Updates from Ed Ross

Having a great time on this part of the tour.
So far we have rested before the main part of the touring begins.

 We visited a 'Western' coffee shop yesterday. It really was like I'd
stepped back into England (apart from the fact the most expensive
drink cost about a pound!). Even the menus seemed to have been written
by a westerner.

 After that, I went to get some money exchanged for the group. In the
bank and the office I finally got the money from, the security guards
had some of the biggest guns I've ever been near - I managed to get
photos, so watch out for when I get back home and upload them. The
second office seemed so small the guard probably couldn't have even
lifted the gun to fire it anyway!

 Also, we got to see the film 'Slumdog Millionare '. Even though we saw
the Hindi dubbed (with no English subtitles) version, it was easy to
understand most of what was going on. I seriously suggest you go and
see this film. It was a very emotional experience, especially seeing
it here, so close to the poverty, corruption, and hurt it depicts.
Having talked about the train ride last time a little, I can now just
say: see Slumdog, and you can have quite a good idea about the trains
here. Just add in a few amputee beggers (no legs = no job), and 36
hours, and you have a better picture of the journey.
(Oh, and at one point we were joined by a group of indian men in
traditional Indian womens' clothing!)

 The film won't be for everyone's taste - the is a lot of violence -
but if you can cope with that, I really would suggest you go and see
it. I want to go see it again in English when I get back home.

 Today we got to have some great 'all you can eat' Indian food, and
went to the house of the tour guide for an introduction to the tour.

Last Sunday evening we held a dinner to say thank you to all the
villagers who we have visited in previous weeks. It was very well
attended and all seemed to have a good time. It was good for us to be
finally serving them, after weeks of them giving so much to us!

 On the Tuesday we went to an event for woman of a certain profession,
hosted by a local group. It was interesting to see the way things are
done here - quite different to what would be done back home, I think.
We got to share some experiences with them, which was good for us all.

 We also continued with our village visits later in the week. I met a
lady some of the girls had been meeting mith previously. She showed us
how to make some traditional Indian food, which was very nice, and led
us in to the local lake for a wade around, which was fun for all
except one of the girls who cut her foot on a brick in the water! It
has been really good meeting the local people recently- another man
told us that we have become like members of the village! I'vw seen
changes in people and changes in my attitude that will be very
beneficial in the future.

 We also got to play some more cricket with the kids in the village,
which was enjoyable.

 We took our last visit to the orphanage we've been helping with too.
Compared to orphanages in the west, things are done very differently
here. It was good to be able to show the kids some love. I hope they
can hold on to the memories of us as we leave them there.

 On Saturday morning, at about 9:30, we set off on a train to the
north. At about 7:30pm Sunday, we arrived! I think you probably have
to go on one of these trains yourself to really understand what they
are like, but I'm kind-of glad we only have to take one more train on
the trip (only a 24 hour ride this time, to Delhi). The fold up (or
down depending on whick bunk you got) beds were fairly comfortable,
and I managed to get some sleep, but it wasn't great. I just had to
remember who I was doing the journey for, and what they've done for me
already. We got to see a lot of the Indian countryside - useful for a
trip studying the culture. It seems Indians have a different attitude
to waste disposal to westerners: there were mountians of rubbish
laying by the track side.

 It was interesting to see that even small tin houses - nothing more
than a hut - have satellite dishes installed!

 I got talking to a software engineer on the train. I enjoyed hearing
about the types of projects he has been working on recently. Attention
geeks: the future is mobile!

 I am so pleased I'm on this trip. It really was what I needed to do
with my life at this moment. I've learnt a lot being here, and I will
come away a different person.

 Someone at work when I announced that I was leaving said they thought
I needed to do this course to 'get it out of me'. At the time, and
even more now that I'm so close to the end, I'm actually thinking it
is something I had to 'get in to me'. The whole course has taught me
so much about myself, others and life that has redically changed my
perspective on so much of the world. I'm happy.

 Up north, we are on an organised tour of the area, staying in various
hotels. This first one has free wireless internet access, so I'm happy
about that too!

This has been quite a fun week overall.
We started off with a trip to a fantastic beach. It is better than many I've been to in England (it had sand instead of stones for starters!), and we were one of the only groups of people there. We had to take a boat to get to the beach, which was on an island. We spent a few hours there, having fun in the sea and relaxing on the shore. It was a great day off.

The next day, the guys on the team, along with our visitor from base and our contact here set off to a local TV station where our contact was going to help his friend with a show he was going to broadcast. At least, that is what we thought when we got into the car. While driving, our contact informed us that the meeting had been cancelled, so asked us what else we wanted to do instead! We ended up going to a local park, drinking some coffee from a traditional roadside stall, going to a bookshop and going out for a fantastic meal at a hotel restaurant. My favourite curry is Chicken Tikka Massala. I've not been able to find it here until that day, and the way they made it was fantastic - perhaps the best I've tasted yet. It was a shame about the TV station trip, but that meal just about made up for it.

For the rest of the week we continued our study of the culture through trips to the homes of local people, and meeting with the youth of the area. People here are very hospitable. Some of our group have just been walking down the road and been invited into people's houses for a drink or some food. I've also got to play quite a few games of cricket, which have brought back memories of my childhood. We have also sung songs and taught the kids a bit about us too. I think we are making some good progress. It is nice now being able to recognise some of the kids when I see them out and about in the village.

We have also continued our work in the orphanage. This week they had a visitor who worked there 6 years ago, soon after they started. It seems they have always had ambitious goals for the place. Meeting them is another matter. We have seen significant impact through our work there though, and our preparation meeting times before hand have also led to answers when we arrive for duty. It has been really fun getting to run around after the kids and bringing them some fun in their lives.

We are starting our last (and somehow fourth) week in our current location. Next week we will take the 36 hour train trip up north for next leg of the tour.

One of the thoughts we had about the trip before we left was "lasting impact", and I think that is what we are making.

It was really good having our visitor from home here this week. He brought us some goodies, including sweets and a set of Uno cards. We played a game a few nights ago. It was funny playing with people who had different ideas of the rules!

I'm so pleased that I'm on this trip. I really feel that is has come at the right time in my life, and was the right decision to make. I think it will have significant impact on my own journey when I return home.

Thanks for reading. Talk later, at some point when I can get online next!

We are still having a great time out here. This week we received a visitor from the base back in the UK, who has come over to make sure we are all fine, which is good. He gave us a newspaper showing how cold it is in the UK. It is funny, as it is so hot here (in their winter), that I've just had to turn a fan on to cool myself down! He will be here till next Thursday.

This morning I led the meeting, which went quite well. I think the most useful thing to do was have the order written down, so we knew what was meant to happen next. It was encouraging getting things to say as the meeting went on, based on what the main speaker and others were saying, and hearing directly.

We've been studying the culture of a lot of youth recently. I've been able to play a bit of cricket with some of the older boys, and we play other games with the rest of them. It is good that we are visiting the orphanage I mentioned before: it really needs people showing love in it.

The zoo trip on Monday was interesting. There were a lot of animals to see. It was funny in the aquarium: we were led around many tropical fish displays, the second to last tank containing sharks. After the sharks, there were goldfish!

Last night we went to an Isaac Joe music concert, and followed it up with a Chinese meal, which was delicious.

The study of the local villagers by going in to their houses and helping with their daily chores is also quite interesting. We have to use a lot of sign language when the translator is not with us!

Overall, the trip is going very well, and I've learnt a lot about the culture, and myself. It is good getting to know the local young people. Many young people just walk up to us and say hello when we are outside. They are very friendly, and want to know all about us. Hopefully we are communicating our message clearly to them.

We are going to a beach for our rest day on Monday, which should be fun.

I now feel quite settled here: we are going to be staying in our current location for a few weeks, so it is certainly home.
This week we had a taster of our regular activities for the rest of our time here, which include a trip each afternoon to a local orphanage, and meeting people in the village, getting to know them and help them out.
We also took a walk around the village, seeing what there was to be seen. The culture of a village like this is interesting to study.
Yesterday we took a 90 minute each way journey to another orphanage, where we painted new doors while the kids were away on holiday. A good time was had by all, but I'm a bit concerned that the slight paint spots on my trousers might not come out!

This morning I talked at the meeting we have on Sunday mornings. I think it went quite well - at least the others in my group say it was good. It is quite a task remembering to stop every couple of sentences to have your words translated, but it gives time to think of your next point, which is good.

Time online again is limited, so I'll have to go now. Thanks for reading.