If you travel on a fast speed train; the scenery is a blur. If you travel a bit slower, perhaps even stopping at the stations, you get to enjoy every aspect of all that is going on around you. The beauty of the season, the rural landscape, the various crops and that old farmer whom you enjoyed wondering what his life might be like. You might not get as far in a cruising train, but you'll be able to tell a better story about your trip because you would have taken in more. And so it is with the past 5 weeks for us. Somehow we accidently stepped onto the fast train, and now it's hard to recall anything. Thank goodness for photos...but I'll be reading the signs more carefully at the main station terminal from now on.
After months of planning, Lyn Worsley and her husband Neil arrived in Cyprus. Whilst it was part holiday for them, it was also a prime opportunity to add a human face to this Resilience Doughnut I'd been spruiking for the last 2yrs. I arranged for Lyn to conduct two public seminars: one for parents of teenagers and a workshop for teachers and the like who wanted to understand more about resilience and the RD model. They both went off a treat and I felt as though I'd managed to grow a small group of enthusiastic "dough-nutters"in Cyprus whom I might work with. It was also a timely message for Cyprus, especially with the current economic crisis and related pressures on community to dig deep and find alternate resources for support. It was encouraging to have some media interest in Lyn's visit also. The best part if the visit however, was having Lyn and Neil stay and be part of our family for the time that they were here. Sam was asking after them a full fortnight later!
Straight after we saw the Worsley's off on the plane to Malta, we dashed downstairs to the Arrivals gate to greet Ross' sister Susie and our niece Sally. What a reunion that was for the 2 cousins!
Aside from the shock of how loud and busy it is living with our family; I think they had a wonderful time. For Sally to be around her cousins, do some shopping with Jessie and experience a day at school and for Susie to explore a bit of the island and relax a long way from work.
They also got to see the children's International Day: by far the best celebration on the school's calendar. We'll remember Angus in this "extra cute" lion costume (!) and Jessie dancing as a pirate and Anna enjoying the whole on-stage experience with her pre-school "Busy Bees" class. Sam would have been more than memorable as an arm-plastered Prickly Pear if only he didn't come down with a nasty virus on the day of the show. No problem for Sam though; he got to sit down the front and watch the whole show next to Sally.
It's always great to have family and friends come to visit....and that's AS WELL AS the obligatory Tim Tam delivery. Thanks for coming Susie and Sally!
Sam has been a real trooper about his broken arm. Hardly a complaint.....but longing for a real bath and an ocean swim. His cast comes off tomorrow - fingers crossed. In the meantime I've taken on a small on-line course through the Australian Psychological Society. Good to get another part of the brain activated and to force myself to sit still. Really enjoying it so far; just need to dedicate more time to it. Another highlight for me was a much needed 4hrs at the Katafiyo Retreat House in a village in the Troodos foothills - oh how I love that house and surrounds in spring time. Somehow the "fast train" managed to change pace that day.
Ross has just returned from Pakistan, and we're looking to some time away as a family on a beach later this week with Orthodox Easter. Καλό Πάσχα, or Happy Easter!
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| Sarah and Lyn taking a walk in the Old Town |
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| Jessie tries her hand at making ravioli |
Straight after we saw the Worsley's off on the plane to Malta, we dashed downstairs to the Arrivals gate to greet Ross' sister Susie and our niece Sally. What a reunion that was for the 2 cousins!
Aside from the shock of how loud and busy it is living with our family; I think they had a wonderful time. For Sally to be around her cousins, do some shopping with Jessie and experience a day at school and for Susie to explore a bit of the island and relax a long way from work.
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| Heading toward St Hilarion Castle in northern Cyprus |
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| Watching a Turkish boxmaker at work |
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| The girls at Kyrenia |
They also got to see the children's International Day: by far the best celebration on the school's calendar. We'll remember Angus in this "extra cute" lion costume (!) and Jessie dancing as a pirate and Anna enjoying the whole on-stage experience with her pre-school "Busy Bees" class. Sam would have been more than memorable as an arm-plastered Prickly Pear if only he didn't come down with a nasty virus on the day of the show. No problem for Sam though; he got to sit down the front and watch the whole show next to Sally.
It's always great to have family and friends come to visit....and that's AS WELL AS the obligatory Tim Tam delivery. Thanks for coming Susie and Sally!
Sam has been a real trooper about his broken arm. Hardly a complaint.....but longing for a real bath and an ocean swim. His cast comes off tomorrow - fingers crossed. In the meantime I've taken on a small on-line course through the Australian Psychological Society. Good to get another part of the brain activated and to force myself to sit still. Really enjoying it so far; just need to dedicate more time to it. Another highlight for me was a much needed 4hrs at the Katafiyo Retreat House in a village in the Troodos foothills - oh how I love that house and surrounds in spring time. Somehow the "fast train" managed to change pace that day.
Ross has just returned from Pakistan, and we're looking to some time away as a family on a beach later this week with Orthodox Easter. Καλό Πάσχα, or Happy Easter!
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| Angus and his mate Rashid |
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| Menaka, smiling and helpful as always |
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| Angus tries on his lion costume for the show. We had to be quick to get this photo! |
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