Warm Welcome

My Maldivian girls, they are from the local island and as usual I say 'hello' to everyone and they have adopted me which is lovely, they look out for me when I go for my daily walks thru the construction site and point me in the right direction if I even look a bit lost. Dear girls, the younger ones speak English and are getting over their shyness with me. Every time I meet any of them it is a handshake and a smile, how are you today....followed by lots of giggles....cute, hardworking ladies.
Yesterday we had a welcome for 22 new staff members so it is really gearing up for the opening, very exciting to be here at this stage.

Kihavah Resort & Spa on Baa Atoll, Maldives

We're up at Anantara's brand new resort & spa in the Maldives and it is going to be a beautiful resort, very stylish, great architecture, stunning villas and sunsets over their huge lagoon.

The pre-opening construction is in it's final stages and there is an excitement evident in the faces and voices of the staff and construction workers here. Christopher is doing murals on the Kids Club and loving the experience of working as part of the team.

Everyone is so friendly and open; all working together and I am enjoying the companionship of like minded people, interesting and intelligent...loving it and will be sorry to leave. But we will be back at the end of the month for a week so that Christopher can start a new project here which will be very exciting and the first of it's kind, certainly in the Maldives.....stay tuned.

Here are some random pics from around the resort island and our villa. Enjoy.

The Maldives - Our new island in the sun

My first seaplane flight over the Maldives was magnificent; had a few hiccups getting on the flight as we were on stand-by, but eventually it was our turn. My artist in residence husband had been called to 'introduce some colour' into a new resort still under construction in Baa Atoll. With paintbox and panama on head, he and I arrived at lunchtime, met the chaps and were invited to lunch in the staff canteen. I am in my element, a construction site, at last! We were given a site tour after lunch and we are really enjoying being part of a team, exciting, and Christopher has some interesting and innovating ideas, so watch this space.

Pics from Paradise in the Maldives

Been a little while since I updated by blog; but been busy, at the gym here on the island 6 out of 7 days a week and finally, started a diet. It's time.

I have been roving the island resorts and taking a few pics, I hope you enjoy them.

The Maldives

This resort in the Maldives is PARADISE, it's official.

Although the weather has not been kind to us since we arrived last month, every other little thing is excellent. My artist husband had a birthday, the resort went over the top with wonderful touches like a special birthday cake and birthday table, then it was his birthday bed...all set out with a towel 'fish' and birthday wishes, and then to really top it off, a birthday bath; what could be better than that. I think the way that these resorts do the towel folding into little towelling elephants, swans, birds, flowers, etc, etc is so eclectic and I hope that they never stop the staff doing these little things for guests, really other than excellent service there is very little other than these personal touches that they can do. So heads-up!

My days are simple, breakfast, followed by lunch, followed by dinner, some computer time, some swimming time and more lately some gym time. Could not be better, days that I have dreamed of and nights where sound sleep easily finds me.

Warish, our villa guest services man, he is excellent, he's Maldivian born and interested in a lot of things, asking about Christopher's art and we talk, in between his busy work making our villa ship-shape. He has told me that he has a wife who is a teacher on a local island which is only 10 minutes away and I showed him the pics of the art classes that Chris and I have been doing with the local school children and orphans in Thailand and we will be looking to go and do some work with the local community here in the Maldives.

My place by the sea

This is fun, sitting reading a book by the sea. It's been raining and very windy here on Dhigufinolhu, South Male Atoll, for almost 10 days straight, so I have had time to look back over my blog and I find that I have missed a couple of critical events. Where we had lots of fun, so here goes.

Just before we left to go back home, Christopher was launching his new wine labels in Hua Hin, Thailand. He took a master of class for the journos and the actual launch party was a big social event and also lots of fun, Here are a few pics in testimony to that fact, well I had a good time and that's the most important thing.

It's Monday it must be the Maldives!

Actually it's Tuesday and it is still the Maldives.
We arrived on Sunday night from a whistle stop in Bangkok.
Haven't really settled in yet, but it has potential here, the staff are wonderfully friendly and very easy to communicate with, so should have a lot of time to relax.