Flying home. watching films (Robert Altman’s last film, “Prairie Home Companian” in particular) has made me feel emotional (in a good way) and refective. My experience over the past 12 days has inspired me beyond words and my memory of this journey will fuel my work long into the future. I feel so priveledged to have shared this journey with our 9 young explorers and 3 outstanding teachers and the network of supporters and friends who have helped us along the way. It is so clear how valuable this has been for everyone involved (me included) and the inner smiles and pride are palpable.
The people involved in this expedition have made me so proud. It is life affirming and energising to see the spirit of humanity and possiblity in people from different cultural, religious and economic backgrounds as they have risen to the considerable challenges of the expedition. Listening to them speak at last night’s celebration and reading their blogs I realise how transformative their physical and inner journeys have been. They have grown in confidence and knowledge, and seem less cynical and more self assused than when we set off. Preconceptions of the Middle East, or Arab World or Gulf or Arabian Penninsula or Islamic World (whatever us adults want to tag it) have been challenged and the power of first hand experience has filled them with motivation to communicate to their peers.
It is now Offscreen’s job to support our expedition family, help them turn their experience into resources which can be used in schools accross the country and work with eachother to grow our community at a grass roots level.
We are a strong unit now and we look forward to taking this forward, with a shared vision.
A bus load of Offscreen love to you all. Stephen
February 21st, 2007 at 4:27 pm
Well done to everyone in the Offscreen Team. I am sure you will all now be able to give a better impression to friends and colleagues of what the Arab World is REALLY like, than many media reports. I hope you will remember it all for a long time to come. I shall miss looking at your excellent website every morning to see where you are and what you have been doing.
Stephen, I look forward to your next Offscreen Expedition.
Richard
February 21st, 2007 at 4:50 pm
Thanks so much for your support Richard.
Onwards and upwards for Offscreen. So much to do, but so many amazing young people to help.
Look forward to keeping the Anglo-Omani Society in the loop.
Keep Monday April 2nd free: celebratory event at City Hall.
best,
Stephen
February 22nd, 2007 at 7:23 am
Many congratulations to everyone on a wonderful venture! The diary on the right looks like the storyboard for a biopic of some great traveller, like Marco Polo. But it’s been done. With great verve. In the last couple of weeks. By people we’ve met. Brilliant!
Like Richard, I’ll miss the super website every day, but I hope we’ll see some reactions from friends and family when everyone’s recovered from the trip.
On that front, particular best wishes to Radhika - I hope you’re on the mend!
Until the next Offscreen Expedition,
Yours aye
George
March 2nd, 2007 at 1:03 pm
is dubai a nice place?
March 6th, 2007 at 12:24 pm
Charlie,
Dubai has a lot of great features. It is a very modern city and has been created from nearly nothing. It is amazing to see how cities in the Middle East and becoming bigger and richer than a lot of cities in Europe.