A day I will NEVER EVER forget!

I have never had a day like today in my entire life! It didn't start too well with Geoff still unwell, Guardian Angel and I getting a tuk tuk to collect the bikes we abandoned last night, then me falling off my bike in front of hotel, which was a taste of things to come.
GA and I set off with about 8 children from the school and 2 teachers. The ambitious plan was to visit 6 or 7 children's homes and visit with their families. It's been a very hot day so I was a bit anxious about my ability to keep going all day long.

The first house we visited was Aung Kyaw's. He is a delightful young man. The oldest in the school - strong, helpful and really engaging. We had to come off the road, leave our bikes by a rice paddy field and walk along a path. The path was bordered by a drainage ditch for the paddy. Aung Kyaw's house was built in the middle of the field and we saw his father working the field in the raging hot sun. He saw us and ran home shouting, "The teacher is coming." (in Burmese of course) We had to cross the ditch over a small treetrunk placed over the dirty water. Can you guess what is coming next?

I FELL INTO THE DITCH!

It was full of quite deep mud, which my bum stuck in then my left leg stuck in - the teacher tried to pull me out but I pulled her in! When I got out, I was drenched and covered in filthy muck from chest to feet. We laughed and laughed and laughed all the way to Aung Kyaw's house. Can you imagine it? "Hello, I am a headteacher from Scotland. Thank you for your hospitality. I am sorry I look and smell like a pig in muck." If I could have stopped my hysterical laughter, I'd have been embarrassed and perhaps more prepared for what happened next.

Aung Kyaw's father saw me and ran to get many pots of water. His mother, Tha Zin and the other teacher took me to the washing pot and poured water over my clothes and rubbed soap into them to get rid of the mud, with me and everyone else killing themselves laughing still. Bear in mind that I was still in my clothes which were being laundered on me! Then I sat down and we all laughed and giggled and just couldn't believe what had happened. The children were astounded.

The beauty of it was the family were probably feeling nervous about meeting a HT from Scotland but we all just roared with laughter the whole time I was there. We do have some great video footage, not of the fall. At that point, all you see on video is the ground as GA rushes to my aid. Aung Kyaw then very kindly gave me his brand new shoes to walk in and off we set, not for home as I had hoped but for the next home!

Now this home belonged to Suy Chit and her mother is a larger than usual Burmese lady so she gave me a fetching yellow top and some elasticated blue trousers to wear so this is how I end up.

Next we visited Kyaw Kyaw and his father. They live in the furniture factory his dad works in and we have amazing video footage of the men working the wood and creating the most beautiful furniture. Wages - 80 baht per day = £1.30. Food is cheap here but not that cheap and this is the same wage as working in all the factories. It's immoral. In Scotland, he could command top rates as a craftsman or joiner.

By now the children are hungry, so we stop for noodles for them. I am still trying not to eat so I don't have to go to the toilet! (Don't worry, no graphic details following because I was successful.)

Next off to a little family in a very small hut by a field of sugar cane but the father is a potter who makes water butts. Again the wage is 80 baht a day.

The children played in the water butts, climbing in and out.

Onto the little Burmese home of the Chair of the Parent Council, which I will enjoy showing Gladys, the Chair of Forthview Parent Council. He is a lovely man who asked me how Hle Bee can develop. Not the question I expected or feel very qualified to answer but I replied that the kindergarten really needs help because the numbers are huge and it's difficult to teach such big classes.

By this time I am getting very overheated as you can see from the colour of my face. It was so hot outside that I was delighted to bend down and get into their little house, which had a wee lower deck where an open fire was cooking dinner. As we sat and chatted and shared the hilarious story for the 6th time that Scotland Headteacher fell in the ditch, the sun went and the rain came down in torrents. "Where is your raincoat, Sheila?" Oops, it was in DK Hotel... so we waited until the rain went and went off to our last home. During our last visit, I took no photos and almost fell asleep as the mother spoke for a long time about how bad her son was......

So back to Hle Bee and back to DK where I showed Geoff the great video footage then showered and crashed out for 90 mins.

When I woke at 8.30pm, Murray phoned to say that Louise and Fiona are in Bangkok, flying to Chiang Mai where they will arrive at 10.30pm, having left Edinburgh at 5am on Friday morning. Poor souls but I can't wait to see them.... At one point, I thought my daughter is in Hong Kong and I am in a ditch!

I will always remember the day I visited Kyaw Aung's house and I must buy him new shoes!