Walking down from Pedong, exploring the steep terraced slopes with their lush green, you are treated to the most serene view: an unmanicured Alpine landscape, a tidy country idyll with houses dotted amongst woodland and green fields. The distance makes it look much prettier than it is up close, but it is beautiful nonetheless.
"Hello, where are you going?" We turn to look up slope, where a pretty Sikkimese woman is waving, a huge grin on her face. "Where are you going?" "Just for a walk. Hello." We wave back, unsurprised by the friendliness.
"You should come and stop here," or words to that effect. You know out here that that kind of gesture is not empty.
"Thankyou." We keep walking. Needless to say, as we panted back uphill, there was no chance of second refusal; and despite her territorial hound, we were soon skipping down the steep steps towards Lhamu's house ("We should go really, just ten minutes, they obviously want us to.")
Friendly handshakes all round, ridicule of the dog, and seemingly, with minimal effort on our part other than smiles, we have 3 or 4 new friends in the form of Lhamu and her family.
And what a wonderland we find ourselves in. Despite a feeling of guilt for refusing an offer of tea based upon the encroaching dusk outside, no fuss, and we are soon being ushered through a maze of corridors and rooms. What we emerge into is nothing short of astounding: a tasteful and tranquil Bhuddist shrine built at the same time as the house 50 years ago.
From there to the huge but empty kitchen. Can't say I fancied trying the homemade butter much, but knowing that Indians show affection and love through giving food, we did of course accept a few slices of the biggest cucumber you have ever seen. Very tasty it was, but this is no trivial statement: this was the first raw clean salad we've had since we got here - crunchy, fibrous, you could almost feel the goodness seeping through! Obligatory photos taken and thanks for our doing so and off we trotted to make it home in time for dinner.
That's once humbled. Twice in one day came only a little later. We are blessed with being looked after not only by house Mum, Suchita, but also pretty, taciturn, shy, and most importantly always smiley Chunu, her maid. There's nothing she won't do to help, and all done with a wide genuine smile. She's lovely, and only 13. Both of her parents are sadly dead: tragic. But she's fortunate. Suchita treats her as another daughter, and is clearly very fond of her. Watching them both giggling together whilst watching India's best (read: worst) soap opera in the evenings is charming. But Suchita, already a saint in our eyes, extends her generosity further still. Chunu's brothers and sister live a much less lavish life in the simple farm of their aunts and uncles. It's almost a subsistence existence, and so Suchita sends small donations each month and any spare discarded clothes that are no longer needed around the house. Inspirational, aspirational, and humbling beyond words. We could learn a lot more from these people.
I'll finish with one final example of the open generosity on show out here.
Imagine our surprise when a little lad - he can't have been more than 5 - popped his head through our door curtain. No idea who he was, but that didn't stop his brazen attempt to grab one of our balls (which we use in lessons) on spying it. I'm sure it was only to borrow, but Sarah, keen to indtil manners and politeness, soon had him reciting the words 'borrow' and 'please' before he took it away, brought it back, took it away, and returned it again.
"Who is that little chap, Aryan?" we asked Suchita's son.
"I don't know Miss."
So here was this total stranger, in someone else's house, completely at ease in the knowledge that he would be safe and welcome. Communities back home would think it mad and perhaps irresponsible parenting, but perhaps if the communities where a bit more like here then it wouldn't seem so strange.
Photos:
Looking across Pedong playing field towards the lovely green hills with a cup of Chai; Lhamu and her family (and us!); Lhamu and her son in their prayer room; Sarah, Suchita and Chunu
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