A busy time these past two weeks

So what has the start of term 3 brought?



The new lab and the senior chem students

Lots of change (but not the weather, it’s always hot) The first week of term was busy for Jacinta and myself.  We were involved with setting up the Cambridge  practical laboratory exams for the senior students at the school. This was the first time the school was used as an examination centre for the Cambridge papers and was a steep learning curve for all involved. Normally the students sitting for these 3 to 4 weeks of exams would have to travel down to Colombo and live in hostel accommodation for the exam period. We were given the task of preparing for the Chemistry and Biology Prac exams (with some support for the teacher looking after Physics). The man (and woman) hours that went into the Chemistry exam were amazing.

I have to say I could not have done it without Jacinta’s unique brand of organizing ability. The sheer number of individual pieces of lab equipment and the individual chemical solutions that had to be prepared was staggering. We had to scrounge materials and equipment from schools all around Manipay and Jaffna and purchase goods from Colombo. The Chemistry exam occurred last Tuesday and apart from the inevitable glass breakages from the students, it went off very well. The Biology Prac exam will be this coming Tuesday and is almost set up.  I have increased my already high level of respect for the Science Operations Officer (the Lab technician) at our school in Australia. I always knew Chris worked hard but this has given me a better insight into part of his role in the school. I’ll have to talk to the boss when we get home and see if we can organise a raise!!!!

Some of our excitement for the week came on Monday morning  last week when we were hit by a fairly violent rain squall at the school. At one point part of the roof of our apartment left company with the rest of the building. Luckily the worst of the rain had stopped and there was very little water damage. In typical style here at the school, workers were on the roof as soon as it was safe and repairs were made very quickly. The other excitement came in the form of a large electrical surge in the school system on Tuesday evening. While doing work on the main school generator, the wrong switch must have been pushed and the was a huge increase in the light output followed by a series of loud bangs as any light that had been switched on blew up in quick succession! Luckily we did not have the aircons switched on, but effectively any electrical device that was switched on was fried. We lost a computer charger pack, our microwave oven (no great loss really as we did not use it often), 3 light globes, and a 3 socket power board. The fridge gave us a brief period of worry as the compressor did not seem to switch on for quite some time, but it appeared the surge protector we had in place did its job well.

Our new Limo, thanks to Pastor Sam......... really cool to drive!

Our other excitement this week was when Pastor Sam arranged another vehicle for us. We had really been missing the freedom the little Honda CRV had given us, having been without the car for 6 weeks now. Our new limo is a Mitsubishi Crew Cab, 2 ½ tonne truck! You bounce around on the bad roads and it is old and loud and looks like it has had a really tough life, but it is GREAT!  It runs well, has aircon that Pastor Sam had fitted before he passed it onto us and best of all……….has a flashing red light on top of the roof!!!!!

We also welcomed back to the school, the principal, Professor Alex . Alex was with us for a brief time in January before returning to his other occupation as a lecturer at a University in the States. Alex is a dynamic and powerful personality and he intends to get a lot of work done in developing the school while here. This time he is with us for 100 days.  Accompanying Alex is his equally dynamic 19 year old daughter Asha.  Asha has made a really big hit with our girls and is now Emma’s new best friend. Poor Asha gets little break from Emma, as Emma will take any opportunity to go down and “play with Asha” that she can. Soon to join Alex and Asha will be Alex’s wife, Anna and we are very much looking forward to meeting her.

We have also been joined by the King family, friends of Alex and they return home with Alex at the end of the 100 days. It has been a new experience for the King’s, not having travelled out of the USA before. They have a very strong faith and we are sure this will help them get through the large changes that are occurring in the lives at the moment.

Move over Bob the Builder, Pastor Sam gets things done much more quickly

In typical Pastor Sam style, there was seen a need to improve the facilities for the Kings accommodation as they have limited cooking facilities. The solution, build them a kitchen. It could only happen here and only Pastor Sam could see it started so quickly. Decide one day, start the next and probably finished and usable within a week.  We are not talking just outfitting an established room, but building an extension on the second story first. 



Sarah and Emma having a ball dressing up as "mum and dad"

The third Saturday of the month saw us at the YMCA again in Navaly, a small village about 5 km from Manipay. We enjoy these visits where we play games and sing songs with the wonderful Sri Lankan children. Vijay from the school is one of the directors of the group and puts a huge effort into caring for these children who have suffered so much.

Finally, there seems to be a real interest in a game of dress up over the past few days. The girls had a great time on the week end with Emma dressing up as daddy and Sarah dressing up as mummy (not A Mummy!!).

The construction process



Jacinta looked absolutely gorgeous

But the biggest smash hit of the season was Jacinta. As a surprise that was a week in the making, Mrs Pathman and some other staff ladies got Jacinta a formal sari and dressed her up in it on Monday. She was STUNNING! The photo in this post does not do her justice. The skill in folding and dressing in a sari is huge and Mrs Pathman did a wonderful job. I knew nothing about it till Jacinta turned up fully decked out. Where ever Jacinta went it was followed by lots of “Wow” comments from the female students, I don’t think the boys were game. It is interesting to note that just in the short time Jacinta had the sari on she probably had more conversations with the female staff than in the previous months combined.  The next day Jacinta got dressed up in the staff uniform.

Jacinta in her staff uniform

 

Take care one and all and please keep in touch

Andrew, Jacinta, Sarah and Emma

Around Sri Lanka in 14 days (with apologies Jules Verne)

 

We returned to Jaffna on the 2^nd of May after the most wonderful 14 day tour holiday. Sri Lanka is such a beautiful country and it seemed that every 100km presented such a different experience it is almost as if it is several countries all rolled up into one. I will not bore you with all the holiday details but this post will be a quick snapshot of our trip and show you some pictures of our travels and an idea of the experiences we have had. It is a very edited version but may give you an idea

Our driver Janeka picked us up from the school on the morning of day one of the trip, Friday the 19^th of April. Once out of Jaffna city itself the shocking poor roads gave way to quite reasonable surfaces which stayed that way for most of the trip. The roads were far better than expected.

Our first temple, 2600 years old!!!!

 

the rock temple

Our first night stay was in the city of Anuradpura, the site of one on the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka. Massive collections on temples and palaces were all around the area.

relaxing with a walk at dusk at hotel

 

 after temples all day

Day 2 saw us at more temples and it was very hot. It was soon apparent that the girls were not so impressed with temples (ancient ruins) as Andrew was and they went on a “temple strike”.  He went to most of the sites but the girls were more selective and stayed in the comfort of the air-conditioned van watching monkeys.

The palace at the ancient capital

statue of the dead budda

Day 3 saw us climb Lion Rock and to be honest I have no idea how we made it. An amazing collection of ancient gardens and palaces were sat on this impressive spot. Sarah loved the climb and Emma was luckily carried a fair way up and all the way down by a strong guide.

Lion rock



part of the climb up Lion Rock

Emma "helping" one of the guides up the rock



View from the top

Emma's helper, he carried her almost the whole way up and down the rock!

We travelled on a buffalo drawn cart, three wheeler and boat on a village tour and found how to cook some of the vegetables we see at the markets and how to make roti and pol sambol



great way to travel

A tough life for farmers, they guard their crops in huts like these high in trees from the nightly attacks by elephants

Jacinta making rice flour

my new day job

 

Day 4 saw us travelling to cooler Kandy with a visit to the Pinnewala Elephant Orphanage, watching the elephants bathing in the river. Our hotel in Kandy was probably the highlight of the trip for the girls. It was the pathway for a troupe of macaque monkeys from their evening home in the forest to the day time adventures around the lake area. Their route took them right past our windows!!!!!! The girls were totally blown away with the show each morning and evening. We may go back to Kandy for a week just to watch the monkeys and have the monkeys watch us.

Bath time at the elephant orphanage 

We also visited the “temple of the tooth” with the promise to the girls that this was the last temple.

Temple of the Tooth was beautiful

Day 5 saw more monkey watching and a stroll around the Kandy botanic gardens.

They grow the bamboo BIG round here

BETTER than TV.. WATCHING MONKEYS!!!

An appropriate warning!!

View from our hotel room window

We did not know who was watching who...or whom?????

Sarah was just so excited!

Day 6 and a windy drive from Kandy to Nawara Eliyia. We spent some time wandering through a tea plantation, watching the ladies pick tea. It’s a hard job and will not be a career change for us.  Contrary to the usual tourist images the women were mature middle aged not the slim young beauties seen in advertising.  We also visited the Mackwood Labrooke Tea Factory and on a brief tour saw how tea was picked, dried, rolled, fermented, heated and packed.  We had a lovely cup of tea and chocolate cake overlooking mountains covered in tea plantation.

A tough backreaking job

 

Beautiful country

Day 7 was a quiet day with the visit to a “milk farm” as they put it and a really good drive through the country side.

Day 8 was a 4 hour train trip through the tea plantations to Ella and then a drive to Uda walawe. We climbed little Adam's Peak which presented an incredible view. Also the weather change was amazing. It is easy to see how people lose their lives in mountain country. It went from sunny and clear to zero visibility in 10 minutes. We made a good choice to turn around from our climb as we saw the clouds pour in.

Train trip to Ella,

Little Adam's peak

Our great driver Janeka with Emma

The weather changed within minutes

Day 9, amazing with safaris in 2 different national parks, Uda walawe. in the morning  and Yala in the evening. Lots of elephants, buffaloes, monkeys, deer, crocodiles, birds but the absolute highlight was the leopard. We were so excited after quite a long chase to see it three times. It walked just in front of our jeep.  Apparently coming across a leopard is not too common.

Lots of water buffalo

 

Tonnes more photos of lots of animals but don't want to bore you, the Leopard was just so cool though!!!!

 

 

Day 10 saw us travel from Tissa to the far South and a stay at Unawatuna, a beach side resort just east of Galle.  You know the scenes of crystal blue waters with swaying coconut palms, sun lounges on the sand with dining tables on the beach.  That was it, a perfect location.

Traditional fishing on the Southern Coastline

Dinner in style on the beach near Galle

Day 11 Playing on the beach and pool and a trip around Galle to the historic Galle fort.

The Galle Fort overlooking city and famous cricket ground. A really amazing city. We would love to see more of it.

Day 12 On the way to Colombo saw another real highlight with the Madu Lake Boat Safari.  Sarah holding a baby monkey and baby crocodile was just awesome. Seeing that cinnamon sticks are still made by hand was impressive.  Fish nibbling our feet was very ticklish.

On the Mangrove and lake tour

Sarah said she would trade the squirrels in for the baby monkey

Next seasons handbag????

Making cinnimon sticks the hard way

Now we know how the worms feels

Sarah could not contain herself!!!!

Day 13 We had a quiet time in Colombo and did lots of R and R and Jacinta had some retail therapy. It was Labour Day holiday so they only things open were a supermarket, bookstore, and food court and it was so exciting to be in a clean shop with choice.  We were very surprised by our reaction to what we saw as a real western style stores and shopping malls. We had an experience of reverse culture shock. It will be interesting when we return home to see if the same thing happens.

Day 14 was a 9 and a half our drive. We could tell we were getting closer to Jaffna by the increased number of cows on the road, increased poverty and poorer road conditions.  We told the girls they weren’t allow to ask ‘Are we nearly there yet?’ until there the roads where single lane.

Sri Lanka is a very diverse country with jungle, beaches, hill country, ancient ruins cities, modern cities, agricultural areas and the war torn north.  We stayed in fabulous hotels and enjoyed the luxury of being on holidays with others caring for our needs and wants.

Coming back to Jaffna was a hard return to the real world. It is very hot and we are straight back into school work. Already the holiday is starting to be a bit of a blur and it is hard to remember all the experiences but we have 100’s of photos and hope you got an idea from the selection in this post.

Hope you enjoyed a taste of our wonderful adventure in this truely beautiful country. Now its back to the hard work.