We got a letter earlier this week from New Zealand immigration just letting us know that they had processed the application and requesting copies of mine & Steve's birth certificates. We are just about to go to the solicitors and get those certified so we can forward them to Wellington. They reckon that the application will be allocated to a case officer in 2-4 weeks, so it is going to be mid January before anybody even looks at it.
We have spent the last few weeks just going round in circles trying to decide what to do next, do we go to New Zealand and wait for the outcome there or do we hang on in Singapore. Staying here is the most logical choice but with nearly everything packed in boxes now and all the furniture wrapped for shipping it is pretty depressing. So in our usual impulsive manner we have decided to do neither and we are heading for Nepal instead!
We fly to Kathmandu at 9.00am Christmas morning, we will be coming back sometime late January. Our outward luggage allowance will be mostly taken up by boxes of clothing and toys that we are taking to one of the many orphanages out there. This is all stuff that the kids have grown out of in the four years we have been out here, it seems such a shame to throw it all out when there are children so badly in need. Before you all think that I have turned into Mother Theresa, I have to admit to an ulterior motive - travelling out to Nepal for nearly a month with no clothes means that I have to buy them while I'm there!!!! and as it is Nepal I will be in my scruffy element :)
I was a little concerned as to how our kids would react to 'giving up' Christmas, we have not been able to decorate the house this year as everything is packed and we don't have a clue where! Christmas presents have been restricted to one or two tiny gifts that can be carried in hand luggage, and now Christmas Day will be spent in transit. However I am really proud of them, they have taken it all in their stride and are really fired up by the idea of giving rather than getting.
There are a few other things that we plan to do while we are there, as well as all the obvious tourist stuff and the amazing photographic opportunities, it will also be a chance to visit Kopan Monastery which is the heart of the FPMT, founded by our beloved Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa (Follow the links if you are interested) Also earlier this year we started working with a factory in Kathmandu that is producing the most gorgeous corsetry for us, so it will also be a chance to meet them in person and check out the working conditions in the factory.
So now we've got stacks to do before we go, it's back to the hospital for a load of injections, I don't even know if we need a visa for Nepal, better get on with some research! I promise I will be in touch with everyone before we leave.
Namaste
Carri x
Lama Yeshe - Portrait available from http://www.heartofthemoon.com/
Lama Zopa - Singapore 2007 - Taken by Carri
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