I am sitting in a rattan chair in the sun, with a coffee and cigarette overlooking Doon Valley from a comfortable vantage point of 6000 meters above sea level. Padmini Nivas is an old colonial style hotel once favored by the raj set, the dining hall has stag heads, there are expansive balconies and gardens all set with tables and chairs. And so I have come to Mussoorie!!
Local housing
My monkey mate
The last few days have been fun, school closed out on Friday with visiting carolers from two of the local private schools. Meeting with the head of one school I have booked a meeting in January to see if I can get the school social club involved in promoting Raphael products from the work shop. To gain greater interest I am will promote it as a positive extracurricular activity for uni admission and look at providing a certificate of appreciation. Fingers crossed.
That night, Dave's last night, we visited a local teachers school for Chai and then went to dinner with one of the directors here, her husband and her two girls, one returned from Cambridge and the other Washington DC. Great meal with great company followed by cognac and coffee back at their plantation style home.
David has had a fantastic win with the Lions Club in Ballarat who have agreed to donate $200 towards buying track suit, shoes and spending money for a resident who has been selected for the special Olympics in Seoul, playing hockey!! Jo, if you're following my blog, your $100 will also be helping to ensure Sumit is warmly clad and can afford to have a meal out, thank you!! We had some photos taken for the local Ballarat rag, so I'll post those when I get a copy. The coach and I will be shopping next week with Sumit's father.
If anyone else would like to donate anything to help out Raphael and its residents let me know and I'll give you my banking details. I cannot tell you how much your money can do. These kids sleep with out heating, only one or two old TVs and eat simply. What heartens me is the pure joy they get from just a little music and sports, despite the fact there is only one basketball that is not half deflated.
Dave and some of the girls, Pooja, Ashu, Chavi and the house mother
David has had a fantastic win with the Lions Club in Ballarat who have agreed to donate $200 towards buying track suit, shoes and spending money for a resident who has been selected for the special Olympics in Seoul, playing hockey!! Jo, if you're following my blog, your $100 will also be helping to ensure Sumit is warmly clad and can afford to have a meal out, thank you!! We had some photos taken for the local Ballarat rag, so I'll post those when I get a copy. The coach and I will be shopping next week with Sumit's father.
If anyone else would like to donate anything to help out Raphael and its residents let me know and I'll give you my banking details. I cannot tell you how much your money can do. These kids sleep with out heating, only one or two old TVs and eat simply. What heartens me is the pure joy they get from just a little music and sports, despite the fact there is only one basketball that is not half deflated.
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