The Taj Mahal then home...

By 12 o'clock midday on the 18th July 2011 this is where were...

We had made it! After a 5.30am get up we were met by Manu our driver and set out on our 4 hour drive to the Taj Mahal. After a bit of a sleep, numerous near crashes (mainly with cows walking in the middle of the road) and a few jokes we made it to Agra, the location of one of the seven wonders of the world. Now, three British (white) people in the middle of this place meant that we were immediately swamped with people trying to sell us the world, however we made it to the entrance unscathed and headed into the grounds. What a sight it was! We were amazed at how the atmosphere suddenly went from hectic India to calm quiet gardens.

After many photos and three soaked shirts (it was so humid) we drove for 5 hours back to Delhi... yes a 9 hour round trip but it was totally worth it. We would strongly recommend to anyone that you must visit the Taj Mahal if you visit India. It really is a jewel.

So here we are, the end... 3 weeks ago we boarded a flight from Doha and arrived at 5.30am in India. We didn't know what to expect from our travels, with little idea on how much fun we would have. Now we have reached the end we can all say that it has been a memorable experience, one which we feel proud and pleased to have taken part in. We all are very keen to keep in close contact with the people at Gnana Deepam School, and hopefully revisit one day in the future.

It is also a sad day as we all go our separate ways. Mr Coomer is heading back to the UK, with trips to Scotland and Italy also in his plans. Mr Funnell is flying straight to Thailand and Vietnam. Mr Diver is making his way to France and then Ireland, before he makes his permanent move to Luxembourg. I'm sure Mr Coomer & Mr Funnell speak for everyone when we say that we'll miss him, and we wish him all the best for the future.

We would like to say it one last time, many thanks to everyone involved in supporting our project. We will be very keen to show you ourselves how much of a difference this charity work has/will make to the lives of some incredible young people, people who deserve it. Mr Diver & Mr Funnell would like to thank Mr Coomer for putting in a considerable amount of work into this project before our travels, and we appreciate him asking us to be involved.

Thank you for following us on this blog. It has been reassuring to see the people count increase considerably over the past three weeks. Do check this site out in the near future, as more photos will be added in due course.

We hope everyone enjoys/is enjoying their summer.

Bye for now!

Goa & Delhi... Monsoon Madness!

We were happy to know that Steve & Isaac were going to kindly drive us on the 2 hour trip back to civilisation... Salem Railway Station. After another emotional goodbye to Stevie D & Isaac lad(!) we had our 4 hour train journey back to Bangalore, and into the rain! With the charity work over it was time to have a beer (or two) before heading off to see parts of India. We are finishing our tour with a trip to the Taj Mahal.... giving us time for one last blog... watch this space!

Coconuts, campfires & cheerios...

On the morning of our final full day it was coconut time!

We happily took up the great opportunity to sample coconut milk from the trees on the site, courtesy of Shrini, the school's expert tree climber. Stevie D, the Rev (Simon) and Sparky (Mark) a.k.a the Deveraj brothers walked us up the drive to meet this great lad, who quickly shinned the nearest coconut tree and threw down some green coconuts. Once down, the top of the shell was hacked off with some pretty sizeable machetes only to form a small hole from which the milk could be had... lovely!

Mr Diver's new friend!

With some room still in our bellies, we walked back to have our final meal cooked by Beth. Afterwards we were happy to accompany Steve, Beth, Isaac, Eva & Murphy on a Deveraj family afternoon out to a coffee plantation in the local area. The three of us have never seen one before, and so it took all of us by surprise!

Middle Earth in Tamil Nadu!?

Once we returned from our trip out we headed straight to the school field for one final game of football with the boys! We were so pleased that, despite it being a school holiday, many children turned out for the game. Because of this we decided to take it seriously and shake the teams up a bit...

Team A - Sparky's select XI

Team B - The Squiry Gents

Now, Mr Funnell & Mr Coomer would like to say that Team B won, but this is an honest blog and so we have to admit that Team A were just too strong (including a strong performance from Mr Diver in defence) and the game ended 5-2. Fun was had by all and thankfully no-one was injured this time! Mr Coomer had a large smile at one point after scoring a beautiful free-kick. Mr Funnell walked off red faced after dropping the ball over the line whilst in goal... he will never play in goal again!

Tamil Nadu's Masterchef 2011

After a quick shower we were asked to return to the sports field for our send-off party, Gnana Deepam style. Mark Deveraj and a few students quickly started a fire and proceeded to cook a Biryani (rice dish) for 100 people! Staff and students from the hostels quickly turned about, and before long there was quite a crowd of hungry people ready to eat this fine dish.











With the leftover firewood, Steve Deveraj decided to make a fire. With the help of some students, an impressive campfire was made. At this point the students were asked to sit around the fire and listen to Steve & Simon give the three 'Doha Lads' a happy send-off. All three of us will admit that this was a happy yet sad moment and, as Mr Coomer put if perfectly to everyone that night, the experience has been a happy and humbling for the three of us. The girls and boys handed some lovely gifts to the three of us, aswell as a lovely card for everyone at Park House School.

Stevie D making a fire

And then it was time to eat...

Masters at eating with hands!?

Once food was eaten it was time to watch an outdoor movie. We were amazed at how Simon Deveraj superbly set up a large screen (which hung on the goal posts!) and a projector showed a Disney movie, whilst we all sat under the stars and watched peacefully with the fire still blazing. Once over it was time to say goodbye to not only some great students, but a wonderful bunch of young individuals. The three of us agreed that it was a sad moment, but we were happy to have had the opportunity to meet these people.

After a long and action-packed day it was straight to bed, ready for an early departure back to Salem railway station. After another 6am wake-up call from Murphy we were surprised to see a group of students waiting on the doorstep to say yet another goodbye!

After the students left for school it was time to say goodbye to our hosts. Simon, Sarah, Mark, Ruth, Josh, Hannah, Matthew, Jesse & Bella... thank you ever so much for your kind hospitality. Josh, you became one of the boys and we were so pleased you were there to join in the fun. Thank you for the Starbucks too! To Steve, Beth, Isaac & Eva... a very big thank you from the three of us for having 3 grown lads eat you out of house and home. Every minute in your home has been enjoyable and fun, with numerous moments of laughter. It really has been a great trip, largely because of you! We will look back on our time in your house with so many happy memories... boyakasha!

To the students, staff and anyone we have missed at Gnana Deepam School... THANK YOU!

Sports Day!

Yesterday marked the day where we were asked to be guests of honour at the school's annual sports day. We were woken up by Sergeant Murphy (the house dog!) at 6.30am and walked over Bamboo Bridge to the sports ground. We were amazed to see that the children were already up and decorating the field was well under way... colourful ribbons covered the entire field and there was a great mood about the place.

Once the preparations were all in order we returned home to find that out tailored shirts had been delivered! Mr Funnell's excited face suddenly turned to disappointment as his didn't fit :( Luckily he had a backup shirt for the afternoon. Mr Coomer and Mr Diver were happy with their shirts and so we were all set for the afternoon.

Nice shirts boys!

After an early lunch and a quick change we were ready to head out. Suited and booted we were driven to the school, only to be surprised that the entire school including parents and teachers were ready to receive us. Upon exiting the car we were greeted by a round of applause, beautiful floral necklaces and a nice seat under a large tent, accompanied by the Deveraj family.

Guests of Honour!

But the formalities were not over... the students, in their houses, performed an opening ceremony where the students paraded past and saluted the three of us and the Indian flag! We were amazed at how disciplined and sharp the parade was. Mr Funnell then, helped by Steve, uncurled the Indian flag... and sports day was now underway!

The opening ceremony

The afternoon itself (5 hours in total!) was packed with events from the standard sprint races to traditional Indian dances and human pyramids! Every student was involved in something and it turned out to be a wonderful event. Once the events had all been completed it was time for the awards ceremony. Even after a tiring afternoon ever student was able to sit orderly on the field in view of the supporters and teaching staff. The three Park House teachers then each took to the microphone to give a short speech (translated in Tamil by Steve) to the school. Mr Diver spoke about the rewards and philosophy of winning and losing, Mr Funnell commented on the experiences we have had here and Mr Coomer described the process of fundraising and how we got to be here. Once this daunting task was completed, the awards were given out.

Just as the sun was setting (it couldn't have been timed perfectly!) the Indian flag was lowered and students dispersed home... the Eagle house with happy faces and the Lion house a little disappointed due to the final result. However, all involved had a great day. Amazingly the school policy is that, after sports days, students have the day off... not a bad idea (hint hint to Mr Smith!)

Congratulations to Eagle House!

After another lovely dinner (thanks again Beth) it was straight to bed ready for the final day. But of course... there can be no day in Tamil Nadu without a near death experience... Steve ran home, burst through the door and said he saw a Cobra near to the house. Mr Funnell, grabbed his camera (but forgot his torch... oops!) and ran back with Steve. Unfortunately it has disappeared, much to the disappointment of us all... maybe not Mr Coomer!

Once in bed we were all pleased that the day went so well and it was a really amazing feeling to have been part of this special day. Our thoughts then quickly turned to leaving and moving on to our own next adventures. We were all in agreement that we have really enjoyed our time here and are really going to miss the special people that we have quickly come to know and be friends with. It is amazing how quickly you can feel welcomed and part of a close family... of which we all have. We also realised that it isn't the bricks and mortar that make a good school, it's the community of people in it. We are just so thrilled that Park House has helped to provide the extra classrooms and equipment that these wonderful staff and students deserve. Smiles all round I'd say... well done Park House!

Nightmare in Tamil Nadu!

Yesterday was our day off, which meant a long lie in was in order! After a good sleep we got up and soaked in the great weather out here. Into the afternoon Mr Coomer & Mr Funnell were starting to worry that they weren't doing anything productive, so Mr C decided to put the three of us through one of his rugby fitness sessions! At 4pm we trotted off to the school playing grounds only to be met by at least 30 students who decided to join in. After a bit of running a game of football was organised, only to end up being a close match. All three teachers ended up on the score sheet (yes, even Mr Funnell!) with some great goals scored by students.

During the game, clouds quickly formed over us and the heavens opened. During dinner the power went off just as we were starting to eat, and a torrential downpour ensued, lasting for a couple of hours. Steve & Beth (our hosts) commented how this rain wasn't as heavy as monsoon rain... much to our disbelief! None of us had heard thunder or seen lightening before in our entire lives!

With the power off, storms outsides, and the fact that we were all sat around one lonely candle we decided to hear some ghost stories. I am too scared to repeat them now, but Steve told us some pretty convincing ones, so much that the three teachers had an interesting nights sleep!

This morning, we woke up and the skies were clear and the sun was out.... what a strange place!

The wheels on the bus...

Yesterday we decided to hop on one of the school buses and take a trip round the area to see where some of the students live. At 5pm the three of us jumped onto a bright yellow bus, driven by the friendly Ravi, and headed out with a bus full of at least 40 students. The bus itself has seats for about 30 students, meaning that we were very cramped, so much so that Mr Funnell has to stand in the doorway whilst the bus was moving!

Mr Coomer wasn't allowed to stay in this seat for much longer!

This is how many children were left even after 5 stops!
(I think the girl at the front looked nervous when she saw Mr Coomer in the driving seat!)

The journey itself was an hour long round trip, and we were able to see for ourselves the living conditions of the children here in Tamil Nadu. Although we already knew the level of poverty here, we were still shocked by some of the conditions we witnessed. It really gave us the feeling that Park House are going to be making a considerable difference to the lives of many children living here.

An hour later we were back. Good work Ravi! (Second from left)

Last night we learned some incredible things:

• The donation by Park House is the largest ever made by any person/group to this school.
• Because of our donation the school is able to commence teaching A Level students next year. Students won't have to travel for 2 hours to study, instead they can do it in their local village.
• The school has a waiting list of students who are desperate to attend. Our donation will allow more students to be admitted next year!

As you can see we are making a difference. The three of us are enjoying our time out here, but we are even more happy knowing what this money is going to do for the school and local community.

Go on Mr Coomer!

We were sad to learn that many girls drop out of school at an early age, because the parents don't view them as important in future. Mr Coomer, Mr Diver and Mr Funnell have decided to sponsor a girl each to see them through full time education in the hope that they will have a brighter future with good opportunities. Gnana Deepam School is hoping more people will do this, and so the three of us are considering ways to promote this and get more people on board. If you are interested, please see one of us in September.

Nice T-shirt Mr Diver!

An emotional blog I know, but we genuinely have been so pleased/touched with what our contributions are doing to these children! 

THANK YOU again to all who supported this charity.

Coomer & Diver have a close shave!

It's Friday and Mr Diver & Mr Funnell have just completed their week of teaching. Secondary students now know where Qatar is, why it doesn't rain much there, and they all have been equipped with some excellent maths skills! Both Mr D & Mr F are exhausted, but it was well worth it just to see so many happy faces!

Another exhausted (and very tanned) teacher is Mr Coomer, who continues to get the sports day preparations underway. We have been asked to be guests of honour at this event on monday, and so we had the ingenious idea to go and have shirts made tailored for us, just for this special occasion! Some of the material chosen for the shirts is interesting to say the least. When we get some photos up we will have a poll as to who has chosen the worst shirt!

Last night Mr Funnell opted to accompany some of the men into the dark countryside of Pagadapaggdu (the area we are living in) to have coffee and a chat round a campfire. Unfortunately no snakes we caught or spotted during the making of this adventure. Instead it was nice just to sit under the stars for a while and listen to the story of Rikki-Tikki-Tarvi, a mongoose that battled with a pair of cobras! This was quite fitting considering that Mr Diver had spotted a family of mongoose during the afternoon!

As Mr Funnell writes this blog, Mr Coomer and Mr Diver are having a shave... Steve Deveraj (our host) called his local barber to come down to the house and give some haircuts and shaves in preparation for the big sports day. Mr Diver & Mr Coomer have been sporting some excellent(?) beards since arriving here and so we decided it was time to get rid! They are currently both sat outside under a tree having all their facial hair removed. Let's just hope a snake doesn't jump out on either of them mid-shave!

Park House Circuit Training hits the Indian Countryside!

If you had walked into the grounds of Gnana Deepa School yesterday afternoon you would have noticed many secondary students flaked out on the grass in the House sports gear. The reason.... they had been victims of Mr Coomer's intense circuit training and fitness sessions. With sports day due next week (of which the three of us have been invited as Guests of Honour!) a lot of time is spent getting the students fit and ready for a wide range of sporting events. The timing couldn't have been more perfect for Mr Coomer, who has quickly sprung into action this week with a desire to make these students the fittest that they can be! Despite these tiring sessions (of which Mr Diver and Mr Funnell stupidly decided to participate in) there were many happy faces heading home. Let's see how they get on this afternoon!

The school relay teams decided to challenge the three of us and Mark (the school sports teacher) to a relay competition. At the moment it stands at 2 - 1 to the school boys, leaving the staff very keen to rectify this by the end of the week!

Teaching from Mr Diver and Mr Funnell continues to go well, with some good Geography and Maths being delivered to many students. The year 8 and 9 students now know many facts about Qatar, and they were mainly suprised at how high the temperatures get in the summer!

All remains well, however the mosquito bite count is rising! :(

Snakes, Tarantulas and Fireflies!

Just a little update...

• Mr Coomer continues to ask the Deveraj family about snakes, a big mistake as he learns about new horror stories day by day. We have now discovered the Steve Deveraj has stood on 5 snakes in his lifetime and killed a 6 foot cobra last year... in his back garden!
• Mr Funnell definitely doesn't like Tarantulas... the family next door managed to catch one (again, in a back garden!) and now have it in a box! Mr F was offered to feed it... no chance!
• On a night walk Mr Funnell saw a firefly for the first time.
• Mr Diver hasn't exposed his animal phobia yet... time will tell.

This place is scary!

Groundbreaking!

We are already 6 days into our visit and have done so much already! The Deveraj family continue to look after us and make sure that we enjoy our stay here. Considering we are in the middle of nowhere we are managing to be fed very well indeed!

Yesterday saw the culmination of our project where the school received the massive sum of 112,000 Qatari Riyals (big thanks to Mrs Murphy for arranging this!) and the start of the building of the classrooms. For the monday morning assembly the entire school of 700 students plus staff turned out to see Mr Coomer, Mr Funnell & Mr Diver (now called the Doha Lads) start the digging of the foundations for the 5 new classrooms at Gnana Deepa School. It was a lovely ceremony where the students were keen to express their thanks for this wonderful gift. We have been able to take many photos, and so we will make sure you get to see them at some stage.

Once the ceremony was completed Mr Funnell and Mr Diver were taken to there classrooms to start teaching for the week (yes, we are not on holiday yet!) Mr Diver was shocked when a piece of chalk was put into his hand and was told to go back to basics and teach on a blackboard. Mr Funnell was even more shocked when he was led to the school hall to teach a geography lesson to 70 students! If you think that sounds difficult, Mr Coomer found himself teaching sports to 120 students for 2 hours! Quite an achievement I'm sure you will agree.

The three of us have been fully immersed into the school and are really enjoying it. Apart from Mr Funnell's sunburn we are all safe and well with bit smiley faces.

More blogs to follow.... right now we've all got to go and teach!

We made it!

Well... we're here! We had an interesting journey to say the least... after amazingly being bumped up to Business Class on Qatar Airways (not a bad send off for Mr Diver!) we found ourselves racing through red lights in a busy Bangalore taxi at 4am! We then had to take a 4 hour train journey to Salem in the Tamil Nadu District. For this we were crammed (sardine style) inside an old wooden train with many Indians. Needless to say we stuck out like sore thumbs. Once at the station we met with Steve Deveraj (the Mr Brennan type guy of the school) who then had to drive us for 2 hours into the middle of nowhere.... Quite a journey!

Alas, the journey was worth it, as were are now safely here and have already been immersed in the culture and the ways of the school community. Things we have done so far include:

• A tour of the school - Meet and greet with the staff and students
• Mr Coomer has been the referee of the school showdown football match.
• Found a cameleon!
• Attended a Hindu wedding - A very large occasion where we got to stuff our faces with food.
• Attended a Christian mass, held by Simon and Steve Deveraj - two twin brothers who run the charity and school - of which we have now named Rev and Stevie D respectively.
• Mr Funnell has lovely sunburn on his forearms!
• Mr Diver is teaching the locals the ways of being Irish - no Guiness included!
• Mr Coomer is watching out for snakes - apparently there are Cobras & Vipers here!?

But now we are ready to start preparing for work - Mr Diver has been assigned a timetable to teach some Maths to a range of year groups. Mr Funnell is preparing some geography, which is proving very interesting as many of the children have never seen a map before! And Mr Coomer is going to make some exciting PE lessons... very fitting as the school sports day is next week.

So, all is good so far. We have settled in thanks to the generous hospitality of the Deveraj family. Now it's time to work.... AND we are required to help build some of the new classrooms tomorrow!

Thanks again to everyone who has supported us... we are really beginning to see how much of a difference your kind donations are going to make. Unfortunately internet connection is difficult to come across, and so the photos may have to wait. However, we will try and update you as much as possible on what we are doing!

Bye for now!

Mr C, Mr D & Mr F :-)