I will be going to Adelaide next week (Tues to Fri) for an AMEP forum- “Learners in Transition”. It will cover ways in which the AMEP supports students’ settlement needs as they begin their new lives in Australia. By next week classes will hopefully have settled down and the four citizenship courses will all be underway so there shouldn’t be too many problems. However Sonia has agreed to deal with any issues that do arise so her interview schedule for Mon to Thurs will be cut back.

There will be a practice emergency evacuation some time this week. I will let you know when it will take place. Later in the year there will be a “surprise” practice.

On Arrival talks will be getting underway in the next two weeks so Susan and Maureen will be contacting teachers soon. If you suspect that someone in your class has been left off the list please let Susan know.

Lee Lenyk, whom many of you will know from her AMES days is conducting a series of talks on natural medicine (she’s now a qualified naturopath). I have a flyer for anyone interested.

Sonia was winner of tipping last week. She and Branka both got seven but Sonia was four points closer in predicting the Docker’s result.

Staff meal on Friday 25 May- don’t forget to sign up!

Mary-Anne is home and has had her 50 plus staples removed. Still sore and on painkillers but improving.

Veronica and Alison will be attending the TAFE CSWE meeting at Balga today.

and now for the next instalment from "Mary's Travels" !

Dear all,

As I've mentioned to some of you, I've decided to move on from India. I didn't stay in Dharamsala, as I felt all "Indiad out", as you so rightly put it Tom. (Don't know how you survived 3 months in an Indian city Pam, and managed to collect research data! You deserve a distinction for that alone.) The previous 2 places in the northern moutains area, ie. Shimla and Manali, were a lot more appealing to me. (One of the English girls on my tour actually tried to get the name of an English friend of hers, working as a teacher in Manali, thinking that I may have been able to do some voluntary work there, but couldn't get the contact.)

Dharamsala is long and stretched out (lower, middle and upper) basically along a narrow road snaking up the mountain, with a few places where habitation, religious buildings and business coexist. To walk up and down this path is hazardous to say the least, as cows, taxis, buses, jeeps, motorbikes and pedestrians all have equal right of way. The incessant blaring of horns is exhausting, as you have to continually check that you're not the target being tooted at. There are no limits on the decibel ratings of vehicles and some of the horns are excessively shrill and loud.

I felt that Dharamsala was not the quieter stopping off point, I had imagined it might be. The views are beautiful, but everything is hot and dusty, and the beggars are very agressive and in your face. Their strategy was to crowd in on you and pinch your arms. As a lot of the beggars are organised in teams and have a "pimp" (or whatever the term is for the beggars' overlords that take their collected money), I don't have a lot of sympathy for the able-bodied ones who use their own stand over tactics with tourists. Interestingly, tourists on their own are probably at the bottom of the pecking order, unless you become a bit tough. India is a place where people are constantly jostling. As it's a way of life to get things done you have to try and find a place in the jostling. After the tour finished, it became very clear how much our tour guide had smoothed the way for us.

Carol, would you mind forwarding this email on to Clair Harris (the last email to her didn't go through)... Clair, I did find your friend in Mc Leoud Gunge in Dharamsala. I spent the afternoon and evening with her, which was one of the special highlights of the trip, and especially of my time in Dharamsala. It just so happened it was the Punchen Lama's birthday on that day, and I went with her to a special concert in his honour. Both modern and emotional, patriotic songs were performed by mostly young and very talented Tibetan singers. Most of the foreigners had to stand outside the packed hall, but as I was with Ani, I was one of the VIP's, and was in the third row from the stage. Your friend also took me to see the Tibetan museum and the temple where the Dali Lami gives lessons/talks to his Buddhist community. After seeing the Tibetan refugee community in Dharamsala, and knowing what the new railway line linking China to Tibet will mean for Tibet, your heart certainly goes out to them.

I loved the Sikh Temple at Amritzar ( the place of Indira Ghandi's assassination). It really felt like a holy place. The temple is enclosed with a wall like many of the palces, and inside the beautiful golden (literally golden) temple, is situated in the middle of a holy lake, the waters of which are believed to have healing properties. Some of the Sikh men were bathing in the water, and some collecting water in jars. The lake was entirely surrounded with marble tiling, and Sikh people sat quietly around the lake in prayer. Many of the people asked us to sit with them and face the lake as this in itself is believed to be healing. (It reminded me of lourdes, but there was no commercialisation permitted with stalls outside or inside selling "holy" momentos.) After all the hustle and bustle elsewhere it was a bit like being in a magical oasis. It's very opulent but also a very spiritual place, and meticulously clean and maintained. The main temple, after closing time late each night, is carefully cleaned throughout with milk. I think I detected a faint fresh milk smell. There's no entrance fee, and if you're there at lunch time a substantial vegetarian lunch is provided free of charge by volunteers.

I've decided to go on to South East Asia and do a 37 day tour of Vietnam, Cambodia and Nth Thailand (Tour SAIA), with "Imaginative Traveller", the same company as in nthn India. It's been an interesting excercise communicating with the UK to organise my tour and have just managed to get it arranged online.That in itself was quite a challenge as even in the professional business internet site I use, people are packed in like sardines, and I was very nervous entering all my personal banking details so publically, but there was no other option.

To be honest, I could have happily gone home after the wonderful trip in northern India, but have signed an agreement renting out my house for three months. I must say I am looking forward to the genteless of Vietnam and the Vietnamese, Cambodian and Thai people. The heat, dust, horns and contant jostling in Delhi is taking its toll on me. Before I leave India on 9th May, I'm going to Haridwar and Rishikesh for three days, by train. Both of these places have a lot of religious significance to Hindus, and at Haridwar people bathe in the Ganges. I'll be staying 2 nights in Rishikesh which is evidently in a mountainous location, and and is cool in comparison to Delhi. (Simon K, you'll be interested to hear that I was offered yoga 3 times a day during my stay, as this is a spiritual retreat for visitors as well as Hindus. I'm affraid I was a piker and only opted for one yoga session a day!)

In the afternoon and evening 2 days ago there was a burst of torrential rain which gives some idea of what the monsoons would be like. As there are no street drains in Karol Bargh, the area of Dehli where I'm staying, the streets were literally awash with water. It gave some temporary relief from the 40+ degree days (and probably nights), but you'd hardly know there'd been a downpoor today.

Well everyone, I'll sign off from India, and be in touch at a later date from one of my SE Asian countries.

Sorry there've been no postcards. They are actually very far and few between to buy, and what ones there are don't do justice to India.

With love and best wishes to all, Mary C