Letter from some where near {well 2 hours drive} Lahore. Life has changed dramatically for us since we arrived at our final destination in Pakistan-Syden Walla Farm where we are working with the teachers and teacher trainers in 6 local schools. It is a very rural area and the village of Syden Walla is as it must have been for centuries! There are a few modern touches are provided by the farm which is owned by a very rich man who has was born in the area and now wants to improve it for everyone. He sponsors the schools by providing [View Full Entry]

---

---

Dear All Here in Kot Radha Kishen a town near Lahore in a very tatty internet place!! Having trouble with Hot Mail but this is OK! Apart from this problem we are fine and really enjoying this whole new experience! And it is new---I still cant believe the variety of transport from posh new cars to horses and carrigges that wouldnt look out of place in a Jane Austen film of Emma! There are things that wont have changed for centuries--ladies getting water at pumps walking away with pots on their heads,brick works with people making bricks by hand and the [View Full Entry]

---

---

Letter from Islamabad 02/11/2008 End of the first week and are now half way through our training. Have attended Urdu lessons for two hours every morning and know more about my own language construction than I was teached in school in England. Our teacher has given us both the basic structure and the history of his language. We have learned some basic sayings parrot fashion but has encouraged us to develop our own phrases based on the structure S O V (subject object verb). Have learned a lot about Islam and cultural matters through a range of workshops and discussion sessions. [View Full Entry]

---

---

MONDAY 27th OCTOBER Hello from sunny Pakistan! Made it here at last after many months waiting and planning. We are in Islamabad for 2 weeks having our in-country training which involves 2hours of Urdu each day, As-salam alaikum to all, then briefings on security, cultural adaptation and etiquette etc,etc. There are 7 of us new vols and a very mixed bunch we are, which makes for interesting conversations. It is good to be making friends with people who will be based in different areas of Pakistan as we will be able to visit and see different aspects of this country. We [View Full Entry]

---

---

Well, at last we are away!!! Up early tommorrow to catch plane to Islamabad-still cant quite believe it is going to happen!! Thanks to all who could come and see us on Tuesday, Same place this time next year OK?! I am cooking a Christmas type dinner tonight for the family so they wont miss out in December-we are even going to have some silly gifts,tissues-perhaps? Hope to hear from some of you soon and will try and get some more interesting news and photos on here in a few days! Goodbye cold autumn winds! Love to all Jane and Geoff [View Full Entry]

---

---

Well, at last it is nearly time to go! We fly from Gatwick early Saturday morning and will be starting stuff on Monday,I think! We have been in Sussex staying with some friends and enjoying the lovely autumn weather by going for long walks in the beautiful Engish counrtyside. Then we went to Norfolk to spend some time with my parents and now-here we are back in Cov trying to pack for a year! I keep putting things in piles ,then taking them out and putting other things in ,then putting the original things back and .I'm not packed yet! Geoff [View Full Entry]

---

---

Another little detour before the big one,which by the way, we are assured by all concerned is stilll happening and we will be in a safe area and looked after. So-this time a little trip for Jane and some 'old!' friends to visit a lovely part of Wales and stay with another 'younger' friend at her B and B,-Bryn Elltyd ,Blaenau Ffestiniog. We had a great time and it didn't rain,the sun shone and we went to the sea-side,mountains,and water falls and eat a lot of ice-cream! I did promise not to put the pictures on here! It is about a [View Full Entry]

---

---

Going to Pakistan the long way round-via Scotland! As we are homeless we are working for RSPB, our 3rd year and its good! Been doing lots of things -helping make new access track to bird hides including making and putting in signs and marking track with beautifully painted white rocks! Today has been really good-wearing steel toecapped waders,trecking over reed beds to a stand of willow that needed grubbing out. Had wonderful bonfire -and watched lots of birds in their own habitat! It is odd not being at school but we are coping! The VSO training sessions were very inspiring [View Full Entry]

---

---

Still in the throws of packing and sorting between this life and the next. Feel very odd. Good luck to those of you going back to Coundon!!! Just to let you know that hopefully this will be the beginning of an interesting blog! [View Full Entry]

---

---