Hello, well seems like January has come and gone all rather too quickly! But it hasn't gone without its series of events!I returned here on the 11th and decided to give myself one week of “settlin' & restin'”. That was a really good idea I think..though people did wonder why I needed a holiday...from my already 2 months holiday!! But I really did!!
On the 19th I went to the East, as before I had left, I was put in contact with the brother of a friend from church, who works with children, widows and things out there, so, seeming as this opportunity arose...I prayed about it....and felt I should go...just to check it out a little...I did get a lot of negative comments about this man....but...sometimes...you just have to find out for yourself...if those things even matter! I was a bit careful to start with though...as you do wonder!! But I ended up having a really good...and yet again...peaceful resting time! I was staying in an annexe house of theirs...after having killed the cockroaches and spraying the deathly spray...they left me alone for the rest of the time....this man took me to visit some of the schools that he is incharge of now. The first two were in Batticaloa town itself, and they were quite young children... the first school was quite good, and the second was a little poorer, but good...I felt that my 'input' there would not be needed as they were fine already...it would really just be teaching English and I don't want my activities to be resumed just to that...as that is not the number one reason I am here...
So then another day he took me to a further area...further...meaning...about a 1.30 hours journey down the bumpiest mud road...I thought the worst had already passed in Africa sitting on the bottom of a flat bed truck for hours...seems, that even though we were in a 4x4...air conditionned...when I got out of it at the end of the trip, I felt like I would fall apart!! But we visited two schools there that this man will take over... they are across a lagoon, a jungle area during the rain season..and a desert in the dry season...which can be 8 months a year...cultivation is the main work way people make a living...but that is only done once a year...so they are very poor, uneducated, simple people, who have been very affected by the war...there are thousands of widows in the Eastern region trying to survive, and it's a very hindu area...and there are poisonous snakes...scorpians, wild elephants.....gulp
So, there was the first school...and there was the second. I think that I will go and work mostly at the second school, and maybe help in the second sometimes, but the children can't even write Tamil..and so until I learn a little Tamil...it will be quite impossible! So I will go and help in the other school, learn Tamil...try and give English lessons and extra stuff...for fun, so the kids can have some light hearted enjoyment! Well, that is if the principle lets me...!!
Will give it a try! So I will go and start on the 22nd February...and see what happens...I will be spending 2 weeks a month there till May to start with and then see the situation and so on...
On the 26th people all around here went to vote for the next president.... it proved really to be a cheating contest... both men cheated... but this present president, having the most power...overcame....he is a very devout buddhist and doesnt like the christians...and doesn't really like the people either...certainly not the Tamils....
On the 27th, the results were shown on the TV all day...the streets were all deserted! I was told not to go out of my house...but after having been assured that it was fine...I went out to my friends for lunch...and i could just speed along on my bike unhindered! There was no violence where I live...just annoying firecrackers going off at all silly hours of the night and day waking the dogs...and me! On the 4th February it's Independence Day, so that will be another holiday, with a lot of partying going on!
Other events....on the 29th I was invited to a wedding.... the first wedding in this country...well...it didn't really leave me with a very good impression! But this one...as well as being in English so that I could understand something...people were actually smiling, and it didn't seem so much of a funeral!! It was my neighbour who got married, and they don't do things by half...It was set in a Scottish church..with an organ...big long aisle...flowers everywhere....beautiful, and the traditional wedding music played! The bride was in a beautiful white and gold sari, and the reception was held in a very posh hotel...Singhala dancers, buffet....there were near 300 people there! Though I didn't know anyone apart from the pastor and his wife who I came with...it was quite an enjoyable experience!
Let's see what happens in February!!
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