1-Way Ticket

younger boarders, after class, he was bloody testing me. I put Phurba standing on one leg facing the wall, the following day I did the same, this time for the entire class. It did the trick, he became more obedient, slowly becoming my friend. Nina and I were a novelty to the students,

I was thinking, a few sodas and a bit of banter in the student canteen, but they had planned and wanted much more. Administrators

A thunder storm commenced, a steady downpour, I had a plastic rain cover that protected my whole body including my backpack, stretching below my knees. A perfect gift from Uri, an Israeli-Australian who departed the country three weeks earlier. A stranger becomes a pleasant friend, they pass things onto you that are necessary. Later I duplicate the

“No, they’re gonna come,” says Jimbob. “What do you mean, who’ll come?” I questioned. “You’ll see.” “Relax, chill-out” I enthused, as I stretched-out. Three minutes later about ten people were smothering us, all with their own agenda.

They would try and nudge in-front of you, by going to the top of the line to ask a question, then, buy their tokens. “I guess you see we can be aggressive,” one friend said. “But it’s not malicious, it’s part of our personality. Do not take this seriously, simply hold your spot, do not give way,” she advised.

certainly could do a breakfast fry-up, but it would be lunchtime when it’s ready. The stove-top rings took forever to heat-up. The shower hose was all leaky and the toilet tank took ages to refill. “Yes, but this is Russian style,”

The keys the landlord had given me, could barely fit in my pocket. Seven inches in length, quite literally. One for the hallway door, I had to twist four times to unlock. It was inevitable this would cause me grief at the worst possible times. Twice in the first week I struggled with my dangly keys in the small-hours. Each time I had to ring a neig

Also, AN BHFUIL CAD AGAM DULL AMACH GO DTI AN LEITHREAS [may I please go out to the toilet]. Every student at my local Blackrock primary school would not forget that one. When nature called you had to ask in Irish. I should be better at speaking my native language.

The cutting-saw too old for a museum, similar to a smaller version I seen in my grandfather’s shed twenty years ago. To buy an electric saw, drills or a television with a video recorder would be fruitless, electricity was minimal. Back at Dhading boarding school people were