Long time no blog!

Hi All!! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year. Sorry for the extra long delay in updating my blog. A mixture of difficult access to the internet and being so busy, but good busy that is.

One of the biggest changes to occur here in Bandipur was reinforcement into the ranks of volunteers, one became two. And that two is this wonderful woman going by the name of Angela, who's residence outside of Nepal is Adelaide, Australia. She is a mother of 3 grown up children and has challenged herself to leave her family and delve into 10 weeks of volunteering in Bandipur.

For me, I was daunted at first, because I didn't know what it would be like. Maybe she'll be this dragon who will eat me alive and leave the rest for the vultures. Anyway, I was nervous, but luckily we compliment each other and she has been a massive help to me and all the community in Bandipur and made a big difference.

She has been the instigator of getting some renovations done to the local school classroom where we teach and also in getting our computer class renovated. She has a great way of getting things done and with the help of our amazing chaperone, Ramsaran. Many things have been achieved and are planned. You can read more, and see pictures, about the school and computer class in the blogs below.

Technically, I have finished my volunteering with GVI and are now going it alone. And my plans have changed, I have decided to stay in Bandipur another month, for many reasons. One because I have made so many friends who feel like my extended family, second, because I wanted to help Angela with the computer classes and school but not take as much responsibility as before and third spend some time trying to learn the language.

But one thing has changed my plans already in the last week, that is another recruitment into the team. Her name is Yolee, a Czech girl whose been living in England for the past 12 years. We were told at the last minute that a new volunteer would be starting on Monday. Angela and I laughed as we are so used to the Nepali way, everything happens at the last minute, you never know what's round the corner.

This means that I can take a step back and let Angela and the new volunteer get on with most of the work and I'll just assist occasionally. Actually, I have many admin things relative to the volunteering to do over the next few weeks, such as creating blogs, info sheets for new volunteers and generally creating a structure that will hopefully improve the experience for future volunteers and especially create as much consistency for the children, which is the main objective.

Anyway, I've gone on for too long. Therefore, for your visual and reading delight I have posted many scandalous and headline catching blogs below of what's been going on in the past 6 weeks. So if you are sat inside a warm house with the freezing English weather outside and have some free time, then spend it reading the various blurbs below, better than watching another dull episode of Eastenders :)

Speak soon and all my love, Lee :0)