VOLUNTEERING IN UGANDA

Uganda ‘The Pearl of Africa’. I did not want to go as a regular tourist. I have thought about volunteering in the past and this seemed an ideal opportunity. I searched overseas volunteers on the website and came up with ‘originalvolunteers’, as a result of enquiries I am now going to work in a village school in Uganda for the month of November. http://www.ugandalodge.com
I arrive in Entebbe airport at 11p.m. on my own and so I have arranged to be met and taken to a hotel in Kampala. The next day, I will take a local bus to the village where I will be working. I believe the journey is about five hours, time enough for me to start absorbing the sounds and smells of Africa. I will live the simple life and suffice to say there will be no flushing the toilet!
However, I do get to go and see the silver backed gorillas and a trip to the national park where I will camp for a few nights and enjoy my own version of a safari. When I signed up to be a volunteer I hadn’t thought about this part of my adventure and I see this as a bonus.
My day of departure draws near and I am ticking off my list of things to do and items to take out with me. I have been jabbed several times with antidotes and am swallowing Malaria tablets. My suitcase is bulging with my clothes and clothes for the children. My camera is ready to take memorable pictures and my nerves are jangling. I am looking forward to visiting Africa.

Writing Is A Passion

The Charmouth Literary Festival was visited by people who were passionate about writing. They wrote, wanted to write or wished they had more confidence with exposing their work. We explored all different aspects of words using storytelling, poetry, fiction and asking the question ‘Why do you want to write?’
It was a day filled with fun and inspiration. Miss Smith came dressed in character to help me promote Never Die Wondering, we had a great time as we explored why this book has inspired us so much.
It was hard work organising the day, it was great fun whilst it lasted and I felt exhausted when it was all over. But was it worth it? A resounding YES. Will I do it again? A resounding YES. What have I learned, you get out what you put in. I learned a lot and I laughed a lot. People are very supportive and rewarding, go out and enjoy yourself, there is so much going on – and so much to do!

Relationships

I am about to embark on the third part of my books about relationships. Having written about what it is that you would like to do before you die and then urging you to get on and do it I am now completing the picture. What most people want in this life is a good relationship, be it with themselves or another.
I am going to post a survey on my website from Wednesday 13th October, do look at it and I would welcome any comments. When I first embarked on life coaching, over six years ago, it didn’t matter whether I was coaching the M.D. of a company or the shop floor worker, at the back of everyone’s mind was having a good relationship, you wanted someone you could love and you wanted to be loved in return. Maintaining such a relationship is no easy matter and it became obvious to me that we are always addressing our lot in life and as we live longer, healthier, lives, it is important to make it a satisfying and fulfilling life as well. I know that it can be challenging but it will never be boring and it certainly won’t be without it’s dramas, the secret is to be prepared and face the music and dance. How is your relationship with yourself and another?

Feedback

Having decided that I am a writer I decided to get professional feedback about my writing. It is fun, lively, well written, so far so good, however, I need to be meticulous about grammar and spelling before submitting my work. I need to write in more detail about some of the subjects, and so the real reason I paid for appraisal came back to me. I was able to speak to the person who had written the report and discuss how my writing could be improved. She was positive but said that I needed to work on it some more, she also hoped that she had not dampened my enthusiasm, I assured her that she hadn’t, she felt that what I was doing was worth persuing.
Aah, the hard work. It is always to do with how much effort we put in. The first book I slaved over, the second I rattled off in order to follow the first and the third one is only a third of the way completed. I know, and they know, that the first is the best. Back to the starting line and this time work as hard as I can to get to that finishing post, the best.
How much time and effort do you put into what you love doing? Don’t cheat on yourself if you want to be the best.