Class day #2

Tuesday evening, 7:00PM. 4 hour class today with the men plus 2 others who are interested in animal husbandry, going over the various medicines again, how we used them and why. A review is also in order. These fellas would never make it using my vet truck.. I set up the box time and again in a fairly neat and orderly way (ya think?) and they go crashing through everything, throwing it back in any way they can, sort of like a recently graduated veterinarian!! Sooo, what I thought I would do, is require that I fill the box, then they would do a complete inventory of all meds and supplies, then re-inventory it after we had made a hiking trip. That way, they would know how much or what they had used, and we can keep track of what to re-order, etc. They thought that was a really good idea, after trying for 1/2 hour to understand why that was necessary. The goal here is for the Gujjar men (at least some of them) to become businessmen, and after describing to them that they could work and earn nothing, or worse, end up owing someone money after all their hard work, they started to understand a bit about capitalism and making a living.
Sometimes, though, you just have to take a break where you can. This old guy was probably going on 65 years of age, but he walked up that hill without even breaking a sweat, leading the horses while we rode. Enlarge the photo and check out his beard. It is common for the older men with the longer beards to dye with Henna, which is the red color. These folks squat on their haunches all the time, and rarely sit. If they do sit, they are cross-legged. Well, my knees won't allow me to do much of either, so I look pretty awkward in their lodgings when I visit.
The children have been a highlight. No matter where we go, whether it is in the valley, or high in the mountains, there is always a smile. The adults don't usually smile until you greet them with 'Salaam a likum', which means 'Hello, my friend'. Then, they will smile and greet you. The family bond is amazing, in the mountain or in the villages. It is common for extended families to share campsites as I have previously noted, but it is also common for families to share houses in the village. One family might have it's own room for sleeping, but share a common cooking area. When I asked how many people were in this one village, I was told approx 100 hearths, which means that number should be multiplied by 4-6 because a hearth is just a cooking area.
Finally, you will notice the fine ceramic tile in the bathroom in my suite. The 'loo' is a very simple structure. Guys, you face one way for a certain function, then face the other way for another. Ladies, it is pretty simple for you to figure out which way you face. The good news is that you never have to worry if the lid is up or down!! I will be getting supper, then coming back for another, later post. The internet and the modem is acting up, so I will post this now, and hope to post again in several hours. 'Tika' for reading. BLN