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Published: October 20th 2014
So after being ill for 2 weeks I am finally starting to feel a bit better! Even though I was ill I had quite an exciting week. On Wednesday night we went out for a chinese meal because our co-ordinator who has lived with us for the last 6 weeks was leaving. It wasn't quite like chinese food at home but it was really good. We also bought her a cake but unfortuantly it had a wierd curry flavouring to it - not nice! Then on Thursday night we had a psychology conference. It was held in a hotel function room and we all got dressed up in our sarees. It was so nice to see everyone dressed up and not covered in dust and dirt like we usually are! Quite a few people spoke at the conference but the most interesting speaker was a Sri Lankan psychiatrist who answered all of our questions we had about things we have seen over the last six weeks and he explained more about psychological practices within Sri Lanka.
I was ill again on Friday so decided that it would be a bad idea to take an 8 hour bus across the country
and so I headed to Unawatuna beach again! Our hotel room was a little bit squished. We had booked for 3 people but we were given two twin beds pushed together which wasn't so comfortable for the person sleeping in the middle! On Friday night we went to a cute little bar/restaurant with cushions all over the floor and had dinner there. On Saturday it was POURING with rain and we were all a bit disheartened at the idea of spending the day in our squishy hotel room. However, our friend Harrriet was staying with her parents at the nicest hotel about 15 minutes down the road and she invited us to spend the afternoon there! The hotel was AMAZING and we spent the afternoon curled up on sofas in her hotel room. It was so nice to sit on something other than a plastic chair or the floor. We then had hot showers in their bathroom which was such a luxury as we have been having cold showers for 6 weeks. Her parents then bought us cocktails (mocktails for me) while we sat with an amazing view of the beach and the pool! It was very kind of them
to treat us and give us a bit of luxury.
On Sunday luckily the sun came out so we sunbathed and swam in the sea in the morning. Then we had roties for lunch. Roties are a flat type of bread with filling inside and they taste amazing! Fillings can be anything from vegetables to cheese to chocolate. In the afternoon we broused the shops and I bought some christmas presents for certain lucky people!
Certain things about Sri Lanka still confuse me. I don't understand why the bus drivers always start pulling off while you're getting on the bus and I'm still getting used to the conductor thinking its ok to give you a huge shove while you're getting on the bus! In Sri Lanka there is not much conflict, everyone is quite calm and friendly which is lovely. But none of this seems to apply when you get on the road. Suddenly it is ok to drive right up close behind someone and beep continously untill they move! I have also expereinced lots of emergency stops in the past week, one bus stopped so sharply that everyone went flying down the bus and I ended up
on the floor!
This Wednesday we have the day off becuase it is Diwali. I think its nice that in Sri Lanka they seem to get all the religious holidays as bank holidays not just the buddist ones. I think my housemates want to go to Unawatuna on Wedneasday and next weekend. I don't mind though because its close and its a good way to save money. When we work so hard in the week I think sometimes we need to chill out and rest at the weekend. After this weekend I want to do some more travelling around Sri Lanka before I leave.
Let me know if you have any questions about Sri Lanka or anything I am doing!
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Liz
non-member comment
Hi
Your Dad sent me your blog, and I've just read the whole thing. It sounds as though you're having an amazing time with loads of opportunities in both work and leisure time. Hope you've got over your ear infection and got used to curries! (don't suppose you'll find a Pizza Express there)! Love the pictures of you in your sari. Best Wishes. Liz