Caution seldom goes far enough. LO26431

From: ACampnona@aol.com
Date: 03/25/01


Dear Learners,

John Dicus cites,

"The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you...
     Don't go back to sleep.
You must ask for what you really want...
     Don't go back to sleep.
People are moving back and forth across the
     doorsill where the two worlds touch.
The door is round and open...
     Don't go back to sleep."
 
And this message was forwarded to me yesterday.

"Dan Bahadur Aidi was surprised that anyone would want to listen to him.
He, his wife and three sons and their wives live together in a small house
in Syalagadi Village in a remote corner of Jumla District (Nepal). It
helped that Samjhana, who was asking the questions, was herself from Jumla
and could speak the local dialect. Still laughingly he insists "I don't
know anything."

In Dan Bahadur's opinion, useful skill training is as "rare as birds
milk". Others have come, asked questions, made promises, but then nothing
has happened. Will the Karnali Community Skill Training Process be any
different he wonders? He reflects on the fact that Samjhana and four
other **** staff have been living in their community for the past 3 months
and have set up homes as if they plan to stay.

He has been to the district centre and has seen the Karnali Techincal
School, of which the **** Process is part of, grow and mature over the
last 15 years. Yes, maybe you are different. Yet he and many other
villagers have been disappointed that the **** staff have spent most of
their time so far just talking with villagers, listening to their
problems, getting a feel of what the real needs are and what folk are
prepared to commit themselves to. He wonders if Samjhana will take his
suggestions seriously. Literacy? Dan Bahadur could not even recognise his
own photograph! To him and the rest of his family "black lines on paper
and water buffalo - no difference". "Smokeless stoves, drinking water
systems, old and young to read, electricity, seed for winter grass..." the
wish list comes readily to mind. Yet, his ultimate goal? To ride in an
aeroplane. Dan Bahadur says "If I could fly in one once, perhaps i would
reach heaven" A worthy destination. (Although we who have flown with
Royal Nepal Airlines know that they don't fly quite that high!) Maybe
together Dan Bahadur and Samjhana, the villagers of this remote Jumla
valley and *** staff, together, can find the way to Heaven. Pray for us."

-Then folks echo a new cheap joy and a divine voice leaping from their
veins: how beautiful is candour. (Whitman)

'Black lines on paper and water buffalo - no difference.'

According to the clock the sun just shifted some degrees in the heavens,
paper or buffalo? You choose. Me and Bucket go for a walk to see/listen
for the single Lamb.

Love,

Andrew

-- 

ACampnona@aol.com

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