We have made it! This morning we arrived in Goa at 8:45am local time, and we are currently surrounded by sand, sun and surf.
As I type this most of the boys are either kicking a football on the sand outside the shack, or enjoying a swim in the ocean, with cold Cokes having already been consumed. Most importantly, meals have been ordered, including the Editor's favourite at this time of the trip . . . fresh fish!
From the outset it is worth noting why we are here in Goa, and what the next 4 days will entail. We have just completed a fairly extensive chat with the boys, with the following details being relevant to you all as blog followers:
1- Goa is about physical recovery: there are no wake up calls. The boys are free to sleep in, or to get up and then take afternoon siestas; ultimately to do as they please for the majority of the day. The pool is a 20m walk from their bedrooms and the ocean is a 400m walk from hotel's reception area. For the more athletic the beach could also act as a relatively clean running track???
2- Goa is about mental recovery: with so much thinking having occurred over the last 3 weeks, today is the day to completely shut off and simply enjoy the surroundings and friendly banter. Tomorrow, individually, within the company of their peers, and with the staff that they are welcome to approach, questions of how will I explain India to my loved ones back at home, what photos will I show, what stories of personalities will I recount, will begin to be considered
3- Goa is about emotional recovery. The boys have been challenged in the upcoming days to consider what this all means? Where to from here? What have they learnt about themselves? About people? About relationships? About life?
There is no timetable to the next few days. The boys will come and go, rest and reflect, converse at a serious level and also laugh until it hurts.
Yes it is true many have been feeling a deep sense of home sicknesses over the last week or so, but as we keep noting, that is why it is called an immersion programme- it is not meant to be short, easy or without trials. Furthermore, in recent times many have been frustrated, confused, and even angry with this nation. There had been an impression among some of the boys that the longer we stayed in India the clearer their understandings of the world would become- sadly, this was never going to be the case. The longer one spends in this environment the more questions will be unearthed; questions that don't lead to simple answers.
Either today (29th) or tomorrow (30th) all of the boys will blog about their final impressions of Mumbai, or alternatively their first impressions of Goa. Again they will be required to blog on either the 31st or 1st, these entries being the final uploads the boys will do (until their final reflections arrive in my inbox a month after the programme- they will then be published both on this site and in a magazine). As for the Editor, there will be no daily summaries, but rather a brief highlights package of New Years Eve- a night that we are all going to enjoy, in this, the most bizarre of places. Finally the last blog of my personal thoughts, were I will try to make sense of the whole experience from my own experience, will go live on this blog site on the morning of Friday 3 January (NZ time). Therefore in short, keep checking in everyday as the boys will continue to add colour to this blog. Likewise please continue to fire through your impressions of the boys' perceptions/learnings, as they have thoroughly enjoyed your interactions.
Because my contribution on this blog site over the next couple of days will be minimal, can I finally note that our arrival at Colva Beach here in Goa has signalled to everyone that this journey is slowly ending. A hug, a laugh and a tear, just after midnight into the early hours of Jan 5, is not too far away, and will most definitely minimise the immediate feelings of longing for home. We live in a crazy world, yet as New Zealanders we will always connect and find peace with the sun, sand and surf. This place has all of the above, so I sign off wanting you to know that we are well/confused/relaxed/challenged, but most importantly, filled with gratitude.
Ben
As I type this most of the boys are either kicking a football on the sand outside the shack, or enjoying a swim in the ocean, with cold Cokes having already been consumed. Most importantly, meals have been ordered, including the Editor's favourite at this time of the trip . . . fresh fish!
From the outset it is worth noting why we are here in Goa, and what the next 4 days will entail. We have just completed a fairly extensive chat with the boys, with the following details being relevant to you all as blog followers:
1- Goa is about physical recovery: there are no wake up calls. The boys are free to sleep in, or to get up and then take afternoon siestas; ultimately to do as they please for the majority of the day. The pool is a 20m walk from their bedrooms and the ocean is a 400m walk from hotel's reception area. For the more athletic the beach could also act as a relatively clean running track???
2- Goa is about mental recovery: with so much thinking having occurred over the last 3 weeks, today is the day to completely shut off and simply enjoy the surroundings and friendly banter. Tomorrow, individually, within the company of their peers, and with the staff that they are welcome to approach, questions of how will I explain India to my loved ones back at home, what photos will I show, what stories of personalities will I recount, will begin to be considered
3- Goa is about emotional recovery. The boys have been challenged in the upcoming days to consider what this all means? Where to from here? What have they learnt about themselves? About people? About relationships? About life?
There is no timetable to the next few days. The boys will come and go, rest and reflect, converse at a serious level and also laugh until it hurts.
Yes it is true many have been feeling a deep sense of home sicknesses over the last week or so, but as we keep noting, that is why it is called an immersion programme- it is not meant to be short, easy or without trials. Furthermore, in recent times many have been frustrated, confused, and even angry with this nation. There had been an impression among some of the boys that the longer we stayed in India the clearer their understandings of the world would become- sadly, this was never going to be the case. The longer one spends in this environment the more questions will be unearthed; questions that don't lead to simple answers.
Either today (29th) or tomorrow (30th) all of the boys will blog about their final impressions of Mumbai, or alternatively their first impressions of Goa. Again they will be required to blog on either the 31st or 1st, these entries being the final uploads the boys will do (until their final reflections arrive in my inbox a month after the programme- they will then be published both on this site and in a magazine). As for the Editor, there will be no daily summaries, but rather a brief highlights package of New Years Eve- a night that we are all going to enjoy, in this, the most bizarre of places. Finally the last blog of my personal thoughts, were I will try to make sense of the whole experience from my own experience, will go live on this blog site on the morning of Friday 3 January (NZ time). Therefore in short, keep checking in everyday as the boys will continue to add colour to this blog. Likewise please continue to fire through your impressions of the boys' perceptions/learnings, as they have thoroughly enjoyed your interactions.
Because my contribution on this blog site over the next couple of days will be minimal, can I finally note that our arrival at Colva Beach here in Goa has signalled to everyone that this journey is slowly ending. A hug, a laugh and a tear, just after midnight into the early hours of Jan 5, is not too far away, and will most definitely minimise the immediate feelings of longing for home. We live in a crazy world, yet as New Zealanders we will always connect and find peace with the sun, sand and surf. This place has all of the above, so I sign off wanting you to know that we are well/confused/relaxed/challenged, but most importantly, filled with gratitude.
Ben
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