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Archive for June, 2008

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S.E.A.

Sunday, June 15th, 2008

South East Asia.
Some Easy Arrangments.

After the how-to-transport-the-family-in-the-UK headaches we’ve been wondering about for the past week, it was comforting to see a post from the school we’ll be volunteering at in Cambodia…..if you click here and scroll all the way to the bottom you’ll see what I mean. Transport is going to be no problem whatsoever in that part of the world!

Posted in preparation, transport | 1 Comment »

a little giggle

Thursday, June 12th, 2008

“Firstly, let me apologize for my previous letter. It wasn’t meant to go to you. Although I come from a family of 12 myself, it was, as you mentioned, a strange enquiry. I beg your pardon!”

What on earth could have prompted a message like that?
And why did it leave me giggling?

Well, I guess I was in a cheeky mood. When I had read the “previous letter” I just *knew* someone had hit SEND without checking the address. But I decided to play along. Here’s the previous letter:

“It’s almost as good as a joke!!!! Eight kids! I’d love to see how they will fit them in a dormitory.”

And here’s my reply:
“Almost as good as a joke….so is that almost as good as a “YES”????
Is that permission to pursue this further closer to the time?!!”

You see, I’d emailed a number of language schools throughout Europe who are looking for teachers at the moment to see if there would be any openings for a couple with a handful of kids tagging along next academic year. I’d titled the messages “Strange enquiry”, for lack of anything more original and to ensure they wouldn’t get sent off to spamland.

The upshot is, there ARE jobs we can apply for in Turkey. And plenty of other professional standardised   unfortunately-we-are-unable-to-offer-you-a-position replies from schools who cannot get their heads around a large family squishing into a small apartment for the joy of experiencing another culture.

Somehow, the giggly reply is my favourite.

 

Posted in preparation | No Comments »

not everyone agrees

Wednesday, June 11th, 2008
"Who do you think you are? You think you're so special to go off to save the world and you don't even do enough in your own back yard. Charity starts at home, you know." We just knew someone would say ... [Continue reading this entry]

Posted in preparation | 6 Comments »

“quote of the day” -6

Tuesday, June 10th, 2008
There are risks and costs to a program of action. But they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction. ~ John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) When landmines and snake bites and international terrorism and death by mosquito and ... [Continue reading this entry]

Posted in quote | 2 Comments »

*friendship*

Sunday, June 8th, 2008
"Maybe you guys could escort us on our first ever out of western civilisation trip." So suggested good friends a couple of years ago when we were tentatively dicussing maybe possibly perhaps going to the UK via Malaysia. They would come ... [Continue reading this entry]

Posted in itinerary, preparation | 5 Comments »

Lest we forget

Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008
We never expected it to be easy. But I'm not sure we realised it would be this tricky! For the past couple of months *impossible* has been ringing in our ears. But we don't do impossible. Roadblocks call for detours, not an end to ... [Continue reading this entry]

Posted in preparation, transport | 4 Comments »

*WE DID IT*

Monday, June 2nd, 2008
"SSSHHHH," he whispered somewhat unnecessarilly as I was only just emerging from slumberland and had little intention of making my wakeful state yet known! "Is it raining?" he continued. We sssssshhhh-ed, ears alert to the drops falling outside. Were they falling from ... [Continue reading this entry]

Posted in children, fundraising, parenting, postcard: New Zealand, preparation, sponsor | 6 Comments »