Malé

When I first arrived in Male many years back it was half the size. Virtually no high rise buildings just sandy coral streets very few cars, taxis or motor bikes.  Loads of bicycles!  Parents taking their children to school on the back of their bikes..I used to tear along on a man’s bike wearing a hat with a stuffed parrot on top!

Local people had to go to a well for drinking water. When it had rained, enormous puddles would be on the streets, the only way to get through these was to get up speed and with my legs outstretched crash through without getting wet..! Male felt friendly peaceful, quite, private with a village atmosphere!

Fenifenmaa

When I was running Maldive Travel one of my clients was a top rose grower. After a fantastic holiday in the islands, he came back saying " I understand the national flower is the rose.  I want to give you one of my new roses, to be called The Maldive lady. I will give you 50 and prepare them all ready to be planted. I came in by Air Lanka. Twenty roses were given to the Airport and after a quick shower at Villingilli it was back to Male. Mr Waleed, who looked after the museum a friend Sim Mohamed and some TV people greeted me. It was desperately hot!  The roses were brilliantly individually packed. No way was I going to plant more than one in this heat and jet lag!

The ceremony was very pleasing  and run on TV that night.  Waleed was in charge of the other roses which were about 2 feet high and of course in need of water and when in bloom would be pink in colour. I was thrilled to have a rose named after me!
Next time when I came in, they were not looking happy and eventually faded away.