So my second time in Sri Lanka comes an end and I wonder what I have achieved and what the result will be. We had 3 students for computer class today and 2 of them were waiting for their English class afterwards. I hope that the 3 new computers will attract back the better students and that the teacher can start offering Web Page development as a new subject. I was unable to establish the internet link for the centre that I recommended last year, but with the lack of information and good advice here it is not surprising. I have [View Full Entry]

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Once again I have been plagued by a problem in Sri Lanka. This time it is the squits and sickness and being ill in this climate sapped my energy and almost killed my enthusiasm. Thankfully the anti-biotics are now working, but the prescription I got from the hospital in Galle needed scrutiny and I finally followed the Lonely Planet guidebook recommendations on medication. The Rosie May charity group arrived at the weekend and had another attempt to persuade their builder to finish off their project. We were all amazed when he announced that he could finish it in 3 weeks, after [View Full Entry]

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So almost exactly one year after my first adventure into voluntary work I have returned to the Child and Youth Development Centre, as promised, to see what effect my work had and what needs to be done next. I was hoping to return to a new computer classroom so that I could help fit it out. Unfortunately work on the new building stopped due to a dispute with the builder (I believe that he spent a lot of the money with little progress so he had to go). There is an orphan house being built by the Leicestershire-based Rosie May charity [View Full Entry]

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My adventure is now almost complete and I am spending my last afternoon in our Indian office meeting colleagues who I have worked with in the past. Mumbai (Bombay) is clearly expanding with towering apartment blocks spreading out in all directions. I was pleasantly surprised when I arrived in Pune by the more comfortable climate but then I was reminded that I have moved from near the Equator up to the Tropic of Capricorn. My friend and colleague Sanjay took me on a whirlwind tour in Maharashtra and he rose to the challenge when I asked to see the ‘real’ India. [View Full Entry]

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I stumbled across a delightful Christmas fair in Allapuzha and even got to shake hands with Grandfather Christmas (as they call him here). I stayed 2 nights in Kumarkom in the heart of the Backwaters and it was great. The few tourists there stayed mostly in their expensive resort compounds so I went exploring. Indian tourists took photos of me paddling in the dugout canoe and a few locals were bemused as I wandered along the canal, but most people were very friendly and the kids were all excited. I have learned to offer ‘one photo’ as an alternative for the [View Full Entry]

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Here are the photos for the last blog. [View Full Entry]

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My last few days in Sri Lanka ended with and ‘up-and-down’ five day tour. The high point was (literally) climbing Sri Pada (Adam’s Peak), a major pilgrim destination for Sri Lankans of all beliefs. It was at the top while watching the sunrise that I finally used the jacket that I packed for this trip! I have had an insight into Buddhism during my time in Sri Lanka and found it very interesting. The Hill Country was disappointing because the famous colourful tea-pluckers were on strike, but the cave temple at Dambulla, rock settlement at Sygiria and Buddhist ruins at Anurad [View Full Entry]

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My time at the Child and Youth Development Centre came to an end with a fitting climax - the end of year Pre-school concert. The little ones had been practicing since I had started at the centre, so it was nice to finally see them in their costumes. The stage preparations had gone on long into the night but it was great to see everybody turn out for this big event, including the founders Dr Jayasena and his wife. The school will close for the Christmas holiday later this week and I am starting a 5-day whistle-stop tour of the tourist [View Full Entry]

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I took my first full English lesson last Friday and just about kept the little darling’s engaged for the full hour. We tried to learn a song (although they are trained to shout in a Victorian style) and then we played bingo on cards I made from a cut-up calendar. I plan to take them for a final lesson next Friday and hopefully they will see that learning can actually be fun. After my first full week at the school I have established my realistic goals for my time here, but it is a real push to get everything done for [View Full Entry]

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Hopefully this blog contains a few photos. [View Full Entry]

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