So another two weeks here and what's been happening? Quite a lot of rain to be honest. I guess this is making up for last summer when we were baking in Greece and England was having its own monsoon! Last Saturday we went hashing against my better judgment as it was drizzly before we left. Then we found there was a banda on the way to where we were going i.e. a blockade across the road to stop traffic. This one was apparently as there had been a number of taxi drivers murdered during the last couple of weeks - appalling but quite how bringing all the traffic to a halt was supposed to make a difference I have not a clue. Anyway, we eventually managed to sneak through behind an ambulance but we should have taken it as a sign and not gone. The drizzle got heavier and heavier and by the end of the proceedings was a full scale down pour. I managed to borrow an umbrella from a helpful chauffeur so could pretend I was not soaked while waiting at the On Inn for the runners to return. No such luck for them though as a stream they were supposed to cross had turned in to a torrent by the time they got to it and they had to form a human chain to safely get across. Most of them still fell in and it was G's first leech experience, with scars to prove it - only on his ankle I hasten to add! Today is Friday and it is pouring with rain again so methinks it is unlikely we will be going tomorrow!

On Tuesday evening I went to a wedding party. It was for a girl who used to work at my office and she had invited along everyone. As it was just the party we didn't see the ceremony which is a shame as unusually they are a Christian couple and it would have been interesting to see the Nepali influence on the service that I am familiar with. But the bride looked lovely in her white sari - in the Hindu ceremony the wedding sari is always red, in fact it was the Hindu wedding sari that I was dressed up in at the village! Anyway, the party had kicked off about 3pm so we were pretty late when we got there about 6.30 - after a record breaking journey with 7 of us in a taxi the size of a Nissan micra! We were introduced to the wedding party then given drinks and snacks, then we had dahlbaht - of course, what else would they have to celebrate - and then we left. Marri and I were a bit taken aback because we felt really rude eating and running but that is just Nepali culture. It is perfectly normal just to turn up, eat and go! In fact I have realized that is how it works for work events as well. I couldn't understand why they left arranging workshops and forums to about three days beforehand. They don't send out invitations till the day before - if you did that in the UK you'd be lucky to get anyone turning up. But here they get perfectly good turnouts, and it seems that people don't plan what they are doing until just before. And I think that as long as there is a chance of some food involved everyone here will come - I don't mean that in a nasty way, people here are poor and they are being practical!

I've been noticing some other cultural differences: Everyone here is perfectly happy to speak in public with no script - for hours! In Britain everyone wants to do presentation skills training because they are scared of public speaking, but that is certainly not the case here. At the work events I've been to, and its not just politicians but general public from all walks of life and they will just talk for ages, in fact it seems quite difficult to get the microphone off some of them! Whether any of them are saying anything worth hearing I can't say as I haven't understood anything but thats another matter! Another thing is mobile phones at meetings. We generally turn ours off and get annoyed with disturbances. Here its no problem. You can be having quite a serious discussion with a Nepali but if their phone rings that will always take precedence - even if its just their Mum! And in workshops etc rather than leave the room they will crouch down so their head is alsmost under the table but you can still hear their conversation - it is quite amusing! Anyway, interesting cultural learning!

Hey, really exciting news and I'd almost forgotton - we now have a table, hurrah!!! I'd gone to see him last Sunday and it was still sat in his work shop - 4 legs without a top.- and he said that he needed a sunny day to be able to stain it. After that he would bring it to us. Just another excuse I thought and not great when the monsoon has just started so went to see our landlady to ask her to help. However, she had already been trying and apparently her entire family every time they went past his shop would scold him for taking so long! But then Wednesday evening Gordon and I arrived home together and there it was at the top of the stairs! That night it was load shedding so we couldn't actually see it till the morning but it looks fine and anyway we can get a nice tablecloth. But it is a little larger than we imagined - we will have to have some big dinner parties! Now all we need is some chairs. He said Saturday but I'll believe that when I see it, though G thinks that he will be quicker with those as he won't get any more money till they're done!

Work is continuing. More funding proposals and attending events where I can't understand anything but I have been trying to encourage some better internal stuff e.g. having a planning meeting. The discipline was not quite up there with what I'm used to - most people were 30mins late and half left before the end, separate conversations at times, working on their own computer while the meeting was happening etc, but it's a start! I don't think they see the value yet but it is early days! And I have a meeting on Tuesday with the Thulo Manche (big man) to look at the Organisation Development plan which is what I am supposed to be working on. So, with luck, I might actually find out what I am supposed to be doing! We shall see.

We have been exploring the nightlife around where we live and have found a couple of nice bars and restaurants. This part of town - well, in fact Lalitpur is actually a separate city from Kathmandu - doesn't compare with the north where we were in the guest house as that is really geared up to tourists with loads of bars and restaurants but we still go up there probably once a week to see friends who live in that part. The whole urban area only takes about 15mins in a taxi to cross. But our side is nicer in a lot of ways as it is quieter, cleaner, less busy and a bit more sophisticated. We found a nice African Bar owned by a Liberian guy with a Nepali partner. Very popular with the Ugandans and playing lots of African music so good fun. Most of the UN type people live in Lalitpur so the restaurants etc cater to them so are perhaps a little more expensive but very nice.We've also found a good takeaway pizza place so G is happy.