Today was a big day for all of us…not only was it our last day at Hitataya but also the day of our cultural show! We had been building up to this day for many weeks with rehearsals and last minute preparations. Many of us had a sleepless night on Monday night as we were running over the show in our minds and going over our singala dance that we would be performing in front of our audience! As we woke to blue sky, we knew we were in luck as it had rained for almost a week straight.We spent the afternoon setting up chairs, equipment, rehearsing with the children and trying to make sure the show would run as smoothly as possible. After yet another tasty lunch within the village, the girls were invited to teachers house for sari fittings. Meanwhile, the boy were left to sort out any ‘technical’ matters at the school! One by one we were called to be fitted by three women who seemed to run and run around you, whilst pinning you into what seemed a massive sheet of material. I was surprised at how quickly they transformed the material, although I could not move from the knee down and therefore my walk was not so elegant! We were all rather daunted by the fact that we would be dancing a single dance in a costume essentially held together by pins! Once we were all made up in our sari’s looking the part, the teacher and her daughters took pictures of us all outside.

We took a (very slow!) walk back to the school at 3pm, passing villagers who called ‘Lassanai!’ (beautiful) at us. We were even more taken aback when arriving at school with hundreds of parents and children crowded around us taking photos! We all felt like real celebrities as we mingled with everyone and were told how much good work we had done in the village. Once we had everyone seated (more or less- we had around 50 standing!) the show started. We opened with everyone singing ‘Yellow Submarine’ by the Beatles. More than 25 acts then took stage on the grass, a mixture of singing, dancing, poems and speeches. The children performed both traditional singala routines and modern Hindi dances. We were touched that they had all gone to so mu ch effort with costumes, face paints and props. There were a few surprises along the way, like dance performed by the talented Sanduni who did a hip hop routine. The audience really got involved, cheering and singing…we even had families down the street watching from their rooftop! Before we knew it, it was our turn to perform. As we reluctantly walked to the centre, the whole audience encouraged us and we soon felt more at ease. Once the dreaded music began, it seemed to fly by and we all moved quite effortlessly through the dance despite a few near falls due to sarees and pot holes in the grass (also minus the certain gangly member mentioned in previous entry…who was wearing a wig and a hat for entertainment!). Anyway, everyone loved it and all congratulated us on our efforts…I think it meant alot that we had tried!

Now time for our speech, thanking everyone for making our time in Sri Lanka so memorable and worthwhile. We also made individual thanks to certain members (Asanka and Sampath) who have done so much for us and have become great friends. We spoke about how much we respect their culture; especially their kindness and hospitality. We also mentioned how much we have learnt from this experience and from the amazing people we have met. We attempted some of the speech in Singala, much to amusement of the audience! Then an touching speech was delivered by teacher in English, which really meant a lot as we know how much time and effort this must have taken. The preschool children then handed us individuals cards and gifts which was a lovely touch.

After this, everyone took to the floor (or were dragged to the floor in my case!) for a dance to the well known ‘Rambori’ which we all put our heart and soul into. For me, this was the highlight of our time here- dancing and singing along with the children and teachers who we have developed such strong bonds with. As the rain began to start (extremely lucky given that it held out for the whole day!) we all crammed into the preschool where we presented the teachers with photo albums that we had made for them. After eating snacks that were brought in by the children, the music once again was blasted out for three final crazy dances…everyone was jumping, singing, clapping. I think this just about sums up our time here; random, unexpected but blooming brilliant!

Then our goodbyes…first the children said their farewells individually and then turn for an emotional goodbye to the teachers and their families as well as all the people who have supported us. Most of us were reduced to tears as we said our prolonged goodbyes, and prised ourselves away from the school and all the people in it. As the tuk tuk pulled away and we looked at our school for one last time, we reflected on this amazing, unforgettable experience. We will never forget the inspirational people that we have met that have given and taught us so much. For me, this has been a life changing experience and once that I will always remember.