Our adventure and experience is very difficult to describe. There are so many ying-yangs. This is the poorest country I could imagine. Our poverty cannot even compare to Cambodia. It is also the dirtiest country imaginable. The redeeming factors are the children. I love them. Always happy faces. I have held and hugged with great pleasure so many beautiful children. Last Sunday Joyce and I went to the school and painted. I loved my little partner who just appeared and worked the whole time.

My teaching is going quite well. I have three good teachera and one poor disaster. I really feel sorry for him, because he is a new teacher with children who have just come off of the dumps. Our school is at the dumps. The smells are hard to describe. He told me he was crying his first dayI have helped set a sense of order and try to help him show he is the teacher and should be respected. His class unfortunately reminded me of my D.C. charter school experience.

Yesterday we took a boat trip to the silk island where we had an opportunity to see a silk making process. Kim, our guide was very knowledgeable and helpful We had an opportunity to see the whole community with their watts, and rituals. Sorry you didn't have a chance to eat the bugs and worms and other goodies.

Next blog will be o the incredible corruption.

Al

Be well. Talk to you soon.