Spring in Holland - working for the IB

I was really lucky to be invited to take part in the redevelopment of PD for the Enhanced PYP.  The IB flew me to The Hague, put me up in a nice hotel, and gave me a real insight into the upcoming changes.  Beyond this we are tasked to develop new workshops.  This is going to be an amazing experience.

I arrived on a Monday, which wasn't great as many things were closed.  I did, however, manage to take a long walk through local parks and woodland.

On our second day we went "downtown" in the evening for a dinner.  Our walk took us past the Peace Palace, alongside a canal and through several areas that were full of tulips.

The following day I went home with Anne van Dam, someone I used to work with in Switzerland who now works at the IB office.  We went for a walk to the sea right from her house, which is also set in lovely bluebell woodland.

On the Thursday Lex drove down from Haarlem and we went to Scheveningen and walked along the beach, having dinner at a beachside restaurant.  It was warm and sunny - though by the time we finished our meal the sky was looking dark and it was threatening rain.

Generally it was a lovely time - and I'm looking forward to developing myself in new ways professionally as I move forward with the development of PD for Category 1 workshops.

May Day in Goa

A May Day weekend right at the end of the season - and quite literally we were the last people in the resort.  I went with Sharon and we stayed right on Agonda beach in a hut on stilts.  There was almost nothing to do except sit and read, drink and eat, and walk up and down the beach.  We met up with Megan and Cindy a few times as they were staying in the resort next door - and one day we all went out on a boat to watch dolphins.  Sun, sea, sand and of course sunsets!

Yoga in Alibaug

For the Easter weekend I went with Sharon to a yoga and meditation retreat at Mango Beach in Alibaug.  It was remarkably easy to get there - a speedboat from the Gateway of India.  The weekend was a good combination of lounging by the pool in the heat of the day, early morning and late afternoon yoga and meditation, and a bit of theory about the yoga sutras later in the morning.

Trying out my new camera

I got a new camera for my birthday - and so I've been walking around Bandra taking photos and trying it out.  These photos are from Jogger's Park.

One night in Bangkok (or maybe 3)

I went to Bangkok right at the end of March for the NESA Conference, where I was a presenter.  It was an odd experience going back having been away for 8 years.  Amazingly, when I went to NIST I knew so many people - that was really great being able to see everyone again.

On the first evening I took one of my colleagues out to the Dome - the highest outdoor restaurant in the world - followed by a meal right opposite Wat Arun.  Other evenings I went to a NESA reception by the river, a lovely meal and a visit to the night market.  I also found time to squeeze in 2 foot massages.  Oh, and of course I presented at the conference.

Morning Coffee in Patan

On our final full day in Kathmandu we took a taxi to Patan.  Patan is one of the oldest known Buddhist cities. It is a centre of both Hinduism and Buddhism with 55 major temples.  Having visited Durbar Square in Kathmandu - and having once been to Patan before but having absolutely no recollection of it - I was keen to see it.  Joal suggested going to the Si Tichhu restaurant and going right up to the top to get the best view of the square.

Patan Durbar Square is one of the three Durbar Squares in the Kathmandu Valley, all of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The architecture is Newa with the main temples being opposite the palace.  There's also a large bell.  The square was heavily damaged  by the 2015 earthquake.  Some of the structures are being rebuilt with the help of the Swiss.

Afternoon tea in the Garden of Dreams

 

We returned to Kathmandu with a couple of days left to explore.  On the afternoon we got back we decided to walk to The Garden of Dreams, which wasn't far from the hotel.  This is a neo classical historical garden, also known as the garden of Six Seasons which was created in early 1920. After the completion of this garden, it was considered as one of the most sophisticated private gardens of that time.  Within the garden walls are six pavilions, each dedicated to one of the six seasons of Nepal. Today, only half of the original garden is in existence. It was restored in cooperation with Austrian Government during the period of 2000 to 2007.