BARMY BIKERS! 3rd August 2010 That's what we were doing yesterday, fleeing around SiemReap, both of us on the back of the same motorbike!!We were heading for a silk farm, where they produce beautiful silk using a process that is thousands of years old, from the worms to the weaving on wooden looms by skilful artisans.With some designs, it takes one artisan a whole day to produce one metre of silk in this way!No wonder good silk is so expensive and of course we ...

WAIF AND STRAY 31st May 2010 Well, we've nearly made it, but not quite yet - still a few speeches to go!It was quite a shock to realise that as from Wednesday, until the first week in August, we shall be homeless, wandering the continents for two months!But what a send off we have had. It all began on Saturday morning when the Chair of the Organising committee rolled up to our door and asked if we would like to take a photo of the pig about to be slaughtered...

GOROKA CONFERENCE 22nd May 2010 We were in two minds whether to accept a lift with the Inspectors from the Division of Education, knowing their record of poor time keeping, but we had a large box we wanted to send home, so were grateful of the offer.We were well on our way when a phone call announced that one of the inspectors had been left behind!We feared it would mean returning to Kundiawa, but the decision was made to press on - thank goodness. We were loo...

EXAMINATION FRACAS 25th April 2010 It all started just under a couple of weeks ago.Teachers have been complaining because they have received no information about the examinations to be held at the end of the year, which will be different from previously, owing to the introduction of the Reform Curriculum.Exam specifications for every subject arrived, so it was decided to set up a mock exam to give it a trial - term due to finish the following week.So, all hands...

CELEBRATIONS 14th April 2010 As Jake is leaving, many celebrations have to be undergone.The first one was on Saturday, when we invited him to share a farewell lunch with us and the other volunteers at one of the two 'hotels' in Kundiawa.Apart from us, there's Mike, the new volunteer from UK as well as Victor from Kenya, also new, plus Rey from the Phillippines (both of these are working with the Participation and Governance project).Then Don, who works at th...