December 30th

Wow, busy few days!!!

We haven't had regular access to a 'Net connection since leaving Kolkata, but tonight we're visiting a biggish nearby town called Happy Valley, so we're all getting in touch with home. The small village we're actually staying in (Umphrenai) is really nice, but very, very basic. The weather is always lovely during the day and warm when the sun is out, but chilly when it isn't. The nights are absolutely FREEZING (even by Irish standards!), but we're well wrapped up so it's grand. Every afternoon, around 4 or 5, it rains without fail. It's mad how regular it is.

We're usually up about half seven/eight o'clock in the morning, then we have breakfast and we start work around 9ish. The first few days was tough going cos we had to lift big loads of sand, gravel, bricks and other building materials up from a road to the site. Today was great though, cos we got to do some proper hands-on stuff. One group was laying the concrete for the floor of one of the new classrooms we plan to build, and the other was digging a series of holes for the toilets we're making. Tough going at times, but always extremely rewarding.

The people here couldn't be nicer, and go out of their way to make us feel welcome. The schoolkids had a lovely song prepared the morning after we arrived, and gave us flowers, and in general everyone's just been great to us, and they're always thanking us for the work we're doing here. One day even the smallest village kids were pitching in, with a little four-year-old carrying a single brick up the hill at a time - it was so nice. The food is DEADLY (thanks to Catherine) and even though a few people are a bit under the weather spirits are high and everyone seems very, very content.



Anyway, I better get back. Happy New Year to everyone at home from Meghalaya, India!!!