Well I’m back in Addu arrived on Friday night. It has been lovely to see everyone again and catch up with all their news about new jobs, new bicycles and housing renovations! Other than expressing how nice it is to see me again the main comment is ‘ah you are so WHITE! How is that possible, you were only away for a month....? That would be the English winter for you.
I’m staying with the family I was living with before I left and was greeted by squeals, screams and jumps at the door by 3 year old Mikael! I was given the tour of the house to see all the changes that have been made to convert part of it into a new restaurant. Looks great. The Education Unit had made a go beautiful little ‘welcome back’ card which was on my old desk and as it was Mary’s birthday, my first day back started with a slice of chocolate cake – yummy!
So yes it’s all about the rowing again. However, something new has cropped up since I went away. FISA (International Rowing Federation) has invited the Maldives to attend the training camp taking place before the Asian 2012 pre Olympic Qualification Regatta in Chungju, South Korea. So I am meeting with the principals of the schools involved to discuss this on Tuesday and hopefully run selections to determine who the two rowers will be. We can take one girl and one boy along with a coach. What an opportunity and experience for everyone!
Then it’s back to the original plan of holding an interschool competition in July.... I’ve gathered from a couple of people I bumped into yesterday that the rowers have been keeping themselves busy in the last month or so getting involved in other sporting activities from athletics competitions to swimming and doing very well. Going down to unearth my chariot of a bike from storage in a minute - somehow I think a service/oil and air is going to be required. Then tomorrow is the jolly task of reassembling the boats – always so much slower than taking them apart – to get everything back in order and ready for business!
X Tash
I’m staying with the family I was living with before I left and was greeted by squeals, screams and jumps at the door by 3 year old Mikael! I was given the tour of the house to see all the changes that have been made to convert part of it into a new restaurant. Looks great. The Education Unit had made a go beautiful little ‘welcome back’ card which was on my old desk and as it was Mary’s birthday, my first day back started with a slice of chocolate cake – yummy!
So yes it’s all about the rowing again. However, something new has cropped up since I went away. FISA (International Rowing Federation) has invited the Maldives to attend the training camp taking place before the Asian 2012 pre Olympic Qualification Regatta in Chungju, South Korea. So I am meeting with the principals of the schools involved to discuss this on Tuesday and hopefully run selections to determine who the two rowers will be. We can take one girl and one boy along with a coach. What an opportunity and experience for everyone!
Then it’s back to the original plan of holding an interschool competition in July.... I’ve gathered from a couple of people I bumped into yesterday that the rowers have been keeping themselves busy in the last month or so getting involved in other sporting activities from athletics competitions to swimming and doing very well. Going down to unearth my chariot of a bike from storage in a minute - somehow I think a service/oil and air is going to be required. Then tomorrow is the jolly task of reassembling the boats – always so much slower than taking them apart – to get everything back in order and ready for business!
X Tash