Saturday 27 November 2010

Dabla - Week 5 & 6

Hmm, its been so long, um.. so:


Not sure what i've been up to to be honest. I have been very ill!

The whole camp was going out because we had two birthdays (Joey and Z), on the same day. I tried to go and went into town, but felt so ill i had to go straight back to camp alone and miss the meal. I made it back okay, but as soon as i climbed up onto my top bunk i projectile vomited all over the floor - 3 times! Yum. For those of you that know me well, you'll know that i've only ever thrown up twice before - due to major alcohol consumption! But in all my 20years i have never thrown up due to being just ill. So it was quite a shock. I cleaned it all up before my room mates got back into bed where i spent the next day, unable to eat or drink. Every time i drank water i would vomit it (along with my stomach) into a bucket. I stoped vomiting by day 3, but still could not eat, but i felt much better and since i started eating again i feel fine. All good.



Apart from that just been at school, working hard (1st three days off since i've been here). I'm back in Jodphur now, but not feeling too good, so i'm going to go to bad and i'll give a real update on the last 2weeks when i return home and check my journal. Update on Monday.


Love to everyone in cold cold Enlgand. See you in three weeks xx

Friday 12 November 2010

Week 3 & 4 - Dabla


I have recently been neglecting my blog and journal duties, so apologies to anyone out there still reading this.

Hmm, whats been going on over here in the last two weeks. To be honest its gone by in one very fast, amazing, blur.

We'll I'm not teaching a class of 40, its a class of 30 children, aged 3-9 years. Very hectic and busy, lots of screaming and little control. There's a major language barrier, but they are all very cute and they love everything about all of us volunteers. Im teaching my class with two other people - Is, Emma and me.Both really lovely, couldn't be happier. We go a little crazy with the stress of trying to get some part of the alphabet into their heads and as cute as they are you have to watch them carefully or they'll steal everything they can from you. I gave out 50 colour pens one lesson and got 7 back - little buggers.

Your aloud to smoke when inside over here which is wired, although women aren't really supposed to ever smoke in public, which a few of the female volunteers here have an issue with. Oh and there are cows everywhere! On every road, street, market, houses, villages. Evey where. They are free to go where they want and some have massive horns, which can be quite intimidating sometimes.

This November 5th - Bonfire night in England, was Diwali in India. We had a lovely celebration in camp and then me and 13 others went away to Jodphur for the weekend. The journey is about 5 hours long, so we left at 6am Saturday morning, because we had to be back by 7pm Sunday. It was really nice weekend, the place itself wasn't that nice but we all had a really good time together.

I think the most scary thing that's happened to me since I've been here would be incidents with random children. On quite a few occasions now me and a few others have been walking along and had a usual harassing from children for money - however some just follow you for a while and then give up. Others chuck their fire crackers and mini home made bombs at you! Sounds funny, the idea of us running scared down the street, away from tiny children, or hopping into a tuck tuck screaming. And well it is funny after, but at the time.. Not so funny.

This weekend we're finally going on the Camel Safari (including the over night desert party - woop woop).. I'm expecting great views, fun times and a very sore bum!

Can't think of much else say for now.. Oh some of the boys out here have made a rocking band called 'Desert Boys' and I'm their number one fan, so i should really spread the word about their talent; This is for you Josh, JJ, Is and Z.

Hope everyone had a good Halloween, see you when i see you xx

Sunday 24 October 2010

Week 2 - Dabla

After11hours on an over night train, where they put me in a sleeper cabin alone with 5 random men - we arrived in Jaisalmer. Sand everywhere. We drove into the middle of the dessert where i saw this small village of huts and leaned out the window to capture this remote area, when the bus stopped and it turned out we had arrived.

It's really wired living in an area with sand everywhere instead of roads and concrete.
We have small rooms with bunk-beds for 6 and an attached bathroom that has running water for about 15minutes everyday and then you have to go to the pump and collect water to flush the loo and shower - brown water!

But its not too bad. The whole place is so beautiful and we have two stray dogs for pets - rabies free, we think. Its so so hot in the rooms so me and some of the other girls are sleeping out side - some of the boys two, but they are on the other side of camp and we're not aloud to hang out with them after 11pm 'Hush Hush Time' - bed.

I start teaching my class of 40 children, with three other volunteers, next week. They're going to be aged 6-10 years, mixed boys and girls. I've been in a day care centre for 2-5year olds last week, because the school was having an inspection last week and didnt want us teaching then.

The food is good - lots of rice and curry but loads of other good stuff.

This weekend we stayed in a lovely hotel by the market and went swimming, because we all needed to a pamper weekend - pathetic i know. But we're going to book an over night camel safari for next weekend or the one after!

All the people are really nice and i've made lots of good friends already. Wish i could talk more, however my internet time is up and if you people expect gifts i can not waist my money!! - Also i am experiencing my first shits this weekend and need the loo! Ha, the joys of India.

Love to all xxx

Friday 15 October 2010

Week 1 - Jaipur

You will all be very happy to know that as of yet i have not had the shits!!! 1 for Lanie - 0 for Jaipur!.
But apparently its when we go down to Jaisalmer thats when you get them.

It took just over 2hours to get to London, then 8 hours flying to Delhi, (2 hours waiting in the sun for the coach once we landed) 6hours on a very very hot, small bus with all 48 of us on it (11 boys and 37 gilrs) and only one stop off for a toilet break. (Two full days of travelling in total).

Then we were put into groups and went off to stay with our host families. I'm with four other girls with my host family, which is: dad, mum, x2 daughters, a son and they also have this man helper/maid.

We've been in Jaipur for 2days, tomorrow is our 3rd and last full day. I'll give you a quick list of the things we've done so far:

Thursday
- We had a Hindi lesson in the morning
- Then went to visit the slums, which was a very over whelming experience. All the children were surrounding us, asking for money and chocolate, wanting us to take their picture and shaking our hands! They were very cute and so fascinated by all of us!
- Then we went to get measured for our salwar kameez, which is being hand made for us from material we picked and dropped off for us tomorrow (Saturday morning). Only 550 rupees, about 7 pounds.

Friday
- Had lots of different presentations about our projects in Jaisalmer till lunch (which we always eat up on the roof of the building in the sun)
- Then went to see a Hindi Bollywood movie! - it was all in Hindi, but easy to get the story. Was not what i expected at all, not all singing and dancing - it was a twisted cop film, with lots of violence and action, with only one song and dance.

The weather is amazingly hot! 33 degrees the first day of travelling, 35 the other days and apparently its going to be 40 in the desert. Its so hot and where we are now we have to be almost completely covered, so your just constantly sweating!!

Tomorrow we have an elephant ride in the morning and some free time to explore, so we're all going to get our feet eaten by those fish (the thing you had in Thiland Oli) some of the boys had it done yesterday and said it was really good, so we all want it now.

Missing everyone of course, but having too much fun and adventure to miss properly.

xxxx

Monday 11 October 2010

Pre Departure

Later if any of you actually read this (i'm sure you'll have time Oli), then you should know that i'm sitting up in Oli's office, extremely nervous and panicking, listening to Jake take a work shower in Oli's bathroom.

Not sure if i will actually convince my self to get up tomorrow and go.


Guess i do go though otherwise i would of deleted my crappy blog and no would be reading this.. hope i have something more interesting to say next time, for anyone out there that is actually taking an interest in my bowel disrupting adventure.

Goodbye Bristol xx