Day 6

(posted the following day)

What an incredible day! This is what adventure is about for me! The day was filled with so many unique experiences that were unexpected and fun. I will just try to organize thoughts / events under headings again.

WORK

I had my first day! I went to Angsana Resort (http://www.angsana.com/EN/Properties/Ihuru) and then to their jointly run Banyan Tree Resort (http://www.banyantree.com/en/vabbinfaru/overview) which was one island over and in sight about 5 minutes by boat. I really liked Angsana because the class only had 6 people it in and they were friendly and happy. At Banyan Tree I had 12 students and some were friendly but some didn’t look so happy. The problem at both is that the rooms are very small and crowded and neither had good white boards to write on. I was impressed with their abilities too! They are high beginners technically (they were tested) but they can all communicate just fine. Their grammar isn’t perfect, but communication was wonderful.

At Angsana, I had one Indonesian from Jakarta (head chef), one woman from Kobe, Japan (front desk), and the rest were from Maldives. At Banyan Tree I had two women from Thailand (spa and gift shop) and I think the rest were from Maldives.

One issue: time! The class is only one hour so I had to give lots of homework since we just couldn’t do much in such a short time. Wednesday will be really bad since I am supposed to cover one whole unit then! Including Reading, Writing and all other sections! It is impossible to do what they expect. But…there isn’t a choice but to try and pick and choose what to cover.

I had a terrible time with names! I just couldn’t say half of them at all! I tried to explain that they are totally new words for me, but, I will try to get someone to practice with me before Wednesday. However, Piper has already spent about 10 minutes with me on the trainer’s name (kind of our boss there) and I just can’t remember it! It’s “Vaibhav” from India. That sounds like “Vibe Have” (if I remember right?)but with a British “have” sound. So hard for me! Luckily I think Piper is slightly entertained at how bad I am rather than just shocked.

I am not sure how the students felt, but I hope they are all happy and do their best.

I was planning to go again today because Piper and David teach there and while they teach I can have a look around. There was no time until the last 45 minutes to see anything. I was rushed from the boat to the classes at both places. It would be the same really tomorrow, but at least I will have 1 hour on each island to take a look around. But I am sitting here now not feeling so well, so I think I will postpone that til next week. The week after that I start the other job so I won’t have this chance again.

TRAVEL

I worked 2 hours but was out for 8.5 hours! This is how it went: Bus 12:05, ferry 12:30, walking, waiting, speed boat 1:30, boat 4:15, slow boat 6:30 (speed boat that takes 30 minutes was broken so we took a big boat that took 1 hour), walking, ferry 7:30, walking, arrive at school 8:15.

Today I enjoyed it but I wonder if it will get old…

As I sit typing most of this at the end of the day, I am rocking back and forth as if still on the boat! Wonder if I will adjust to that and not feel this motion every day!?

INTERESTING THINGS

There is “island time”. So although in Maldives it may be 2:15, at the resorts it is 3:15! They do that so there is plenty of sun for activities. And, guests don’t want to get up at 6 a.m. for something, but if they think it is 7 a.m., they don’t mind as much. So, that was confusing since I thought I had an hour before class but when I arrived I had to rush to the class.

Some people are truly religious about prayer time. One of the workers on the slow boat back laid out his prayer rug in the direction of Mecca right in front of us and I watched the whole routine! Standing, kneeling, head to the ground and back up about 5 times slowly. It looked similar to the S. Korean Buddhist prayers I saw 2 years ago. Great stomach and leg exercises five times a day!

At the ferry station, they had a TV on and they were reviewing the proper way to perform the noon prayer…an educational type program I guess!?

At Banyan Tree, they have a feeding of sting rays! I couldn’t see it since I was in class, but next week when I go with Piper I can see it. I saw a picture of it on their website too. I saw 3 big ones that swam up early anticipating the daily feed. They were huge!

At the Sun./Tues. resort I will start on the 18^th, I will get a free meal after class! Yesterday my roommate went to watch her son teach and she said the buffet was amazing!

Today at Banyan Tree, Vaibhav treated us to free drinks. I had a mango coconut. Yum! I have been adjusting to Maldive’s monetary system of Rufiyaa, so when I saw the menu I thought 2.50 or 1.20 but things were like $25 and $12 for many drinks but some were $1,080!! Yes, there was some good wines on that menu! And lots…like many $80 glasses of wine! No…I couldn’t be greedy and have that!

Room costs: She told me that at Banyan Tree the rooms start at $400 or $500 per night. I walked around some and saw some private glass hut /rooms and with hammocks and lounges right on the beach. I almost got into a hammock since it was so inviting before I realized that was someone’s private area! At Angsana, I think the rooms start at $150 and the resort is more family oriented.

The sunset was a bit cloudy but still beautiful to see the clouds and orange sun over the ocean!

The water is so clear out there. And the beaches are just like you see on the Internet! No trash. They were perfect!

It rained in the morning! That was my first light rain. It was great to have a mostly cloudy day!!

My face and neck have sores on them…both cheeks and neck. I guess it is a heat rash? Or an allergy to my skin sensitive sun block? I didn’t use sun block today though in case it is that, but it was worse by the end of the day. Hmmm… not good. (Note: Jean’s sister gave me antihistamine allergy pill and said that might clear up anything. If it works, I have to figure out how to buy them. I hate to take it daily for 4 months, but this looks bad and actually it hurt to lay on one side of my face while I slept.)

I found out that flying for long periods without enough water and exercise causes swollen ankles! I have flown 15 hours from Japan but I guess this 32 hour trip did it to me. My ankles finally looking normal today. My roommate told me a bad experience she had had with that. I didn’t know that was why they were swelling! So, good to know everyone – drink lots of water and do ankle twirls while on long flights!

I am still hungry…I have had the café deliver my lunches to the school the last two days but I just had the rest of my expensive lettuce from Male for dinner. I tried to get more food delivered but Jean had a class at the school. I tried to buy “short eats” at a store, but they were almost sold out and didn’t have what I had liked the day before. But, I am so tired that I would rather sleep than eat.

Oh, those of you who know me well know that I have had a morning shake for breakfast for 5 years. I will stop that here. I was going to try but trying to get enough fruit for it is too hard. Kiwi and pineapples are only found in Male, etc. But, I should still be fine doing what fruit I have…just not the shakes.

I hope to explore Male on my own this weekend so I can know where to find things on my own.

There is more but I need sleep….