Presentation at Institute of Engineering Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu
We slept in until 7AM today – a real treat. We went downstairs for breakfast, talked about our plans for the day and then went
back to our rooms to prepare. Cordella and Rick went on a short walk into the market to pickup a few items. They finally had
an encounter they have been waiting for with a bicycle salesman hauling wicker stools. They negotiated a good price and now
will figure out how to fit them in their suite case which is running out of room. Madhav stayed in his room to make several
phone calls for the project. When Rick and Cordella returned they just had time to freshen up before Dr. Joshi arrived.
At 12:30 Dr. Shashidhar Ram Joshi, Professor & Director, Information & Communication Technology Center (ICTC) arrived to take
us to the Institute of Engineering Tribhuvan University, Pulchock, Lalitpur Nepal. Rick gave a presentation on Water for Small
Villages, our work in Haiti and Nepal, and the ram pump. There was a reporter in the class from the New Republica, a
newspaper associated with the New York Times. She asked questions and was very interested in the presentation. Cordella
and Madhav also spoke but Rick gave most of the presentation. There were 12 graduate level students in the class and
everyone seemed interested in the subject. Dr. Joshi invited several other engineering classes but they had exams and could
not attend. Then the class gathered outside for a demo of the ram pump in action. More students arrived for the live demo as
classes let out. A small crowd gathered to observe the crazy Americans put together pipe and hoses hung from a ladder in the
courtyard. We set up a water tank, pipe, and the pump prior to the class presentation, and pretty much tested it out to make
sure it was working...almost. In the end, it all worked well and everyone applauded when they saw water being lifted higher
than the source, by gravity only, and water flow as the energy source. Rick can talk forever about the things he is interested in.
We had to patch a small air leak but --- what would a live demo be without some last minute bugs and fixes?! A real learning
experience. After the presentation, Rick and Cordella assembled the 2-inch ram pump, which we gifted to the university as a
learning tool. We will give the 1-inch pump to the school in Kabilash tomorrow.
Then Madhav and Dr Joshi drove into another section of Bhasantapur to pick up a special item Madhav had ordered. Rick and
Cordella stayed at the university to walk around and take pictures. Dr Joshi and Madhav returned to pick us up, and Dr Joshi
drove us to his house for dinner. His wife prepared a feast -- many appetizers and an equal number of entrees. We enjoyed
Nepali wine and traditional desserts. The conversation went on and on as we talked with Sunita and Kamel who had just
returned from Australia. We talked chaos theory, uncertainty, computer algorithms, curriculum, climate, and everything under
the sun. It was pretty late and we knew we had to head back to the hotel to be ready to leave for Aapchour by 6:30AM. Sunita
and Kamel needed sleep too - they'd probably been awake for 24 hours, about 16 of which were spent in the air flying from
Australia to Malaysia to Kathmandu. We exchanged emails, made plans for next year (or sooner if they travel to the U.S.) and
said our good byes. It was a quick ride back to the hotel with almost no traffic and the end of another great day in Nepal. We
will make our last trip to Aapchour tomorrow to inspect the construction. More tomorrow…
SEE PHOTOS FROM
THIS TRIP