PINCH PUNCH FIRST OF THE MONTH
I haven't written since Saturday. Just couldn't be bothered. It not that I don't have anything to say, that would be most unlike me, just haven't had the inclination to sit in front of the PC after sitting in front of it all day!
So in a nutshell, highlights of the last 2.5 days are as follows:
We had our first ESL lesson over the internet using SKYPE. It went pretty well. With a little prompting from me, the girls spoke to Mark in the US and though embarrassed I think enjoyed it. So with that ESL lesson down, we've got another one on Saturday with Tina in the UK. This should be interesting. Tina is still bidding for her headset on eBay...all be it that it's only 2 quid...but bidding should be over this morning so I wonder if she is the successful owner of a multi media headset. Crazy bird she is. TOO TIGHT i say to go buy one for 14 quid from Dixons!
I became a true Sri Lankan cheesy pop star.....oh you would have all cringed. For the ESL lesson, Dammika, a local school teacher/electrician came to video the event. Wanni took the opportunity to ask him to record the Theme song I had written. But what I didn't know was that he wanted it filmed OUTSIDE with the trees and butterflies.....is this sounding like the cheesiest music video ever...well it gets better. So eventually, all was set up but on the road side of the computer lab which meant that every Ravi, Sena and Wanni going past got to have a good listen too. So I had to belt out the theme song at the top of my voice whilst Dammika filmed me crooning away. So take 1 done, time for Take two. It's quite amusing while your singing to have to suddenly compete with a tractor roaring past. So take 2 completed, I made to leave. BUT NO. The boss wanted more. MORE???!!! So I gave in and sang him the song I'd written for Craig...it's a cute song and at least I could remember the words and the tune!! So with more filming going on and my voice in need of a rest...I’m out of practise, I made to leave. BUT NO! The boss wanted more. I had to draw the line here...partly because I couldn't remember any more songs! So it was the turn of the THEME song again. This time Wanni insisted on filming. It wasn't till I'd finished and watched the final bit of filming that I cringed....Sri Lankans have a very eighties style of videoing. Lots of close up shots, of me, my hands.....very Ultravox. Oh it was so cheesy. But one good thing came of it. I have realised how thin I am these days and how fantastic my skin is looking.It was weird looking at myself like that. I really saw me. I looked so different. So young. Maybe it was the clothes or the light, but I swear I looked like I was 20 years old again. Wanni wants me to perform for the parents on the 10th...my last night. How pants is that. I'm supposed to be out there enjoying myself and getting pissed. Well maybe not. But now I'm gonna be the headlining act now. The Rock Star never left the building it seems. I have to admit it was nice to open up the vocal chords again. I love singing and haven’t really had much of an opportunity out here.
Balay the home guard is apparently distraught. He got shipped off to Army training camp before he could say goodbye to me and I leave before he returns. He is apparently broken hearted. I know this through Deepal. Here’s what he wrote me “Baley just visited here and he is really sorry about being unable to say goodbye personally. The heartbroken guy told me that he might kill the officer in charge, burn the camp into ashes, cut the barbed wire and fly to Mahavilachchiya just to hug the departing angel. So where ever you go do not be so nice because soon we will find dozens of broken hearted guys hanging in the jungle.” Now what can you say to that except…..Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!! Apparently, I’m a bit of a hit in the village. Not only because of my gorgeous looks, but apparently because I smile at people and I am friendly. Makes me wonder how many grumpy people there are in the world. Out here I am considered pretty great. It’s true. Even Wanni said it the other day, whilst we were watching the video of the pop career, I commented that I looked good. He replied “You look great, you are great”. This place is great for my ego. I’m surprised I can still fit my head through the door. I’m like a mini celebrity out here. I don’t take advantage of it but I like the adoration I get. Trouble is, how on earth am I going to go back to being boring old Marissa Charles of Forest Hill, living her doldrum existence on ready meals and Eastenders. I don’t want to be just ordinary. I want to do something amazing. Something people will remember me for. I know I will be remembered here. And maybe that’s all I need. But London is my home and I want to do something good there too. Not to be famous but just to be remembered. Man, I have a large ego really don’t I. I suppose we all secretly want to be remembered for doing something good…some more than others I guess.
Well, I’m ploughing through the work at the minute. Have been working with the girls to practice speaking the script for my fabulous presentation. I think we are gonna have a few problems. I made them record themselves and then played it back to them. I think it was the first time they had heard themselves speaking English and they realized how terrible they sounded. Not because they can’t speak, just because they are not very good a saying a whole sentence! I’m making them bring their scripts with them to Nuwara Eliya and we’ll practice. Don’t think I mentioned it, but we are off to Nuwara Eliya tomorrow. In a way I wish I wasn’t going because with only 10 days left, I kinda wanted to get everything in order. But Wanni was insistent that we had to go and the girls wouldn’t really get another chance once I’d gone. Fair enough. But what I don’t understand and I think sometimes it’s a case of living beyond your means, is the financial cost of this trip. I somehow got delegated the responsibility of finding accommodation (that’s another story) so started checking out my trusty Lonely Planet guide. I then asked Wanni is the girls were contributing to this trip and how much he was putting towards the trip. Of course I’d pay for myself. His answer was Rs 10000. OK we can do that I thought. Then he added a foot note of “for accommodation, transport and food” So naturally I asked how much transport was…it would be over Rs 9000. You can do the sums. Rs 1000 to feed 9 people (not including me) for 2 days plus 2 nights accommodation. I’m not sure how Wanni intended to fund this trip. This is what is bothering me. Really, they couldn’t afford to go on this trip and quite rightly should have opted for a day trip to somewhere. Was Wanni counting on me to coughing up some money? I know that sounds terribly paranoid on my part but how on earth else would he have been able to pay for them. See what I mean about living beyond your means. It’s a bad habit to have. So I’ve ended up offering to pay for the accommodation which I don’t mind. But it was wrong of Wanni to give the girls hopes of a trip when they couldn’t afford it and he couldn’t afford it. There’s my moral sermon for the day. So we are off. I’ve booked us a tea plantation bungalow for 2 nights. Wanni was so paranoid about the girls sleeping in a hotel. He wanted to have them and me sleep in one room. Not sure why. He seems to think people will take advantage of them…sometimes I think the only person taking advantage of them is him.(sorry Wanni that’s gonna sting) So I found us a whole house. It’s costing me GBP 3.75 per night per person….there’s 11 of us so I reckon it was a pretty good call. I am dreading the journey there. If it’s anything like the journey back from Colombo, I’m gonna cry.
Admittedly, I'm in a very impatient, intolerant mood especially with the boss. I think I need some downtime from him but we got 3 days together in a van....Christ on bike, how will I cope!!! Hope I wake up in a better mood tomorrow morning...but I know I won't cause we gotta leave at 5am! Wanni, don't fret, I'll feel better once I have an afternoon nap!
mx
So in a nutshell, highlights of the last 2.5 days are as follows:
We had our first ESL lesson over the internet using SKYPE. It went pretty well. With a little prompting from me, the girls spoke to Mark in the US and though embarrassed I think enjoyed it. So with that ESL lesson down, we've got another one on Saturday with Tina in the UK. This should be interesting. Tina is still bidding for her headset on eBay...all be it that it's only 2 quid...but bidding should be over this morning so I wonder if she is the successful owner of a multi media headset. Crazy bird she is. TOO TIGHT i say to go buy one for 14 quid from Dixons!
I became a true Sri Lankan cheesy pop star.....oh you would have all cringed. For the ESL lesson, Dammika, a local school teacher/electrician came to video the event. Wanni took the opportunity to ask him to record the Theme song I had written. But what I didn't know was that he wanted it filmed OUTSIDE with the trees and butterflies.....is this sounding like the cheesiest music video ever...well it gets better. So eventually, all was set up but on the road side of the computer lab which meant that every Ravi, Sena and Wanni going past got to have a good listen too. So I had to belt out the theme song at the top of my voice whilst Dammika filmed me crooning away. So take 1 done, time for Take two. It's quite amusing while your singing to have to suddenly compete with a tractor roaring past. So take 2 completed, I made to leave. BUT NO. The boss wanted more. MORE???!!! So I gave in and sang him the song I'd written for Craig...it's a cute song and at least I could remember the words and the tune!! So with more filming going on and my voice in need of a rest...I’m out of practise, I made to leave. BUT NO! The boss wanted more. I had to draw the line here...partly because I couldn't remember any more songs! So it was the turn of the THEME song again. This time Wanni insisted on filming. It wasn't till I'd finished and watched the final bit of filming that I cringed....Sri Lankans have a very eighties style of videoing. Lots of close up shots, of me, my hands.....very Ultravox. Oh it was so cheesy. But one good thing came of it. I have realised how thin I am these days and how fantastic my skin is looking.It was weird looking at myself like that. I really saw me. I looked so different. So young. Maybe it was the clothes or the light, but I swear I looked like I was 20 years old again. Wanni wants me to perform for the parents on the 10th...my last night. How pants is that. I'm supposed to be out there enjoying myself and getting pissed. Well maybe not. But now I'm gonna be the headlining act now. The Rock Star never left the building it seems. I have to admit it was nice to open up the vocal chords again. I love singing and haven’t really had much of an opportunity out here.
Balay the home guard is apparently distraught. He got shipped off to Army training camp before he could say goodbye to me and I leave before he returns. He is apparently broken hearted. I know this through Deepal. Here’s what he wrote me “Baley just visited here and he is really sorry about being unable to say goodbye personally. The heartbroken guy told me that he might kill the officer in charge, burn the camp into ashes, cut the barbed wire and fly to Mahavilachchiya just to hug the departing angel. So where ever you go do not be so nice because soon we will find dozens of broken hearted guys hanging in the jungle.” Now what can you say to that except…..Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!! Apparently, I’m a bit of a hit in the village. Not only because of my gorgeous looks, but apparently because I smile at people and I am friendly. Makes me wonder how many grumpy people there are in the world. Out here I am considered pretty great. It’s true. Even Wanni said it the other day, whilst we were watching the video of the pop career, I commented that I looked good. He replied “You look great, you are great”. This place is great for my ego. I’m surprised I can still fit my head through the door. I’m like a mini celebrity out here. I don’t take advantage of it but I like the adoration I get. Trouble is, how on earth am I going to go back to being boring old Marissa Charles of Forest Hill, living her doldrum existence on ready meals and Eastenders. I don’t want to be just ordinary. I want to do something amazing. Something people will remember me for. I know I will be remembered here. And maybe that’s all I need. But London is my home and I want to do something good there too. Not to be famous but just to be remembered. Man, I have a large ego really don’t I. I suppose we all secretly want to be remembered for doing something good…some more than others I guess.
Well, I’m ploughing through the work at the minute. Have been working with the girls to practice speaking the script for my fabulous presentation. I think we are gonna have a few problems. I made them record themselves and then played it back to them. I think it was the first time they had heard themselves speaking English and they realized how terrible they sounded. Not because they can’t speak, just because they are not very good a saying a whole sentence! I’m making them bring their scripts with them to Nuwara Eliya and we’ll practice. Don’t think I mentioned it, but we are off to Nuwara Eliya tomorrow. In a way I wish I wasn’t going because with only 10 days left, I kinda wanted to get everything in order. But Wanni was insistent that we had to go and the girls wouldn’t really get another chance once I’d gone. Fair enough. But what I don’t understand and I think sometimes it’s a case of living beyond your means, is the financial cost of this trip. I somehow got delegated the responsibility of finding accommodation (that’s another story) so started checking out my trusty Lonely Planet guide. I then asked Wanni is the girls were contributing to this trip and how much he was putting towards the trip. Of course I’d pay for myself. His answer was Rs 10000. OK we can do that I thought. Then he added a foot note of “for accommodation, transport and food” So naturally I asked how much transport was…it would be over Rs 9000. You can do the sums. Rs 1000 to feed 9 people (not including me) for 2 days plus 2 nights accommodation. I’m not sure how Wanni intended to fund this trip. This is what is bothering me. Really, they couldn’t afford to go on this trip and quite rightly should have opted for a day trip to somewhere. Was Wanni counting on me to coughing up some money? I know that sounds terribly paranoid on my part but how on earth else would he have been able to pay for them. See what I mean about living beyond your means. It’s a bad habit to have. So I’ve ended up offering to pay for the accommodation which I don’t mind. But it was wrong of Wanni to give the girls hopes of a trip when they couldn’t afford it and he couldn’t afford it. There’s my moral sermon for the day. So we are off. I’ve booked us a tea plantation bungalow for 2 nights. Wanni was so paranoid about the girls sleeping in a hotel. He wanted to have them and me sleep in one room. Not sure why. He seems to think people will take advantage of them…sometimes I think the only person taking advantage of them is him.(sorry Wanni that’s gonna sting) So I found us a whole house. It’s costing me GBP 3.75 per night per person….there’s 11 of us so I reckon it was a pretty good call. I am dreading the journey there. If it’s anything like the journey back from Colombo, I’m gonna cry.
Admittedly, I'm in a very impatient, intolerant mood especially with the boss. I think I need some downtime from him but we got 3 days together in a van....Christ on bike, how will I cope!!! Hope I wake up in a better mood tomorrow morning...but I know I won't cause we gotta leave at 5am! Wanni, don't fret, I'll feel better once I have an afternoon nap!
mx