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| Hope you have a lovely Birthday Grace |
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| Lots of Love from Lali |
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| I took the pictures on this beach - near Margaret River, Western Australia |
Tuesday, 5 April 2011
Happy Birthday Grace !
Sunday, 3 April 2011
An early birthday celebration ...... and struggling to find 'a cock' in Hong Kong!!
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| Victoria Peak, Hong Kong! |
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| Eva, Aisling and myself with the Hong Kong Skyline at night! |
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| Yum Cha |
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| Eva, Phillip, Aisling and I having traditional Yum Cha! |
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| Aisling discovers she likes frozen fruit! |
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| Hong Kong at night |
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| Eva tells me this is a sign for some sort of strip club - I thought it just made a nice photo!!! |
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| You only need 1 candle when you are 21! |
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| Me, my brothers and the kids! |
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| Happy Birthday to me! |
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| A good excuse to make my favourite cupcakes |
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| Surely I can't be that old!! Oh yes you are says Cameron!! haha |
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| Me looking vaguely decent, don't expect I'll look like this again for the next 4 months!! |
Hello
I am off on my travels again so thought it was time for a quick update.
Last weekend before I set off on my travels again I had an early birthday lunch to celebrate reaching a land mark birthday, I will let you guess how old I will be in 9th April!!!! :-) I have posted a few photos from the really lovely birthday lunch I had. I had some lovely cards and beautiful presents so thank you everyone but I think there is some mistake I can't be that old!
So on Wednesday evening I flew to Hong Kong for a few days which has been good, I met up with a friend I used to work with in London, Eva and her family, including baby Aisling who is 8 months and gorgeous. Eva and her husband Phillipa were great hosts and spent Friday evening and Saturday showing me the sights. On Saturday morning they took me for traditional yum cha (probably spelt wrong) which is like having chinese brunch. I will say it was interesting!! As most of you will know I am quite particular about my food (some may say fussy) and I would say that some of the food was a little challenging!! But all being washed down with a class of coke helped!
Having purchased a new travel clock (my old one was stolen in Uganda!) in one of night markets last night, I was dissapointed (but not surprised) to find that when I got it back to the hotel last night it didn't work!! So today I was on a mission to buy a new travel clock, I didn't think it would be too hard in Hong Kong, but I was wrong! No, No cocks, No cocks I was told repeatedly as I went from one shop to the next. I know its a bit pathetic but I couldn't help but snigger every time I walked out of a shop. In one shop I went to and asked if they had any travel clocks the lady shouted out to her colleague, do we have any ccoks and the other one shouted, no, no cocks here !! hahahaha little things eh!! :-) You'll be glad to know that I eventually located a suitable 'cock' and its now safely packed away until I am in need of it !
Just a couple more hours now until I leave for the airport to fly to Perth! Hope I get 2 seats to myself on the plane again - makes it that bit more comfortable!
Bye for now
PS In Africa it would take me on average 1.5 hours to write each blog - it took so long to upload the photos, today its taken me about 25 minutes and I've uploaded double the amount of photos - well I guess I am in the technology captial of the world!!! (apart from when you want a cock!! :-)
Sunday, 20 March 2011
A Truly Ugandan Farewell!
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| Agnes and I get tearful |
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| The kids enjoy a great meal! |
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| Joel presents me with my necklace! |
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| Goodbye Silus (the preacher) |
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| Thank you for my gifts Deborah! |
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| Justine and I with a final Hug! |
A Tearful Goodbye to Jolly Mercy!
So my first trip in Uganda has come to an end, I can't believe how quickly 6 weeks flew by! I am currently sitting in Entebbe Airport waiting for my flight back to Heathrow and can't help but feel quite emotional about the time I've spent here, the people, the place, the kids have all captured my heart and I am already planning to come back at the end of May for another month. It is quite simply a beautiful country with beautiful people, the send off I was given was testiment to that. My farewell started on Friday afternoon where the children were given the afternoon off and I was treated to singing, dancing and speeches from the Teachers and CALM Africa staff, the songs by the children were heartbreaking, with words like "Alison, Alison, don't forget us Alison" and we will miss you, here and there, we will miss you everywhere!!! But the moment that broke our hearts was when 13 year old Shadia who is physically disabled sand a solo,at that point all the adults were in floods of tears.
Part 2 of the send off was a party for the boarding children and staff yesterday afternoon and evening which myself and the other volunteers paid for, we had it at the school and had a wonderful banquet of Uganda food, with more speeches and again more tears, this time I was so touched by a lady we have come to know, she is a grandmother who looks after her 2 gorgeous grandchildren as the parents abandoned them, one aged 3 and one aged 9 months. Deborah makes a living by making beads from recyled paper, I have helped them out just a little by buying her some blankets, giving the children some clothes and shoes and visiting her once a week and helping her out with some bead making. She came to the party on Saturday afternoon and presented me with a necklace, braclet and bag she had made especially for me, when she got the 2 boys Joel and Joanthan to present me with them I just couldn't help but burst into tears, unfortunately, this seemed to set off a crying fest with many of the children in floods of tears, luckily we put on some loud music and some dancing brightened up the mood.
Part 3 of my farewell was during the church service this morning where I had a special little ceremony where the preacher and pastor 'laid their hands on me' and wished me a safe journey and lots of special blessings, thankfully I held it together during this farewell!!
Anyway, I have planned already to return to Jolly Mercy and CALM Africa at the end of May so I cant wait to see the children again and hopefully help them with some more volunteer for for a month then! If anyone has any childrens clothes, particularly from aged 5 - 16 years, please do let me know before 30th March as I would like to send another box before I leave for the next leg of my trip!
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| Shadia (on the right) sang beautifully at my leaving party! |
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| The girls are a bit overwhelmed at our Saturday afternoon party! |
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| Everyone wants to be in the photo! |
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| Justine and I have a tearful cuddle! |
Part 2 of the send off was a party for the boarding children and staff yesterday afternoon and evening which myself and the other volunteers paid for, we had it at the school and had a wonderful banquet of Uganda food, with more speeches and again more tears, this time I was so touched by a lady we have come to know, she is a grandmother who looks after her 2 gorgeous grandchildren as the parents abandoned them, one aged 3 and one aged 9 months. Deborah makes a living by making beads from recyled paper, I have helped them out just a little by buying her some blankets, giving the children some clothes and shoes and visiting her once a week and helping her out with some bead making. She came to the party on Saturday afternoon and presented me with a necklace, braclet and bag she had made especially for me, when she got the 2 boys Joel and Joanthan to present me with them I just couldn't help but burst into tears, unfortunately, this seemed to set off a crying fest with many of the children in floods of tears, luckily we put on some loud music and some dancing brightened up the mood.
Part 3 of my farewell was during the church service this morning where I had a special little ceremony where the preacher and pastor 'laid their hands on me' and wished me a safe journey and lots of special blessings, thankfully I held it together during this farewell!!
Anyway, I have planned already to return to Jolly Mercy and CALM Africa at the end of May so I cant wait to see the children again and hopefully help them with some more volunteer for for a month then! If anyone has any childrens clothes, particularly from aged 5 - 16 years, please do let me know before 30th March as I would like to send another box before I leave for the next leg of my trip!
Monday, 14 March 2011
Sunday, 13 March 2011
Painted toe nails a cough and a cold
Hello!
Well this week has seen me pay for all the kisses and cuddles I have give to the children, I have ended up with a stinking cold and hacking cough!! lovely for me fellow housemates!!
On Tuesday it was a bank holiday here in Uganda so we didn't have to go to school, but I went anyway as it gives me a great opportunity to play with the kids when they are not at school. So I took some nail polish with me and painted all the girls who stay at the boarding schools toe nails, which they thought was great fun - I even had to paint the matrons too! Then we sand the Hokey Cokey which again went down very well with lots of laughter.
Today is Sunday and apparently according to our local shop keeper I should be going to church, however the draw of the pool and the country club and a good meal and shower are just too much so I opted out of the 4 hour church service at the school in favour of food and swimming!! I expect I will pay my penence later!! Getting the taxi bus into Kampala is an experience at any time, the sites and sounds along the way are just fanatastic, african life seems to take place on the streets so I spend the whole journey staring out the wondow and waving! I would love to take some more pictures of the daily life of Ugandans but it somehow feels a bit rude!
I only have a week left now before I come home for a few days so am already thinking about how much I will miss the kids, but I have to say I am looking forward to some good food!! The kids tell me they are going to cry when I leave - I wonder if thats beacuse I buy them soda and biscuits!!
Enjoy the few photos I've pasted below!
Well this week has seen me pay for all the kisses and cuddles I have give to the children, I have ended up with a stinking cold and hacking cough!! lovely for me fellow housemates!!
On Tuesday it was a bank holiday here in Uganda so we didn't have to go to school, but I went anyway as it gives me a great opportunity to play with the kids when they are not at school. So I took some nail polish with me and painted all the girls who stay at the boarding schools toe nails, which they thought was great fun - I even had to paint the matrons too! Then we sand the Hokey Cokey which again went down very well with lots of laughter.
Today is Sunday and apparently according to our local shop keeper I should be going to church, however the draw of the pool and the country club and a good meal and shower are just too much so I opted out of the 4 hour church service at the school in favour of food and swimming!! I expect I will pay my penence later!! Getting the taxi bus into Kampala is an experience at any time, the sites and sounds along the way are just fanatastic, african life seems to take place on the streets so I spend the whole journey staring out the wondow and waving! I would love to take some more pictures of the daily life of Ugandans but it somehow feels a bit rude!
I only have a week left now before I come home for a few days so am already thinking about how much I will miss the kids, but I have to say I am looking forward to some good food!! The kids tell me they are going to cry when I leave - I wonder if thats beacuse I buy them soda and biscuits!!
Enjoy the few photos I've pasted below!
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| This little chap is called Jonathan and is 4 years old! |
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| The girls fetch water for school! |
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| Painted toe nails are something of a luxury! |
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