Thurs 1st August

Hello guys I just uploaded another video for you to watch the address is : http://youtu.be/Xua2Rq2zM-c

As before just copy and paste this link onto the Google or Yahoo main page to watch it. Please let me know if there are any problems watching the video :) x

Weds 31st of July.

Success! I have managed to upload videos you youtube! I have uploaded 2 videos here are the links to them: http://youtu.be/nHjKFUQP-eA http:://youtu.be/XHAF56GiJ1W 

Click directly on these links, that should take you straight through to watch the video. If that doesn't work copy and paste the individual links into a search engine (google main page, yahoo main page) that should work. If in doubt, ask someone for help! :)

Below are some pics of a village they took me to visit the other day to administer injections as the people can't get to a hospital, the people of the village kept staring at me like I was an alien hehe :)

A picture of the village from the roadside

This is what some of the people in the village chill out in, or keep their animals I'm not really sure.... :/

Some more children in the village who wanted me to take their picture :)

Both beauty & poverty in this one....

This was a young boy who was following me around, he wanted his picture taken. So I did :)

Some of the people who live in the village

A hen & her little chickies

Some more of the village

The view from the back of the village

This square is where the community gathers to talk when there is a problem in the village

This is Soondia, Joan & her son Ragool all of the hospice, these are the guys who watch out for me & take me places

Some goats enjoying their dinner

Tuesday 30th July. At long last!!!

Today was a really great day. At long last I finally got to put long made plans into action & spend some of our money on the kids. We went into town and went shopping for essentials & presents for the children. They were almost out of soap so we got a months worth for them. We got writing boards, pencils & rubbers for the younger children & learning games and craft work games for the older ones. We also got lots of Oreos for treats and some pink marshmallow thingies as well. I've taken a pic of all the things we got, pics of the kids with their gifts and l also took some pics of the town that we went shopping in. Thanks again to everyone who gifted money this is the beginning of your monies doing some real good. Thankyou! Next on the list is a trip to the sea side!! Ok only a short one today or I'll miss my dinner, bye for now :) x

These are all the things we got for the kids today

Here are the kids after receiving some of their gifts

Here's a pic of most of the kids, some of them are elsewhere playing

This man likes to shave & wash his chickens to keep them healthy. He has not been successful

Some pics of the town as I walked around doing the shopping

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More of the town

Indian ladies shading themselves from the sun waiting for customers

Monday 29th of July

Ok then here as promised are the pictures I said I would post. What I've tried to do is give you a mini tour by picture. A video tour would have of course been much better but it turns out I can only upload pics to the blog. I am able though to upload videos to Facebook, which I have already started to do. So if you would like to friend request me, search for Stuart Wicks Milton Keynes & look for the profile picture of a guy who looks like a mad scientist- that will be me. If you don't have Facebook the sign up process is very simple. If in doubt, ask for help! I'm sorry but there's no other way to get videos to you. Although actually I just thought I will try opening a youtube account and doing it that way as well. I will keep you updated on that. It's not so easy for me to use the Internet here there often power cuts which means I cant use it at all, and uploading a 3 minute video is painfully slow (1-1 half hours) 

As for my first few days here they have gone well. I'm still settling in, trying to get used to washing in cold water from bucket with a jug, even though its hot here, cold water is still quite a shock to the system first thing in the morning. I had my first good nights sleep last night since I've been here, it's about 28c at night but I'm starting to get used to it already thanks to the hot weather back home. 

I have spotted opportunities where the children can be helped with our money. They have pencils almost down to the nubs, no rubbers etc so if I can get into town tomorrow I'll be getting them all some new stationary. Finally I am able to put this money to use!! :) There are plans in motion to take all the children to the beach next Sunday, they haven't ever seen the beach or the sea before so it'll be a real treat for them- and I mean a really big treat. Trust me a bottle of cold fizzy drink is a rare treat for them here really do have nothing. I also noticed they are playing cricket with just sticks for stumps so I'll be getting them a cricket set as well tomorrow, as long as the trip into town doesn't get cancelled again. Well that's it for now I think I'll go off to bed catch you all later hope your all ok!! Stuart :) x

The front gates to the hospice

The plaque on the front gates

Half way up the driveway, where the vehicles are parked

This pick seems to remind me of the Texas chainsaw massacre for some reason

This is how you see the hospice properly for the first time as you arrive

The hospice face on

Fight in front of the hospice is the children's playgrounds

This is the view to the left, where the children sleep & the yard where they play cricket

The steps up to the front door

Walking through the front door the first thing you see is the chapel

And this is inside the chapel where the children pray & learn

This is just left of the chapel area

As you come round the corner you come to the kitchen door which is on the left

And this is the kitchen where the monster ants like to come

Little Monica having a please sir can I have some more moment

The children eating their dinner

This is the view from the roof directly in front of the building

This photo is the view just left of the hospice

This is just left left of the hospice

This is the view behind the hospice

This shot is back towards the entrance to the hospice

Saturday 17th ok July

Hello everybody I still haven't figured out how to get videos working on here if its even possible at all, I may end up having to post videos on Facebook we shall see. 

So then I'll get on with filling you in on what's been happening so far but there's been so much going on its hard to know where to start. 

Everything is just completely different here it's basically a third world environment in a rural setting. That air smells of a dusty dry-heat with hints of wood smoke from the make shift ovens people use to cook all their tasties along the roadside. There is absolutely no smell at all of spices which may show my small minded ignorance of what to expect when I got here.  

As you drive through the towns and villages all the action is by the roadside with people cooking & selling, fixing things, and many other things to many to write down. 

The driving here is crazy but I love it! No messing around you just go- it doesn't matter what's ahead of you or on the road you just go and go around it. And everyone else is fine with it they just let you get on with it no problems. No angry beeping or road rage- although there is lots of beeping but that's just to let people know you are there & coming past. These people may be crazy on the road but I like it. They know how to get where they are going and they get on with it!  And I think there are few accidents because they all do it, have been doing it all their lives and know what to expect. 

Simple words cannot do India justice. There are so many things that need to be seen that cannot be explained without writing an entire book to explain a one mile journey which is why I'll do my best to get videos up and running. Tomorrow I will take lots of pictures for you to see. 

The hospice it's self seems to be in the middle of nowhere surrounded in the distance by small tree covered mountains and hills, some with quite steep peaks.The hospice is a very peaceful setting (when the children are at school or asleep but they bring it to life when they are not) From the outside the hospice looks a little run down but on the inside its well kept and really quite nice. 

There are about 22 children here and they really are great they all want to play which I have found quite hard as I am still jet lagged. They all call me uncle which I quite like sometimes they get mixed up though and call me auntie! It seems very easy to forget the children are HIV positive as they are no different from any other children. They run, argue, watch tv, draw, play and be a little naughty sometimes and do not come across as unwell at all. The good news is no children ever die here as they are all medicated, well fed and generally well taken care of. Although rarely there are deaths here but only adults who have come here for care in their last few days, maybe once or twice a year. 

The ants here are super-monsters.  They are huge the average ant is between 1& a half & 2cm long. Seriously I think if there were enough of them they could take down an elephant. The queen must be the size of a mouse or a small cat. I will take some videos of them (when I get it working) and I will show you what I mean. There were loads of them swarming in the kitchen it was actually quite unsettling especially as they can bite.  

The mosquitos here are predictably annoying bur they even bite when I have the cream on. Although they only seem to want to eat my right arm for some reason I don't know why. Maybe I could train the super-ants to protect me from the mosquitos we shall see. 

Ok that's it from me for now sorry this blog wasn't up last night like I had planned but they turned off Internet and locked the office so I couldn't get to it. Ok by for now will write more later :)

Stuart :)

Hmmmm

I can't seem to get my device to upload videos on this thing only pictures, bear with me I will get it sorted :)

I have arrived safely!

Hello everyone just to let you know I have arrived safely I have some videos of my arrival that I shall dispense immediately :)

Good news!

Hello everybody just to let you know my visa application was granted and I have booked my flight. I'll be flying on Thursday at 3pm and will be arriving in India on Friday afternoon. 

I will start blogging from India as soon as I get the chance. 

Thankyou again to everybody for the help & support you have given me.

LET THE ADVENTURE BEGIN!! Woo hoo!! :) x

Hello!

Hello everybody! (or anybody) Just to let anyone who might be checking this blog & waiting for it to start know, I had a minor setback applying for my visa. After getting the extra documents togetherI went back down to London today to re-apply. This time the application was accepted but I do have to wait (up to one week for the type of visa I need) for it to be processed. All going well I should be on a plane at the latest next Friday, which is a fair bit later than I planned but all in God's time. I will let you know about my visa application as soon as I know, bye for now! :) :) :)