10th July 2013

Last day. Called and then texted Tiffany – she still needs to talk to her husband about it all. No reply as of this evening. Don't want to pressure her so I wont contact again – can email from UK. Thasleem • Contract is signed for 2.5 years from now. All written in Tamil – but Thasleem read it to me. Seems fine • School to start in January – rather than September – which makes sense as start of new school year. • Ramadan 28th June to 28th July next year. I was concerned that summer holiday would follow this period, but school will be open next August 2013 so we can come then • April another option. School closes for one week but Thasleem not sure which week. • Quote is in for the grilles on the windows (12 of them) and fixing the wooden shutters. LKR 160,000. • Tree will cost about LKR 1,000 to take down • Tiles hopefully will be donated but we will incur small cost to place them on the roof. • Playground – still not discussed with grandma. • I expressed sadness about the problems with Rafeek and hope that they will resolve in time • I also expressed our confidence in Thasleem • He is excited • The logo is redone and I will send for your approval. He has managed to squeeze in some araliya flowers and put AEF on the petals of the biggest flower. I think it is great. • He has designed some headed notepaper too • I paid him LKR 10,000 to acknowledge the work he would be doing. I had meant this to take him through to September when I thought the school would open. Now that not till January we will have to get him some more money (how much?). I can send through western union until we sort out management situation Tiffany vs RMF. • I broke the first day of Ramadan fast with Thasleem and his wife. Special. Amusing story (totally made my day) Three days ago when I was moving hotels I left my favourite hat and a bottle of water in a tuk tuk. I was so upset to lose that hat after all these years. I have kept an eye out for the driver but there are so many tuk tuks. Anyway yesterday after mourning for two days, I gave up and bought another - and not nearly so nice - hat. Today I needed to go to the bank and so hailed a tuk tuk. Guess what - it was the same guy! I recognized him. I asked him about my hat and he said he had at home and he would bring it later. I suggested we go straight to his house and get it - via the bank. As we were driving down the backstreets I did wonder if this was a good/safe idea............ Anyway we went to his house and of course I had to go in and have tea with his wife and his little daughter. They produced the hat and the water! I gave them the water, of course, and when we got back I gave him the new hat that I had bought, I also paid him twice the tuk tuk fare. He was delighted and now Mansoon, the tuk tuk driver - sporting my new hat - is my new best friend! He's constantly waiting outside hotel for me. 'Where to madam' 'Im just going to the beach' 'I take you' 'No need - I only have to walk across the road' 'Okay - where to next?' 'The school - later' 'What time?' ‘5pm’ 'Okay I come 4pm' 'No - please don't. Come 5pm' 'No problem madam' And he came 4pm anyway!! So happy to be reunited with my hat!