एक बिट में आप देख

That’s Hindi for “see you in a bit”.

As I sit here, eating my last Western meal for three months (pork pie and cold pizza – like a boss) and I look out the window at the rain-soaked state that I’m leaving England in, two things come into my mind. The first is “Shit! I’ve still got to call the bank” and the second is “Well, this is weird”.
As of 12.30pm today, I am officially unemployed and about to embark on a whirlwind experience. It’s time to say goodbye to our first world luxuries and cash the reality cheque.

My coach to Heathrow leaves in two and a half hours, where I’ll be enjoying the last alcoholic beverages for a while with a few of the other volunteers at the Ibis hotel. Then, tomorrow morning, it’s up early to jump on the plane!

The final total for Raleigh ICS was £1600. Exactly double my target (200%!) and pretty effing incredible.

Another massive thank you to everybody who has supported me, helped me, donated towards my experience, given their time and patience and generally just shown an interest in what I’m doing. I will never truly be able to show my gratitude to you, but I hope you realise how humbled I am by your kindness.

This all sounds incredibly emotional and (almost) narcissistic, but this thing is big for me and I’m risking a lot by quitting my job and travelling the world.

I guess it’s time to sign off for three months.

Please continue to check out this blog, I’ll be updating it post-India with my entire journal. Prepare yourselves. There will be many an tearful moment, I’m sure.

Until April x

JABBED

Just over three weeks until I board that plane to India.

Isn’t that crazy?

I’m pretty horrendous at keeping up to date with my blog. I will try to better myself, promise.
So I guess I better start with the great news. As of 10th January (the final fundraising deadline), my total for Raleigh/ICS stands at £1555! Absolutely incredible and far surpassing my £800 target. The money raised facilitates our project through the ICS programme and, because of that, we can work at the grassroots of international development to change the world. To everybody who has donated, to everybody who has given their time, their love, their support and spread the message, from myself and on behalf of our community in India, THANK YOU!
I cannot wait to get going now; I’m jabbed, I’m insured, I’m visa-ed – all I have left is to finishing collecting kit and then it’s a waiting game. I’m pretty much ready with regards to kit but there’s still a few things I have to get. Buying enough sun cream to last for three months isn’t a cheap affair.
My coach to Heathrow is booked, as is my hotel for the night before. I’m sharing with the lovely Jess who I met at my training weekend, and I’m damn sure that we’ll enjoy those last bits of luxury before we head back to basics. There’s a bar, and there’s a bowling alley next to our accommodation. I’m sold.

If you want to keep up to date with what I’m doing over there, while I’m on project site, then check out the official Raleigh ICS blog here. Also, keep yourself up to date after my placement by coming back here, where I’ll be posting up my entire India journal, as well as continuing to share travel stories from my onwards travels.

Now that brings me nicely to my next big news – my flights are booked! I’m heading back to South East Asia! At last! I’ve been craving a return visit since, well, I stepped off my flight at Heathrow in 2012. As I fly into Bangkok, I’ll be spending some time chilling out and visiting friends in Thailand before travelling through Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and wherever else funds allow. I can’t wait to finish the trip that I feel like I started last time.

What else have I tackled in the time since I last posted on here? Christmas and new year.
My alcohol resistance level has been severely affected and I think it’s time for an India detox.
Do leave a comment or two and give me your thoughts. I like to read thoughts. Psychic, you see.
Happy 2014!

MY ULTIMATE TOP 20 TRAVEL SONGS

As I’m off on another adventure in under two months(!!), I’ve been thinking a lot about what makes a trip not just a trip but an experience and one thing to me is the songs that relate to your travels. I have songs, as we all do, that represent particular times in my life, especially those times where I’ve travelled abroad (you’ll see a couple of those in this list)
So, I thought it’d be a nice idea to write out my definitive top twenty travel songs; songs that relate to travel, songs that relate to certain experiences of mine, songs that inspire people to travel, songs that give good feeling.. you get it..
Comment and let me know if you agree, if there’s anything you’d add.. Let’s go!

20. Vanessa Carlton – A Thousand Miles

A gentle start to the countdown, Vanessa Carlton’s A Thousand Miles is a cult classic. You only have to listen to the song once to know why - that riff. The song (most famous nowadays for the car scene in White Chicks) talks about Carlton’s wanting for her lover for whom she has been separated from, I’m guessing by an approximate distance of 1000 miles..

19. Bruce Springsteen – Born To Run


The lyrics speak for themselves, talking of escaping and seeing life before it’s too late, “we gotta get out while we're young”. And you know, we were born to run. It’s just a true fact of life. Evolution.
Controversial that this is so low on the list? Maybe. The song itself doesn’t have anything particularly spine-tingling about it to me, but it’s fucking Springsteen for God’s sake. Of course it’s going to be here.

18. M.I.A. – Come Walk With Me


So this may be a bit of a personal entry to the list, but I love M.I.A. and I love this song and I don’t think there’s enough hype around her. I'd hope that I could see this song being big on the backpacker scene in the coming years. Expect to see photos of me dropping it like it’s hot (I just.. sorry) to this at a beach party in the future.

17. Steppenwolf – Born To Be Wild


Another ‘born to’ song and another song about motorcycles – were Springsteen and the Steppenwolf guys drinking buddies? (genuine question)
”Born to be wiiiiiiild” has to be one of the greatest feel-good moments of any song, you just can’t help but sing along. A song about looking for adventure and facing whatever comes along. Hello number 17.

16. Nelly Furtado – I’m Like A Bird


Who’d’ve thought Nelly Furtado would ever make a travel music list?
It’s the chorus of this song that strikes a chord with me, I think it’s resonant as it talks of not knowing where home is, reflecting the feeling of being ‘lost’ that many a traveller can relate to. She also compares herself to a bird and that’s extra brownie points right there.

I like to think she’d be a sparrow hawk.

15. Daft Punk – Around The World


A legendary sound from legendary music men. The song itself doesn’t really have much more to it than “around the world, around the wo-orld” over some pretty heavy bassline, but hey, it applies and I love it. It’s that 90’s, I feel hashtagging it #ThrowbackThursday would be appropriate.

14. Ray Charles – Hit The Road Jack

More of a break-up song, but it still employs the basic principle of travel – hitting the road. Ray Charles, one of the most charming performers of the 20th century, made this Percy Mayfield song famous in 1960 and it has remained a timeless tune to this day. No jokes to this one, just a goddamn classic.

13. Whitesnake – Here I Go Again


“YOLO” before “YOLO” was “YOLO”. Maybe applying more to the regular solo traveller, this one hasn’t lost it’s original kick. Possibly the only classic rock song not to be covered by Glee?
Did I speak too soon?

12.  Scissor Sisters – Only The Horses

This was my “returning home” song after my trip to Thailand in 2012. I did not want to leave the country and come back to rainy England, so I guess there’s emotional attachment for me. The song is beautiful and this list wouldn’t reflect my views without some form of camp. Scissor Sisters fill that quota quite well. “It feels so good to just get lost sometimes” is less of a lyric to me and more of a sentiment. It’s so true.
Pass the Kleenex, it’s getting emotional.

11. Candi Staton – Young Hearts Run Free


Another “but it’s just so true so listen to it” moment. This song is one of a few that can get absolutely anybody on a dance floor. It’s a pretty liberating tune and for that reason alone, it makes the list. Travel is all about liberation. It’s also pretty famous now for Kim Mazelle’s cover in Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo & Juliet.. which.. is just like.. the greatest scene of any movie ever.

10. Flo Rida – Wild Ones


Everything about this song makes me feel great; Sia’s vocals, the bassline, Sia’s vocals, the bit where Flo Rida tries to sing, Sia’s vocals and Sia’s vocals. This is the Chang gang song. Done.
(You won’t understand that if you aren’t part of the gang, for which I won’t apologise, I will just feel sorry for you)

9. Lady GaGa – Gypsy


What is life without a Lady GaGa song?! The most current song on the list, released in this fine year of 2013, has all the great aspects of a travel song. A catchy loop: check. A piano: check. A definitive list of stamps in the artists passport: check. Every true traveller would consider themselves a gypsy while they’re abroad – homeless and contemplating dreadlocks.

8. U2 – Beautiful Day


This was suggested to me and I had a gap to fill. It’s the sort of song that’d feature over a joyous montage in a Richard Curtis film. Enough said.

7. Tracy Chapman – Fast Car


HER VOICE! HER VOICE! HER VOICE!
If this song doesn’t make you buzz inside (especially when the chorus hits), you must be a very unfulfilled person. The line “We gotta make a decision, leave tonight or live and die this way” resonates with me, purely based on my unwillingness to settle for how things are. Travel is a form of escapism and this tune captures that perfectly!

6. John Denver – Leaving On A Jet Plane


In Top Of The Pops style, “just missing out on the top 5!”
The man himself kind of explains why this song belongs here at the beginning of the video – leaving the ones you love. I’ve known of this song since the choir I used to sing with as a child performed it and it’s always stuck for some reason. Maybe I always knew I was going to leave on a jet plane? Maybe I was a psychic child?
Suddenly everything makes sense..

5. Otis Redding – (Sitting On The) Dock Of The Bay


It’s Otis Redding and it’s Dock Of The Bay.

4. Rizzle Kicks – Traveller's Chant


It’s one of those sitting-on-a-train-looking-out-of-the-window-at-the-rain-as-the-camera-zooms-in songs. Rizzle Kicks frank lyrics make what could have been, truthfully, a crap song, actually quite special. It grabs hold of how everybody feels at some point in their life – you know, when you just need a holiday? “Yes, I do have places to be”
Oh, and Rizzle Kicks are Brighton lads, so you know.. Reppin’ the BN an’ what?

3. All Saints – Pure Shores


Most famous for being the lead song from The Beach soundtrack, this William Orbit/Shaznay Lewis penned ditty has that magical, underwater-like feel to it. It’s a explosion of nostalgia, another #ThrowbackThursday! All Saints were a great girl group, weren’t they? I miss them.
It’s the kind of ‘cocktail in the pool’ song that makes for a perfect travel tune.
Not that backpackers get that luxury very much.
Far too expensive.

2. Rusted Root – Send Me On My Way


As soon as you hear that twangy tune at the beginning, you know what’s coming! It’s only another bleedin’ nostalgia explosion! The song, most famous for being featured in the movie version of Roald Dahl’s Matilda, is the feel-good anthem of my childhood and it seems to have stuck with me through to adulthood and my travels. It’s the kind of tune I imagine being on the soundtrack to my life, as I run through a cornfield without a care in the world! I watch too many films, don’t I?






AND THE NUMBER ONE ULTIMATE TRAVEL SONG IS…

1. Bob Marley – Three Little Birds


Anybody that has travelled further than the Costa coast of Spain will tell you that Bob Marley is universally acknowledged as, well, God. This is the song I listen to, to cheer me up, this is the music I was raised on and Bob is the one person I have seen represented in some form in every single country I have been to. Whether it be as a statuette in Spain, a carving in Finland, a keychain in Greece or on the side of a taxi in Thailand – he’s there! Any of his songs could be at number one really. Something about Three Little Birds, however, seems to transcend borders. Because, you know, every little thing REALLY IS gonna be alright..


Download them all! Listen to them all! Love them all!
Leave some comments! Let me know your thoughts!

FEELINGS

Hello world!

Alas, many a day has passed without a blog.
I do apologise, but I doubt you care.
(If you are that traumatised then thank you, but get a hobby)(and maybe a better role model)
Well, what’s been happening then?
Nearly two weeks ago (I know! Bad blogger should go back to blogging school) I held my main fundraising event for India, That Friday Feeling, a night of ska, reggae & soul.
After weeks of organising, Friday 15th November came along faster than a tube train coming out of the tunnel. They do appear very quickly, don’t they?
With a lot of help from my friends, family and in particular my cousin Romy, the night was a complete and utter success! Word had been spread and more and more people came through the door! If you’re reading this and you’ve got a public fundraising event planned or you may do in the future, I can assure you that the best feeling is that which runs through you when strangers attend said event! By the looks of it, my persistent littering of noticeboards and shop windows with posters seems to have paid off. Other humans gone done attended!
Along with the DJs, I ran a raffle through the night with prizes including vouchers for Choccywoccydoodah (check out their show on GoodFood channel if you don’t know who they are) and Peter Andre’s New York Coffee Club. This helped bring in funds and the raffle alone raised around £100.
The Hassocks, where I held the event, were incredibly hospitable, allowing us the function room for free and even getting involved in the evening themselves. A big thank you to them!
The drink did flow and the music did play, so much so that friends who’d only ever dance to Britney Spears were joining in with the talcum powder floor fun (it’s a northern soul thing, Google it)
A special thanks also to Grapevine sound system for DJing and compering the evening!
All in all, we raised well over £400 which takes my total over and above £1000 now.
To everybody that came, helped, danced, drank and gave, THANK YOU!


Other stuff! Other stuff!
Well, as of today, I’ve got my departure date – Thursday 7th February 2014.
Shit just got real.
It’s all so, like, HAPPENING.
I seem to go through spells, as I’m sure everyone is, of being incredibly excited followed by moments of incredible fear and “I can’t get out of this can I?” It’s a very odd feeling knowing that you’re intentionally putting yourself out of your comfort zone. I guess I’m feeling it a lot more because of how I felt at points during my stay in Thailand (being sick and having escaped a crap time at home were big influences). I need to stop relating it to how I felt then!
As I don’t return to the UK until the 17th April, it means I get my 22nd birthday out there! WHAT! My birthday in India! I don’t say this word ever, but that’ll be SICK!

So, I go in 70 days exactly.

MADNESS

Leave a comment and let me know about your life




or not





whatever





do what you wish





it's your life





bye

TEA AND TRAINING

This is relevant OKAY?!

So, say you were applying or preparing for a Raleigh ICS placement abroad and you were wondering what to expect from your pre-departure training weekend..
Say that was you..
(Work with me)
Just pretend..
Then you’d appreciate a blog telling you what to expect, yes?
YES?!
Well, then you’ve come to the right place, my friend

This past weekend (8th – 10th November) I took a little trip to South London Scout Camp in Dulwich, to experience my pre-departure training weekend.
I have to say, before arriving at Sydenham Hill station, I was a little anxious about what the weekend would hold. I’m great with putting myself outside my comfort zone, but the thought of what we’d be doing and whether this would deter me from actually wanting to go to India unnerved me a tad.
After journeying on some very busy rush hour trains on Friday evening, with numerous bags and an empty stomach, I reached SH station and made my way to the camp. On the way I found other intrepid volunteers, a couple of them also being team India, and we traced our way through the dark, dismal night to find the training event (via the golf course – watch out for that).
Upon arrival, we found a room full of friendly faces – including that of a girl on my team at the assessment day. After sticking our bags in the back room, we sat down for an introductory talk then got divided into two groups. Our group took to another room, and guided by our trainer Nathan, got straight into team exercises to get to know one another.
This first evening was a great introduction to the weekend, with more team activities, group talks, presentations – and pizza. I don’t want to spoil it for you, so I won’t explain exactly what we did, but we didn’t finish until about half 10. Most of us were completely shattered by this point but immediately comfortable in our surroundings.
”Sleeping arrangements?” I hear you ask.

The two nights in Dulwich were spent sleeping on bunk beds, so the roll-mat I had bought wasn’t needed. A little tip to anybody tall like myself or precious about their head; don’t choose the top bunk. Low ceilings and tiny ladders lead to a bruised cranium. All in all, pretty comfortable for what it was, just prepare for the cold. These scout huts are notorious for their poor heating.
The following day, we were up at 7am for breakfast at 8. Sadly, I’m used to being up at this time on a Saturday. After brekkie and getting ready, it was back in our groups and right away, into more activities. This day, although long, was incredibly fun. We learnt a lot more about the project itself, the Millenium Development Goals, environmental issues, global community and our role as Global Active Citizens, to name just a few things, broken up nicely with soup and A LOT of tea, in an attempt to drag myself out of a tiresome state. I learnt a lot on this day and gained real inspiration for the project.
That evening, both groups re-joined and enjoyed the delicious curry cooked by volunteer chef Maddock. This was then followed by a quiz night, run by trainer Al. Now, if I was to say to you that volunteers – people with the aim of changing the world for the better – were highly competitive, you wouldn’t believe me. Well, I probably wouldn’t believe it myself. Turns out, us good folk are actually hilarious at being rivals.
Our night didn’t finish at the quiz, with many of us staying up to play board games and Jenga and throw balls around. I don’t think my head hit the pillow until about half one Sunday morning. A really great evening with some really great people.
7am on Sunday came and it was all about day three. Sausage sandwiches for breakfast then the get ready and go, with a lot of us craving a couple more hours sleep. Today we focused on cultural issues, how to deal with cultural boundaries, conflicts and differing situations. There was also a talk on kit, another on medical stuff and more information on the project. I don’t think my brain has quite processed all we learnt over the weekend, but on the plus side the knowledge is worth the brain melt. We wrapped up the day with a final group activity, telling what we’ve gained from training, then packed up, said goodbye to our new friends and headed to the station. Most of us caught the same train back to London Victoria, before parting ways.
So, what can you expect from the weekend?A fantastic time, some great new friends (that I can’t wait to see again), the perfect gateway into your Raleigh ICS experience, gained knowledge of many world issues and to have your eyes opened before even boarding a plane.
I’m more excited than ever before for India and I can’t wait to make a real difference in the world.

Oh, and expect plenty of tea. Tea and biscuits are a non-stop thing over the weekend.

Leave a comment, let me know what your thoughts are on my blog or if you are preparing for a Raleigh trip!
Peace

AN EIGHT AND TWO ZEROS

Before I update y’all on life and that, I thought I should let you know that I’m over £800!!

WHAT!!

£800 is the minimum I needed to raise to get me going to India and because of your generosity I’ve surpassed it!
So, to family, friends, acquaintances and especially clients in the salon – THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

I’m shocked that I’m this far already and I’m yet to hold That Friday Feeling!

Let’s get this mutha to 1k!

THANK YOU!!!!!!

Check out my current total at http://www.JustGiving.com/BambiRaleigh and please continue to give what you can for the charity

GUESS WHAT

Guess what..
It's been ages since I posted a blog, that's what!

What's been happening?
Well, I've completed my "luxury free for three"
The second week involved me living below the line, on less than £1 a day on food and drink.
Now, I love me some cake and some beer so I knew beforehand that I'd find this difficult. However, to my surprise, I wasn't actually that hungry in the week.

I managed to get two tins of chopped tomatoes, a tin of mushy peas, a bag of frozen vegetables, a bag of rice, a packet of custard creams, a bag of porridge, a jar of (unsure how it'd be) curry sauce and one of value jam, a bag of pasta and 6 patronizingly small apples. The total spent came to £4.99 - one whole penny clear of my £5 limit!
To make the week easier for myself, I measured my purchases out equally beforehand and planned out my meals. Now, for a fiver, there's no way anybody could expect a medieval banquet. Each day began with porridge made with water, followed by pasta with chopped tomatoes for lunch (on Wednesday, I allowed myself curry sauce instead of tomato - thrilling stuff!) and an apple to snack. Dinner consisted of rice and mixed veg with curry sauce, and exactly 7 custard creams for dessert.
I have to admit, aside from feeling very lethargic by the end of the week due to my lack of any real nutrition, I found myself enjoying the taste of plain foods. I have, however, very much enjoyed being back on my normal diet and surprisingly, I do appreciate the foods I have a lot more, even after only a week.

 

The third and final week was dedicated to me sacrificing my bed. The intention was for me to camp outside, however at the beginning of the week there may or may not have been hurricane force winds - camping got scrapped! Instead, I took to the living room floor. I can't say I found this one particularly challenging, but I did learn that roll-out sleeping mats are extremely thin and nothing beats my comfortable, pillow-soaked bed. Three months in rural India will be fun then...

Things are starting to come together with preparation for the trip, I'm amassing kit (with donations from my cousin), I'm studying Indian customs & culture and I'm slowly coming to terms with being without a hair straightener or eyebrow pencil for 1/4 of the year. I'm still finding it a bit weird that I'm actually going, I'm so excited for it but, as I'm sure everyone is, I'm nervous about quite how extreme it'll be. It's a completely different world within those small communities and our experiences will be life-altering. I've been reading on the Raleigh India blog that the latest teams to arrive have been given their placement villages and are settling in. How bizarre that the next group going out will include little ol' me!

The most astonishing news in the last week is that I'm now over £700 on my JustGiving page, which means I've got less than £100 to go until I've hit the goal! Thank you everyone who has donated! What's even more special, is that this is before I've even had my main fundraising event, which isn't until next Friday. Organisation for That Friday Feeling is going well and it's looking like it's going to be a great night!

 

What's coming up? Well, before TFF next weekend, I've got my pre-departure training in Dulwich this weekend. I have absolutely no idea what this'll involve, but I'm guessing it's learning the basics and participating in team-building exercises. I'm looking forward to gaining a bit more knowledge of the specifics of the programme and discovering what to expect of India in a bit more detail...

Anyway, I must run! Thanks for donating, thanks for reading my quick blog post and there'll be more soon - x