ABDF

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Hi everybody!

I’m happy to report that the couple living down the road from me now has a lovely little well that brings forth CLEAN water.  I was quite pleased; once the date and time were set for the digging, everything went off without a hitch.  Selwenthiran and his wife, Janthy (the lady with the mental problems) were extremely happy.  Although their English is limited to “Good, good,” their smiles communicated volumes.

Hi everybody!

Well, since my return to Batticaloa last week, I’ve been concentrating on our projects, and can report a lot of progress. It’s really great when things start to come together.

I delivered the donated books to St. Cecilia’s Girl’s School on Monday. After all nine boxes were brought into the English Lab, a group of girls came in to help unpack them. Well, it didn’t take more than a minute before all the boxes were opened and the contents being closely examined. While I would love to fill the whole room, top to bottom with books, those books we donated easily quadrupled (or more) the number of books in English at the school.

Friday, May 09, 2008

Hi Everybody!

Yes, another dispatch. I last got you to where I had returned to Batti, after a long, hot bus journey. So now I want to let you know what’s going on here in Batti, as well as catch you up on our projects.

Well for one thing, summer is definitely here. It’s hot as all get-out, and humid! Whew! When the group left for Kandy two weeks ago to open the preschool in Panvila, it was getting warmer, but now…

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Hi everybody!

So when I ended my last dispatch, Shantha and I were driving up to Hatton for the May Day rally early last Wednesday.

The drive into the Hill Country is really quite dramatic. You start out in the wet, tropical plains and suddenly you begin to climb. The vegetation changes from tropical shrubs and palms to hardwood trees and dry climate bushes. The roads themselves get narrower and curve back and forth up the mountainsides. Sometimes there is an abrupt drop on the side of the road, which gave me the willies as there are few guardrails or curbs. It’s just the edge of the road and a drop. And you get these big top-heavy buses careening from town to town, barreling along at top speed; I’d hate to have to ride in one.

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Hi everybody!

I know it’s been a while since I’ve written. It’s been quit an adventure. I’ve had the experience(s) of a lifetime, and done and seen things very few Westerners ever have. I’ve experienced unparalleled hospitality, seen incredible beauty side-by-side with the most astonishing poverty, watched a social movement in action, and experienced Sri Lanka from the rarified viewpoint of a high (and I mean really high) government official.