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Published: November 18th 2006
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One sister saving the world is pretty good going, right? I mean two in one family, racking up all that positive karma, that would just be kinda greedy... So, after three days (yes three whole days!) of giving it a go, I think I'll be gracious, step aside, and leave it to the expert. Selflessness, it seems, just isn't my forte. But hell, at least I gave it a bash; I organised three one day digital photography workshops at a post-tsunami community centre in a small coastal village called Mirissa. It was a learning experience. And yes, I mean for me, not for them.
So to give you the rundown… I got in touch with this centre via an Italian NGO who had been running training courses there. I appeared on the scene just as they were closing the project and passing the running of the place to the monastery next door. Much to my dismay, my attempt at recruiting some women volunteers corresponded with the hand over ceremony, meaning my status as nervous, out-of-her-depth white girl, was interpreted as exotic star guest. Despite Gothama, an ever-smiling monk, promising me I wouldn't have to address the entire audience, I was
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Just how photogenic can one boy be? pulled to a prime seat in the VIP panel, and following several very long and incomprehensible speeches, was asked to stand up with a microphone and an interpreter, and drum up some enthusiasm for my plan. From the point when 'Hello!!' was met with silence, and blank stares, I knew this would not be the occasion of overcoming my fear of public speaking. So, I over gesticulated, was inarticulate, and generated massive patches of sweat. The pictures of me doing this have kindly lost themselves. Having come to the conclusion that there would probably be no interested parties, and being secretly a little relieved (well, I had tried, and humiliated my self in the process!) I was then accosted by around thirty young women who wanted to do it. And with twenty four more than I had hoped, the one day notion became a three day plan.
With four digital cameras (three of which were kindly and trustingly donated by two friends, and the NGO) I turned up on Monday for a day of technical chaos. Photoshop was not installed on the computers as promised, and three of the cameras ran out of battery (yes, I bought some new
ones, and no, they didn't work.) So I did my best and the women were lovely, and seemed pretty content with just asking me random questions. Day two was a different story. With no technical hitches, everything ran smoothly, or at least it did for the b***h who bullied me and nearly made me cry. I had never before realised what it feels like to be on the receiving end of a facetious over-confident domineering student who has issues with authority figures. And, as an authority figure with no authority - I wasn't there as a teacher, so much as a facilitator, and they were there on a voluntary basis - I was caught off guard and lacked the experience for dealing with her nasty, manipulative behavior (are you sensing some anger?). At one point she actually refused to acknowledge me. The experience left me feeling small and inadequate. I truly felt an overwhelming empathy with all the teachers who had to deal with my class at Fairfield, especially Madame Mezriche who had a breakdown and left. Thankfully the third and final day redeemed do-gooding, as the women were receptive and sweet, and I think that they actually learnt something.
One of them even turned out to have a previously hidden natural talent. However, I found this far more exciting than her, who was just chuffed to be taking some pics of her family. And as a nice treat, offering some variation on sunsets and beaches, the photos on this blog were all taken by the women at the workshops. Cool, huh?
So, all in all this experience taught me a lot: 1. Never to attempt doing anything that remotely resembles teaching ever again. 2. I have not got better at dealing with bullies since leaving school. 3. Despite my many years of art education, people who may never have used a camera before are probably more capable of taking good photos than me (though I've had suspicions of this one for some time). 3. Vaseline Intensive Care Anti-Perspirent does not protect you from nervous sweats.
But I think, overall, it was probably worth while. And Gothama gave me a plate for my efforts. As it was a left over gift intended for the NGO staff I'm not taking the caption, which reads 'The World Needs More People Like You', too personally. Though he assured me it probably
still applied. And now I have 10 days to recover and recuperate as Andy (from Brighton) has come out to visit me. I'm using this as a good excuse to see all the touristy sites that Sri Lanka has to offer, and which so far the pretension of being here to 'do something', has meant I've managed to pretty much miss. And of course a surf-off is on the cards to re establish my superiority. Which all means that you can look forward to hearing some news that is brought to you from places that don't start with a U and end with an A. Try to contain your excitement...
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Suze
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Queen of the waves!
Err lets not forget who was really the best surfer guys... Sure, you two should keep trying, but as far as natural talent goes we all know who is the surfing queen. ;-)