Melting

Auntie Shirley's visit in April - we had a nice time on the beach in the rain










We are in the hot season now and although there are intermittent days when it thunders and rains and is cooler, it is just soooo hot now. Joe's nursery has fans but they do not use them - I was expecting them to go on in the very hot season, but they only put one on above where the Director is sitting. I can last about 50 minutes there before I melt. I have had some maternity frocks made! They're not quite in the "nightie" style that locals wear when they are in my condition, but they have the same loose fitting cooling effect.




Much requested picture of some houses Mike recently handed over to beneficiaries







The recent difficulties in the North and East have caused many delays to the work up there, but the South is still progressing well. Staff were evacuated from the North and East, but some have already returned. It has not affected life down South.




A children's new year event (Buddhist New Year in April) that Mike attended. The event consisted of about 20 different activities all involving knocking the living daylights out of each other.





The holiday season has continued from April to May. It has included Muslim chanting for a month, from about 4 houses away from us during the evenings - so loud we can't hear our Ally McBeal and Frasier DVDs we've put on to drown out the noise. Last weekend was the Buddhist Wesak festival (Buddha's birth and death and enlightenment day) where they light up the town with lots of lanterns and flags.





Joe-Joe knowing he looks cute in Daddy's hat and sandals













Joe and I are taking things slowly. I have set up a paddling pool in our kitchen and some days that is the only way we can keep Joe cool. Joe doesn't stop rabbitting on - using lots of long sentences and interesting observations. He points at boats out at sea and says 'get it, push it'. His fixation with modes of transport has not waned. He's a whizz at pushing himself along on his tricycle and has learned to hold a cricket bat - if I have taught him properly that is.

I am beginning to find the house helper to be more of a help now. She is showing a good ability to learn how to cook western meals and can write in Sinhala, so can write the recipes down. We are getting on much better. I taught her how to do the washing up yesterday in half the time than she normally takes. Little by little we are getting there and I am increasingly grateful when I get in and all the cleaning, cooking and ironing has been done.






Our local church













We still don't know if Mike's contract will be extended from October. We keep being told it will, and then another complication arises, such as this week finding there will be restrictions on the number of foreigners being given visas to work here. It would be nice to know whether we are booking a one-way or return ticket in July.