So we have some new neighbours. Two Australian girls who are also volunteers have moved in downstairs. Their very nice and friendly but they may not be staying that long as their flat got broken into last night and they're a bit shaken up! So much for all Nepalis being lovely people. the suspicion is that it was the plumber - often a bit dodgy, those people! Anyway, he'd been round in the afternoon as they'd been complaining about the low water pressure. In fact that's just a feature of the poor design as we have the same issue - when I want to wash my hair I sit on the loo with my head between my knees to get enough water pressure to wash out the shampoo, but after a bucket in the charpi during the village stay it is comparatively luxurious! Anyway, he sounds a bit of a crook anyway as when the landlady had used him previously he's wanted his payment to include his whole family geting to stay in the flat for a month and when she naturally refused he was really angry. Don't ask me why she got him back again this time but she had already agreed the price with him before he started and then he started demanding more money and just being a complete pain so they told him where to go. But he'd obviously seen it was just two girls there, and that their balcony was easily accessible from a house under construction next door. Abby was woken by noises outside her window and went into Gemma's room for the rest of the night but they didn't do anything as they thought they were being foolish and imagining things. But one of the neighbours saw someone on the balcony and raised the alarm which presumably scared him off but when they got up in the morning they found Abby's window had been completely chiselled out of the frame! He must have stopped without coming in but quite what he'd have done as he'd have had to have climbed onto Abby's bed! Anyway, the landlady is going to get metal bars fitted all along the windows so I hope that makes them feel safer. We're not too worried as it is a much bigger gap to our balcony but I still want to do something as a couple of planks and there'd be a bridge! So may be the Nepalis are right to be so paranoid about security! But the good news is we now have our own keys to the outside gate - they must trust us now - so we don't feel like we're under curfew anymore.

Anyway, what else has been happening? Last weekend we were a bit sporty - maybe its the effect of the olympics? - going 10 pin bowling with some other volunteers. I was rubbish, even worse than at home so I'm putting it down to the altitude! then on Sunday we went to the American club which is a sort of sports centre with nice though very expensive restaurant and a pool run by Americans and only for foreigners - seems a bit discriminatory to me but it was quite a nice place to go for the afternoon. We went as G had been asked to play football with some of the hashers who go every Sunday and play against some Tibetan kids. G got quite into it scoring the first goal and made some flying tackles - he'd have been sent off in a real game - but the kids just leapt over him. But he got his comeuppance when one particularly sliding tackle he landed on his hand and sprained his wrist. It all swelled up so he was feeling very sorry for himself. Wouldn't let me practise my first aid and put it in a sling though so I couldn't be that sympathetic. It would be pretty much better now except he managed to fall on it again at hash yesterday. I think he's just getting too old for all this leaping about! He could probably do with some tips from Cameron!

The big news of the last fortnight is we have some chairs at last! I gave up on table man ever doing them - and as he's now busy replacing windows and fitting metal bars I think it was a good choice! - and found some chairs already made in a little shop near my work. All of about £5 each so pretty good. Just have to get some dinner party guests now and we're all set!

Work has got a bit busier and more interesting recently. Last week we were doing interviews and the CVs were a revelation. Unfairly they mainly do them in english but at least that meant I could have a look. This was more insight into cultural difference, not only do they put in gender and age which we don't anymore, they also include father's name and in some cases grandfathers name, showing how important family background is taken here, one guy had his height and weight in, religion, marital status and every single training course they have ever been on. Fortunately all the people applying for the jobs at my place were quite young so the longest CV was only 8 pages but G's colleague in the civil service has a 16page CV! But it's what is expected here so you can't criticise.

The weather is still being entertaining. We have been pretty lucky with the monsoon as although when it rains it REALLY rains, it usually does it at night so we haven't been soaked very often. But yesterday evening was the worst we have seen so far. We'd been out at a restaurant and the rain had absolutely lashed down. We got a lift back to the end of our street and when we turned into our alley it was completely flooded. I took my shoes off and we had to wade through the water up to our knees to get to our gate! Gemma, one of the Astralian girls, told us they got a taxi and he'd tried to drive through it. The water was up to their knees in the car and they couldn't get the doors open against the pressure and of course the taxi conked out as the engine got flooded! When they did get out they had to help push him out of the way! At least it was just normal drain water, no sewage involved! And on the second floor we're certainly alright. But then by this morning the sun was out again and all the water had disappeared as though nothing had happened.

The photo above was taken at the restaurant last night. G is wearing his new T shirt with Nepali letters on it to help him with his writing - he can wear it to our refresher traing next month to give them a laugh! And I have a new hair colour. I was just going a bit too grey but the dye has made it a little darker than I'd planned. I could almost be a Nepali, well OK, maybe not! And I'm wearing one of the emergency tops Alison sent out as its so hard to get simple things like T shirts in western sizes here so thanks again Alison!