Mom questions regarding son traveling with friend in India
Oct 25th, 2006, 07:31 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 5,206
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Mom questions regarding son traveling with friend in India
First, I have been reading many posts here to search for some information. I have always rec'd excellent advice from fellow fodorites (altho I am usually on the US or Europe board) - but several Asia/India posters (lcuy for one!) gave me exc. advice when son was first planning his trip to India, so here I am again...part way thru his journey, with some questions....
Background and then my questions, thanks for your patience-
Son is 21, currently 3 months into studying in India thru an exhange program from his college -he has been staying with a wonderful family in Kalimpong, Darjeeling, area and been to Gangtok/Sikkim with a friend on their short break and enjoyed this, as many people they met along the way welcomed them into their homes, and as part of his independent projects he has studied/worked in orphanages and monasteries and spent time studying with a monk.
He speaks fairly fluent Nepalese (or is it Nepali?) -
He will now be going on a 10 day farm stay, returning to Kalimpong area, and doing another section of his independent project for 3 wks - and here is where I have some questions:
He relays in his most recent letter that he has researched and made arrangements to go to Kurzeoung, a bit north of Darjeeling - to study a group low in the caste system that he can live and work with that is sometimes referred to as the 'outcastes/untouchables/kuli's (sp? kooli's?) - who have banded together and are mostly sherpa's, but being orange season many of them go to this particular area, rent a small room or a group of them rents a house together, works during orange season and send most of their earnings home as they go about in this migratory pattern earning their living - so their main work during his time there will be carrying oranges from outside the city to the bazaar..
He will use his earnings to them as payment for a group home or his own room rental, while he studies and works with them for the caste system section of his independent project.
His teachers tell him he will likely easily find a group to join and either rent a small room as they do or find a 'group rental' to join in on.
If he needs assistance, one of his teachers from the local college in Kalimpong has given him the contact info for his wife, who teaches at the state college in Kurzeoung.
He sounds most excited that this experience will allow him to live among them for his study of their particular place, culture, life in their subculture/caste system, etc
He then returns to his family for a bit and then has 3 weeks on his own, with a friend in the program, to travel to other parts of India before returning to spend a day or so with his original host family and then come home.
He is well traveled, and has had several independent trips on his own - hiking in South Korea for 3 wks, spent 2 wks in Spain, a week in Germany. But on those trips he had a set itinerary prior to leaving home, which his mom (me) had time to look over and/or tweak, etc. This time it is all on his own, from quite a distance, in a country I am unfamiliar with and I admit, not very knowledgable about this area.
Here are my questions:
1) Regarding the independent project with the outcastes/untouchables/kuli's : proper word/s to use when I refer to them, as I am confused about this and don't want to sound or be ignorant when discussing it.
2) how safe (a variable question I know) is this project? He says I should not worry about him living and working with them, or others attitudes towards them - it is just an accepted group within the caste system and everyone is comfortable with this - any comments?
3) On his independent 3 wk travels with the friend, after the program ends he tells me they have Lonely Planet, done some internet research, and are planning on traveling one way the 'upper part' from Kalimpong to Delhi and on the return doing the bottom part/southern area - which would include at some points hiking along the Ganges (sp?) River, and visiting Varanasi, Taj Mahal, Delhi, Goa, some buddhist caves, a large organic farm commune type area, and maybe some places in between
He says between planes and trains, and sleeper trains and express trains, he is not worried about working it out and confident he can always find a reasonable, affordable hostel or some type of lodging when he arrives wherever.
This traveling will be happening between approximately Dec 15 and Jan 6 - I thought this was a busy time in India and he might need to make some prior reservations? or okay playing it as he goes along with this flexibility?
Should I be insisting on a definitive itinerary? I didn't during his South Korea hiking trip , although he had mapped out a general route, it had to be flexible since much of it depended on how far he got each day,, etc...but I was somewhat comfortable with that trip because one of the 4 in his group was an old roommate from high school who grew up in South Korea.
So, the deal is he is to call me this Sunday or Monday, before he goes on his farm stay, to make sure, according to his letter, that I am ok with the project of living with the kulli's (sp?) and with his plans for independent travel at the end..
Anyone have any comments? Any suggestions about where I can find more info on this 'subculture' / caste system independent project of his so with knowledge and familiarity I may become more educated and therefor more calm?
Are the places in India on his itinerary (the river, Varanasi, etc) relatively safe for a young man who has shown to be a competent traveler in other countries?
Although as I type this, I know in one of his recent forays during a short break, part of his trip included getting a ride in some vehicle/jeep with about triple the amount of people that should be in/on it and that he rode on top of the luggage- something he thought was quite an experience and something I prefer not to think about -
I apologize if any of my questions offend anyone because of my lack of knowledge and appreciate anyone who takes the time to read this LONG post and answer any of my questions.
With much appreciation -
Background and then my questions, thanks for your patience-
Son is 21, currently 3 months into studying in India thru an exhange program from his college -he has been staying with a wonderful family in Kalimpong, Darjeeling, area and been to Gangtok/Sikkim with a friend on their short break and enjoyed this, as many people they met along the way welcomed them into their homes, and as part of his independent projects he has studied/worked in orphanages and monasteries and spent time studying with a monk.
He speaks fairly fluent Nepalese (or is it Nepali?) -
He will now be going on a 10 day farm stay, returning to Kalimpong area, and doing another section of his independent project for 3 wks - and here is where I have some questions:
He relays in his most recent letter that he has researched and made arrangements to go to Kurzeoung, a bit north of Darjeeling - to study a group low in the caste system that he can live and work with that is sometimes referred to as the 'outcastes/untouchables/kuli's (sp? kooli's?) - who have banded together and are mostly sherpa's, but being orange season many of them go to this particular area, rent a small room or a group of them rents a house together, works during orange season and send most of their earnings home as they go about in this migratory pattern earning their living - so their main work during his time there will be carrying oranges from outside the city to the bazaar..
He will use his earnings to them as payment for a group home or his own room rental, while he studies and works with them for the caste system section of his independent project.
His teachers tell him he will likely easily find a group to join and either rent a small room as they do or find a 'group rental' to join in on.
If he needs assistance, one of his teachers from the local college in Kalimpong has given him the contact info for his wife, who teaches at the state college in Kurzeoung.
He sounds most excited that this experience will allow him to live among them for his study of their particular place, culture, life in their subculture/caste system, etc
He then returns to his family for a bit and then has 3 weeks on his own, with a friend in the program, to travel to other parts of India before returning to spend a day or so with his original host family and then come home.
He is well traveled, and has had several independent trips on his own - hiking in South Korea for 3 wks, spent 2 wks in Spain, a week in Germany. But on those trips he had a set itinerary prior to leaving home, which his mom (me) had time to look over and/or tweak, etc. This time it is all on his own, from quite a distance, in a country I am unfamiliar with and I admit, not very knowledgable about this area.
Here are my questions:
1) Regarding the independent project with the outcastes/untouchables/kuli's : proper word/s to use when I refer to them, as I am confused about this and don't want to sound or be ignorant when discussing it.
2) how safe (a variable question I know) is this project? He says I should not worry about him living and working with them, or others attitudes towards them - it is just an accepted group within the caste system and everyone is comfortable with this - any comments?
3) On his independent 3 wk travels with the friend, after the program ends he tells me they have Lonely Planet, done some internet research, and are planning on traveling one way the 'upper part' from Kalimpong to Delhi and on the return doing the bottom part/southern area - which would include at some points hiking along the Ganges (sp?) River, and visiting Varanasi, Taj Mahal, Delhi, Goa, some buddhist caves, a large organic farm commune type area, and maybe some places in between
He says between planes and trains, and sleeper trains and express trains, he is not worried about working it out and confident he can always find a reasonable, affordable hostel or some type of lodging when he arrives wherever.
This traveling will be happening between approximately Dec 15 and Jan 6 - I thought this was a busy time in India and he might need to make some prior reservations? or okay playing it as he goes along with this flexibility?
Should I be insisting on a definitive itinerary? I didn't during his South Korea hiking trip , although he had mapped out a general route, it had to be flexible since much of it depended on how far he got each day,, etc...but I was somewhat comfortable with that trip because one of the 4 in his group was an old roommate from high school who grew up in South Korea.
So, the deal is he is to call me this Sunday or Monday, before he goes on his farm stay, to make sure, according to his letter, that I am ok with the project of living with the kulli's (sp?) and with his plans for independent travel at the end..
Anyone have any comments? Any suggestions about where I can find more info on this 'subculture' / caste system independent project of his so with knowledge and familiarity I may become more educated and therefor more calm?
Are the places in India on his itinerary (the river, Varanasi, etc) relatively safe for a young man who has shown to be a competent traveler in other countries?
Although as I type this, I know in one of his recent forays during a short break, part of his trip included getting a ride in some vehicle/jeep with about triple the amount of people that should be in/on it and that he rode on top of the luggage- something he thought was quite an experience and something I prefer not to think about -
I apologize if any of my questions offend anyone because of my lack of knowledge and appreciate anyone who takes the time to read this LONG post and answer any of my questions.
With much appreciation -
Oct 25th, 2006, 07:50 PM
#2
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 29,053
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
relax a bit, he is 21 after all...i know it is hard...
i think the only thing that i might worry about is the health issues, but i suspect that prior to his departure that he received every conceivable shot possible...
i certainly would not worry about the people he will be with or meet...
i think the only thing that i might worry about is the health issues, but i suspect that prior to his departure that he received every conceivable shot possible...
i certainly would not worry about the people he will be with or meet...
Oct 25th, 2006, 08:14 PM
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 5,206
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I am probably not as nervous as my post may have sounded, but since this is not a country I am familiar with, I wanted to hear from those who have traveled there as to if this is a country where you can play it off the cuff, at that time of year near the holidays, and not need a tighter plan. He may be 21, but I don't want him sleeping in the streets, and I was wondering if he, at 21 , was being more casual than he should about arrangments b/c people had said to me they thought this was a very busy time in India (Dec 15-Jan 6)
Between his hiking in Korea, and the fact that he is a long time camper/rock climber in the US, he is very capable and educated about his food/water and preparation- as has his host family/mother been extremely careful with his preparation - although even from the first week when everyone else was sick and he was not, they then gave him his Nepali name which translates to "the healthy one" - which is similar to our nickname for him of 'steel stomach'
You assume correctly that since he travels often, he'd had most everything, but our physician makes sure his immunizations are up to date depending on where he is going and how he is traveling - the polio booster was required this go around b/c of the recent outbreaks in an area he would probably be in.
I have limited to zero knowledge about the lower caste system he wants to study and live with so was also looking to see if anyone had info on that to share
He is, thankfully, respectful of my motherly concern, as he did call just minutes ago to tell me he would likely not be able to call when he thought because someone (coudln't get the name, connection was fading in and out) had died in the area and all stores, internet, etc would be shutting down for a few days for a mourning period, but he would call Tues or Wed next week to discuss if I still had questions on the info I posted.
So, if anyone else has any comments on the original post I would still appreciate them.
thanks!
Between his hiking in Korea, and the fact that he is a long time camper/rock climber in the US, he is very capable and educated about his food/water and preparation- as has his host family/mother been extremely careful with his preparation - although even from the first week when everyone else was sick and he was not, they then gave him his Nepali name which translates to "the healthy one" - which is similar to our nickname for him of 'steel stomach'
You assume correctly that since he travels often, he'd had most everything, but our physician makes sure his immunizations are up to date depending on where he is going and how he is traveling - the polio booster was required this go around b/c of the recent outbreaks in an area he would probably be in.
I have limited to zero knowledge about the lower caste system he wants to study and live with so was also looking to see if anyone had info on that to share
He is, thankfully, respectful of my motherly concern, as he did call just minutes ago to tell me he would likely not be able to call when he thought because someone (coudln't get the name, connection was fading in and out) had died in the area and all stores, internet, etc would be shutting down for a few days for a mourning period, but he would call Tues or Wed next week to discuss if I still had questions on the info I posted.
So, if anyone else has any comments on the original post I would still appreciate them.
thanks!
Oct 25th, 2006, 08:34 PM
#4
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 7,689
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
1. The term “outcastes’ and certainly the term “untouchables” should not be used IMO. If anything, refer to them as “Harajin” (which means “children of God”, this is the term Mahatma Gandhi applied to them) or “scheduled castes” which is the legal term applied to them in India. A kuli is a subcaste, but it is also a term for laborer (i.e. “coolie”) which is used pejoratively; if I were you, I would stick to “scheduled castes”. I am not quite sure who your son is working with, as I did not think Sherpas were in any schedule caste group as they are not generally Hindu, they are Buddhist and of course Buddhists don’t have caste beliefs. Sherpas are not ethnically India either, they are Tibetan/Chinese. If he is working with scheduled castes, you might do some Goodge searches on “kuli” or “scheduled castes” to see what you can come up with, try your local college library as well, there are books on the subject of caste in India.
2. I can’t have any idea of “safe” this project is. I can only say in very general terms that I find India very safe place to travel on my own as a woman, and so for a man I would say it is doubly so. Or course he should not do stupid things like travel around with huge wads of cash, etc. He should not believe or trust everyone just because they have a smile. Common sense should not go out the door. It sounds like he has traveled a bit and has survived those experiences, there is no reason to believe that this will be any different. I don’t think he will find these people are dacoits (a good Hinidi word, look it up). Assuming your son is not of Indian descent and is therefore not one of them, any attitude of higher caste people toward the scheduled caste people he is working with will not be reflected toward him. There is bound to be some attitude on the part of higher caste people, this is one of the reasons your son wants to do the study I imagine; but he will not be subjected to it from what I have seen and experienced.
3. Dec and Jan are high season, in places like Delhi, Agra, Go and Varanasi he may want to have a booking even if he is thinking about hostels. Most every place has e-mail so he could e-mail a few days ahead. He will need to make train bookings for sleepers a day or more ahead in any event, so making a hostel or hotel reservation cannot be much more planning. There are internet cafes all over, I am sure he may have found this out already, or will encounter this in larger cities, so he can e-mail for a booking. He has the Lonely Planet, which is good; another great source is Allistar Sawday’s Great Places to Stay India, he has a website at http://www.specialplacestostay.com. Other than trying to make a booking for hotels or trains a few days in advance, IMO he is fine not having a fixed itinerary. He may have to be flexible if he can’t get a sleeper on the nights he wants and will end up staying longer or shorter in some place. There are budget airlines as well, he may know this already, Air Deccan is one to try.
4. Yes, it is better not to think about the road transportation methods he will undertake on his journey. Even if he were in his own jeep with driver you would not want to think about the state of the roads, the trucks, the bullock carts, the motorcyclists, etc that comprise the general chaos of Indian roads. These are things that a mother should not think about. I guess I shouldn’t mention that he probably will rent his own motorcycle in Goa if he is like most young men I know....
I agree on the health issue. Polio has become a problem recently in India. Has he had a booster? This is what I would insist on before he does traveling. Hep A and B, tetanus, rubella, etc. I assume he had all these before he left but if not, he should head to a clinic and get some injections. Malaria meds for Goa perhaps, otherwise mosquito repellent (I don’t use meds myself).
2. I can’t have any idea of “safe” this project is. I can only say in very general terms that I find India very safe place to travel on my own as a woman, and so for a man I would say it is doubly so. Or course he should not do stupid things like travel around with huge wads of cash, etc. He should not believe or trust everyone just because they have a smile. Common sense should not go out the door. It sounds like he has traveled a bit and has survived those experiences, there is no reason to believe that this will be any different. I don’t think he will find these people are dacoits (a good Hinidi word, look it up). Assuming your son is not of Indian descent and is therefore not one of them, any attitude of higher caste people toward the scheduled caste people he is working with will not be reflected toward him. There is bound to be some attitude on the part of higher caste people, this is one of the reasons your son wants to do the study I imagine; but he will not be subjected to it from what I have seen and experienced.
3. Dec and Jan are high season, in places like Delhi, Agra, Go and Varanasi he may want to have a booking even if he is thinking about hostels. Most every place has e-mail so he could e-mail a few days ahead. He will need to make train bookings for sleepers a day or more ahead in any event, so making a hostel or hotel reservation cannot be much more planning. There are internet cafes all over, I am sure he may have found this out already, or will encounter this in larger cities, so he can e-mail for a booking. He has the Lonely Planet, which is good; another great source is Allistar Sawday’s Great Places to Stay India, he has a website at http://www.specialplacestostay.com. Other than trying to make a booking for hotels or trains a few days in advance, IMO he is fine not having a fixed itinerary. He may have to be flexible if he can’t get a sleeper on the nights he wants and will end up staying longer or shorter in some place. There are budget airlines as well, he may know this already, Air Deccan is one to try.
4. Yes, it is better not to think about the road transportation methods he will undertake on his journey. Even if he were in his own jeep with driver you would not want to think about the state of the roads, the trucks, the bullock carts, the motorcyclists, etc that comprise the general chaos of Indian roads. These are things that a mother should not think about. I guess I shouldn’t mention that he probably will rent his own motorcycle in Goa if he is like most young men I know....
I agree on the health issue. Polio has become a problem recently in India. Has he had a booster? This is what I would insist on before he does traveling. Hep A and B, tetanus, rubella, etc. I assume he had all these before he left but if not, he should head to a clinic and get some injections. Malaria meds for Goa perhaps, otherwise mosquito repellent (I don’t use meds myself).
Oct 26th, 2006, 05:24 AM
#5
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 460
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I agree with Cicerone's post. In India, no one uses outcastes/untouchable's. They are usually referred to as SC/ST or OBC's (scheduled caste, scheduled tribes, other backward classes). The government gives a lot of incentives for people belonging to such categories, from seats in colleges to jobs. Also, like cicerone said, sherpa's are buddhists, and therefore would not belong to any caste system as such. Perhaps they are some sort of tribe. I also cannot comment on the safety of the program as such.
The dates your son is planning on travelling is definitely high season in India. It would be wise to have reservations ahead of time. Prices would also be pretty steep. In Goa at least, it is close to impossible to get last minute decent lodging the week for Dec 25 - Jan 1. I live in Goa, and I've had to really run around to try to get reservations for friends coming the Christmas week at the last moment. Also, the prices for that week are the highest.
He should have no problems travelling all over India alone, if, like Cicerone said, he takes basic precautions, especially when it comes to food and water. Cities are well connected by trains/flights.
And yes, if he comes to Goa, he is bound to hire a motorcycle... that is the only way to get around here...
The dates your son is planning on travelling is definitely high season in India. It would be wise to have reservations ahead of time. Prices would also be pretty steep. In Goa at least, it is close to impossible to get last minute decent lodging the week for Dec 25 - Jan 1. I live in Goa, and I've had to really run around to try to get reservations for friends coming the Christmas week at the last moment. Also, the prices for that week are the highest.
He should have no problems travelling all over India alone, if, like Cicerone said, he takes basic precautions, especially when it comes to food and water. Cities are well connected by trains/flights.
And yes, if he comes to Goa, he is bound to hire a motorcycle... that is the only way to get around here...
Oct 26th, 2006, 05:53 AM
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 5,206
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Cicerone thank you so much - exactly what I was looking for.
I did google but wasn't finding enough, but will some more and will visit local library - but thank you for your explanation - the way my son explained it to me these were scheduled castes who migrate to where jobs are - whether orange season somewhere or carrying items in the city streets for people, and I thought he said 'acting basically like sherpas sometimes' - doing whatever needed to be done to earn some money.
Thanks for your info, I will read some more and will be talking to him next week.
Yes, my concern was being so close to the holidays that sleeper trains/hotels could certainly fill up and to plan on reaching Delhi by 12/24 (his one travel friends flies out the 25th, he meets another on the 26th and they head back) - I think I will encourage him to make at least some rezzies in the more popular areas and will pass along to him your info on the other travel guide/web site - thanks for that!
You are so right- if it is popular for the young people to rent a motorbike in Goa, then he will do it - he 'trained' me at a young age with his rock climbing and kayaking expeditions to expect these things - sometimes I just don't want to hear about the hairy part of the adventures until he is home telling me over coffee and then I love hearing every detail - I know that might sound silly, but then silly I am..
Yes, he is all set with shots - he has deet and malaria meds with him and as with his travels before, I know he will use them when he needs to; his judgement on that I trust and he will only use malaria meds if he feels it is called for.
You said just what I wanted to hear, that you are comfortable navigating India as a single woman, so then I will not worry about him - he has traveled alone and quite extensively with us overseas, but we have never been to Asia and I wanted to hear another well traveled adult in the area tell me that he was right in his assessment that it while it might be a different experience on the streets/planes/trains of India, with his experience, common sense and judgement, I need not have any additional concerns.
Thanks again Cicerone - I think you were of assistance before, when we were deciding about his choices for jr. year abroad - either that or it was our Switzerland/Germany holiday last year (or both) - I always appreciate your thoughtful and educated responses.
I did google but wasn't finding enough, but will some more and will visit local library - but thank you for your explanation - the way my son explained it to me these were scheduled castes who migrate to where jobs are - whether orange season somewhere or carrying items in the city streets for people, and I thought he said 'acting basically like sherpas sometimes' - doing whatever needed to be done to earn some money.
Thanks for your info, I will read some more and will be talking to him next week.
Yes, my concern was being so close to the holidays that sleeper trains/hotels could certainly fill up and to plan on reaching Delhi by 12/24 (his one travel friends flies out the 25th, he meets another on the 26th and they head back) - I think I will encourage him to make at least some rezzies in the more popular areas and will pass along to him your info on the other travel guide/web site - thanks for that!
You are so right- if it is popular for the young people to rent a motorbike in Goa, then he will do it - he 'trained' me at a young age with his rock climbing and kayaking expeditions to expect these things - sometimes I just don't want to hear about the hairy part of the adventures until he is home telling me over coffee and then I love hearing every detail - I know that might sound silly, but then silly I am..
Yes, he is all set with shots - he has deet and malaria meds with him and as with his travels before, I know he will use them when he needs to; his judgement on that I trust and he will only use malaria meds if he feels it is called for.
You said just what I wanted to hear, that you are comfortable navigating India as a single woman, so then I will not worry about him - he has traveled alone and quite extensively with us overseas, but we have never been to Asia and I wanted to hear another well traveled adult in the area tell me that he was right in his assessment that it while it might be a different experience on the streets/planes/trains of India, with his experience, common sense and judgement, I need not have any additional concerns.
Thanks again Cicerone - I think you were of assistance before, when we were deciding about his choices for jr. year abroad - either that or it was our Switzerland/Germany holiday last year (or both) - I always appreciate your thoughtful and educated responses.
Oct 26th, 2006, 06:02 AM
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 5,206
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Sharon1306- our posts crossed - thank you also - I will pass along to my son your knowledge also -another vote for independent travel in India with good sense, which he has, so I will not consider that an issue in the mix - thank you.
But, sometimes the planning needs a push - so mom isn't so crazy saying don't expect to necessarily find a room 12/25-early Jan, but if I say "two people who travel frequentlyh in India and one who lives in Goa told me that for lodging in this timeframe you should rethink making rezzies...." well, he may be 21 but it's always better when it comes from someone other than mom
I will get a general book on caste sytsem/etc - it will be for interesting reading and better discussion with him when he returns also - I think you are right, maybe it is more of a tribe, but I will find out.
Thank you.
But, sometimes the planning needs a push - so mom isn't so crazy saying don't expect to necessarily find a room 12/25-early Jan, but if I say "two people who travel frequentlyh in India and one who lives in Goa told me that for lodging in this timeframe you should rethink making rezzies...." well, he may be 21 but it's always better when it comes from someone other than mom
I will get a general book on caste sytsem/etc - it will be for interesting reading and better discussion with him when he returns also - I think you are right, maybe it is more of a tribe, but I will find out.
Thank you.
Oct 26th, 2006, 06:22 PM
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 5,206
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Cicerone you are so right - the photos my son has emailed are amazing and from the posts here it sounds like there are so many fabulous places to go - I read your report on favorite Hong Kong walks too -
we had thought about joining him after his studies ended - but it we coudn't do it with the entire family, too many scattered then so close to Christmas, other plans made long ago, just couldn't make it work , etc which is why he is doing his after study traveling with some friends - and he will enjoy it with them I'm sure -
thanks again for your help.
we had thought about joining him after his studies ended - but it we coudn't do it with the entire family, too many scattered then so close to Christmas, other plans made long ago, just couldn't make it work , etc which is why he is doing his after study traveling with some friends - and he will enjoy it with them I'm sure -
thanks again for your help.
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
venturesome4
Asia
5
Jul 30th, 2012 08:59 PM
