Phip
Philippa Skipper Joined: June 15th 2009
Logged in: December 15th 2009
Logged in: December 15th 2009
Travel Blog Posts
Cake!
So long, farewell, auf wierdersehen, goodbye! The boys at the pool planted a fruit tree and called it The Skipper tree at the pool so they could remember me every day. It really was incredible touching and totally unexpected, Chami made me a special lunch packet and bought me a gift! For people with very little money it shows what kind of hearts these guys have! In fact, everyone that made an effort to say goodbye was incredibly generous and overwhelming and there are so many things I will miss. My time in Sri Lanka has been something very special and there are no words to really describe what it meant to me, but I have to say it is great to be home!... read more
Sudu and Bec
Bec’s Birthday Beach Party, 12 September I am sure the photos will speak for themselves. It was a good night, plenty of cocktails and vodka (which is evil), dancing and fire throwing! The day after was not that pretty. I managed drag my sorry body to the beach where a sea bath always fixes a sore head. A very slow day and I was very keen to get back into bed and wake up feeling like a normal person again. This week is my last in Sri Lanka, however I firmly believe there will be a time when I return as I have had a great time and so pleased that I was able to do something I enjoy and to contribute to a project where a real difference has been made. The people are friendly ... read more
Beginning lesson for school holiday classes
Carrying on from the tour with the girls, Sal and I came back to Unawatuna for a few days before she flew home and I flew off to Malaysia for a visa run. We spent our time on the beach, wandering around the fort, or for me with a stomach bug again on the last day of Sal’s visit! Luckily it was wet and miserable anyway, so it was a reading, chatting and sleeping day. Our driver, Sam picked us up promptly at midnight for our trip to the airport and to go our separate ways. I had 3 days in KL shopping for baby clothes for George and Sully’s little muppet, who would be about 3 weeks old now. Things are very cheap in KL and I think I may have bought quite enough for ... read more
Ella Railway Station
Some pics from our Tour, plus a few anecdotes from the past few weeks/months! It’s the little things! From the never ending power failures to the deaf man across the road smiling and giving me a wave when he goes to collect the water each day. The kids at the pool bowing at my feet after they have had a lesson and the ones that make sure they say thank you in English, because they can, or being called Aunty. These are all signs of respect and are quite moving. The coaches being comfortable with me at the pool and telling me what to do or playing jokes on me! (I do get my own back on them of course.) And just when you think you have it all sorted, something goes astray! Like yesterday, Bubba ... read more
At the pool
Well, it has been a while since I put anything down in writing so I will just jump straight in with the girls visiting! Bertha (Nicoral as she is now known) don’t ask, I am not sure I even know and I was there! And Trin and Sal came over on 16 August, arrived around 9pm with Sam the driver I had arranged. They got on well with Sam because he let them drink and smoke in the van from the airport! Of course social excitement got in the way and we managed to polish off a bottle of duty free gin by about 1am. Sal was up bright and early the next morning, so we all had to get up, hangovers and all. Headed to the beach for breakfast and for a day of sun, ... read more
Guy at the beginning of the Perehera
Well, since my last post I have been a bit under the weather, something didn’t like me and needed to come out and out it came. I am sure I don’t have to paint too vivid a picture for you, however in case you don’t get it, all ends were on full alert and active. I have been house bound and bed ridden for the past 3 days, I finally crawled out and rejoined the living for the festival that began today (today being Poya Day or Full Moon). Anyway, I had forgotten how bad it really is when you are so sick you can’t think straight and all you want is the comforts of home. Bec bought me some traditional medicines, one from Chami being ½ cup tea with a lime squeezed into it. It ... read more
Lovers on Galle Face Walk
2nd August Just back from a weekend in Colombo. There isn’t any wonder why the guide books say many people bypass the capital, there is not much to do even by the local’s standards. I headed up on Friday by bus, which was an extremely uncomfortable ride for 3 hours, reminiscent of a small mini bus crammed full of people in Cambodia and no one wants to relive that story, do they George? At least this was 3 hours and not 16 or whatever is was back then and for 200 rupees you can’t have luxury! The ride back was in a slightly bigger bus but no more comfortable. I think they design buses for the locals height and not foreigners over 5ft 2 as my knees are brusied from pushing into the seat in front ... read more
Japanese Monk
23 July Fireflys are amazing little guys, I love watching them in the evening, the light up an otherwise dark sky. I have no idea how they work, they just do. They come into my room at night and fly around creating a glow that is different to anything I have seen before. I will miss them when I go. The project is coming along well, even though Dharmadasa is just not cutting the mustard! The trustees from Adopt Sri Lanka want me to stay on for another 3 months, however money wise this is not really feasible. I have agreed to one month more which means I have to do a visa run to Kuala Lumper at the end of August. Hopefully they will let me back in, I am on the way home if ... read more
12 July The driver to take me to Kalutara where the English competition was being held was an hour late which meant he drove like a maniac to get me there for the afternoons judging….a little scary at times, a few white knuckles could be seen! I was the only judge, let alone foreigner, and I had to judge school children of all ages on their pronunciation, clarity, presentation and choice of English prose, drama or poem. Some of the kids were very difficult to understand, most yelled into the microphone so you could not get the pronunciation or clarity anyway and some just froze and said nothing! It was all in the experience….then I was taken home by two other men who I had no idea who they were or how they were connected to ... read more
