Wednesday 19th February 2025

My thought today is that it's all about 'blood, sweat, and tears' for me at the moment! Let me explain, and I'll start with the 'blood', which is all down to the mosquitoes, who want mine! The most annoying thing about being down here in the tropics is the mosquitoes, which seem to be hugely attracted to my lower legs and feet, where I have been bitten so many times now - and it really itches - despite using 'Anti-Mosquito Citronella Spray'. You don't get that in the UK!

The 'sweat' is the literal toil-inducing sweat from teaching lessons out here in the tropics! By the time I have finished teaching a lesson, I look like I have spent an hour outside in a thunderstorm! I am a very 'active' teacher, and I can't teach without moving around a lot, which doesn't help me. When I do the lesson observations, of course, I am sitting down, so the heat is more bearable! Teaching in 36-degree heat is tricky, and you don't get that in the UK either.

The 'tears' are for a very difficult personal situation back home in the UK, where Valerie's brother, Stephen, is critically ill. He is currently in Intensive Care, having needed expert medical care after a life-saving operation last Thursday. This evening, I chatted with Valerie and our daughter, Hannah, who came down from Edinburgh yesterday to support her. It's an incredibly difficult time for the family and my thoughts and prayers are with them.

I only have a few more days here now, as I will be flying home on Tuesday 4th March, so it didn't seem necessary, or particularly helpful, for me to fly home early. I thought long and hard about whether to mention this personal situation in this blog, but this is a record of my thoughts during my time out here in Sri Lanka, and my thoughts are very much with Valerie, Stephen, and the family at the moment, so please bear with me at this extremely difficult time for them.

There are a few more 'action shots' of me teaching further lessons on Roman numerals, which has been exhausting in this heat, but also incredibly rewarding. I am drinking litre upon litre of water during lessons, just in case you are wondering if I am taking care of myself - I am!







Comments

  1. CharlesFebruary 19, 2025 at 11:52 PM

    Keith, it looks as if you are doing the right thing by keeping going against all the odds. Your love of the children will help you bear the anguish of the moment, and will inspire your family with hope as they wrestle with difficult emotions at Stephen's bedside.

    ReplyDelete

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