Dress rehearsal for school - first day tomorrow :-)

School prep

The last few days we have spent trying to put together footage for the film while Champu completes the various tasks associated with getting the girls, Snayhar & Mehek, started at school. The first of these was to pay for and complete registration (or "money for nothing" as Champu put it!) which cost around £160 and took Champu 2 mornings due to a festival preventing the right person turning up at the school on the first day, and then a lot of negotiation the second day as Snayhar is starting school 2 years late. Once that was done he had to go back this morning to get their uniforms, bag, water bottles and book & equipment list. The total cost for all that came to around £90. They need 2 different uniforms - a white one for Wednesdays and Fridays and a grey one for the other days. The grey ones won't be ready for 2 days, but as school is closed again tomorrow for another festival, their first day will be Wednesday, a white uniform day, so no more delays. Champu has just gone off to source their books, pens, note pads etc from the cheapest place possible and tomorrow we'll go out to the house again and get photos of them in uniforms. Snayhar will be getting a couple of extra hours tuition a day to help her catch up. They will be learning English and Hindi right from the start so hopefully it won't be long before we can communicate with them in English. They are really great kids - extremely happy and playful. I'm just so pleased for them about all this, as is Champu.
As far as the rickshaw goes, Muna is still at the helm as Champu is waiting for his driving lessons to start (they were delayed by the fact that all gvt offices were closed for the Commonwealth Games!!). He is looking forward to adding rickshaw tours to the services he offers tourists, but is also thinking about the possibility that he can rent his rickshaw out when he's not using it. In this way he has a secure income even when he can't work and for this reason said he felt I'd given him an older brother! I feel a big weight of responsibility has been taken off his shoulders, and he is really deserving of that. During this whole project I was aware that I didn't know him that well and that he could have changed a lot over the years - however, he is everything I thought he was when I first met him, and more, and I am over the moon that I've been able to give him a break from worrying about how he's going to provide for everyone. He's been doing that since he was 7 or 8. He is a truly amazing person. If anyone is going to Delhi he's waiting to meet you.

Puja

Back in Delhi and while we were away the rickshaw got a new canopy and back seat to clean it up ready for it's "puja" (blessing) . So yesterday we went to the Kali temple for the ceremony. Champu and Muna bought a basket full of marigolds and other flowers which were blessed in a 15 minute ritual inside the temple and we then went out to the rickshaw. As Champu held the basket, the "Pundaji" recited a lot of prayers as he placed the flowers on the front wheel. He then drew a couple of good luck signs on the front and placed a marigold garland over the steering wheel before sprinkling water all around the rickshaw. After about 10 minutes Champu was handed a coconut which he smashed on the floor and then sprinkled the water around the rickshaw. Apparently that now has to be taken home and sprinkled there, while the flowers had to be taken to the river to be sent off on a journey towards the Ganges. It was very moving and, to my surprise, I burst into tears! Champu said that he'd never been to a vehicle "puja" before and that he didn't understand all the prayers, but there were, apparently, a lot for the iron.
We had a short discussion about whether we should take the flowers directly to the Ganges when we go to Varanassi next week but for the sake of the film we opted for sending them off in Delhi. The river was filthy and there were some kids scavenging beside it. I see another run coming on!!! Champu and I threw the garland in and he then paid one of the kids 10 rupees to wade out and put the garland further into the current.
Last night I gave Champu the money to register his 2 daughters in School which he is going to do this morning and hopefully, they will have their first day before we leave :-)

Update from India!! :-)

At last - an update from India. Apologies for the delay. The first three days in Delhi were pretty stressful as all I could do was visit ATM's and extract my daily allowance then guard my growing pile of money until we had enough cash to go and buy the rickshaw. There was almost a set back when my bank, despite 3 phone calls before leaving, took another 24 hrs to let me use my card here. How typical of our times that a bank has been the only spanner in the works during this whole project!!! Anyway, the seller of the rickshaw, Muna, agreed to let us pay the remaining amount once we return to Delhi on 21st Oct and so on 6th October we handed over the cash and Champu became the owner of a rickshaw. (no idea why this is all underlined!!)
In the 3 days leading up to getting the cash together we spent the time with Champu (he was chief body guard!) getting to know more about him and his life. During this time he finally understood how I had raised the money and really seemed lost for words at times. He hadn't realised I had been running and joined in with many of my friends' thoughts by saying that I was "crazy, really crazy"!! He also very kindly said that I was amazing. He shook his head as he said "when I helped you years ago it was because you were a tour leader and might be able to help me - we needed each others help. But now you have just helped me, for me - for friendship - you're amazing" It was one of the best moments of the whole project. We showed him Gerry's film of the race too and when he, and Muna clapped at the finish I think I did finally get what I've done. It was the finishing line moment that I never really felt at the finishing line (just due to the preoccupation of finishing, having a bath, getting ready for the dinner etc - not for any lack of congratulations from friends and family)
Champu now has to get the rickshaw paperwork into his name - and learn to drive properly. He said that he had driven one, but hadn't got his license as he'd never dreamt he'd really own a rickshaw. Muna, who he has known for over a year, has kindly agreed to work with him for a month or two and teach him all he needs to know and at the moment they are working Champu's rickshaw together as Champu can't legally drive in the city or with passengers until he has his first license. The first licence is actually only a matter of money which I have - but I'm glad he's learning to drive safely too. Once the rickshaw became his we all set off for a tour of Old Delhi and then, when we got to a wide road that was very quiet (due to road closures for the Games - it has come in handy afterall!) it was time for Champu to have a go. We all got out and Gerry set up his tripod and camera for the occasion. Within seconds 2 bikes were in a heap in the middle of the road. The 2 men riding by had done a double take at the camera and crashed into each other spectacularly. We were all doubled up with laughing and I think it helped Champu's driving nerves. After a formal photo session (see above) Champu took to the driver's seat and I to the back. Gerry signalled that the camera was rolling and off we went only to stall. More laughter. I was then treated to about 5 trips along 100m of road, with turns - and, by the end, it was pretty smooth.
Champu drove home that night with Muna driving his own rickshaw beside him and the next morning they arrived to take us to the station for the train to Jaipur.
Once we're back on the 21st we're going to visit his family and make a film about his way of life. I'm hoping to be able to get his 2 daughters into school with some of the remaining money - and there might even be enough to get his 2 brothers (11 &13ish) back into school too. After a few months Champu thinks it's possible he'll be able to keep them all there himself with his earnings from the rickshaw.
This is a bit rushed - but I wanted to get news out to everyone who has made all this possible. I'll try to write more from Delhi.

weather!

Oh no - thought I had my kit choice finalised but have woken up to wind and rain. Suppose it's better to face the reality of it now while I have the chance to add to my bag. Off for my first ever run in waterproof trousers to see how feasible it is....

less than 2 weeks to go!

Not long to go now and I'm at a bit of a standstill with training as I don't feel that much more is going to make a huge difference now. So am busying myself with short runs (8 miles) with packed bag (oh dear - should have started doing this a long time ago!) and testing out different kit combinations. Pretty much have all the essentials and just have to decide how much space/ weight, if any, to give to luxuries such as soap!
Have ordered all my "food" from 00runningfuels - the discovery of red Maca, pinole ad Chia seeds has been a fantastic boost to my training and will be so easy to carry on the race. Their raw chocolate bars are wonderful too but sadly won't survive 6 days in rucksack.
Was lucky enough to share a room with a hill runner, Christine Patterson, at my first aid course last weekend. She put me in touch with a couple of her friends who have done multi day events and they have reassured me that I seem to be on the right track. Basic message from everyone I talk to and everything I read is that the physical training is going to help my progress, but the main thing that's going to get me to the finish is my mental strength. Am very curious about how it's going to be and have decided that curiosity is an underrated emotion - it can lead us into some great adventures if we listen to it....
Was filmed and interviewed for STV news on Sunday up in Glencoe. So much easier than being filmed by Gerry who just gets "you didn't ask me the right question" or " I think you should have made me run in that direction" Poor thing!

Thank you to Daily Record readers!

Another apology for the lack of content in this blog - will do my best to update it this week.
The nerves are kicking in now so it might help to get some of it onto the page!
Just wanted to say a huge thank you to the Daily Record readers who have donated. I can thank friends in person, but obviously don't have the readers contact details. It is a HUGE help emotionally to know that people I haven't met "get" what I'm trying to do - thanks SO much. It is also, of course, a great financial boost too. Once Champu has the rickshaw he says he can earn up to £15 a day on good days - I hope that shows that EVERY donation, even if it seems small to us, is going to go a long way in Delhi.