More SRA..

Afternoon All =)
We're getting on well with our volunteering at the Ashram. We've been helping out with the summer camp every morning and spending the afternoon watching the kids practice their plays/dances/talents or playing various games to which the rules are often rather vague. Last night we enjoyed 5 plays that each of the groups put on with spectacular costumes and scenery: they looked great, though health and safety would have been dreadfully concerned by some of the more adventurous set items (at one point we were sure a house constructed out of four boards tied with string was going to collapse and crush its inhabitants). Tonight is the dance competition which we're really looking forward to. It seems that even the littlest people love to dance here: so it should be a very professional show. Tommorow we leave at 8am on a trip to Mussourie with the older kids who've been acting as 'counsellors' at the summer camp. The town is at 2000m and is meant to be rather chilly, so we're understandably excited!
We thought we'd share with you today a few lists which we compiled one afternoon. There are probably many entries we've missed out... but never mind.

Things we'll never understand

1. Old people carrying money in their ears (Singapore/Thailand)
2. Wearing your jacket back to front whilst riding a moped (Thailand/Malaysia)
3. The inability to admit to not knowing/stocking something (widespread)
4. Tuk tuk drivers and their scams (unfortunately also widespread)
5. Taxi drivers constantly stopping for you as you wait at a bus stop (Singapore/Bangkok)
6. Childrens' love of eating unripe fruit (SRA)
7. The love of cows, but not to eat. (India)
8. How everyone knows of Justin Bieber, but looks very blank when we suggest the Beatles or Bob Marley.
9. How every con artist seems to be exhibiting something at the Birmingham NEC in the near future (perhaps a special 'cons of the world' gathering?)
10. Ladyboys (Thailand... though they could have just been hairy butch women....)
    

Things we'll miss

1. Funny head wobbling movement used to indicate practically everything (India)
2. Tropical fruit being ripe, fresh and more common than apples. (Thailand/Malaysia/India)
3. Everyone's tenuous links to England. (India)
   
4. Chai (India)
5. Being treated like celebrities wherever we decided to go, with accompanying paparazzi (Tourist attractions throughout India)
   
6. Cheap everything (Thailand/India)
   
7. Eating out
   
8. Being called Sir/Madam (Thailand/India)
   

Things we're looking forward to (in no particular order)

1. Eating a meal where everyone uses cutlery.
2. Not having to worry that it might be a squat toilet
3. Being cold
4. Meat (Billy at least)
5. Strawberries
6. Water you can swim in, and wear swimwear to do so
7. Bare legs and shoulders (Billys particularly looking forwards to donning some short shorts)
8. Showers at the desired temperature
9. Being able to be understood
10. Visiting the leather shop in the city of Kent (one of the encountered tenuous links to England... )
11. Reasonably priced second hand book shops.
12. Our own beds.

Any suggestions that you might have for additions to the lists will be considered provided they are fit for public viewing.

Lots of love,
See you soon!
Rosie and Billy
xxxx