Mah tah yana ohna adam’s peak. (i want to go to Adam’s peak). As you can see my days of single word Sinhala phrases are finally over. Well, not completely but I’m getting there. it’s so true that living in the land of the language is the way to go if you’re trying to learn a new one. I’m sitting on my balcony right now watching the sunset, it’s shadowed by some wide clouds but combined with this cool breeze it’s a nice reprieve from the day’s heat. I was desperate to learn how to say ( I want to go) in Sinhala because I am dying to get away and explore with any free moment i have. Last weekend we met up with our friend Janaka (also our tuk tuk driver) and a friend of his to explore a little. We asked them to take us to Tangalla about an hour’s drive from our place. Well, we ended up going everywhere but there. They took us to this cool blow hole that in the monsoon season sends water 23m into the air- very cool. We also went to this amazing Buddhist temple that has the tallest seated Buddha in SL. It was an interesting place to visit and although I’m pretty sure I burnt the bottoms of my feet (we had to remove our shoes and the ground was scorching) it was a worthwhile experience. The Buddhist movement here is very large as around 80% of the people in Sri Lanka are Sinhalese and also Buddhists. The nature of this religion is very devout and pure. In Matara the focal point of the town is the Buddhist temple which at first glance resembles that of an amusement park back at home. Fortunately, for the most part people are very open to other religions and although they have firm beliefs of their own they in no way make you feel inferior if you are not Buddhist. After our visit to the temple, Janaka took us back to town to rally up some more of his friends. We ended up in this little paddle boat on the main river that runs through the town. There were 6 guys and tom and I in this little boat. The intent of the trip was to spot some big crocodiles along the bank of the river. I was a little weary seeing as I was only inches from the water and when I asked them just how big these crocs were they all told me about 24m. 24meters! what the heck- that’s like the size of 3 of these boats I said. They all laughed and I’m really not sure if it was a laugh at my apparent nervousness or at the fictional size of the crocodile. We never saw one so i can’t say for certain how big these ones really are. Although we didn’t see any crocs we saw a lot of other stuff in that river. and unfortunately it was not the type of things that one hopes to see on a boat trip- mostly it was parts of chickens, like their feet, skin that sort of thing- lovely. On top of this the river bank was scattered with loads and loads of garbage. Apparently, the river was really nice and clean and then after the tsunami much of the refuge from the disaster found itself in the river. Sadly, many many bodies we also found along the banks changing the way the locals viewed its purpose. Now the river is a mass of garbage that despite its charm from a distance is quite disturbing up close. But the boating trip was again an experience worth having.

A few days have since passed when I began to write this entry. Mainly we have spent the week working in our little office here and trying to get swims and runs in whenever possible. We took our friends (Susantha and his family) out to dinner on Wednesday night. When we were there he told us they had some exciting news. They were pregnant!! His wife is so sweet and humble she smacked him for telling us. Now the crazy part of it is that he told us before he had even told his own children. They were at the table asking, Is this for real?? It was a funny sight. Unfortunately, his wife got quite ill at dinner and had to excuse herself to go get sick on the beach. We felt so bad but she insisted she was fine. Again, an example of the selfless nature of the people here in Matara. Yesterday, we wandered down to the Fort to watch a swimming lesson for little 2-5 year olds. It was adorable. They just play on the beach and then go and swim in the pool. They all have these amazing little smiles. Definitely a highlight of the week. I’ve included a photo for you. So, now today is Friday, Tom and I are heading to the town stadium to watch part of the big cricket match this afternoon. The locals are crazy with school spirit and they have insisted that we come and watch. We are scared of what will happen if we don’t. Last night we were invited again by two young policemen we met a few weeks ago. They sometimes just randomly pop by our place and check out our security measures. They just sit there with their guns in their pants and enjoy a cup of tea while telling us about the cheating criminals they caught that day. It’s funny how random events just seem normal here.

Well, here’s to a weekend filled with surfing and relaxing before a busy week in Colombo! Til next time! Ayubowan!

A Day Older in Sri Lanka

Proshnak-nah- meaning “no problem” is a phrase I’ve recently had to utter quite often despite the fact that in normal circumstances I would point out the opposite. Life on the Island as the locals call it, is beautiful and relaxed while equally stressful and frustrating in its own way. Again today we have no water. We have tried to talk to our landlords about this several times but the language barrier has made it tough. In fact our attempt the other day resulted in the wife thinking we had invited the whole family up for tea that evening. Unfortunately we had to work on a big project and had to kindly tell them we would have to postpone. One thing I have learnt is that any little utterance or expression of interest quickly becomes a huge point of discussion. It seems idle small talk is not really a commonality and that the people really hold you to your word. So as a result we have started paying very close attention to what we say. Otherwise we could end up having the entire town of Matara knocking on our door for tea.

I can’t really comment too much on the state and details of the project- but let’s just say there have been many days when Tom and I look at each other and think- wow they may end up shipping us back home if this doesn’t work out. There are just a lot of things outstanding that still need to be confirmed so it leaves us feeling somewhat weary. Then we think- hmm they have already paid rent for the house so maybe we will just stay here and surf all day instead. Just kidding.

Back to the locals, I have to say that the people we have met here in Matara, from our first tuk-tuk driver to a local teacher I randomly met at a work event are absolutely incredible. I’ve never met such genuinely kind and selfless people. Tonight we are heading out to dinner with Susantha the teacher I mentioned. He found out it was my birthday and even though we just spent yesterday at the beach with his family he invited us out to celebrate his wife’s and my birthday. They refuse to let us take public transport and so they make the drive out to brown’s hill to pick us up whenever we spent time with them. Despite the pain, of losing his two nieces and his entire home in the tsunami, he is one of the kindest and least bitter men I have ever known. A true inspiration that had the common sense to take his family and run 2km’s inland on Dec 26 2004- as his village was overtaken by the wave.

Yesterday marked another important day here in Matara as Tom and I headed off to the local Sunday market to pick up some tropical fruits and veggies. We were a little taken aback by the market at first- seeing as it was nearly impossible to ignore the rancid smell that intoxicated us the second we stepped into it. That along with the hoards of people, the jibbering vendors and then suddenly a herd of bulls, yup bulls that pushed their way through the market lane. To top it off Tom narrowly skirted a large pile of bull dung making us look at each other with both horror and humour. Upon our departure from the market clad with pineapples hot peppers and tomatoes we were approached by this tiny, wrinkled gentleman. He claimed to be from Italy, despite his obvious Sri Lankan roots and suddenly embraced both Tom and I placing his head on my shoulder. Hmmm. A little too much for amelia so we quickly said Ciao and were off despite the fact he continued to talk at us as we scurried away. Between locals like him and the hilariously innocent yet senial grandma that lives below us- I could write a novel based on the characters I’ve met- in only 4 weeks away.

So, despite the personal issues and inconviences I am faced with daily, it is the moments of sharing, the openness and acceptance of the people here that keeps me going. That and of course the constant roar of waves I can hear from my balcony. So tomorrow as I turn a year older, I know it will be a good. And that the year ahead will be one to remember.

more than a land of tea

I'm sitting here at the Trans-Asia hotel in Colombo enjoying the reprieve of air conditioning and a room free of mosquitos, spiders and blistering humidity. Tom and I moved into our house in Matara this past week and although we have only spent two nights there so far it is already starting to feel a little more comfortable. Don't get me wrong it wasn't that it was a bad place at all. It's just that upon our arrival a couple of weeks ago the place was absolutely bare with no furnishings and was quite dirty and really not ready to be lived in. I have come to terms with the reality that I'll be living with a constant film of sweat on my body at all times, unless of course i am travelling in our car or at a fancy hotel in Colombo such as this. A/C just doesn't exist down south and so sleeping at night and even doing something as simple as brushing ones teeth leads to drenched clothing and that constant layer of sweat I've referred to several times. The best thing about our house is definitely the balcony. We have a fine view of backyard and because we are perched up on Brown's Hill we can see the waves rolling in on Matara Beach. The beach itself is not anything too spectacular but there are several beautiful beaches very close to us (so we've been told). So as you can imagine I am very anxious to get my surfboard and to finally hit the beach. Hopefully this weekend.

So yet again we have spent a great deal of time travelling between Matara and Colombo. I think I've been motion sick for the past three weeks. if I haven't explained it to you guys yet. . the driving here is atrocious. There are not really any rules (well any rules that are actually followed) and drivers just drive around anyone who is in the way. . and by drive around, I mean skim by them with millimeters separating the two vehicles, the pedestrian or whatever happens to be causing the inconvenience. Our driver this last trip was just brutal. We usually travel in these passenger vans and this one was in rough shape,so very bumpy even more so than usual and the gears would barely shift. Needless to say it will be an absolute miracle if i make it through this year without any vehicle incidents. Mom brace yourself for several small heart attacks. Steve's driving is nothing compared to this!!

Despite the small daily adventures we have also started to finally dive into the development of the sport for development project here. Tomorrow we will meet with some of the potential partners that will hopefully help us gain access to some of the local communties where we can start to figure out how we can fit into their current structure. Many of the hurdles we and other NGO's have faced recently is due to the security issues in the country. While it's very easy to forget that civil unrest is all around you, when i have the chance to read a paper or watch the news I am quickly reminded that I am not in Canada anymore. To be honest I do really feel very safe here. The problems recently with the helicopter bombing in Batti (which occurred last week) had more to do with the same issues of the gov't vs. the tigers and the inability to find a peaceful solution and was not necessarily an increased security risk. As I write this I'm just hearing more about an arms vessell run by the tigers that was destroyed by the gov't just 100ks off the coast of Dondre head which is very close to Matara. While it scares me a little to hear about this. .the reality is that just like crossing a street at home, every place in the world has a similar threat of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. And it is the same situation here. Foreigners are welcomed to SL with open arms it is just important to use your street sense and be aware of the current situation to help eliminate the risk. Compared to our projects in other countries such as Pakistan, Sri Lanka is a country filled with warm smiles and genuine concern. Just last week in Pakistan a school where we run a similar program faced an unimaginable situation. One of the yuong children arrived at school as usual one morning. The teacher however noticed that he seemed quite uncomfortable and asked him to come up to her desk. When she questioned the child, he lifted up his shirt and revealed a bomb strapped around his waist. he told the teacher that a nice man had given it to him and told him that it would help him remember things. So if he were in class and couldn't remember the answer to a questions he simply had to push the little red button and he would remember. frightening and very real. our project team is made up of local volunteers because it is just too dangerous there for foreigners. So, after hearing this yesterday i am feeling pretty relaxed here in SL.

Anyway, as you can probably tell I am continuing to face a vast array of emotions. Sometimes they confuse me, at times they startle me and more and more and more I am starting to realize that this is what living is all about. Anyway, I am off to enjoy a fine Thai dinner before I head back to Matara and am limited to Rotti and Rice and curry.

I hope this finds you well and I will try to write again soon.
Amelia