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.

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.

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"

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.

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.

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.

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.

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........

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.

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!