Borneo Bound

by Steve Morris

In the 1960s, before the term 'gap year' had been coined, a British organisation named Voluntary Service Overseas sent youngsters fresh from school to the far flung corners of the world. Many of these ended up teaching students of their own age or even older.'Borneo Bound' is the account of one of those volunteers plucked from a terraced house in Liverpool and sent, via Raffles Hotel in Singapore, to a small town in Borneo. Here, at the tender age of eighteen, he was put in charge of a residential hostel, taught in the nearby primary school and ran a scout troop. His story is a unique insight into the rapidly disappearing colonial era and maps his development into a confident and mature young man. Often amusing and sometimes poignant the account introduces the reader to the fascinating inhabitants of the town and the various pupils and teachers in the school.This book is a must-read for all prospective young travellers and their parents as it shows the joys and pitfalls that a volunteer can encounter when far away from the comforts of home.

110 pages, Paperback

First published March 29, 2012

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An 18 yr old did WHAT? I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Look at the kids today and then read this book to see what kids used to do in the 60's. An 18 yr old who had never been on a plane, owned a suit or been away from home decides he HAS to leave Liverpool and off he goes in volunteer service to Borneo to be a teacher for a year. He has quite a trip getting there and then when he is showed his accommodation--oh boy. He really does make the best of everything even when told he is to be the scout master also. It sounds as though he does a good job as a teacher and he even learns to speak Malay. The Boy Scout job proves to be exciting for both Steve and the boys--not just tying knots with Steve--and he almost dies on one adventure. Imagine all this as an 18/19 yr old and then try to go back to a structured life in England--needless to say, there are other books after this one. If you have traveled you will love this book and if you haven't maybe it will help you get started.