Busy Times!

Hi all I know your all dying to know what ive been up to these last few days so I thought id tell you!
I'm busy the next 2 days and I may not have time this weekend.
Since i last posted my face has gone from a lobster like colour to a more brown colour which is good! I thought id share with you now the times ive had with Breakthrough Centre in Bangalore.

I arrived on monday morning at the Centre greeted by old friends again and also some more breakfast that was more interesting than the mango flavoured cornflakes id had just half an hour before!
As you can see previously the centre is very well equipped and takes mostly corporate groups; e.g. companies, businesses, also colleges and schools from time to time.
The group we had monday and tuesday was an entrepreneurial group from a college. They had recently organised a group called E Cell and wanted to come away for some time and get the group together because most were from different courses and years. There were 2 lecturers with this group numbering 21 in total.
The first session involved getting your whole team across the ground while standing on planks of wood, otherwise known as plank ski's. This proved difficult for the two teams.
The activity involved alot of team coordination and timing as one faulty step causes chaos, and usually results in the team tumbling over each other and some words being exchanged!
After the first attempt we analysed the processes and went for another attempt which proved more successful, some teams before have made tens of metres within the specified time.

After the activity we moved onto the reviewing stage of the session. this involved analysing the processes and talking about what went well and what we could have improved. and what we can take a way as a group and use in the other activities, such as coordination and goal setting.
We ran another team task which involved passing an answer through touch without speaking or making any sounds. The answers had to passed down the line in competition to the other team, and the final person had to present the answer using one of 2 actions, this becomes harder
After a good lunch we started the nest task. This session involved blindfolds, which always make things fun! The aim was to pick up an object placed on the ground ahead of the blindfolded person. The person blindfolded has to he directed to the object. the problem is the other team members have some hindrances also. the person who can see what the blindfolded person had to pick up cannot speak and had to communicate to the their member through various signs, and the person who is shouting instructions cannot look backwards. This proves very hard when 4 teams are going at the same time!
After completing that session we moved on to more reviewing regarding communication and focusing and following instructions and so on. Also integrity and cutting corners, as most are tempted to look out of their blindfolds.

The next session was a low ropes session designed to get items to a 'village in danger'. Two group were given different routes reaching the same obstacle to finally reach the village.
One item involved pulling a rope to retrieve a zip line to reach the village. Little did the teams know that this was a dual group task and one team had to help the other team to rescue the village as one bigger team!
Instead they made it a competition, this was to do with our framing of the activity and using their assumptions to our advantage! it was interesting to watch.

The lesson was to look at the wider picture as you can tell!

After this we had free time until dinner and meetings were held within the groups.
I was staying on site that night.

The next day was the most fun for both the participants and the instructors!
We lead a session on the high ropes course. This course was very well designed and built including many different sections of varying difficulties.
I was stationed on one pole between 2 sections, one of which was quite difficult.
I had a few turn back and return to the previous platform, but most gave it a go and managed it well enough. The participants completed 6 sections before finishing the final Zip line down towards the ground. Some found this the most scary part of all, and some just went for it! like myself!

After sending most of the group onwards i moved on to complete the rest of the course and show off a bit... the first section i did backwards most of the way and the second (balance beam) i did with my eyes closed! i really enjoyed playing around 30 feet off the ground!
I have been on a few high ropes courses before, but none as good as this one!
After completing those sections i moved on to the 'hour glass' this is two ropes coming from the top diagonally, crossing over with one rope crossing it in the middle from the other end.

I completed the hour glass successfully, but not without breaking a sweat... then i was told to do it the other way to come back to where i started, I just about managed it...

I then moved on to the zip line to finish the session. most people had done it the right way up apart from one person who had done it upside down. I thought id give it a go; I got someone to video the moment for me.
But I cant seem to add the video right now, will have to another time...


After lunch we ran an activity that involved spelling! The idea was to arrange a word as fast as possible with the letters on cards provided. The word had to be presented by holding up the letters in your hands as a team. There was heated competition in this spelling bee!
This involved lessons in team roles, team management, trusting team members to do their jobs, involving every member of the team and much more.
one more task that afternoon was a task called the 'meat grinder', not as bad as you would think! Moving your whole team over a rotating wheel above head height.

This is just what i did in 2 days at Breakthrough. I hope to get more experiences when i return tomorrow.
Today ive spent the day with Raj at his house. I will be at breakthrough tomorrow and friday.
I'm then going to Avalanche again with Nandu on sunday to assist with a group of 75 young people coming on monday! This finishes on wednesday morning and then we will travel back to Bangalore for wednesday night, then im leaving thursday afternoon for Chennai to meet my family when they arrive friday morning!
Exciting stuff
Pray for my energy as i will need it!

Much love

Charlie D

Blessings Snow Dwellers!

Hi All! As I have heard its currently SNOWING back in England!
I'm sad to hear this, at least we had a white easter! I'm sad to say that it hasn't been snowing in India today, or will it do so soon...

Today I spent a few hours playing cricket; badly but that's not the point.
Anyway I got sunburnt today during the midday sun!
I'm looking somewhat lobster like at present, and its not the giant pincers! I managed to get a total of 1 run! But I also got a stunning wicket while fielding, but that was about it...
Today we went to church for an easter sunrise service, this started at 6am. Although me and Raj arrived somewhere around 6.25
We were provided with a breakfast after the service which proved good incentive.

Since my last blog i mentioned going to Breakthrough Centre on monday. Thankfully this did actually happen as planned.
Sadly they didn't have any groups in and so the centre was slightly dormant. I did get a tour around the now stunning looking adventure centre!
They have built some incredible structures for ropes courses and other experiences. When I last went there we taught them to abseil from the rock on site, and there were only a few activities available. But now there are a plethora of team building activities available.
Breakthrough has specialized in Corporate Training and team building which has really benefited them. As well as the high ropes course at the centre in Bangalore; they have built one in Hydrobad, another major southern city and one in Egypt for an adventure centre. As we speak, Robin paul and some of his staff are in America doing some more corporate team building work.


I was so very impressed in what they have achieved in the last several years. As well as the high ropes course they have built a man made cave system covering 100 feet in length. this in pitch black including some declines and inclines too.
Also they have build a monster of a swing, this they called the screamer. As you could guess from the photo. The participants are released from the top of the building and swing to the same height the other side. This provides teamwork in getting the pulleys to make the swing reach the appropriate height. We spent the morning looking around the centre and helping with some resources. We left that afternoon after a pretty good lunch! www.breakthrough-india.com




The next day (tuesday) we headed to the bible college; SABC and provided some more abseiling for the conference goers.

This again was the small time of the recreation hour, but we were more slick than before and also more confident in the abseiling instruction. This time we managed to get some girl down the wall, which was great because most indian girls would not do anything like this!
Although a little scared we managed to get 3 or so girls down the wall over the next 2 sessions, along with some pretty exited guys too! many of them had never experienced anything like this, and were also somewhat scared of heights. We helped them conquer their fears by assisting them off a 3 storey building...

The final day in the college (thursday) me and Raj went in to lead some seminars for the morning. Raj spoke about some experiences of adventure and what it was about and I also did a short talk about my life in adventure; including CYE and my degree and placements.
My talk also included why I thought outdoor education was important through my own experience and knowledge.

This went down ok, although a little difficult. The problem is they all speak English and understand it they cant understand it with a different accent to what they are used to! For example a British accent like myself, and with the added problem of my fast speaking anyway. It went fine otherwise, I had to slow down and speak louder and they seemed to be interested in what I spoke about. I answered the questions as best as i could along with some other questions and experiences at the end of Raj's following talk on integrating youth in church.

The next day was good friday. We went to church for a morning service and then back to Raj's place for the rest of the day.

As i mentioned in my last post i went for a shave and a hair cut, also an indian head massage! All for 100 rupees! It was great fun, i have never had my hair done professionally before and so my first time was in india. Along with the hair cut; which was somewhat short, I had a full shave and a head massage. indian head massages are renowned around the world. This treatment I was enjoying was in a 'mens beauty parlour' The hair cut was pretty good, very neat and slightly shorter as the hot season is coming.

The shave was good also, somewhat unnerving with the razor blade, but you soon get used to it. I also enjoyed an indian head massage consisting of menthol oils and a series of slaps on the head using various hand techniques, accompanied with massaging of the head and face.

They also used an electronic hand massage device for your head and shoulders, they also cracked my neck which felt weird. some of you might be closing your eyes night now, but it was good... honest!


This last few days had been the host to what is called 'Holy' or 'playing holy'.
This is the celebration of colour. This is displayed by people having fights with very colourful paints! I have seen plenty of purple and orange and yellow people all over the place. This is usually involving the people who do not originate from india, but everyone gets involved it seems. some like to include eggs to make it more fun... bystanders are not picked on which is handy too.

The plan for this week is to go to Breakthrough on monday and tuesday and take part in some group work as there is a group in those days.

Me and Raj are hopefully booking tickets for trains buses and planes for when my parents and Andy arrive on April 4th. i plan to meet them in chennai when they arrive and come back to Bangalore with them after a few days.

Anyway that's enough for now, ill update at the weekend possibly, or when something interesting happens!

Much love

Charlie D x