Welcome to the official blog for Raleigh India 12I | July - August 2012



Welcome to the Official Blog for Raleigh India 12J September - December 2012.



Sunday 27 June 2010

Manning up

Arriving around 10am last Tuesday and shrugging off jet lag, our six project managers were warmly welcomed to a freshly scrubbed field base. With the whole team assembled it was time for festivities including bubbles, an official welcome ceremony and a homemade chocolate cake lovingly prepared by Anna. 


 


 
                                          

So, let's meet the rest of the team:



Geoff

Interesting fact: "In the seventies I used to work with the rock band Skid Row."

Luxury item: "My guitar."

Motto: "Carpe diem."

Tip for World Cup glory: "Brazil."


Shane

Interesting fact: Shane has never broken a bone and doesn't intend to.

Luxury item: "My beard trimmer which has yet to work due to intermittent Indian electricity."

Motto: "May you have the foresight to know where you are heading, the hindsight to know where you've been and the insight to know you've gone too far."

Tip for World Cup glory: "If you've watched all the games, you will have watched a lot of telly. Don't forget to run about."


Julie

Interesting fact: "I posted £560 in a postbox and managed to get it all back."

Luxury item: "If I was allowed, it would be my phone."

Motto: "Take life as it comes."

Tip for World Cup glory: "Go any team! I'm not interested in football."


Shady

Interesting fact: "I can hold down entire coherent conversations whilst fast asleep and not remember a thing when I wake up."

Luxury item: "A moleskin notepad which was bought for me; never thought it would give me so much pleasure."

Motto: "Life is not a rehearsal."

Tip for World Cup glory: "Leave the country so you don't have to think about it."


Jo

Interesting fact: "I dance Argentine Tango."

Luxury item: "My iPod.'

Motto: "Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now." Goethe

Tip for World Cup glory: "Don't watch it!"


Nick

Interesting fact: "I share a birthday with Abraham Lincoln."

Luxury item: "My moleskin notebook."

Motto: "Always bounce out of bed."

Tip for World Cup glory: "Argentina."

Finally, we'd love to hear from you - to send us messages just click on the comments link below and a box will appear where you can write your message. If you want it passed on to someone in particular please don't forget to tell us who the message is for. You can select name/URL from the dropdown menu to tell us who it's from (you can leave the URL blank if you wish). Finally, click on 'Post Comment' and voila.

Tuesday 22 June 2010

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

After a week of finding our feet at field base and getting to grips with our roles, the team were given Sunday afternoon off. Disguised as tourists, we drove off to Mysore carrying our digital cameras with intent.

An obligatory photo of a Raleigh vehicle

First stop off was for a delicious southern Indian lunch. While the rest of us were concentrating on simply filling our bellies, Jenny was carrying out a very important experiment: butter naan vs parota. The result was inconclusive; they were equally delicious.

Emerging back into the throng we hit the tourist trail. An enjoyable drive ascending twisty roads, dodging cows and endearingly relaxed pedestrians en route, brought us to Chamundi Hill. One of the eighth most sacred hills in southern India - well that's what the sign says - and about 800 feet above Mysore. Dusty sandals were slipped off as we entered the Sri Chamundeswari temple for anointing.

The temple's 40m high gopuram


A 5m high Nandi (Shiva's bull vehicle)

Descending the hill and pressed for time we snatched a quick glimpse of Mysore Palace before stumbling into rickshaw rally, an exhilarating spin that transported us to a jungle-themed restaurant where we were greeted by waiters sporting safari outfits, including pith helmets. A good time was had by all.

Discovery of the day

Kashmiri naan

Who came up with this gem! It's naan, but not as we know it. Resembling a cheese and tomato pizza, closer inspection revealed cubes of mango and then the pièce de résistance: an unexpected mischievious smattering of red jam. Genius!

Quote of the day

Pete after his anointing: "I just need a green dot then I'll look like traffic lights."


Coming soon...project managers arrive...

Saturday 19 June 2010

And so it begins...


Our story begins in Jayapura, 20kms outside of Mysore; a tranquil, pastoral idyll that's home to field base. With the arrival of the advanced team earlier this week, this scene of rural loveliness has been swept up by a monsoon of activity. Preparations are now well underway for an expedition as epic, inspiring and emotionally charged as any World Cup. But first things first, let's say namaskara to the team:

Raleigh Rovers

Goalkeeper


Our safe pair of hands is Jenny, logistics manager

Interesting fact: Jenny has been on expedition twice already. She got back from Costa Rica in the middle of May and this, her second adventure in India, will complete her Raleigh hat-trick.

Luxury item: “Olive oil, balsamic vinegar and Green and Blacks chocolate – the airline had a massive baggage allowance so I decided to load my bag with goodies from home.”

Motto: “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.” Proust

Tip for World Cup glory: “Let’s just say the fact that the expedition overlaps with the World Cup is a happy coincidence.”

Defence

Logistics coordinators Pete and Robin are the backbone of our team


Pete

Interesting fact: Since 1994, Pete has run the London marathon thirteen times and the New York and Venice marathons once. Not content with that, he recently completed the UK Ironman triathlon in 487th place finishing in 12 hours 41 minutes!

Luxury item: “My Swiss Army knife, which I’ve had since I was 16. It has a toothpick and tweezers - I hope I don't lose it.”

Motto: “Whether you believe you can, or you can’t, you are right.” Henry Ford

Tip for World Cup glory: “Argentina.”



Robin

Interesting fact: Robin was once in a Bon Jovi cover band.

Luxury item: “A chrome shaving set but I’ve decided to grow a beard, so it’s pretty pointless.”

Motto: “Always bring a hammock.”

Tip for World Cup glory: “Ingerland...or Switzerland.”

Midfield

Orchestrating the passage of play are Anita, finance manager, and Neelima, administrator.



Anita

Interesting fact: Anita is a member of the Guernsey Glees and sings alto.

Luxury item: “Half a bar of Cadbury’s Dairy Milk.”

Motto: “A job worth doing is a job worth doing well” (So says Anita’s Mum.)

Tip for World Cup glory: “I don’t care.”

 Neelima
Interesting fact: Neelima was recently a host country venturer on the 10C expedition.

Luxury item: “My diary.”

Motto: “Not particularly, I like Clare’s though.”

Tip for World Cup glory: “Someone needs to teach me how to play football first.”

Attack

Focused and leading from the front, it’s our medics, Louise and Clare.

Louise (left) and Clare (right)

Interesting fact: On Louise’s first trip to Africa, her Mum gave her a surprise present: an enormous paper bag filled with condoms. Louise is still not sure why or what her Mum expected her to do with them. (Louise gave them to a local HIV/AIDS clinic anyway.)

Luxury Item: “Lots of books.”

Motto: "Feel the fear and do it anyway."

Tip for World Cup glory: “England but only because Scotland didn’t qualify.”

Clare

Interesting fact: Clare has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and Everest Base Camp!

Luxury item: “My iPod.”

Motto: “If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain." Dolly Parton
Tip for World Cup glory: “Not bothered who wins but could someone explain the offside rule to me.”

Team Mascot

Representing Raleigh Rovers is Marie, communications officer


Interesting fact: Marie is a mezzo-soprano.

Luxury item: “My Sony Walkman but actually I’d love to have my rucksack, which was last seen in Heathrow...”

Motto: “Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” Soren Kierkegaard

Tip for World Cup glory: “Ingerland – definitely not France.”

So following that thrilling introduction be sure to check back often for exclusive stories, photos and videos lifting the lid on expedition life and leave us messages too. We'd really like that.