Friday, November 3

It feels as though the rain has never let up since we arrived. Local people claim that it should have stopped weeks ago; and should never have started in the first place. The tourist season has just begun and the early tourists find themselves stuck in their hotels rather than wandering the beach.

I have come to SISP to observe the Friday session in action. Lekshmi has proved us right: she has become a competent and dedicated tutor. If only she spoke English she could lead some of the groups. She understands English enough for me to offer complicated suggestions, or give complex instructions, but she restricts her replies to one or two words.

We both look up as our conversation becomes suddenly impossible as another storm starts and begins to beat down loudly on the tin roof. The rain turns torrential again. The thunder and lightning start. The drops fall so often that I can catch them with my iPad.