Sunday, Volunteer Appreciation Day

We went to a beautiful old hotel on the ocean in Colombo. Mount Lavina, it was originally built in 1802 as someone's house. It’s very regal. It reminds me of the Titanic. The wood, brass and finery. We arrive in 4 vans and enter the hotel together. The doormen wear white suits with short pants,white knee high socks and a round bowl type hat with a thing that look like a dart sticking up on top of it. The women greeters dressed in beautiful sarees placed leis made from sweet smelling pink magnolias around our necks. Once we all gather in a lobby with big windows that overlook the ocean, 2 drummers and 2 male dancers begin to entertain us. They were dres...

Saturday, free day

A bunch of us went to the beach. We did some more shopping. I never thought that I would shop so much here, but the prices are so inexpensive.

I had the beach pool to myself for a while, totally relaxing. My new friend Sonny and I went walking and shopping. We stopped at a place I had been in last week. Kind of an odd assortment of things. Old jewelry, silver, various trinkets. The man Hassem is very talkative, he invites us for tea and conversation. He was a world minded kind of man. He is Muslim. Actually he sang a song to us;

although we are from different lands
we share one earth and sky and sun
remember friends the world is one.

It was dark when we left, the 2 of us had to ...

Friday, Luke’s 21st birthday

This is our last work day in Sri Lanka. It’s a bittersweet day. Today I went with the teachers, they had 100+ bags of gifts to deliver to families outside of the village, tsunami victims that we haven't been able to assist and nobody else has either. Because this area wasn't hit as hard as the east and south coasts there has not been other NGO (non government organizations) assisting. We only had blankets, toothbrushes and paste, a few toys, nothing big, but we had to find a way to deliver without causing a riot. For those of you that are familiar with mardi gras, people just go crazy for free stuff. Mauling and mobbing, pushing and grabbing. The 1st v...

Thursday

We had a major downpour last night. I dreamt I was riding in an amphibious vehicle. Hopefully we won't need one before we leave.
We went to 3 refuge camps today. Nobody needed any medical attention. I guess our work here as a medical team is about done. So we rode around taking pictures of churches and temples.

It started raining again. We went to a book store where I used a squat toilet for the 1st time. Aim is everything.

We did more shopping. Prices are so cheap.

We stopped to take a picture of a tall buddha statue. Crossing the street is always a challenge due to the traffic. The cars drive on the opposite side of the road. I looked the wrong way and stepped out in traffic. The cars ...

Wednesday, 1 week left

Today 4 of us went to the Negombo hospital. I did some breathing exercises and hand holding in the labor and delivery with a 1st time mom. I supported the head of a woman and she pulled her own legs and feet up, there is no family or dads to help the moms. The nurse did an episiotomy (it was not pretty). A baby girl was born. They have no bed sheets just a piece of plastic to deliver on. The mother has her street clothes on, a skirt and blouse. Her skirt is pulled up around her waist. No drugs are given. Baby appears to be healthy, wiped off with a cloth and put in the crib with the 5 other babies.

The staff is so very appreciative and accommodating to us. They serve us ...

Tuesday

1:40am

I was awoken at midnight by Vicki who is Evan’s assistant. She said there was an 8.2 earthquake in Sumatra. Tsunami warnings are out. A group of us prepared to go to the coast if needed. We gathered around computer and the television, it has been 2 hours and no tsunami yet. The village has been evacuated. We have builders staying at a hotel on the beach. Evan has sent some one on a 3 wheeler to go warn them. My roommate Janet is at the hotel tonight, I am worried about her. There must be chaos on the coast.
If I haven't mentioned earlier we are right next to the airport, there has been many more planes then usual. After 3 hours no tsunami and I went to bed. Thank God.

I went...

Monday

I worked with the building team today. We’re still working on the community center in the village. I helped build forms to pour cement into for walls and shoveled fill.

The lines at gas stations are very long. People are preparing for a gas strike.