On Onwards to Calais
Jan. 20th, 2016 10:19 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
danieldwilliamMy mother is going to volunteer at the refugee camp in Calais.
She travels over to Calais a week on Saturday and is staying for a month.
As well as helping out with general duties (which I think largely involve sorting through donations in kind in a warehouse) she's hoping to set up a simple dispensary for first aid supplies. She's also going to have a look and find out about the people who are there.
Her trip has caused some drama and anxiety in my family. Some members, mostly those in Australia (with poor access to nuanced and factual reporting) are worried mum is going to be caught up a riot or stabbed. Her trip might coincide with the relocation of some of the camp residents - who are a bit grumpy about it.
Trying to tell my mum what to do is like pushing water up hill with a toothbrush. Also, she's a 70 year old, former director level consultant radiologist, she knows her own mind and even if she were under-estimating the risks those are her risks to run. So, even if I were particulary worried I wouldn't say anything. So I haven't. Except to wish her bon voyage, donate some cash and complain in long and bitter terms that she isn't taking the car and therefore won't be able to bring me a trunkfull of cheap beer and wine.
Bluebird has taught my mum to text message so she can keep in touch whilst in France. If anything interesting happens I shall post about it but I'm expecting her trip there to be hard work, a little dull and a bit uncomfortable - mostly how imagine working in a warehouse would be - and for her to injure herself in an improbable and convoluted way. She has form on self-inflicted injuries.
She travels over to Calais a week on Saturday and is staying for a month.
As well as helping out with general duties (which I think largely involve sorting through donations in kind in a warehouse) she's hoping to set up a simple dispensary for first aid supplies. She's also going to have a look and find out about the people who are there.
Her trip has caused some drama and anxiety in my family. Some members, mostly those in Australia (with poor access to nuanced and factual reporting) are worried mum is going to be caught up a riot or stabbed. Her trip might coincide with the relocation of some of the camp residents - who are a bit grumpy about it.
Trying to tell my mum what to do is like pushing water up hill with a toothbrush. Also, she's a 70 year old, former director level consultant radiologist, she knows her own mind and even if she were under-estimating the risks those are her risks to run. So, even if I were particulary worried I wouldn't say anything. So I haven't. Except to wish her bon voyage, donate some cash and complain in long and bitter terms that she isn't taking the car and therefore won't be able to bring me a trunkfull of cheap beer and wine.
Bluebird has taught my mum to text message so she can keep in touch whilst in France. If anything interesting happens I shall post about it but I'm expecting her trip there to be hard work, a little dull and a bit uncomfortable - mostly how imagine working in a warehouse would be - and for her to injure herself in an improbable and convoluted way. She has form on self-inflicted injuries.
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no subject
Date: 2016-01-20 01:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-01-20 06:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-01-21 01:22 pm (UTC)She's a pretty active, fit, healthy and robust woman for 70 but she does have form for forgetting that she's 70 and carrying on as if she were still in her 20's leading to avoidable injury.
On balance,it's probably better for her to be too active and occassionally hurt than to do inactive but I do worry that one of these days she'll prang herself badly.
no subject
Date: 2016-01-21 10:54 pm (UTC)It wouldn't stop me worrying a bit though - I think that's totally natural.
no subject
Date: 2016-01-22 09:50 am (UTC)Working in a refugee camp in a foreign country (even France) is going to be a little more difficult and a little more dangerous than pottering round a village in Cornwall.
And I'm proud that she's doing good things.
no subject
Date: 2016-01-25 08:43 pm (UTC)If you're looking to give her a useful travel gift, I would suggest a solid rubber door wedge. Gives very valuable peace of mind* when sleeping at night if the door lock isn't so great and one of the most useful pieces of kit I took.
* A comment on travelling as a lone female rather than Calais per se.
no subject
Date: 2016-01-26 01:03 pm (UTC)I'm not sure I have time to send her one but I'll suggest she picks one up at the hyper-marche.
no subject
Date: 2016-02-07 08:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-02-09 12:45 pm (UTC)Mum seems to be getting on well and having a good time - if a little cold and wet.