Clowns Without Borders - Ireland
Nepal 2006
Report - Week 3
Monday 16th
We started the week with another two show day.
The first was early morning at the local government school. A large collection
of fairly run down bulidings spaced around a broken up courtyard. We were asked
to perform on a concrete stage on the far corner of a very large football pitch
(think two fine hurling pitches). We got there to discover 1,500 students
sprawled about in the patches of shade, with a large crowd sitting up on the
stage itself. A few heavy clown grimaces easily cleared our performance area
apart from a smattering of teachers. Perfect fodder for our improvisations! At
every opportunity we played with and cojolled those teachers to the pleasure of
our student crowd. These teachers never had a break. We hid behind them, joked
with them, gently popped them on the head, and blamed them for everything. The
students cheered us on even more. It was a raucous show!
We had arranged with the Bhutanese acrobats to perform with us but they had
failed to turn up in the morning. Luckily, just as our show was reaching it's
climax, the acrobats arrived. Colm stirred up some extra energy to beckon the
crowd into a circle on the grass when the were wowed by the boys from Beldangi.
After a lunch and a laze about we were ready for round two at the Catholic
school.
A much cleaner and more modern place of learning. We performed under the roofed
concourse in front of another 1,500 children. The show began well but as the
knifes came out the children went wild. The women with sticks were out in fury
and it all calmed down again for the finale. After-wards we led the entire
crowd onto the field where the acrobats again performed. The school children
enthusiastically applauded each routine and Pinot and the boys were clearly
chuffed when the crowd roared as Jonathan shouted out "Bhutanese Refugees" and
the name of their group -"Creative Modern Games".
After the show we sat and had tea with Pinot's group and we discussed a possible
workshop for the acrobats.
Tuesday 17th
Another Maoist Ban day.
Colm and Jonathan decide to capitalise on the free afternoon. They dart off to
the UNHCR office and with the help of Alex and Tara arrange a time with the
acrobats for the afternoon.
An enjoyable rickshaw ride on the dusty country road up to Beldangi II. As
usual we are greeted with smiles and quizzical looks from the little kids as we
make our way.
Pinot takes us to a good sized room where all the other acrobats soon turn up.
Ranging in age from 10 to 23 years old they are a spirited bunch. They give
great energy as Jonathan and Colm interchange with various exercises. Pinot had
talked to us about how they wished to add humour to their show so we worked on a
few simple ideas that we felt would fuel their imaginations. We all left the
hall content after 2 solid hours of work. (again we had to leave before 4pm
when all UNHCR associated staff must be out of the camps)
Pinot accompanied us on the lengthy walk to Beldangi 1 where in the late
afternoon sun we finally found a rickshaw.
(cue soppy film music) As the sun set we headed back to Damak.......
Wednesday 18th
Our show was in Timai, the first of the four eastern camps. From the moment we
arrived we could feel an excited energy in the air. As we walked in the camp
before our show kids were muttering little things about us...it was clear that
friends from the other camps had shared a few show secrets. "Which one of you
wears yellow?" "Who's in green?"
The show was great fun as we had another crazy old man join in. (there must be
a crazy old man factory in them there hills)
Post show we were invited to visit the Bhutanese Refugees Women's Forum. We had
all heard good things about these women well before our arrival here. Theirs is
an organisation that makes use of the skills of the refugees. There are looms
busy making decorative shawls and needles taken up with embroidering bags and
pillows. Jonathan and Colm caused quite a stir when they bargained with the
women over some beautiful shawls and scarves. "I'll give a good price for a
shawl" said Jonathan, eyeing an elderly woman "Only if you model it for me" The
woman in question strutted her stuff accross the office floor, dropping her
shoulder one way, spinning another, as Jonathan had no choice but to give them
every penny he had. And well worth it too.
We finally left the office as our elderly model denied Colm's request for
marriage one last time.
Outside the camp clinic Sam juggled for a gaping audience, while Jonathan had to
endure a series of Nepalese put downs from an elderly man with a divilish grin
who had a crowd of a hundred in the palm of his hand.
Thursday 19th
We drove a long way to the Goldap camp. They were a little disorganised when we
arrived but Colm soon got things in shape.
About 1,200 people gathered tightly around our stage. They cheered as we
plucked participants from the audience and joined in in a mighty chorus for our
final song.
After-wards we chatted to the Priest who runs the school. A nice man who was
eager to tell us all he knew about Irish geography. On our drive back to Damak
we pass him on his bike. We thought we heard him mutter something abut the
Shannon estuary.
Friday 20th
The Sanishare camp.
As we drove through the camp we were passed by an irregular bunch of marching
soldiers. A group of retired officers who had fought in Kashmir had decided to
use their professional experience to keep the marshal the crowds. In a ragged
rhythm they marched to our performance area and dotted themselves throughout
the audience. As the show started we never noticed them again, but not one
member of the crowd stood up.
Just before our show someone came and told us that they were expecting 8,000
people.
Luckily only 2,000 turned up as any more wouldn't have fit. There were 300
little kids behind the stage listening for laughs and joining in when they came.
Colm had a mad time with the microphone, holding it up with one foot as he
played the clarinet. We had a special guest in Sadan, the smallest acrobat, who
performed a routine with Colm in the middle of our show. He was so nervous
before-hand that he was complaining of a sore tummy. He is a little star. A
star that can bend it's body in every direction.
The audience roared as Jonathan sang "Resan Piriri" and something about a donkey
and a monkey.
At the canteen for lunch Colm made friends with a little deaf and dumb boy
called Sali. When Jonathan took a digital photo of him and his friend his eyes
shimmered with excitement. He pointed at his face on the screen and then his
face, his friend on the screen and then his friend beside him. Again and again
he pointed, smiling in disbelief.
In the mid-afternoon we were invited with Tara as special guests for the final
of an inter camp volleyball tournament. Up in the grandstand we were each given
guest badges that someone must have stayed up all night making. We learned that
things at the camps can get very formal. We were paraded in front of the teams,
where we shook hands and joined in in the team photos.
The sporting events at the camps can be taken very seriously. Some of the games
can have crowds of up to 4,000 people.
When the game finally began, it seemed that a third of the crowd were watching
us watching the game. Everytime we winced at a missed shot or cheered at a
great score, the crowd would cheer twice, once for the game and once at our
reaction.
In the evening we were invited to dinner at UNHCR where one of the senior staff
Mohamed, gave a speech thanking us for our work. Sam and Jonathan told the
assembled crowd how CWB were privileged to work alongside UNHCR for the good of
the Bhutanese refugees.
We felt very proud of the work we've been doing and went to bed looking forward
to our final show in Damak. The evening finished on a lovely note as Tara
presented us with traditional Nepalese shawls.
Sat 21st
What a day.
Our last day of shows here in Damak was one of our most unforgettable.
In the morning we drove the 75minute journey to Khundabari, capitalising on the
use of our 4x4 by driving accross a river.
It had been raining heavily all day so our stage was not only embedded with
stones but slippery too. We were given a wooden shed to prepare in. The kids
crowded around it and peered between the cracks, oohing and aahing as we removed
props and costumes from our bags.
Our show had great energy. We improvised little sections while the audience
swelled with laughter. Just as we were leaving the stage Jonathan cried out
"Resan Piriri" and the crowd roared out one last time.
That, we thought, was our last performance for a Bhutanese refugee audience on
this trip. We were greatly mistaken....
Since allot of the eastern camps are quite close we went with Tara to the Goldap
camp to see the final of the Men's inter-camp football tournament. As we sat on
the side lines in the drizzly rain, people snugged in beside us under our
umbrellas. We peered at the pitch, clogged with water and dotted with large
dark puddles.
There was a women's exhibition match before the men's final and the crowd
laughed as the players slipped and slided across the muddy pitch....then
something funny happened..
Just as the referee was about to begin the second half, Tara stood up from her
seat. "What are you doing" Jonathan asked, "Same as you" she said "We're
playing!"
As Jonathan stood up, the crowd of 60 people shouted in unison "Tallu"
("Baldy").
He ran on to the pitch to meet his teammates. They shook his hand and then
pointed. "Back" they said, "You're defending!" Jonathan was with Goldap, Tara
with Sanishare. The game was on!
As the referee blew his whistle to restart, the crowd slowly began to thicken on
the side lines, 100 people, 150...
Everytime Jonathan drifted up field, he was scolded by his captain. "Back!"
she'd scowl.
Then a terrible thing happened. Sanishare scored.....and the entire Goldap team
blamed Jonathan. "BACK!" "Grrrr!"
Being a bit disillusioned with it all, Jono discovers that if he dives into the
puddles, the crowd Cheer. "Tallu!"
The referee looks at his watch. He has already played 5 minutes more than the
10minutes allotted. 300 spectators look on anxiously. The ref plays on.
Jono looses the ball to a girl, who he then grabs and throws into the mud. As
she lies poleaxed on the ground, the ball rolls and hits her arm. Jono gets a
free kick.
There is movement on the bench. Sanishare bring on Colm, Goldap bring on Sam.
Over 500 people look on nervously as Goldap have an opportunity. Jono, ignoring
cries of "back back!", knocks the ball into Sam who swivels and shoots just
wide. Money is being exchanged on the side lines, allot is riding on Sanishare.
Tara makes a storming run down the right wing, she knocks it out to her winger
who in turn sets Colm free through the middle. Colm, his 6 foot frame towering
above all the Bhutanese players, uses his physical strength to send the
opposition defenders flying. He takes a shot.....just wide of the post.
Then, just as the 800 plus crowd are getting restless, Sam finds space in the
box. He shoots, he scores! The crowd goes wild. Sam is so ecstatic that he
lifts off his shirt and twirls it around his head, high-fiving his team mates.
All the Goldap girls are blushing wildly but they all practically que up to
congradulate him.
Then nearing the 50th minutes, Jono sends the 1000 plus crowd into raptures.
Not because he scores the winner but because as he lifts his right arm to
celebrate, his left leg gives way and he falls into a puddle. A mud fight
breaks out. The ref blows the whistle.
Without a doubt, one of our most fun performances.
In the evening we enjoy the atmosphere of the Tehar festival of light. All the
houses are covered in candels and fairy lights. The city is a bright twinkeling
vision.
We eat with the UNHCR guys at Madan's guesthouse. As a tradition during the
festival, groups of boys and girls sing traditional songs in people's doorways.
We are getting alot of singing visitors as earlier one of the guests gave a
group 150 rupees, ten times the normal amount. When a group of teenage girls
call by, we invite them in for a session. we take turns to sing songs. Irish
ballads interspersed with Nepalese hymns. A lovely end to a great day.
Sunday 22nd.
We enjoy a goodbye brunch with Tara and Alex, and fly back to Kathmandu.
After 2 weeks in the peaceful rural setting of Damak it is difficult to endure
the hustle and the hassle of the capital. And the temperature has severely
dropped since we'd left.
All the same, we feel ready for another week visiting orphanages and NGOs.
Stay well
Jonathan Gunning