And tomorrow is d-day.

June 30th, Delft

Wow... These last couples of days here in Holland have been totally fantastic. We went present-shopping yesterday in Delft. We got very cheap, but beautiful, giant jigsaws, balls, books, some toys and painting items. I really enjoyed walking across Delft (as I’m from here) and just talking to people and smile. After 3 hours of Sri Lankan present shopping, we picked up Pucho and went to eat in a place mom loves. I had never been there, nor my dad, but it turned out to be fantastic. It’s called KOFFIEDUMIDI and it’s an old farm (with still all the animals walking free around there) were you can eat breakfast, dinner or supper. We all ordered really Dutch food, and it was great. We talked and talked and almost stayed there 2 and ½ hours, but the funniest part came at the end, when coffee arrived. Just returned from the WC and by accident I throw a glass of water over mom. Ok, she got pissed, but everyone can have an accident. But then coffee arrived, and as soon as I got mine, it went over mom (AGAIN!!!). She almost killed me, she went bananas. The lady of the restaurant laughed, and Pucho too. One of the guys working there was really nice (and also handsome ;)). He also laughed, but to punish me, mom started saying things to him about me and I just couldn’t do anything! Hahaha.
I almost forgot, yesterday morning we also visited the Cataldi family! After years I hadn’t seen Luc, and he’s huge! I’ll see Tom today evening; we’re all going to eat together in their house.
But the next thing I’m going to tell really made me laugh yesterday. Mom and I arrived home at about 7 o’clock. I really wanted to see the football match (Spain-Portugal) so we decided to not tell Pucho and just tell him we had a surprise. But then, I open my laptop and see a long list of names. I stayed looking like “WTF?” and then I got it. It was the participants list of the 470- Sailors in Den Haag. I went to New Zeeland and there were 6 names. I just guessed and I did it well. The two train boys (Tom and Jack) are actually called: Finn Dummond and Francisco Lardies. Yes, they are New-Zeeland students, 19 years and on facebook. Yesterday I already spoke with Tom, I mean… Finn. My first two Ceylon Adventure Friends!!!!
Well then, I’ll upload some pics, and for the ladies, the blond one is Finn ;)

A little bit of Holland.

June 28, Delft.
Well well, I can now say my trip has finaly begun. Yesterday evening the SYC ended and the Calvià troup came to sleep at home. Today began eating breakfast all together in the kitchen, but latter on I had to put the finishing touches into my bagpack. At 9.30 they were all gone after long goodbye speeches and we drove to the airport. As always, when the Siches family travels together, tense and ackward moments occur, but we always make the best of it.
We got into the tube at about 11.00, mom and dad together and I at the emergency exit. And then it came, my last look at Majorca. When we arrived to Schiphol (Amsterdam), all our lugagge came and we set off to the train. During our walk, as always, mom and I were looking at (what we thought to be) dutch boys, tall-blond-blue eyes... Suddenly, I just start saying positive things about them (thanks god!) and it turned out to be... they were spanish! Plash... that hit hard. What occured next will demostrate I just sometimes don't learn from my mistakes. Waiting for train 28 in platform 1-5, we saw to young students, one was tall, blond, had green eyes and was casual dressed and the other one was dark, with green eyes and also had a yachty look. Mom went bananas when we missed our train and went looking for someone to ask when would the next one come. I just started laughing with dad and soon we where talking about next year's SYC. I noticed the blond one (I've named him Tom) looked all the time at us, and they both laughed when we said things. When mom returned they asked us if we knew which train whent to Den Haag, and we told them they had to come with us. We sat together and started talking. Let's call them Tom and Jack.They came all the way from New Zeeland to sail in a competition in Den Haag, they were students and will stay in Europe for more or less two months. But that's when my not-learning thing came again: Jack was Argentinian! When he said that I just said: "yes, and I'm chineese". When he started talking argentinian spanish I just stood there with my mouth open. That's why they were laughing before, they understood almost everything!!! We exchanged cards with them, and I would actually like to see them again, maybe I'll go to Scheveningen to see them, it would be fun! We then left them becouse we changed train and we arrived to Delft, grabed a cab and came home. In this precise moment I'm sitting in the living room writing this and no one can even imagine how good I'm feeling. I'm free.

Now I know where I'm going.

After 8 months of waiting, now I only have less than two weeks to go, and I can't wait!!! Yesterday they sent to me all the information about my placement, so I'll post it here so you can see where the hell Tara is going.

YOUR PROJECT:
Name of Institution: Prasanna Children's Home

OVERVIEW:
Prasanna Children's Home is an orphanage for 20 small boys. It is in the town of Negombo on the west coast of Sri Lanka, about one and a half hours west of Colombo. The care of the children is undertaken by the permanent staff, but volunteers here can play with the children, do some teaching and of course, conversational English is always in demand!

There is a big hall in front of the orphanage which is used for activities and is also used by a Montessori school in the mornings when the boys are away at school.

LOCATION:
Prasanna Children's Home is in Negombo, approximately 42km west of Colombo.

KEY FACTS:
No. of people cared for - 20 boys
Age Range in institution - varies
Age range cared for - 7-15
Av. Group Size - varies
Hours of work/day - 15.00-17.00
No. of staff - 3
Type of institution - Orphanage