I've Left!!

I am currently standing in the Singapore departures lounge awaiting my flight to Hanoi. I apologise for the laxness of my blogging, but rest assured I will do a round up of what I have been doing over the past couple of weeks (and a list of thank you's to all those who have donated and are behind me in checking that their money is well spent!) as soon as I get to my placement.

I have been told that my placement will be nearer Hanoi, teaching the school where all of the SOS children go! I am expecting to help out in time after school at the orphanage but I will have to ask when I get there.

My flight was pleasant, met a large group of people going out to conservation work in Australia. I am nervous, and actually sweating. I don't do very well in hot weather!! I also think I got around 2 hours sleep, and the night has just seemed to disappear. I'll get over it! There's not much more I can say (or my sleep-addled brain can produce) only that I'm excited to be off!!

Legally Fund-raising

It's been an interesting but busy week this week shadowing barristers to various courts, I'm incredibly lucky to do it and it has been a brilliant experience, one I didn't wish to end!

All the while I have been handing out my newly printed business cards to legal eagles (if this is one of you, thanks for visiting!) and hoping that a few of them will sponsor me! I have to say that all of the reactions I've had have been very positive.

I was also lucky enough to meet the landlord of the Orange Tree in Chelmsford who has offered me a quiz night, which I was very pleased about, my Dad being the regular drinker there will have to be my representative to sort that out but watch this space!

Meanwhile we're all scratching our heads trying to think of fund-raising ideas. I personally have written out lots of letters to companies asking for sponsorship in return for advertising support, like me wearing a T-shirt in pictures and the like. I'm hoping it does well. My mother is also desperate to make cream teas for people in order to raise money, we were wondering today whilst walking around car-boot sales whether they were the best audience for our business.

Still I'm still wondering about which companies would be interested in my venture, does anyone have any ideas?

All this leaves me with very little time to think about the other aspects of my trip like.... vaccinations.

Yellow Fever to me then... doesn't sound fun!

The long journey begins

Well, I’ve finally started this, It’s always been an ambition of mine to volunteer abroad and now I’ve signed my contract with ICYE I’m committed to finding the donations and sponsorship there’s no opportunity to back out- I’m going to Vietnam! It’s left me with a hell of a lot to do.

Admittedly I owe a lot to Joe Manning’s inspiration, with his experiences in India and his future experiences in Uganda its fuelled my ambitions and hopes to go out into different cultures and learn from them and teach them also.

I did have a difficult choice to make when applying through ICYE between volunteering in Uganda or Vietnam. I’ve always wanted to go to both countries but at the end of the day I decided to go for the project that most appealed to me. That was SOS Children’s Village in Viet Tri- the project is fantastic and I feel with its organisation I would be able to be the most productive while out there.

It provides education and shelter for orphaned children from toddlers until they are adults ready to work. I was interested by the chance to experience the differences between teaching all the different ages in which SOS support, and while I’m pretty good with younger kids- like my little brother- I knew that the fact my mother tongue being English would be most help to the older kids that SOS support.

However it’s still no guarantee that I’ll be able to raise the money in time, It feels like a massive amount.

I’ve set up my justgiving page at www.justgiving.com/chrisob and I’ve got some business card’s coming to help me spread the word!