Hello again. Something has just happened that I really must report. About 6 this evening the generator was switched on so charging batteries can take place. Had a sleep this afternoon and then spent this evening here on the veranda reading, writing and having dinner.
At the end of our road is a very small shed, which a couple run as their shop. It stocks a variety of goods from a little fruit and veg to sweets and bottles of drink.
Anyway I popped up there in the darkness and had a look around the shop by the solitary oil lamp and bought a couple of bananas. When I say bought, I mean I took. They refused any payment for them and insisted I take them as a present. Tescos could learn from this. It is incredible that people who have so little are always prepared to be generous, where did we go wrong?
However, those of a slightly nervous disposition may now want to turn away. I have an interesting, but frankly, unpalatable incident to report, which involves the toilet, you have been warned.
To get to the point of this story, I have just been to the loo. Having flushed the loo you sometimes have a little look to check all the evidence has gone. So I look in and there is a “floater” proudly on the surface. But this is no ordinary floater, this one is slowly spinning. On it is a small dark object, riding it like a Canadian Lumberjack!! (Sorry, Steve). I don’t know about you but this is curious so I take a closer look and it is a small frog apparently enjoying its new game. After a few seconds it jumps off the “log” scampers up the side of the bowl and disappears under the rim. Now I have to assume this creature did not come from me (just for my own sanity), but dear reader if ever there was a justification for “hovering” I have just experienced it.
So I have to ask, has anyone else ever seen the famous lumberjack frogs of Sri Lanka? In fact, do they live anywhere else? Your comments would be appreciated.
So here I am writing to you, its 9.30pm, I am “on the veranda” listening to a collection of romantic oldies and writing to you.
Think I may just play a game of puzzle-bobble (ask Carlo) before I retire to worry about whether anyone will actually take me back to Colombo tomorrow.
The cool breeze is gently stirring the curtains; Rita Coolidge has transported me back to Thames Poly when I did my first degree in the late 70’s. (I am young, fit, slim & have hair, the world is laid out before me!!) Fortunately, there are no mirrors here. The water is cool for the first time today after a few hours of the fridge being on, and all is well with the world.
Good night.
9:45pm 10/7/2005
Sunday, July 10, 2005
Life in the slow lane
Hello dear reader, its Sunday lunchtime and I am back at home.
Last night was a little cooler and I got some good sleep in, you will be pleased to know.
This morning, as usual my driver did not appear, to take me to the office so about 10 I decided I would walk and see if I could get a 3 wheeler somewhere. Now unfortunately, we are on a back road so the chances of a 3 wheeler are pretty remote. The walk is a long one, probably about 30 minutes and it is hot, sunny and very dusty and I have a heavy bag with laptop etc. Still a challenge is good for the soul, so I set off.
After about 10 minutes I managed to flag down a passing motor bike (with rider) and got him to give me a lift to the office so all ended well, until I got to the office. I had told them I wanted to head back to Colombo today (which is why I was expecting a truck to pick me up!!) Anyway there is no-one (only the doorman) at the office as it is Sunday, so no chance of anything happening today. So I thought, OK, I will stay here and do some work, but there is no power on Sunday, so that plan was also foiled. Only thing to do is wander back to the house and relax on the veranda for a well-earned day off. Will do some research for dissertation and write a blog entry with the remaining 10 mins left of laptop battery.
Got a 3 wheeler back to the house and here I am sat on my veranda giving you my latest thoughts and the story of my derring-do.
It is really good here in Kilinochchi, the pace is slow and easy, everyone is so friendly and helpful. It is poor but that is the norm here. People are rebuilding their lives after the war and now after the Tsunami, which hit the coast nearby. So many people have been displaced here and so much property destroyed. Most of the buildings have been repaired or put up in the last 2 years. Most people seem to live in very modest buildings made of local materials down these dirt track roads.
Anyway, battery is looking ominously low and I need to do some work, so, have a good day, and enjoy your Sunday, wherever you are and whatever you are doing.
1:45pm 10/7/2005
Last night was a little cooler and I got some good sleep in, you will be pleased to know.
This morning, as usual my driver did not appear, to take me to the office so about 10 I decided I would walk and see if I could get a 3 wheeler somewhere. Now unfortunately, we are on a back road so the chances of a 3 wheeler are pretty remote. The walk is a long one, probably about 30 minutes and it is hot, sunny and very dusty and I have a heavy bag with laptop etc. Still a challenge is good for the soul, so I set off.
After about 10 minutes I managed to flag down a passing motor bike (with rider) and got him to give me a lift to the office so all ended well, until I got to the office. I had told them I wanted to head back to Colombo today (which is why I was expecting a truck to pick me up!!) Anyway there is no-one (only the doorman) at the office as it is Sunday, so no chance of anything happening today. So I thought, OK, I will stay here and do some work, but there is no power on Sunday, so that plan was also foiled. Only thing to do is wander back to the house and relax on the veranda for a well-earned day off. Will do some research for dissertation and write a blog entry with the remaining 10 mins left of laptop battery.
Got a 3 wheeler back to the house and here I am sat on my veranda giving you my latest thoughts and the story of my derring-do.
It is really good here in Kilinochchi, the pace is slow and easy, everyone is so friendly and helpful. It is poor but that is the norm here. People are rebuilding their lives after the war and now after the Tsunami, which hit the coast nearby. So many people have been displaced here and so much property destroyed. Most of the buildings have been repaired or put up in the last 2 years. Most people seem to live in very modest buildings made of local materials down these dirt track roads.
Anyway, battery is looking ominously low and I need to do some work, so, have a good day, and enjoy your Sunday, wherever you are and whatever you are doing.
1:45pm 10/7/2005
Saturday, July 09, 2005
Kilinochchi
Had a really good day today. Spent the morning at TRO, Working on my notes. This afternoon I went to the Peace Secretariat of the LTTE and met the Secretary General. I stayed there a couple of hours and we chatted about life during the war and life in the ceasefire. Kilinochchi was taken by the Tigers, then retaken by the Army and then retaken again by the Tigers so there was prolonged heavy fighting here. Most of the town that exists today was built since the ceasefire as everything was previously destroyed. We talked a lot about the work of the TRO during the war and after the war and the causes of the conflict between the Tamils ad the Sinhalese. He agrees with a number of works I have read during my research that the conflict is a recent phenomenon with the seeds sown during the British colonial period. Before I left he presented me with a signed copy of “War & Peace. The armed struggle and peace efforts of Liberation Tigers”.
After that I went for a walk and eventually came to the UNICEF offices. I had a contact here and dropped in on the off-chance. Met a very interesting lady who has been in Kili on and off for 10 years and had a lot to tell me about her time there and also about the way they have worked with TRO and how the organisation has developed over the years.
She was also on holiday in Phuket on Boxing Day 2004 when the Tsunami hit the hotel they were staying in. A very interesting first hand account.
Walked back to TRO office and got a lift back to the house in the truck I came up in.
Sat on the veranda this evening, alone with my solitary light bulb, had dinner, read some of “War and Peace” and listened to Coldplay (have become hooked on Fix You) with a cold glass of water. There is a good breeze this evening and it may be a bit cooler in bed. Will have a shower and retire soon.
Except for the main road through Kili all the roads are dirt tracks and there is dust everywhere. Clothes get filthy really quickly. Might run out at this rate!!!
Enjoy!!!
10:30pm 9/7/2005
After that I went for a walk and eventually came to the UNICEF offices. I had a contact here and dropped in on the off-chance. Met a very interesting lady who has been in Kili on and off for 10 years and had a lot to tell me about her time there and also about the way they have worked with TRO and how the organisation has developed over the years.
She was also on holiday in Phuket on Boxing Day 2004 when the Tsunami hit the hotel they were staying in. A very interesting first hand account.
Walked back to TRO office and got a lift back to the house in the truck I came up in.
Sat on the veranda this evening, alone with my solitary light bulb, had dinner, read some of “War and Peace” and listened to Coldplay (have become hooked on Fix You) with a cold glass of water. There is a good breeze this evening and it may be a bit cooler in bed. Will have a shower and retire soon.
Except for the main road through Kili all the roads are dirt tracks and there is dust everywhere. Clothes get filthy really quickly. Might run out at this rate!!!
Enjoy!!!
10:30pm 9/7/2005
Colombo
Well, I have to report a very interesting couple of days since arriving back in Colombo.
It turns out things have not been all fun since I left. The house I stay at in Colombo was burgled one night and everyone’s computers were stolen, (told them they should come home earlier in the evening) one of the guys got into a fight outside a bar in Colombo because he works for the TRO, and had his two front teeth knocked out, the mosquitoes in the house appear to be carrying dengue fever as two people have gone down with this rather deadly disease, and to cap it all 3 weeks ago the office in Batticaloa (remember I spent 3 happy weeks there), was attacked with machine guns and a grenade thrown in. So looks like my sojourn back in the UK was timed perfectly!!
I began the day in Colombo after a night out at Clancy’s (Paola’s favourite Colombo nightspot!!! - OK we had one drink in there once and it was very quiet.) There was a live band last night so it was quite pleasant to listen to them blast out some Dire Straits etc.
This morning I cadged a lift to Kilinochchi (yes it is spelt chch). It took us 8 hours to get here, but was a really interesting drive from south to north of Sri Lanka. Saw a wide range of scenery, villages and people.
Of course Kili is in Tamil Eelam so we had to leave Sri Lanka through the government checkpoints and enter Tamil Eelam through the Tiger checkpoints. These things always seem to be a bit of a let down. You expect great walls, rolls of razor wire, watchtowers, aggressive guards being unnecessarily eager etc. Well not much to report really other than a lot of tedious manual paperwork to be filled in, a quick chat with the army about why I would want to go to Kili, and then a drive across “no mans land”. This is about a mile wide and is controlled by the ICRC who have an office at each end and patrol it in their jeep. All a little surreal really. Finally, you arrive at Tamil Eelam for some more paperwork and then the problem of trying to explain what a memory stick is. Actually we take these for granted, but just think about how you would explain it to your Granddad who had never seen one and really didn’t grasp the concept. Well I know my Granddad would have been confused and so was the customs man, but we sorted ourselves out and went on our way happily.
Kilinochchi is great. It is the capital, but only really has the A9 running through the middle. All other roads are dirt tracks. The electric goes off in the evening, so it is dark and quiet. A really refreshing change from Colombo, or England for that matter. So I got back from TRO HQ about 9.30 (they have a generator). I was met by a very pleasant man who has cooked me dinner and I am sat on a huge veranda, alone, eating my dinner (noodles, chips, vegetables and veggie chunks), under the single light bulb our generator powers, hoping the batteries will hold out on my laptop as I type this and listen to Coldplay and Fix It, -“when you try your best, and you don’t succeed” ;-). The temperature is warm with a cool breeze and I am supping a cold glass of water from the fridge. This single light bulb is like an oasis of light in the dark (and probably attracting Mossies from miles around!!!)
Everywhere I look I see darkness, is it really lovely. Going to have a cold shower and then go to bed for an early night.
(Its now morning) Went to bed early, needn’t have bothered. Go back and read SWISS if you don’t remember this. Well last night was Swiss x 10. I went to bed they turned off the generator the fan stopped turning and the heat went up, and up and up. In fact, I laid on the bed, sweating on the top and bottom. The window was wide open but the wind refused to come in and I just got hotter. Did not fall asleep for hours, but have to say everything was sticking to my sweaty body. Every time I turned the under sheet moved with me, I threw off the top sheet hours ago, and just formed a large lump under my body. The hottest night I have ever spent, and definitely one of the most uncomfortable. I am sooooooo tired this morning. Anyway=y, had a nice breakfast of Dahl and Noodles and am heading off to the office shortly to continue my research
Enjoy!
7.45 am 9/7/2005
It turns out things have not been all fun since I left. The house I stay at in Colombo was burgled one night and everyone’s computers were stolen, (told them they should come home earlier in the evening) one of the guys got into a fight outside a bar in Colombo because he works for the TRO, and had his two front teeth knocked out, the mosquitoes in the house appear to be carrying dengue fever as two people have gone down with this rather deadly disease, and to cap it all 3 weeks ago the office in Batticaloa (remember I spent 3 happy weeks there), was attacked with machine guns and a grenade thrown in. So looks like my sojourn back in the UK was timed perfectly!!
I began the day in Colombo after a night out at Clancy’s (Paola’s favourite Colombo nightspot!!! - OK we had one drink in there once and it was very quiet.) There was a live band last night so it was quite pleasant to listen to them blast out some Dire Straits etc.
This morning I cadged a lift to Kilinochchi (yes it is spelt chch). It took us 8 hours to get here, but was a really interesting drive from south to north of Sri Lanka. Saw a wide range of scenery, villages and people.
Of course Kili is in Tamil Eelam so we had to leave Sri Lanka through the government checkpoints and enter Tamil Eelam through the Tiger checkpoints. These things always seem to be a bit of a let down. You expect great walls, rolls of razor wire, watchtowers, aggressive guards being unnecessarily eager etc. Well not much to report really other than a lot of tedious manual paperwork to be filled in, a quick chat with the army about why I would want to go to Kili, and then a drive across “no mans land”. This is about a mile wide and is controlled by the ICRC who have an office at each end and patrol it in their jeep. All a little surreal really. Finally, you arrive at Tamil Eelam for some more paperwork and then the problem of trying to explain what a memory stick is. Actually we take these for granted, but just think about how you would explain it to your Granddad who had never seen one and really didn’t grasp the concept. Well I know my Granddad would have been confused and so was the customs man, but we sorted ourselves out and went on our way happily.
Kilinochchi is great. It is the capital, but only really has the A9 running through the middle. All other roads are dirt tracks. The electric goes off in the evening, so it is dark and quiet. A really refreshing change from Colombo, or England for that matter. So I got back from TRO HQ about 9.30 (they have a generator). I was met by a very pleasant man who has cooked me dinner and I am sat on a huge veranda, alone, eating my dinner (noodles, chips, vegetables and veggie chunks), under the single light bulb our generator powers, hoping the batteries will hold out on my laptop as I type this and listen to Coldplay and Fix It, -“when you try your best, and you don’t succeed” ;-). The temperature is warm with a cool breeze and I am supping a cold glass of water from the fridge. This single light bulb is like an oasis of light in the dark (and probably attracting Mossies from miles around!!!)
Everywhere I look I see darkness, is it really lovely. Going to have a cold shower and then go to bed for an early night.
(Its now morning) Went to bed early, needn’t have bothered. Go back and read SWISS if you don’t remember this. Well last night was Swiss x 10. I went to bed they turned off the generator the fan stopped turning and the heat went up, and up and up. In fact, I laid on the bed, sweating on the top and bottom. The window was wide open but the wind refused to come in and I just got hotter. Did not fall asleep for hours, but have to say everything was sticking to my sweaty body. Every time I turned the under sheet moved with me, I threw off the top sheet hours ago, and just formed a large lump under my body. The hottest night I have ever spent, and definitely one of the most uncomfortable. I am sooooooo tired this morning. Anyway=y, had a nice breakfast of Dahl and Noodles and am heading off to the office shortly to continue my research
Enjoy!
7.45 am 9/7/2005
Thursday, July 07, 2005
safe and sound
Hello my friend,
Have arrived safely in Sri Lanka. Oh boy, I got an upgrade to business class. The seat was huge, even room for my bum and more and as for the service. I have never been pampered so much. (Well not by women it didn't know the names of, I mean!!!!). Had a great flight and even slept for 6 hours. Now I have tasted the high life I'm not sure I can go back to cattle class!!
All is fine here in Sri Lanka. Have spent the day grilling people here in the Colombo office like the dedicated researcher I am. Tomorrow I head off to the north to Killinichchi to the HQ of the TRO. Should be very interesting although I am told they are having hard times and the electric is only on from 8am to 5pm and it goes off for 2 hours at lunchtime. Not sure that leaves much. Got a taste of it today in Colombo when the power went off. Once the fans stop turning, boy it gets hot and sweaty!!!
Anyway, it looks like it has been non-stop activity in London since I left. We get the Olympics and then I heard today we have bombs across the tube system. CNN say only 2 dead, but I doubt this very much, think there must be more than that. Good news and bad news so close together. Feel sorry for those who have lost someone or been injured, and I assume getting out of London tonight will be chaos.
Not sure about internet access in Killi so I may be out of touch for a couple of days. Hope you are all well. (the lengths I will go to, to get out of writing my dissertation!!)
Enjoy,
PQ.
Have arrived safely in Sri Lanka. Oh boy, I got an upgrade to business class. The seat was huge, even room for my bum and more and as for the service. I have never been pampered so much. (Well not by women it didn't know the names of, I mean!!!!). Had a great flight and even slept for 6 hours. Now I have tasted the high life I'm not sure I can go back to cattle class!!
All is fine here in Sri Lanka. Have spent the day grilling people here in the Colombo office like the dedicated researcher I am. Tomorrow I head off to the north to Killinichchi to the HQ of the TRO. Should be very interesting although I am told they are having hard times and the electric is only on from 8am to 5pm and it goes off for 2 hours at lunchtime. Not sure that leaves much. Got a taste of it today in Colombo when the power went off. Once the fans stop turning, boy it gets hot and sweaty!!!
Anyway, it looks like it has been non-stop activity in London since I left. We get the Olympics and then I heard today we have bombs across the tube system. CNN say only 2 dead, but I doubt this very much, think there must be more than that. Good news and bad news so close together. Feel sorry for those who have lost someone or been injured, and I assume getting out of London tonight will be chaos.
Not sure about internet access in Killi so I may be out of touch for a couple of days. Hope you are all well. (the lengths I will go to, to get out of writing my dissertation!!)
Enjoy,
PQ.
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Am I repeating myself
Am I going mad? I completely forgot I told you yesterday I was off to SL. This does not bode well for actually finding my way there and back. Better go and check my passport and tickets, make sure everything is in order. Have I got the right day????
OK, so it is probably my age, need to slow down, relax, take it easy, listen to the sound of waves on the beach, take the dog for a walk, chill out and drink cool guinness.
Just checked the weather in SL, it is hot and humid, just how I like it - NOT!!!!!
Looks like it will be all research this time, no footie with the kids or fun and frivolity like that just interviews, PRA exercises and observations. (Put this in for Alp!!) A truly academic experience to be treasured for the rest of my life.
Anyway, better check that passport.
Bye.
OK, so it is probably my age, need to slow down, relax, take it easy, listen to the sound of waves on the beach, take the dog for a walk, chill out and drink cool guinness.
Just checked the weather in SL, it is hot and humid, just how I like it - NOT!!!!!
Looks like it will be all research this time, no footie with the kids or fun and frivolity like that just interviews, PRA exercises and observations. (Put this in for Alp!!) A truly academic experience to be treasured for the rest of my life.
Anyway, better check that passport.
Bye.
going back
Hi all, just to let you know I am heading back to Sri Lanka this evening for a week to finish my research.
I will try to keep you updated on progress while there but, of course, it depends on Internet cafes and how utterly dull and boring things are there. Or even whether I can be bothered, seeing as only wee lassie ever sends any comments!!!!!!
See you all again soon.
I will try to keep you updated on progress while there but, of course, it depends on Internet cafes and how utterly dull and boring things are there. Or even whether I can be bothered, seeing as only wee lassie ever sends any comments!!!!!!
See you all again soon.
Monday, July 04, 2005
the return of the laneender
After a short intermission, the Laneender is heading back to Sri Lanka tomorrow for a week .
Don't get your hopes up too high, but I will try to keep you all informed of my "daily doings" whilst there.
All depends on internet cafes, how boring my life is, etc.
Blog again soon.
Don't get your hopes up too high, but I will try to keep you all informed of my "daily doings" whilst there.
All depends on internet cafes, how boring my life is, etc.
Blog again soon.
Monday, April 11, 2005
Some days make it all worthwhile
I have already rambled on about the footie training we are doing so I will try not to go on too much. We are also providing netball training for the girls and volleyball, which has been dominated by the boys. Today was day 4 of 5, and we made a little breakthrough cos' we got the girls to play volleyball. They have been watching and obviously wanted a go, so we made a special girls volleyball session today which was very successful.
On the way back today we came back via the ferry. This is much quicker as it goes across the lagoon instead of driving all the way round.
Every evening, because it is so hot there is a spectacular light display in the sky. There is a huge electrical storm takes place in the clouds. None of the lightning goes to ground, just great flashes behind the clouds lighting up the sky.
I sat on the edge of the lagoon, in the silence, a warm breeze blowing around me, my toes dipped in the water looking at the display, like two gods fighting in the sky, thinking about the kids faces and the joy we had brought them today.
Think I will sleep well tonight.
On the way back today we came back via the ferry. This is much quicker as it goes across the lagoon instead of driving all the way round.
Every evening, because it is so hot there is a spectacular light display in the sky. There is a huge electrical storm takes place in the clouds. None of the lightning goes to ground, just great flashes behind the clouds lighting up the sky.
I sat on the edge of the lagoon, in the silence, a warm breeze blowing around me, my toes dipped in the water looking at the display, like two gods fighting in the sky, thinking about the kids faces and the joy we had brought them today.
Think I will sleep well tonight.
Sunday, April 10, 2005
So Mr. PQ what is it you do???
This evening I thought I would bring you all up to date on my activities for this week.
As I have said before my rigorous training at the PRDU has prepared me for a demanding role in post Tsunami Sri Lanka. here I am in Batticaloa, or border town between Sri lanka and Tamil Eelam, ravaged by 20 years of war and hit by one of the worlds worst natural disasters only 3 months ago.
Well the obvious thing to do is run a footie coaching scheme. So that is what I am doing. I spent the early part of the week, racking my brains, trying to think of the dim & distant past to remember what coaching I had when I was a lad. I know it is a while ago, and they don't have laces in the balls, and the boots don't have wooden studs nailed in etc, etc.. (heard it all before).
Anyaway I have just got back from our 3rd day coaching. You see, it is quiter simple really, I am english therefore it is reasonable to assume I am the best footballer on the island.
I was supposed to be doing this with Adrian (from Switzerland) but he has got stuck in Colombo, so there is just me and Nelson (a fit young man, who is very good at football, but speaks as much english as I speak Tamil).
Now, the school where we are doing this training happens to be in a place called Kokoddachilai, which is a town in Tiger held country. So every day we travel there in the back of the pickup, loaded with 8 footballs, 3 volleyballs, and 3 netballs. They have local coaches for these two sports, but no balls. This is a very poor area of Sri Lanka. No aid has gone in here for the duration of the war, and very few agencies are working here at the moment, so the TRO is about the only lifeline they have.
To get here we have to cross the border, which is wuite strange. On the SL side it is heavily armed htere are 4 gun emplacement at various points across the bridge, Tiger country is on the far side of the lagoon, and a checkpoint. This is where we have the fun every day. As soon as the army see the TRO truck they pull us over. I then have to jump out from the back and ask if there is a problem, just to establish we have a European on board (this always helps).
Unfortunately we seem to get different soldiers every day, so we go through the same ritual of being asked who we are, where are we going, why are we going, then they look in the back, see the balls and usually they decide they would like one, so they ask for a ball. I say no they are for children in the school and they wouldn't take it from them, they sort of agree, and then decide to go through the whole truck, under the bonnet, behind the seats etc.
Finally we all shake hands, they wave us through and we carry on out to the village.
The odd thing is that on the Tamil side you never see a Tiger. We are told tehy are thre, and they have seen us and are watching us, but they never break cover.
This area is very poor. 20 years of war, no aid and only a little coming through now, has taken its toll.Most of the people we pass on the way seem to live a very simple life in a one room house, no running water or electricity living off the land. We rarely see another vehicle except for a few small motorbikes, tractors and bicycles. The main street of the village is just a dirt track between 2 rows of small buildings. A lot of the houses are mud biult.
We get to the school and all these children appear out of nowhere to greet us and play, footie, netball and volleyball.
They are widly enthusiastic and eager to learn everything you show them. Most are in their normal t-shirts, trousers and barefoot. Of around 80 children for fooite, I counted 3 with football boots, all the rest are barefoot.
We do some routines teaching them to trap, head, pass the ball etc, and then we play some racing games wwhere they have to dribble the ball up and down a row of kids against the other team, and finish with a game of 7-a-sise. At the end we all sit round on the floor and a large bucket of tea is brought out. We dip our cups in, and all share a drink before we go home and throught eh checkpoinmt ritual again. Hopefully the same soldiers will be still there from when we came and they won't hassle us.
We have two days of footie left, then I shall leave Batti, head back to Colombo for a couple of days, renew my visa and head north to Kilinochchi.
Oh yes, almost forgot. We went for a swim today in the Indian Ocean. Had a very nice swim, but you can't help glancing at the flattened trees and houses just up from teh beach and be reminded of the enormous power & devastastion. We did check and people are not offended by us swimming there, but no-one else goes down to the sea these days.
Must go home now.
Cheers, hope I didn't ramble too much.
As I have said before my rigorous training at the PRDU has prepared me for a demanding role in post Tsunami Sri Lanka. here I am in Batticaloa, or border town between Sri lanka and Tamil Eelam, ravaged by 20 years of war and hit by one of the worlds worst natural disasters only 3 months ago.
Well the obvious thing to do is run a footie coaching scheme. So that is what I am doing. I spent the early part of the week, racking my brains, trying to think of the dim & distant past to remember what coaching I had when I was a lad. I know it is a while ago, and they don't have laces in the balls, and the boots don't have wooden studs nailed in etc, etc.. (heard it all before).
Anyaway I have just got back from our 3rd day coaching. You see, it is quiter simple really, I am english therefore it is reasonable to assume I am the best footballer on the island.
I was supposed to be doing this with Adrian (from Switzerland) but he has got stuck in Colombo, so there is just me and Nelson (a fit young man, who is very good at football, but speaks as much english as I speak Tamil).
Now, the school where we are doing this training happens to be in a place called Kokoddachilai, which is a town in Tiger held country. So every day we travel there in the back of the pickup, loaded with 8 footballs, 3 volleyballs, and 3 netballs. They have local coaches for these two sports, but no balls. This is a very poor area of Sri Lanka. No aid has gone in here for the duration of the war, and very few agencies are working here at the moment, so the TRO is about the only lifeline they have.
To get here we have to cross the border, which is wuite strange. On the SL side it is heavily armed htere are 4 gun emplacement at various points across the bridge, Tiger country is on the far side of the lagoon, and a checkpoint. This is where we have the fun every day. As soon as the army see the TRO truck they pull us over. I then have to jump out from the back and ask if there is a problem, just to establish we have a European on board (this always helps).
Unfortunately we seem to get different soldiers every day, so we go through the same ritual of being asked who we are, where are we going, why are we going, then they look in the back, see the balls and usually they decide they would like one, so they ask for a ball. I say no they are for children in the school and they wouldn't take it from them, they sort of agree, and then decide to go through the whole truck, under the bonnet, behind the seats etc.
Finally we all shake hands, they wave us through and we carry on out to the village.
The odd thing is that on the Tamil side you never see a Tiger. We are told tehy are thre, and they have seen us and are watching us, but they never break cover.
This area is very poor. 20 years of war, no aid and only a little coming through now, has taken its toll.Most of the people we pass on the way seem to live a very simple life in a one room house, no running water or electricity living off the land. We rarely see another vehicle except for a few small motorbikes, tractors and bicycles. The main street of the village is just a dirt track between 2 rows of small buildings. A lot of the houses are mud biult.
We get to the school and all these children appear out of nowhere to greet us and play, footie, netball and volleyball.
They are widly enthusiastic and eager to learn everything you show them. Most are in their normal t-shirts, trousers and barefoot. Of around 80 children for fooite, I counted 3 with football boots, all the rest are barefoot.
We do some routines teaching them to trap, head, pass the ball etc, and then we play some racing games wwhere they have to dribble the ball up and down a row of kids against the other team, and finish with a game of 7-a-sise. At the end we all sit round on the floor and a large bucket of tea is brought out. We dip our cups in, and all share a drink before we go home and throught eh checkpoinmt ritual again. Hopefully the same soldiers will be still there from when we came and they won't hassle us.
We have two days of footie left, then I shall leave Batti, head back to Colombo for a couple of days, renew my visa and head north to Kilinochchi.
Oh yes, almost forgot. We went for a swim today in the Indian Ocean. Had a very nice swim, but you can't help glancing at the flattened trees and houses just up from teh beach and be reminded of the enormous power & devastastion. We did check and people are not offended by us swimming there, but no-one else goes down to the sea these days.
Must go home now.
Cheers, hope I didn't ramble too much.
Stranger than fiction!!!!
Well hi everyone, sorry I have been away for a while, but I have been busy. Hard to believe, I know, but absolutely true.
Before I tell you what I have been up to, I must tell you my stranger than fiction story. I am not sure what I have told you about Batticaloa, but it is a fairly provincial town. Lots of goats, cows, dogs, some people a couple of bars in foreigner hotels etc. You probably get the picture, oh and we are on the border of Sri lankan and Tamil Tiger held territory (I will come to that later) so after about 9pm there is no-one on the streets except the police and the army. They are everywhere, all day, fully armed with the ubiquietous Kalashnikov. In fact, 2 are always posted at the end of our TRO street, just to keep an eye on us!!
Anyway, where was I, oh yes. I was wandering home around 8.30 when I passed the only TV shop in Batti. NOw I have not seen a TV picture for 3 weeks, so I idled away a couple of minutes watching the adverts on a station called eye, when a trailer came on for a programme later that evening (this is where it gets spooky) It is one of those studio discussion programmes and there sat in the chair is a absolute double for a certain Irish gentleman we all know as Roger. Up comes caption "Dr. Roger MacGinty, University of York". I am standing in the street in Batticaloa watching our very own Roger on the telly!!!!! Roger, if you are reading this, I hope you didn't say anything to compromise me as I am going to Kilinochchi next week. I would hate for them to have a grudge against the University of York.
Well I will sign off now and send another entry later with my busy life details.
Cheers for now.
Before I tell you what I have been up to, I must tell you my stranger than fiction story. I am not sure what I have told you about Batticaloa, but it is a fairly provincial town. Lots of goats, cows, dogs, some people a couple of bars in foreigner hotels etc. You probably get the picture, oh and we are on the border of Sri lankan and Tamil Tiger held territory (I will come to that later) so after about 9pm there is no-one on the streets except the police and the army. They are everywhere, all day, fully armed with the ubiquietous Kalashnikov. In fact, 2 are always posted at the end of our TRO street, just to keep an eye on us!!
Anyway, where was I, oh yes. I was wandering home around 8.30 when I passed the only TV shop in Batti. NOw I have not seen a TV picture for 3 weeks, so I idled away a couple of minutes watching the adverts on a station called eye, when a trailer came on for a programme later that evening (this is where it gets spooky) It is one of those studio discussion programmes and there sat in the chair is a absolute double for a certain Irish gentleman we all know as Roger. Up comes caption "Dr. Roger MacGinty, University of York". I am standing in the street in Batticaloa watching our very own Roger on the telly!!!!! Roger, if you are reading this, I hope you didn't say anything to compromise me as I am going to Kilinochchi next week. I would hate for them to have a grudge against the University of York.
Well I will sign off now and send another entry later with my busy life details.
Cheers for now.
Monday, April 04, 2005
Is it only the Brits who talk about the weather?
Think I got my times and dates all confused yesterday. Hope you can sort through what I meant to say.
You may have noticed that the Brits are obsessed with talking about the weather, and our favourite complaint is that the sun shines all week and then the clouds come over at the weekend.
Well, not wishing to sound like a typical Brit but………..the sun shone all week in Batticaloa and then came Sunday. Our one & only day off and, well you have already guessed. The clouds came over; it rained most of the day and was a bit cool.
I don’t like to complain, Sri Lanka is a great place, great people, but surely we can do without this British aberration!!!!
Anyway we trotted off to the beach in the afternoon and had a dip in the sea. It was very rough and impossible to swim, just a case of playing in the breakers and getting knocked over by them.
After that we went to the stadium and had a game of 5-a-side in very slippery, muddy conditions. We were absolutely drenched and looked like a group of bedraggled tramps, but we were happy. Must have been tired as we elected to leave the bar and go home at 9 and fell straight off to sleep.
Today is a sad day, as our resident Aussie volunteers, Marty & Kathy headed out of town, I first met them in Colombo when they walked into the TRO office there and asked if they could do anything for 2 weeks to help out as they had come to SL for a holiday, but wanted to do something more. Marty is a Surveyor and Kathy a nurse. They were sent to Batti on the same day I came here and we met up again.
They have been great fun and really good company, so they will be sorely missed. We have shared a few beers, meals and games of footie. Poor Kathy had a queue of victim’s patients last night after the game and dealt with us all with great sensitivity!!!!
Wishing them a safe journey home and few well-earned enjoyable days in Kandy.
I may be staying here a while as Adrian (our Swiss Project Manager) is a teacher and he is starting football coaching classes for teachers in the LTTE controlled areas and needs an assistant. Obviously, with my great skill and prowess I have volunteered to help him, so we may be developing a football-coaching scheme. See if I can get them onto squash next. Make a nice change from project proposals!!!!
Hope all are well; your comments are greatly appreciated. At least I know someone is reading this drivel!
You may have noticed that the Brits are obsessed with talking about the weather, and our favourite complaint is that the sun shines all week and then the clouds come over at the weekend.
Well, not wishing to sound like a typical Brit but………..the sun shone all week in Batticaloa and then came Sunday. Our one & only day off and, well you have already guessed. The clouds came over; it rained most of the day and was a bit cool.
I don’t like to complain, Sri Lanka is a great place, great people, but surely we can do without this British aberration!!!!
Anyway we trotted off to the beach in the afternoon and had a dip in the sea. It was very rough and impossible to swim, just a case of playing in the breakers and getting knocked over by them.
After that we went to the stadium and had a game of 5-a-side in very slippery, muddy conditions. We were absolutely drenched and looked like a group of bedraggled tramps, but we were happy. Must have been tired as we elected to leave the bar and go home at 9 and fell straight off to sleep.
Today is a sad day, as our resident Aussie volunteers, Marty & Kathy headed out of town, I first met them in Colombo when they walked into the TRO office there and asked if they could do anything for 2 weeks to help out as they had come to SL for a holiday, but wanted to do something more. Marty is a Surveyor and Kathy a nurse. They were sent to Batti on the same day I came here and we met up again.
They have been great fun and really good company, so they will be sorely missed. We have shared a few beers, meals and games of footie. Poor Kathy had a queue of victim’s patients last night after the game and dealt with us all with great sensitivity!!!!
Wishing them a safe journey home and few well-earned enjoyable days in Kandy.
I may be staying here a while as Adrian (our Swiss Project Manager) is a teacher and he is starting football coaching classes for teachers in the LTTE controlled areas and needs an assistant. Obviously, with my great skill and prowess I have volunteered to help him, so we may be developing a football-coaching scheme. See if I can get them onto squash next. Make a nice change from project proposals!!!!
Hope all are well; your comments are greatly appreciated. At least I know someone is reading this drivel!
Sunday, April 03, 2005
Lost and found.........in Batticaloa
Hello reader, remember me?
Sorry, but Internet access here is a little sporadic so I am not able to keep you up with all the latest news from Batti as regular as I would like.
Those of you from Uni, who appear to have created a new commune in Kabul, from what my spies tell me!!!!! will be pleased to know I have tracked down Steve. He is alive and well and lording it up, here in Batti. He has the biggest desk and chair I have ever seen complete with his own computer with Internet access , his own car and house and is THE BOSS.
Me, jealous, heck sure I am as we sweat in our office, queue up to use the only computer in the TRO and go back to our dingy room (with no windows) in the back of a pickup truck!!!
So, other than that what has been happening. I went down to Ampara earlier in the week. Unfortunaltey, there was a Hathal (strike) by the Tamils for 2 days, due to a little misunderstanding between the Tigers and the Army, which happened to coincide with our visit. Ampara is pretty tense at the best of times, but with the remains of the burnt out tyres in the roads, the heavy army presence and numerous roadblocks/checkpoints we had an interesting journey. Fortunately for us a smile and a European face helps at the checkpoints and we got no real grief.
The road along the coast is very badly damaged and bridges have had emergency repairs and tend to be very narrow, only for 1 way traffic.
Went to 3 IDP camps and spoke a lot to the people down there.
On a lighter note, the boss at TRO is President of the local "Flying Fish" footie team. anmd we were invited to join the practice last night. The practice was at the Weber Stadium and we had a load of fun. Unfortunately I had no boots so played barefoot, which was OK on the grassy bits, but pretty painful on the gravel and stones. The teams consisted of a number of Army players so, as ever, there was a heavy army presnece complete with Kalashnikovs etc. We were searched on the way in, but the moment of the day was right at the end. Yours truly was playing at lefft back, marking the right winger. Unbeknown to me a couple of soldiers (fully armed) had begun to walk onto the pitch behind me to declare the game over. Now, as you know I am quite heavy and Sri Lankans are quite small, so when my winger made a run down the line I turned and in full flight bowled straight into a fully armed soldier knocking him flat to the floor!!!!
Fortunately he saw the funny side of it (as did the rest of the platoon!!) and we alkl escaped with our lives after picking hikm up and dusting him down.
Not much else to report, have heard from Paola and she is stuck down south in a place I can't pronounc, but apparently saying there are 2 dogs and a cat may be overstating the population.
Dear old CAFC have managed to squeeze a last gasp equaliser against Ciy and, for those of you who understand, I am becoming an expert at hovering!!! For those of you who don't, don't ask.
I now have a project to work on, which is also good news, except I was thinking of leaving here this week to go to Kilinochchi, so I will see how it goes, but TRO has signed a deal with the Govt for Communal buildings in 37 coastal villages, and they need some help sorting out the Project.
Nothing else to report, how is Sudan, wee lassie and I haven't heard from lara, is she in Uganda???
BFN
Sorry, but Internet access here is a little sporadic so I am not able to keep you up with all the latest news from Batti as regular as I would like.
Those of you from Uni, who appear to have created a new commune in Kabul, from what my spies tell me!!!!! will be pleased to know I have tracked down Steve. He is alive and well and lording it up, here in Batti. He has the biggest desk and chair I have ever seen complete with his own computer with Internet access , his own car and house and is THE BOSS.
Me, jealous, heck sure I am as we sweat in our office, queue up to use the only computer in the TRO and go back to our dingy room (with no windows) in the back of a pickup truck!!!
So, other than that what has been happening. I went down to Ampara earlier in the week. Unfortunaltey, there was a Hathal (strike) by the Tamils for 2 days, due to a little misunderstanding between the Tigers and the Army, which happened to coincide with our visit. Ampara is pretty tense at the best of times, but with the remains of the burnt out tyres in the roads, the heavy army presence and numerous roadblocks/checkpoints we had an interesting journey. Fortunately for us a smile and a European face helps at the checkpoints and we got no real grief.
The road along the coast is very badly damaged and bridges have had emergency repairs and tend to be very narrow, only for 1 way traffic.
Went to 3 IDP camps and spoke a lot to the people down there.
On a lighter note, the boss at TRO is President of the local "Flying Fish" footie team. anmd we were invited to join the practice last night. The practice was at the Weber Stadium and we had a load of fun. Unfortunately I had no boots so played barefoot, which was OK on the grassy bits, but pretty painful on the gravel and stones. The teams consisted of a number of Army players so, as ever, there was a heavy army presnece complete with Kalashnikovs etc. We were searched on the way in, but the moment of the day was right at the end. Yours truly was playing at lefft back, marking the right winger. Unbeknown to me a couple of soldiers (fully armed) had begun to walk onto the pitch behind me to declare the game over. Now, as you know I am quite heavy and Sri Lankans are quite small, so when my winger made a run down the line I turned and in full flight bowled straight into a fully armed soldier knocking him flat to the floor!!!!
Fortunately he saw the funny side of it (as did the rest of the platoon!!) and we alkl escaped with our lives after picking hikm up and dusting him down.
Not much else to report, have heard from Paola and she is stuck down south in a place I can't pronounc, but apparently saying there are 2 dogs and a cat may be overstating the population.
Dear old CAFC have managed to squeeze a last gasp equaliser against Ciy and, for those of you who understand, I am becoming an expert at hovering!!! For those of you who don't, don't ask.
I now have a project to work on, which is also good news, except I was thinking of leaving here this week to go to Kilinochchi, so I will see how it goes, but TRO has signed a deal with the Govt for Communal buildings in 37 coastal villages, and they need some help sorting out the Project.
Nothing else to report, how is Sudan, wee lassie and I haven't heard from lara, is she in Uganda???
BFN
SWISS!!!!!!
Hello again. I know what you are thinking, two postings in two days and you are right I have found an Internet Café here in Batticaloa.
So, why am I putting pen to paper today. I have to tell you it is for purely selfish and triumphalist reasons. I feel the need to share with you a small, but important victory. Last night I had, for the first time since arriving in Sri Lanka a dry night (No, I have not become incontinent in my old age, I did not sweat all night long). This may not seem much to you, but to me, it is worth shouting from the rooftops.
Let me explain the phenomenon of Semi Wet In Slumber Syndrome (SWISS), but to do that, once again I have to set the scene for you.
The TRO is not an International organisation with air-conditioned Land Cruisers, large offices etc. It is a Sri Lankan organisation run by Sri Lankans for Sri Lankans in a somewhat modest fashion.
We travel on foot, bicycles, buses, the back of motorbikes or if you are very important in the back of an open pick up truck. They also do not waste money on expensive offices, air conditioners or accommodation. Stick with me, I am getting there. Hence my room is modest, but it has a fan which, when there is not a power cut, works admirably.
Now last night we had rain, by rain I mean tropical rain. I have not experienced this before, but it is of biblical proportions. This is the kind of rain that has the ducks cowering in the bus shelter and rivers flowing down streets!!, but more importantly it brought with it a cool breeze and lower temperatures (not low, I hasten to add, just lower than very hot).
So last night when I went to bed it was cooler than usual.
Getting the speed of the fan above the bed just right at nighttime takes a bit of trial and error. You can’t have it too high, as it is not possible to sleep with a gale blowing through your locks! but too low and you get no cooling. I have found set on level 2 with my head at the fan end works really well, and then about 3am when its a bit cooler, swapping round and putting your feet at the fan end is the best system.
Now, my friends we reach the crux of the problem, and the story. The fan makes the top of your body (be this back or front) quite cold, and sweat free, however (and this, dear reader, is SWISS) the side of the body on the sheet underneath is sweating. So you have to perfect a technique of rolling over every 10 minutes or so to dry the sweaty half, and make the dry half sweaty. I think you get the picture, but do not dwell on it too long.
So, finally the point of this epistle is, the rain brought with it cooler air and last night the under side of my body did not sweat, hence my small, but important, victory.
Do you care? – NO, am I happy, YES.
Have a nice day.
So, why am I putting pen to paper today. I have to tell you it is for purely selfish and triumphalist reasons. I feel the need to share with you a small, but important victory. Last night I had, for the first time since arriving in Sri Lanka a dry night (No, I have not become incontinent in my old age, I did not sweat all night long). This may not seem much to you, but to me, it is worth shouting from the rooftops.
Let me explain the phenomenon of Semi Wet In Slumber Syndrome (SWISS), but to do that, once again I have to set the scene for you.
The TRO is not an International organisation with air-conditioned Land Cruisers, large offices etc. It is a Sri Lankan organisation run by Sri Lankans for Sri Lankans in a somewhat modest fashion.
We travel on foot, bicycles, buses, the back of motorbikes or if you are very important in the back of an open pick up truck. They also do not waste money on expensive offices, air conditioners or accommodation. Stick with me, I am getting there. Hence my room is modest, but it has a fan which, when there is not a power cut, works admirably.
Now last night we had rain, by rain I mean tropical rain. I have not experienced this before, but it is of biblical proportions. This is the kind of rain that has the ducks cowering in the bus shelter and rivers flowing down streets!!, but more importantly it brought with it a cool breeze and lower temperatures (not low, I hasten to add, just lower than very hot).
So last night when I went to bed it was cooler than usual.
Getting the speed of the fan above the bed just right at nighttime takes a bit of trial and error. You can’t have it too high, as it is not possible to sleep with a gale blowing through your locks! but too low and you get no cooling. I have found set on level 2 with my head at the fan end works really well, and then about 3am when its a bit cooler, swapping round and putting your feet at the fan end is the best system.
Now, my friends we reach the crux of the problem, and the story. The fan makes the top of your body (be this back or front) quite cold, and sweat free, however (and this, dear reader, is SWISS) the side of the body on the sheet underneath is sweating. So you have to perfect a technique of rolling over every 10 minutes or so to dry the sweaty half, and make the dry half sweaty. I think you get the picture, but do not dwell on it too long.
So, finally the point of this epistle is, the rain brought with it cooler air and last night the under side of my body did not sweat, hence my small, but important, victory.
Do you care? – NO, am I happy, YES.
Have a nice day.
Wednesday, March 30, 2005
A knock on the door in the middle of the night!!
Good morning all,
Well it had been a pretty quiet day, the highlight being an interview with the Divisional Secretary for a few words on the Government and the TRO. Things change!
After dinner me, Marty and Cath went for a beer and headed home around 11. In was so quiet and nothing was on the street. In fact, not even a Tuk-Tuk. In the end we found a Red Cross people carrier in a petrol station and bummed a lift home with them.
About midnight there is a knock on the door, it is one of the local TRO workers, saying "Tsunami, Office". You know how thick you can be when woken in the night and I just stood there saying, "Yes, Tsunami, Office". But her was insistant and took me out to the street where there was a calm, dignifies stream of people heading inland. Most walking, some on bicycles, the odd motorbike and van.
Most were in small family groups and some carried small bundles of possessions on their heads.
We joined them and headed inland to the office, where we watched the news unfold on the Asia News Channel. It turns out we were to be spared a Tsunami and we all went home around 3am, but I believe the earthquake has devastated Indonesia.
Our thoughts and best wishes go out to Jamal, his family and the people of Indonesia. If anyone hears from him, please let us know.
I am on my way to work now, all is quiet here in Sri Lanka, and normal life carries on.
See you all again soon.
Well it had been a pretty quiet day, the highlight being an interview with the Divisional Secretary for a few words on the Government and the TRO. Things change!
After dinner me, Marty and Cath went for a beer and headed home around 11. In was so quiet and nothing was on the street. In fact, not even a Tuk-Tuk. In the end we found a Red Cross people carrier in a petrol station and bummed a lift home with them.
About midnight there is a knock on the door, it is one of the local TRO workers, saying "Tsunami, Office". You know how thick you can be when woken in the night and I just stood there saying, "Yes, Tsunami, Office". But her was insistant and took me out to the street where there was a calm, dignifies stream of people heading inland. Most walking, some on bicycles, the odd motorbike and van.
Most were in small family groups and some carried small bundles of possessions on their heads.
We joined them and headed inland to the office, where we watched the news unfold on the Asia News Channel. It turns out we were to be spared a Tsunami and we all went home around 3am, but I believe the earthquake has devastated Indonesia.
Our thoughts and best wishes go out to Jamal, his family and the people of Indonesia. If anyone hears from him, please let us know.
I am on my way to work now, all is quiet here in Sri Lanka, and normal life carries on.
See you all again soon.
Monday, March 28, 2005
Gone East
Lies, lies and damn lies. Air conditioned luxury, my arse. For those of you who have used 3rd world intercity buses, you will know this so skip tje next paragraph. For those of you who haven't read on.
I suggest you read this out loud and record it then sit in a comfy chair and paly it back as you need your eyes closed to imagine it. Think of a 1950 black & whit film, and think of the bus that would be in it. Then imagine that bus has been beaten to death for the last 50 years and our story can begin.
The 9.30 bus to Batticaloa left at 10pm on its 8 hour joutrney. The front door did not close, the rear door was completely blocked with the newspapers we were carrying to Batticaloa, the windows diod not fit, or close and the bus was completely overcrowded including 10 people who stood for the 8 hour journey. Imagine a driver wearing diving boots, that could only operate the accelorator and brake by being full on or off, and a bus that appeared to reach terminal velocity and resonant frequency all at the same time and seem to be careering out of control with the driver on the wrong side of the road, horn blaring scattering anything that came in the opposite direction. Now ask yourself, did I sleep??
Well actually, by about 3am it became the only alternative.
Anyway for welcome back the seasoned travellers. The journey was worth it. The TRO people here in Batticaloa are remarkably helpful friendfly and kind. I am shjaring a couple rooms with an Australian couple, a few large roaches, and a world convention of mossies, but it is really great.
Have been to a temprary shelter and spoken to a number of people and interviewwed the only resident who spoke English. Had a great seesion with her for an hour and got loads of info on the beneficiaries feelings. also spoken to the nurses in the clinic, the architects building the new village and taken loads of piccies.
All in all it has been a goo coupkle of day. I have given the TRO a programme of what I would like to acheive and we are discussing this later this morning.
Will also try to find FORUT and our long, lost brother Steve Cummings. Does anyone have a photo of him???
Hope everyone else is doing well, for those into the footie, I know England beat N. ireland 4-0 in the world cup qualifier.
Good to hear from Palwasha this week, and good to hear Azusa is sorterd. Any news from Lara???, and how is wee lassie getting on in Sudan. How ios your luxury guest house, young lady. We are all dying to find out.
Will post again soon.
Cheers all.
I suggest you read this out loud and record it then sit in a comfy chair and paly it back as you need your eyes closed to imagine it. Think of a 1950 black & whit film, and think of the bus that would be in it. Then imagine that bus has been beaten to death for the last 50 years and our story can begin.
The 9.30 bus to Batticaloa left at 10pm on its 8 hour joutrney. The front door did not close, the rear door was completely blocked with the newspapers we were carrying to Batticaloa, the windows diod not fit, or close and the bus was completely overcrowded including 10 people who stood for the 8 hour journey. Imagine a driver wearing diving boots, that could only operate the accelorator and brake by being full on or off, and a bus that appeared to reach terminal velocity and resonant frequency all at the same time and seem to be careering out of control with the driver on the wrong side of the road, horn blaring scattering anything that came in the opposite direction. Now ask yourself, did I sleep??
Well actually, by about 3am it became the only alternative.
Anyway for welcome back the seasoned travellers. The journey was worth it. The TRO people here in Batticaloa are remarkably helpful friendfly and kind. I am shjaring a couple rooms with an Australian couple, a few large roaches, and a world convention of mossies, but it is really great.
Have been to a temprary shelter and spoken to a number of people and interviewwed the only resident who spoke English. Had a great seesion with her for an hour and got loads of info on the beneficiaries feelings. also spoken to the nurses in the clinic, the architects building the new village and taken loads of piccies.
All in all it has been a goo coupkle of day. I have given the TRO a programme of what I would like to acheive and we are discussing this later this morning.
Will also try to find FORUT and our long, lost brother Steve Cummings. Does anyone have a photo of him???
Hope everyone else is doing well, for those into the footie, I know England beat N. ireland 4-0 in the world cup qualifier.
Good to hear from Palwasha this week, and good to hear Azusa is sorterd. Any news from Lara???, and how is wee lassie getting on in Sudan. How ios your luxury guest house, young lady. We are all dying to find out.
Will post again soon.
Cheers all.
Thursday, March 24, 2005
Going East
Good afternoon,
This evening I am catching the overnight bus to Bitticaloa. It has aircon so I may get a better sleep than in my room! I think Steve is out there so I will try to find the FORUT office and let you all know how he is.
Lara thinks she may be going to Ugnada, so hopefully she will soon be joining the ranks of the WPs (WorkPlacements).
Nothing much else to report, have been working some more with TRO on the project proposals and had a boring early night last night, and read a book. I am reading the autoboigraphy of Prabahakan, the leader of the Tigers.
Had a mail from Sally complaining that we are ignoring her, so come everyone, send her an eMail, she must be bored without us!!
In the immortal words of Jimmy Young "BFN, Bye For Now"
This evening I am catching the overnight bus to Bitticaloa. It has aircon so I may get a better sleep than in my room! I think Steve is out there so I will try to find the FORUT office and let you all know how he is.
Lara thinks she may be going to Ugnada, so hopefully she will soon be joining the ranks of the WPs (WorkPlacements).
Nothing much else to report, have been working some more with TRO on the project proposals and had a boring early night last night, and read a book. I am reading the autoboigraphy of Prabahakan, the leader of the Tigers.
Had a mail from Sally complaining that we are ignoring her, so come everyone, send her an eMail, she must be bored without us!!
In the immortal words of Jimmy Young "BFN, Bye For Now"
Alp would be chuffed
Hello dear reader,
Today has been a good day here in Colombo. I have done interview no. 2 with a senior bod here and am in the swing of it. Transcribed the tape to Word and the database is slowly growing.
This pm I have been assessing their Project proposals. Now it just so happens I have a really good one including LogFrame, Risk assessment, Project rationale (Oh, how Alp would have beamed as I explained to them the inner workings of the LogFrame), tucked away here in my PC. One I prepared earlier as they say, on "Blue Peter".
I seem to have made friends with the mossies here. The current bite count is around 10 and increasing each day, despite copious amounts of Extra Strength Man Size Mossie deterrent for real men in the Jungle type stuff.
Contacted Carlo on MSN today and he is in Florence, preparing to head off to Jerusalem to chase those Arab women, and Rach is safely ensconsed in Khartoum munching her way through a packet of Rich Tea waiting for the UN to put her to work. Hey Rach, I hope you have taken Appropriate clothing!!!
As for the super Charlton Addicks, how can we beat Spurs 2-0 and then promptly get slaughtered by West Brom. Being a Charlton supporter is never dull!!! When you think you are up, they bring you straight back down.
Well I am going home to stand under a cold shower to try to cool down. It was soooooo hot last night I couldn't sleep and laid completely still while the sweat just kept coming. Had to wash the bedclothes this morning (but maybe that is too much detail).
Hope you are all doing OK.
Today has been a good day here in Colombo. I have done interview no. 2 with a senior bod here and am in the swing of it. Transcribed the tape to Word and the database is slowly growing.
This pm I have been assessing their Project proposals. Now it just so happens I have a really good one including LogFrame, Risk assessment, Project rationale (Oh, how Alp would have beamed as I explained to them the inner workings of the LogFrame), tucked away here in my PC. One I prepared earlier as they say, on "Blue Peter".
I seem to have made friends with the mossies here. The current bite count is around 10 and increasing each day, despite copious amounts of Extra Strength Man Size Mossie deterrent for real men in the Jungle type stuff.
Contacted Carlo on MSN today and he is in Florence, preparing to head off to Jerusalem to chase those Arab women, and Rach is safely ensconsed in Khartoum munching her way through a packet of Rich Tea waiting for the UN to put her to work. Hey Rach, I hope you have taken Appropriate clothing!!!
As for the super Charlton Addicks, how can we beat Spurs 2-0 and then promptly get slaughtered by West Brom. Being a Charlton supporter is never dull!!! When you think you are up, they bring you straight back down.
Well I am going home to stand under a cold shower to try to cool down. It was soooooo hot last night I couldn't sleep and laid completely still while the sweat just kept coming. Had to wash the bedclothes this morning (but maybe that is too much detail).
Hope you are all doing OK.
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
my first interview
There I was preparing everything I had learnt from Jordan, how to interview using a semi-structured approach, ready to guide my interviewee through the questions, allowing them time and freedom to express themselves and expand upon the many important issues I was to raise, and then.....................the little red light on the recorder stopped flashing.
Sinking feeling, panic, despair all within 2 seconds. Only had to rewind it (metaphoricallY speaking) and it was OK.
First interview succesfully completed, transcript typed up and big smug look on face. This is easy, bring on the PRA!!!!!!!!!
Forgot to tell you all, when I left Paola last night I got Tuk-Tuk (look it up if you don't know) back to my house. The kinf\dly gentleman driving the Tuk-tuk enquired as toi whether I like Sri Lankan ladies. Now this is a bit of a catch 22 methinks. If I say yes, he take me to meet his "friend". If I say no I am insulting all the lovely ladies of Sri Lanka. its late and I am faced with a moral (or is that morale) dilemna. (Where is Alp when you need a bit of advice?)
Anyway, I explained that Sri lankan ladies are very beautiful and lovely,but right now I am tired and would like to go home.
Don't know why, but I thought I would share that with you.
Have a nice day.
Sinking feeling, panic, despair all within 2 seconds. Only had to rewind it (metaphoricallY speaking) and it was OK.
First interview succesfully completed, transcript typed up and big smug look on face. This is easy, bring on the PRA!!!!!!!!!
Forgot to tell you all, when I left Paola last night I got Tuk-Tuk (look it up if you don't know) back to my house. The kinf\dly gentleman driving the Tuk-tuk enquired as toi whether I like Sri Lankan ladies. Now this is a bit of a catch 22 methinks. If I say yes, he take me to meet his "friend". If I say no I am insulting all the lovely ladies of Sri Lanka. its late and I am faced with a moral (or is that morale) dilemna. (Where is Alp when you need a bit of advice?)
Anyway, I explained that Sri lankan ladies are very beautiful and lovely,but right now I am tired and would like to go home.
Don't know why, but I thought I would share that with you.
Have a nice day.
Quintus gets me in trouble....again
Before I tell you about todays exploits, thought you would like to catch up on the sleeping arrangements at our house.
Last night it was decided we would swap things around, and I was moving downstairs. Now the good news is - I now have my own bedroom. The slightly less good news is it has no aircon. The even less good news is it has no bed!!!!
But I do have a matress on the floor and a fan. You see Lane Ender can muck in with the best. I hope wee lassie is reading this and preparing for her Khartoum guest house!!! (Thanks for comment, much appreciated).
Yesterday we were discussing the new Tsunami relief website and I just thought I would show them the Quintus site. They were impressed and now I am in charge of designing the new website here. Thanks to Quintus - I knew it would get me a job one day!!!!
Went out for dinner with Paola last night she tells me she if off to the coast tomorrow...sigh. So I won't have her civilised company for dinner any more . Good luck and have a safe journey.
I am going to try to get moved up to Kilinochchi this week and get on with some research so my ramblings may become few and far between for a while.
Its late now and we have popped into a seedy little internet cafe behind a chinese restaurant to post this. It has cubicles for the computers and loads of porn sites on the desktop. Everytime you search for something it takes off to a site extolling the virtues of lesbians - if you get my drift. It is also running a chinese version of Windows, which makes navigation quite difficult!!!!
Well, that will do for now. I'll be in touch.
Last night it was decided we would swap things around, and I was moving downstairs. Now the good news is - I now have my own bedroom. The slightly less good news is it has no aircon. The even less good news is it has no bed!!!!
But I do have a matress on the floor and a fan. You see Lane Ender can muck in with the best. I hope wee lassie is reading this and preparing for her Khartoum guest house!!! (Thanks for comment, much appreciated).
Yesterday we were discussing the new Tsunami relief website and I just thought I would show them the Quintus site. They were impressed and now I am in charge of designing the new website here. Thanks to Quintus - I knew it would get me a job one day!!!!
Went out for dinner with Paola last night she tells me she if off to the coast tomorrow...sigh. So I won't have her civilised company for dinner any more . Good luck and have a safe journey.
I am going to try to get moved up to Kilinochchi this week and get on with some research so my ramblings may become few and far between for a while.
Its late now and we have popped into a seedy little internet cafe behind a chinese restaurant to post this. It has cubicles for the computers and loads of porn sites on the desktop. Everytime you search for something it takes off to a site extolling the virtues of lesbians - if you get my drift. It is also running a chinese version of Windows, which makes navigation quite difficult!!!!
Well, that will do for now. I'll be in touch.
Monday, March 21, 2005
SUNDAY, its our day OFF
Its Sunday afternoon and me & Paola have had a day out in Colombo. (Steve, where are you, join us soon).
We caught a few buses (an experience in itself) and went to the Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara Buddhist temple just out of town.
Buses are fun, busy, noisy, crowded, very cheap, driven by madmen and scary as hell, but we enjoyed it. Even met an Italian speaking Sri Lankan for Paolo to chat to!!
The temple was pretty impressive and we have some piccies, so will try to post them sometime.
Finished with a walk along the beach. never seen the Indian Ocean before. Have to say it looks like a lot of others to me. Strange to think this is what created the terrible devastation on this beautiful island. Fortunately not here, and nothing I have seen yet. That is yet to come and I expect will be pretty harrowing.
Anyway,we are back in Colombo, and will probably chill out this evening as a day out in this temperature is pretty draining.
be good.
We caught a few buses (an experience in itself) and went to the Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara Buddhist temple just out of town.
Buses are fun, busy, noisy, crowded, very cheap, driven by madmen and scary as hell, but we enjoyed it. Even met an Italian speaking Sri Lankan for Paolo to chat to!!
The temple was pretty impressive and we have some piccies, so will try to post them sometime.
Finished with a walk along the beach. never seen the Indian Ocean before. Have to say it looks like a lot of others to me. Strange to think this is what created the terrible devastation on this beautiful island. Fortunately not here, and nothing I have seen yet. That is yet to come and I expect will be pretty harrowing.
Anyway,we are back in Colombo, and will probably chill out this evening as a day out in this temperature is pretty draining.
be good.
Sunday, March 20, 2005
19th March, 1st day in Colombo
Well, I have been introduced to my new buddies and my new home at the TRO in Colombo. (www.troonline.org). Everyone is young and very dynamic. They seem to work from around 8.30am to 9.30pm. How is a student expected to match that!!!!!
So worked all day preparing my research and we all went out in the evening for dinner about 10.00. Ended up in Clancy's (another Irish bar) to celebrate St. Patricks Day. Place was really buzzing and we danced the night away till 2am. Ideal way to treat jet lag!!!!!
Crashed into bed, will I wake up in the morning, who knows........
So worked all day preparing my research and we all went out in the evening for dinner about 10.00. Ended up in Clancy's (another Irish bar) to celebrate St. Patricks Day. Place was really buzzing and we danced the night away till 2am. Ideal way to treat jet lag!!!!!
Crashed into bed, will I wake up in the morning, who knows........
19th March, did I get yesterdays date wrong?
Saturday morning and today we will take it easy at work. Finish preparing my research plan and sit down with people here to discuss. I have given them a list of who I would like to talk to and whether they can facilitate the meetings and transport me to the far flung Tsunami affected corners of the island. For those of you wondering what I am doing here in Sri Lanka, I have come to carry out some research on whether the Tsunami relief aid is getting to the North & East of the island, and also to work as a volunteer for the TRO.
Boy, is it hot here, reckon it is well over 30C.
This evenieng, for those of you who know her, Paola has arrived in town. Met her this evening and we had a good curry. Came out and it was pouring with rain. Still we found one of the infamous 3 wheelers and had a very exciting journey across town to Clancys. Do I know how to show a girl a good time. OK, we were early and it was qwuiet so we were able to catch up on PRDU gossip and chat.
(Sorry to hear about Azusa and Lara, hope you get your placements sorted out soon)
Go home early to read, and have a good nights sleep. See you again soon.
Boy, is it hot here, reckon it is well over 30C.
This evenieng, for those of you who know her, Paola has arrived in town. Met her this evening and we had a good curry. Came out and it was pouring with rain. Still we found one of the infamous 3 wheelers and had a very exciting journey across town to Clancys. Do I know how to show a girl a good time. OK, we were early and it was qwuiet so we were able to catch up on PRDU gossip and chat.
(Sorry to hear about Azusa and Lara, hope you get your placements sorted out soon)
Go home early to read, and have a good nights sleep. See you again soon.
Saturday, March 19, 2005
18th March 2005
Well here is the first post, and I have to start with a complaint. I fly from London to Dubai. The flight is great, food very good, service excellent, passenger next to me is the passenger from hell. He appears to be under the impression I was put on the flight to act as a prop as he got smashed on free brandy. Boy, do I attract them. The further I leaned away, the further he leaned over. Cattle class seat are not designed to accomodate you and your neighbour!!
Oh well, I arrive in Dubai and I am greeted out of the arrival lounge by...... Yes you guessed it, the ubiqietous Irish pub!!!!
Still, Dubai airport is not the worst place to spend a couple of hours waiting for the flight to Colombo, my true destination.
Flight to Colombo is almost empty and I get 4 seats to lay out wrap up in a blanket and snooze my way across India. Such bliss. This is getting a little overlong, so the next installment will have to be tomorrow. Have a good one!
Oh well, I arrive in Dubai and I am greeted out of the arrival lounge by...... Yes you guessed it, the ubiqietous Irish pub!!!!
Still, Dubai airport is not the worst place to spend a couple of hours waiting for the flight to Colombo, my true destination.
Flight to Colombo is almost empty and I get 4 seats to lay out wrap up in a blanket and snooze my way across India. Such bliss. This is getting a little overlong, so the next installment will have to be tomorrow. Have a good one!
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