April 2011: Quick update from the Team Leader

Our 10 volunteers are working hard at repairing/rebuilding a school, so that the local children can return to a safe and productive environment. Working on the school is a fabulous volunteer experience and it is wonderful to see all our old friends.

You can further follow our adventure through the photo album on the TRIP Canada website: http://www.tripca.org/team8

Thinking about all of the volunteer teams and wish you could be here with us.

All the best,

Janet McKelvey
DWC Team Leader

Sri Lanka, April 2011

April 2011: Day four on the project

Day Four was another hot one in Tangalle. After a massive breakfast we headed off to a senior English class where we were interviewed about our favorite fruit and likes and dislikes. Surprisingly a lot of the students dislike mango and banana. I guess when it's everywhere you look you might get sick of it pretty easily. Since we were late getting to the work site due to class we knew had to work hard, so we got down and dirty mixing cement and pouring floors all day. Some of us got to whitewash the new walls, while others had the dusty task of breaking old plaster off some walls, followed by rubble clearing. A tough day, but a good one!

Of course any volunteer trip isn't a completely serious affair. We've had lots of fun working with the locals, giving each other nicknames and of course making fun of each other when we say silly things. We're starting to collect a nice list of silly things Westerners say. I won't tell you who said what, but one of the best has to do with inquiries about snow removal on the narrow back roads. And of course injuries are unavoidable with hard work. Pretty standard stuff, really: Sunburn, blisters, heat-rash, chafing. All signs of a hard work and a good time.

Kristian Bruun
DWC Participant

Sri Lanka, April 2011

April 2011: Our team's first couple of days!

Well today is the end of day three and already our bodies are sore (good sore, of course). The school we are fixing up is a hundred and twenty years old and in desperate need of some TLC. It currently has 30 students who learn in some pretty poor conditions and they hope to have up to 200 students when we are done rebuilding it. A lot of the students have to pay to get into Tangalle to go to schools which are over crowded, so getting this school up and running will be a great help. Everyone is getting in on the action: the Principal, the teachers, some of their children, the local workers whose houmes we've rebuilt in the past and even the Buddhist monks from the monastery next door!

For me it has been incredible coming back to Sri Lanka. So much has changed since December, 2007. For one we have wireless high speed Internet! Last time we used a really slow, old desktop computer to send our emails and it felt like regular mail would have been faster. We are also staying at a brand new hotel, Moonstone Villas, opened by a fellow volunteer who came to Sri Lanka and fell in love with it. She has partnered with the team of locals we work with and the place is beautiful. Sure there are a few kinks to work out, but we're the perfect group to test things out on.

Here's a quick recap of the first three work days:
Day One we got to the school and immediately started clearing rubble from the buildings and the yard. The workers were also ready for us to get plastering the walls, it took some time, but the old plaster skills came back to us. Getting that plaster to stick to the walls takes a bit of finesse.

Day Two started with a tour of a Muslim school in Tangalle that also needs fixing up. Janet and Bruce are always looking for the next project to do and everyone seems pretty keen to keep helping with the schools in the area. We also checked out an English class at the village before getting back to the work sight. More rubble removal, more plastering and then we started breaking up some poorly constructed cement floors. The day ended with one of the most intense downpours I have ever seen. We are getting close to the rainy season, so I think that won't be the last time we see rain. It rained so hard I showered outside!

Day Three we got right to business. First up was the punishing task of mixing cement by hand and pouring the new floors. By far the hottest and most humid day, we sweat our way through multiple batches of cement, pouring floors and breaking up other poor ones. It's always a little frustrating undoing work that looks good on the surface, but it has to be done. An improper floor won't stand the test of time. Mike Holmes would have a field day here! Tough day, but we were happy to clean up and check out a dance class back at the village before having dinner at Lagoon Paradise.

DWC Participant
Kristian Bruun

Sri Lanka, April 2011

And then the wheel came off and other adventures… our final days in Sri Lanka

Our last work day dawned a little cloudier than the early days. Half out team went with Jill and Peter to help with an English boot camp in a rural area. We expected about 150 students to show up but reports are as high as 2000 students attended. The team members who went to the school had a great time and were all really happy to have had the experience. The comment heard most often was that the team were amazed by the polite behavior of the students toward the teachers.

The rest of the team went to the job site to spend a final day trying to finish a few tasks; painting (a lovely Sri Lankan yellow color that is growing on us), bricking two half walls, pouring five more columns…. All was accomplished despite the skies opening up after lunch with a torrential downpour!

Back at the beach, a lobster feast had been planned for late afternoon and no one was disappointed. I am not really sure how they managed to cook the lobster in the tiny little beach shack but they did and it was wonderful. The traditional last night dinner is sarong night and this year included saris as well; a number of the women bought beautiful saris in town this week and Raelene was available to help everyone get dressed. Almost everyone wore a sarong or sari and we were a pretty good looking group (Jim and Jud were not appropriately attired but we allowed them to stay for dinner anyway). We were also happy to have Anil, Ruwan, Ranjith, Raelene, and Jill and Peter with us for dinner.

Tim was presented with an honorary MLA – Master and Leader of All; this title is only good in Sri Lanka. He promised to use his newfound power for good. The honorary title was accompanied by a beautiful lint brush from the District of Clearwater; it was admired and coveted by the entire team. We had a group discussion around activities that team leaders could be involved with at home, the primary one being a proposed fundraiser to raise money to put a roof on the second building. We also discussed ongoing support for scholarships and involvement in the Kamloops Tangalle Friendship committee (KTFC). It is also interesting to have team members talk about their feelings around the trip – we tried to get everyone to give a highlight. It is really amazing to think about the bonds developed between the team when most of us only met two weeks ago.

Thursday morning was bittersweet; our last great breakfast at Palm Paradise. We said goodbye to 5 team members (including our Team Leader, Tim Kasten), who are fortunate enough to have a little extra time to travel in Sri Lanka. Have a great time Jud, Rose Marie, Tim, Debbie, and Ethan. The rest of the 17 team members got into three vans at 10:00 am for a 4:30 am flight!

First stop was at the job site where tears were shed, pictures taken, hugs given, and e-mail addresses exchanged. Leaving the colleagues here is always hard! About 45 minutes into the drive, the wheel came off (literally) one of the vans. The driver got new tires installed yesterday but the lug nuts were not properly tightened! Luckily Derek was able to find a couple of the lug nuts and after a short repair, we were on the way again. Next stop was Galle, however it was very slow going; today seems to be a day for candidates in the municipal elections (in March) to sign up so there was one parade after another.

We had a good lunch at the Rampart Hotel in the walled fort at Galle and then had a stop at the Government souvenir store. By the time we were on the way again, the skies had opened up and torrential rain (along with thunder and lightning) followed us to Columbo. If we thought the early part of the drive was slow, we were shocked by the traffic in late afternoon; at one point there were 5 lanes of traffic (all going one way) parked on the single lane highway – then we had to get an ambulance through. It took 4 hours to travel from Galle to our dinner stop in Columbo (95 kms). One of the vans lost a windshield wiper; Derek gamely tried to put a cloth over the bare blade (to no avail) but 5 minutes later the wiper blade was delivered by a kind tuk tuk driver!

It was a very long day (14 hours from Tangalle to Columbo must be a new record)! Arrived at the airport at midnight and we said goodbye to another 3 team members: Sarah will spend a few more days in Sri Lanka and the Browns’ – Norma and Jim who will not return to Kamloops until Feb 22 (touring Sri Lanka and Thailand). As I write this (at 1:30 am) we are waiting for our check-in gate to open for the 4:30 flight. If we get through quickly enough, we should have time for foot rubs before we board.

Farewell Sri Lanka – many of us hope to return again; the experience was fantastic!

Lisa Lake

DWC Participant

Update: With final boarding announced, one of our team members realized that she had lost her passport! She used it in Duty-Free and then it disappeared. Qatar Air would not board her without her passport so Terry was running through the airport checking to see if anyone had found it while thinking about needing to remain an extra day to help her get a replacement from the Canadian Embassy. The rest of the team (except Terry, Gemma, Ashleigh and I were already on board), and luckily, the passport was located (as Qatar Air were preparing to offload luggage) so for a second year, I needed to sprint to the gate in order to board the flight! On the brightside, I did get an amazing foot rub!

Day 11 - Painting Walls, Moving Bricks, Pouring Cement and then a Shave!

Well, the count down is on. Two more sleeps until we leave. It seems as though we just got here. Time has flown by so fast we and wish we could slow it down. When we arrived at work today,people started to get the hang of painting. We had to put on a primer, then the paint arrived so we started to paint. As we were painting the walls, we found out that it was the wrong paint colour. We just painted one coat with the wrong colour and we will put the second coat on tomorrow with the right colour.

We had to move the bricks one more time, hopefully it will be the last! We also poured some more concrete for the pillars and we finished those by the end of the day.


Seven of the men went into town today to get a shave and haircut. They first started with a yellow cream that was brushed on the face, then they took a straight razor and started to shave. After that they massaged the face like you would not believe. Lots of lotions and oils were used. A scalp rejuvenator was used on the scalp for a wonderful, tingly head sensation. Nelson, the head barber, was not willing to charge Tim because he is a faithful customer! (handsome too)

More chilli chicken tonight and our last day tomorrow. There will be 13 of the team heading to a rural school tomorrow for a kids camp. There will be over 100 children there who may not have heard the English language spoken before. What a day that will be.


Tomorrow night is our last night here. We have all gotten sarongs and saris for our last dinner together. We are looking forward to that but we are not looking forward to our last night here. We have all enjoyed the work, the friendships and the experience. I have really enjoyed my stay in Sri Lanka and I hope to come back another time!


Ethan Kasten 
DWC participant 
Sri Lanka 2011

Day 10 - Work, Coconuts and Gum!

Normally one dreads a Monday; however here, each day is as exciting as the next. As we headed to work today, we discovered we were almost done shoveling dirt and wheelbarrowing - YAY. While on site our thoughts had time to wonder as we moved bricks once again. Even though it feels like we have moved bricks and dug dirt over and over again, we are making a difference in thousands of children's lives. The building that we have helped with will stand for years upon years, giving them the opportunity that we sometimes take for granted here in Canada: an education.

Ok now moving on the more exciting parts we have throughout the day! Today one of the workers demonstrated how they are able to climb palm trees with only their feet and hands (remember there are no branches) It was so neat to see. After he climbed the tree he threw down at least 15 coconuts! mmmmmm! We were able to watch how they quickly cut away the top of the coconut and make a hole at the top to drink from.; something we just can't get in Canada. We were each given a coconut and quite enjoyed the fresh juice which made up for the lack of ice cream that was not delivered today. Hopefully tomorrow we will hear the ice cream truck coming and be able to run down and grab our money like when we were kids. Wow, never thought we could be so happy to hear that traditional tune!

As work ended we were able to walk back to our resort, stopping when we met kids to share our gum (thanks Jackie and John for bringing that!!!) The smiles on the children's faces glowed and the grins grew even bigger when Mitch handed out hats (Again - great thinking Magic Mitch!!!) Amanda was able to go to a shop and select a sari with some other ladies that joined her (thanks for Raelene for taking us all down there). As for Stacie, she had a relaxing time on the beach, enjoying her nice cold beverage! It is a great refreshment on a hot hot day. Now we are off to enjoy a home cooked meal by Nirasaha, who has graciously invited all 22 of us to his house. We are so excited and thankful!
Goodnight to us but good morning to you!

Stacie and Amanda! Thing one and Thing two. DWC Participants, Sri Lanka 2011

Day 9 - The Cave Temple and Learning Cricket

Today was our second day off since we've been here so we decided to take in some local sightseeing and culture. En route to the Cave Temple we stopped in at a local market where many bought sarongs for our wind up dinner 3 nights from now. The market was bustling with locals and tourists alike, shopping for food and clothing. The Cave Temple had many rooms carved out of the mountainside which were ornately painted by people from times past. The first rooms were at the base of the mountain, then to see more the climb began. The climb was broken up at different levels to view more cave rooms each with a Buddha lying on its side in the rest and relaxation position. The climb to the top promised a spectacular view. After 527 steps we were not disappointed. The view of the lush valleys some 3000 feet below were endless.

In the afternoon we had a sports day with a large group of locals. We enjoyed learning to play cricket with mixed teams and had a good laugh doing so. A friendly game of soccer, or football as some call it, followed. There were about 20-25 players per side and it was amazing how we overcame the language barriers to play as a team. Prior to our leaving the playing field we presented the locals with tennis balls for their cricket games, and soccer balls and soccer jerseys. They were well received and very happy. Tonight will be a curry and rice buffet then a good nights sleep will be needed for a hard day's work tomorrow.

Derek, DWC volunteer.

PS from Donna, DWC volunteer

Best day yet! Hugs and kisses to friends and family in Canada. Miss you and love you lots and wish you were here :). Can't wait to see you all again. Yes I'm even missing the cold Kamloops weather.

Day 8 - A Well Deserved Evening of Fun and Another Successful Work Day

Last night after work we headed out to the Lagoon Paradise Resort for a change of scenery and dinner. The sunset was absolutely breathtaking. As the sun was going down, a fierce game of beach volleyball was underway and the banter was flying from both sides. As the dinner conversation died down, the music turned up. Some of the team members began showing their moves on the dance floor and before long, the entire team was bustin' a move. The highlight of the night was when a couple of the team members decided to make use of the wood pillar on the dance floor and show off their amateur talents. They even made 100 rupees ($1!). Shortly after, Tim kindly reminded us that we still had to work in the morning and should probably end the dance party. With one song left, Ruwan showed us the moves.

Today was a quieter day at the job site. Some of the team members went to a school to help the teachers in Tangalle with some techniques for teaching english to the kids. The rest of us spent the day learning how to stucco from Pody and continuing the never ending job of moving dirt. By 9am this morning a victory was won and the excited shouts were heard across the site as a tree stump was finally removed. Thankfully the ice cream truck made an appearance today at tea time. Prices didn't seem too inflated.
We were all invited to Anil's home today for tea. One of the students that is being sponsored in University in Galle by TripCanada in Toronto was presented with a brand new laptop. His appreciation and gratitude was felt by everyone in the room as he promised to study very hard.
On the way back, we took a quick tour of the harbour and seaside area that was hit by the tsunami. The grave sites along the water gave us all a reminder of the reasons we began on our journey to Sri Lanka. We made a quick stop at Moonstone Villas and saw the project in progress that Raelene has been working on for the last 18 months. The resort is beautiful and is not even finished yet.
And now its time to have some more chili chicken for dinner - a team member favourite!

Sarah Kilback & Kym Fowles
DWC Participants

Sri Lanka 2011

Day 6 & 7 - Stray dogs and other friendly visitors

A lot of work on the trades training centre in Tangalle on day 6 and 7. More concrete work on the third building and finishing off the brick work on the first building which is currently being used for wood manufacturing. After a meeting with two officials from the Sri Lanka Vocational Training Authority, our hope is to finish the first building to the point where the Authority can install the steel doors and windows and begin the classes within a month.

Sleep has been hard to come by as the night is filled with howling dogs and some viscious fights. There are a few females in heat which has led to a territorial battle at the Palm Paradise. The stray dog situation here is very similar to many developing countries where sterilization is uncommon due to the lack of responsible pet ownership. I have been in discussion with veterinary clinics in Kamloops about sponsoring a sterilization clinic in Tangalle in the near future and Kamloops Veterinary Clinic is the first to step up with a $500 donation. Hopefully we can reduce the stray dog population as it is a very sad sight to see so many dogs infested with mange and suffering from malnutrition.

Stray dogs aren't the only interesting wildlife we have seen - today the girls uncovered a huge spider with pincers at the front. We knew something was up when a loud scream erupted from the building in which they were working. I had the fortune of finding a scorpion while digging around the foundation of the third building and a few minutes later I shovelled two large specimens into the foundation. I thought the black I noticed on the shovel was plastic and was just a little bit shocked to see the two scorpions jump out of the shovel full of dirt and immediately begin fighting.

The day ended with a delivery of bricks that had to be unloaded and stacked and more concrete to pour. We were rewarded with an great few hours at the beach followed by supper at the Lagoon Paradise restaurant to watch the sunset. Tomorrow brings more dirt to be moved, more concrete to pour, more bricks to lay and more fun with great friends in Tangalle.


Terry Lake
DWC Participant
Sri Lanka 2011

Day 5 - Excursions and Adventures

Today is a National Holiday here - Poyia Day - celebration of the full moon! Our group is taking the day off and going on a visiting tour and Safari Trek! We are all excited! (So you know, this is the 2nd attempt at this blog - the initial one, which was much better!!, became lost in the system!! TIS, they say, which translated means - "This is Sri Lanka!!")

If you've been following these blogs, you will know it's been very hot and humid here, after much rainfall recently. And this group, being such a hard working group, goes VERY HARD right through it all! We have certainly been enjoying getting to know one another - all 22 of us!

The day off began with a "breakfast story" from our leader - Tim Kasten: He told us how, in his attempt to defend his team from perils of danger, within the range of a dangerous shark, he ended up with a horrific gash because of it! (He's got the wound to prove it and we heard there was copious amounts of blood! Although none of us completely sure the story is actually authentic!)

After a wonderful breakfast, we drove to the village and special school called Ketakallawatta (just how it sounds), where 5 years ago DWC built & completed 25 homes, most of which were destined for people who were some of the many Sri Lankan's directly affected by the Tsunami damage here. We saw where they literally carved spaces out of the heavy jungle undergrowth to build the roadways and homes. An amazing project! We visited some homes, as well as the people who lived in them. One of the young boys living in the village, Narasha, had been an exchange student in Kamloops for a semester. As well, we saw the special English School, where children go after their regular day of instruction is over, to learn English. Some of us had visited this school a few days previous and worked within the group attending. I was lucky to have been asked to teach a lesson there!! It was heartwarming to see the connections and friendships our Team Leaders, Deb & Tim Kasten, have made & maintained with people who live in the homes. Their endless enthusiasm for this work has surely been shared with the members of our group!

From there, our days events continued onward as we drove to the Udawallawalla Reserve, where we were to see many animals protected within the Park area. Our job, once we drove into the park in the jeeps, bumping up and down along the mud-soaked roadways, was to attempt to spot the many varied creatures we sighted throughout the excursion. Along the Safari route we encountered many elephants (adults as well as babies) & water buffalo (some of which lounged in the mud pools), grey lange monkeys swinging and jumping among the trees, peacocks, a turtle, crested eagles, beautiful green bee-eater birds, spotted deer, white crested king fishers, grey heron and the back of a crocodile!

The favorite sight (and rare, they told us), was the mud bog where the elephants were playfully pushing one another back & forth in the mud, as well as those that were spraying each other with muddy water sprays, right beside the roadway! The photo opportunities from the jeeps were spectacular and I am certain there will be many beautiful shots shared with friends & family upon our arrival home.

The drive back was as wild as they all are here - folks passing on blind corners, while going up hills, in the middle of busy towns, and any other place they decide to! Crazy and a bit harried! (No road rage, though - everything is pretty happy here!!) "Beautiful chaos" is one expression! Nonetheless, it was fun to see the fancy dress costumes amid the town celebrations, for their holiday! Many women and girls wore their special white outfits and the towns and roadways were strewn with white banners along the roadways.

We eventually arrived home to our resort, tired but excited by the day's events. We live here, snug in our cabanas, all within the sounds of the ocean surf pounding in down on the beach right out front. So, needless to say the afternoon ended with a swim in that surf and some friendly chat time on the beach with the members of our team, followed by yet another wonderful meal, before the day's end.

Norma Browne
DWC Participant
Sri Lanka 2011

DAY 4 - Something Different, Something Memorable

Hello all!

Today was a fabulous day! Each day brings something different, something memorable.A few highlights of the day: A snake fell from the heavens today onto Debby who hates snakes....her squeals could be heard, I'm sure, from the next town over.

A few of us went to a pre-school today to speak and play with the children. We were greeted with huge smiles and a few hello's and good mornings...very impressive to see 3-5year olds speaking English. Their eyes lit up when we gave them the treats and my eyes filled with tears at the pure happiness that such a simple thing brought them.

We were all greatly disappointed that the ice cream man was a no show...his tuk-tuk must have broken down for him to have missed out on so much business today. We look forward to the annoying little song that the truck plays...and yes, it is the same annoying song that all ice cream trucks play at home.

We worked long and hard today but accomplished much. Afterwards the beach beckoned us, and we played in the HUGE waves of the Indian Ocean, soaked up the sun and drank some cold ones. Now, as I write this, the meeting room is full of laughter as the DWC team is waiting for dinner. Playing ping pong, listening to ipods, telling stories of the day and acting like we have known each other far longer than 4 days. I look around and see happiness. And tomorrow awaits us, with so much more in store....

Ps..Terry and Tim(much to Debby's relief) went to town today and got a hot shave with a massage and mini facial...all for $1.50...see a buck or two really can still buy you something...

Jackie, Johnny and Brody

DWC Participants

Sri Lanka

2011

January 2011: DAY 3 - A Participant's Perspective.

Today we poured lots and lots of concrete, very 'hard' work :). The ice cream tuk-tuk arrived just on time at 10:00 again today playing it's 'stick in the brain' tune that we all love to hum and laugh about.

Later in the afternoon a few of us went to Ketakalawatta school where children learn English. Norma taught them a song "Head and shoulders, knees and toes' - the children sang along in very good English. After that we went to a potters house to see the pottery that is being made for Developing World Connections Team Leader Raelene Shea. Raelene recently moved to Tangalle from Kamloops and built and opened a small resort hotel. After, when we were leaving, up the hill came Poda one of our work site buddies. Turns out we had parked the van right beside his house when we went up the hill to the potters house. Poda was very pleased to introduced us to his wife, son and daughter and show us where he lived. Poda has the biggest, brightest smile and I love working along with him. Today we traded hats and he was going to give my Kamloops Community Safety hat to his 11 year old son. I feel so fortunate to be having this incredible experience and hope to be able to come back again in the years to come.

Donna Lapierre

DWC Participant

Sri Lanka 2011

January 2011: Day 2 on the project with 22 volunteers.

We hit the job site before 8:00 am and found that most of the water that we had baled out of the holes yesterday had come back in. There has been so much rain over the last 3 months that the water table in the ground is very high. We were able to get one of the grade beams in the floor ready to pour and all of the rebar tied for the second one. Another truck load of bricks showed up today much to everyones delight.

A Chain Gang quickly formed and we got it done. I think we will market the Sri Lankan Chain Gang as the next fitness craze. You get your cardio, your weight training and a thousand laughs all in one.

After all of the rain that they have been having it looks like the sun is here to stay,(knock on wood). A few have forgotten my warnings about sun screen and there are a few red noses, cheeks and backs but all agree that it is still better than frost bite.

The ice cream tuck-tuck showed up today and hit the jack pot. We cleaned him out. I'm sure he will be back every day

Tim Kasten, Team leader, Sri Lanka 2011

First Team of Volunteers of 2011.

The first Team of Volunteers arrived Saturday, January 15th in Tangalle, Sri Lanka. This Team will continue work on the Trades Training Centre. It is a bit of a different site this time around as there are now students and classes that have begun, or at least are beginning January 17, 2011! The Classes will operate out of the building that is finished and the Team will work on the next building.