I have been trying to write a blog for a few days now, and no I am not suffering from writer’s block; firstly I wouldn’t really call this writing more babbling and secondly it has been problems with the website that have prevented me from posting a blog. To elaborate on the title, as anyone who has lived away from their home for a prolonged period of time knows that as many new friends you make they do not replace your friends and family back home, and after time the inevitable homesickness can set in. However I can safely say that the advances in communications make these feelings so much easier to cope with. When I first went away to school as a scrawny nine year old and letters being the only way to communicate, phone calls were allowed but could only be received, you always had 20 odd girls listening to your end of the conversation and my parents were not the best at timing their calls before we went to bed (it all seems a bit cruel in hindsight). In comparison to now when although I am now far, far further away, the ability to stay in touch with my family and friends is unbelievably easy – with my parents currently on one of their crazy trans Europe bike rides it is me in the Maldives who is uploading their photos to their blog slightly belatedly I must admit, and I am able to see the rest of my family and friends on skype anytime we can actually organise it. All the ways we can communicate make being away much, much easier, although it does mean that sometimes you feel you are missing out on things it makes the distance between you so much shorter, I love it!!!
News from the Maldives is that the rainy season combined with school exams and now holidays plays havoc with attendance at swimming lessons and one day I could be sat on the beach in the rain waiting for only one, or sometimes no, students to turn up and other days I have a full class in the blazing sunshine. This varying attendance can be really frustrating but I have made it policy that lessons always go ahead unless there is thunder and lightning. For the reputation of the project either swimming or rowing it is really important that I am reliable and dedicated to the children, if I do not show up without warning then this is hugely detrimental to my credibility and therefore the whole project’s image. I know this is a very grandiose opinion of myself but a child does turn up and I am not there word spreads very, very quickly here – so what I am trying to say is that recently I have spent quite a large proportion of my time sat in the rain on the beach!! On the positive side the rain is not cold and rarely is longer than a brief shower and always better than British rain!
News from the Maldives is that the rainy season combined with school exams and now holidays plays havoc with attendance at swimming lessons and one day I could be sat on the beach in the rain waiting for only one, or sometimes no, students to turn up and other days I have a full class in the blazing sunshine. This varying attendance can be really frustrating but I have made it policy that lessons always go ahead unless there is thunder and lightning. For the reputation of the project either swimming or rowing it is really important that I am reliable and dedicated to the children, if I do not show up without warning then this is hugely detrimental to my credibility and therefore the whole project’s image. I know this is a very grandiose opinion of myself but a child does turn up and I am not there word spreads very, very quickly here – so what I am trying to say is that recently I have spent quite a large proportion of my time sat in the rain on the beach!! On the positive side the rain is not cold and rarely is longer than a brief shower and always better than British rain!