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Day 4 of the ISH Writers Retreat involved a visit to Nirmala Public School.   

Day 4 of the ISH Writers Retreat involved a visit to Nirmala Public School. The kids were delightful and especially amused when Richie did his imitation of a kangaroo. Caroline Van De Pol put on her teacher’s voice and got the kids singing. We left them with colouring books and chocolates. On our way back we stumbled on a factory processing coconut oil and got an impromptu tour. It was great to check out the machines and see the whole process in action. Back at Indian Summer ...House, we talked about the significance of “place”. Caroline Van De Pol explained that place is more than just backdrop and could be as important as any character. You can entwine place through plot to draw out the mood of the story, foreshadow something happening and reveal characters. Think of “The Road” by Cormac McCarthy or “The Dry” by Jane Harper. For our farewell meal (almost) we had a wonderful sadya lunch prepared on banana leaves and eaten by hand. As we toasted making new friends, I couldn’t help but reflect on what a wonderful experience this has been for me. Opening up about previous experiences, roadblocks, sharing ideas and books with a group of people who understand. And it turns out Caroline Van De Pol was right again. Place is significant. Especially this place, Indian Summer House, with its exclusive gardens, tropical pool, outdoor showers, ayurvedic spa, luxurious rooms and nourishing food, was the perfect setting for me to pause, take a breath and write my first sentence. Shonee M Mirchandani, Caroline Van De Pol, Don Vande Pol, Jacq Burns 展开