The rains are here in full force now and the temperature has dropped a little more. All is cooler and wet, wet, wet.
So I thought I would explain how my average sort of day goes.
I get up at 6 and have a cool shower. Today, for the first time since I have been here I have put a belt on my trousers, tucked my shirt in and done the belt up. Up until now it has been too hot to have my shirt tucked in or my trousers tight and they have simply been hanging on my hips.
Before I leave I collect the pots from the guards. The system works like this, the maid cooks way too much food every day and leaves it for me in little pots on the dining room table. It is very much like an Indian restaurant with 3 or 4 small pots of side dishes, a pot of rice and a larger pot for the main course. I usually eat about a third of all this and then give the pots to the guards which they feast on overnight. It works well, the maid cooks too much, I eat some, the guards finish it and the maid thinks I have eaten it all, so everyone is happy. As I leave the house it is raining so one of the guards holds an umbrella above my head as I walk out to my Land Rover. The guards here are nothing like those in Kabul. No flak jackets or machine guns, just a couple of senior gentlemen in smart uniforms and no weapons (and no shoes).
We walk out to the LR and then I head off. I am getting to know the road and the people I pass every day. No need for different times or different routes, just a plain, simple drive to the office. So, many of the faces smile back and we wave at each other. The traffic is all pedestrians and bicycles, I never see another car at this time of day. The first junction is a checkpoint, so I slow down, smile at the soldiers and they wave me through. The next crossroads is the ICRC. Another 3 minutes and my commute is over. The roads are clear, the rain is pouring, the tree lined verges are deep in water as there is no drainage, except the fine soil itself which seems to recover very quickly. Everything is turning very green and lush and equatorial.
I arrive at the office and another guard will protect me from the downpour with his umbrella as I cross the sandy/muddy compound to the office.
The office is an old colonial style building at the edge of the compound, with the workshops and stores around 100yards away at the far end of the compound.
Today, I have to address the deminers and all 350 are assembled military style in the midst of the compound in rows awaiting my words.
Once I have finished they pack up their tools and equipment into the Land Rovers and trucks and head off out to the minefields.
Meanwhile I have a Finance meeting to discuss how the finances of the operation are handled. Later this morning I will be taking a trip to the Island of Kuyts to look at some minefields there. Kuyts is heavily restricted and requires a special pass to be able to traverse the causeway that takes us there. It is strange today as the sky is very overcast, there is a cool breeze blowing and the sea is dark grey, reflecting the mood of the weather. With light waves being whipped up by the wind and the dark skies I could be looking at the Kent coast, not the Indian Ocean just north of the equator.
The islands around Jaffna are particularly heavily patrolled by the Army and Navy and are even more badly damaged as they have been the scene of much fighting and used as routes to get to and from Jaffna. The population of Kuyts is less than a quarter of the pre-war population and it shows. However, interestingly although the houses are nearly all empty and derelict, they are big and were once very grand. This area apparently was the home of many of the top Sri Lankan businessmen. However, wealth brings the privilege of choice and they no longer choose to live in such a dangerous place.
After my visit to Kuyts, it is time to go mine collecting and today there is one to be collected from a minefield South of Jaffna. We head out again in the Land Rover for the minefield where we pick up the mine and bring it back for disposal.
So, back to the paperwork and then head home for an earlier night. I was woken by a lot of commotion this morning around 5am and a lot of mortars being fired. It turns out the port to the North of here was attacked by the Tigers and that was the retaliatory fire. Hopefully that won't be repeated.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
life in jaffna
Living in Jaffna takes a little getting used to and everyday communications with the outside world is one of those 'getting used to' points.
There are the mobile phones that only work on few, random occasions, even when they claim to have a full signal. It is not about where you are, the way you are facing, whether you happen to be next to a mast, it is just random. Then there is the internet connection. There is no broadband so it is all on dial up. Sometimes it runs 'not too bad', other days you can have a whole day where even an email will not leave the environs of your computer. So, it gets pretty frustrating when you want to connect to the outside world. But in the overall scheme of things these are really only frustrations.
The rains have finally come and we get a torrential downpour at least once every day now, often at night. This leaves the air clear and crisp for a short while, but when the clouds clear and the sun comes back out the air becomes pretty hot and humid. In fact, there is this rather uncomfortable feeling all day of your skin being not quite dry and just, oh so slightly clammy. As if you ran for the bus and now you have a light layer of sweat all over - but it will not clear. All day long your clothes are just wet enough to stick to you. The thought of a cool shower when you get home looms larger and larger in your mind and by the time you leave work is almost an obsession. Showers here are pretty much like I have experienced in other parts of Sri Lanka. They are a big tank on the roof and this feeds straight through a tap to a big shower head that gives a lovely wide and full spray. There is no heating for the water, just the sunshine, so in the evening you get a warm shower and in the morning a cold shower. Either way it is very welcome.
Jaffna is a very unusual place. It is very hot, lots of palms trees and it is a golden sand peninsular. Every direction is coastline and lagoons and yet – there is nowhere you can go in the water. The coastline is all a High Security Zone, you literally cannot go to the beach or enter the water. There is only one beach accessible and that is right up at the North of the islands and you need special permission from the Army to go there, so forget going for a swim!!
Yesterday, I took the day off and went on a tour of Jaffna Town. I drove down to the town centre and then went for a walk about. The first thing you notice is the quiet. Most people are on foot, usually bare footed or with flip flops, on bicycles (every one has the same 1950's upright bike) and the odd small motorbike laden down with a family. Unbrellas are very popular for keeping off the rain and sun and it is very normal to see people cycling along holding an umbrella above themselves.
There are very few cars, so the traffic is very light and almost silent. The only cars I have seen (other than our Land Rovers and NGO vehicles) are old 1950's Austins and Morris'. I have seen an Austin Cambridge, Morris Oxford and an Austin A40. So, Jaffna town is quiet from traffic.
All around though, is the devastation from the wars of 1990 and 1995 is very bad. It is amazing how much damage has been done to the centre of Jaffna and how little has been repaired. Everywhere there are damaged and blown up houses, the walls littered with bullet holes and other walls & roofs missing.
Right in the heart of Jaffna is the Clock Tower. This, I read in the guide book, was renovated with money presented from the British people in 1998 and opened by HRH Prince Charles – for the people of Jaffna. However, the Army and Police have declared this an HSZ and all approaches are blocked off with Earth Bunds (banks), razor wire and guard posts.
But this is the clock tower that was renovated by the British people – with MY money. So I walk up to the barrier, through the gap and continue to walk, smiling, towards the guard post. The soldiers are somewhat mystified and rather surprised by this. I get to the window and explain I would like to go and visit the clock tower. The soldiers are a little surprised and rather bemused by this, but bureaucracy wins through. I offer them my ID, they write it in their book, give me a receipt for my camera and then they let me through. This whole area is weird with many plain clothes men and women wandering around, all armed with machine guns. As well as the soldiers and police.
I get half way to the clock tower and am called into a building labelled 'Immigration Centre', where again, I am asked what I am doing and again I tell them I wish to look at the Clock Tower opened by Prince Charles and again they are bemused, but friendly and ultimately helpful. Finally I am there and sure enough there is a plaque commemorating Prince Charles's re-opening of the Tower . Unfortunately, they have my camera, so there will be no photo, I am afraid. I make my way back, get my camera and leave.
As the sun goes down and the air cools a little, we are off to the ICRC house where, I am told, they have a badminton court.
The court is outdoor, a square of dirt with a net and ropes stretched across the ground for court markings.
We are surrounded by trees and to either side is a struggling 100w light bulb to act as floodlights. Near the equator darkness falls quickly and the gloom soon engulfs the court, but not our spirits. It is great to be able to play a game and we all put in some effort – between gulping bottles of water. The trees that surround us fill up with crows cawing loudly. Above them large bats are swooping and congregating, preparing to head off into the night. The scene is quite spectacular to both sight and sound and amongst all this the shuttlecock continues to fly back and forth in the semi-darkness.
We play for an hour or so, and then off home. It is only 7pm, but I am tired and ready for bed.
There are the mobile phones that only work on few, random occasions, even when they claim to have a full signal. It is not about where you are, the way you are facing, whether you happen to be next to a mast, it is just random. Then there is the internet connection. There is no broadband so it is all on dial up. Sometimes it runs 'not too bad', other days you can have a whole day where even an email will not leave the environs of your computer. So, it gets pretty frustrating when you want to connect to the outside world. But in the overall scheme of things these are really only frustrations.
The rains have finally come and we get a torrential downpour at least once every day now, often at night. This leaves the air clear and crisp for a short while, but when the clouds clear and the sun comes back out the air becomes pretty hot and humid. In fact, there is this rather uncomfortable feeling all day of your skin being not quite dry and just, oh so slightly clammy. As if you ran for the bus and now you have a light layer of sweat all over - but it will not clear. All day long your clothes are just wet enough to stick to you. The thought of a cool shower when you get home looms larger and larger in your mind and by the time you leave work is almost an obsession. Showers here are pretty much like I have experienced in other parts of Sri Lanka. They are a big tank on the roof and this feeds straight through a tap to a big shower head that gives a lovely wide and full spray. There is no heating for the water, just the sunshine, so in the evening you get a warm shower and in the morning a cold shower. Either way it is very welcome.
Jaffna is a very unusual place. It is very hot, lots of palms trees and it is a golden sand peninsular. Every direction is coastline and lagoons and yet – there is nowhere you can go in the water. The coastline is all a High Security Zone, you literally cannot go to the beach or enter the water. There is only one beach accessible and that is right up at the North of the islands and you need special permission from the Army to go there, so forget going for a swim!!
Yesterday, I took the day off and went on a tour of Jaffna Town. I drove down to the town centre and then went for a walk about. The first thing you notice is the quiet. Most people are on foot, usually bare footed or with flip flops, on bicycles (every one has the same 1950's upright bike) and the odd small motorbike laden down with a family. Unbrellas are very popular for keeping off the rain and sun and it is very normal to see people cycling along holding an umbrella above themselves.
There are very few cars, so the traffic is very light and almost silent. The only cars I have seen (other than our Land Rovers and NGO vehicles) are old 1950's Austins and Morris'. I have seen an Austin Cambridge, Morris Oxford and an Austin A40. So, Jaffna town is quiet from traffic.
All around though, is the devastation from the wars of 1990 and 1995 is very bad. It is amazing how much damage has been done to the centre of Jaffna and how little has been repaired. Everywhere there are damaged and blown up houses, the walls littered with bullet holes and other walls & roofs missing.
Right in the heart of Jaffna is the Clock Tower. This, I read in the guide book, was renovated with money presented from the British people in 1998 and opened by HRH Prince Charles – for the people of Jaffna. However, the Army and Police have declared this an HSZ and all approaches are blocked off with Earth Bunds (banks), razor wire and guard posts.
But this is the clock tower that was renovated by the British people – with MY money. So I walk up to the barrier, through the gap and continue to walk, smiling, towards the guard post. The soldiers are somewhat mystified and rather surprised by this. I get to the window and explain I would like to go and visit the clock tower. The soldiers are a little surprised and rather bemused by this, but bureaucracy wins through. I offer them my ID, they write it in their book, give me a receipt for my camera and then they let me through. This whole area is weird with many plain clothes men and women wandering around, all armed with machine guns. As well as the soldiers and police.
I get half way to the clock tower and am called into a building labelled 'Immigration Centre', where again, I am asked what I am doing and again I tell them I wish to look at the Clock Tower opened by Prince Charles and again they are bemused, but friendly and ultimately helpful. Finally I am there and sure enough there is a plaque commemorating Prince Charles's re-opening of the Tower . Unfortunately, they have my camera, so there will be no photo, I am afraid. I make my way back, get my camera and leave.
As the sun goes down and the air cools a little, we are off to the ICRC house where, I am told, they have a badminton court.
The court is outdoor, a square of dirt with a net and ropes stretched across the ground for court markings.
We are surrounded by trees and to either side is a struggling 100w light bulb to act as floodlights. Near the equator darkness falls quickly and the gloom soon engulfs the court, but not our spirits. It is great to be able to play a game and we all put in some effort – between gulping bottles of water. The trees that surround us fill up with crows cawing loudly. Above them large bats are swooping and congregating, preparing to head off into the night. The scene is quite spectacular to both sight and sound and amongst all this the shuttlecock continues to fly back and forth in the semi-darkness.
We play for an hour or so, and then off home. It is only 7pm, but I am tired and ready for bed.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
and so to Jaffna
Sorry it has been so long since I last wrote. It has been an interesting, fraught, incredibly tiring and ill few days. Coupled with that the frustration of the telephone system and internet connections, here in Jaffna, have created an atmosphere of despair. But things are getting better now and I am on the mend.
So let me tell you what has been happening since I left Colombo. I am now in Jaffna. This is a peninsular that sits at the very Northern tip of Sri Lanka. It is made up of islands and lagoons. Although it is controlled by the Government it is cut off from the rest of Sri Lanka by the land held by the Tamil Tigers. So all supplies come either by sea or air. It is the heart of the Tamil culture on Sri Lanka and is very Tamil. Hence the Governement keeps a very tight grip on it, the people and anything that gets in or out.
I was up at 3.45am on Friday to go to the airport to get the flight North. Well, I say airport, actually a military airfield with much security, but smiley, pleasant soldiers who actually were not at all threatening. The first thing I noticed was the fact that every soldier did not even want payment to get out of your way (which is pretty much the norm at Kabul Airport). Instead they smile and try to assist. Now I was due to get the 7.30 flight to Jaffna. However, as a Johnny foreigner in these parts I needed special permission to go to Jaffna. So we get a letter from the Ministry of Nation Building saying they recommend me as a decent sort of chap and they send this to the Ministry of Defence. They then have their say and finally a letter is passed to the air force giving them permission to let me into their airfield.
OK, so far so good, except we get to the airfield at 4.30am and there is no paperwork there and the offices will not be open till 8!
So we wait and wait. The 7.30 flight leaves, and we wait. Finally the nice man at the gate puts through a call at 8, they fax him the permission and I am allowed through.
The next flight is at 11.45, so we head for the terminal on a bus and get to the check in area. Now this is all pretty standard except there is a list of items you are not allowed to take to Jaffna and this includes AA batteries, like in the myriad of small portable electrical devices we carry around these days. But, my man in Jaffna needs batteries.
So, I have to secrete them in my laptop bag and when it is my turn to empty the bag for the nice soldier so he can go through it all, I have to make sure he doesn't quite see the pocket they are hidden in. All goes well, and we head for the plane, I am now a smuggler!!!
The flight is uneventful, just one hour and we arrive at the Jaffna military airport. Now the next bit is just a touch funny. We get off the plane and are herded into a bus with blacked out windows. This is to ensure we cannot see anything inside this High Security Zone. The bus drives for around 15 minutes and eventually we park up and get out. From behind a high dirt bank, I can see the tail fin of our plane about 50 yards away. Where we have been driving for the last 15 minutes no-one seems to know. Then it is time to be interviewed, why are you in Jaffna, what are you doing etc. until the quiz master is happy and you go out and get into, yes you have guessed it, a blacked out coach. Not forgetting it is unbearably hot all this time, and of course, I have never sdone this befroe, so you simply follow the crowd and do what they do. WHen they stop, I stop, when they proceed, I proceed. The next coach trip is a good 20-25 minutes through the High Security Zone until we get to the outskirts. Here we all meet our local contacts, and they return our cases. Did I tell you they also take all mobile phones and cameras away from you before the flight and return them at this point.
What is a High Security Zone, I hear you ask. Well, Jaffna is only about 20 miles from the front line of the war between the Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan Army which is now reaching a critical phase. In fact, Jaffna was a Tiger stronghold up until 1995 and held by them. Some of the Jaffna peninsula is still held by the Tigers, hence the proximity of the front line. So the fighting in Jaffna has been fierce and recent, and the signs of this are everywhere with building blown up and destroyed, full of shell holes etc. At night we can hear the artillery guns firing from Jaffna at the Tamil Tigers Front Line.
The Army created HSZ's around their installations all over Jaffna, by simply removing the people who lived there, destroying the houses and mining the area to make it a huge buffer between them and any attackers. Probably half the land in Jaffna is taken up by HSZ's and minefields where the inhabitants can no longer go.
Think about that, half the area in your locality simply swallowed up by the Army and minefields laid. You DO NOT enter these areas.
So, I have arrived, my man is there to meet and greet me and we head back to the house and office.
Jaffna, is quite beautiful and has everything an idyllic paradise should have. It is hot (OK, too hot to work), smiling friendly people, palms and coconut trees, beautiful lagoons - and a war with Army checkpoints at every junction and a 9pm curfew. I will tell you about living here soon.
So let me tell you what has been happening since I left Colombo. I am now in Jaffna. This is a peninsular that sits at the very Northern tip of Sri Lanka. It is made up of islands and lagoons. Although it is controlled by the Government it is cut off from the rest of Sri Lanka by the land held by the Tamil Tigers. So all supplies come either by sea or air. It is the heart of the Tamil culture on Sri Lanka and is very Tamil. Hence the Governement keeps a very tight grip on it, the people and anything that gets in or out.
I was up at 3.45am on Friday to go to the airport to get the flight North. Well, I say airport, actually a military airfield with much security, but smiley, pleasant soldiers who actually were not at all threatening. The first thing I noticed was the fact that every soldier did not even want payment to get out of your way (which is pretty much the norm at Kabul Airport). Instead they smile and try to assist. Now I was due to get the 7.30 flight to Jaffna. However, as a Johnny foreigner in these parts I needed special permission to go to Jaffna. So we get a letter from the Ministry of Nation Building saying they recommend me as a decent sort of chap and they send this to the Ministry of Defence. They then have their say and finally a letter is passed to the air force giving them permission to let me into their airfield.
OK, so far so good, except we get to the airfield at 4.30am and there is no paperwork there and the offices will not be open till 8!
So we wait and wait. The 7.30 flight leaves, and we wait. Finally the nice man at the gate puts through a call at 8, they fax him the permission and I am allowed through.
The next flight is at 11.45, so we head for the terminal on a bus and get to the check in area. Now this is all pretty standard except there is a list of items you are not allowed to take to Jaffna and this includes AA batteries, like in the myriad of small portable electrical devices we carry around these days. But, my man in Jaffna needs batteries.
So, I have to secrete them in my laptop bag and when it is my turn to empty the bag for the nice soldier so he can go through it all, I have to make sure he doesn't quite see the pocket they are hidden in. All goes well, and we head for the plane, I am now a smuggler!!!
The flight is uneventful, just one hour and we arrive at the Jaffna military airport. Now the next bit is just a touch funny. We get off the plane and are herded into a bus with blacked out windows. This is to ensure we cannot see anything inside this High Security Zone. The bus drives for around 15 minutes and eventually we park up and get out. From behind a high dirt bank, I can see the tail fin of our plane about 50 yards away. Where we have been driving for the last 15 minutes no-one seems to know. Then it is time to be interviewed, why are you in Jaffna, what are you doing etc. until the quiz master is happy and you go out and get into, yes you have guessed it, a blacked out coach. Not forgetting it is unbearably hot all this time, and of course, I have never sdone this befroe, so you simply follow the crowd and do what they do. WHen they stop, I stop, when they proceed, I proceed. The next coach trip is a good 20-25 minutes through the High Security Zone until we get to the outskirts. Here we all meet our local contacts, and they return our cases. Did I tell you they also take all mobile phones and cameras away from you before the flight and return them at this point.
What is a High Security Zone, I hear you ask. Well, Jaffna is only about 20 miles from the front line of the war between the Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan Army which is now reaching a critical phase. In fact, Jaffna was a Tiger stronghold up until 1995 and held by them. Some of the Jaffna peninsula is still held by the Tigers, hence the proximity of the front line. So the fighting in Jaffna has been fierce and recent, and the signs of this are everywhere with building blown up and destroyed, full of shell holes etc. At night we can hear the artillery guns firing from Jaffna at the Tamil Tigers Front Line.
The Army created HSZ's around their installations all over Jaffna, by simply removing the people who lived there, destroying the houses and mining the area to make it a huge buffer between them and any attackers. Probably half the land in Jaffna is taken up by HSZ's and minefields where the inhabitants can no longer go.
Think about that, half the area in your locality simply swallowed up by the Army and minefields laid. You DO NOT enter these areas.
So, I have arrived, my man is there to meet and greet me and we head back to the house and office.
Jaffna, is quite beautiful and has everything an idyllic paradise should have. It is hot (OK, too hot to work), smiling friendly people, palms and coconut trees, beautiful lagoons - and a war with Army checkpoints at every junction and a 9pm curfew. I will tell you about living here soon.
Thursday, October 09, 2008
I had a friend, but now he is dead
Yesterday evening, I needed to get out the mosquito scaring stuff that you plug in overnight to keep the little critters away. This was in my big bag which I had left on the floor of my bedroom. So I went to the bag and started rummaging around. Imagine my surprise when something jumped out of the bag, hit my forehead and fell on the floor. I am not sure which of us was most surprised. Me or the large brown cockroach standing on the floor looking up at me. Well, I sort of imagine that is what it was doing for a stunned second. We eyed each other up and then he/she/it (not sure about the biology of the cockroach species) and certainly had no time to establish its sex, then it made a run fr the cupboard and disappeared around the back. I got a shoe and pursued it, pulling the cupboard away from the wall. Again it mad a dash for it and headed off under the bed.
At this point I decided not to chase it and left it be. After all, I can kill it, but it can't kill me.
So last night it spent the hours of slumber under the bed. I know this because this morning just after I got up, as I came out the shower it got a bit reckless and emerged from under the same bed and made a run for the door. Now, I will never know if it waited for me to come out of the shower cause it felt a bit cocky(roach) and thought it could take me on, whether it was just plain stupid or even simply an unlucky cockroach. I grabbed for a shoe, and chased it across the room. It made for a shaded corner, but there was no furniture, no crack, no pile of clothes (believe me I picked everything up and put it on top of the cupboard) nowhere to hide. I had it trapped and, I confess dear reader. I whacked it over the head with my shoe. scooped it up on a piece of paper while it was dazed and flushed it down the loo.
You see, I can be ruthless and cruel, actually I feel a bit mean. It can't help being ugly and in the end it could never harm me. But now it is gone from here, and so shall I be tomorrow. I get picked up at 4am and head off to the airport for my flight to Jaffna.
Not sure about communications from there, but I will try to write whenever possible.
There a whole blog without one mention of this hot and steamy weather.
At this point I decided not to chase it and left it be. After all, I can kill it, but it can't kill me.
So last night it spent the hours of slumber under the bed. I know this because this morning just after I got up, as I came out the shower it got a bit reckless and emerged from under the same bed and made a run for the door. Now, I will never know if it waited for me to come out of the shower cause it felt a bit cocky(roach) and thought it could take me on, whether it was just plain stupid or even simply an unlucky cockroach. I grabbed for a shoe, and chased it across the room. It made for a shaded corner, but there was no furniture, no crack, no pile of clothes (believe me I picked everything up and put it on top of the cupboard) nowhere to hide. I had it trapped and, I confess dear reader. I whacked it over the head with my shoe. scooped it up on a piece of paper while it was dazed and flushed it down the loo.
You see, I can be ruthless and cruel, actually I feel a bit mean. It can't help being ugly and in the end it could never harm me. But now it is gone from here, and so shall I be tomorrow. I get picked up at 4am and head off to the airport for my flight to Jaffna.
Not sure about communications from there, but I will try to write whenever possible.
There a whole blog without one mention of this hot and steamy weather.
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
HSBC, how can I help you?
It is 2.30pm and it is sweltering here. I really am sorry to complain about the heat to you as you suffer the British autumnal rain and cold. If I was sitting on a beach I would be very happy, but I am sitting at a desk, in shirt and trousers, the fan above me is going full tilt and I have a menagerie of objects holding down the various pieces of paper on my desk, stopping them from blowing away. As soon as I pick up an object, the papers fly across the table to the floor, which is just a tad annoying. If I put my hand or forearm on a piece of paper it immediately sticks to me and becomes damp, so I can no longer write on it. So here I am, sat at a nice big desk, the windows wide open, the fan on full pelt, my shirt and trousers stuck to me, papers flapping on the desk, a sheet of A4 stuck to my forearms try to write on another piece before it flies out the window and you are their in the UK thinking, lucky bugger, he's in Sri Lanka!
I have left the aircon on in my bedroom and sneak off there for a couple of minutes every now and then, just to escape the heat, but relief is very temporary.
I have just had confirmation that the military will allow me to fly to Jaffna on Friday, so that is good. There is another ex-pat up there and hopefully we will be able to go and visit some minefields and get out and about.
But that is not the subject of today's epistle.
I went for a brief walk yesteday evening and found a very large, modern building at the end of the road with HSBC written on the side. So, I asked a few questions this morning and lo, it is an international call centre. So, if you are an HSBC customer and you phone the bank to find yourself talking to someone called “Jimmy” or "Tracy" with a dodgy English/Indian type accent with a lot of chatter going on in the background, just think – I could be just round the corner. So if you have any messages you wish delivered by hand please feel free to send them in to Laneender and I will do my best to pass them on, person to person - just like in the good old days!
I have left the aircon on in my bedroom and sneak off there for a couple of minutes every now and then, just to escape the heat, but relief is very temporary.
I have just had confirmation that the military will allow me to fly to Jaffna on Friday, so that is good. There is another ex-pat up there and hopefully we will be able to go and visit some minefields and get out and about.
But that is not the subject of today's epistle.
I went for a brief walk yesteday evening and found a very large, modern building at the end of the road with HSBC written on the side. So, I asked a few questions this morning and lo, it is an international call centre. So, if you are an HSBC customer and you phone the bank to find yourself talking to someone called “Jimmy” or "Tracy" with a dodgy English/Indian type accent with a lot of chatter going on in the background, just think – I could be just round the corner. So if you have any messages you wish delivered by hand please feel free to send them in to Laneender and I will do my best to pass them on, person to person - just like in the good old days!
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
starting a new job
You know when you start a new job, you can be a little apprehensive. You have met the people, had the interview, and today is the big day when you head into the unknown.(Yes, I know the piccie does not seem to be related, but stick with me, I digress but get there in the end).
Well that was how I felt as those immortal words "cabin crew, cabin doors to manual, take your positions for landing" rang out over the speaker system. Curiously, I do not think much about the job until I hear those words and the plane begins to descend into the airport.
Will I get through passport control? will someone be there to pick me up? what will the office be like? what will the people be like? will I get fed? will I have a decent room an somewhere to shower/wash? will anyone provide breakfast? is it hot? is there an aircon in the office or the bedroom? what other creatures will share my space? will there be toilet paper? can I get out and about in the evening? what will the work be like? will I be able to contact home? what will be expected of me? and so they begin to rattle around my brain.
Well it turns out all is well. I think I know what I am doing, everyone seems very friendly, I got no dinner yesterday after all, but today I have and it was fantastic. In fact I was so impressed I took a photo and attached it above. As you can see, I have apple juice, I have a samosa on the blue plate, curry and sauces in the bowls and last, but no means least, the dosa wrapped in palm leaves. Don't they just look the business! It all tasted as good as it looks so I am a happy bunny.
BUT, for those of you in a wet and rainy UK let me tell you it is hot, hot, hot here. I am sweating all over and my shirt and trousers are both damp from sweat. All the time my skin is shining and it is really important to keep drinking water, water, water. You try to sit and work by the fan, but it simply blows all your work away, so a compromise has to be reached between the amount of sweating you do and the amount of paper you want to remain on your desk!!
Everyone has gone home and I have the house/office to myself. I went for a short stroll this evening up to the main road and couldn't help noticing what look like rain clouds. As I sat down to eat my dinner there was a hammering at the front door like a demented Tasmanian Devil had smelt the food and wanted some of the action. At the same time the hammering was at the window, and the back door and the roof. Yes, my friends this is rain - monsoon style. It is coming down by the bucket load, no make that a wheelie bin load, OK by the skip load. Poked my head out the door for a little refreshing and went and sat back down.
Oh well, that will do for now, am going to have a cold shower and set the aircon for night mode, not too hot, not too cold, not too fast, not too slow. Took me a few attempts last night to get it right, but now I have my settings nothing will stop me sleeping tonight - I hope!
Monday, October 06, 2008
there and back again
Well, this blogging lark started in Colombo, Sri Lanka and here I am again. Back at the beginning.
Had a fairly uneventful flight from London to Colombo. 10 hours overnight starting at 9.30pm London time. The plane was very empty and there were plenty of 4 seats across the middle all totally unused. So, as soon as the seat belt sign went off, I made my way over from my window seat to a set of middle sets to make myself comfortable laying across the four of them to get a good nights sleep. Up went the first armrest and then the middle arm rest, hang on, it's stuck. Or is it. No, it is locked. The middle arm rests don't go up on this plane, meaning that across my nice 4 seat bed, right smack in the middle, in the most awkward place you could imagine is a double arm rest. So somehow to try to sleep I have to squeeze my body in one half of the seats, loop my legs over the armrests and then try to sleep with my head jammed up against the end armrest. Of course, I only got a couple of hours sleep and am completely cream crackered this evening. As we came in to land I am looking out of the window at a magnificent sight of this beautiful and green island below me. What a shame it has such a sad history in recent times and it has not developed into the paradise it should be. As war rages in the North and people are dying, disappearing, being displaced from family and home. the sun shines down on the beautiful, golden ,sunkissed sandy beaches that surround the inland verdant green woodland and jungles.
The island is so lush with trees and greenery everywhere. No Kabul dust bowl here, just nature in its beautifel finery.
The office here is a big house to the East of Colombo with the upstairs being the ex-pat living quarters. Although there are no aircons downstairs (and it was very hot today) thankfully there is an aircon in my bedroom. The house is now empty as everyone has gone home so I have showered, and am awaiting the arrival of Chilli vegetables from a local restaurant. I really am too tired to go out and I have a lot of notes to catch up on this evening. Have just been to the kitchen to get a cold drink, as I turned on the light a rather startled Gecko ran up the wall and out of sight behind the cupboard.
At least I am not alone!!
Had a fairly uneventful flight from London to Colombo. 10 hours overnight starting at 9.30pm London time. The plane was very empty and there were plenty of 4 seats across the middle all totally unused. So, as soon as the seat belt sign went off, I made my way over from my window seat to a set of middle sets to make myself comfortable laying across the four of them to get a good nights sleep. Up went the first armrest and then the middle arm rest, hang on, it's stuck. Or is it. No, it is locked. The middle arm rests don't go up on this plane, meaning that across my nice 4 seat bed, right smack in the middle, in the most awkward place you could imagine is a double arm rest. So somehow to try to sleep I have to squeeze my body in one half of the seats, loop my legs over the armrests and then try to sleep with my head jammed up against the end armrest. Of course, I only got a couple of hours sleep and am completely cream crackered this evening. As we came in to land I am looking out of the window at a magnificent sight of this beautiful and green island below me. What a shame it has such a sad history in recent times and it has not developed into the paradise it should be. As war rages in the North and people are dying, disappearing, being displaced from family and home. the sun shines down on the beautiful, golden ,sunkissed sandy beaches that surround the inland verdant green woodland and jungles.
The island is so lush with trees and greenery everywhere. No Kabul dust bowl here, just nature in its beautifel finery.
The office here is a big house to the East of Colombo with the upstairs being the ex-pat living quarters. Although there are no aircons downstairs (and it was very hot today) thankfully there is an aircon in my bedroom. The house is now empty as everyone has gone home so I have showered, and am awaiting the arrival of Chilli vegetables from a local restaurant. I really am too tired to go out and I have a lot of notes to catch up on this evening. Have just been to the kitchen to get a cold drink, as I turned on the light a rather startled Gecko ran up the wall and out of sight behind the cupboard.
At least I am not alone!!
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
the return of the blogger
Hello again, dear reader,
I am returning to Sri Lanka on Monday for three weeks in Colombo and Jaffna. Hope to be able to keep you updated once I am there.
I am returning to Sri Lanka on Monday for three weeks in Colombo and Jaffna. Hope to be able to keep you updated once I am there.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
