Sunday morning started just like any normal Sunday would start with 10 females tripping over each other sharing 3 bathroom and all trying to be ready on time to go to church. Oh wait I'm not sure that's normal anywhere in the world. But that what happened. I should say that the boys and Dan in the other flat are in positive luxury as our girls are beginning to discover 2 rooms between 4, 2 bathrooms a kitchen and comfy chairs. To be fair there have been no compla...

When we have busy days I tend to get a bit behind on this blog so I am currently writing this whilst sitting on a boat heading back around the edge of Tiger Bay, which leaders to the Bay of Bengal after a day in the jungle, but more of that tomorrow. Having negotiated a lie in for our students on Friday morning our driver, Denish's car got a puncture so he was even later picking us up than planned. Eventually we all made it to the school in time for our Bengali...

This morning began with Orla's alarm at 6.15am. Sairul arrived to meet the first instalment of girls at 7.05am and couldn't quite believe that we were ready to go. By 8.45am we were all at the school and after a quick breakfast we attended out first lessons with the children. Maths, science and English. I was left to play monopoly banker so the rest of the English guests joined in a Bengali lesson with some letter forming and the 12 vowels and an introduction ...

The rest of the journey It is hard to tell much exciting news of queuing, handing over passports and boarding passes, sitting on an aeroplane, more queuing, security checks another aeroplane and immigration. Unlike our first Strode trip to India the journey out was in most ways uneventful. I could comment on the person who left a pair of scissors in their hand luggage, or the one who had dropped an extra bottle of hand sanitizer in the top pocket of their jacket...

I don't think I will ever quite get used to Bengali time. There is on time, GMT (Glastonbury Maybe Time) and Bengali Time which is really something else entirely. Be ready to leave at 1pm to go to the school we were told, all the girls dutifully got up, sorted themselves out and I messaged Anup to check with Dan a piece of information. (I should explain that Dan, Anup and the boys are staying in a neighbouring building in Satyen Park - shouting distance mind) ...