You had to see it to believe it!

We have had the most amazing week here to date. This Saturday we saw the Angel International School Interhouse Sports Meet!!!!

...and they're off, the inaugural road race

On Saturday last week the “Marathon” race was run. A 6 km fun run through the town centre of Manipay and around the back streets. They ran through the traffic, bikes, cows, potholes and the general chaos of Sri Lankan roads.  You really had to see it to believe it. Firstly, the week before someone said, “hey let’s have a road race” and the whole thing was organised in less than 8 days. Students were told, “turn up to school 7 am Saturday” and you know what?... they did!!!! Staff were told “you are all working here on Saturday turn up at 7am” and you know what?.....they did!!!! There were police, some roads shut, staff in elegant sari’s at check points. They even had medical staff from the Jaffna hospital come to the school the Wednesday before the race and to medical checks on the students from Years 7 upwards. It was truly amazing.

On your mark!!!!

But this was only the opening act to the grand drama that was the SPORTS MEET!!!!!!!!!!! The phrase, “Bigger than Ben Hur” came to mind and it was an accurate quote. (I however had made the mistake of mentioning it during a staff reflection one morning and spent quite a lot of time trying to explain the reference and context)

Sarah preparing for relay race

One of Emma's playmates

The junior event occurred on last Friday and the middle school and senior occurred on Saturday. The students were told to turn up at 1pm and you know what?...... they came as early as 7am!!!!  The effort involved was absolutely amazing. There were the weeks of preparation beforehand. Students were just told one afternoon 4 weeks ago, “everyone is staying after school till 4pm for practice”.

Part time entertainment better than the Superbowl

 This occurred EVERY DAY for 4 weeks! An extra 1 ¼ hour after school each day. There was the huge fund raise efforts (no healthy food in the tuck shop here but gee it tastes good. Red days, what red days?? for non teachers ask a teacher friend), the march past practice, band practice, gymnastics and cheer leading preparation, making ribbons, pompoms, decorations sports uniforms and costumes.   This list of what happened is just too big to mention, and even now so soon after the event, is seems a bit of a blur. Jacinta was the “Chief Guest” for the junior event and I was for the senior. It was very formal with a grand entrance flanked by the school marching band. Jacinta was presented a posy of flowers and I was given a garland of flowers around the neck.

House decorations were deadly serious business

Jacinta stayed with the junior events and I was involved in supervision of other students in the hall. Before I left Jacinta in her official roll, I took off the garland and put it on her neck. Ooops! Good thing we were already married or it could have caused some major problems …. apparently it had the same formal meaning as the ring on a finger at a wedding!!!!

Tug of war in a sari is something to see!

As chief guests we judged the house tents and were bribed with ice cream, faluda drinks and spicy food. The house teams, Mathew, Mark and Luke went all out decorating their tents.  They put it all up by balancing on a chairs stacked on other chairs stacked on a table. Truely horrifying to watch It was all very important and formal. We both made speeches which were translated into Tamil and presented trophies to the winners.

How cool is the official chain!!!!!!!!

Jacinta was delighted to see lots of beautiful children doing the bunny hop, being ducks, playing ball games, running, jumping and having fun, but what she will never forget is the sight of the elegant 3+ teachers in beautiful blue and purple sari’s teaching the children to waddle like ducks and hop like rabbits down the basketball court.

The "Olympic" torch

It was my turn on Saturday and they went all out. The decorations for the house areas are a major event on the program and staff and students were in the school grounds till 10pm the night before making preparations under the lights from a ring of motor bikes. On the day of the event we had a formal oath taking by the head sports prefect and a lighting of an “Olympic” torch. It was very strange at the start as there was very little cheering and crowd involvement but by the end of the day the spirit of the event really took over. The big crowd pleaser was the staff versus student relay followed by the boys and girls tug of war. After that it just went crazy with the staff versus student’s tug of war. Again, the ladies in their sari’s hauling on the rope, was a sight to behold. In the male staff versus students I abandoned all dignity with my formal chain of office (you just have to see the photos!!! It would certainly be at home in certain establishments in Kings X) and hauled on the rope with the rest of the staff.

..with this lay, I thee wed.. apparently

 This had two effects, 1: they were really amused to see one of the “senior staff” get his hands dirty, and  2: I had forgotten about the shoulder surgery a little over 12 months ago and very quickly blessed Jacinta for the foresight in bringing lots of Panadol.  Oh, and the teachers wiped the floor with the boys in the best of 3 event!

Ms Arani, Emma's teacher getting into the spirit

 When it was over a party atmosphere continued and the senior boys let off fireworks.  The students where pre-warned they couldn’t stay at school all night and had to leave by 8am. Now it is over we will find it a lot quieter (most of the school was yelling outside our apartment each afternoon during the 4 weeks of practice) and a lot more learning can occur in classes. 

All in all it was an amazing time and we think it will become one of the really treasured memories of our time here.