Global Video Challenge: 'India is ........ for Skiers'

My son Jonny has produced a video of his trip last year to Kashmir where he was involved in helping teach 90 India school kids to ski on a golf course!   They were all from Tindale Biscoe School in Srinagar. The invitation to help came when we both visited the school, as part of a visit to the Diocese of Amritsar. We also went up to Gulmarg where the video was shot.......  all I can say is that is was stunningly beautiful......     The original video is on vimeo and was part of the Serious Fun Vol 2    video magazine put out by sfc
He also entered a briefer version of the video into the India Is  Global video challenge and got through to the final round - one of 30 finalists -  the outcome all depends on social network voting.

So my request is for you to vote for his video, (it does not however work on the internet explorer you would have to use Firefox, Safari, or google chrome.) You can vote through Facebook or by signing on with an email account.  When you vote for it please let me know so I know who has already done so.  At this point of time Jonny is in 7th place and needs a BIG BOOST - YOUR VOTE can make all the difference   Please pass this on to your friends .... that's how viral campaigns start. We have until 14 March ...

His video can be found on the India Is website  You can cut and paste in the following link...
http://indiais.org/rateit_eachvideos.php?userid1=372&videoid=3   and then you have 5 votes ..... You only need to vote for Jonny's video !!

I'll keep you posted on the results..... Let's go viral

Cycling through Europe... to Kenya!

The bike painting is based on one by Bob Dylan. I saw some of his pen and watercolour prints at the Woking Lightbox a year or so ago. And they inspired me, in that I thought: 'I could do that!' I wrote a blog about it in Jan 09: Drawn Blank

The bike makes me think of 'the Continent' as we Brits call it. The idea of leaving your bike propped up against a tree, whilst you have a coffee and croissant in a street cafe. There is something very appealing about it all.....

My son Tim and his mate Mat have just set off from Woking to Kenya on an epic 6500 mile cycle2kenya. You can follow their cycle2kenya blog or Facebook group and Facebook community or track them on twitter. You can also donate online via Just Giving to the Turning point trust. They are cycling to raise money for farms to rehabilitate mamas from the slums of Kibera Mat's sister Emily works for TP and has written a blog about her brother Woking-2-Nairobi tandem adventure. I also wrote an older post on this improbable bike ride

(If you are a firm and are interested in sponsoring, then be in touch by email cycle2kenya@gmail.com)

So this painting evokes something of the beginning leg (or wheel) of their journey through Europe. Except they are riding a tandem not a normal bike.

We're off soon for the Dover-Dunkirque channel crossing and on to Brugge/Bruges to meet them on the first leg. This was partly inspired by the darkly humorous, violent comedy thriller film in Bruges (2008) which we watched together - you can read a review by Philip French in the Observer.

With its cobbled streets, Bruges is not so good for bikes. But then with Africa in view, who's worried about a few cobbles.....