Blogs from Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India, Asia - page 2

Today we did more project work, on arrival we were informed that there were not many jobs and that 2 further holes had to be dug for a decorative arch inside the church! We started at 9:15, moral was low due to the 2 new holes and having to move back dirt that we hade previously dug out of the other holes. We tried to divide the group into teams so that all he jobs can be done well and everyone can have breaks but this unfortunately this didn't work as some jobs required more people that others meaning people were not having very long breaks. Eventually we got it all sorted, moral had picked up and everyone was working hard until the builders walked past with new tools that we had been requesting from the ... read more

After waking up on Tuesday and getting ready for a morning on the project site we were informed that unfortunately due to a missing engineer we were unable to work, so we made the most of a chilled few hours before hitting the local swimming pool! We all had a tonne of fun messing about in the pool and lazing around on the grass, resulting in several salmon coloured students (and teachers!!!) with one of the days team leaders even donning a rather funky sunglasses tan!! We headed back home for lunch (curry, obviously) before visiting a school for children with quite severe special needs, which many of us found to be a very difficult and emotional experience. Although it was reassuring to know that there was a place that was able to help and provide ... read more

It's finally Sunday and after a week of laborious, back-breaking work we finally got a day of rest. Early on we hopped on the 'party bus' and headed for a day on the town. When we had finally arrived we were met by the towering superstore Pothy's which if described as busy would have been a major understatement: it was worse than Primark on Oxford Street, on Boxing Day! The girls had the luxurious however claustrophobic experience of buying their sarees and then we quickly headed back to our meeting point at the entrance of the temple. After removing our shoes and entering the temple we were treated to the wondrous settings of ages long past. What could be called maze like, the temple was decorated with statues and towering columns. It was beautiful yet eerie. ... read more

Greetings. The troops were allowed an extra hours rest to attempt to retain energy. More holes today, will they ever end? We are up to twelve holes and everyone was ready to get stuck in. We managed to overcome a lack of equipment issue so everyone was working at maximum capacity. Although our best efforts the local workers put us all to shame with their non-stop work and their years of experience with the pole. Overall progress was better than ever before and the great help from the co-leaders pushed everyone forward. After a hard day’s work we were able to let off some steam like any Indian would and dance till our legs gave way. Some dancers were much more creative than others with their interpretations of the local dance. After a good laugh we ... read more

Hello all, today has been another fantastic day filled with hard work. Everyone worked through the heat digging holes, knocking down buildings (and with a touch of OCD from many of us), cleared rubble in an organised fashion! we are currently sitting outside our rooms enjoying the night breeze playing many different games of cards. The team leader of the day will give a full review of the today, tomorrow, so continue watching this space. Hope is all well in the UK, (well actually we hope it is raining so you can be jealous of our glorious sun!!) Goodbye and goodnight :) ... read more