Right place at the right time

I'm doing a little "plug" here today. Do read on though. It's for a very good cause.

The Zimbo and I have an old friend, from our days in Germany when we were all 18-year-old exchange students - loving a little adventure and eating whatever we could. Let's call our friend Tyger.

Tyger's a bit of a crazy cat. He always was. For a few years now he's been living in Dubai. He has a high-flying job there and lives an international life of luxury. He does, however, get around and, whilst he often plonks his bum in the butter, on occasion he does find himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. In my experience, this makes him a little bit wiser, even more empathic, and certainly inspired to do what he can to make a difference.

Right now, he and 2 friends (PJ and Pricey) are driving a rickshaw 5000km across India in a fund-raising event called the Rickshaw Run. I hadn't heard of this event before, but I've never been to India. Tyger, PJ and Pricey's team is called "Right Place at Right Time". That's because they are raising money for someone who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

This is from their website:

"About us – The Rickshaw Run 2011 Charity

Everyone who moves to Dubai comes with a common purpose, to move forward in life. Either financially, socially, career wise, or to feed a family back home, the goal is the same.

Sometimes life works against us and sometimes, accidents happen. Picture this. You’re going to work one day and you are in an accident. Somebody dies. You’re in gaol and staring at 200,000 AED before you can be released. What happens if you cannot afford it?

This is the reality for some Indian nationals living in Dubai. In partnership with the Indian Community Welfare Committee (ICWC), a Dubai based charity project, it’s our aim to raise 200,000 AED and assist in the release of at least 1 man from gaol.

From 10 to 24 Sept, 2011, our team will complete the Rickshaw Run, 5000kms across India, the most dangerous driving country on earth. Share our journey and support our cause….we’re in the Right Place at the Right Time."

I do believe this is a most worthy cause and I'm proud of our feral friend for finding great use of his love of adventure and ability to shoot the breeze whilst in a foreign country. Indeed, there's a significant part of me that yearns to be in that rickshaw too, for a piece of that bumpy adventure. But you know... there's bread to bake and little boys to kiss goodnight. So I can tune in from my lovely home and send them much love for their journey. And give them this little bit of extra publicity, for what it's worth.

Here are a few links so you can check out more, and hopefully even donate some spondooly if you are so inclined.

http://www.rightplaceatrighttime.com/

http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2011/08/would-you-drive-across-india-in-a-rickshaw/

You can also find Right Place at Right Time on Facebook.