BBQs and flu

Another week is about to end here in Dubai. Right now, my head is filled with a cold, a glas of wine and a lot of Shakespeare. I´m about to start Romeo and Juliet next week and in another few weeks, Macbeth, which I haven't actually ever read....will be interesting. Anyway, I'm not one to give up on my students and am therefore studying hard. Last week it was time for semester reports and there was a lot of last minute marking, individual talks and catching up on my part. I'm far too nice to my students, I know. There were definitely some good things with Vittra Lidingö, when it comes to student development and individual goals (where I used to work in Stockholm). I'm hoping that I've taken at least some of it with me to my present school, although the structure is very different.
The family has had a lot of colds and flues the last few weeks. The weather is changing from hot to cold and back again, which isn't good for anyone. Yesterday, we had yet another wonderful bbq with our wonderful neighbours and I'm beginning to think that maybe it won't be long until the heat arrives for real and we'll all move inside...strange isn't it.

Here are some lovely memories of 2012 so far. Visit from grandparents, Emma's birthday and random fun :)

Sleep well and have a nice week everyone! Valentines here we go! Diamonds and gold, right!?

James discovered that eating the icing was far more fun than preparing the cup cakes....

Ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins of course!

Mr and Mrs Kiely visiting Atlantis. We took the train this time, so much more fun!

Celebrating Jon's birthday meal in a steak house of course.

Sri Lanka part 3 Hikkaduwa

I think it's time to finish my Sri Lanka blog...

Our last few days were spent next to the town Galle, in a place called Hikaduwa. A fantastic little beach resort. The hotel Supercorals, was again a 3 star hotel, we didn't even have TV in our room, but it was fine. We got a room so cheap (I can recommend booking online, you can get some amazing deals) right next to the garden and pool area, which is far more important when you have a James in the family, who only wants to play football and cricket.

One of our most memorable experiences was feeding huge sea turtles who came close to the beach in the morning to eat seaweed from the corals. This fisherman came every morning to pick seaweed and then he fed two turtles at the same time every morning. he'd beendoing it for 8 years. Obviously the tourists love it, so not a bad business idea. Then he would talk them into going on his boat to go diving and fishing. He was such a nice man, almost no teeth and no clothes. He walked around in an old IKEA staff t-shirt most days, which I found quite funny. Obviously, there's no IKEA in Sri Lanka and obviously, he'd never worked there. Our last day, he told me he had 3 daughters and his youngets was 8 like Emma. I gave him 2 of Emma's skirts and some pens. Felt awful that I couldn't give him more...Someone told me that the schools in Sri Lanka have very little supplies and almost no pens. I thought about all the pens that our drawers are full of, and it almost made me sick. We also gave some pens to a girl in the dress shop. Her grandma was making a dress for Emma. She was sewing on an old Singer from 1910.

Another thing about Hikaduwa was the momory of the Tsunami. They suffered greatly from the Tsunami and there was a huge monument to remember those who died, right near the sea. There were also many graves near the sea and many houses had never been rebuilt. Only the foundations were still there, as a reminder of what had happened. People couldn't afford to rebuild them and in some cases whole familes died and the houses were just left. One positive thing that came out of it, was that people from all over the world donated money and helped them start rebulding more modern houses.

All in all, we had a lovely time in Hikaduwa, visited one of the 7 most beautiful beaches in the world, a turtle nursery, had a lot of prawns and fish and went on tuctucs every day.

I'd definitely go back to Galle again. Somehow though, I think it's going to be more expensive next time. It really was a place under 'recontruction' and expansion. Next door to us they were building a new 4 star hotel, that looked very 'European'. The tourism industry is growing, that's for sure.