YES, YES,YES - I now hold the longest message prize - just beating Mum - not that this is a competion, of course. xxx

Hi G - Well an all points bulletin nationwide to send you parcels has gone out - talking about parcels, one arrived at Hove yesterday, looking suspiciously like a late arrival of one of your internet purchases for gap travelling. Hope you dont mind but I took an executive Dad decision and opened it.Yep - we have : special personal poly packs of toilet tissue (happily they are 'soft,strong ,absorbent and biodgradable') aquatabs for water purification (unhappily to late to help with Moscows murky H2o) funky blue book light (perfect accessory for clandestine reading under sheets). So, I'm putting this jolly package of practical neccessities in the post - along with various more digestable luxuries - huuuuge bar of cadburys, yes hob nobs (cant vouch they wont be in a trillion mini hobbettes of crumbson arrival, i'll do my best) and other survival of the spirit/soul kind of things.Life on my own at Denmark is very strange - although I am being positive and there are a few upsides of the lonely old Dad situation I find myself in : significantly they are - returning to the theme of toilet paper, I find that one roll is lasting approxiamately 10 times as long (that is a girl thing isnt it?!); who sits on the internet chair is no longer by negotiation and finally I have reocupied the big sofa in your absense - I always did think it was a rum deal that I had to have the smaller one. Thats about it really, apart from knowing, hoping that your having an adventure of your life - seeing,experiencing things that weve only read about it in the National Geographic. That sustains me in your absense George.Chatting to a friend the other day,I was reminded that Mongolia is referred to ( in short hand ) as being at the far edge of the world - like Timbucto - so, I am very proud of my brave girl thousands of miles away, eight hours ahead of us, on your own. Of course all our love is with you and I am certain this trip will be as much about self discivery as it is about discovering new peoples and cultures. So, thats the big big upside. Oooh - got a bit serious there for a moment, forgot this is an open line to the world! its 6.30 am in the Uk - so I'm off for a shower (with open door - private story - I locked myself in the shower, with fiendish self locking door, took 2 hours to get out, butgot very clean as I had to keep having more showers to keep warm, very worrying behaviour - I need you George!) and the M25, what deep joy.Lots of love G - sending you one of those big big squeezy hugs you love so much - go on, I want one back, Thanks! xxxxxx

Hi G - really to great to catch up with the story so far. It sounds a very sorry sight to see little faces with no smiles, I am sure you will make a big difference and your reward will be the first toothy/gummy grin that you manage to put on a childs face - something to remember forever. Sounds like skating was a thrill, hope you get the chance to perform again before the ice melts. Florence was wonderful, we had a fantastic time and still feel there is so much to see - we must have climbed over a 1,000 steps to the top of so many towers and domes but worth the effort. We feel a tour of Tuscany coming on! We will keep sending messages and letters and parcels and look forward to reading the next installment of your new life. Love & hugs A xxx : )

Just finished reading your diary........wow! Hope ur settling in OK Georgie...........u sound as if u ve met some nice people. Joanna is in Hong Kong at the mo with Lily, her friend from uni. I shall send her ur mobile number so she can text u. M x

Oops having mouse problems!
Just a quickie to let you know that I am posting a letter and a couple of packs of Ikea fingerpuppets to you, they may help put a smile on your little children's faces. Not much I know but if they only make one of them smile its worth it. I'm hoping I can find a quicker mailservice than three weeks maybe UPS or similar. Haven't spoken to Luca yet, but have spoken to host family mum and sounds like he's fitting in quite well, was out at a bar-b-que when I phoned, they have a very busy performance schedule but I'm sure they'll also fine plenty of time for fun. Good to hear you've found some English speaking friends, it will be good to share your thoughts and experiences with them. take care love lizzie X

Hi Georgie - just read your Mongolian experience so far - hope you have found someone at the school who speaks some English. Feel sad about the children but are sure you will be able to make them smile.
Acknowledge your appeal for written mail which we will do but Grandad is surprised with all the modern means of communication, Emails etc. that you still hanker after the snail mail!! Makes a change we guess.
Weather is getting warmer here, Spring is on the way with Easter this coming weekend.
We went down to our Flat in Burnham-on-Sea last week for a few days - walked along the front but it was a little too cold for ice creams!
Very impressed with your webbsite - so interesting for us to read your experiences - keep it up.
Enjoy what you are doing.
Lots of love - Nan & Grandad xx

what do you know, comp still playing up, sorry about the double sending!

wow, is great to hear what you are up to, I reckpon that you'll settle into the language thing way sooner than you think, coming from someone with experience of understanding nearly nothing at first! Am sorry I didn't get to email you before I left we had a challenge with the setting up of our IT project rendering all comps here useless (oh the irony). But am glad to finally be able to see that you got there safely! Brazilian hugs.

wow, is great to hear what you are up to, I reckpon that you'll settle into the language thing way sooner than you think, coming from someone with experience of understanding nearly nothing at first! Am sorry I didn't get to email you before I left we had a challenge with the setting up of our IT project rendering all comps here useless (oh the irony). But am glad to finally be able to see that you got there safely! Brazilian hugs.

Hi G,
Glad to hear you managed to hang on to your skates! I've sent you a couple of txts but haven't had a confirmed message so not sure if they're getting through to you in Mongolia.
Just thought I'd keep you uptodate with Luca's first travel adventure.... Having really 'Lucked in' and found that he will be staying with a 17 year old Bass playing, volleyball loving, car driving cheerleader called Tillie! he spent the last two days with a permanent grin on his face and could frequently be heard whispering 'Yessss' under his breath!
Insistent on doing his own packing unaided last night, and in his excitement (double excitement as he'd heard his band were accepted to play at Battle of the Bands in Liverpool this summer and their photograph was on the cover of Fiday's issue of The Times Educational Supplement) he forgot to look at the passport he had picked up only to find as we arrived for the coach this morning that he had infact got Gabriel's. Luckily for everyone's sake we had time to go home and change it! The coach left on time and as I was walking over the Downs this afternoon with Chippie I looked longingly into the sky and imagined him up there and on his way to his Cheerleader (they were emailing each other for a couple of hours last night - I'm sure he'll come home 'In love' or more probably 'In Lust')......5.00 this evening I get a phone call....'Mum we're back!' ..... 2 hours into the flight the plane had hydraulic problems and turbulance and had to unload fuel mid-air, they'd returned to Heathrow and were waiting to find out if the problem could be repaired, or if they would be put on anther plane or even worse put up in a hotel (which will be disappointing as they'll lose a day of the trip) All very worring for his mum especially when he described the moment they all thought the plane had hit the ground!! (Can't say I'm that pleased by the prospect of them setting off again on the same plane!) I haven't heard anything since and his phone is off, so assume they are on another fllight and all is well. Don't think I'll get much sleep though till I hear they've actually arrived. Tillie is supposed to be collecting him in her car and has offered to show him round Boston if he's not too jetlagged, which I'm sure he will be now and may be for best. I'll let you know how it goes.
Hope all is going well at the orphanage and you've made some friends. I imagine it's very hard work for the head and the heart, but I'm sure you'll embrace it and make the most of everything. lots of love G, I'm enjoying your postcards, lizzie X

Sounds like travelling around the world with a pair of skates is more of a challenge than travelling across Ireland with a fridge! Never mind dining out on skate sagas, there could be a book in this! Be sure to commit the awfulness of it to paper immediately. Just think how many more airports and borders you still have to negotiate. Chapter 2 The Search for Frozen Water and Skating on Thin Ice with Chinese Border Officials. Just imagine you'll have your skates to thank for your laissez faire attitude to authority by the time you are back with us in England. And we all thought you'd pick it up from Myles.

So the description of your room as having a bed and a shelf was entirely accurate! Still you can use the shelf to keep your skates out of little one's way. You wouldn't want him to cut himself!

Hope by the time you get this message you've found lots of English speaking volunteers to hang about with and you aren't having to rely on host family for all your entertainment. Beware the small child, he could be trouble. Family might ask you to sneak him into orphanage if tantrums get too bad.

Will be interested to hear how you find the orphanage. if any of it seems harsh, just think what life would be like for them if it wasn't there. Watched Red Nose Day in floods of tears: thousands of orphans in Africa live on the streets and sleep on roadsides. I just can't begin to imagine how frightened you or Charlotte would be and how you would have kept safe and found food without any shelter or grown ups to help or money when you were only 6 or 7 years old. Sent funds and sobbed some more. Fell asleep on sofa and woke up at 2 am with terrible headache. Still, evening raised £37m so obviously a few others as moved as me.

Mamma sends her love and says she thinks of you everyday. I have read out to her all your messages. She is very interested to hear your news. But she says she can't send you a message herself as the most exciting thing she's done all week is cut the grass!

Charlotte is well and on good form at the moment. She comes home for Easter on Thursday.

Holly has discovered the garden. Her wellingtons live by the back door: this morning she was marching around in them wearing just a nappy and a sweat shirt wanting to go out and play. Yesterday she got out by herself and I didn't notice until she fell off a step and bumped her head. A serious dog house issue! We've just bought her some pull ups (big girl pants) she is highly delighted with them.

Looking forward to your next installment, love mum xxx