India – week one

Namaste from a hot and sticky Goa; I arrived a week ago to torrential rainstorms,  with flooded roads,  fallen trees and bolts of lightning ripping across the sky – and so feared a repeat of last year’s cyclone.  But it seemed to blow through overnight and since then we have enjoyed hot, dry days,  all day, every day.

My time seems to be shaping up and finding its own rhythm.  In the mornings I do some yoga on my balcony and then sit down to work on my novel.  At around noon I wander out and find some brunch – a masala omelette, or a bhaji puri (seen here: puffed up flat breads served with a mild vegetable curry).

Other “menue” (sic) options available to me include:

Musile with milk

Fried eggs on toasts

Fried eggs on toasts w. bacons

Conflakes w. banana milk

Portion sassage

Heinz bakked beans, on toasts

I then spend the rest of the afternoon on the beach,  reading, observing and making notes on things as they occur to me.  It’s been lovely to see so many old friends again,  including Mama,  my favourite fruit seller.  I’ve now started buying up about half of her basket’s worth of fruit and then giving it away (instead of money, obviously) to the many children who work and beg on the beach.

My reading has, ironically,  been somewhat disrupted by my use of a Kindle;  I bought one in September,  thinking that it would be THE perfect device for a bookworm who loves to travel and who usually has to take along an extra suitcase just to carry her reading material.  And so,  in that regard,  it has proved to be; although it felt really quite odd to be packing for a month-long trip and not taking c. 30 paperbacks with me,  the lightness and ease of use of the Kindle has proved to be a wonderful thing.

What I hadn’t bargained for,  however,  was the keen level of interest shown by the locals in this new appliance – they all want to know what it is, what it does,  how it works,  does it play music too,  how much does it cost (my answer of “about 10,000 rupees” is always followed by a gasp of horror and a reappraisal of me as a particularly rich and extremely mad foreigner).  I’ve found myself using analogies such as: “it’s like an iPod for books” and “the words come in here [tap] like an SMS comes to your phone” in order to explain how books magically appear in this tiny, light, device.  But mostly they seem amazed that someone would want to read so much that they’d spend that much money on a gizmo to enable them to do so. A few days ago,  I had about 20 people crouching around my sun lounger,  passing the Kindle around between themselves,  shaking and tapping it, chattering,  laughing,  asking me questions and generally looking amazed.

So I think I can be known as the first person to Kindle-ise this part of Goa.

Unfortunately,  I haven’t managed to see Renuka yet;  I went over to Rainbow House on the day after I arrived and the road was blocked,  so we had to turn back.  We then had another attempt a few days later and I arrived there,  only to discover that the home was locked and bolted,  with not a child in sight. I enquired of a passing lady and she managed to communicate via her tiny bit of English and my pidgin Hindi,  that all the children were “at a programme in Panjim” – what that means,  I’m not sure.  So I’ll have another go later this week.

And now – back to chapter 4.  More here next time I can get on-line,  which has proved to be far more difficult than on my previous trips.

A “Girls’ Night In” – in numbers

15 women (and one man, TLS);

9 bottles of wine;

2  bunches of flowers (received, with thanks!);

48 chocolate brownies – demolished;

1 large leg of lamb;

2 boxes of chocolates (“as it’s chocolate covered fruit,  does it count as one of my Five a Day?”)  – also received with thanks;

1 plate of donated chocolate crispie cakes – diabetic coma? Optional extra;

A lot of laughter!

1 cardigan left behind in error;

Nearly £200 raised for “Because I Am a Girl”, with more still to come;

Bed at 3am.

A lot of washing up the next day … but all very well worthwhile.

Thank you so much, everyone – you’re the best.

Let the fund raising commence!

So, it’s Wednesday evening, I’ve been cooking for most of the day (other than travelling across London and back for an 8am interview …) and my guests are due to start arriving in 90 minutes’ time.

And we’ve already raised £95 for “Because I Am A Girl” before the first fabulous woman has arrived!

A couple of people have emailed me and asked: “what will you be serving up, Cleo?” – so here’s my menu:

Marinated leg of lamb
Potato & mushroom gratin (v)
Falafels (v)
Tomato salad (v)
Couscous (v)
Cacik (cucumber, yoghurt & mint) (v)
Hummus (v)
Lentil, feta cheese & mint salad (v)

Nigella’s brownies (n)
Almond tart (n)
Fresh strawberries, cream

Cheese board

Coffee, mint tea

I think that’s quite good value for £15 per head, don’t you?

On raising money to support “Because I Am a Girl”

Today I’ve actually had one of those days on my “sabbatical” that I always imagined, when I was working, that I’d have when I wasn’t: I went to the gym and met a friend for coffee this morning, I read a magazine, I had a lovely lunch with my husband … and I then spent the afternoon baking brownies and other goodies in my kitchen.

In the seven weeks since I finished gainful employment, I can count the number of days like today on the fingers of one thumb, so it’s been pleasing to finally achieve the Nirvana of a tranquil and domesticated day. My house smells of chocolate and vanilla and lavender polish; I’ve spent no time at all on either a job hunting website or fiddling with my CV. Instead, I’ve been preparing to host a “Girl’s Night In” event tomorrow night, when around fifteen great women (friends, neighbours, colleagues, contacts) will arrive and join me for dinner, wine and conversation.

But this is no ordinary dinner party: everyone will be making a donation of between £10 and £15 per head. I’m donating the food and wine and every penny raised tomorrow night will be gifted to Plan International’s “Because I am a Girl” campaign, which works to ensure that girls in some of the worlds’ poorest countries (such as Liberia, Sierra Leone and Bangladesh) are able to finish school.

Launched in 2007 by Plan UK, the campaign aims to improve the lives of girls throughout the developing world, many of whom are denied the right to an education, healthcare and a career.

This is a campaign about which I first read an article last month, on the plane on my way to California and I decided there and then, mid-Atlantic, to join in and be part of the solution in my own small, brownie-baking, way.

Here’s a quote from Cherie Blair (and there’s a link to her website on the blogroll on the right, if you’re interested in further details of her work to support women, globally):

“There is plenty of evidence that girls face greater disadvantage and discrimination in many parts of the world. For example, it’s estimated that, globally, 7.4 million more girls than boys don’t get a primary school education, and 70% of those in absolute poverty are female. So it’s good news that Plan has launched its “Because I am a Girl” campaign to draw attention to these abuses and what can be done to overcome them.”

The links that I’ve provided above in the text will take you to the relevant parts of the Plan website and, if you want to learn more, you can download their annual report or take the “Five Friends Challenge” and send e-cards to your friends to encourage them to pledge their support for girls’ rights worldwide.

The link to my fundraising page is here; with your help, we can help millions of girls out of poverty and towards a safer and brighter future.

Thank you.