All the cleaning is done, the plans are in place and the presentations are ready which can only mean one thing – the project managers are here!
Celine and I travelled up to Bangalore yesterday to stay over for the night and arrived at the airport at 4am this morning, clip board in hand (as well as some seriously strong coffee) ready to meet them all and head back to field base together.
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| Left to right, Eeva, Kate, Mona and Naomi |
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| Kate and Eeva |
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L-R back row - Stuart, Kathryn, Susan, Dan, Kate, Dave, Mona, Naomi, Ros
Front row is Eeva, Stuart, Cat and Celine |
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| Cat, Mona, Stuart and Dave boarding the bus to Bangalore. |
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| On the bus chatting soon turned to snoring after the overnight flight. |
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| Arriving at field base to meet Mark, Julia and the rest of the team. |
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| Introducing Deepak to the project managers |
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| Manglamma's daughters welcomed all the project managers to their home. |
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| And so training begins... |
So we're now all starting two weeks of intensive induction training before the venturers arrive so things are going to be busy but we'll be back to keep you posted on all the gossip. And talking of gossip, Wills and Kate are welcoming all the new arrivals in the showers but there isn't such a grand welcoming ceremony from them. Right, I'm off to catch some sleep with the new dorm mates as I'm on poo bag burning duty first thing in the morning, oh the glamour!
Project: India.
ReplyDeleteTo: Kate Stacey, Project Manager.
Hi Kate,
Glad to see you have arrived safe.
Hope you have a fab time and I'm looking forward to following your blog.
Mike xx
To Stuart Vincent
ReplyDeleteGlad to see you made it safe and well Stu-boy ! Take it easy and have a fantastic time. Will see you in the highlands for some kayaking v soon !!!
Rosco (Ross Graham)
Hey Dan
ReplyDeleteGood to see the pics, keep wearing the bright tees so that I can make you out on photos! I also see you're rocking the shades!
Love Letts xx
Kate .... hi there - hoping this message will get to you. It all sounds very easy sending these messages, but we will see, you know me and IT skills.... !! but so far sounds very easy... we will see what happens when it comes to posting this message. Knowing me I will have typed masses and then won't be able to send the message! However, hope not!!
ReplyDeleteFirstly, glad you arrived safely and after that long journey you look amazing in the photographs - very bright and breezy and calm -I am sure I would have looked exhausted....as I never sleep on planes that well - although I always enjoy the food! will always wake up when the smell of breakfast comes down the isle.
Bangalore/Mysore - I have been racking my brains as to what I did in my travelling years ago - and am currently trying to find my diary and photographs which at the moment I can't.
However, Mysore ... I do remember .. some of it anyway. ...and so excited you are there.. although I know it will be different... but just wanted to let you know some of my experieces.... ........ the Palace was closed when everyone on the truck (I had been travelling overland for a couple of months) and was really looking forward to visiting it .. the palace looked simply amazing. However, because it was closed we went to a local cattle show instead- to watch a milking competition - a very funny occasion - in fact totally outrageous - I had never seen anything like it before in my life... in hindsight probably not that funny (ie. a livelihood) but had never seen anything like it before.
Cows!! I had photographed loads of them after travelling across India for 3 months + - but they were particularly beautiful in Mysore - not sure why but more decorations etc.
Photography - somehow after months of taking phography of a variety of situtions - maybe I had run out of camera film - but Mysore and all the shops seemed to sum up India.
Clothes - a few fellow travellers waited until Mysore to go and buy their dresses - they could have gone anywhere but waited until Mysore. The results were amazing.
Flowers - I have no idea why - but after seeing loads of waterlillies etc. across India... in Mysore you could actually buy fresh flowers - unreal..
Food - after months on a truck - and days and days of producing chicken in about 16 different ways....I was very creative.. and everyone seemed to enjoy the food. However,in Mysore everyone seemed to have enough of it all and went and found a local restuaruant!!
Kate, these are my memories ---and from a long time ago.... I can't wait to hear about what you are doing - all the nuts and bolts of it all... I'm still not sure exactly what you are doing so would love to hear more....and regular progress reports - I don't know how near you are to the Palace.... but when you get to visit it (hope you will) would love to see some pics.
Take care..
Lots of love
Sarah xx
Now trying to send message - will see what happens.
Project: India
ReplyDeleteRos, Project Manager
Hi Rozza
Glad you arrived safely, it all looks nice and sunny over there!! How is the training going hunny? Hope the wardrobe is good love, wanna see some hottie photos!! haha! guess what, kick was on tv the other day doing a vajazzle on channel 4!! how funny is that!
Anyways my love, stay safe, and keep us updated!
Iz xx
Project:India
ReplyDeleteRos, Project something
Alright Rosalinda
Two campers are hiking in the woods when one is bitten on the rear end by a rattlesnake. “I’ll go into town for a doctor,” the other says. He runs ten miles to a small town and finds the town’s only doctor, who is delivering a baby. “I can’t leave,” the doctor says. ‘But here’s what to do. Take a knife, cut a little X where the bite is, suck out the poison and spit it on the ground.” The guy ruins back to his friend, who is in agony. ‘What did the doctor say?” the victim asks. “He says you’re gonna die.”
Better hope ur near a doctors!!
Have a wicked one
Mikey xxx
Projet India
ReplyDeleteKate Stacey
Project Manager
So lovely to see the photos, aren't I clever to find them!! And Mark & Terry following you too.
What a wonderful e-mail from Sarah(which one) and Mike Stone, how kind.
Weather here cold and mizzy, envy you the sunshing.Keep well and happy, have you met the toads in the shower?
Lots of love Mummy & Saphie
Hi Dan,
ReplyDeleteYou may not thank me for saying this but you really look like your dad with that beard ha ha!! Have an amazing time.
Love Aunty Dee ;) xxx
Hi Kate
ReplyDeleteSo far so good? Any questions on cows then you can fire them back to me. Showers?? Thought there weren't any? But lots of smiles in all the pix - keep up the great work anbd enjoy all (or as many as you can) the experiences. Murray doing well in Oz so far! Probably nothing is further from your mind...
take care
love from the Bournes
Hi Dan
ReplyDeleteAunty Annie here. Hope you are having a wonderful time - you all certainly look well and happy. Sorry we won't see you at your dad's 50th party but we will be thinking of you. Lots of Love
Kate,
ReplyDeleteHope all's fine and your bowels are coping okay!!!! All looks wonderful there and trust everything's going well. Am tempted to do my normal e-mail thing and swear a little, but don't think that's the right thing to do is it?!! The photos look fantastic! Am so jealous of your role as poo bag burning monitor - looked as though this was one of the many duties you might be doing from what's written on the blog!
Anyway, have fun. I hear they do a good curry out there or am I mixing up countries!!
Lots of love,
Paul
Kathryn, photographer. I get excited when there's a new date on the Raleighindia site so I can see what you are all up to.Those snakes look a bit different to the one that had its head in the fish pond the other day--Dad was flabbergasted. We don't know if it was just quenching its thirst or after pinky(perky died) Those treks look really hot.Thank God for trees hey? Hope you all have deodorant on!!! Love always Mum xx
ReplyDeleteTo: the intrepid Kate Stacey
ReplyDeleteNamaste / Ciao
Greetings from Italy. Hope you are having an amazing time, I bet it is flying past.
Not much to report here, will even put salacious gossip on here publically in good time, if I get some whilst you are away. Not much chance of that though (sorry readers).
Sarah and I went to Gadge's 30th + engagement + his fiances sort-of-40th. Excellent canapes - I hope the food is equally good at camp. Gadge sends his love.
Best get to bed I'm off to talk to some Paraguayan's about sugar tomorrow. I'll be channelling your negotiations skills (now indian-market haggling-honed!).
Lots of love
Siobhan
PS Shout if you fancy having that 80th party x
To the lovely Kate Stacey
ReplyDeleteHope you are still managing to look glamourous.
I actually walk past the Matthew Williamson store near my work now - I'm tempted to leave behind Debs. It's clearly gone down hill since you've been off.
Hope you are having a wonderful time. Keep loving every minute
Sxx