Indian Interlude, We have been on holiday! When we made the decision to come to this part of the world the lure of India was part of the attraction and as some friends from Coventry also decided to take their holiday in India we made plans to meet. First we needed a visa—quite a complicated affaire at home but even more so here requiring a trip to Islamabad , queues in a car park at ramshackle tin huts to obtain bus tickets to the embassies and sitting on old school desks while gentleman typed up the necessary forms on accient type [View Full Entry]

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School blog 2 As I write this I think you are all looking forward to half term, what ever the weather!! The holidays here do not seem to be so well defined---some depend on the phases of the moon and others on the decision of the government or who ever runs the school. Any how it means that sometimes Geoff and I are surprised to realise that there is no school today! The weather also plays a part in if school happens or not---rain is a problem, even just a little, as the ‘roads’ turn to mud very quickly, the class [View Full Entry]

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Winter wedding blog. Winter is the wedding season here is the Punjab—probably because of the cooler weather and we have been involved one way or another in a number of village weddings. We have attended the Mhendi ceremony at one wedding and observed others from the roof of the High School . The Mhendi ceremony was great fun and took place on 23rd December. We were collected from our room by a group of giggling girls from school looking very grown up and pretty in their sparkly outfits and taken down into the village. It was pitch black as the power [View Full Entry]

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Work Blog Been looking at the blog entries and realised that I haven’t really said much about why we are actually here i.e. WORK! I will try and describe a typical day but they are always different which is a good thing really!! Our ‘office’ is a few moments walk away situated on the roof of the Girls High School. The High School is in the largest building in the village and it used to be a very grand house belonging to a Sikh family. It is built around a court yard and could be beautiful with some good painting and [View Full Entry]

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Christmas at the fruit farm 2008-12-30 Thank you to everyone who sent Christmas messages. We had a much better Christmas than I thought but missed our family and friends a lot and needed tissues at times! We came to a place called Renala Khurd, where 2 other VSO volunteers are based. They live in one of the guest houses located at Mitchell’s Fruit Farm , a well established business that has been around for years hence the feeling of old colonial times!! The guest house has 4 big en-suite bedrooms, a lounge, huge entrance hall and a kitchen with a 2 [View Full Entry]

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Wow, it’s nearly Christmas and I can’t believe that on Christmas day we will have been away for 2 months! We had an official review meeting today with VSO, AIE and the people we work with and the result seems that we are doing OK!! I am pleased and surprised as things get so frustrating and seem to move so slowly but according to the boss-man we have done well to make the relationships we have with 4 out of the 6 schools we are working with and in the New Year we will actually be able to get them some [View Full Entry]

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Just to say thanks for the real Christmas cards!!! You cannot know how wonderful it is to get real mail! But dont stop the electronic messages we have finally got the internett sorted and it is good!! Longer message in a few days!! Love Jane and Geoff [View Full Entry]

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Eid Celebrations! As I am sure most of you know there are two Eid celebrations, the one after the fasting month of Ramazan and the one to remember the sacrifice that Abraham made. This Eid was the second type and the sacrifice of an animal is the main focus! For the last week or so the numbers of goats and sheep around have increased and many of them had pretty necklaces or decorations on them. We also saw camels! I am told that a male goat or sheep is for 1 family, a cow will do for 7 families and a [View Full Entry]

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Hello all! Thanks for all the messages-we still dont have inter-net at the farm but we mansge to get o Lahore every so often and have the pleasure of your comunications then. What news-well we have an electric fire but no plug but,hey, lets just push the bare wires into the extention lead that is held together with string! We have HOT WATER!! Bliss but the other people on the farm have realised this and come for buckets of hot water! The Ali isnstitute have now provided the TARC 'office' with a computer and printer which will [View Full Entry]

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Dear All Thanks for your messages! It is so great to hear from people! Just a quick note to say =still having internett problems but hope to get to good Wi FI cafe this evening and have time and means to do photies and everything! It is getting chilly at night and in the morning here now and I have sercumed to the dreaded cardi over the shalwar chemise thing!!! The farm is great -went wild boar hunting the other night but the boys with the guns missed I am glad to say! More news later keep looking! Love Jane and [View Full Entry]

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