Using extracts from The chronicles of Narnia has been the best way to describe journeying between cultures. In 2013 we stepped through an English Wardrobe and found ourselves in Nepal.
After 10 years of adventures, challenges and joys we had to say goodbye to many many dear people and places.
We spent a week on an island in Thailand before returning to UK. Koh Samet reminded me of ‘The Wood between the Worlds’ in The Magician’s Nephew – peaceful and dreamy. A place to relax and reflect before jumping into an enchanted pool that brings you to a different place. During that restful time, I found some acrylics and painted a picture of a magic painting which drew the children through the waves and onto The voyage of the Dawn Treader.’ Tik the owner of the lovely Viking Horizon guesthouse is going to hang it in one of the guestrooms …. so anything could happen!
And in Prince Caspian the children walk through a cleft in a rock and onto a station platform.
‘.. a little flat and dreary for a moment after all they had been through, but also, unexpectedly, nice in it’s own way…’
An unexpected surprise was the ‘Angel bombing’ that had been taking place in my parents’ village. Not only is the whole Church full of angels but the whole village has been discovering knitted angels in hedges, gates and garden walls. They have become extremely popular. This is the Church where I first heard about Nepal when I was seven.
In the happiness of reuniting with family and friends I don’t think it has sunk in that we will not be returning to Nepal. (Although I do notice I can’t finish writing this blog to my satisfaction. It’s the last one and I am struggling to let go of it!) We do know that we will never be the same again after this adventure. We will always have a blend of both cultures in our hearts. It may take the rest of our lives to discover what that means!
nepaljennyji 