the last two weeks have been fairly busy but all great, do like being busy! ok so last time i left you that we were going to a friends house for lunch...it was sooo good, sri lankans just love to keep feeding you up no stopping unless you make them, it was delicious and finshed with ice cream and jelly..mmmmm! we got shown around there house, amazing outdoors kitchen, garden, water well and the husbands wood work area..he made the most amazing elephants out of coconut wood.
that sunday emer and i went to galle...long story involing a lost purse and our first visit to a Sri Lankan police station but wont go into that (although emer might further down...), all worked out good due to some very kind strangers! we got a great bus ride out of it all at night to galle, the sky was so so gorgeous:
Galle at night is a totally different place... loved it!
galle in the day:
next to old bus stand
galle veggie marketback to school on the monday till thursday that week and definietly had 2 of my best teaching days yet on wednesday and thursday! we took class 2B who begun of not saying anything, we tried and tried to get them to learn the colours but nothing...then slowly they eased in to it and it was amazing they were all chanting the colours at us by the end of the lesson, felt like they may have learnt a little bit...we also read a book called "dont you laugh at me" that day which went down so well..actually was laughing loads without even trying!
the last 2 weeks Emer and I have been taking groups of 4 out of some classes to have smaller groups of conversational english to try get the most out of there time, it seems to be working out really well and has really given me an idea of how good some of the kids are. We have also had 2 thursday sessions of volleyball with about 35 boys...ahhhhh it is mentaaal!! one net, 2 balls (well 1 the second session) and 35 10-13 year old boys!! they love competition and if you mention FINAL it is a ig deal! i to be honest have no idea about volleyball really but it seems fairly easy to pick up the rules and the kids just want to muck around really!!
Friday the 1st was NATIONAL CHILDRENS DAY: we had no idea what to expect from this and as we dont go to SGV on fridays we stayed here and watched the UMV school concert, which was full of songs (english and sinhala), dancing, speeches and some starnge ball game on stage which if you lost you had to do a forfeit on stage infont of the whole crowd...e.g act like a baby or dance. that afternoon we learnt from the boys host mum how to make coconut rotties!! they are like think coconut pancakes...all you need is about 50/50 coconut and wheat flour and some water to make a dough then roll flat into a circle and cook till fairly solid..so yummy! i cracked a coconut like a sri lankan!!! with a big knife and coconut in my hand...pretty proud...Emer has also managed now too!!
coconuts and papayas are now in my favourite foods list...definietly bringing a coconut scrapper home!
that weekend we were so busy and felt like locals! we watched some of the southern provience dance competition that was held here, went to galle - ate in a local curry place, had the amazing fruit salad we always get in galle, then that evening we went to the temple across from our house (as one of the teachers here lives there and invited us all) - we laernt so much about buddhism, it is facinating, an amazing religion (from what i know), after the temple we came back to our house and couldnt sleep so went for a wonder into the village and found that the local bread shop has a wee cafe and makes this amazing dough/chicken/veggie curry/stir fry ...seriously good!! met the local family who work and live there and talk to them loads ever since. that sunday we went back to jungle beach and chilled out although there were some problems with emer and a very slippery rock...been playing some beach cricket - they just love that sport here.
oh and forgot to mention we (emer, jo, alan and myself -although finn and tris are joining this week) have had 2 dance lessons, getting them every monday, its kandian dancing (tradtional) - i am fairly pants and Emer is awesome! its a lot of squating and funny positions, looks a lot easier than it is...might get there at some point...
we also got bikes this week!! 2 between the 6 of us to share!! Emer and I already went on an awesome bike ride round the back roads then back along the coast to here..i absolutly loved it you see so much more on a bike than the crazy buses...
We also met the funders of SENAHASA TRUST (who have put so much great work into the schools we work at and more in sri lanka for the last 5 years) , Mrs Ratnatunga and her daughter Kumu, it was wonderful to meet them. We had a great meal at Jo and Alans house with them, finshed with possibly thee best brownies i have eaten (or maybe its just because i haven't eaten much chocolate here so far..also had some more chicken..woohoo meat!).
this past wednesday was INTERNATIONAL TEACHERS DAY: once again we didnt know what to expect... we turned up at SGV as usual, had assembly which this time all the teachers sat up on the stage like area then the prefects came up and gave us all a poster each with a drawing and poem/speech on it about thanking teachers for what they do ( was very sweet). That day we only had 1 lesson as it was basically a day full of eating cakes/bananas/biscuits that the kids had put out in there classrooms for us...over load of sugar! we were also given some amazing flowers which have now made our kitchen look so much more lived in!
Today we went to visit Mihiripenna M.V school - this is the school Emer and I will be teaching at every thursday and friday from now on! it was great we met the principle and 4 english staff, went to watch a class and get the feel for the school, we also organsied what out teaching timetable would be..almost seemed a little too simple to organise mmm...cant wait to start there though, felt like it was a really lovely school, it is smaller than SGV and the classes have only about 18 maximum. they are also champions at volleyball...so maybe emer and i can get some of those 35 boys we coach and get a proper game on...
the language is being picked up slowly in parts..everyone wants to help. the saris are still amazing and getting better at putting them on...think i may slash out this weekend and buy this amazing blue one i found in Galle...the food is amazing, love it more and more s we go (get alot of left overs from the school kitchen which are always great!).
thanks to everyone who i got letters/parcels from, will reply to you soon! busy weekend ahead...
hope your all great! having a great time here, learning/settling/finding out more and more as we go!
love to everyone. kirstin xxx
EMER HERE!! :) okay so this place just keeps getting better. Im fully settled now ( i hope) and I'm having a great time with Kirst. Although i must admit the past week has been one involving many accidents- a missing purse with everything of value inside it (yes yes i know...i shouldnt be so stupid) it all worked out though!! I whacked my tailbone off some rocks on the beach (ouch...) and my sun burn is something of a disaster but you know what? Just being here makes up for ALL of that and more, plus i have Kirst to make me laugh at how much of an idiot i am. I'm getting ridiculously into photography now too and whilst talking to my mum on the phone was able to capture some really cool bats at dusk (check it out below and yes mum....i was listening to you too dont worry!)
Love to all! Suba davasak!! xx
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