Monday, April 18, 2011

Leadership Adventure Day

Below is a lovely poem written by one of my students for all of red group to read at the start of their Leadership Adventure Day! Such a proud moment!

Gratitude to AUW from all your dearly daughters
Still the words are less, even many more we utter.
Smiling forever and caring are our teachers,
Helpful and understanding with unique features.
We are the women with a dream to gain,
Inspiration from AUW makes us work in a chain.
Proud to know AUW, the way of dreams and hopes,
In a very challenging time,we have learned to cope.
~Kalpana, Nepali student (red group)

Monday, April 4, 2011

la la la Sri Lanka

March 10-27, 2011 Spring break in Sri Lanka!! A much needed vacation from the long hours of lesson planning, grading, teaching, student meetings and having no social life. OK, don't get me wrong - I love my job - but I'm not a machine!

A few faves from my wonderfully amazing vacation in Sri Lanka!! :) More pictures here


I was blessed to meet two of my students' mothers. Wasana's mother, Nima's mother, and a family friend while showing me around Colombo.

Elephant Orphanage outside of Kandy

adorable!!

waiting for our train, taking pictures of other trains going through the station in Kandy

on the most beautiful train ride from Kandy to Ella...I sat in the doorway with my feet dangling out the door most of this train ride - one, for the fresh air. two, because I kept giving up my seat to cute little old ladies that needed to sit more than I did.

this was one of those ladies who i gave my seat up to :) 

gorgeous country side.

storm rolling in!

Our awesome tomato farmer that led Michelle and I up to the top of Ella's rock, barefoot. Apparently we looked lost as we tried to read our scribbled down directions from our lonely planet guide. Thank goodness for him and his machete that was to protect us from the wild boars (?!?! yikes!)

Unawatuna!! <3 

Unawatuna was such a lovely way to end our vacation! I loved our guest house/hotel that we stayed at -- secluded at the end of the beach with slotted doors allowing the sounds of the waves crashing to soothe us to sleep every night! :)