A blogger, Iain, that I’ve got to know in cyberspace has been keeping me - and many others - enthralled in his antics travelling around, well, to be honest, most of the world! However, now he’s on the homeward stretch.

Most people would jump on a plane, arrive at a door and fall down with a bag full of dirty washing, useless tat from markets across the southern hemisphere and a taste for marmite, brown sauce and anything else not widely available to them. Iain, however, is different - he wants to do something that will change his life - and those of others - on his way back to the UK. He has, therefore, decided to walk the last 1,000 miles. Yes, you heard me, walk.

There are a couple of reasons he’s given me for doing this. One is based on a romantic gesture, linked to a very dodgy song by a Scottish duo who both wear glasses, the other is to raise money for a charity he worked with during his travels. Iain can explain:

“The Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation (BCDF) is based in Vietnam. I found out about this charity from Mari, a friend in Australia who put me up for a few nights when I visited Melbourne.

BDCF primarily look out for street kids in Hanoi and elsewhere in Vietnam. These children come from many backgrounds: some happy families, some broken homes, some are orphans. All, however, are amazing in their own right.

Amongst other jobs, Blue Dragon do the following:

* Fund education for the children
* Give them at least one nutritious meal each day
* Re-unite runaways with their parents
* Help families financially so that kids can go to school instead of working
* Rescue kids from the child labour industry into which many have been sold
* Provide psychological aid and counselling
* Through links within the community they have helped repair damaged school buildings

Check out their web page for more.

All their funds are from charitable donations. Many organisations kindly sponsor them, some with cash and others with gifts and supplies. But otherwise they rely on the kindness and generosity of the public.

I was lucky enough to work with the organisation while I was in Hanoi. Primarily, I rebuilt their web site and then taught some of the kids and staff how to maintain it. While there I got to see first hand the efforts put in by the staff and the results they achieved.

Now, I’m a lucky person. Very lucky. I’m an only child and come from a loving family where I’ve never wanted for anything. I’ve always had a roof over my head, good food in my belly, toys to play with, an education, health care… everything that so many of us take for granted. Some of these kids come from families where parents have been put in jail, died or simply just up and left. Others have been forced into working as their families simply cannot afford to have a spare pair of hands going idle when they could be shining shoes or selling gum to earn a few more Dhong.

But you know what? Not one of these kids ever milks it. Not one plays you for a fool to get something out of you. They’re some of the most well-adjusted, determined kids I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. All of the ones being funded through school are there because they want to be - they can walk out if they want to. But none do. They know they’re lucky right now and they’re not going to let anyone down.

So. Help me help them. $US75 will put one of these children through school for a whole year. That’s less than £40. So even a little will help. But by all means, give a lot!”

There you have it. You can give cash and encourage those around you to do the same. If you have a blog - or a senior enough position where you work - why not do a little more? Publicise what Iain is doing to the wider populace. Encourage your employer to make a substantial donation. If your in the media, you know this is a good story - go on, give it some column inches, airplay, screentime, whatever. This is 1,000 miles, we’re talking, which is not a walk in the park, oh no.

Keep up to date with the latest via Iain’s various blogs (linked through the post).

It turned out that, during the 4 hours on the train last week, I actually had quite a lot of work to do.  Therefore, actually writing this has taken slightly longer than I anticipated.  For that, apologies.

It’s actually quite difficult to know where to start, but here goes.  After 17 and a half years together, the oH and I have gone our separate ways.  The culmination was of neither of our chosing, but has made any possibility of a reconciliation impossible.  Unfortunately, it’s also meant that, for the forseeable future, neither William nor I will be able to see the OH, which, despite everything, for me, is very sad and has multiple levels of confusion and anger thrown in.  For William, however, it’s been even more difficult, as he cannot really grasp what has happened and why life has changed so fundamentally.  In saying that, as with most small children, 99% of the time, his world remains immersed in playing, laughing, eating and boucning on his new trampette.

Whilst all this has been happening, William has also, finally, had a diagnosis of his condition.  It’s been confirmed as a mild level cerebral palsy, which affects his motor skills, whilst leaving the “intellect” part of his brain untouched.  It explains the problems he has had with walking, running, jumping and any other fine or co-ordinated movement.  Although there is no treatment that would make the part of his brain develop that didn’t, with physiotherapy, orthotics and his lovely new glasses, which it is hoped will straighten the turns that have developed in both eyes, he should lead a life, which is relatively unaffected by the diagnosis.  He’s already started his physio and does his excercises, without complaint, every day.  He’s young enough to see everything, to date, as fun.  His appointment to have orthotics (pieces to place in his shoes to help his posture) will happen during August, which is the part he may find more trying, as they, apparently, do cause a low level of pain over the first couple of weeks the child wears them.

William will also be starting state nursery this September.  I was thrilled to be able to get him a place at my old primary school and he went for a visit before school broke for the summer.  He adored being in the classroom, spinning between the sticking glitter on CD’s exercise to the water table, via the sandpit and computer.  He was beautifully behaved (unlike some of the other children there) and was so impressed I had tears when we had to leave.

Life is very different than it was a few months ago.  Having been in a relationship for the length of time I was, I am finding some points of my day incredibly lonely.  Evenings, particularly, are hard to get through, on occasion.  Now, however, I’ve started to be able to read again, which I couldn’t do for some time, as I found concentrating nigh on impossible.  It passes the hours, especially on the nights when I find sleep just won’t come.  I had a mild flirtation with Big Brother during my worst sleepless nights, as I discovered that most channels seem to revert to airing phone in quiz shows or shopping channels somewhere after 1am.  Luckily, I managed to pull myself out of this before it became too infectious!

I’ve started to plan things to do on my own - and with William.  Luckily, having some exceptional friends, we’re going to have a short holiday, taking in the delights - and I know there to be many - of both Leicester and Birmingham.  I’m still going to Edinburgh in late August, to meet up with some good friends, go on the lash and possibly take in a little bit of culture.  After that, I’ve got “The Other Smiths” to look forward to in late September.  It may not sound much, but I’m finding having little highlights to look forward to is keeping me sane (ish).

Outside the little bubble that has engulfed my world, other things are happening.  The Welsh Assembly has finally got itself into some sort of order (although chaos looks likely to reign come September, when after nearly six months of doing very little, the AM’s are back in earnest).  “Studio 60 On the Sunset Strip” has finally started on More4, so I am able to converse with friends over the delights of the programme, which before I had only seen due to having friends in, if not high, then useful places!  There have been floods in the Gene Puddle that made the six o’clock news (2 minutes walk from the house, if you must know, but down a HUGE hill, luckily) and have caused misery not only here, but across the UK.  There has been cricket (ahem), motor sports, athletics and, of course, Wimbledon, none of which I’ve followed with my usual vigour.  However, with the football season now only 2 weeks away, I’m sure that sport will resume it’s place in my life once more.

Finally, there has been sad news for some around me and joyous happenings for others.  To you all - and especially those who have been kind enough to be at my right elbow through the last few months - you are in my thoughts.  You always have been - and you always will.

.. with a long story and hopefully 4 hours on the train to write it.

It’s been a difficult couple of months, which is still going on.  There have been some very dark times, which has shown the true light of some of my friends.  To them, thank you.  I will never be able to say it enough.

Back soon…