Today was our first opportunity to take some time and look around at the nearby beaches and town. We played volleyball at the most scenic court I have ever seen (even in movies), swam and played football with a number of local Sri Lankans who apparently play on the Tangalle team, they were very good.
Ranjit came over in the morning to discuss football clothing donations to the local sports rep and how they would be used. After our day of sporting activities, we met up with Anil and Jo-Anne at an outside area by a temple near the harbor for a full moon temple pilgrimage drink, a very tasty, sweet tapioca type of drink!. Following this, without any serious plan in mind, we were lucky enough be able to find a great place for lunch, where we all had Roti and watched a beautiful dance performance for more than an hour! After that, we walked around to the police station, the hospital and finally stopped at Food City for some refreshments and snacks, the 2 roti/person wasn’t quite enough.
Ruwan’s cousin, Iresh, spent the whole day with us which was very nice. After getting back from our long walking journey, everyone went to bed quite early except for Albert and I; we decided to cook a great meal to save time for the group in the morning. It took us till 1:00am! I will head out at 8 am tomorrow to get 150 roti from the vendor we saw today. We’ll freeze them and then have them on hand for a very quick lunch! Yum.
Monday, May 11, 2009
May 7th: Hot and Tired.
What a long day! I am just going to bed at 4:00am after quite the day. Today, the heat was absolutely unbearable, to the point that the Trades Training Facility group could barely work. But, we played a little volleyball with Ruwan’s cousin, Iresh, which was lots of fun.
The temple group spent time with the head monk and looked at his photos, drank tea and ate biscuits. It was a great cultural experience for them today! After working, both the temple group and the Trades Training Facility group headed for the internet cafe to send some quick emails home. Some of us headed to Food City to get lots of fruit and veggies for the next few days because during the full moon holiday everything will be closed. We also got some beer and Arrack. Arrack is a Sri Lankan hard liquor made from the coconut flower and typically mixed with Coke or Sprite. It is similar to scotch or whiskey. We had a little party in the evening after swimming and playing volleyball on the beach. We met some local Sri Lankans and Manrook and some friends, played their car stereo and we visited with them until about 2 am.
Most of participants are pumped and excited to be here but are also tired from the travel, maybe jet lag and the heat. It will take some getting used! I am off to bed...
The temple group spent time with the head monk and looked at his photos, drank tea and ate biscuits. It was a great cultural experience for them today! After working, both the temple group and the Trades Training Facility group headed for the internet cafe to send some quick emails home. Some of us headed to Food City to get lots of fruit and veggies for the next few days because during the full moon holiday everything will be closed. We also got some beer and Arrack. Arrack is a Sri Lankan hard liquor made from the coconut flower and typically mixed with Coke or Sprite. It is similar to scotch or whiskey. We had a little party in the evening after swimming and playing volleyball on the beach. We met some local Sri Lankans and Manrook and some friends, played their car stereo and we visited with them until about 2 am.
Most of participants are pumped and excited to be here but are also tired from the travel, maybe jet lag and the heat. It will take some getting used! I am off to bed...
Thursday, May 7, 2009
May 5th: Arrival in Tangalle!
Finally, we’re here! We made it to Colombo safe and sound and found Albert, Hilda and Patricia as well as Ruwan, Anil and another driver. Very quickly, we exchanged some money and headed out for the approximately 6 hour drive to Tangalle. Given the option to travel through Colombo or bypass the big city and travel inland on less crowded, safer roads we decided to take the safe route in our 3-van convoy. Soon after a quick refreshment stop, one of the vans’ clutch gave out. Ruwan, the lead-foot larry, way ahead of the other two vans continued on to Tangalle, but Anil’s van turned around to meet up with the stranded group and organize a new vehicle. After a short wait thanks to Anil’s awesome problem solving, we finished the trip to Tangalle, grabbed some basic breakfast from a local store and ate a pre-ordered dinner primarily of fried rice and curries at the Sea Food Restaurant of the Wavy Ocean Hotel, where we will be staying. Here, we also met Jo-Anne, who is finishing up her volunteering for Developing World Connectinos by the end of May and helped me immensely with planning the trip prior to our departure.
I think that the group really enjoyed the drive here, seeing a host of exotic plants ranging from rubber trees to king coconuts. But, unfortunately, everyone was absolutely exhausted and a little grumpy as we chose rooms and had a quick talk about starting work the next morning! Also, we had a little surprise- for some reason, after a few people had showered, there was no water left coming out of the taps. Finally, right before bed, Jacquie came knocking at my door to tell me that a man was peeking through her window at her. I called the manager of the building- Rukman Wedarachchi- who came quickly to see what he could do, but the man was long gone. We decided to close her windows for the evening and leave the hallway lights on to discourage trespassers….
Despite this negative early occurrence, the guest houses (neighboring each other) fit everyone extremely comfortably and are far better than any accommodations I might have expected for a budget student group. Most rooms have private en suites, and the rooms seem to be quite secure. All the rooms also have good ceiling fans to keep us cool and drive the mosquitos (which don’t seem to be too abundant) away! PLUS, we are RIGHT on an absolutely beautiful beach- all sand, no rocks/sea weed, and the surf is so loud that everyone hears it in their rooms; not a bad lullaby to put us to sleep!
Our first full day in Sri Lanka! And it already feels like we have been here for days! Today, we work up at 7:00am, took a quick tour of Ketakalawatta (a previously completed housing community project by Developing World Connections), the Trades Training Facility and the temple, where we were blessed by the head monk and were able to see the BEAUTIFUL temple, full of ornate paintings. After this, we split up by house (guest house arrangement) and the smaller group (7) stayed to start work on the temple wall while the larger group (8) went to the TTF (we are staying in two neighboring guest houses). It was great to meet Anil’s brother, Ranjit, and all of the workers at the sites.
Everyone had a good experience overall- they worked hard and did not complain about the intensity of the job! Unfortunately, due to the temperature, a number of us really didn’t feel very good today- the temple group didn’t have enough water, and even at the Trades Training Facility, where we had enough water, work in the shade was almost unbearable. To make sure that people feel better tomorrow, we are taking more electrolytes (and water) and will encourage less vigorous, more steady, slow work throughout the day!
After working, the group at the Trades Training Facility(TTF) had quite the experience at the local fruit/spice/vegetable market, where Deepal helped us buy a lot of food for the next few days. One participant-Smrita- stepped up to the plate with her unreal cooking knowledge and helped the group decide what to purchase for meals which we will be cooking ourselves! After running around to a number of shops (including a wholesaler where we bought 50 kg of rice!), the TTF group came back to the guest houses to meet up with the temple group who had just been taking it easy playing volleyball and swimming since they returned a couple of hours earlier. As a group, we went for a beautiful cool-down swim as dusk approached- it is very nice to have such a big group that is so positive, respectful and sociable! Smrita directed the team to make a great meal and I had a good meeting with Ruwan, Anil and Jo-Anne regarding our trip itinerary and weekend day trips. It is nice to settle in and get everything sorted out.
Everyone is super excited- this weekend is a huge full moon celebration (Buddhist) and we are planning on doing everything from traveling to an elephant sanctuary to turtle watching to temple tours to surfing somewhere between here and Galle!!! And all of this will be on free Sundays (we’re working 6 day weeks) BEFORE our 8/9 day cultural trip!
It has been amazing so far and until the next entry,
Devon
May 4th: Still enroute to Sri Lanka
In London, the big group flying out of Vancouver met up with Brendan, Greg and Natasha (who flew out of Vancouver at different times) and those flying out of Calgary (Carissa and Jocelyn). Now, we are 12! Most of us spent the entire day in the airport window shopping and getting a bite to eat. A few people went into London to do a little sight-seeing. Finally, we all got on another over-night fight to Colombo (via Malé) to meet up with Hilda, Patricia and Albert who got in about 12 hours earlier and were waiting in the airport.
May 3rd: UBC Student Group heads out to Sri Lanka
We are off to the races! This morning (~3:00am), Hilda, Patricia and Albert headed west to fly through Hong Kong while most of the rest of the group flew east on our way to Toronto. After a quick (greasy) bite to eat and a nice hour to stretch our legs in Pearson International, we headed off for an over night flight to London.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
SRI LANKA: The second week
The second week involved each team completing more work on the homes of Vijay, Predeep and Nilantha. Cementfloors was poured, roofs were constructed and the group's ' interior designers' painted and plastered.
A number of cultural excurisons took place. A small group of volunteers spent the day visiting two local schools with Bandulla and Joanne. The first school welcomed us in joining them with their New Year’s celebration. The students provided a beetle leaf welcoming for each of the volunteers. We experienced the tradition of boiling milk in honour of New Year’s prosperity. We then lit ceremonial oil lamps and enjoyed traditional New Year’s foods which consisted of milk rice, cookies, and onion sambal.
Our visit to the second school which was located in a remote rural area, was highlighted by the children’s vegetable garden. Beautiful vegetables and plants were the main focus of our interaction with the students. Some time was spent dispersing gifts brought by the volunteers.
Our last visit of the day was to Navajivina a rehabilitation clinic where we met with the director of the facility, Kumi. We spent a short time touring the facility, stopping at the gift store, where patients exhibited their creative wares. We dropped off sheets, towels, and various medical supplies (splints, tensors, etc) donated by friends and families of the volunteers.
The last work day on each site. A number of bitter sweet moments shared. The team spent an hour this morning visiting each site to experience the accomplishments of the past two weeks. Photos were taken with each team and the families receiving their homes. A collection of gifts were sorted and prepared to present to members of each family.
Our adventures are coming to a close. The last of the team are enjoying celebration of Poya tonight.
The last of the group will be departing at 4 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
tomorrow, respectively, and yes...I will leave with my entourage, a little reluctantly however.
It has been an extremely rewarding and gratifying trip. I look forward to speaking with you upon my return.
A number of cultural excurisons took place. A small group of volunteers spent the day visiting two local schools with Bandulla and Joanne. The first school welcomed us in joining them with their New Year’s celebration. The students provided a beetle leaf welcoming for each of the volunteers. We experienced the tradition of boiling milk in honour of New Year’s prosperity. We then lit ceremonial oil lamps and enjoyed traditional New Year’s foods which consisted of milk rice, cookies, and onion sambal.
Our visit to the second school which was located in a remote rural area, was highlighted by the children’s vegetable garden. Beautiful vegetables and plants were the main focus of our interaction with the students. Some time was spent dispersing gifts brought by the volunteers.
Our last visit of the day was to Navajivina a rehabilitation clinic where we met with the director of the facility, Kumi. We spent a short time touring the facility, stopping at the gift store, where patients exhibited their creative wares. We dropped off sheets, towels, and various medical supplies (splints, tensors, etc) donated by friends and families of the volunteers.
The last work day on each site. A number of bitter sweet moments shared. The team spent an hour this morning visiting each site to experience the accomplishments of the past two weeks. Photos were taken with each team and the families receiving their homes. A collection of gifts were sorted and prepared to present to members of each family.
Our adventures are coming to a close. The last of the team are enjoying celebration of Poya tonight.
The last of the group will be departing at 4 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
tomorrow, respectively, and yes...I will leave with my entourage, a little reluctantly however.
It has been an extremely rewarding and gratifying trip. I look forward to speaking with you upon my return.
SRI LANKA: The first week.
The first week has gone very well, with a great deal of progress completed on the homes. The group has been amazing. A good balance of work and relaxation.
It has been wonderful to see our old, dear friends Ruwan, Deepal. Anil, Rohan and especially Jo-Anne Fletcher who has been here since August in a volunteer capacity to support the Kamloops-DWC-Tangalle initiatives. Great hot sunny day have been spent unpacking, organizing, beaching, swimming and lunch. The "cocktails informal orientation" included individual introductions and update on TRIP, DWC and all the activities in Tangalle. The food is always amazing! In particular, the first Sunday curry buffet at Palm Paradise... amazing!
The first full day we visited the village community centre and had a wonderful tea reception from people in and around the community – early New Years to celebrate our arrival – KettakallaWatta.
We met the families and toured the three homes where our group will be working on. Of course there are logistics to take care of and this meant a "Tour of Tangalle" to show all the volunteer participants the bank, internet, and shopping. We also visited the Tangalle Trades Training Facility that the previous Developing World Connections group worked so hard on. And all of this before lunch! After lunch we divided into three groups and worked for the rest of the day.
At Vijay’s house the group painted and plastered. Susan’s team returned covered in white paint but there must have been some on the walls! Vijay and family lived in an original structure, comprised of two small rooms for the past 15 years. The addition of one large main room and two small bedrooms have been added, over the next weeks the work to be completed on home include continued plastering, priming and painting the new additions. By the second project day The team, including Vijay and family began plastering one exterior wall and one bedroom, lots of cement preparation and heavy manual labour. Two coats of primer completed on two original rooms.
At Predeep’s home, the outside walls built to linter, some inside wall work was done – all the rest is opportunity – go Bruce’s team! This original structure has been erected for over 18 years. A rough layout of five rooms, building was recently completed just past foundation level. The Team worked alongside Predeep, family and friends to build up to ceiling height all around the house, in addition to patching all older bricks that were unstable.
At Nilantha’s house good progress was made with major addition to house. The focus is plastering for the awesome Amelie’s team. The original structure consisted of one large room with the addition of two new smaller rooms. The days consisted of the smaller rooms being plastered and the Team worked on sifting sand to remove pebbles and rocks to prepare to make concrete. By the second day the concrete was mixed and the smaller rooms were being plastered, with one full room completed.
The evenings consisted of swimming, laughing, dinner and drinks. Rest and relaxation is well deserved!
On March 31st, the entire group met at the KettakallaWatta Community Centre for lunch. It was the first time that Angie, co-leader, was able to experience the village since volunteering on the first team trip in 2007. Truly a surreal moment.
By the end of the first week, much progress had been made. It was a week full of helping hands, laughter, and hard work but there was time for rest and relaxation too.
It has been wonderful to see our old, dear friends Ruwan, Deepal. Anil, Rohan and especially Jo-Anne Fletcher who has been here since August in a volunteer capacity to support the Kamloops-DWC-Tangalle initiatives. Great hot sunny day have been spent unpacking, organizing, beaching, swimming and lunch. The "cocktails informal orientation" included individual introductions and update on TRIP, DWC and all the activities in Tangalle. The food is always amazing! In particular, the first Sunday curry buffet at Palm Paradise... amazing!
The first full day we visited the village community centre and had a wonderful tea reception from people in and around the community – early New Years to celebrate our arrival – KettakallaWatta.
We met the families and toured the three homes where our group will be working on. Of course there are logistics to take care of and this meant a "Tour of Tangalle" to show all the volunteer participants the bank, internet, and shopping. We also visited the Tangalle Trades Training Facility that the previous Developing World Connections group worked so hard on. And all of this before lunch! After lunch we divided into three groups and worked for the rest of the day.
At Vijay’s house the group painted and plastered. Susan’s team returned covered in white paint but there must have been some on the walls! Vijay and family lived in an original structure, comprised of two small rooms for the past 15 years. The addition of one large main room and two small bedrooms have been added, over the next weeks the work to be completed on home include continued plastering, priming and painting the new additions. By the second project day The team, including Vijay and family began plastering one exterior wall and one bedroom, lots of cement preparation and heavy manual labour. Two coats of primer completed on two original rooms.
At Predeep’s home, the outside walls built to linter, some inside wall work was done – all the rest is opportunity – go Bruce’s team! This original structure has been erected for over 18 years. A rough layout of five rooms, building was recently completed just past foundation level. The Team worked alongside Predeep, family and friends to build up to ceiling height all around the house, in addition to patching all older bricks that were unstable.
At Nilantha’s house good progress was made with major addition to house. The focus is plastering for the awesome Amelie’s team. The original structure consisted of one large room with the addition of two new smaller rooms. The days consisted of the smaller rooms being plastered and the Team worked on sifting sand to remove pebbles and rocks to prepare to make concrete. By the second day the concrete was mixed and the smaller rooms were being plastered, with one full room completed.
The evenings consisted of swimming, laughing, dinner and drinks. Rest and relaxation is well deserved!
On March 31st, the entire group met at the KettakallaWatta Community Centre for lunch. It was the first time that Angie, co-leader, was able to experience the village since volunteering on the first team trip in 2007. Truly a surreal moment.
By the end of the first week, much progress had been made. It was a week full of helping hands, laughter, and hard work but there was time for rest and relaxation too.
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