Wednesday 7th October 2020

Children always plan their birthday celebrations 12 months in advance. This year they wanted a trip to Bali, an island in Indonesia, 5 hours by plane from Sri Lanka. Covid cut off their plans, so they had to rethink!

We started the celebrations almost a week in advance, taking advantage of an early half term holiday (moved from the end of the month due to Covid restrictions) and having lunch at a Japanese restaurant. We were invited by my friend Mala, an Indian lady I met a year ago at the International Expat Association and we really like each other. She met the children when we helped at the Christmas Fair last year and she liked them very much. She knew they like Japanese cuisine. The Japanese restaurant Yumi at the Taj Hotel, is her favorite place and she knew the menu almost by heart.

We were the only visitors there and the song Happy Birthday, which they played out loud, and the cake with their names on, was an unexpected bonus. The food was delicious, the children enjoyed it wonderfully and I must say that I was very proud of them, as they engaged in the conversation and lasted almost 3 hours without a mobile phone. Emilka will be wearing a new cat suit and Misa a smart red polo shirt – a generosity of my dear friend Mala. 

Rennie