Thursday 5th February 2026

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 Kurunegala, where even the local people are saying it's hot. I think it takes time for your body to adjust to the heat, and the constant feeling of exhaustion is something that will dissipate over time. I was due to go round for dinner at Razeena's at 19:30, but she brought some food round to the apartment a bit earlier - around 18:45 - as she was going out this evening to visit someone.

I had finished eating and was in bed by 19:30, although I only slept for a couple of hours and got back up for a while around 21:30. I still felt too tired to do my daily blog and diary, so they were completed on Friday morning. I caught up with a few emails, but I felt very lethargic, so everything was taking me twice as long as it normally would. It's a beautiful place to be here in this part of Sri Lanka, but the heat sure takes some getting used to.

Today's photographs show a couple of students getting ready for the Sports Meet tomorrow, plus three of volleyball, basketball, and swimming going on around the school. There are also a few snaps of the newly married couple on their honeymoon, as they set up a WhatsApp group for family and friends to make it easier to keep in touch with everyone. A close friend of the family paid for them to go away for a couple of nights as a wedding present!











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