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We have had a better week – whether this is because we are learning to let things wash over us more or because we have been busier and feeling a bit more like we are gainfully employed we are not sure.

Things may have got a bit worse before they got better... we had a good, full, day of teaching and computer practicals on Wednesday which raised our spirits and we arrived on Thursday keen to continue. However, after a bit of consultation and much talking amongst the teachers, we were told that there was to be a two day strike called by the Maoist teacher's union. None of the teachers are a member of the union nor were they wanting to shut down the school for these days; but, worried about any possible repercussions, they sent the students home until Sunday. This did have the positive effect that we had the day with all of the teachers and a chance to give them computer lessons and for Drew to explain the new set up.

We then had a long weekend – Friday and Saturday – so we went for a couple of walks up the valley through all the neighbouring villages (gathering a small following as we went!); and the next day back down to the river armed with our swimsuits for a very refreshing dip. This also provided us with the opportunity to recreate a certain 80's shampoo advert washing our hair in the waterfalls.

The rest of this week has passed by with lots of teaching (some teachers are away doing exams, so we had a full schedule filling in and meeting new classes) – there was the obligatory day where the school had to shut down, this time for a fairly low-key village harvest festival. The corn fields that surround the houses are being gradually hacked down and there are baskets of corn, and sheaths of corn hanging to dry, everywhere. Having said that the porters here are hard, we are now thinking that all Nepalis are tough as we could barely lift a basket of corn that Ratna Maya (mother) arrived back from the fields with strapped over her head which Heather then helped to sheath (helped... probably hindered more but tried!). The start of the festival was heralded by a couple of shamen (jhankri) doing a ritualistic dance into the village accompanied by large horns, reed instruments and drums. They then appeared to carry out some blessing on some drinks which were handed round to all gathered.

There appears to have been another mix up with the IT equipment – Drew requested for a teacher coming back through Charikot to pick up some heat-sink (thermal) compound if possible. A few days later he was confusingly presented with a bottle of printer toner... we are not quite sure if this was coincidence or was thought of as a suitable substitute but no further mention has been made of the compound. We have also been told that the cables we have been waiting for (complete with the requisite connectors and a few other bits and pieces) should be on their way up here shortly. We just have to hope that they arrive before we leave in a weeks time.

Despite us both having slightly dodgy stomachs, and Drew now unfortunately suffering from a cold; we are still enjoying the food here. We have, however, been recognising the perils of the dhal-bhat triangle – this has been named after Heather's mother's French cheese triangle: where you are enjoying some bread, cheese and red wine, but end up with more wine than cheese, so take a bit more cheese, then need some more bread to go with it, have slightly more than your wine, so take a bit more wine and so on in a pleasant merry-go-round. Similarly, the dhal-bhat triangle emerges with dhal, curry and rice pitting you into a spiral of more and more food until you realise that you have far more on your plate than you could possibly imagine eating.... all just when the half hour rule kicks in!!

We have been 'treated' to a meal which is apparently typical Tamang fare but which has left us both incapacitated both times it has been served. This consists of a huge plate of thick, stodgy, rice pudding made with rich buffalo milk and with unidentifiable balls of dough (millet flour?) in it – this stuff could easily be used for construction. Alongside this, you are also given a bowl of garlic soup which is a very powerful hot, sour, soup which could clean grease off an axle. The combined effect is like a hard punch to the stomach (… we haven't decided yet whether this is better or worse than being plied endlessly with butter tea but hoping that we won't have to try it again).

Whilst it is very pleasant and peaceful here – we have been treated to firefly displays dancing around us whilst outside brushing our teeth with Nepali red/brown anaesthetic toothpaste – we are both quite looking forward to a holiday after this and have been doing some onward planning (as much as you can without the internet). At the minute, just the delights of Kathmandu and a comfy bed are enough (our mattress here comprises of a wooden base topped by a thin straw matt providing a full 1cm of hip-grinding padding).

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