Keith in Sri Lanka

I was up quite early today, as I was having breakfast with Daya at 07:30, so that we could walk to Blackpool Junction, get the bus to Nanuoya, and arrive at school by 08:30. Everything went according to plan, and fortunately the weather at the start of the day was okay, because later it turned into the worst day weather-wise, I had experienced since returning to Nuwara Eliya! When I got to school, I met Nuzi, who I knew very well from when I was here in 2019 but had hardly seen at all this time round. She is getting married in August, so we chatted about her plans for the wedding and her hopes for the future generally. I gave her a card and some bangles for her wedding and was surprised to find that she had brought a gift for me - a rather nice pen, which I will treasure. Today's blog is going to belong to Jesmin and Gobinath, two very special members of Tea Leaf Vision's team of staff. I spent a long time writing a general reference for each of them today, which was something ...

Donald and Ladushan wanted me to come to GROW at 11:00 this morning, so I had a nice leisurely morning at home, just editing one document for Yad, before walking to Blackpool Junction and getting a bus to Nuwara Eliya. I arrived in good time, then had a gentle stroll along Lady McCullum's Drive to GROW, where Donald, Ladushan and the students were all waiting for me. They wanted to say an official 'goodbye' to me, and I was quite overwhelmed by the little presentation they put on for me. They had two girls introducing it all (one of whom was Princiya), and various students came up to give little speeches. I was asked to make a little speech, and Donald also made a lovely speech about my relationship with him and Ladushan and GROW as a company. The students had created a collage of photos for me which they had framed, then two students presented me with very special gifts. Lakshika is a very talented artist who had used typography to draw me a farewell message on an A4 piece...

I headed into Nuwara Eliya this morning, intending to get a bus at Blackpool Junction, but none were coming, so I hailed a tuk-tuk, which stopped and revealed a young woman driving it, with her mother sat in the back, I gratefully jumped in and received a lovely ride into Nuwara Eliya, taking a photo of my first ever female tuk-tuk driver in nearly 6 months of travel in Sri Lanka when we got there. I went to see my friend Raheem and took him to meet Donald at GROW, as he might be able to help him with a matter. We chatted for a while, then walked back into town. Donald then came with me to watch a cricket tournament that The Grand Hotel had organised for their staff. It was very enjoyable, especially as it was a beautiful sunny day. It was nice to relax a bit in the sun for a change. The Central Team had arranged to meet me at The Grand Hotel at 13:30 to say goodbye to me, and I had a lovely time with them. They had bought me a lovely shirt, and written me a beautiful message in a card...

I was up really early this morning, as I was feeling a bit anxious about having deliver a presentation to a group of Croatian English teachers, as part of their In-Service Training Day today. I was catching a government bus at Blackpool Junction at 07:30 - a 55-seater bus I think, with about 100 people on it - 99 little Sri Lankans and 1 very tall, overweight white guy - it must have looked very funny, I think! I was at The Grand Hotel by 08:00, so I had breakfast there, which was a first for me. I had one of the best buffet breakfasts I have ever had in my life for 4,000LKR (just under  £9). I explained that I needed a quiet room to prepare and deliver a presentation in, and they gave me an amazing room downstairs free of charge, which I thought was extremely kind of them. It made my day working in it! The presentation went fairly well, with the Croatian teachers seeming to think it was better than I thought it was. I had prepared very thoroughly for it, but I still wasn't entirel...

I stayed at home today, as I still had a lot of preparation to do for the presentation, I am giving to the Croatian English teachers tomorrow. I had a plan in mind for this, but I found it quite difficult to flesh out, as I was not that sure what they had in mind when they asked me to take this session. I feel like I am 'winging it' but it will probably be fine in the end, as my contact Mima doesn't seem too concerned. My first photograph today shows Yad, the Director of Tea Leaf Vision in a sari, as she doesn't often wear one. I am advised that, beautiful as they are, they are not the most comfortable or practical garment for a woman to wear. I also took a photo of Yad with her husband Jana, who, along with Yad's mother Meena, have been amazing hosts to me during my stay here in Blackpool, Nuwara Eliya.  I couldn't stay in all day, as I needed to get some fresh air, so after a delicious lunch prepared by Meena, I ventured out to discover the delights of Blackpo...

As I suggested I would in yesterday's blog, I bounced back today, which you might argue is simply the power of positive thinking. I was feeling quite a lot better this morning after a good night's sleep, and after a relaxed start to the day, I ventured out to Nuwara Eliya. I started walking to Blackpool Junction, but I hadn't got very far when I was offered a lift in a tuk-tuk, so I accepted the offer. I went to my office - i.e. The Grand Hotel and started work on an online presentation I am giving to a group of Croatian English teachers on Monday afternoon my time here in Sri Lanka, entitled 'English: The International Language'. I can't believe what I agree to do sometimes, but this invitation extends from voluntary work that Valerie and I do at our local school in Cres, Croatia, where we own a house. I worked hard for a couple of hours, then treated myself to a lovely lunch in the Magnolia Room, even having a beer with it, which I very rarely do here in Sri L...

I struggled to maintain my usual positive demeanour today, as I reached a low point in my 3-month stay here in Sri Lanka. With my key objectives done, I feel ready to go home now, and I felt decidedly down, as I caught the government bus into Nuwara Eliya. I fly home in two weeks' time, and I struggled to motivate myself to do anything, which is most unlike me, but that's just how it was today I'm afraid! I think the combination of still feeling quite ill, the constant rain today, the dire state of the country, with endless queues for diesel, petrol, gas and kerosene, appalling inflation, power cuts, and a real sense of hopelessness in the air, got to me, and I felt quite numb as I sat in The Grand Hotel trying to write a couple of references that I had promised myself I would complete before the end of my time here. Fortunately, my lovely friend Kamal, who I first got to know in 2019 at The Grand Hotel - or The Ghost Hotel, as I think of it now - appeared and gave me that ...

I wasn't feeling great this morning, but I was needed at GROW to talk to the parents of prospective students - 16-year-olds who have just finished their O Levels and want to attend GROW's 3-month programme in English, Sinhala, and IT. I couldn't face the government bus though, so my compromise to myself was to call Reggie to take me to GROW in his tuk-tuk, which was a wise decision. I talked to the parents and students, explaining how I am Donald and Ladushan's Adviser and Mentor, and can vouch for the quality of their work (which I can!), and I am pleased to say that it looks like they will have at least 20 students out of a maximum intake of 25, which is wonderful news for them, particularly given the extraordinary times that Sri Lanka is currently going through. Talking of these extraordinary times, the queue for petrol opposite GROW started moving, which meant that there had been a delivery of petrol! Ramesh arrived later in the morning to inform us that he had got ...