Typing through tears

So it's all over. Just under an hour ago, Celia and I said teary goodbyes to everyone at DUF before hopping into the car with her family (who arrived Saturday night) and coming into Manali. They've given me some time to go to the post office and write this etc, and then we're all having lunch together before I leave for my 15hour bus ride at 3:30.





Last night we had our farewell party, which consisted of the kids singing and dancing, and making mini speeches about what we'd done for them and how they'd miss us. It was quite emotional, but we managed to get through it without actually letting any tears fall. Although Mummy Cayzer wasn't quite so successful!!!



There was no power before the ceremony started and we were upset because we'd wanted to show photos with Wayne's projector, but luckily it came back just as we were going to start, and after some mishaps with 2 laptops and discs (both laptops managed to give me an electric shock), we got it sorted. They loved the photos and it was really good to see them up on the wall so big.

We were also given presents - small beautiful rugs - and Auntie and Mami both expressed their gratitude to us. It was a really nice evening. Afterwardsw, Celia and I stayed up until mignight doing not a lot, as we'd already done all the packing and cleaning, writing gift tags etc, and then we got up at 5:30 this morning to face our last morning.



I think we made it until about 9am before we cried, and then a goodbye letter from one of the kids almost had us bawling! We took a group photo with the school, and then waited until 11 to leave. The whole school came to say goodbye and shake our hands - even those that didn't know us at all, and we were both crying and only got worse when one of our favourite boys cried as well! I think it's a good thing we had Celia's family there or we'd never have managed to drag ourselves away.



So now I'm going to be on my own until Saturday when I'll meet up with the Cayzers again in Jaipur; between now and them I am visiting Amritsar and Chandigarh. I will do my best to keep you updated at every place I visit, and will be back in the country in just 15 days!!!



TTFN xxx

Our leaving speech...

OK.

OK. We wrote this speech because we refuse to have to dance, so the time will be filled with us talking instead of making fools of ourselves, although knowing us, we’ll probably do that anyway!

So here goes…

We have to admit that during the first couple of weeks, we had mixed feelings about being here; we suddenly found ourselves in a strange country without our families, surrounded by 90 kids we didn’t know, which is a bit daunting to say the least. And when the boys of class 4 – led by Suresh – decided to switch name tags on us in our first lesson, the prospect of getting to know you all seemed so much more difficult.

But over the next couple of weeks, we began to feel more at home and started to learn not only your names but also your personalities. Except for Tsering, who refused to tell us his name in class and so for the first month was known to us only as ‘Bob’.

Neither of us has ever been made to feel so much a part of a large group of strangers so quickly. Chhutzin in particular played a big part in making us feel accepted in the beginning; every day after devotion he would be at the bottom of the steps in his man-u hat, ready to talk to us about everything and anything. We’ve never been able to leave our room without at least 3 people cheerfully greeting us, and Annay always made us porridge which helped us to feel at home.

It didn’t take us long to realize we weren’t part of a group of strangers anymore but part of a family. This hit us when Auntie announced during the preparations for Wayne and Buangpuii’s wedding that we were not to consider ourselves guests, but were part of the family with equal responsibility for representing the home.

We have memories of each one of you that we’ll treasure forever; it’s a guarantee that time spent with you will always end up in laughter. Some of our favourite moments include:

Panma shouting across the ground in an English accent

Martin getting a pencil stuck in his cast

Pawan popping up anywhere at anytime,

Playing silly games with Skarma and Yungchen

Dancing to Steps in the rec room with the small girls

And Chhorten’s constant YMCA-ing!

Steps and the YMCA aren’t the only dancing that’s gone on since we’ve been here. You all showed an incredible amount of devotion during practice for the wedding, and the results were spectacular. And somehow our parent’s day group persuaded us to dance and teach lindy hop, which wasn’t in the plan at all. But dance practice was so much fun; our favourite moment has to be Pema and Khasdup wearing the girl’s leggings pulled up to their armpits!

You’re all blessed with so many talents; not only dancing, but singing, sports and academic abilities as well. WE always enjoyed sitting and watching you play baseball, basketball, football or marbles, and Jograj made us laugh by combining two talents into what we call his ‘out dance’.

Somewhere between all the studying and playing, you still found time to help us out; Dechen-Angmo constantly offered to empty our bin, and Rinchen and Urgyan among others have both helped us tidy up. We’ve never been allowed to carry our bags anywhere as the boys are so polite, and we’ve lost count of the number of times we’ve heard ‘ladies first’.

You’ve all been brought up to be so friendly and respectful, and credit for that must go partly to your wardens and staff, to whom we also have a lot to say. From the start, they welcomed us onto the teaching team and were there to help us when we needed guidance or advice. Auntie has been a constant source of comfort and friendliness, and we will miss being in her sitting room and chatting. When we got ill, Joy and Mami in particular were great, and Annay fired up the porridge stove for us once again!

We’ve got so many good memories with them as well as with you all that it would be impossible to list them. And we’re sure you must have heard all this many times before from other GAPpers or visitors – as it’s your personalities that create these memories.

Each one of you will be in our thoughts, hearts and prayers forever; the time has flown so quickly and we’ve made so many friends for life. We came here as volunteers expecting to give something to you all, but instead we’ll be taking a lot more away with us than we could ever have imagined. It’s a true blessing that we were sent here to become part of such an incredible family, and we can’t express enough our gratitude at your welcoming and inclusive reaction to our arrival, and your continuing and strengthening friendships with us over the last 4 months.

Here are some photos of some of our favourite memories.

Thank you, we truly love you all.

Last one from Manali?

Hello all,

This will definitely be my last blog to you as a GAPper - on Monday I officially finish my placement at DUF :( and will be travelling to Amritsar!

All of last week and this week have/will be full of preparations of the following sorts:
-packing
-tidying up
-cleaning up our 'penthouse suite'
-writing notes and letters to the kids and staff
-giving out gifts
etc.

I am in town early this morning to send a box of things home - not as big or heavy as the one that was sent out here, but I don't particularly want to carry all that around on my back for 2 weeks!

Every school day I am also now teaching a small group of kids to play the recorder and to lindy hop. Not at the same time of course. It's parent's day at Rainbow School on Friday and so there are to be many different performances. We have 2 - amazing grace on the recorder (which about half the kids in the home are now attempting to play during any spare moment and driving us all insane), and a lindy hop dance to 'barefootin''! It's good fun - every afternoon after lunch, lessons are cancelled and Celia and I get 10 of the coolest sweetest most fun kids up in the rec room to dance! I think we may actually pull it off, and they're having matching colourful outfits of skirts for the girls and braces for the boys that we bought material for yesterday!

We've also created a powerpoint of some of our favourite photos to show them after our speech when we leave (which hasn't been written yet). Wayne has a projector that we helped him learn to use so he's said we can borrow that. Should be good. May spark us off into a crying fit though - it was quite emotional just looking through them all again.

I'd better go as the post office should be opening soon, and then I have to get back to DUF in time for lessons or Celia will be teaching on her own again!

TTFN,

xxx

Quick Blog

Hello all

No time today, but not sure when I'll next be on.

Went on picnic on friday with some of our classes from school, good fun, beautiful place.
Feeling much better - after writing last, illness decided it wasn't actually gone, but am now totally over it.

Planning travel - booked one train but the system's slow so that'll have to be next time

Main bulk of present shopping completed.

0nly 2 weeks left - argh!

ttfn, sorry it's so short!

Bloggin'

It's getting really difficult to think of things to write. Either there's nothing spectacular going on, or there's so much going on, but it's too small to be able to successfully convey to you at home what it all means to me.

Things I can think of to tell you today:

After camp, a lot of us have been a bit ill; me included. 'Delhi Belly' kept me in bed for 2 days, but everyone was really helpful; Celia looking out for me, Anay offering to cook me anything I fancied eating, and all the kids praying for me! I'm feeling a lot better now, and I can even bend my knee enough to walk up the stairs! Hurray!

The weather is glorious at the moment, although still apt to change at any moment it likes - kind of like England really! But it's very pleasant to be able to sit outside and enjoy a light breeze in the sun.
Classes 2-4 are having their picnic next friday - we are of course going too, wouldn't pass up such a good opportunity to interact with the kids - and I'm hopeful for a really nice day and lots of photo opportunities.

Speaking of photos, I was really organised today and brought in ALL the memory cards so I could spend as much time as I wanted uploading some - and then forgot to bring in the USB lead. GRRR. Never mind. More time for present shopping, which is our aim for the day, so that it is all finished, and we can get a clearer idea of what we've got to pack. (and how much junk I have to cart around with me for 2 weeks).

We cleared out some of our stuff yesterday - starting to organise clothes and things into 'throw away', 'donate', 'leave for next gappers', 'take travelling' and 'take home'! It's not that we're eager to leave, but realistically, we need to start thinking about this stuff, and if we do it now, we hope we will be able to spend the rest of our time here with the kids as much as possible, without always worrying about having to pack and get ready to leave etc.

I am almost starting to miss things about home at the moment - mainly because I've been ill and on my own in bed wanting home comforts I think. I had the strangest craving the other day to have a picnic at Millet's Farm, and desperately need a ham sandwich!!!

I have also started to properly plan my travel after I leave here - after being unable to contact a prospective jeep safari, I've decided to leave that until I return at a less devastatingly hot time of year (oh yes, I will definitely be returning to India more than once if I can manage it), so now I just need to finalise my plans and book some transport and hotels.
To give you a rough idea, I plan to visit Amritsar (the golden temple), Chandigarh (the rock garden), Agra (enough said), Jaipur (the pink city) and Delhi (to stay with friends and be able to fly home!!!!)

Wow, I'm quite impressed with how much I managed to gabble on about - hope you all enjoy wading through the nonsense! You've only got 6 weeks more of it to go!

Best wishes to all at home, and thanks for all the birthday wishes by the way,

TTFN,

Walking on Water!

Hello all!
As I mentioned before, Celia and I have spent the last week in Mussoorie, near Dehra Dun, on a youth Bible camp along with 8 of the kids from DUF and Kavita, one of the teachers. After a gruelling 20hour journey to arrive at the camp in heat and hail (!), we spent a week participating ni various races and activities, as well as attending seminars and lectures on Faith, and how we can strengthen it etc. It was really interesting and although I didn't expect to, I actually got quite a lot out of it. We made some really good friends there as well, and one of the pastors and his wife have invited me to stay with them when I am in Delhi before flying home.

The other thing I got from Camp is a very sore knee! Typically, whilst running a pretty simple relay race on the first day, I trip and skidded across the concrete, taking off a rather large patch of skin and helping my knee to swell to twice it's size. Well, nearly. Luckily, 3 of the leaders at camp were doctors, so I was well looked after, with poor Abijit having to dress it for me everyday. It's still oozing a bit, but it's a lot better and the only thing I struggle with now is going up and down stairs - not really good when you live on the 4th floor!

But all in all, it was really good; the seminars were really interesting and not at all as you'd imagine, the speakers made it really good fun. The participation in smaller groups and prayer groups was difficult at first as I wasn't really keen on speaking up, but the others in the group quickly became friends and confidantes, and made the experience very worthwhile, despite the fact I missed out on a lot of the bonding during games and treks etc!


So now there are only 27 days left at DUF :(
And 6 weeks yesterday I arrive home.

It's very strange to have to start imagining life at home again.

TTFN xxx