Hi everyone, sorry the blog has been posted late, this is due to a mad night with the buddies.
The day all started with a visit to the Tzu Chi school where we practiced our dance for a final time. The performance included a Sri Lankan style wooden stick dance and everyone put 100% effort in.
This was shortly followed by a visit to the shops in Hambantota where lots of souvenirs, clothes and food were purchased. After this we strolled down the road of tut tut shops which are smaller, family owned businesses that attract tourists with their iconic elephant statues and printed trousers.
Next, we went back to The Janoda Foundation for lunch where we all ate a delicious meal cooked by Buddhi, Christian, Sam and Amy. At 6 o’clock, the buddies and parents came to Janoda for our final meal and party. We all worked together to set up the stage as the parents sat down for a drink. We ate dinner cooked by Buddhi and Karu and made our way outside to perform our dance.
All went well and we sat down to watch the rest of the show put together by the Tzu Chi dance teacher. Sam did a surprise speech which he had not prepared for, so he kept it short and sweet.
The DJ turned up the music as the party started. Everyone was dancing, especially Ilham (Matts buddy) who got it started with his extremely vibrant and original dance moves. The party went on a lot later then anyone expected meaning that we could all have a good sleep on the plane home the next day. It was an amazing end to a great trip. Thank you Karu and Buddhi for your generosity and allowing us to stay in your home and a huge thanks to Carol and Smita for taking us to this amazing country.
By Archie Warner
Brilliant blog Archie, thanks