Well its November l’ve been home 2 weeks & thought l should sign off my blog with photos of my last week at school. It was a mixture of emotions… sadness, tears and a strange feeling of leaving what has been a huge part of my life in Sri Lanka. It has made an enormous impact on me and my life will never be the same again. I have a greater understanding of the whole refugee/asylum seeker debate and can fully understand why people in Sri Lanka want to flee the country for a better life and future for their family, but unfortunately for some the only escape is on boats which are life threatening and the problem is so huge and after many conversations about the situation there is no easy solution, l have heard so many tragic stories it’s hard to imagine the war ceased only 4 years ago. On my last day the staff explained to the children that “White Teacher” was leaving to go home on a plane to Australia, what happened next broke my heart, a young girl who l had become very close to looked at me with fear in her eyes she grabbed me and pleaded me not to go, a teacher later explained both her parents were killed in the war by a bomb dropped from an airplane which she witnessed. This is just one story of many about the life of these beautiful children, some who have experienced more in their short life than we could ever imagine. In the face of all the tragedy they are happy, never knowing any different. If the children have learnt half as much from the experience as they have taught me l will be very happy. This is my last entry but the memories of the children of Sri Lanka will live in my heart forever.