Visitors for England

To my excitement and surprise I found out just over a month ago that my second cousin (the daughter of my mother’s cousin) was doing a term of study at University in Reunion Island. I remember meeting her once before briefly at my grandmother’s wedding last October. It turned out that after her 3 month study period she planned on coming to Mauritius for a holiday with a couple of her ‘copines.’

So, yesterday afternoon after having experienced a little trouble finding the house, four beautiful young English University students elegantly stepped out of a silver hire car in our driveway and came through the gate and knocked on our door. We welcomed them in with ‘bisous’ (French kisses- one on each cheek- it’s very normal in Mauritius) and showed them around our house a little bit.

All four of the girls, young women really, are studying some combination of languages at the University of Bristol; two straight French, one French and Spanish and my second cousin, Emma, French and Italian. She is going to go and do a term at University in Verona, Italy soon. Lucky girl. Katie, Chloe and I were all taken back by their presence- all very tall, beautiful, brown and extremely English girls (accents like I’ve rarely heard before!)

We planned on taking a picnic to Spiritual Gardens as it was a nice day and it would any awkwardness about paying at a restaurant. We had prepared fillings- onions, cheese, sweet corn etc and packed them in a bag along with knives, two large bottles of juice and two baguettes that we had already bought. All we needed to do was nip to the market and purchase a couple more and we would have been sorted.

Our plan was stunted. We arrived at the market at 1.30pm and it was closed- Sunday- I should have expected this. The supermarket had literally just closed too… We must have been quite a sight. They were all so tall and stunning (and two of them blonde… as well as Katie- all Westerners)- we attracted a lot more attention than normal. It was also partly due to the beachwear of our friend from England. We decided to change plans and go to the street vendors by the bus station and purchase some local cuisine for lunch- rotis! Savory flat bread filled with vegetable curry and rolled up like a wrap. Lunch for 7 was on me; they were all very grateful…and I had only spent the equivalent of 1Pound 40pence!

After a pleasant walk to Spiritual Gardens and an interesting and friendly chat, all seven of us sitting a long a step and drinking cold water and juice beneath the cool shade of a tree we headed back home again. Katie and Chloe had a work ‘ball’ (party/dance) to go to and the others wanted to head back up North to enjoy the beaches for the last time! They are going back to England on Thursday and will be met both with the love of their families and the harshness of winter.

Lucious Letchis (Lychees)

Last night the doorbell rang. This only happens on the odd occasion; and usually when we have to pay our water of electricity bills. I got quite excited but also slightly nervous, who could it be?

I opened the door to find an unfamiliar man standing on the doorstep brandishing a black bag with leaves poking out of it. He said ‘hello’, I said ‘bonjour’, after a little while of him speaking English and I French he got the message and we conversed in the same language. His name is Arthur and he is a neighbour of ours. He has a large productive letchis tree in his garden and had come to share some of them with his foreign friends. What a kind man.

This now means we’ll have to make him a chocolate sponge cake. Whenever a neighbour presents us with fruit from their garden -this has happened a few times- mangoes, bananas and paw paw (papaya)- we thank them with a cake. Sometimes this has been retaliated with yet more fruit and then we are stuck, as it is a bit too expensive to make endless chocolate cakes for everyone who is kind to us.

Anyhow, the letchis from Arthur’s tree were delicious- and as the summer goes on they are set to get ever redder, fatter and juicier!

‘I am Chinese’- The Story of Two Sisters- 02.12.10

I’m sitting in the library I just discovered. It is a 10minute walk from my house. Despite the scorching temperature outside I feel cool; there is a fan. Luxury. Everywhere I see books. French crime novels, Hindi language for Dummies and Great British Classics lay before me. Stacked on shelf upon shelf. Amongst the shelves lie tables circled by wicker chairs for people to read magazines and catch up on the latest gossip, of which I know nothing. Except that Princess Ann is in Mauritius and she arrived on Wednesday. I can’t help but know this- my neighbours repeatedly tell me, almost unable to contain their excitement.

I sit at my desk- one of four desks of four; sixteen places in total. I am writing to

my dear mother. She writes to me every week and has done for the past seven weeks. I have written to her three times (I am working on the fourth letter at the moment.) Suddenly chatter in a foreign tongue permeates the air and people around me clearly become agitated. They are trying to study.

A friendly man burst through the door, clearly of Chinese origin. He was followed by a large group of equally amiable looking pals and a couple of photographers. He had such a presence and such an expectation that everybody wanted to listen that the whole library stood (or sat) to attention to listen what he had to say. He didn’t start off his speech with him name, in fact he forgot that all together, he started with his nationality. ‘I am Chinese’, he beamed, all eyes on him. His paparazzi crew began to snap photographs of all of us who happened to be sitting at desks in our local library. We were stunned; it came as such a surprise. The people spread across the tables were united in amusement and couldn’t help but let wide smiles spread across our faces in this relatively unusual situation. He presented a speech to his pack who regarded us as if we were children in a zoo. Note: I didn’t get the phrase wrong, just changed it. I made eye contact with some members of the team and they responded with enthusiastic thumbs up in support.

Later, on leaving, I passed a sign outside which read ‘ City Sisters. Beau-Bassin/ Rose Hill, Mauritius. Changzhou, China. Unveiled on 02.12.2010 to mark the 12^th Anniversary of Twinning Relations’ Flying proudly behind were the flags of both countries. I felt privileged to have been witness to such a seemingly minor event!

I'm looking for a Wife for my Son... 02.12.10

I’m naked. I’m just about to get in the shower. It is the furthest point from the phone in the whole house and the least convenient time in the whole day for somebody to call. It’s pretty obvious what is coming next. Ring, ring, ring. Ring, ring, ring. Its’ battle cry remains the same, a francophone country or not.

I clutch a towel and dart down the stairs, through the living room and into my bedroom. Before I moved into Vizavi it had simply been the phone room; a desk with a phone on it and something to sit on for phone calls. I quickly changed that. Answering in my best Mauritian accent I could instantly tell that the woman on the other end knew what she wanted. ‘Allo?’ I repeated. She proceeded to ask me questions as I quietly tried to work out who she was and how she got my telephone number; neither question was rewarded with an answer. Yet, after about 7 minutes of discussion in reasonable French it became clear that I did not know her.

She asked who lived in my house. I hesitated. Three girls. She asked our ages. Confidently I rattled them off. Eighteen, eighteen and seventeen.

I was slightly confused as to why she wanted to know this. She began her next sentence…

‘I’m looking to find my son a young wife’.

Was I interested? Could she come and meet me? Startled, I responded calmly with deep regret. I did not want to marry her son; that was out of the question. However, I did feel bad as she had clearly thought that she was onto a winner and her disappointment was carried quite clearly in her voice.

‘Ah. Ok. Desolé. Allée Bye.’

A Walk in the ....Gorge 01.12.10

‘Are you any good at fixing things?’ Fiona asks me, handing me a pair of broken sunglasses and a tube of glue, then proceeding to walk out of her office.

It is my first day ‘Kadesh’, a safe house for girls in Floreal. Since I’ve found out that the word means ‘sanctuary’ in Hebrew. Very appropriate. Miss Appandu, as the girls affectionately call her, set it up just over a year ago. It is a safe place where girls from difficult backgrounds are welcome to live, almost as if it is a family home.

At present seven girls live there, one just left after turning eighteen. From what I can see it is very well kept, and they live surrounded by a great deal of love. On of the first things Fiona told me about was punishment. When the girls walk into her office having done something wrong they cower before her expecting something physical. ‘I would never lay a hand on the girls.’ I was relieved to hear this.

Shortly after repairing the sunglasses in a slight panic- it was my first test- I went for a little look around the place. Round the corner I came across two girls plunking away on an irreparable piano; it sounded like they were enjoying themselves. I began talking to various people in French and Creole and the seemed surprised, but wanted to practice English a bit. After all they already know their own language and have an exam coming up in English. If they fail it, like 30% of the Mauritian population does, they have to re-sit the whole year at school.

After piling onto a bus and driving for what seemed like a long time with a food stop on the way we arrived at the Black River Gorge car park. We sat for lunch, automatically separating ourselves into three groups. Young children (and Fiona), men and boys and finally young women; I fitted into the final category. Unfortunately, I had only brought a banana as I had been under the impression that all I had to bring was footwear other than flip-flops and a positive attitude.

We walked through tree-lined paths full of mosquitoes, over rocks, up steep dusty slopes coved in dry leaves, across rivers and beneath the scorching Mauritian sun above.

Speaking mostly in a mixture of Creole and French I got to know quite a lot about the girls and was amazed by their total commitment to God. One of them told me that even though her and her boyfriend were totally in love she knew that she had to leave him because she didn’t believe that he would ever give his heart to God! She also told me that she enjoys speaking in

tongues; wow, that came as a surprise. It was fascinating hearing about it.

After at least 3 hours walking, with numerous breaks- one of the girls didn’t feel very well- we arrived at a deep pool of water at the bottom of a stream. Everybody took off their shoes and walked in; the ice-cold sensation we experienced instantly refreshing us. We sang together, spoke of love and life and took photographs. Until I saw them I didn’t realise what a relative giant I am. I plan on returning to Kadesh soon to do activities with the girls there. The previous Project Trust volunteers in Mauritius spent a bit of time there every week for the eight months that they were here and made a real difference. In fact one of them, Lizzie, had sent a letter to the girls and Miss Appandu read it out on the bus to them; they were thrilled.

MANGO MADNESS

Inappropriate title I know. Sorry. I had just returned from 4 days and 3 nights camping with CEDEM to find that the house was locked and the keys were no-where to be seen.

I was thirsty and had no water, so I thought that I could follow the kids’ example and ‘casse un mange’- pick a mango from the tree.

That I did, and bit in it to find it was very hard and bitter but still provided a bit of moisture- my saving grace.

However, since then I have found a singly yellow mango hanging joyfully from a supply branch. Yesterday night (9^th December) we had a friend over from Albion that Katie and Chloe know from work so I cut up this little gem into four and inside we were greeted with delicious, sweet and most importantly ripe yellow mango! Fantastic.

A Couple of Photos...

Jimmy, Sarah and I under a tree with a peacock in it at Casella (Sarah is terrified of birds!
Sarah, me, Hannah and Jimmy exploring a Mauritian beach for the first time- Flic en Flac, West Coast.

Jimmy, Michelle, Hannah, Sarah, Katie, Me, Chloe- first bus trip to Port Louis (taken and edited by Ben!)

Bus Rides, Seamstresses and Moon Light River Walks- The Night Before the Wedding

After days of preparation, mostly finding Indian jewelry to wear with a beautiful blue sari my friend Natasha- from shooting- and her boyfriend came to meet me at the bus station in Rose-Hill. We began our voyage to Rose-Belle, which was ever so slightly longer than I had expected. First a bus to Curepipe, then a pleasant walk through the station there; Natasha was very protective over me and held my hand, and at points her boyfriend’s hand too, but mostly mine. We took the L’Escallier bus next and during the journey we spoke French and Creole. The bus was so loud that even when I spoke to someone sitting not directly beside me but one seat away my words were lost to the engine. Natasha would repeat what I said to her boyfriend, but speak more rapidly and in better

Creole. The bus ride was spent chatting, comparing cultures, and photographs. Rose-Hill is in the Western Region of the Central Plateau, and Rose-Belle i

s in the South East. On entering we passed the most beautiful and colourful Tamil Temple I’ve ever seen; I plan on going back to visit. The town was bustling and bright at 6pm or so and only slightly worn by the week that had just passed; vendors remained with intricate saris and churidars on show; cars, buses, motorcycles, bikes whizzed by through the cool evening air. After a ‘short cut’ covering a long road from what now seems like the city to the country side, passing numerous tables of Mauritian men gathered playing card games, stray dogs wandering hungry and even frogs croaking- I later learned that she lives by the river- we arrived at her house!

Peacefully by the door lay a dog with a name similar to ‘pancake’; apparently it is a joke name that makes Mauritians laugh- but I didn’t and still don’t understand why…the joys of being a foreigner. He was sweet so I went over to stroke him and put my hand out for him to

smell as if he was a horse…but unfortunately this just resulted in him gnashing his extremely sharp teeth and gnar

ling at me. I became fearful, but thankfully Natasha picked up on this very quickly and stood on his lead allowing me to pass into her living room safely. The walls were adorned with a couple of faded family photos, a clock, a mirror, a Hindu calendar and a heart with an arrow through it painted onto the wall- seemingly with glitter glue with the letters ‘W.E.D.S.’ visible. Her bedroom simply hosted a Hindu calendar. Religion, clearly, is a very large part of life for her family- it must be noted that there was also a shrine beside their front door.

Soon after arriving we walked round the corner to her seamstress who, the eve of the wedding, was finishing up her sari. Except it wasn’t just a chori (top bit) and a 5m piece of material, it was more a long skirt with a piece of material to drape over the shoulder and give an appearance like a sari; see the photo of Natasha in the green outfit if you are still conf

used; which I imagine you might be. After trying it on and making some suggestions for final improvements we met up with her friend again who had purchased some bread and they led me to a new and exciting world.

Through the atmospheric shadows we walked together, across a narrow rusty bridge, down flights of uneven concrete stairs, past shrines and benches until we arrived at the river at the bottom. Positioned in front of us lay a small pool of water beside an attractive Hindu shrine; we were in the gorge. The three of us perched on the steps, youthfully bathed in the silver light of the moon, surrounded by the exquisiteness of nature. Fine beads of moisture descended rapidly from above, fresh as tears; we sheltered beneath an umbrella. I savoured the thought that although the mosquitoes were enjoying my blood I was very much enjoying myself. I was living a fairly tale beneath the stars and pregnant clouds of the southern hemisphere with my new found friends.

Proudly, when we returned home, Natasha told me that her mother had bought us some meat for dinner; I shamefully admitted that I am a vegetarian (or as many people say here ‘a vegetable.’) Panic struck her face so I calmly offered to make pancakes- she had the right ingredients and that seemed like a good solution. As I prepared them she insisted that she could not survive without meat and proceeded to hack away at a frozen hunk of it; joking that it was like in an advert on TV where a man is captured struggling substantially when trying to get his dinner in order. I’m still not sure what the advert was for- but it was hilarious when she put her leg up on the counter, pushing it hard, acting like she was trying to pull something hard…and failing miserably.

We ate with her cousin, Souraj, next door. Many families live in the same houses, often with different floors for different generations. I haven’t yet met any young Mauritians (20s-30s) who live away from home. The room consisted of some cupboards, a bed, a TV and a round table with a couple of chairs. An Indian film played in the background; both Natasha and Souraj understand Hindi. There were English subtitles, and it seemed like at random points in the films the actors would say a few words in English and then continue as before, but I was only able to see the left half of the screen- hence wasn’t totally aware of what was going on. It did, however, seem like a good film about the relationship between a bodyguard and a young girl- kidnapping, shooting, death and tears all played a part.

We returned home and had a sleepover; girly chats, looking through photos, trying on clothes, listening to music, and then finally- we were blessed with the gift of sleep.

Hello, This is Charlie in Mauritius...

For the first time in my history of blogging...which to be brutally honest is not a very long one... I am able to report to you from Mauritius.

- I arrived on the 28th of August 2010 at around 9am to Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport in the South Eastern Coastal Region of the island with 7 fellow Project Trust volunteers who had in many cases been eagerly awaiting being 'in country' so to speak, for months.

- Within this entry I am to share with you stories of:

1. Our departure both from our homes (well...mine) and the journey we embarked on

2. My first impressions of Mauritius

3. My first week in Mauritius

4. The other PT Mauritius volunteers (and their projects)

5. Work at CEDEM/ Vignta

6. Visa Trouble

7. House Hunting

8. Moving In

9. Extracts from my Diary

10. General Ponderings

-Enjoy...

Leaving Edinburgh- my picnic party, my blessing and my last meal

1. My Leaving Picnic

As a sort of a farewell gathering I organised to meet with a bunch of friends in the meadows today (Friday 21st August) for a picnic, some frisby and general banter.

I decided that the food wouldn't be the main focus so got some rolls, big pack of crisps some juice and a couple of cakey things so if people were hungry they could tuck in...even if they were just peckish.

Having a party, to me, marks the importance of certain events in people's lives- in this case my impending departure. People were invited to picnic from 1.30pm onwards, most didn't arrive until quite a bit later than 2.30pm and did so in trickles. Also, as some left others arrived.

A little book provided an arena for people to write a little goodbye message when later I will stick a picture beside to match the faces to the words; having read them I was very touched. A very good friend of mine had arranged to get a T-shirt printed (unexpectedly) and gave it to me as a present. On the front of it a picture of us lying on the grass in Hyde Park Earlier this summer screwing up our faces in response to the sun. (see above)

I really enjoyed the gathering and felt very supported by the warmth and well wishes of my friends and also really appreciated that although a number of them don't know each other they all got talking and gelled, in some ways bonded together by separately knowing me but also by their own personalities and enthusiasm for people.

Everybody sat in a large and slightly odd shaped circle in the meadows which was marked with a little Mauritian flag (which became increasingly broken as more and more people came, waved it and planted it in the ground with pride... not careless- just enthusiastic!) Many p

eople brought food with them which was much appreciated by hungry hoards of friends... and a small group of 'party crashers' who we allowed to sit with us as they wanted to play frisby.

It was strange to think that when I said goodbye to many of my friends here it would be another year to wait to see them again. I felt glad, in a way, that I had already said goodbye to a number of very important people in my life as although it was emotional it was not too much to bare. And also all of the goodbyes did not come at once... thank goodness... I don't know if I would have been able to handle that.

At one point two of my friends and I went to have a shot on the bumper cars as there was a bit fair style thing going on very near our picnic area. On our way back from bumper cars the heavens opened up, as they often do in Scotland, and we ran back to find that many people had packed their things away and were brandishing- in some cases broken- umbrellas. By this point it was about 7pm and the climax of the gathering had been reached, so it was a good time to be on our merry way.

2. My Blessing

The last time I went to my church, Currie Baptist Church, I was blessed by the minister and one of the elders (I'm not sure if I can really call him that- he's not old). They took me up in front of everybody and got me to share a little bit about what my plans were for my year in Mauritius; my church had been incredibly supportive with fundraising and helped arrange an 'April Fool's Quiz Night' in their meeting hut and also a sponsored walk across the Forth Road Bridge- both of the events together raising about 800GBP.

I was already feeling quite emotional on the way to church as it was my last day in Currie, my hometown, and the thought of leaving everybody behind (Note: I admit to being a little melodramatic as I know that I'll only be away for a year) was a bit much to bare.

The minister and the elder (Kenny) stood either side of me and held my hands and began to pray for me, thanking God for me and my desire to spend a year abroad working with children, for being a part of the church community in Currie and wishing me well on my way and that I'd be safe in his (God's hands). I could hear the love in their voices both for me and for the father and was overcome with emotion and and began to cry...which looking back on it is slightly embarrassing... it wasn't just the prayer- it was the thought that I wouldn't be back for a while.

Anyway, I felt the blessing from them was a very important part of the process of leaving for me and I'm very grateful for the kind words spoken.

3. My Last Meal at Home

To mark the last night of being at home for a while my family had an Indian meal together.

The food was delicious.

I love my family... and our rabbit!

Excitement and Anticipation

Hi Guys,

Sorry for writing such a massive first blog. I got carried away directing it at current and future PT vols so they could get a good idea of training and the likes.

But I recently discovered that blogs are actually meant to be little updates, the focus being on 'LITTLE'- I write in capitals to emphasise the point.

So,  I've decided that if you want to hear things in lots of detail with lots of passion and enthusiasm you can write letters to me when I'm away which I will read, re-read and cherish (and reply to)! I'll post my home address when I have it.

Also, after feeling very anxious about leaving I felt a massive surge of encouragement and excitement yesterday thanks to reading the blog of one Lizzie Beattie who has just returned from CEDEM. She speaks of Mauritius; the home, the children, the people with such fondness that I had trouble sleeping through my excitement. (See-  http://www.spanglefish.com/sendlizzietohelpafrica/) PICTURED ABOVE- Lizzie.

I've planned a little leaving get together for Saturday and have started to tidy/gut/organise my pit (bedroom). Will post pictures when it's sorted, and of the party if there are any nice ones.

That's all for now,

Charlie x

Training- the journey, the people, the experience...

Introduction-
Charlie Ogilvie is my name and thanks to Project Trust volunteering is my game.

Last July I was selected to spend a year of my life volunteering overseas after a rigorous course on the Isle of Coll in the Hebrides. Recently I returned from my training course where I met others who are going to Mauritius to work in various social projects, including my partner (Sarah) and a number of others going to different countries: mainly Jamaica, Botswana and Thailand.

I have accepted a place at the School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London) to study Social Anthropology and History on my return to the UK in 2011.

Having read a number of pieces of advice on writing a blog I have compiled the following for you:

1. My Project Information:

During my year overseas in Mauritius I will be based in CEDEM, a highly reputed NGO within Mauritius. CEDEM stands for the 'Centre d'Education et de developpement de l'enfant Mauricien'.

I will share a bedroom and small bathroom with my partner in one of the residential care homes in Floreal.We will also have access to a kitchen which is mainly used by staff members to make cups of tea and coffee. This bedroom is in a corridor on the ground floor which consists of a couple of offices, meeting and teaching rooms. The home that we're going to live in focuses on care for boys and girls with Autism, Aspergers and Downs Syndrome. Unfortunately, due to their vulnerability a number of them were also subjected to domestic abuse before they were removed from their homes to a safer place. Within CEDEM there are a number of departments where volunteers can involve themselves:

• Early Childhood Development Centre
• Animation Unit (Mauritius and Africa)
• Family Counselling Unit
• Special Schools for Slow-learners and Handicapped children
• Training Programmes for Social Workers, Educators and Parents (Mauritius and Africa)
• Fundraising Unit
• Shelters for Children in Distress
• Publication of Story Books for Children
• Community Development Programmes (Mauritius and Africa)
• Respite Care
• Administrative Work

This leaves a lot of room for creativity, and diversity in the work that both my partner and I will do during our year; and we are not limited to certain areas which pleases me greatly. There are two Project Trust volunteers there at the moment, and it seems to be a very good project which I very much look forward to living in/ working for.

2. The Journey to Oban-

It began at 9am in Currie (my hometown) on Tuesday the 20th July. With my mother and my little brother I drove to Edinburgh to collect my train tickets from the station problem free. Then on to the bus station to be faced with helpful staff who were unable to find my reservation, regretfully resulting in the purchase of a new return ticket to Glasgow.

The next day began more positively at Glasgow Queen Street when I met up with Chloe- a fellow Mauritius vol. who I knew from a Project Trust selection course last summer. On the train we met increasing numbers of volunteers, most of who were going to Thailand. Card games, conversation and confectionery were successful in bringing us together as were our clear distinguishing features- excitement, youth, and heavy rucksacks. The train journey to Oban was stunning and everybody at my table felt grateful that those who had booked it from Crianlarrich didn't turn up.

For a substantial period Chloe and I were the only Mauritius volunteers present. That was until, to our excitement, there was one sitting in the next carriage along. I ventured through and came across a blond, pretty, Scottish girl who I very quickly discovered was my project partner. We're both going to be living and working at CEDEM which I'll expand on later. As we got to know each other, we got on really well!

3. Backpackers in Oban

For anyone who has never stayed at backpackers in Oban before; do it! It’s really central, not badly priced (£15 odd a night- including breakfast/showers etc) and the staff are extremely friendly. For anyone considering Project Trust if you have to go to Coll, I’d recommend staying the night here beforehand. It was a chance for me to meet loads of other volunteers on neutral ground without having to do any arranged activities etc. (training sessions), play pool, generally hang out and get some rest before the boat trip.

Here I discovered that I am absolutely horrendous at pool, so bad that it’s funny for a bit and then just embarrassing. I also became aware (as did Chloe) that she is incredible at it as she potted about 6 in a row- it was insane.

Also, all of the beds are named. Things like ‘French Fries’, ‘American Pie’, ‘Danish Pastry’ and ‘Brazil Nut’- all foods, mostly yummy. Most of the volunteers here were going to Thailand, and one random backpacker decided to play the game and convinced some of the Thai vols. that he was going to be in the same project with them and was therefore their partner.

To our relief due to bad weather the ferry timetable was changed so instead of getting up at 4am we could get up at 7am. Not bad at all if you ask me. Unfortunately, a small number of people who had booked into the Youth Hostel were not informed/didn’t find out and turned up at the ferry very early despite it being delayed until 7.45am.

4. The Ferry to Coll

Last year, the first time I met anyone from my selection course, was at about 6am at the ferry port and everybody seemed to know each other already. I later found out that this was due to them all staying at the backpacker’s hostel, and me staying in a tent in a nearby campsite; not the best way of keeping dry or making friends in this case.

Most people from backpackers had managed to have some breakfast before traipsing along to the ferry and weren’t too blurry eyed. By this point many people had already discovered their project partners and sussed out which person was going where. A small number of volunteers (including Katy who was the remaining Mauritius girl to be found- Chloe’s partner) who had stayed at the youth hostel appeared and were understandably frustrated that they had risen so early unnecessarily.

On the boat almost one whole passenger lounge was filled with young adults surrounded by guide books of Thailand excluding a few who had them for Mauritius or chose to sleep immediately. Nerves, excitement, interest...and hunger surrounded the room. A stampede formed on the stairs when it was announced that a hot breakfast was for sale. Those who had roused themselves earlier at the hostel seemed content to sleep though. I became aware of the card playing skills of some fellow volunteers, and their kindness to teach and connected with quite a few people here; including a number of those I'd been on selection with last year. It was really nice to see how things had progressed and to feel so relaxed as all of us were sure of our countries, projects, partners and mostly too of our plans for after our gap years.

After a while we all found out that the ferry was set to take about 5 hours, as opposed to what I remember last year of 3.5hrs or similar. Thankfully I was really enjoying the boat ride and the company so its 'extension' was not as bleak a situation as it could have been, and actually went quite quickly.

5. Arrival on Coll/ The First Day

We were met at the ferry port by various Project Trust staff and whizzed up to Ballyhaugh (the PT centre) in a variety of vehicles passing the very rugged landscape or rocks, grass and crashing waves- no trees. Also it must be noted that as we arrived on the island the vols from the previous training course (Honduras, India, Namibia and Senegal) were leaving so we greeted each other, in some cases almost as if we were long lost friends.

When we got to the centre, a lot later than expected, most of us were ravenously hungry and were relieved and grateful to be greeted by an amazing two course meal courtesy of the kitchen staff. After that each partnership was called out so if they hadn't discovered already everybody became aware of their project partners. We had country sessions, getting to know our partner sessions, a section about insurance, one handing in documents/ getting country specific training manuals etc and then it was time for dinner. This was tasty too.

After dinner most of the vols and a couple of staff headed to the football pitch for 'Coll vs. Project.' Project had a rather large team, whereas Coll had a smaller but.... much better team despite having members of the age of about 12 they sincerely beat us. That did not mean that the PT spirit was squashed, we shook hands with them and headed back to the centre- very hot and sweaty- for a bit of free time. Clementine- a Thai vol- and I decided to head down to the beach for a swim because it was a beautiful evening, and we liked the challenge. For those of you who don't know- beautiful was the aesthetic, freezing was the reality. We were getting ourselves hyped up when some other vols ran after us to tell us we weren't allowed to swim as the tide was too dangerous; secretly we were pleased that we had an excuse not to. It was also really nice for us that they joined us on the trip!

Despite tiredness from our varied journeys nobody in my dorm at least could keep quiet. We were all so excited to meet each other at last and eventually got to sleep rather late.


6. Training- The Serious Stuff

Over the next couple of days things became a bit more serious. We were often separated into different sessions for teaching and social care sharing a few things such as:

1. The realities of culture shock
2. The rights of the child
3. The projects volunteers have to submit to PT at the end of the year
4. Safety and security overseas
5. Sex, drugs and alcohol
6. Housekeeping
7. Media

These sessions were not designed to inject fear into our systems, but instead to cover things that maybe we hadn't considered and really should. We found out how to deal with being groped on the bus: "Do everything you can to try and get away; draw attention to your plight by screaming, fight back with keys or anything else to hand. Don't try for the kick in the groin- most men would expect this- unless you have a good aim. Kick shins, stamp on toes, scratch eyes, slam your keys up his nose..." Pretty comprehensive if you ask me, if pretty scary too.

In social care specific sessions we covered:

1. Introduction to Social Work
2. Child to Child method
3. Stages of a Child's Development
4. Running a Club
5. Activities/ Feedback (practical individual tasks to prep. and present)
6. Living in an Institution
7. Behavioural Problems
8. Prevention and Cure of all things Nasty
9. AIDS in the Workplace
10. Bereavement
11. How to be a good volunteer
    

Along with the sessions mentioned about we had a couple in our country groups, so in my case with the 7 others going to Mauritius. There are two boys; Ben and Jimmy who are both English, and 5 other girls- Hannah and Katy who are English, and Chloe, Michelle and Sarah who are all Scottish. We covered things like:

1. Hopes and Fears for the year
2. Problem Solving
3. Politics in the Work Place
4. Country Specific Safety and Security
5. What happens next e.g. who will meet us on arrival to Mauritius, getting visas, banking, ID cards etc.

All in all I think that it's fantastic that we all received some training. Of course, Coll is a bit of an unnatural environment- especially when staying in the PT Centre with a large bunch of very lovely and extremely excited volunteers. PT did a good job of telling us things to look out for, how to deal with problems when they arise and also how to have a good time, stay safe and make the most out of our years.

The Desk Officer for the Mauritius Crew, Ali MacDonald, told us:

"Live every day like it is the last."

I think that she was suggesting that the year can go by so quickly, and that it is extremely important to make the most out of it; to get out of there, to do things, to meet people and to see things that just aren't available at home!

7. Free Time- The Fun Stuff

During our time on Coll we were granted free time at various points both for relaxation, socialising...and lesson preparation/ research.

If you've seen the photographs above you will hopefully have quickly realised that the Project Trust Centre is based in a truly stunning, and unique location on Coll. It is extremely near a lovely beach and beside the highest hill, from which we found out was one of the only places we could find phone signal.

Hence, in the evenings free time was often spent wandering down to the beach/trudging in the rain to it/ skipping gleefully (weather dependent of course...this is Scotland!) I made a habit of visiting the beach every day (no exceptions) and found this to be a good passtime. The first night, as above, was probably the sunniest- but still very cold...I'm not complaining, it was beautiful. The second night was a bit wetter (See right), but that didn't dampen our spirits [the pun was intended] Much paddling in the sea also took place, and someone (Caitlin Rippley) even took her kit off, barring bikini, and went swimming!

Another evening when walking down to the beach I was a little taken back to see dark fins sticking out of the water, swimming around; basking sharks, and later a seal. We were all really excited.

The rest of our free time was mostly spent either climbing the hill- for the view/ for some phone signal (at least an attempt) or just some good old fashioned banter, or hanging out in one of the main teaching rooms which has its own fully stocked bar tended too by the summer staff. There are a couple of sofas, tables, a white board, some chairs and it's a pretty good place to socialise. Personally, my game of choice was usually 'Irish Snap' which at points involved a huge group of us standing in a circle with sofa pillows laid out in the middle and throwing cards down, when there was a snap all chaos was let lose with teens jumping left, right and centre to smack their hands down on the pile before the last person so that they wouldn't have to pick everything up. At points it was somewhat painful, but really enjoyable.

On one of the evenings Aiden, one of the summer staff who was volunteering in Thailand last year, gave a lesson in basic Thai- aimed at the Thai vols, but inclusive of those that were interested. I made up a little Thai phrasebook, and practised a couple of times so now a lot of it is ingrained in my memory. But, sorry to disappoint, as this is a blog about my gap year in Mauritius I think I'll give it a miss for now.

Free time was really a chance for everybody to get to know each other a bit better- especially for project partners and country groups. I always find that relationships formed solely in intense circumstances- e.g problem solving sessions etc are not the same as those based on a mixture of that and relaxation. It was good to get to see different strings to peoples' bows.

8. The Last Night- The Formal Reception Dinner, The Ceilidh, The Games

On the last night after we'd had our 'what happens next' sessions and end of course administration the staff from Project Trust left us with a closing address. An inspirational speech, some poems, warm feelings and well wishing. A number of people got quite emotional. We'd recently received our plane tickets and it had dawned on many of us quite suddenly that we would soon be in far flung corners of the world taking on quite serious roles and responsibilities...not at home- those being the main words. We became aware that we'd soon be stepping out of our comfort zones leaving behind the people...even the country that we know and love for a new place where currently we don't really know anyone!

We had a little free time after this to chill out and I chose to go to the beach with some friends and then come back and get ready. My partner had promised to curl my hair so I had to leave her enough time to do so after preening herself.

Before dinner we received an address from former Project Trust Director, Livinia Maclean Bristol, she appeared to be a wonderful woman and everybody listened attentively as she had a lot of interesting things to say to us, to encourage, to warn, to excite...

Dinner started at about 7.30pm and without being too specific I'll say that it was delicious and there were a couple of courses...and a fair bit of wine. I enjoyed sitting next to Katt, a returned volunteer from an orphanage in Sri Lanka four years ago, who had been leading most of our social work sessions. She told me that her partner had been so environmentally friendly that instead of getting a car, a bus or a train up to Oban for training she'd cycled! I was fairly impressed, but a bit taken back to hear about her feelings against deodourant.

The Party was conducted in true Project Trust style with the Ceilidh Band at the front of the rank room and everybody dressed up really nicely. Ceilidh dances are very long and repetitive, but I always find myself smiling when doing them no matter how much my feet hurt. I must give a shout out to all of the English people who made such a good effort with the Scottish dancing, and did really well...especially to Clem who I taught the Gay Gordons outside beforehand, predicting (correctly) that it would come up next. The staff were also really impressive dancers, this is maybe due to skill...but maybe lots and lots of practice with all the selection, training and debriefing ceilidhs that they attend.

After the dancing a couple of people headed to bed fairly quickly while others chose to hang out a bit longer on for many their last night together as a mixed group of Thai, Mauritian, Botswanan and Jamaican volunteers. Thankfully, I found relief in the fact that we'll all (or...sorry to sound negative- everybody who makes it through the year) be together again next year of debriefing which both seems so close in time, but so far too. Many card games, chats, drawings, massages, random lessons, hugs, more dances and even more dances went on until we chose to head through to the corridors where our dorms were, and eventually into our beds which we knew we would have to get out of fairly early to pack.

As we hadn't managed to get a course photo earlier on in the evening we split into two groups :
1. Mauritius, Jamaica and Botswana(far above left)
2. Thailand (far above right)
and I've added a couple of less formal ones too:

• Jimmy, Rachael, Ben, Elliot and I
• Sarah - Immediate Right- (my project partner) and Camille (my room mate from Selection last year- now Thai vol)

9. The Final Day

It would be fair to say that on the last morning most people, if not everyone were pretty tired from the night before and I had really stiff legs from all that dancing. There was a very final/ excited/ sleepy last breakfast together taking up about 4 of the really big tables. I really enjoyed eating with everybody else for all of the meals and kind of liked that eating was restricted to meal times...not really any snacking unless people had sensibly snuck some fruit from the bowl at meal times or bought crips/ chocolate from the little bar in the evenings.

Before we left many people had to manically pack up their bags and strip the beds, as well as saying their goodbyes to the staff.
When we got down to the boat everybody (at least most people) were surpirsed to come accross some phone signal and surprise messages from friends back home. I even received an invite to a birthday party in Oxford that had already been! We got our photo taken as a group together and then boarded the boat waving goodbye to our beloved Coll for another year...but a fairly important one! I tried to imagine our 'changed' selves arriving onto the pier, possibly donning some outlandish foreign outfit and a deep tan.

The boat ride was long- about 5 hours- as it went from Coll to Tiree, back to Coll and only then on to Oban! (Now maybe I'm thinking that 5 hours isn't so long...to get to Mauritius it'll be 2 consecutive 7 hour flights- the first London Heathrow to Dubai, and then Dubai to Sir Sewoosagar Ramgoolam International in Mauritius!) Many people slept on the boat, read or played cards after enjoying a bite to eat. It was quite a different atmosphere from the way to Coll, a lot more weary and realistic. Many of us got the train back to Glasgow together and went our separate ways, in some cases until we leave for our countries, in others until next year when we go back to Coll for debriefing.

10. How I Feel Now ( 9 days before leaving home/ 13 days before leaving the UK)

At the moment, after a lot of excitement, but in all honesty more so fear and anticipation I feel fairly relaxed. Almost as if there is no big change which will approach within mere days.

I am enjoying my home, my bedroom (despite the fowl mess that it is in due to trying to clear it for the lodger who will move in at the start of the university term when I'm gone), my dear friends, my city (Edinburgh) which is thriving with the excitement and the range of talent brought in by the Fringe Festival.

Although I should be manically packing, sorting out my things- my room, money stuff, everything for travelling etc, saying goodbye to friends and relatives for now I am strangely relaxed. I am spending lots of time in town watching free shows with my friends, driving myself and my mother around practicing for my driving test (which is on Wednesday- 4 days from now!)

I do hope that with the coming week I feel motivated, and have the adrenaline required to get prepared to head off. I will, I'm sure of it- I have to!

Next time I post anything I should be in Mauritius...that's a wild thought!

Look forwards to it.

Over and out from my livingroom at home in Currie at 10.10pm on Saturday 14th August in a dressing gown, wrapped in a fleecy blanket as it's cold... I feel amused at the thought that this cold will no longer be an issue for a year two weeks from now!

Charlie x