Project Argali . The People

The main cast of our project – Borong Polok’s villagers.

What we did:
1. Helped out at the village’s paper making unit
2. Taught English to children
3. Conducted basic computer lessons

Their sincerity shines, and it’s different, talking to them, they seem more.. unguarded. Their concept of hospitality puts a 6-star hotel to shame. Their smiles are more radiant, their laughter sparkles, and they’re hardy, more than any new-age Singaporean will ever be.

At the paper making unit, making paperbags

Kids playing. Girl in blue sweater is Nikita, and the girl in red is Prity.

Some students from my English class!

Shy away

Kids at the Sangam Academy

Cultural exchange. Kids doing Nepali dance

And us teaching them to play Father Abraham

Shanti warming up food in the fire

Shanti’s mum, making tea

Gheeta making tea, at another house visit

An old man pounding millet to make a Sikkimese home-made beer, Chang. Which is mindblowingly delicious.

House visit, all of us warming up by the fire

Shanti and friends and me

After a particularly enjoyable captain’s ball game.
You know, about me saying they’re hardy, it’s quite evident during the game. When the ball rolls down the rocky slope, they bound down the rocks to bring it back. And all’s well, even when the ball whacks them hard in the face. We’re embarrassingly weak in contrast with their strength.

The village’s kids, our guide TB, and us.

At a villager’s place, drinking tea

A cold morning at another villager’s place, drinking salty milk tea.

After a hard day of walking and “working”

Teachers at Sangam Academy

Painting a signboard at the paper making unit

RnR!! Crammed in a jeep.

Us in front of a very huge statue. A saint who brought buddhism out of Tibet, I think.

At the orchid garden

Night times are when we chilled out. With biscuits, and whiskey drank neat.

There we go, the Alcoholics not-so-Anonymous.