Day 78

I am trying to pluck up the courage to join the yoga class at the British Embassy. It's not really me, but it is the only way to get invited to their weekly barbecues and I really want to meet some people, even British ones. I have befriended an American man and his Norwegian wife and am hoping to do some babysitting for their three boys - paid! Which will help our budget considerably. They like to take long weekends away, just the two of them, and I like to get paid for lounging about someone else's lovely house and looking through their things, so it suits everyone. Two of their sons have some behavioural and emotional problems and they are VERY interested in Rufus doing some therapeutic work with them, again paid. Fingers crossed this works out well, we could do with the money and the ongoing professional experience.

Fern has thrown herself into school life and has mastered the Nepali/Indian head-wobble which means neither yes nor no. She queues up in the local canteen to order chow mein or samosas for 10p (lunch problem sorted, there was a canteen after all) and joins in with all the other kids. She has been commended on her written Nepali at school and is learning the language well - it is the confidence she has to work on. Clover can speak Nepali really badly - it is a mixture of French and Hindi - but doesn't give two hoots and will practice it on anybody. I am amazed at their resilience and ability to fit in. Brilliant kids. I have done something right. Got a motorcycle helmet for Fern for the moment and Daddy is Fed-Exing over their bike helmets. It is hard when you live in a place (albeit temporarily) where the cultural norm is to transport children on the back or front of scooters. I'm the kind of mother who won't let the girls on their pushbikes without helmets, even when their friends don't use them and Fern goes mental at being forced to do so at home. And I certainly wouldn't let them in a car without seatbelts. Yet there are no seatbelts in cars here, so you have to adjust your level of expectation and bravely join in. Everyone drives these scooters and seems the safest way - better than relying on a driver. At least driving yourself you can control your speed. Despite the chaos the motorbike and scooter drivers are actually very courteous and there is literally so much traffic everyone is weaving about more than speeding. It is more a test of wit and balance.

Have had to endure the humiiliation of miming 'Tampax' in a small local shop. I did receive a relatively close version of the product I wanted. Also trying to buy towels was interesting as we found ourselves directed to the curtain department. Must learn some Nepali, must learn some Nepali. Received a fabulous parcel from our friend Aileen containing a thousand packets of Haribo sweets and a 3 week old Daily Record. Now I know all about the gay stalker in Dalkeith and that Joan Burnie is not a cougar. Daddy also sent a replacement 'Mittens' as Clover lost her teddy many weeks ago and we concocted an elaborate story that Mittens was fed up with India and had flown home alone. She now appears to have had a wash and a makeover and has returned. Clover doesn't seem to have noticed she now has a white tail instead of a brown one, is about 6 inches bigger and has a love heart stitched on her chest. She is just pleased to hear all about Mittens' adventures. Daddy kindly put in a mag for Mummy so I also know Abbey Clancey is struggling to eat and Kelly Osbourne got dumped.

On a more serious note, my hair is falling out. Literally in clumps. As a reasonably vain person I am finding this very upsetting and stressful. I had just come to terms with the grey shining through my parting over the last few years but this is something else. It might be the water. I have upped my fruit and veg intake and am doing a lot of deep conditioning treatments but nothing is really working. s***.

My sister will visit soon and probably stay at the 10-star Shangri-La hotel and I won't be allowed my bike in the car park as I won't be a guest so will have to park a mile away and will turn up to meet her looking like an old stray cat dragged through Kathmandu and she will emerge from her spa treatment looking about 18 and saying calmly 'I don't find Kathmandu too bad at all'. I look forward to that. Also looking forward to getting her on the back of my scooter, ruining her hair and make up and then taking her to my local.

PS. am very embarrassed by Fern's yellow teeth in the photos, they don't look like that close up! Might have to get her veneers.