morning, so there was no point seeking the mountain views, but I enjoyed spending extra time in amongst the regular morning activities of feeding all the animals and getting ready for the day ahead.