My routine here is so much my routine that it seems perfectly ordinary. But it may be of interest to others! 
The day begins quite early. The household stirs soon after 5.30 am and my body clock seems set to 5.39! Either that or that is when the stirring (roosters, horns, talking, cries from the street below, dogs barking etc) finally gets through. Every other morning I walk for an hour or so. This is, in part, to compensate for the mountainous quantities of rice that I eat here. Well, food in general - not just rice as you will see. After my walk and a cup of spiced black tea, I wash and do some paperwork, reading or writing until around 9.30 when it is time for breakfast. Breakfast is delicious dal bhat and it is served in the traditional Nepali way (that is, Kopila serves everyone else before herself and it is considered impolite to refuse seconds. Fortunately, the family are satisfied that if I resoundingly lick my fingers I have enjoyed the meal even if I don't have seconds). The food is always tasty and fresh. Flavours of garlic, onion, ginger and spices are varied and some mornings I spend hovering in the kitchen trying to pick up tips!
Most Nepalis believe you don't reallytaste food unless you eat it with your hand.After this, I walk to the office for a 10 o'clock start. (Nepali time, so give or take a minute or two) Some ladies walk and others cycle nearly 20 kms to get to the office. We try to start each day with one of us sharing something that we have learnt, or that has moved us or made us think. Sometimes the ladies tell a Nepali tale. And then we polymer princesses get stuck into the work of the day. The last few days it has been training some potential new artists and yesterday a group of us produced 16 headless Marys. Stay posted. I have made a process chart (no kidding!) as Mary was a cause for group concern - not due to headlessness.Kopila often vanishes into another room (one of the joys of our new office is that she can do this!) to meet with women and families coming in for help, or to talk to people on the phone. Sometimes, people just wander in to see what we are doing. We stop every two hours to do some stretching and exercise - especially shoulder and neck stretches - and 
have a break at 2 for khajja (snacks).Just after 4, everyone heads home to prepare evening meals (or in some cases more snacks). Kopila is one of those cases. Here is the snack you have when you have just had a snack - Nepali chiya, bhujia and beaten rice (chiura) cooked with sugar. And, some little pheda (milk sweets) on the side because some stupid house guest bought a box full to share forgetting the consequences.We then sit and chat while preparing the evening meal, dreaming dreams, planning plans, reviewing the day etc. Dal bhat is served at around 8 and then we may sit on the verandah in the cool of the evening before heading to bed! My bed time routine centres around mosquito avoidance activities-the power point oil burner is switched on (it is connected to inverter power so works even when there is no power as long as there has been enough power to charge the inverter); Binod comes in like a one man mossie anti terrorist movement and brandishes the racquet zapper with great alacrity; I cover myself with one of three unctions designed to deter them; the net is put up and then to bed. Fly screens on the windows of the new house really help but you can never be too careful.The last two nights have been filled with thunder, lightning and last night, torrential rain like you'd expect in the monsoon. It was early last year too. This brings about less dust and cooler weather so I lay there under my net rejoicing in the sound. For others in less strong buildings, the wild wind no doubt bought concern.
The day begins quite early. The household stirs soon after 5.30 am and my body clock seems set to 5.39! Either that or that is when the stirring (roosters, horns, talking, cries from the street below, dogs barking etc) finally gets through. Every other morning I walk for an hour or so. This is, in part, to compensate for the mountainous quantities of rice that I eat here. Well, food in general - not just rice as you will see. After my walk and a cup of spiced black tea, I wash and do some paperwork, reading or writing until around 9.30 when it is time for breakfast. Breakfast is delicious dal bhat and it is served in the traditional Nepali way (that is, Kopila serves everyone else before herself and it is considered impolite to refuse seconds. Fortunately, the family are satisfied that if I resoundingly lick my fingers I have enjoyed the meal even if I don't have seconds). The food is always tasty and fresh. Flavours of garlic, onion, ginger and spices are varied and some mornings I spend hovering in the kitchen trying to pick up tips!
Most Nepalis believe you don't reallytaste food unless you eat it with your hand.After this, I walk to the office for a 10 o'clock start. (Nepali time, so give or take a minute or two) Some ladies walk and others cycle nearly 20 kms to get to the office. We try to start each day with one of us sharing something that we have learnt, or that has moved us or made us think. Sometimes the ladies tell a Nepali tale. And then we polymer princesses get stuck into the work of the day. The last few days it has been training some potential new artists and yesterday a group of us produced 16 headless Marys. Stay posted. I have made a process chart (no kidding!) as Mary was a cause for group concern - not due to headlessness.Kopila often vanishes into another room (one of the joys of our new office is that she can do this!) to meet with women and families coming in for help, or to talk to people on the phone. Sometimes, people just wander in to see what we are doing. We stop every two hours to do some stretching and exercise - especially shoulder and neck stretches - and 
have a break at 2 for khajja (snacks).Just after 4, everyone heads home to prepare evening meals (or in some cases more snacks). Kopila is one of those cases. Here is the snack you have when you have just had a snack - Nepali chiya, bhujia and beaten rice (chiura) cooked with sugar. And, some little pheda (milk sweets) on the side because some stupid house guest bought a box full to share forgetting the consequences.We then sit and chat while preparing the evening meal, dreaming dreams, planning plans, reviewing the day etc. Dal bhat is served at around 8 and then we may sit on the verandah in the cool of the evening before heading to bed! My bed time routine centres around mosquito avoidance activities-the power point oil burner is switched on (it is connected to inverter power so works even when there is no power as long as there has been enough power to charge the inverter); Binod comes in like a one man mossie anti terrorist movement and brandishes the racquet zapper with great alacrity; I cover myself with one of three unctions designed to deter them; the net is put up and then to bed. Fly screens on the windows of the new house really help but you can never be too careful.The last two nights have been filled with thunder, lightning and last night, torrential rain like you'd expect in the monsoon. It was early last year too. This brings about less dust and cooler weather so I lay there under my net rejoicing in the sound. For others in less strong buildings, the wild wind no doubt bought concern.