From the Old Country

Well, I am not sure how this will go! I am posting using my iPad and for the first time ever, did not carry my chunky faithful PC over here. Not feeling totally confident with the Wordpress app but the proof will be in the pudding.And hasn't it been a long time between slices. Of pudding. So to speak.I didn't want to mix my metaphors.Last month, when I looked at the full moon, it was shining brilliantly over the Walls of China in Lake Mungo National Park and Tory Hughes and I were with some wonderful ladies reconnecting with our innate creativity! We had a fabulous time and wonderful creations were made. As well as friendships.Last night, the full moon hung over fields of rippling wheat. Fireflies flew, horns honked, rickshaw a trundled by and I was in an environment that could hardly be more different to Lake Mungo. But again spending time with special women.My months in Nepal are always very busy. As well as working on new colour families in existing designs, we are also working on new designs. As we fill a very huge order, deal with festival related delays in clay arrivals, catch up on 5 months of events, develop a new data collection system, trial a new initial interview tool etc etc the ladies have to master new skills so that when I return to Australia, they can confidently produce the items to a high standard.Some of them face really tough situations. Over the years I have learnt that what looks like an obvious quick fix often isn't. More often than not, sustained self driven change comes from slowly listening to one another, sharing what works. An email from my friend Cath prompted an amazing discussion today where we talked, as we produced magnificent Golden Brown, Ivory and Chocolate Sundari beads, about the strategies we used in tough times. There was a lot of acknowledgement of the value of sharing problems. Knowing that we are not alone.The Dashain festival is a particularly challenging time for goats - many of whom met theirmaker over the last ten days. I don't mind a goat curry every now and then but successive days of fried goat entree followed by curried goat daunts even my Nepali family here. A few days of tarkarri matrai (vegetables only) has been fabulous! All the goat has been accompanied by much dancing and singing.I hope I have been able to add the photos!