Well, that's all folks !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yet there was loads of organisation and planning behind the scenes at Field Base for the final finale of a James Bond meets Bollywood themed party. Louise Hyde put her considerable Blue Peteresque skills to the test with amazing place setting ideas and plenty of bond agent, and female agent cut outs, glued to card and then final editor's cut took place.
The first floor function room at Field Base was adorned with chinese style lanterns, and coils of lights draped around the poles. Tables were laid, a large tarpaulin was tied up as a wall, providing both shelter from the wind, yet adding an extra dimension to the disco effect.
Some excellent speeches by Kyle Sharpe and Lucy Jiang made the evening even more memorable. Lucy mentioned about the ten week experience, and how many blocks of ten weeks there are in a lifetime. But .... how many of those ten week blocks would be remembered with fondness, joy, happiness, occasional sadness, and bucket loads of laughter for a whole lifetime ??
The actual wash up involved cleaning vast volumes of kit, drying tents, checking poles and trangias ... oh ... and then stacking it all away in the logs room, all neat and tidy for the next project that starts in only a few days time.
And then, just like that, it was time to say goodbye.
Before we do I would like to remind us of the achievements of 10E & 10H
In 2000, the UN's 8 millennium Development Goals were agreed by governments worldwide to halve world poverty by 2015. During our expeditions we made a contribution to the achievement of these goals;
The school we built in Koolal will provide access to tribal children with their first access to education - we know that education is key to escaping poverty
The eco-sanitation units we built in Gandathur will improve health and provide a source of income
The improved sanitation units at the Madapura school will encourage more young women to attend and stay in school
The fences and trenches installed in Huskurhadi and Thangamalai will not only help protect elephants but will boost income of local farmers
Thank you to everyone who was got out here, to the volunteer managers who worked incredibly hard to deliver an amazing to programme, to the venturers who really and truly made this experience their own, thank you to the permanent staff team who continue to work extremely hard to make this experience work, to the team in Raleigh head office for their ongoing support and thank you to everyone who supported from afar, your blog messages, letters and words of encouragement meant an awful lot to us all!
I hope that we will all carry the lessons and memories of 10E & 10H with us and continue to lead extraordinary lives, making a difference in this incredible world.
THE STATION
By Robert J. Hastings
TUCKED AWAY in our subconscious minds is an idyllic vision in which we see ourselves on a long journey that spans an entire continent. We're traveling by train and, from the windows, we drink in the passing scenes of cars on nearby highways, of children waving at crossings, of cattle grazing in distant pastures, of smoke pouring from power plants, of row upon row upon row of cotton and corn and wheat, of flatlands and valleys, of city skylines and village halls.
But uppermost in our conscious minds is our final destination--for at a certain hour and on a given day, our train will finally pull into the Station with bells ringing, flags waving, and bands playing. And once that day comes, so many wonderful dreams will come true. So restlessly, we pace the aisles and count the miles, peering ahead, waiting, waiting, waiting for the Station.
"Yes, when we reach the Station, that will be it!" we promise ourselves. "When we're eighteen. . . win that promotion. . . put the last kid through college. . . buy that 450SL Mercedes-Benz. . . have a nest egg for retirement!"
From that day on we will all live happily ever after.
Sooner or later, however, we must realize there is no Station in this life, no one earthly place to arrive at once and for all. The journey is the joy. The Station is an illusion--it constantly outdistances us. Yesterday's a memory, tomorrow's a dream. Yesterday belongs to a history, tomorrow belongs to God. Yesterday's a fading sunset, tomorrow's a faint sunrise. Only today is there light enough to love and live.
So, gently close the door on yesterday and throw the key away. It isn't the burdens of today that drive men mad, but rather the regret over yesterday and the fear of tomorrow. Regret and fear are twin thieves who would rob us of today.
So stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. Instead, swim more rivers, climb more mountains, kiss more babies, count more stars. Laugh more and cry less. Go barefoot oftener. Eat more ice cream. Ride more merry-go-rounds. Watch more sunsets. Life must be lived as we go along. The Station will come soon enough.
and one more......
Everyone in this room has had an impact on the experience I have had over the past 3 months so I have a few things to say about what this experience has meant to me.
I have laughed until my tummy hurts and cried a few tears too.
I have been as excited as a five year old and yet at times been grumpy as an old man.
I have people who will be in my life forever and people I am glad to have known if only for a short time.
I have stared up at the sky and felt there was nowhere in the world I’d rather be.
I have stared up at the sky and wished to God I was somewhere else.
I have seen proof time and time again of the enormous impact that one human being can have on another.
I have witnessed honesty and bravery that has taken my breath away.
I have learnt some painful lessons that will help me achieve more in the future.
I have watched friendships form and grow and have been constantly impressed by the care and support that exists between the people in this room.
I have seen grit and determination etched on many different faces.
I have seen people push through emotional and physical barriers to achieve things they would never have thought possible.
I have seen futures open up and endless possibilities shine through where before there was uncertainty.
I have made a difference to people and people have made a difference to me.
I have been part of something far greater than me, working with people from different lives to achieve something that I believe to be amazing.
Every second has an impact on me.
I have loved this time
Anon.
