hello from kathmandu

hey girls, how are you? i finally figured out how to get online. today its raining, its freezing. i am sick actually, down with flu. i skipped the morning session of school today. yes school started for me! been a week i think. actually i am feeling still quite lost about time, days and dates. today i am taught how to do the shading for 'mere' (tibetan for fire). its getting more difficult... last few days i learnt the shading for clouds. tomorrow i want to (actually i have to) practise outlining. its atrocious now! its my weakest area.

stay tuned... am going back to my room to get my camera. would like to share some photos with you! yangzom, kim (my new friend, she is final year student from hk) and i went to select fabric to make my very first 'chuba' (tibetan dress) and i have a kitty in school with me! her name is drolma. 

heres drolma. isnt she adorable? she is the housekeeper. teacher yangzom was showing how to shade when drolma walked by and started drinking my painting water which has a little orange paint (not juice) in it. haha..
after water, she got onto my lap to sleep...
and this is how i paint.... kim painting her final year piece. all graduating students are given 45 days to complete a thangka. oh 6 years! kim spent 6 mths a year in nepal learning... can i do it????
2 classmates i have to introduce. haha.. our most fashionable monk classmate, jimme. haha... he tries to look cool here for the camera but usually he is all smiles. haha...
oh and this classmate, we still havent asked his name yet. we call him 'mee mee ngan' (small eyes). he is the most comical one but always so helpful. he is always helping me to empty my painting water. i was telling kim that i should pin this photo on my fridge in hk, whenever i am not happy, i just have to see his face and it will make me laugh. the boys are always hitting each other with rulers and erasers. so childish! hahaha.. but what a joy. so much laughter everywhere.
monk 'washington' (his nickname) with the help of yangzom, doing measurements in preparation for the drawing of the big mandala.
everyone is busy preparing for the big celebration at the monastery later this month.
chuba fabric shopping time!!! after school, 3 of us went to the best shop with the widest selection!

then next stop to the tailor! the best in boudha. everyone is rushing to get their new chuba made before losar, tibetan new year. same date as our chinese new year.
ok goodnite girls. uploading photos here is way too slow.. i am feeling very tired now but really happy to be sharing with you. i hope everything is good with everyone. i have to get up at 6:30am. every morning. its now 9:45pm here now. so bedtime. will try to blog again soon. take care, love to all.

p.s. and yes! i got the nepalese harems! so heavy! how am i going to carry it back to lamma... plus some books i bought. haha...