Elle has just returned from a week in Nepalgunj and Surkhet down in the mid west where she was giving a training course on performance management. This is something that is not really in the Nepali work culture and is difficult for many managers to carry out. Feedback from the course was good though, so hopefully they will be able to follow it through. Elle was fortunate to make it back as trouble erupted in Nepalgunj over the weekend and the town has been under curfew for several days.

There has been disruption throughout most of the south of the country for a couple of weeks now (http://www.nepalnews.com.np/archive/2008/feb/feb20/news06.php), although Pokhara has been very peaceful. Elections are planned for April, and each of the main political parties and their rent-a-mobs are now jostling for position. Roads into Nepal from India have been blocked for the last week, meaning that very little fuel can come into the country, and combined with around 8 hours of power cuts a day, it is a miserable time for many individuals and businesses in the country.

It has been a good time home alone with Evie, but it is great to have Mum back!

Saturday was Pokhara marathon day, and I was pleased with the results on a day that was perfect for running. I came in 10^th and picked up my first running paycheck – at £5 not quite enough to go professional, but a nice surprise!

This was a warm up to another event that is coming up in three weeks– the yak-attack! This is an 8-day stage race around the Annapurna Himalayas that follows a popular trekking route to the North of Pokhara. When it is clear you get fantastic views of these mountains and it is going to be great to get in amongst them, but the route is pretty fierce and it is going to be hard work! A friend, Ed Lewis, is coming out for the race, but apart from us, the competitors are almost all Nepali and surviving is going to be hard work, let alone keeping up with them!

I am trying to raise support for INF through this event. If you are able to, please give money here: http://www.justgiving.com/philmorris1 You can find out more about the yak-attack from their website: (http://yak-attack.co.uk) and I’ll try and post updates during the event…