Thailand. October 30, 2009

In the land of dragons

Bells, bells, and more bells....

The family just got back from a fabulous week in Thailand.  Other than laying over in the airport during a long trip, none of us had spent any time in Thailand.  All the things we had had heard about this country seem to be true – easy to get around, tons of great things to do, wonderful for families, and very affordable.  It is definitely one of our favorite countries.

Our autumn holiday was during the week of October 12.  We had the option of spending less money on flights and flying from Colombo to Bangkok overnight – but with kids, it’s worth it to spend the extra money for a sane itinerary.  So we left Sri Lanka on Saturday morning and were in Bangkok for lunch (1.5 hours time difference).   As always, the kids were SUPER on the airplane – Maddie has the time of her life flying, and Calvin still just kind of sits there and smiles.  We actually took advantage of the (normally awful) bulkhead seats and successfully used the infant cot that attaches to the wall both going and coming.

Getting friendly with villagers in northern Thailand

Our friend Peter met us at the airport – great to see him again after 5 years!  A group of our friends from the Dominican Republic ended up here at the International School of Bangkok (ISB) a few years back and have never left.  Besides Peter and Patience (and daughter Ellie), our friends Brad and Susie are also in Bangkok, and we saw all of them.  The Bangkok airport is gigantic, and functions well.

Lots of wats!

The thing that struck us immediately was how uncomfortably hot and humid the weather generally is in Bangkok.  Colombo is steamy, but Bangkok seems on a different level.  Air conditioners are constantly on in Bangkok and to not have one in every room of your house is almost unthinkable (for those with the means to have them).  At least in Colombo we get a decent breeze on most days… Bangkok is also colossal and pretty ugly.  It’s a huge concrete jungle with insane traffic and poorly designed roads.  ISB is out of town aways and comprises its own community.

Best friends after 2 minutes

On Saturday we just hung out with our friends and Maddie and Ellie became best buds.  We played on the playground and generally got reaquainted.  On Sunday we went downtown and had a nice lunch at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, then took a boat up the river to the Wat Po – a beautiful wat (temple) that was surprisingly uncrowded for a weekend.  On Monday our friends went to school and we visited their beautiful campus.  ISB is quite a place – as nice or nicer than most colleges I have visited.  They really have their act together and are doing something right, as most people who get jobs there tend to stay for a very long time.  Lots of playgrounds and things to do.  And there is a Starbucks across the street!  We definitely spent too much time and money there….

Lighting incense at the Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep

The Smithwalds on the banks of the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok

On Tuesday we left sweltering Bangkok and flew to Chiang Mai , way up north not far from the Myanmar/Laos borders.  Our buddies in Bangkok recommended this as a great side trip while in Thailand and indeed, it seems to be the place that most first time visitors to this country end up.  It was super and we could have spend way more than 4 nights there.  A city of 170,000 that has everything you’d ever need but not overwhelming in size; tons of wats and other culture; a natural setting surrounded by mountains with lots of outdoor opportunities; great for families.  We stayed in a bed and breakfast that Peter had recommended to us – absolutely perfect.  It was a little ways away from the main part of town but easily accessible via a footbridge that spanned the Ping River.

With papa panda at the Chiang Mai zoo

We all really loved Chaing Mai.  We went to the zoo, which Maddie and Calvin absolutely loved.  Chaing Mai has one of the best zoos I have ever seen – so many things to see, in a beautiful hilly forest on the edge of town.  Its big attraction at the moment is a baby panda – which we did not get to see directly because it was resting indoors.  But momma panda was stunning.  They do a very good job at this zoo to give their creatures a pretty good life in large enclosures.

2 babies in a faceoff!

Another highlight was a visit to the elephant conservation center south of Chaing Mai about a 45 minute drive.  They take good care of the animals here and although they put on a silly elephant show (a bit like a mini-circus), it’s very well done.  Of course, the family rode and elephant through the jungle.  Imagine how much Maddie loved that!  Though she was a bit scared of the elephant up close – I don’t think she realized just how gigantic and smelly they really are.  She also got to feed them bananas and sugar cane.  Definitely a highlight!

Wait -who's the tourist here?

And of course we visited many, many wats.  There are so many temples just around Chiang Mai, it seems it would take years to visit them all.  Our favorites were the Wat Umong (with underground tunnels) and the Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep (on a hilltop overlooking the city).  We also drove deeper into the hills and visited a ( touristy) Hmong village.  With kids and our limited time there, we couldn’t do any over night trekking or hiking to distant remote villages, so this was the next best thing.  We did some shopping and spent an evening at the famous night bazaar.  Lots of stuff at pretty reasonable prices!  We carried Maddie and Calvin around town on our backs/fronts.  They were both the stars of Chaing Mai and everybody loved them – not only Thais, but the many Chinese tourists.  We also took a dinner cruise up the river and saw the rice paper lanterns being lit that were set off floating high the air above the city.  Maddie loved that boat cruise.

Another day, another wat...

We arrived back in Colombo late on Saturday night – good to be back.  Gone are the days when mom and dad can arrive from a red-eye flight a few hours before school starts and be to work at 07:15.  Now we need at least a day to recover!  The following Monday was also mom’s first day back at work since Calvin was born, so we are all adjusting to her new lifestyle.

Public transport in Chiang Mai

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mads among her collection of animal dieties

Mountain adventures. September 10, 2009

The high mountains of Sri Lanka.

This past weekend we went into the beautiful mountains of Sri Lanka.  We had not been up there in a long time, so this trip was long overdue.  Sri Lanka is known as a beach-lover’s paradise, but not many people know that the highest mountains are over 2,400 meters high.  It is hard to imagine a prettier countryside.

We left school on Thursday afternoon – Friday was the September Poya – and headed east on the busy A4 highway.  By nightfall, after 2 ½ hours of driving, we had reached Kitulgala, and stayed there for the night in the Plantation Hotel, right on the banks of the  pretty Kelani Ganga (River).  Mads and Cal were absolutely  perfect on this car trip, no problem at all.  The Kitulgala area is famous as the location where the movie The Bridge on the River Kwai was filmed…  classic thick tropical jungle, rivers, and steep vegetation-covered mountains.  Splendid!  The bridge used in the movie was built (and blown up) here too (all that remains is the foundation, I have been told, though I have not seen it up close, and to walk close to it you can pay Rs 50 to a local who claims to have ‘acted in the film’).

The Kelani Ganga in Kitulgala.

In the 'tree house'.

We were a bit surprised to discover that we were one of only two parties staying in the entire hotel that night – surprising because it was the first night of a Poya weekend.  It brought back memories of our Peace Corps days, being the only people around in a big hotel.  What does this say for the tourist industry in Sri Lanka?  Probably not recovered from the events of the past 25 years…. anyway, Maddie and dad explored the jungle after dark and in the morning, and found lots of good things like big frogs and moths.  This was the same place where dad went on a field trip a year ago with the grade 9s so he was familiar with the grounds and the area.  Maddie especially liked the ‘tree houses’ on the wooden platforms above the forest floor.  It rained almost the entire night and Friday dawned gray, dreary and cool.  Just the kind of weather we like!

After a long and leisurely breakfast in the jungle, we got back in the car and headed higher still to the cool climes of Nuwara Eliya.  When you look at a road map of Sri Lanka, you can’t possibly imagine how long it takes to get from point A to point B.  When someone tells you that it takes 6 hours to get from Colombo to Nuwara Eliya, a distance of only 180 km, it’s totally unbelievable.  Yet it’s true!  Roads are often in appallingly poor condition and incredibly curvy, people drive erratically (you can be behind a crawling lorry for an hour with no chance to pass), and you must constantly avoid being obliterated by SLTB buses.  However, it all makes for good fun, especially if you are throwing up.  We are lucky to have two kids who love being in the car and don’t seem to mind all the excitement.  Mom, on the other hand….  Is it better to drive or to ride?  Always a toss-up.

Tea plantations near Nuwara Eliya.

We arrived in Nuwara Eliya (elevation 1900 m) in a driving tempest (conditions that would persist more or less constantly until our departure on Sunday).  But cold and wintery!  On Friday night we stayed in a place called the King Fern, a funky little dive on the northwest side of town, run by a Sri Lankan rasta wanna-be with very poor business sense.  The next night we pampered ourselves at the exclusive St Andrews Hotel, a mainstay of the Nuwara Eliya region and a famous hotel dating back to 1875 (this hotel would remind many movie-goers of the movie The Shining).  Because of a promotion, we stayed in a suite at a rock-bottom price.  Maddie even had her own separate TV room.

Inspecting tea leaves at the plantation.

'The Calvinator'.

The weather was stormy all weekend (windy and rainy), never really giving us a chance to get outside and do the things we wanted to do.  Nuwara Eliya is surrounded by beautiful mountains and forests and the hiking opportunities are many (the town sits on the southwest edge of Pidurutalagala, at 2524 meters the highest point in Sri Lanka, but curiously and sadly unattainable as the government has blocked off the summit and its communication towers for ‘security reasons’).  We didn’t even make it to the wonderful park in the center of town due to the weather.  But it was no problem to sit indoors next to a warm fire, drinking tea and watching the dark clouds outside.  We all had a great time.

On Saturday we took a tour of the Pedro Tea Factory.  This is one of the biggest and most famous plantations in Nuwara Eliya.  The factory was not functioning on account of the Poya weekend, but we got a wonderful tour nevertheless (probably better that it was not functioning – would be been too loud for the kids).

Maddie absolutely loved the adventure of the whole weekend.  She had a ball running around the hotels and exploring, getting to wear her cold-weather clothes, and simply being cold.  For three nights she got to sleep with mom and dad and Calvin in big cozy beds, and had unrestricted access to her parents at all hours for three days.  At the St Andrews dad and Mads got an impromptu tour of the organic vegetable gardens, the ‘stables’, and the old-fashioned boiler room on the terraces behind the hotel, from a grizzled one-toothed gardener who took a liking to her.   She got to pick carrots and feed them to a rabbit, and pet a baby goat.  She also slipped and fell down a muddy hill, covering her backsides in mud. What fun!

Anything goes on a lorry in Sri Lanka...

On Sunday we made the long drive back to Colombo.  We had little choice but to do this in one day – it’s a lot of tiring driving.  We stopped for a late lunch in Avisawella, a dumpy town between Kitulgala and Colombo, and arrived home just before dark.  The kids (and parents) got a bit tired of being in the car at the end – lots of fussing and crying but all worth it for the cool, crisp bliss of the Sri Lankan highlands.

Truckin’ August 24, 2009

The weather in Colombo has been delightfully cool lately – in fact, it is downright chilly in the early mornings (okay, it’s all relative….)  Anyway, it’s been very nice.  Is has been rainy as well, most often at night, but no thunderstorms.  This seems out of sync with then normal monsoon rainfall patterns throughout the year, but it is pleasant.

The first full week of school if behind us and it was a good one.  Dad has been working hard (but trying not to work too much), and Mom has been thoroughly enjoying not working.  She still has 2 more months on her maternity leave.  Though I can’t say that she is enjoying every minute of it.  There are definitely times when the kids drive her insane – and this is partly due to the fact that Madeline’s school has not started yet.  So the potential for very long days with the kids can be high, even with Rani here.  And sometimes by the time Dad gets home, the entire household is fidgety and cranky, and this is not what he wants to see after a long day at work!  But that’s a scenario played out in countless households every day.

Mads and Cal are doing well these days.  Maddie is a little off her rocker at times; it’s like the ‘terrible twos’ have finally arrived (now that she is almost 3!) and are condensed into a small space.  Her difficulty is like that of any kid this age.  She wants what she wants immediately, and has a hard time taking no for an answer.  And she still has a very hard time with the attention that Calvin gets.  I think that’s really the root of her difficulties.  Her perceived lack of attention drives her completely crazy at times, as she sometimes won’t even let Mom and Dad talk to each other around her!  But she’s the sweetest kid and so much fun to be around.  This past weekend she and Dad started another painting project, the first since we’ve been back in Colombo.  She still has the artistic touch!  And on Wednesday, her school starts again.  This will be great for all concerned parties. Calvin likes tummy time, and last week rolled over twice!

Yesterday we went to the Colombo zoon for the first time.  It was quite an experience!  First of all, getting there was extremely difficult. Colombo is a very very hard city to navigate by car and finding things off the beaten path can put your navigating skills to the test.  We went with Mark, Meredith, and Sonia, and without them leading the way in thier car, I don’t think we could have found it (even then, we got lost more than a few times…) 

We’ve been in Sri Lanka now for a year, and we’ve been to lots of far out places here, but nothing prepared us for the spectacle at the zoo.  We were the most interesting attraction for the Sunday masses there – not since Malawi, as a Peace Corps volunteer, have I felt more awkward and out of place and stared at so consistently by crowds of people.  Part of it was definitely because of Calvin, Maddie, and Sonia – these kids were like a walking freak show!  After a while we simply had to just tell people: DO NOT touch Madeline.  People mean well, and are charmed by her, but she herself started freaking out at all the attention.  Calvin was protected by his stroller (he slept most of the time and was covered), so we was safe from the prying hands and fascination.  Anyway, it was fun, but next time we will not go on a Sunday.  The zoo in Colombo is very well done, with lots of animals, beautiful grounds, and quite clean and comfortable.  We only explored part of it before we had had enough.  And poor Sonia was sick the whole time, so we cut the visit short on her account too.

Back in Sri Lanka. August 13, 2009

Cue ball.

It’s been such a long time since this blog was updated – and it’s not for lack of events!  This summer has been a sanely busy one.  The family is now firmly back in Sri Lanka and starting a new school year in Colombo.

Besides Dad, the family didn’t travel too much this summer.  In fact, this was the first summer in a long time that we didn’t collectively feel completely wiped out by the time we left the USA!  Maybe we are finally getting used to the whole summer-in-the-US-thing after so many years of doing it…

With dear cousin Scarlett.

World traveller!

We arrived in Colombo just before Mom’s birthday at the end of July, after another marathon flight plan from San Francisco.  Any way you slice it, it’s painful – though we had the same itinerary as we did over the winter holiday, through Hong Kong on the return, which is quite pleasant.   As we did in January, we spent much of the day on Victoria Island and had a nice lunch near the top of Victoria Peak.  The kids did great on the two flights – much better than mom and dad did!  Madeline is in heaven when on an airplane.  She loves to fly, and travel, and can’t wait to do so again.  I don’t know if she is instinctively like this, or like this because of the lifestyle we lead, but either way, it’s absolutely wonderful to have such an easy-travelling kid!  And of course, Calvin doesn’t care where he is, as long as he is dry and warm and has mom around.

In Green Valley.

Most of the time in the states was spent in California, at Nonnie and Papa G’s house.  Ah, the life in Green Valley!  It’s so comfortable there and good for the kids.  Days were spent going on walks, playing in the backyard on the swingset and with Bogey, feeding horses, and generally relaxing.  The weather was perfect all summer, and didn’t really ever get too hot (at least not compared to Sri Lanka.)  Nights were cool and quiet.  Madeline even had her own bedroom this summer, complete with her own bed with Dora sheets (thanks, Uncle Drew!)  The family connected with many friends and other family members too.  Todd and Karen’s family is growing steadily (welcome to the world little Ruby ) – Henry and Scarlett are two of the most charming kids in the world and Maddie loves playing with them.

The young astronomer.

Reaching the crux of a 5.12 pitch!

While in the USA, the family made one trip together, to Colorado.  After spending a week there in the woods where he grew a beard, dad welcomed mom, Calvin and Madeline.  Everyone had a great time.  The family stayed in the little cabin in the woods just near Meemaw and Poppy’s house and it was comfy and cozy as usual.  We had picnics in the woods, went on hikes, played putt-putt golf, learned to look through a telescope, did some window shopping, and connected with Dad’s family.  Lots of quality family time – cousins Nathan, Malachi and Sadie are superb with Maddie and Calvin and all the kids had so much fun together.  Probably the most exciting development for Madeline this summer is that she learned to rock climb with dad – she even has her own purple harness!

MICHAEL!

Comfy with Poppy in Colorado.

Of course, everyone was smitten with Calvin.  Maddie has learned to be okay with this, and doesn’t get too crazy any more when attention is given to Calvin.  Of course, when around family, there is always someone else to pay attention to her anyway.  Calvin is quite possible the cutest baby ever (though Maddie was also pretty cute – but  Calvin is in a class by himself.  A real classic.)  He is getting so big.  It’s incredible that this is the same little peanut that entered the world so recently.  His thighs are becoming the super-chunk variety, and he’s up to about 14 pounds.  His disposition is absolutely the best you could ask for in a 3 month-old.  Naturally, he has his cranky spells, but they are few and far between.  He smiles and laughs more than any other baby I’ve seen.  If this keeps up this boy will be the ultimate charmer in life (and probably will get anything he wants!)  Hmm… maybe that’s not so good in the long run!

On Trail Ridge Road at sunset....

The Colorado kid clan.

So now, we are pretty much adjusted back to life in Sri Lanka.  It’s a new school year, and our second year in the country, and that means that it’s so much easier now.  Looking at our work colleagues that are new this year, and remembering the settling-in stage that we went through last year this time, makes us so happy to be ‘returning teachers’.  And Mom is thoroughly enjoying her time at home with the kids.  She doesn’t go back to work until the end of October, and is loving getting caught up on so many aspects of her life.  Maddie goes back to her school on August 25th, so the house can get a little crazy during the day.  But Maddie always seems to have lots of playdates and somehow mom keeps her pretty busy.

Summer. June 24, 2009

Big sister shushing a restless baby!

Well, things have finally ‘downshifted’ to a more manageable gear over the past week.  Thank goodness.  The last few weeks before the holiday were insanely busy. 

The family left Sri Lanka very early on Wednesday morning June 17th (easily changed our departure date by two days for a negligible fee) and arrived in San Francisco on the same morning, just before noon.  Coming east to the states is a much better itinerary than going west.  Everyone survived the long flight and we had no problems.  Maddie was a traveling champ – she should be, after talking for two months about getting on the airplane.  She was so excited!  Calvin doesn’t really care where he is, as long as he is warm and dry, with a good diaper and breast to hang out on…. Maddie and dad have been suffering from bad head colds now for a while, and this didn’t make traveling any easier for either of them.  Everyone just needs lots of sleep.

Really, we haven’t done much since we arrived.  It took a good 3 days a foggy-minded jet lag before we felt ourselves again.  Though Calvin and Madeline seem to be much less affected by the time change (12.5 hours!) than mom and dad – or maybe this is because they both have spotty sleep habits anyway, so it doesn’t make much of a difference.  The California clan is very, very happy to have everyone home and tickled to get to know ‘The Calvinator’.  Maddie, of course, never tires of showing off her little brother to everyone.

Reclining Calvin....

On Father’s Day,  Sunday, the extended family came over for an afternoon of fun and games.  Maddie and Calvin got to hang out with cousins Henry and Scarlett and everyone had a super time.  Watersports and a bar-b-que.

Everyone is looking forward to a long relaxing summer in the USA.

The first month with the new roommate. June 9, 2009

Has it already been almost a month since Calvin came along?  Can’t believe it!  Time is moving fast.  That’s what happens at the end of the school year for teachers anyway, and this year is turbocharged, with the entire household still getting used to having an infant around.

I don’t know how it is possible, but having 2 kids is way more than double the work of one kid (have I said that before?)  That being said, Madeline’s crazy adjustment period is getting smoother.  The first two weeks were rough on the older sister – but now she’s cruisin’.  She no longer throws such severe tamper tantrums at the drop of a hat, or goes absolutely crazy for no apparent reason at all.  She’s on the tail end of a nasty cold at the moment that has brought her down a bit, but on the mend. She absolutely ADORES Calvin, and continues to be endlessly fascinated by him, showing him off to other people as ‘hers’ and treating him gently and lovingly.  We’ll see how long that lasts, until he starts playing with her toys!

Calvin is doing just great.  After a sleepy start (sleeping about 20 hours out of each 24!) we’ve come back down to reality as the past few weeks, he has been more active and sleeping less.  He is an incredible eater – I have never seen a kid that wants to eat so much so often.  Quite different from Maddie at that age.  He’s gaining lots of weight and is at that point where he can truly be called ‘cute’, though somewhat alien-looking at times.  He’s also developing a personality.  Stong-willed, knows just what he wants and when he wants it… oh wait is that Maddie or Calvin?  Hmmmm.  Mom is doing well at home, not working, though at times it’s not easy for her.  Calvin is demanding at times and she has the typical cabin-fever that all moms get from time to time during the early days of infancy.  But she’s doing great, finally nearly back to normal physically after a month on the mend.  We’ve started our pleasant neighborhood walks again and she’s almost to the point where she will be going to the gym to work out.  Pretty impressive, a month after what she went through!  Sleeping at night has once again become a luxury, as Calvin pretty much just sleeps whenever has feels like it around the clock, and is up at all hours as well.

Everyone has done a good job making Maddie feel like she is still an important kid.  This, as every parent of more than one child knows, is crucial.  She got a great gift a few weeks ago – her very own parakeet!  She loves him, though wants to call him ‘Calvin’.  That was over-ruled by mom and dad, so we have settled on ‘Greenie’ since he is, in fact, green. Clever! To her, a parakeet is not unique in itself as we have them flying around our neighborhood. But what a treat to have your own.

Though we have not been out of town for a while, we’ve tried to be as mobile as reasonable for Amy and Calvin.  Last weekend we went to the Parliament grounds on Sunday afternoon - this is a huge open expanse (park-like) that fills with cricketters and families on weekend afternoons.  Among other things, Madeline got to ride a pony, which she adored.  We’ve also done some trips to the pool and the school playground.  But it’s quite difficult to travel much with this situation.  We’ve thought over the past few weekends that we might get out of town for a night, but it just hasn’t materialized.  And that’s ok, as we are about to embark on a very big trip, back to the USA for several weeks.  Maddie is really looking forward to that (“I want to go on an airplane!  I want to go on an airplane and see Nonnie and PapaG!  I want to go on an airplane and see Meemaw and Poppy!  I want to go on an airplane….!” over and over and over and over….)  All in due time.

Welcome little brother. May 20, 2009

The new Smith baby is finally here!  What a crazy, unusual month it has been…

At 03:00 on Sunday, May 10 (Mother’s Day, Wesak weekend, and a day after dad’s birthday!), Mom woke up with pains deep in her tummy, and by 07:00 we were speeding to the hospital.  After a relatively quick delivery, at 09:13 little Calvin James Smith emerged into the world.  Though total labor time was much less than with Madeline (hers was about 13 hours of agonizing contractions), it was tougher this time for mom because things weren’t lined up quite right.  The baby’s head was slightly off-kilter from the space through which it had to travel.  In fact, it became such a problem that in the end, the doctor had to use a vacuum to get him out.  Mom never really felt like she was in the right position the whole time – and once again, she had a natural birth, no epidural, only a local anesthetic.  She is one very, very tough woman.

We were a bit surprised that Calvin came when he did, as he was almost a week early and even the night before Mom was showing no signs of anything imminent. It all happened so fast – though we were grateful not to be losing an entire night’s sleep in the process.  We were home by 19:00 on Sunday evening.  Less than 12 hours in the hospital…. and mom’s health is jut fine (though still a bit sore).

Joseph Fraser was a great place to give birth, and though it was a bit old fashioned in terms of facilities, everything was completely adequate.  Dr Samaranayake and the nurses were all very competent and professional.

And what about dear Madeline?  When it became obvious at 06:00 that we had better get to the hospital as soon as possible, we called our friends Geoff and Zehra, who had agreed previously to come over at any hour, any time, just for this circumstance.  They were over in 15 minutes and Rani got to the house at around 09:00 – so Maddie was entertained all morning by some of her favorite people until early afternoon when they came down to the hospital to meet Calvin for the first time.  What a cute entourage – they arrived with flowers and a special card they had made to welcome Calvin into our family.

 Immediately, Madeline took a real liking to Calvin (she loves babies as all little girls do).  However, it took some time before she accepted that this baby is a permanent addition to the family.  In fact, for a few days she kept calling him “Baby James” – James is the 3 month-old baby that lives down the street, the son of Eric and Ava, who we see occasionally.  Even after seeing the two of them together, side by side, she still insisted on calling him “Baby James”.  Very cute indeed, and not entirely inaccurate, as James is Calvin’s middle name.

Time for some major adjustments all around.

Madeline has had some difficulties adjusting to her new roommate.  She has started displaying behavior that is completely out of the ordinary for her – intense, appalling temper tantrums that are stressing mom and dad out.  We don’t know how long this behavior will last, but apparently it’s quite normal for this to occur. The good news is that she is very sweet and loving to Calvin (even routinely sharing her beloved blanket with him!), so her frustration at her world being tipped upside down is manifesting itself away from Calvin as a person.

So now we are just in “cruising” mode with things.  Mom ended up getting a week of maternity leave before the birth and doesn’t go back to work until October.  Dad has just about taken all of his paternity leave, back to work in a few days – but as the school year is so close to being finished, there isn’t too much school to go back to.  The whole family will be heading back to the USA in a month.  Dad has also forgotten how upside down one’s world becomes with a newborn in the house.  No regular hours for anything and routines pretty much thrown out the window.  Even this blog will change!

Mom and baby are doing just fine.  Calvin had a bit of jaundice for the first 4-5 days (common, we have been told) that went away with the merconium.  He had an easy and natural time breastfeeding from the beginning, and Amy’s milk has come in just fine at this point.  But perhaps the most notable thing about Calvin is how much he sleeps (up to 20 hours a day – unbelievable!)  and how much milk he drinks (he’s an eating machine.)  Certainly we will not have to worry much about his weight or him getting enough sleep the way we did with Madeline.  So far, he is just about as different from Madeline as one can imagine… I wonder if this chilled-out behavior will last?

To add to the craziness of the month of May, the Sri Lankan government just declared the 26 year-old civil war to be over.  This is great news here in Sri Lanka.  But what it means is more time away from work, as Tuesday this week the school was closed for ‘security reasons’ and Wednesday was declared a national holiday.  The month of May has been a wash from a working point of view.  Not such a bad thing, is it?

May Day. May 2, 2009

Maddie in charge

Well, the calendar has FINALLY turned and we are now into Paco’s birthday month!  (Who is “Paco”?  Our endearing name for our new little bundle of joy that will be popping out into the world any time now.  Madeline was also Paco in utero…)   Still hard to believe.  He’s getting full and tight in Mom’s belly and can’t be very comfortable at the moment.  As mom has not put on much weight during this pregnancy (noticeably less than will Maddie), her belly is ridiculously accentuated like a basketball of epic proportions!  Not only that, you can actually look at her belly and see many of Paco’s limbs and body parts.  This is especially neat when they are moving around… which is happening pretty much constantly, all the time.  Will he be like this when he gets out?  No one knows.

Today we have another appointment with Dr. Samaranayake, now a weekly occurrence.  Last weekend Paco was not yet in any position to come out or even think about starting to do so, thank goodness!  On the one hand, we’d love for him to come out a little early as we really want to meet him (and get his passport in order so he can become “legal” for travel). Not to mention mom’s deteriorating comfort level.  But on the other hand, we are in no rush to have fewer nights of sleep.   Fortunately we have no control over these natural proceedings and it’s a bit pointless to speculate, since he’ll come out when he is good and ready.

A nightly ritual!

Mom’s last day of work was this past Thursday (Friday was the near-universal May Day Holiday, except of course in the USA).  That day was a big deal!  Mom got gifts and flowers and her little grade 5 kiddoes organizes and gave her a great baby shower/going away party.   She was very happy.  Unfortunately, her replacement teacher didn’t arrive in Colombo until Friday, so she had to go into work a bit then to meet with him.  But she’s in the clear now, and won’t return to work until mid-October.

Madeline is doing just fine.  She’s excited right now about 2 things – and one of them is NOT Paco’s arrival (not to worry; her world will be rocked to its foundations when he comes out). She’s obsessed with getting on an airplane (loves them!) and getting her kitchen on Sunday.  We are buying a kitchen set from a departing family and they are bringing it over on Sunday… it’s practically all she can think about.  Her requests to get on an airplane are starting to drive mom and dad a bit bonkers.  She made 2 new(ish) friends yesterday, 2 little girls aged 1 and 3, daughters of some Canadian friends of ours here in Colombo.  The 3 year-old bosses Maddie around (very good for her, as she does this to other kids!) and the 1 year-old looks up to Maddie as a big sister.  So this is ideal for Maddie’s psyche, just the right blend for her.  We hadd been meaning to get together with them for a long time and are glad that we finally did, and will be having many more play dates for sure.

Maddie's new "frog cage"

We brought them to the club, which is  kids hotspot on holiday/weekend afternoons.  In the pool we also played with Amy and Sonia, and Maddie saw some of her friends from school there.  Madeline is very peculiar about seeing her school friends away from school.  Some of them she runs up to and hugs while others she acts as if she doesn’t know them at all.  I guess that’s not unlike some adults!

One night last week an itty bitty frog appeared in our living room (not an uncommon occurrence).  We put it in a glass jar for Maddie to see in the morning – she loved it and even had breakfast with it.  However, in it’s best interest, we let it go afterwards.  But right then and there Maddie and dad both decided that we would catch another one and have a proper house made for it beforehand.  So yesterday we built a “frog cage” together and now we are all ready to go!  Just looking for a cooperative frog now…..

The weather continues to be HOT HOT HOT.  Over the past week it has rained a bit (mostly in the mornings) but has not been stormy.  Then the sun comes out and the rest of the day is miserably hot and humid.  Historically the monsoons come around now and cool things off a bit.  Waiting, waiting, waiting…. poor pregnant mom!

Spring break in Sri Lanka. April 23, 2009

Madeline and a large reclining buddha.

We just finished a nice, long and relaxing spring break here in Sri Lanka – a bit later than other schools perhaps, but it makes for a quick end to the school year now.  It’s hard to believe another school year is on the way out.

We had a stellar time.  Because of the April Poya, we had not only a week off but the Thursday and Friday before that week off.  So after taking it easy on Thursday, we headed out of town on Friday.  Maddie was so excited to be heading to the beach – her school had been closed for its spring break as well and she had lots of pent up energy to expend.

Since mom is very pregnant at this point, we left it more or less up to her as to what she wanted to do for the break.  She wanted to go to the beach and do very little, and that was no problem!

We headed south on Friday morning in a 2-car convoy with Mark, Meredith, and Sonia and arrived in Marissa in the early afternoon.  Mirissa is, so far, our favorite beach destination in Sri Lanka.  It’s near the tip of the south coast, between Galle and Matara, and has a secluded, almost undiscovered feeling about it.  I think this is the way Unawatuna probably used to feel before it was ‘discovered’ – but Mirissa will not always be this way, so it’s good to experience it now.

Mirissa Beach, south coast of Sri Lanka.

In the 'king's chair' overlooking the Indian Ocean.

The week of April 13 was a big holiday time in Sri Lanka, the Singhala and Tamil New Year.  Monday and Tuesday of this week are official holidays, but many people take the entire week off, and the whole country has a bit of a festival atmosphere to it all week. Lots of fireworks at odd hours, and lots of people traveling and out on the streets.  So it’s a good time to be tucked away at one’s favorite beach and not moving around too much.

We stayed two nights at a good place right on the beach that has a pool, which is crucial for the kids, of course.  Between a swimming pool and a nice wide beach, the kids have plenty to do, which if course makes it much more relaxing for mom and dad.  There were several other families there from the school community, as this is a popular place for expatriates.

After two nights on the beach, we decided to go ‘upscale’ and move to a place about 1 kilometer away to on the western edge of Mirissa Bay, called ‘Palace Mirissa’.  When we stayed down here during our March break, we checked this place out and decided that we would definitely go back there.  For not that much more money per night you get a lot more in

Not our car!

terms of comfort, and it is well worth it.  The only drawback is that it’s not on the beach, but the beach is about a 5 minute walk or less.  It’s situated on top of a bluff on a point overlooking the ocean and the views are superb – and it’s almost always breezy up there, which cuts down on the number of mosquitoes.  Maddie loved the band of peakcocks roaming around the ground and the very friendly dog named Rex.  And so much exploring to do here – lots of rocks and trees and narrow rock staircases with bugs and birds and everything else.  She was definitely Dora the Explorer while staying here.  And the kiddie pool was absolutely perfect for her size.

On Easter morning we had an Easter egg hunt and candy party with Maddie

Easter morning!

and Sonia.  Mom and dad put plastic eggs filled with goodies all around the grounds and the girls did a good job of finding most of them.  Madeline is very peculiar with the contents of her basket – whereas most kids would simply want to eat all the candy as quickly as possible, she decided to ration it and make it last for a long time.  In fact, at the time of this writing, she still has lots of jelly beans, raisins, and small chocolates that she dips into only occasionally. She’s not a big eater, as we all know, but usually goes crazy for sweets so this hoarding behavior is peculiar!

On our third day at the beach Maddie developed a bit of a fever which meant that we had to do even less than we were doing before (no problem there!)  It cleared up in a few days and she never let it deter her from her fun.

Inside the Dutch reformed church in Galle.

We also spent a lot of time with Geoff and Zehra, two of our good friends from Colombo.  Geoff is Maddie’s very first ‘boyfriend’ – and she makes sure that no one forgets this, especially Geoff himself.  One afternoon we drove over to Weligama where dad tried surfing again with them.  He didn’t have as much luck this time as the waves were bigger and harder to catch.  Still, it was fun though this time Madeline didn’t seem much interested in surfing herself.  Too bad!  We also spent an afternoon in the historic fort area of Galle, a very interesting place to hang out with lots of good shopping opportunities.

Stupas around Mulkirigala.

The real highlight of our excursions was a trip to a place called Mulkurigala with Geoff and Zehra.  It was just a reminder to us of what a special country Sri Lanka is, and how many fantastic things there are to see here around almost every corner.  There is a small blurb in the Lonely Planet about this and we decided to go check it out one afternoon.

Mulkirigala is a large Buddhist rock temple north of Tangalla, about 16 km inland.  It’s

Maddie was fascinated inside the caves.

a series of caves and stupas at different levels on a 650 foot-high rock outcropping rising up from a gently rolling plain.  A series of ancient steps leads all the way to the top and along the way are several amazing caves containing huge reclining buddhas and various statues of dieties.  One can also see ancient carvings in the rocks and there is a school for Buddhist monks at the base of the rock.  The area is off the beaten path and few tourists go there (expats or Sri Lankans), so it really has a ‘far out’

Too many monkeys!

feeling to it. Definitely worth the effort to get there.  As we have not been to Sigira or any of the bigger, more well-known temples up north, we have nothing to compare Mulkirigala to, but we were impressed!  Madeline especially liked all of the monkeys and the statues of animals.  And she has a special fondness for large buddhas, remarking everytime we see one whether driving or walking.

We spent a few hours there, and Madeline almost walked all the way to the top on her own!  Quite a few steps.  On our way home, we stopped on the side of the road just west of Dikwella to look at a local New Year’s festival that looked interesting.  A few hundred people (lots of families and kids) were gathered on a volleyball pitch that had been converted into a carnival – it was clear upon our arrival that some sort of childrens’ skit was being put on.  We watched for a while, many people of course fascinated by Madeline and wanting to stroke her fine hair.  When we went to leave, we were corralled into staying and the next thing we knew we were judging a beauty contest containing 8 little girls all dolled up in their finest Sri Lankan outfits.  Chairs were set up for us in the middle of this huge crowd and the contestants paraded by us.  Even Maddie was in on the judging!  Judging was difficult but there was a clear winner with true style, a little girl who had clearly been practicing her strut and demeanor.  After this we were put on stage where we handed out awards to the girls and Geoff gave a grand speech.  A very uniqie cultural experience, to say the least.  Maddie even got her own award, a small wooden trophy for sportsmanship, which she has proudly been hanging onto (even after she broke it!)  We got back to our hotel late that evening, but it was worth it for the fun we had.

Checking the vegetable garden after returning home.

We returned to Colombo on Friday so we had a nice long weekend before school started again.  Ready for the rest of the school year!

Another Sri Lankan adventure. March 14, 2009

An elephant on its way to work

Summer holidays are relatively short here at our school in Colombo, and for good reason; the amount of time we have off throughout the school year is ample.  More than just a few times this semester we have long weekends – and this past weekend we had 4 days at our disposal.

We left Colombo on Friday immediately after school with our target destination as the Sinharaja Forest Reserve in southern Sri Lanka.  This lowland tropical rainforest reserve is a special natural place in the world – one of the largest remaining untouched bits of forest on the island.  By the time we had finished dinner in Ratnapura and got moving again, it was quite late, so we spent the night there.  On Saturday morning we awoke early and were on the road by 8:00.  Madeline was a bit confused – she knew all week that we were going to the beach and the mountains, but here we were far from the beach.  All that stuck in her mind was the beach and she was hell-bent determined to get there!  She gets very, very excited about going to the beach but also appreciates the mountains.

Ratnapura is in a very beautiful area – the pastoral scenery of  rice paddies and hills is underrated – but the city itself is not much to look at.  And the drive from Ratnapura to Sinharaja is quite scenic, so it was better to have done it during daylight hours.  2.5 hours after leaving Ratnapura we arrived at the ranger station tucked deep into the gorge of the Kuda Ganga just outside of Wellagama.  The road from Ratnapura is well-marked and in good condition.  The highlight of the drive for Madeline was seeing an elephant walking down the road – here in Sri Lanka, elephants serve as work animals, and this one looked like it was getting ready for a long day’s work.  The beast was about three times bigger than our rental car!  At the sleepy, moldy forest station, we purchased our tickets for the reserve and a guide for the day, altogether 656 Rs.  It’s a pretty good deal to have resident status while traveling in Sri Lanka!  Our Sinharaja destination was a place called Martin’s, a very basic but comfortable place to stay a 5 minute walk from the edge of the reserve itself.  It’s the only place this close to the reserve, so it’s sought out by naturalists and people not afraid to ‘rough it’.  Definitely not a 5-star resort.  Martin himself is a legend, having lived up here for probably his whole life.  He is an expert on the forest and what it has to offer as a World Heritage Site.  His boy in a jeep picked us up from the forestry station and drove us up the valley wall for the final few kilometers to the guest house.

View from the summit of Mulawella Peak (790 m)

Soon after unpacking our bags and settling in, we were out in the forest for our first nature walk with our guide Ratna.  Madeline loves sitting in her kids’ packpack on dad’s back (though she’s getting pretty heavy for dad at times!).  This kid really enjoys nature and seems to have a real appreciation of it.  We had only planned for a few hours in the forest, and were hardly prepared for the 4 hour trek we undertook!  We ended up climbing Mulawella Peak (790 meters) and it was superb… the summit is quite exposed and the views tremendous, though today it was a bit hazy.  If it’s clear, one can see all over southern Sri Lanka, probably as far as the ocean.  We had a gigantic late Sri Lankan lunch waiting for us upon our return, which we enjoyed very much as we were very hungry (Maddie included!).

What a pleasure to be so far out in an utterly untouched, natural environment.  Sinharaja is indeed a special place; virgin, pristine forests abundant with wildlife blanketing endless hills into the distance, teeming with wildlife.  Sri Lanka is a beautiful, heavily vegetated country, but until you get to a place like this, you don’t realize how much of the country’s original forest cover is gone forever.  Mango and banana trees, though charming to look at, do not compare to the real trees of Sri Lanka.  This place is truly a naturalist’s paradise.  We saw too many birds and butterflies to count and lots of monkeys.

The center of attention.....

After lunch we went down to the creek and played/bathed in the cool pools under a thick forest canopy.  By this time skies were dark and stormy with thunder rumbling through the forest.  Maddie enjoyed getting ‘kissed’ by the little fish.  That evening she got friendly with Martin’s entourage of children (grandkids) and we had another excellent Sri Lankan meal.  A good nights’s sleep in the cool forest surrounded by the sounds of nature – and Madeline slept all night in her own bed!

Our itinerary did not allow us to spend more than one night at Martin’s, and the next morning we had to leave this natural paradise.  But not before another nature walk, which turned out to be quite a different experience than the previous day.  Early morning in the cloud forest has a different feel than the afternoons, in terms of lighting and the number and kinds of animals one sees.  We saw more monkeys, different kinds of birds from yesterday, a giant monitor lizard, snakes, a wild rooster, big spiders, and a curious creature that was a cross between a raccoon and a bear.   Madeline was once again a near-perfect

wilderness companion – content to sit in her backpack on dad’s back, spying monkeys and birds with wonder.  She even appreciated the need to be hushed in the forest and spent long stretches singing quietly to herself.  She walked a fair amount, but her idea of ‘walking’ means sort of puttering around, picking up leaves and sticks.  That’s all fine and cute but not when we are trying to get somewhere on the trail!

By 10:30 we were on the road again on a very long day of driving.  We went all the way to Mirissa on the southern tip of the country, and the way we went there was unique.  We took a shortcut from Wellagama to Rakwana over an appallingly bad road, though stunning mountain scenery, and only took 2 wrong turns which overall cost us about 1.5 hours of time, arriving in Mirissa around 5:30 in the evening.  The A17 road between Rakwana and Deliwaya has got to be one of the most scenic in Sri Lanka, if time-consuming… but well worth the effort.

Heaven on the beach in Mirissa

Mirissa is a place we had been before, during our surfing weekend in February.  It is special because it feels remote and tucked away, with a real private feel to it, and not heavily visited.  We stayed at an all-inclusive that did not really feel like one – perfect for Madeline.  We had our own bungalow, meters from the beach, with a swimming pool and good buffet meals.  What makes this place so pleasant is that it is small and one can eat outside just next to the sand.

Island-climbing

So, for the first time this holiday, Monday was a day to do nothing much except relax and enjoy the beach.  We spent time in the pool and the beach, went for a walk, picked flowers, took a nap, and generally just enjoyed ourselves.  In the evening, tremendous thunderstorms to the east gave us quite a show and we sat for a long time after dinner on the beach watching the lightning.  Tuesday morning was a repeat – we walked to the west to the top of the hill and discovered some really neat places to stay on future trips here.

Around lunchtime we were on the road back to Colombo.  The highlight of the return trip was a stop at a turtle hatchery near Ambalangoda.  This area was hard hit by the 2004 tsunami, and the hatchery is run by a man named Nimal who lost his entire family in the disaster.  Afterwards he devoted his life to preserving these amazing creatures and operated purely on a donation basis.  Madeline loved touring the little hatchery!  She got to touch turtles of all shapes and sizes, and we even let a baby turtle loose in the surf!  A unique experience.  By 5:30 we were back home in Colombo and Maddie was once again contentedly busy in her playroom.  Another successful Sri Lankan adventure!