Keith in Sri Lanka

This was my first proper working day at the Royal International School and it was a busy one, starting with a 90-minute interview of two members of staff, then a work scrutiny of Grades 5, 6, and 7 English, Maths, and Science books, a further 60-minute interview with another member of staff, and finishing off with a debriefing session with the Managing Director. I returned to the apartment around 17:00 and felt really exhausted with it all. I love the work I am involved with at the Royal International School, as it is a perfect match for my skill set from my career in education, so I was very much in my element today. I have been provided with my own air-conditioned office, so I work comfortably in school generally, unless I am in the classrooms, and I don't know how the teachers (and the students) manage all day in that level of heat, but their bodies presumably have a natural predisposition to it. The exhaustion isn't because of the work, but due to the intense heat here in K...

There are wall clocks in the lounge and the two bedrooms in the apartment. Yesterday when the maintenance guy was here, I noticed that the clock in the spare bedroom wasn't working, so I asked him for a battery. He came back with one almost immediately - like magic! This morning, I woke up and looked at the clock in my bedroom, which had been working fine when I woke up the previous morning, but had now stopped - and guess what - there was no battery in it! I think that little story pretty much sums up the standard of the Maintenance Department here, but let's just be generous and call them 'resourceful'! It certainly got my day off with a chuckle, and what a beautiful morning it was on Independence Day here in Sri Lanka. I had only had one hour-long meeting yesterday afternoon, and it was clearly such an overwhelming, exhausting experience that I was rewarded with a day off today, but I was going to make the most of it! Madam Sandra had invited me to take a trip with h...

I was up early as I had arranged to have an early breakfast at 07:30, because I had been told that the cleaners would arrive at my apartment at 08:00 sharp. In true Sri Lankan style, that 'sharp' went 'flat' and they didn't actually arrive until 09:00. However, once they did arrive, they really blitzed the apartment, which was so filthy that it took two of them two hours to get it clean again - plus they had the odd bit of help from their supervisor. I was delighted to have a clean place to stay in, and this apartment is lovely accommodation in the most convenient spot for the school. I unpacked my stuff, but I forgot how low the door to the bathroom is and I cut my head quite badly on a really sharp crosspiece. I arranged for the maintenance men to take a look at the bathroom door, and they felt that the crosspiece wasn't an integral part of the door frame, so much to my relief they were able to remove it. I had accumulated so much dirty laundry in the Hill Cou...

It was my final morning in Norwood in the Hill Country. I had asked to be collected around 10:00, but in the end I was already packed and ready to go, so I was able to have a leisurely morning, writing a few thank you cards, then having a final breakfast of paratha and daal with a nice coffee at Chef King. Pushpa, who runs the restaurant, was there this morning, so I said a fond farewell to him. It hasn't been too bad a place to stay compared to some places I have stayed in. Yohan arrived around 10:15, and once we had loaded up the car we drove back to Daya's so that I could drop off the few thank you cards that I had written to people. Yohan needed to use the rest room anyway, so we stopped for a very quick cup of tea and I said a few quick goodbyes before we headed off around 10:45 on the 3-and-a-half-hour journey to Kurunegala, which Yohan managed without a break, so we arrived at the Royal International School around 14:15. Chandika let me into the apartment to drop off my ...

When you have attended such an overwhelmingly special wedding, it is to be expected that things will be a bit flat the following day. Fortunately for me this meant that I could have a relaxing morning at Chef King before heading back to Daya's late morning. Daya and Vinothini were staying at his home last night (separate rooms!) and I felt blessed to spend one final day with them both before heading off to my next adventure in Kurunegala tomorrow! There were still many family members milling around the house today, in preparation for the next phase of the wedding, where the groom's family take the newly married couple (in full wedding regalia) back to the bride's house for an official welcome and party there. They will stay the night there (again in separate rooms!) before being allowed on honeymoon. The auspicious day for that was Wednesday 4th February, but that has been brought forward to tomorrow now! As an old, white, grandfather, I have been surrounded by a sea of smi...

The wedding day finally arrived, and it was, quite honestly one of the best days that I have ever had in Sri Lanka. I have followed, and in so many ways supported, Daya's journey over the past 7 years and it was an honour and a privilege to not only see him get married today, but to know that I was able to make a significant contribution to his wedding. Vinothini is a lovely person and will most surely be a wonderfully supportive life partner for him from this day onwards. It was, without a doubt, one of the most amazing weddings that I have ever been to in my life, partly because of the very close relationship that I have with both Daya and his family, partly because of it being a Hindu wedding (although this one was my third), and partly because I saw this wedding through from the very start through to the end, which made it all the more special for me. In fact, the whole thing was the most wonderful emotional experience. The wedding ceremony was in one of the largest, most beaut...