The Final Countdown

John blogs ...

Bran flakes and raisins to start the day. Chatted with Nadira about GSE programmes and changes being proposed for future exchanges. The jury’s out on this for now.

 A very quiet day – wonderful – with time to email, blog, edit (so many) photos - and even started reading the first few chapters of the book I brought with me.

 Lunch was a very tasty Indian meal of beef, veg and papadums with home-made curd drink, and chatted with Nadira’s children about school, extra clubs and hopes for the future. Their son wants to become a chef and go into the hotel business, and their daughter wants to go to Paris to study a range of Arts. Good luck to both of them.

Modified our final ‘wrapping up’ presentation which was structured as follows:

• Slide 1 Intro to District 1100 (very brief)
• Slide 2 Intro to Team Vocations (Very brief)
• Slide 3 List of Homestay Clubs
• Slides 4-8 Compilation of our individual vocational visits
• Slide 9 Club presentations and District Conference
• Slide 10 Compilation of Cultural Visits - about 7 photos of the whole team in various locations
• Slide 11 Team Photo to allow us to thank everyone profusely

Intro screenshot of our presentations

I saved it as ‘Team Presentation 7’ which gives some idea of the various versions we’ve worked with during our time here. I think having at least one laptop with the team is an essential piece of kit. We were fortunate that Claire blagged her way to borrowing another one which was of real help.

Jenny had a busy but rewarding day on various last minute vocational visits which were very good. The other girls went to the Colombo Swimming Club and their lunch included hot buttered cuttlefish and salads. Interesting to note that the joining cost of life membership of the swimming club is US$ 5000 and for the Colombo Golf Club it’s US$ 3000 – an obvious way to maintain the quality of membership. Plus annual fees on top of course. Then to shop, and I got the sense that they’ve now finished purchasing.

 Our final presentation – arranged at the last minute – was a joint meeting between Colombo Reconnections and Cinnamon Gardens Club. Colombo Reconnections Club grew out of GSE Team members and were a lively group of young professionals who had now expanded to about 25 members. Seems a good idea. It was good to see younger members and women there. Including our team and two visitors from Sydney, there were 17 in attendance altogether.

No 23 banner exchange - with Colombo Reconnections

Sang the National Anthem, read the Rotary Pledge, lots of introductions and welcomes. I delivered the presentation (solo), we exchanged banners, took photos, had a brief ‘fellowship’ drink then excused ourselves (with some difficulty) from dinner as we’d already decided we wanted a meal by ourselves at The Cricket Club – our first evening meal together as a team without hosts.

Speedy and exciting tuk-tuk ride dropped us for lovely Western meal – for me, chicken parmagiana with fries and coleslaw, followed by pavlova. The girls had a variety of burgers and wraps. Very nice thankyou.

 The girls kindly presented me with a photo of themselves in a frame as a thankyou which is really appreciated and thoughtful – thanks team. We signed our book for Suresh and feel we’ve got present-giving at tomorrow night’s final event sorted.

Our first meal alone, together, at The Cricket Club. Very pleasant evening

Conveniently, Nadira and Adam collected Jenny and me from the Cricket Club in their brand new Prius as they were returning from a wedding. They were dressed beautifully in traditional clothes. There was a suggestion of going on to another party but in the end we decided that a half hour drive there and then back would have been just too much. And Adam had to be at work for 5 in the morning as he’s working on an important legal case.

 Showered, mozzie-repellent, blast of air-con to cool down the room and then to sleep.