Kyra's Crazy Capers

Family Time

2007-01-29T02:43:00.000-08:00

My second week in Auckland was all about family. I wasn't feeling too well on the Monday and Tueday I spent time sleeping and chilling with the people that I was staying with.

Wednesday was spent driving down to Taumaranui to drop Alice and her friends off at horse riding camp. Lorraine made me drive part of the way (I haven't driven in six years so it was an interesting experience). While at the camp I ran into my old youth pastor who I haven't seen in about 10 years - I don't know who was more shocked.

Thursday involved visiting my grandmother (who is 91). She struggles to remember people so I was very encouraged to see a hint of recognition in her eyes when she saw me. She didn't remember my name but nevertheless is was great to spend time with her. I went with my Aunty Elaine and spent a great afternoon with her. I had dinner that even with my Uncle Rowland and their children. It was a great time of catching up and was a nice relaxed evening. One of the aspects of being overseas that is the hardest to deal with is the lack of family contact. I feel that I have definitely made up for lost time during this trip.

Friday consisted of catching up with some dear friends Mike and Rebecca Walker and their family, Mike has been like a mentor to me and it was fantastic to catch up. In the evening I had a wonderful dinner (including pavlova) with my Aunty Eyvonne and Uncle Monty and cousin Emma. I had a thoroughly enjoyable time with them.

Well that's the end of family week. Tomorrow I will tell you about a wedding a two fun filled weeks in the South Island.

Greetings from Middle Earth

2007-01-18T00:44:00.000-08:00

I have been having an amazing time in my homeland. I have forgotten how much it means to me and how relazed I feel when I am here.

My last few weeks have been fairly hectic (but absolutely amazing) which is why I have not been very good at keeping my blog uptodate.

In the time allowed on this internet site I will attempt to fill you in on some of the things that I have been doing.

My time here started off with a New Years party with about 25 of my friends who I have not seen in years. It was great. At 8am the next morning (after being away unitl 4am) Heather and I headed down to Rotorua where we did activities such as skyline and luge rides. The weather was overcast but I still managed to get a bit of colour. We also did the zorb ride which involves sitting in side a big plastic ball with water in it and being pushed down a 200m slope. It was awesome.

We then soaked for a while in the thermal pools before heading to Tauranga. While here wandered around the Mount and the beach. It was great. We then headed back up to Auckland.

We ventured into Auckland City on the Wednesday and wandered along Mission Bay and enjoyed some yummy fish n chips and L&P. I ran into an old school friend - I love small countries.
And then on the Friday Lorraine, Doug and I drove to Hamilton where we visited the factory shops (I'm well stocked now) and then went to visit some friends who unfortunately were not at home - oh well we still managed to have a look at their new house. On the way down we also munched on some yummy mussel fritters and I enjoyed the thickest of Kiwi thickshakes (my jaw is still recovering).

My original plan was to travel to Palmerston North on the Saturday and spend a week between there and Wellington. I soon discovered that I had way too much to do in Auckland so decided to do that part of the trip at the end. So on the Saturday Nathan (a friend from London) and I went to my favourite sports ground (Eden Park) to see NZ v Sri Lanka, let's just say it was a very short game.

On Sunday I spent the day with my little sister Nikki. We played mini golf (it turned out to be a hard fought out draw) and then travelled into Mission Bay where we sampled some Belgian beer before heading to the Sky City casino. Incidentally I won $12 on my first go - not bad really. We then met up with Alison and Leo (friends from South Africa) and Nathan and headed out for dinner at the Viaduct. It was great to see London friends in Auckland.

A world of contrasts

2007-01-04T12:21:00.001-08:00

I have had the odd moments of culture shock while I've been away and one of these was on my arrival in Singapore. I landed at 4.30am on the 28th of December. The airport is immaculate (I'm sure you could have eaten off the floor). I was processed through immigation, didn't have to stand in line, then walked down the stairs to prepare to wait for my luggage. I arrived at the baggage carousel and there were my bags. I was shocked. Walking out of the airport I saw some advertising that I haven't seen in months - a McDonalds sign (there is only one in India and that is in Delhi). I have become used to noise, dirt and dust and strange and interesting smells, I found none of these in Singapore.

I arrived at Paul and Caillie's place (friends from London) at 6am and spent some time catching up with them. They then went to work and I crashed for a little while. I then endeavoured to get into the city to meet Caillie. Caillie had said that I was to meet her at a shopping mall on Orchard Road called Lucky Plaza. As soon as she had left the house the name of the mall escaped me. She had mentioned that I was to take bus 111. I was flicking through a tourist book and the first page that I came to said to get to Lucky Plaza take bus 111. I was very relieved.

We spent the morning looking through shops and drinking some wonderful fruit juices - I had a celery, cucumber and red apple drink, amazing! We met Paul for lunch and I was treated to a wonderful Singaporean dish - Mae Goreng. It was superb. Paul went back to work and Caillie and I headed to the shops and then to Raffles.

Then the rain came. Caillie and I ended up being absolutely drenched. We both had umbrellas but I was saturated up to my knees, down my back and down one side. Thankfully it was warm which made it a bit more bearable. It was rather uncomfortable walking round these really nice stores dripping water as we went - oh the joys of the monsoon.

We then headed to Raffles - the home of the famous Singapore Sling. This is a famous cocktail in Singapore, it's bright pink and reminded me lots of a Snakebite (if anyone is unsure of what this is go to any Walkabout and you'll soon discover it). It costs Singapore dollars $18 which is about 7 dollars more expensive than the other cocktails available - but as a tourist its just got to be done. It's not just the drink that is unique but also the surroundings that you are in while you drink it. You sit in the Long Bar (named because of the length of the bar) and upon sitting down are given a large dish of peanuts (still in their shells). When you are eating the peanuts you don't place the shells neatly on the table you throw them on to the grown. The entire floor of the place is covered in peanut shells - quite an experience. There are also birds flying around hoping to pick up the spoils.

I was feeling quite tired at this point and Caillie was suffering with a cold and so we decided to pamper ourselves by having a pedicure. I have very sensitive feet and just having spent 2 months in India my feet were in a shocking state. I was only going to have a manicure but they ladies said "you have to have a pedicure".

I survived the process - after treating Caillie to a display of me giggling and yelling as my feet were dealt to. I took a before and after photo and they looked like completely different feet. The ladies who worked in the salon were very proud of the change.

We spent the evening eating spring rolls and peanut satay. We stat in a really neat outdoor market. It was really pleasant and had a good vibe - even though it was still raining.

The next morning I ventured out on my own and headed to Sentosa Island. The journey started with a cable car ride from the mainland to the island. This enabled me to get some good views of Singapore. Upon arrival headed to the acquarium which had a section for for petting sting rays and sharks and a display of such huge crabs (I was thankful for the thick glass between us). I then headed to the beach and enjoyed some sunshine that I had been missing. Following this I took a chair lift down to the lower part of the island and wandered along to southern most point of South-East Asia. This is quite an interesting claim as it can only claim this because of some loose connections. The link from Singapore to the Sentosa and then a rope bridge that separates Sentosa to this little piece of land. Lunch was chicken and rice (a local favourite) accompaned by a banana dacquiri at a bar overlooking the water - tough life! Followed by a dolphin show and a return chairlift and cable car ride back to Singapore.

Caillie was still feeling under the weather so I met up with Paul for dinner. We ventured into Chinatown and had a drink at a really cute little rooftop bar. You can only have one drink there as the music is quite loud for some strange reason. We then walked across town to the Quay where we caught a river boat and saw the Singapore skyline from a different angle. It was then time for dinner. It was my decision where we ate and Paul was very patient with me as I took quite a bit of time trying to decide where to go. I finally decided on a place at the waters edge. The restaurant was great but unfortunately the dish that I ordered was not - Soft Shell Crabs. This dish would have to be the saltiest and greasiest dish that I have ever had, it was pretty much a pile of salty batter. I could feel my arteries hardening. After dinner we wandered around the streets and Paul was a brilliant guide pointing out various points of interest includin an ice bar. The final stop of the evening was at a micro brewery. I sampled the taster selection - I know I'm definitely a fan of white beer.

We headed back around midnight.

After a few short hours of sleep it was time to get up and head for the airport. I said goodbye to Paul and Caillie. Thanks for being such brilliant hosts and for making me very much at home and looked after - hopefully I will see you in NZ this weekend.

Singapore airport amazed me again when the checking in process and clearance of security took me approximately 30 minutes - most impressive. Then at 8.30 we took off - destination New Zealand....

It was a great flight and the time went quickly (helped by the fact that Lord of the Rings was showing - taking up 3 hours of the flight).

I arrived in NZ at 11pm and was welcomed home by the customs official who was quite amazed that I hadn't been back for so long. It was strange to hear so many New Zealand accents and it took me a while to stop turning around every time I heard a New Zealand accent (which I was used to doing in London in case I knew the person).

I was met by the Robinson family at the airport - thankfully we managed to meet each other as I had told them that I was arriving at 11.30 instead of 11:00 so they were walking into the airport as I was exiting the airport - at least no one had to wait :)

It was great to be back...

Christmas in Kolkata

2006-12-26T20:47:00.000-08:00

has certainly been different but I have to say has been one of the most special that I have had in a long tim.e

On Christmas Eve morning we slept in and then had pancakes at about 11am. We then played a game of scrabble (I have become quite addicted to that game) and then prepared to go out for at late lunch. We headed out to a place called "The Bistro" which felt like it should have been in Europe somewhere instead of India. We were the only diners at the restaurant and were treated like royalty. When we placed our order we were given suggestions by the owner as to what we might like to try instead. Mum and I loved this aspect of it but I don't think that dad was quite so keen. We were waited on hand and foot during the meal and the food was delicious.

We then took an autorickshaw and did some grocery shopping and then headed to meet the girls for a Christmas Eve service at the local Bengali church. This was incredible. I've been to quite a few Christmas Eve services in my time but this one was the most unsual. We were presented with songs and dances and skits and a message - all given entirely in Bengali. Thankfully I was able to pick up most of what they were saying. The members of the congregation chatted the whole way through and there was lots of coming and going - but this is the Bengali way and it seemed to work - to say that it was a quiet service would be like saying that England is going to win the World Cup again next year...

We then walked home and had an evening of playing scrabble, drinking some nice wine that I had brought over from England (thankfully it made it here in one piece) and then watched Memoirs of a Geisha (a most amazing film and one I would highly recommend). We crashed about 1.30am after a really special day.

Christmas Day involved an early start. We were meeting about 15 expats from NZ for breakfast at a local hotel. They serve an incredible smorgasbord with western foods. We were there for three hours but it was well worth it. The three of us then walked around the shops, had some coffee and headed home for a nap.

Christmas Night was absolutely incredible and I don't think that I will ever have a repeat of it. The girls from the business wanted to give me a farewell party and so decided to have it on Christmas Day. The brought their Indian CDs and were all dressed up. They arrived and put the music on and made me dance - BY MYSELF. It was a very humbling experience - I didn't realise how difficult it was to dance to music when you had no idea what the words were. The girls then joined in and we danced for about two hours - I was exhausted by the end of the evening. I treated them to samosas and ice cream and I think a good time was had by all.

I'm really going to miss them.

I hope you all had a great Christmas with friends and family.

Yesterday Dad and I went took a trip into town and visited the Marble Palace. This is one of Kolkata's main landmarks. It's incredible, and part of it is still lived in. Contained within the palace is a painting by Ruebens, quite impressive. The grounds are vast and contain a bird sanctuary and a rockpool and bush walks - I had to keep reminding myself that I was in the middle of India.

We then ventured into the legal district. I visited the High Court and saw where the Notarys reside. They have little huts outside the court and they type on really old fashioned typewriters (a far cry from the modern computers) and some of them actually sleep in their offices. The legal documents are typed right outside the court room and are done at the time of the trial or session - I'm not sure I could handle that sort of pressure.

My time in India has come to an end and I fly to Singapore tonight. It's going to be tough saying goodbye, particularly to mum and dad but I've had an amazing time and will never forget it.

I will write more from New Zealand...

My office Christmas party this year

2006-12-21T10:14:00.000-08:00

was vastly different from ones I have been to in the past. For one thing it was 26 degrees, it took place on a Saturday night and English was not the predominant language.

On Saturday last week we had the Christmas party for the business that mum and dad run. At about 5pm in the evening the 15 staff (and their children) arrived on our doorstep. They looked amazing dressed in the finest sarees and other traditional dress. I thought I had made a special effort when I wore a skirt but I felt majorly underdressed.
The evening started with gift giving. I was given a rather interesting doll. I'm still trying to figure out the best place for it.

During the evening we had games and singing and dancing. One particular game involved breaking into three groups and singing songs. The first group would sing and then the next group had to start their song with the last letter of the previous group's song. This went on for an hour (all in Bengali). Mum, Dad and I and another girl from NZ tried to think up some English songs but we were soon out of the game as we couldn't compete.

We also had a quiz relating to the Christmas story. It was neat to see the children and the parents getting involved together through acting, drawing and singing. The classic was when we asked them where Jesus was born. The most common response was Rome...

During the festivities we had a power cut which last for an hour. Sort of enabled us to have an impromptu carols by candlelight...

Once the lights had come on we moved on to dinner. The fare was not your typical mince pies, turkey, lamb or potatoes but included: vegetable manchurian, vegetable pakoras, chow mein and chilly chicken (with the emphasis on chilly).

So that was the office party. ..quite different to the five star hotel variety but a lot less messy....

A day in Kolkata

2006-12-20T05:11:00.000-08:00

I thought I would take you through a day in the city of joy.

You wake up at 7:30am to the sound of people selling things from the street as they walk past the house. The milk boy rings the doorbell at 8.30am and the rubbish truck with its loud siren comes past at about 9am. This city is certainly not quiet.

Then say for instance you needed to pick up some buttons (that you have ordered) and some thread. You would have a quick sandwhich lunch and make your way into the village which is starting to shut down as it is the Bengali seista betwee 2pm and 5pm.

You go to the rickshaw stand and ask to be taken to the metro. The journey involves multiple judder bars, potholes and various other uneven surfaces. Over here might is right so more often than not the rickshaw will be squeezed out of the way by a taxi or another car.

10 minutes later you arrive at the metro. Hopefully your journey goes a lot more smoothly than the one I experienced today...

Dad and I arrived at the metro in good time, I got our tickets (using my very limited Bengali) and we then ran down the stairs as the train was approaching. I was feeling very confident and had just finished saying to myself that this was easy, when it all turned pear shaped.

Dad managed to get on to the train, unfortunately as I stepped on the doors closed. My arm got jammed in the door and as a result once opened again I took a step back to clear it. When the doors opened again dad went to jump off and managed to get his head stuck in the door (thankfully there was no damage done). The train then left, dad was on it, unfortunately I was still on the platform. I wasn't sure if dad was going to get off the train at the next stop and then come back to me. I waited for about 10 minutes and saw no sign of him. I then decided to get a train to the next stop in case dad was waiting for me there. He wasn't. I then went back to the original stop and also saw no sign of him. The other factor to all of this was that I held the tickets. After another 10 minutes I decided to go to the destination that we had been planning to go to all along. I arrived there 20 minutes later but couldn't see dad. It turns out that he was at the other end of the platform and was on the phone to mum asking her to go down to our metro station and see if I was there. Thankfully we saw each other in the distance so it was all fine. If I had been a few minutes later dad was going to get on the metro and go back to the original spot. It was an interesting journey.

..................................................................................

Upon leaving the metro your first stop is the dab man. Dabi s a drink that comes straight from the coconut before it becomes the white milk. You drink straight from the coconut. It is a really good drink for hydration and is packed with wonderful vitamins and minerals.

You then walk for about 15 minutes until you come to the corner of MG Road and Borro Bazzaar. At this point you jump on a bus (quite literally as the bus keeps moving as you get on). You then wait as the bus makes its way up the busiest road that I have ever seen. It's packed with shops, stalls, rickshaw pullers, people washing themselves, men carrying huge barrels etc on their heads. Upon arrival at the main market you jump of the moving bus (being careful to ensure that you do not get hit by a car that is overtaking the bus).

Upon arrival at the button place you count and check the quality and numbe of the buttons while people push and shove past you. The store is not large.

You leave this store and make your way to the thread seller. He takes your order and you wait for about 30 minutes while his man goes to the "go down" (a storage area down the road). You are usually offered a cup of cha to help with the wait. It's fascinating to watch the goings on of the market place as you sit there. It's definitely a man's domain and I saw very few women.
You then head to the little store that sells Limka (there are generally hundreds of them around). Limka is very similar to Lilt. You have to drink it there and then as you have to give the bottles back to the seller. I can now drink very quickly.

You then pick your way through people, dead rats, men carrying huge packages on their heads and also crazy bus drivers and rickshaws. You eventually makit back to the bus stop and head back to the metro. It is now probably approaching rush hour so you won't get a seat on the metro. More often than not your feet will be stood on and you will be shoved several times. You finally reach the rickshaw stand and are almost home. This has probably taken you three hours and you probably feel as though you have run several kilometres in a steam room.

Once you are off the rickshaw you order six singras (simosas) from the man who knows you really well as you are a regular there. You go to the greengrocers (see attached picture) and purchase the evening's vegetables and fruit.

As you are walking back to the house you are suddenly plunged into darkness. It's the standard night time load shedding. You stumble home and wait about 30 minutes for the power to come on, in the mean time being attacked by mosquitoes whose approach you can't see.

You have dinner, watch a DVD and play scrabble and then head for sleep. Usually about 1am you are awoken by a loud whistle andthe tapping of a stick. This is the neighbourhood guard who makes all of this noise for your protection.

So that's a typical day. Please remember that you will only get the true experience if you imagine constant horn blowing and yelling throughout...

In my next blog I will describe my office Christmas party for this year....

Humble dwellings

2006-12-16T02:05:00.000-08:00

My stay in India has not been typical of a tourist. During my time I have been able to really get to know the locals and experience a bit of how they run their day-to-day lives. About 4 weeks ago I had lunch at the home of one of the girls who work with mum and dad. This was incredible. The home is the sie of an average western loung. The kitchen is outside and consists of a clay oven (pretty similar to a BBQ). On average about 12 people live in the house and the conditions are very cramped. It is common practice for the guest to sit on the main bed and eat the meal while the hosts talk to you. The host family does not eat with you but will eat once you have left. I will never complain if I have to stay in a house that has a small kitchen or living area.

On Thursday night we were invited out to have dinner in one of the slum houses beside the railway station. Our family are great friends with the head of the family. He is a driver for a local business man and so often will pick friends and family (including me) up from the airport for mum and dad. He is a lovely guy and his wife and little 1 year old are really lovely too. We were met at the start of the community and escorted down the little alleyways and were greeted by all the neighbours. Upon arrival at the house (a one bedroom place) we were made comfortable on the bed (all of the kitchen stuff is kept under the bed) and the food is prepared on the floor and on a small stove on a side counter. We were served chai (which I am becomming addicted to) and then the nicest thing I have ever tasted - Luchi.

Luchi s a torilla type food which is lightly fried in oil so that if forms into a balloon shaped pastry. It is heavenly. I think I ate about 7 of them (it would have been rude to turn them down). The luchis are served with a potato curry. We ate quite early but I was still full by the next morning.

The evening ended with another cup of chai. Unforgettable.

When I get back to London I am going to try and find out how to make them or find someone who knows how...

Well the Christmas party is on tonight so I'd better go and help prepare...

Running for the train

2006-12-15T07:33:00.000-08:00

now has a whole lot of meaning for me. On Monday morning I set off first thing (7am) and headed into the city to meet up with some friends from New Zealand in order to travel to see the place where William Carey set up his work. We caught a cab to Howrah station. This station is the largest and busiest in Calcutta. I am used to busy train stations in London but I was not prepared for this. I have heard people describe "a sea of people" and this is definitely what I saw. It was like a raging river and we had to cut across the centre of it. Quite a daunting feet.

We made it on to the train and made the half hour journey to Sirampore. The area is idyllic and very peaceful. Quite a haven from the busy streets of Kolkata. We caught a rickshaw to the college that Carey set up about 150 years ago and did a tour of the campus. I will never again complain about the lack of resources that I thought we had at University. The books available to these students would not fit into a quarter of the space of the library at the university I went to.

A group of military students were having a class on the front steps of the college and as soon as we walked in the jumped up and started asking us lots and lots of questions. I'm getting used to being approached and treated like a long lost friend. It's going to be quite strange to go back to London and walk down the street with no one noticing.

We then walked along the river and then had a beautiful lunch at a rooftop restaurant. The food was worth the two hour wait.

We headed back to the train station and prepared for the arrival of the train to Kolkata. The train arrived, we let the people off, four of our group got on, we waited for some others to move out of the way, the train started moving, we started running, the train got faster, we missed it.
We had no way of getting in contact with the others and to make matters worse we didn't have tickets.

The next train came 20 minutes later and we linked arms to form a chain and the five of us all managed to barge our way on. Now it was just a case of finding the others at the other end.

We arrived at Howrah and as soon as we were off the train we were swept along by another sea of people. It was the scariest situation that I had been in. If I had stopped I would have been trampled so I had to cope with the clostrophobic feeling and allow myself to be pushed along. I was very relieved when I saw the man with our tickets and were reunited with the group.

I was very thankful when when we left the station and boarded the boat that would take us across the river to home.

I learnt an interesting fact while on the boat. At one point some "clever" Australian businessmen decided that they didn't like the Indian slow boats and would prefer a speed boat to get across the river. The launched the boat and a few months later were bankrupt. The locals were not prepared to pay more than 5 rupees being charged by the slow boat. The speed boat sits there rusting away completely unused....

Did you know that I have never been to Australia but I have been very close to the Sydney opera house. How can that be? You may ask. Well please see the picture below.

According to an article that I read in the main Calcutta paper this building got it's design and is based on the Sydney Opera House. You may think that they did this because they are big fans of Australia and want to copy their great national icon.

However, I'm not sure this is the case. From what I hear they would rather have a different cricket coach to the one they have now (now for the life of me I can't remember his nationality...).

Some of you may have figured out what this building actually is but for those of you who haven't the answer is in the next photo. Read the sign carefully.

That's right it's a public toilet.

A little boy's smile

2006-12-08T05:16:00.000-08:00

Well I'm now 90% better. I never want to have a bug like that again. I think I have lost a few pounds and caught up on every hour of sleep that I have missed this year. Even though I was sick this week I managed to do something which brought a tear to my eye.

I have been sponsorsing a child through Compassion UK for the past four years. On Wednesday of this week I was picked up by the Compassion workers and driven 3 hours west to a little village called Mawa which is in the district of Midnapur. The thought of a 3 hour car ride and stopping to eat and using an Indian squatting toilet (considering the bug that I had) did not appeal. Thankfully when we got to the Indian equivalent of a truck stop I discovered that the place had a western toilet!! The potato stuffed naan that we had was delicious also.

We arrived at the Project just before 11am. They had planned to greet us at the gate but we arrived early and caught them unawares. We walked into the very open plan complex and I was asked to sit down. I tried to find Milan (the boy that I sponsor) in the sea of faces but with no success. Then suddenly a lady was introducing me to him. He gave me the biggest smile and presented me with flowers and then sat next to me. I almost started crying. The pictures that I have of him that were sent to me by the organisation are all of him frowning. I soon discovered that he has the cutest smile (his eyes really sparkle). He's such a cute little guy. I spoke to him through an interpreter about his school and family and of course cricket...

I was then asked to go and sit at a table at the front of the room. There was a big welcome sign for me and I was presented with more flowers and drawings from the children. They did a few dances and songs for me. I sat amongst the children and tried to join in with the group singing (and actions). Milan plays the tamborine and he was in his element performing.

I was then asked to come and speak. I told them the few Bengali words that I had learnt and also taught them the song "If you're happy and you know it". It was quite an experience. We then had a question and answer time. They asked how old I was and I responded with an answer that would have made a politician proud "Older than you".

It was then time for cricket. These people are certainly fond of this game. At least 100 kids joined in the game. I think I was bowled (Milan was wicketkeeper and got me out first ball!!) or caught out at least 10 times in one over but was not allowed to stop batting. I did manage to get a few runs though. Milan was my supporting batsman. I think the children (particularly the older ones) were told to make sure that Milan was the centre of attention and proceedings. It was nice that he could be spoiled for the day. They all wish that India had a NZ coach still instead of an Australian one...

We then jumped in the jeep and headed to his house. His house is a three room mud hut that houses 6 people, one goat, one rooster and one cow. It was humbling to go there. There were holes in the roof where the rain came through the corrogated iron. I did see little things that that they had that my contributions had helped to provide. I met Milan's parents. His father is a rickshaw puller and his mother a tea garden worker. They are a lovely family and made me feel very welcome. They even rented chairs that I could use while I was there and both took the day off work so that they could meet me. I kept thinking that I have soo much in the west and yet I often complain. These people seemed really happy and content with little that they had.

We then headed back to the school for lunch. I ate the Indian way with my right hand (this took some doing as I'm left handed). Eating with your left hand is a no no as they do other things with that hand.... It was nice to sit around the table with Milan and his family and the staff from the Project.

This was followed by another game of cricket and then I had to say goodbye to Milan. It was tough leaving. However I will never forget that smile.

I used to struggle with writing to him as I never knew what to say. I now feel as though I now him a little more.

On the way home in the car we unfortunately hit a cow (it almost came through the front window). This is not a good thing in India as cows are very very sacred. Thankfully the cow was fine and the car (although a little buckled in the bonnet) was fine too. However we didn't stop to check the damage until we were well away from the owner of the cow (safety first).

It was a super day and I'm soo pleased that I didn't cancel as a result of illness (considering the lengths they had gone to to prepare for my coming). If any of you get the chance to visit a child that you sponsor I would thoroughly recommend it.

Tomorrow it's off to Sirampur (of William Carey fame).

A word from the editor

2006-12-06T19:54:00.000-08:00

Many apologies for the absence of entries lately. I have unfortunately caught a bug which has caused me to be out of action for the past four days. Hopefully tomorrow I will feel up to typing more than a few sentences.

Thanks for your patience...

Good ole Kolkata

2006-11-21T21:56:00.000-08:00

Just a very quick entry to say that after a brilliant train journey I am now back in Kolkata. I actually managed to get some sleep on the train and didn't feel scared (although I must admit I was a wee bit on edge as we were leaving the platform). I haven't done too much since I last wrote but just wanted to let everyone know that I'm safe and sound.

Till next time...

The world we live in

2006-11-21T01:42:00.000-08:00

On the news last night we heard about a bomb blast on a local train in West Bengal. The explosion happened on a train that was 28kms from where I am sitting now. The blast occurred on a train, two of whose carriages were to be connected to a train called the Darjeeling Mail (it is a service that goes every night). I am catching this train back to Kolkata tonight. This morning I was all set to travel for two hours and catch a plane back to Kolkata (which would have set me back quite a few pounds). However I have decided to face my fears and get on the train. I'm sure it will all be fine but it's just made me realise that we live in a not so nice world.

I thought I should do a quick entry while I'm sitting filling time in Siliguri. Siliguri is a town that is best known as being a junction for travelling to various points in the Himilayas. I have been here for the past couple of days. I've been staying in a 4 star hotel for the meagre price of 20 pounds per night. I have spent the last two days relaxing and catching up on sleep.

Since my last entry I have done the following things.

I have driven in a jeep that I'm sure was part of the program MASH (it was that old). I could see the road through the floor and there was no need for air conditioning as the holes caused by the rust provided enough ventilation. There were no windows on the jeep and it would only start if we were facing downhill. It was quite an experience. We drove in tis jeep to a place called Mirik. It's got a beautiful lake which is surrounded my mountains. It was lovely and peaceful. While we were sitting down having our lunch a family came up to us and started chatting to us and wanted to have photos with us. This has happened quite a few times since we have been travelling. I think I'm going to try it when I get back to London... The journey back to Darjeeling involved a journey through tea gardens and seeing workers completing their work for the day. We are so fortunate in the west.

The day I left Darjeeling I awoke at 4am, got into a jeep (much nicer than the one mentioned above) and was driven up to Tiger Hill. Needless to say I was not the only crazy one to do this. There were at least 800 people on the hill. Tiger Hill is the place to go to if you want to see the sunrise and also possible get a glimpse of Eversest and the third highest mountain (which begins with a K and I can't spell it). Upon reaching the top you stand around drinking chai waiting for the sun. We thought that the sun was up so I took a few photos of the mountain (which was not very visible) and then walked down the hill. One of the girls I was travelling with felt sick so we went back down the hill.

Our jeep driver told us that we were to come back as soon as the sun had come up. We settled into the jeep and then suddenly heard cheers and applause. I looked at the friend I was with and it dawned on us that we had missed the actual sunrise.

This was what we thought was the main event (you can vaguely see the outline of the mountains).

So we jumped out of the jeep and ran up the hill. We felt sooo silly. The sun was shining on the mountains and it looked really pretty and quite clear. It just shows that one has to be patient!!

This was the real event!!

I decided that I had seen enough of Darjeeling and so I decided to set off and see some other sights. In Darjeeling there is a train called the "Toy Train". It takes 8.5 hours to get down the mountain (bear in mind that the jeep ride takes 3 hours) and cost 3 pounds (or 200 rupees). It's quite an experience as it does not go fast at all, people hang on to the train as it is going down the hill and if you jogged at a moderate pace you could run with it the whole way. It's a great way to see the countryside and get to see the locals close up. Not something you should do if you are following a strict timetable.

So that has been what I have been up to in the last few days. I've learned that travelling has high points and low points and points when you have to trust the one who made you.

Well that's all from me for now, till next time....

Greetings from the rooftop of the world

2006-11-17T05:06:00.000-08:00

Hi there. I am currently sitting overlooking two of the tallest mountains in the world. Darjeeling is an amazing place and very different from the other parts of India that I have seen so far. It's very very hilly and my legs have been given an amazing workout (don't need to feel bad about not having been to the gym for a couple of weeks).

To get to Darjeeling you have to go through a 3 hours jeep ride around some of the windiest,steepist and most narrow roads that I have ever seen. We were being tossed all over the place during the ride. The driver kept laughing at me whenever I bumped my head or came off my seat. The jeep is meant to carry 10 people, we had 12 squeezed into ours. My friends and I were crammed into the back. I usually get carsick but thankfully I didn't this time -I think I was too scared to be. The view at the top made the journey worthwhile though.

We visited a Tibetan Refugee Self Help Centre today. It was amazing to see first hand what goes into making rugs and blankest that we take for granted.

We also visited the zoo and the Himilayan Mountain Institute. Being a kiwi I thought it was important to see things about the great conquest of the summit of Everest by HIlary. During the tour I quickly came to realise that SirEd Hillary is not considered the main man in these parts. It's all about Tenzing (Darjeeling was his birthplace). They don't even mention the fact that Hillary is a New Zealander!! It was brilliant to see some of the equipment and clothing that they used for the climb.

Before coming to Darjeeling I spent two days in a safari park. This included an elephant trek where we came across three rhinos and a bison. It was incredible (and quite scary).

We then caught a commuter train from the park to Silaguri where we caught the jeep. The train was slow and basic but we got to see quite a few of the locals andsome tea plantations close up. It's amazingwhat we in the west complain about considering the basic commodities that the people in this part of the world have and appear tobe happy with.

Well it's almost dinner time and my 4th cup of tea of the day.

Till next time...

ps- see I didn't mention the rugby this time - I thought I'd mentioned enough about a kiwi being on top of the world.

Transportation

2006-11-08T02:05:00.000-08:00

The main feature of the last two days has been the different modes of transport that are available in this vibrant city.

I love rickshaws and they love speed bumps (judder bars), rough surfaces and craters in the road!! The auto rickshaws are particularly fun, its like being on a permanent dodgem/rollercoaster ride.

I now also have a greater appreciation for the London underground although they could learn a few things from the Indian system. For starters on the metro here you have a section where only girls are allowed, there is a guys section too but girls can go there - exactly how it should be!! Secondly they also have tvs on the platform showing world news and sport, I was able to follow some of the cricket and also some of the English football. No rugby showing at this stage but a little birdie did tell me that a certain nation from the south managed to embarrass the World Champions!!!

The pace of life here is vastly different to London life. Things take double the time to get done and no one seems to stress out the same. The business that mum and dad are doing involves ordering a lot of fabric, beads and other material. The negotiations that take place are a delight to watch. No one wants to lose face. You will also often have 5 or 6 people helping you to purchase 5 metres of fabric. It's all about customer service.

The girls that mum and dad work with are really lovely. There are 11 of them and I am trying my best to learn all of their names. They have it easy as they call me sister - much easier to remember. Mum and and Dad are called Uncle and Aunty.

I was not born with a crafty bone in my body (and I'm referring to the material sense and not the other sense). Mum and Dad run a business that exports hand crafts and bags to NZ, the US and other parts of the world. I've been (trying to) helping them with an order that has to go out on Friday. My tasks have involved checking bags, folding them and wrapping them in plastic. It's quite different using my hands instead of my brain (although some would question whether I really use that in my job!!)

My stomach has good days and bad days re. the food. Thankfully dad makes porridge in the morning so I do feel like I still have part of my London routine. Mum also does a lot of western cooking so I'm not subjected to weird and wonderful dishes every day.

I ventured out with another girl who is visiting from NZ the other day. It was the first time that I had gone anywhere without mum and dad. We headed to the train station for a trip we're taking to Darjeeling next week. We stood in a queue for an hour and barely moved. They have interval breaks. They start work at 8am, two windows have a break for half an hour from 12.00-12.30 and the other two windows have a break from 12.30-1.00. They finish at 2pm!!!
The system of queuing here is incredible - there isn't one. I'm sure that at least 5 people pushed in front of me, but all you can do is just smile and "chill".

Dad took me into the centre of the city today which was quite overwhelming on my senses. I can't even begin to describe the sites and the sounds. There is stuff happening everywhere and never a dull moment. NZ is going to seem very quiet.

Well time is ticking on and I'd better head home and get back to the bag checking. We are having broadband installed at home this week so when that happens I will be able to download some of my pictures on to the site.

Till next time....

The Kiwi has landed

2006-11-05T04:27:00.000-08:00

Well I have now been in India for 4 days and I'm beginning to settle into life over here. It is very very different from London life. There is never a dull or quiet moment and the horns on the cars never stop tooting. I am however loving the relaxed lifestyle and being able to sleep in and also observe a different culture.

My flights here were interesting and thankfully turbulence free for the most part. I won't comment on the airline food as there may be young children reading this site :)

I had a rather interesting time during my stop over in Mumbai. It took me an hour to find the correct terminal as 4 people told me 4 different places to go. This was also not helped by the fact that the plane I was flying on had changed its name since I had purchased my ticket. It was interesting to be flying on Kingfisher Air (yes indeed the same company that makes the beer).

It's been great spending time with my mum, dad and sister. It was dad's 60th birthday yesterday and we tried to make the day as nice as possible for him. We had breakfast in a western style hotel and then went shopping (I love this place particularly when using pounds) and then had chicken roti from a sidewalk cafe (literally sitting on the sidewalk) and then ice cream at the Curry Club.

I don't have much else to report apart from the fact that it is very very warm (approx 29 degrees every day) and the mosquitoes love me!!

I'll be heading into work with mum and dad tomorrow which I'm sure will be quite different to what I've been used to.

I will try and update my site more frequently (the internet has been playing up at home so this was my first chance - sorry Gabby)

Matt - I haven't opened the Christmas card yet.

Until next time....

Initial thoughts

2006-10-05T09:14:00.000-07:00

Hi there. Thought I would follow the crowds and set up a blog. Probably better as I know how people don't like all those mass emails all the time.

This initial posting will be brief as I'm still in the admin stage of my trip, which among other things involves bothering my workmates, friends and family with constant chatter about my trip.....

I hope I can make these updates interesting over the next four months. I would love to have your comments.

Till the next instalment....