Christmas 2008

Dear Friends,

It seems this Christmas has come just when everyone needs a new reason to hope, a new reason to wish each other the best of everything and a new reason to be glad for all we have, friends, family and love.

Jehan this year has achieved his dream of a holiday home in Uda Walawe. Hasthiagara is now leased out to visitors and they've all been very forthcoming about it. It still is his refuge and his hideaway when things become too much to handle. He still works at Janashakthi and still edits Loris Magazine for the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society. He loves the times he gets to spend with both offspring though Thisakya's recent interests in pop stars than in dolls has got him rather confused. As for the rising hem length of her dresses and skirts;!

This brings me to Thisakya. This year she celebrated her birthday at The School for the Deaf in Ratmalana and I must recommend it to any of you who are looking for a good charity to donate to. With 200 children and all actively involved in educational pursuits it is a tremendous effort that is being provided there. Thisakya was placed 2nd in class and this year saw her enter the upper school. Her School House was finally changed to Borgia so that she is now the 4th generation to continue in that House. She continues her speech and drama exams and this year completed Grade 4 as well as played one of the lead roles in a Yolande School play. Her current craze is the High School Musical series which seems a modern version of Grease of the eighties and has her father worried at the way she drools over its star. She's started using lip gloss and this too has taken a little bit of getting used to by the paternal quarter in this family.

Dathika has been our young achiever this year. After a rocky start at St. Thomas' and nearly being pulled out of school by parents who don't believe in corporal punishment (especially at the age of 5 in a new environment if you please), the College kindly volunteered to change his class and under his new teacher he blossomed. He loves school and loves everything to do with it. Ironically he has made friends with the grandsons of his grandfather's old friends and so it seems the cycle goes on. His marks have been exemplary and he has got straight A's in all his subjects and even some 100%s in some subjects. He is taking part at the moment in Jeevan Jayasinghe's production of Mistletoe Magic and actually has a tiny solo in it as well. It is totally Jeevan's magnificent direction that has fine tuned his exuberance and brought out the best in him. He also loves his computer class and under sufferance attends speech classes as well achieving a merit for his first exam.

I have spent much of this year travelling. But not to exotic places; sigh! Rather to Mount Lavinia and back as I escorted Dathika to school. I have enjoyed my year at Alethea International School and enjoyed being part of the personal attention that students of Alethea get from their teachers. Alethea is an International school that is small but 80 years old and their traditions of knowing each child completely seems to still be alive. I carry on teaching Speech and Drama at home and this year have broken away from the Yolande School and will be continuing under my own flag. I had the pleasure of having my dad and step mum stay with us this September and it was the highlight of my year.

These then are the snippets of our family. We do hope that our silence during the rest of the year is amply made up for during this time. We do wish all of you, A Very Happy Christmas and a wonderful New Year,

With our Love,

Jehan, Ashanthi, Thisakya and Dathika
