Emma - Italy and family

Well since about a week ago I have joined the family in Milan.. it has been different but we have all gotten used to it now. My Italian has gotten better too and Dad is getting better so we get by. After Milan we went on the plane down to Rome which was awesome seeing the Colosseum and all the Roman ruins...it was quite an experience till I got a bit of sun stroke.

Now we are in Umbria in a little valley. It is beautiful here and the people are so energetic to learn what Dad has to share. I find that people and farmers here are so much more appreciative of Dad than some in New Zealand. One lady we encountered even remarked how she was glad he existed. Last night was the first interview I have been here for and it's really interesting to listen to a farmer who has probably never been given the chance to properly speak his thoughts and concerns to talk non stop pretty much... his worries with the water in the valley and what he does... and his thoughts on climate change.

It seems that people all over the world are aware of what is happening around them but just need someone to guide them to help themselves and others do the right thing for our world. I am happy to be helping and being a whole family again though I miss my friends in New Zealand and in Lugano very much. I have met the most amazing people and I will never forget any of it.

Email exchange with Emma

Hi Emmy

We spent today exploring Delhi a bit... read the blog for a brief summary from me. No photos yet! Can you send me your postal address again? I have it somewhere but am not sure where. We have a postcard from Viet Nam that we want to send to you.

Everything is good. We all enjoyed getting out and exploring today, and relaxing and just being tourists for one of the few times so far. Much love Papa
Papa, Mama, Lena and Ali

hey dad

ok i asked Iva .. and she said she would love to have you all to stay and even me if I wanted :) her husband is called Paolo and their son is Giovanni he is 13 .. they are the family that Camille and I stayed with to help Giovanni with his project on nz... they are all very nice.. oh but i think they are going away in two weeks or so and they just said to let them know the dates so that they will be home!! so thats all good but if Ali and Lena want to spend a night here I would love that and I could show them round Lugano ... and we could just hang out us three .. but talk about it and get back to me as soon as you can with the dates and all.

Hi Emmy

We're just arrived in Varanasi, by the Ganges river, this morning after an 18 hour train journey. Right now we're all sitting together in the small lobby of the guest house here, as we can't get our rooms until midday. I've managed to get a wireless connection for the laptop. I've just read out your message to everyone... and we're all so proud of you. You're awesome for being there on your own, while we're here together... and we all know that you are doing extremely well with your Italiano. It sounds that you have some very good supportive people there. Just keep on believing in yourself and in your own abilities. Here's something from Lena, a Maori proverb:

Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you

Anyway, what are we up to? We had a rest day in New Delhi on Monday, just adjusting to being in a different place. On Tuesday we got an auto-rickshaw and went to see Rajghat (where Gandhi was cremated) ... then to a place called the Red Fort... then through the streets of old Delhi. Mum was freaking out at one stage as she thought I was leading us all into these dark and dingy alleys ... but I was just following my nose and exploring. It was actually fun and very interesting.

After a while I stopped and asked someone for directions to a large mosque (Muslim temple) that we wanted to see. It turned out that I was going in more-or-less the right direction. So it was all good and Mum didn't need to worry after all!! After we'd seen the mosque we headed back to our hotel on another auto rickshaw. You have to bargain with the driver everytime before you get inside. I made sure before I left the hotel to ask for the right price, so I knew what price to ask ... which was always about half what the driver would initially ask for.

On Wednesday we booked a car and went to see the Taj Mahal ... a temple built by a Moghul leader after his second wife died. Lena and Ali had no idea what they were going to see, but it is truly one of the wonders of the world and is just an awesome sight. We'll try to organise some photos to send soon. It was a long day, about 4 hours each way, and only time for lunch and to see the Taj Mahal. On the way there we had some confusion with the driver, who didn't speak much English, and didn't have the air conditioning on in the car.... because we thought there was no air con, and he had thought we had said "no air con" to mean we didn't want it!! So we were all so hot on the way there. Fortunately we worked it out on the way back!! Yesterday (Thursday) morning we took another auto-rickshaw to a market .. as everyone wanted some Indian clothes. We've got a surprise for you... which we hope you like ... but you'll just have to wait and see.

Today .... we'll be checking into our room sometime around midday, having a quick lunch, and then going on a 5 hour tour of Varanasi to see some of the famous temples here. Varanasi is one of the main spiritual centres in India. Tomorrow morning we'll all be getting up for a boat ride on the Ganges river which starts at 5.30am and goes for 2 hours ... to watch the sunrise and see activity on the ghats (places by the river where people are cremated). We then have to leave here about 9am .... getting to and from the guest house here is amazing, through a maze of narrow alleyways that you'd never find your way through without someone to guide you to .... so we have to leave about 9am to get to a place where we can get a taxi, then out to the airport.

We depart for Kathmandu at 12.10 pm, and will be there by about 1.30pm. Our trekking guide, Karma Lama, is meeting us at the airport in Kathmandu. Ali and Lena want to tell you about the enormous spider that waits to welcome people on the steps as you come to the guest house here!!

OK.... all the stuff about Milano sounds good. I can't give you exact dates right now, but will do so once we are in Kathmandu once we have time to stop and rest a bit.... but we'll be aiming to be in Milano by 14 or 15 May ... one of those 2 dates... and then down to Rome by 17 May. Could you tell me the cost of the train from Milano to Lugano? And can you also find out the cost of the train from Milano to Rome? We have to decide whether to take the train to Rome, or fly... [..]. Lena & Ali are keen to come and stay with you in Lugano for a night, but we do need to look at the budget. It should be OK though I think.

I think this about the longest message we've sent you. I'm also copying it to a few people so everyone can read about what we've been up to this week!! Email access hasn't been very good...

Much, MUCH, love from all of us and BIG hugs.

And from the other side of the World

Emma and friends somewhere in the mountains of Switzerland.

Email exchange Karen and Emma

Circle dancing with hill tribes people, interviewing farmers, foresters, looking after the Mekong river, a boat ride down the river to an old fisherman's place, caught and they ate the fish, so many new experiences in a short time. Love taking photos, the camera never leaves my side. So good flying to Chiang Rai instead of 12 hours on a bus after 7 hours the 2 days before, we would have been shattered. Last nite, stayed in a monks temple, on a woven mat on the floor, really sore right now but a good experience. woke up to photo sunrises, really beautiful, yesterday over Mekong on Chinese new year. Well will rest here for 2 days, so try to chat Emma if on line too. Love to all Karen

hey mum dat all sounds awsome!!! yesterday i saw a bit of the carnivale in 1 of the nearby villages.. its kinda like the blossom parade but EVERYONE dresses up not jst the people in it. and its soooo colourful!!!!!! well e-mail when you can k ciao xxxxxx

Ciao from Chiang Rai 10:44AM

An email to Emma in Switzerland

We're in Chiang Rai now, in the north of Thailand. We had an AWESOME day yesterday!!! We drove out to a small village of about 100 people. They are from the Karen (same name as Mum!) minority group and live in and protect the forest. We walked into the forest to where they were working, clearing leaves to create a fire break. We filmed some awesome stuff there.

Then we went back to the village and had an amazing lunch of very interesting food, bits of flowers, dried mushrooms, forest herbs, all sorts of interesting things. After lunch we went for a walk along the stream by the village with the village leader and his two daughters, aged 16 and 17. We eventually came to a quiet place in the forest where we set up the camera on the tripod and interviewed them. This was incredible.

These people are so in touch with the earth and aware of what's happening in the world with climate change and other issues. They talked about how we all need to be living closer to nature. It is their hope that they can provide a good model and example for city people, people in Thailand and around the world, to learn from. This was very powerful stuff. For me this was a real beginning to this journey. I feel very determined to find a way for as many people as possible to hear the voices of these forest people and of others that we will be meeting.

I may not be able to communicate for a few days now. This afternoon we're going to a Lisu (another minority group) village where they will be celebrating the Chinese New Year tonight. We'll be staying there the night and then going next day to the Hill Area Development Foundation field headquarters, which is by an Akha village. Then we are going on the Mekong River for a bit, to a place on the river where we will stay two nights.

We'll be celebrating Lena's birthday by the Mekong River! Then (on evening of 22 Feb) we fly back to Bangkok and are going to stay with a Buddhist Monk for 2 nights who our host Tuenjai Deetes really wants us to meet. We'll be back in Bangkok on 24 Feb, so if you don't hear from us before I'll definitely be in touch then.

Milano images - Gavin December 2005

By way of illustration of a couple of shots of places Emma has mentioned. Above the place where the washer women used to work and below the Duomo (front was being worked on a year ago).

feeling a little tired

Ciao papa, it's so wicked! Today we got up early and went into Milano. Barbara went to work so it was just me and Camille but we saw the Duomo and unfortunately it was being worked on the front but it's stil bella. We found that there are a lot of kinda beggars.. I feel sorry but we kept walking. We then met up with Barbara and she took us to see the old Roman remains. It is so lovely and we saw where the women used to wash their clothes. I think you saw that too. Well the pizza was bene grazie. Staying alone is fine, the language is awesome and I'm really enjoying it! Well that's all for now I am molto stanca so ciao xoxoxoxo

Milan

Hey Dad and Mum its Emma we are at Marina's house. I hope the reunion went well and you are all good. I am good but kinda struggling with the Italian but I will be fine :) I didn't write much from Singapore because I was tired. Last night me and Camille slept for about 15 hours. Today after lunch we are taking the bus to Barbara's flat.

Everything here is so different!! I nearly hopped into the driver's seat yesterday.. the flights were long. I watched "Little Miss Sunshine" and "The Departed" and "The Prestige" and quite a few more. Its not as cold as we had expected so thats ok... weeeeee!!!!

The buildings are so amazing! Just like you would see in the movies and we saw a great bride that looked like something from lord of the rings... I found at the airport that nearly everyone looks at you. In New Zealand they just walk past you. Everyone is very friendly the alps are HUGE and look pinkish.

I don't know what else to say except I miss you all and yea have fun packing!! Haha :) :) Gotta go, me and Camille are off on a walk. Well Ciao for now xxxxxxxxxxxx

The name is Kenny ..!!

Switzerland here we come

The countdown has begun. On Friday 2 Feb Emma and Camille leave for a 5 month exchange at the Origlio Steiner School in southern Switzerland. Meanwhile the rest of the Kenny's are working towards their 8 Feb departure.

Napier to Milano

Gavin, Kristina ( Camille's mum ), Emma and Camille going through their travel plans.

Family dinner

One of our last family meals together for the next twenty weeks.

The Swiss Italian girls

Meet the team - Emma

Emma Kenny (16) will be on exchange with a school near Lugano in southern Switzerland while the rest of her family undertake this journey. We are calling Emma our ‘anchor’ as we will be travelling towards her.