Sunday 1st December 2024

We were pretty tired today, so we slept in for much longer than usual, and then had a leisurely breakfast around 09:30. Valerie had hoped to go swimming before breakfast, but she was just too tired this morning. After breakfast, we relaxed for a while in the downstairs lobby area, and I completed yesterday's blog, and wrote a couple of thank you cards for today's visits. We were due at Aruni's place for lunch at 11:30, but we eventually got there around 12:15.

It was lovely to see Aruni and her husband Babu, and to meet the new addition to their family, a baby boy named Yeshwanth, who was born on 9th October. We also met Aruni's mother, who has been staying with them for the past 5 months, and is a big help to her. We had a lovely lunch, the highlight of which was some amazing 'buttered chicken', and Babu had to go to work then, but we spent a long time chatting with Aruni through the afternoon.

Ragu arrived to pick us up, and it was nice for him to see Aruni, and meet Yeshwanth, as he has known Aruni for more than 20 years, because they lived very close to each other in Norwood. Ragu drove us to Afwaj's home, and it was good to see him again, and for Valerie to meet him for the first time. Daya called whilst we were there, which was lovely, as he seems to be in a good place again after his recent experiences in the Batticaloa floods.

We weren't at Afwaj's for long, as we were then off to Ragu's uncle's house, to meet another baby boy, the first child of Ragu's cousin. I had been there once before with Daya, so it was lovely to see them all again, and to meet another baby boy (not yet named). They had made a delicious dinner for us all, so we have been very spoilt today in terms of food. Ragu drove us back to the Colombo Swimming Club, where there were yet more goodbyes until the next time we see them.

Today's photographs are from our time at Aruni's home, our short visit to Afwaj's place, and one of everyone at Ragu's uncle's home.








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