Sep 15, 2011 - **Dehradun Blog**, India

Dehradun - not the most obvious place on the backpacker trail. Capital of Uttarakhand, educational heartland of India (we gather), and otherwise largely unremarkable Indian city for the foreign visitor, but for us it held significance as being home to the Pestalozzi charity we would be working with for the next three weeks. Having earlier waved a brave Jayne off on her solo trip around India, we burdened Robin and Phuntsok once more as we travelled together to Dehradun and into the suburbs - Phuntsok’s home and where the Pestalozzi village...

Aug 15, 2011 - Back Home now

Hi Everybody, Last night at 9 O'Clock we pulled in to the car park at BSG and the last four girls were picked up and went home with their parents. All of them were very happy to be home but were also very sad that they had had to leave Joybells on Saturday at lunch time. The last few days flew by, the girls dashed to Dehra to get some more henna on their hands. Steve, Rachel and I dashed down on Saturday to pick up some presents and to see the place for one last time. In the afternoon we all went up tp see the children and I had one more...

Aug 8, 2011 - Lucy - finally some sunshine!

The last couple of weeks have been mainly cloudy so we were all very happy to have some sunshine over the last few days. We've managed to gain some precious tanning hours - with some of us (Carina) getting a bit "pink". Today its one of the American girls birthday and her dad is coming to stay at joybells. We are starting to all become excited about the thought of coming home and having some proper English food, but at the same time, the realisation of leaving that kids is also dawning on us, so we have been spending as much time as...

Aug 7, 2011 - Thanks

hi All, I have said my thank yous to all that helped us to get here and now I want to say thanks to all of the girls who have made this such a great experience for all concerned. I know I speak for Steph and the Garretts who have seen how good a job the girls have done in the classroom. They have not given us a moment's concern with any issue at all and they have been careful and listened to advice when it has been offerred. So a huge thank you to all 10 girls. I am sure that after this success there will be no problem persuading the Head...

Aug 4, 2011 - Genna

Hello! Well today it is absolutely pouring it down, but by no means the heaviest we've had. At the moment we're all taking shelter in the internet cafe just to dry off a bit, which seems to be workling, but it's utterly pointless! :) Teaching the kids has become a lot more precious to us, since we worked out that we only have 8 full days left with them, its all gone so fast it's really scary. Yerserday Mr and Mrs Garret taught us, and the kids how to do some Scottish dancing. It was all fun to begin with, but the kids started to lose focus...

Aug 2, 2011 - Agra and Taj Mahal

On Saturday 30th July, we all got up early and had breakfast before beginning our six hour bus journey to Agra. We managed to keep ourselves entertained on the bus, so the journey wasn't too bad! We stopped after about three hours to have a drink and stretch our legs, before continuing. We hit a huge traffic jam outside Agra, so this slowed us down a bit, but it was definitely worth the wait when we arrived at our 5* hotel, complete with swimming pool! However, we didn't spend much time here before going out to lunch, because it was now...

Aug 2, 2011 - The real August 2nd! - Genna

Not too much to say today! Except I'm still buzzing from phoning home last night! Today we were back to teaching again. I've been with standard 5 for English with Carina, and Standard 7 to teach geography, and I was feeling like a student when I was teaching chemistry with the new American called Amelia. For those of you that know me, you'll wonder (like myself) why on EARTH was I put down to do chemistry?! :D In the free time that i did have, I went into the nursery class to help teach them how to read. Some are really good, and most of...

Aug 2, 2011 - 1st August - Genna

Up at 4.30 am today, which was really difficult! Emily and I both slept through the alarm! By 5.45, the group was split down the middle into two seperate buses, one for the airport, and the other to the train station to go back to Joybells! Right now it feels really odd without all you girls! Especially at dinner last night when half the chairs were empty, and we were all spaced out. There was no BANTARRRR :( We all miss you! The 6 hour train journey to Dehradun felt like an age, we couldnt really sleep, and when we did it was only for 10...

Aug 2, 2011 - Garretts arrive in India

Arrived after long flight at 2:30 in Thursday morning, raining and hot. Spent day wandering around Delhi (by Taxi) and bought a small carpet! Met with rest of group on Friday morning; went shopping -- to exactly the same places we'd been to previous day where we were now greeted like old friends. In afternoon. our guide (called Sweetie, and she was) took us to a mosque and Gandhi's house (he wasn't in). Tuk-Tuk ride is amazing, as was the rickshaw ride through old Delhi - you just have to see it to believe it! Following day to Agra to see...

Aug 2, 2011 - One month in - Carina

So i have been absolutely terrible with blogging so far, this is my first one, however, it does give me quite a bit to talk about. I am LOVING every second of being out here so far. Teaching was at first an incredibly daunting prospect but now i love going to stand at the front of the class and tell them what i know. Drama and English have been my main focuses, the kids seemed to lack a little imagination at first in both areas, they preferred to copy each other or stories they knew in books. Being here for this length of time as allowed me...

Aug 2, 2011 - 29th July - Genna

Because we have all been busy living it up in Delhi, we're only just updating the blog! So i'm going to tell you about last6 Friday, which was our first day in Delhi! We were actually allowed a lay in until 8 am! (When we usually get up at 6.30!) Reid arranged for 4 tuk-tuks to arrive at the front of the hotel, which would take us all around the shops and zip us across the city! One of the drivers encouraged Abby to take control of the tuk-tuk and drive it! But sadly, she refused! We spent a while in a type of department store called...

Jul 25, 2011 - Mussoorie

We are off to Mussoorie today for a few hours, this is an old Raj era hill station and it should be a quiet visit after the madness of Rishikesh. We are planning a birthday treat for Izzy tomorrow, I am sure she will have a day to remember. We are working on saving all our photos onto memory sticks that we have bought and you will all be able to share them when the girls are back. We will also be holding an evening in school for all our supporters and the girls who are planning on coming out with me next year. Keep an eye out for the...