A new friend!

I finally have a friend! I didn’t realise how lonely I was until Hasthi came and volunteered for a week. Jas the office manager (who is hilarious and has crazy hair), came up and introduced her. It was very sudden as she was looking for something for 5 days only to do as part of the Duke of Edinburgh in New Zealand.

Hasthi was born in Sri Lanka, but her family moved to NZ in 1999 as her dad wanted them to have a different education to the one in Sri Lanka. Children are at school from 7am or 8am to 1pm and then they have tuition in every subject in the afternoon until about 5pm or 6pm. So to my nieces and nephews…stop complaining! He wanted his girls to have a childhood as well as a good education (although education seems very good here, probably due to the amount of hours they put in). Anyway, it was just so nice to talk to someone.

I knew I was lonely but just didn’t realise how low my spirit was. I was seeing and experiencing amazing things, but as I couldn’t share . Meal times were particularly difficult as I sat at the huge table singing ‘all by myself’ every night.

I felt like myself again as we chatted…well I chatted…not sure if she said anything. I think I chewed her ear off for the entire week. Anyway, her dad and sister were often here taking photographs and filming as she was going to put together a presentation. We all hit it off as we found out we enjoyed the same things….the outdoors, photography and wildlife. I was even more pleased when they said they wanted to climb Adam’s Peak and go to Horton Plains National Park because that is what I wanted to do the following weekend but wasn’t sure how because I would have to hire a driver and guide. And so we started planning what we were going to do.

The great thing was she could speak Sinhalese so she could interpret what the mahouts were saying. My suspicions were correct, they do swear at the elephants, but in a sweet way…like you big dopey elephant, why don’t you do what I say? Every day we have this argument….it sounds very much like a married couple.

Hasthi’s only 18 years but she’s so knowledgeable and we had great discussions on just about everything. She’s very sensible, has her head screwed on and wants to get into medicine. I told her she knows so much more than what I did at that age!

Hasthi’s family were great and welcomed me as one of their own. Hasthi’s dad, Sunil, kept saying how great it is to meet people who share the same interests. And it’s so true. Sunil had a kick-ass lens (yes I had lens envy) so we talked about photography and various trips they have done and wildlife they have seen. I’m not sure if they realise how much it meant to me to have someone to talk to, especially someone who shared the same interests. I felt alive again and my spirits were soaring. I am forever grateful.