Friday 31st January 2025

When I went out for lunch with Yad and others yesterday, she insisted that I visit Tea Leaf Centre Nuwara Eliya this morning, which didn't make too much sense, as it was in the opposite direction of Pussellawa. She had also made a couple of comments about me having supported Tea Leaf for 5 years now, but I thought nothing of it. So, because Yad had asked me, and because it would mean that I had then been to every Tea Leaf Centre, I went to Nanu Oya this morning.

It was lovely to be at Tea Leaf Centre Nuwara Eliya in Nanu Oya, and I received a very warm welcome from the staff. As it was Monday morning, there was an assembly for the students, and I was invited to speak to them. Following that, Mr. Nagendren, the Principal, suddenly announced that they were making a presentation to me in recognition of the 5 years that I have supported Tea Leaf, and I was extremely moved by this, as it was genuinely such a lovely surprise.

After this delightful start to my day, it was on to Tea Leaf Centre Pussellawa, where I was visiting possible accommodation places with Mr. Nawfer Aziz, the Outreach Project Coordinator. We had a list of places, but a couple had nobody there, and one was crazily expensive. However, we found one very cheap one, and one simply amazing one called Lumbini Inn, which was as brilliant a find, I think, as Sky Heaven was when I looked round there last January.

We couldn't find the last place on our list, and then disaster struck, as whilst Nawfer and I were looking for it, Sachin, our driver drove over a very sharp spike in the round, and we heard the explosion as the tyre burst! I was amazed how quickly a little garage tuk-tuk came out with a jack, jacked up the van, and changed the damaged wheel for the spare wheel in the truck. We were back on our way within an hour, and I was then picked up by Yohan to go to Kurunegala.

In terms of photographs today, pride of place goes to the plaque I was presented with this morning, with a few photos of the amazing Lumbini Inn, and a couple of the tyre incident. The final ones are of me with Ms. Subithra Loganathan, the Principal, Mr. Nawfer Aziz, my brilliant colleague companion today, and Ms. Vinothini Muthulingam, the Teacher Trainer.
















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