May 23rd: Working despite the rains and settled into a nice routine.

Mmmmmmm yum- we got sugar bread (donut) loaves this morning from the mobile truck baker who drives by every morning with It’s a Small World After All blaring to announce his presence. Again, we didn’t send any people to the temple. However, those working at the house got lots of plastering done and even started painting! The Trades Training Facility (TTF) group also had an exciting day. We managed to pour a huge amount of concrete for a second level foundation construct and are really getting some solid work done despite the heavy sporadic rains. Originally, we were planning on working a half day today, but when we got to the TTF and saw that the local workers had built the wooden concrete frame for most of the perimeter foundation, we had to stay until we got most of it done so that the concrete poured could dry overnight and the workers could set up more frames with the scarce supply of wood for interior wall foundation sections that we will pour Monday.

Anil and Ruwan went to a bakery, the best in Tangalle, to pick up some lunch for us today. We got ‘egg balls’ (half hard boiled egg, half curry, covered in bread crumbs and spices), ‘egg rolls’ (like a sausage roll pastry, but with egg) and ‘curry buns’ (little croissant-like buns with a curry centre). Some people are starting to tire a little tired of curries, but the lunch (as were most of the meals we have had out) was overall a nice treat. After work, we peeled off our sopping (from the unbelievably strong rains) work clothes, showered and headed off down the street for dinner. There were about 4 menu options as the restaurant has reduced the menu it offers to its bare bones due to the lack of tourists these days, but the prawn fried rice and deviled chicken were great! To walk off the meal and cool down our mouths after the chicken, we walked to the grocery store to get ice cream drum sticks after dinner, then played cards for the rest of the night by candle light for a while when the power was out!