Bug Bite

I woke up this morning and the side of my face really itched. I hopped into the shower and continued to itch the side of my face. When I got out of the shower I looked in the mirror and I saw a very large bug bite on the side of my face with smaller bites all around it. I put some cream on it, and I am trying to not itch it. This bug bite is the biggest strangest bug bite that I have ever had.

I had my teaching partner take a couple of pictures so that you can see what it looks like.

Only a Teacher

I was eating lunch with my students today and this is what came out of my mouth. "Jeremy! Stop pretending that your hands are guns and sit down and finish your lunch." Only a teacher would use that in their everyday vocabulary and it would be okay.

Galle, A Dutch town

Getting back to my roots we went to a Dutch town while in Sri Lanka, called Galle. It was great to take a leisurely stroll through the brick streets. We did a little bit of shopping, bought some homemade ice cream, and got stuck in the rain. There were some really cool shops, like a Pottery Barn type store with Sri Lankan stuff inside. There was also an old Dutch Christian Reformed Church. It was closed by the time that we got there, but we got to see the outside. We got some great shots.

View of the road.

That would be a great photo.

The Dutch Christian Reformed Church.

Stuck in the rain. Have no fear, Papa Perara came and picked us up.

The Lake... The Beach... What Could be Better?

Coming down the mountain we went to the lake. We had a beautiful room right on the water with an awesome pool. There was even a pool boy to wait on us hand and foot. After the lake we went to the beach. OH How I love the beach.

We had a bungalow where you could hear the surf crashing. It lulled me to sleep every night.

1,2,3 Meet Me at the Tea... plantation

We came up with a cheer before we went to Sri Lanka. It was 1,2,3 meet me at the Sri. We did that before we got on the plane or if we were ever excited about something. Or if we needed a team bonding moment. We took 2 tours of 2 different tea plantations. Driving through the twirly swirly roads surrounded by tea bushes- beautiful. Tea tastes better from a higher elevation. Interesting fact for the day. The first plantation that we went to was at a lower elevation and tasted slightly bitter. Then we went to a higher elevation and did that tour and tasted their tea, and it was mmm mmm good. We learned about the different types of tea, and how they take different parts of the tea leaves to make different kinds. I also learned that a tea bush lives for about 130 years then it is no good anymore. Who says you can't learn anything on vacation. Currently I am drinking chia tea that I made from loose leaf tea, and spices from Sri Lanka. In comparison to the lapidary tour way better.
After the leaves have been dried.
Tea leaves on the drying belt.
View from the car on the twirly swirly roads.
Workers in the field picking leaves. Woman are better pickers because their hands are more delicate and then can pick more without damaging the leaves.