I've said more goodbyes than is decent, and finally it's time to head off to Nepal. Two weeks of grueling (top secret) simulation training in Wales plus a week or so to digest all those new thoughts and I'm ready as I'll ever be to pack up and go. A bit worried though that all my last minute shopping will leave me looking more Michael Palin than Bear Grylls but maybe a run round Burgess Park will put some scuffs on those boots.
Starting to piece together what my next six months will look like. I'll be working mostly out in the east of Nepal in the districts of Ilam (the Nepalese Darjeeling) and Taplejung (home to Mount Kanchanjunga 8586m). A 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit the region almost exactly a year ago and Save the Children have been busy getting kids back into education and re-building 35 schools. Over the next six months we are looking to rebuild more schools and retrofit some of those that didn't collapse so that they perform better if and when an even bigger quake hits. Who knows, maybe we'll be able to help the Department of Education back in Kathmandu to do the same on a much bigger scale.
In other news, I've learnt that after a week with no sleep I start to sing inane songs, stumble through sentences and seriously disregard any show of alertness. A ginger beard starts to sprout from randomly selected parts of my chin and I take to evacuating through prickly fields without shoes - all part of the training experience, amazing what you can achieve in that state...
Karma status: Neutral
Likely reincarnation: Chameleon
Starting to piece together what my next six months will look like. I'll be working mostly out in the east of Nepal in the districts of Ilam (the Nepalese Darjeeling) and Taplejung (home to Mount Kanchanjunga 8586m). A 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit the region almost exactly a year ago and Save the Children have been busy getting kids back into education and re-building 35 schools. Over the next six months we are looking to rebuild more schools and retrofit some of those that didn't collapse so that they perform better if and when an even bigger quake hits. Who knows, maybe we'll be able to help the Department of Education back in Kathmandu to do the same on a much bigger scale.
In other news, I've learnt that after a week with no sleep I start to sing inane songs, stumble through sentences and seriously disregard any show of alertness. A ginger beard starts to sprout from randomly selected parts of my chin and I take to evacuating through prickly fields without shoes - all part of the training experience, amazing what you can achieve in that state...
Karma status: Neutral
Likely reincarnation: Chameleon
Hi dom - hope this finds you well - do you mind if i pass on the details of this blog to my colleague in geography, who is very interested in the work you'll be doing?
ReplyDeleteJoe
Yes definitely. Spread the word as far as possible.
ReplyDelete