A Collection of Daily Wisdom by Dennis Sylvester Hurd since September 2003.

The van came at 8:00 and we were there by 11:00. What a set of steps! Out of a crew of eight if we count the driver, only three made it to the top. Of course, I was amongst the special few. Right near the top of the second flight, Jay’s elder sister fell. She felt dizzy, but thankfully it was near at the top of the stairs. Auntie too gave up at this point, fearing that it would be even harder from this point. It was.

Jay, his younger sister, and I continued. Unlike, Sigriyia, the trail up the rock here was not well marked nor well worn. I found the climb fairly easy as there were plenty of trees to grab on to. In one place, handrails had been installed.





This place dates from the 13th century. It’s near the towns of Daladagama and Maho. The tooth relic of the Buddha that now resides in Kandy has had a long history on the island. Different kings were always fighting and it often had to be hidden. Yapahuwa was such a place. We saw the remains of a dagaba on the top.

The ruins were the only thing we saw at the top. We had the mountain to ourselves. Coming down took just as long as climbing up. But going both ways only took an hour. At the bottom there is a Buddhist temple that housed a wooden Buddha image. It was sort of a cave temple.

We stopped in a Holiday Inn Rest House on the way back. It wasn’t the famous Holiday Inn chain but it certainly did have lots of rooms. Being near a junction means it probably was busy with product sales representatives and officials on a trip. We had rice and fish and chicken curry. I left very full but we paid $15 to feed all eight people. Had we not had the three, vastly-overpriced bottles of water at a dollar each, we’d have had a better deal.

We got home at 5:00 pm. I was happy to get into the shower. It’s 7:00 now. Tomorrow we’ll be able to rest. The next trip / pilgrimage is not until next Tuesday.

Labels: Sri Lanka 2006, temple

I started the day by saying “Happy Birthday” to Jay. Again that was about 6 o’clock in the morning and now fourteen hours ago.

In the interim, we had a lot of food and cake. It has been rainy off and on today in a tropical sort of way. Lal returned today from looking out for the house and seeing that the cats are okay.

In the kitchen all sorts of food was put together. There was a huge buriani and one could tell it was a special occasion as it was made with fancy, basmati rice. There was enough chicken to have come from an entire flock. Cooking here looks like so much of an art. At home, for many, it’s been reduced to opening this package or can, or microwaving something frozen.

There are always quite a few people around. Today Damika, Jay’s sister-in-law, and her two kids were here for most of the afternoon.

In the traditional Sri Lankan way, the guy first sat and shared a bottle. Today it was one of the Red Labels we’d got in duty free after going through passport control. We had sufficient “eats” to go with it. I was particularly pleased with the mini-sausages even though they were chicken rather than pork. Damn the world for trying to make me healthier. The weird thing is the separation of the sexes during drinking which is considered a “man thing” although I saw video proof that the gals in the kitchen also passed about a bottle of beer. Still, no matter how many times I’ve visited, I still can’t get used to the idea that the meal can’t start until the guys drinking ends. Who I am to fight culture? Well, I should add that Jay never drinks at all!

I’m full and can’t quite imagine eating more today. It’s dinner time which usually comes quite late. I suppose that’s a reason that breakfast don’t arrive right after getting up. Actually, tomorrow we won’t dally. We’ve again got a van coming. Taking trips here take quite a while but there seems to be strong precedence and preference for taking them, especially to religious or cultural sites. We’re going to Yapahuwa tomorrow.

Labels: Sri Lanka 2006

Today started at 6:00 and actually I was again awoken by the coho bird’s morning serenade. The closest one started first. Others answered. For all I know, the calls continued to be telegraphed down the south coast.

Lal left to spend the night in Nugegoda. He can feed the cats and check up on the house. He’ll return tomorrow for Jay’s birthday. His sisters are making a big deal about it. Actually, his younger sister’s birthday was last month, so they’re sort of combining the events. It might means the opportunity for a few more drinks although Jay, himself, doesn’t partake in that vice.

After, the tuktuk arrived back. Younger sister, Jay, and I went to town to the Food City. They are a huge chain of small, super-efficient grocery stores run by Cargill’s. They are a very old name in trade here. The incarnation of Food City shops are just a sign of the times. All stock is computerized, which I’m sure helps them be quite efficient. They carry those things that people used to expect as gifts from overseas family members.

Since Middle East days in the 1980’s Jay’s always made a big deal about purchasing things for any trip home. All Sri Lankans did. It wasn’t just big ticket items like televisions and video decks. Lots of consumer items would be shipped or come as accompanied baggage too. In some cases the imported product probably WAS of superior quality. I’m sure Cadbury chocolates probably were better than those from Kandos. The people of many countries associate particular products as being the best from specific countries. So Swiss watches carry panache. However, Sri Lankans took this to the extreme. The assumption was, and to a small extent still is, if it comes from somewhere else it is probably better.

The Food City chain is probably reflecting the realities of the global market place rather than catering the whims of local consumers. Yes, the frozen, uncooked French fries came directly from the USA as did the fresh poultry. My deodorant stick came from the Philippines but the sponge wipes from Germany. Still there are lots of manufactured food products from right on island.

The thing that really shows economic change is now the closest Food City is about a kilometer and a half away. Being able to find a can of Quaker Oats on a shelf so close is undoubtedly development. Isn’t it?

Labels: food, Sri Lanka 2006

Today, hardly feeling dehydrated, I got up before six. The house awoke, including elder sister and Lal who had come yesterday from Nugegoda. Our planned driver arrived promptly before 8:00 am with a different fellow. The original van driver that the family often uses, had a breakdown. He showed a substitute friend the way to the house.

We boarded and were off to visit our sponsored World Vision kid. The 'we' included the driver, Jay's dad, both sisters, brother-in-law, auntie, Jay and I. We thought we could make a day out of it and our sponsored kid would feel happier with lots of Singhalese speakers around. He lives in a dry-zone area which is day-and-night different from here.

The road up to Chillaw is quite good where it not for all, not in any particular order, people, dogs, 3-wheelers, trucks, busses, bicycles, vans, and motorcycles. It's clearly size which determines who has the right of way. Luckily, being in a 10-12 passenger van meant there was a lot of pecking order under us. Distances are deceiving here. On the map it doesn't look very far. When you see the sign says it's only 80 kilometers, I doesn't appear very far. Yet during the heat of battle, the truth comes out.

We had no trouble getting to the Anamaduwa World Vision Office. We had made the appointment for 11:00 but arrived at 10:45. The office doesn't receive that may sponsor visits. In fact, they said perhaps only ten per year stop. So, it was quite an occasion for celebration. First we were brought to an a/c room where three staff attended a PowerPoint overview of the project. I am now even more impressed with the World Vision organization. Implementation of the particular project started in 1996 and has an exact end-date. They coordinate with government and outside organizations. The project people were truly helping individuals interested in the lives of the people from the area.

Then, we went to see Isuru. Although it was only 20 kilometers from the project office the journey seemed like much more. We exited the tar roads onto the red, dusty dirt of the area. Many parts of the project area are not only dry but the water is saline making it impossible to raise much in the way of crops. The landscape seemed so different from what we left in the morning. That is something I feel with reoccurring amazement each time I come back to visit; namely, how much geographical differences there can be in this island country. We pulled into the yard. Clearly Isuru has on his best clothes. He was as cute as a little seven-year old boy can be. He was respectful but quiet. He spoke softly. People prompted some response by asking about school and his mom.



It seems his dad had drinking problems and abandoned the family. His mother had a job in the Middle East. Although back now, she was in training to go back to the Gulf for a housemaid job. The Sri Lankan government has instituted training schemes for women such as this. They need to know how to operate a dishwasher or vacuum cleaner.

He lived with his aunt and there was an uncle around the area too. The coordination by the World Vision people was superb. They organized a simple, but huge meal of rice, local vegetables, and fresh-water fish

Trying to irrigate the area is another scheme in the World Vision project. As well as providing ample water for irrigation in dry years, the water reservoirs can act as habitat for fish farming. I guess it has been a particularly important project. When leaving, it was nice to run past the man-made lake to see several kids swimming in an otherwise nearly desert environment. Unfortunately the night before, villagers from a neighbouring area came to steal the fish and a fight broke out and a policeman was injured.

It was a very pleasant time. Our main guide (and occasional translator) was Ruvani. To me, she embodied the helping professions. She was keenly interested in all the people involved although surely it can be trying work at times. We left Isuru's by a patchwork of back roads. This is how we saw the above-mentioned reservoir. In addition we stopped at a cashew factory. Another World Vision project, it assured farmers fair prices for the cashews. It also provided casual labour for dozens of local women who'd have no other employment possibilities. Cargill's a local but global company is involved extensively in food products and has agreements to purchase. This in another example of the 'strings' that World Vision 'can pull' because of its clout. A final example of that would be the individual accounts for the sponsored children. The Bank of Ceylon in the closest large city has set up accounts of the 3000 sponsored children of that project. There are all sorts of matching schemes to get parents involved in saving for their children. But in the end, at the end of their schooling, they have a fund. It's enough for the talents to be able to count on continuing education further afield. Or it might be used as means to secure a loan to buy a tractor of other means of support.

Huge grand schemes garner the attention but the real benefits can come from continued small actions.

We didn't get back til after six o'clock. I was happy to be back. I admit feeling a bit guilty taking a ten minute shower, after seeing old men on bicycles hauling the pots of water they needed.

Labels: Sri Lanka 2006, World Vision

The day started early. The whoop-whoop-whoop of the Coha birds woke me up at about 4:30. Unlike a New Westminster morning, where train whistles or a boat horn may get me up before I'm ready, here it's nature. Damn the wilds. Jungles can have a downside, I guess.

We're not too far from the airport. This means we can hear the comings and goings of military jets. It must be fun flying around the island at such speeds. When flying in the other night, we came in from Bangkok right in over the east coast. We needed to start our descent for the Colombo airport as soon as we were over the opposite coastline. Life at home, however, continues as normal.

The day was cut rather short because of being hit with a bottle of arrak for lunch which I hardly got around to eating. Perhaps dancing with Lal tired me out. Or it could be that my body is still in the wrong time zone. I went to take a nap at 3:00, got up at 8:00, took a shower, and went back to bed for the night. Even without the magical properties of nearly-hangoverless arrak, I wouldn't have felt poorly after being in bed for fifteen hours.

Labels: Sri Lanka 2006

Today we actually arrived. Well, that is to say, it was a bit after midnight when the aiport van pulled into the driveway. We ended up talking a bit before we made it to bed. I was beyond being tired. We'd called when at the Vancouver airport and it was nine on Saturday evening here. We got here 27 hours later. I don't think I was able to nap but an hour and a half on the flights. I was beyond tired, so it took a while to enter a fitfull sleep.

It was only in the seeming blink of an eye that morning was here. We started by doing the way usual days get started. First, it was up for a walk around the property just for the fun of seeing if any fruits were ready for eating. After, we shaved at the outside well rather than in the bathroom. It's easier to splash around outside with a basin of hot water.



I was still in a bit of a daze. It seemed to take a long time to get moving. Breakfast wasn't until quite late.

There was no need to rush lunch. In fact Jay's dad and I settled on the lowest-priced, 100% coconut arrak for our before lunch drinks. A little soda water too.

It wasn't long after lunch that something prompted our bodies to know that it was really 2 o'clock in the morning Vancouver time. So, a little nap was in order. The littleness ended at 5:30.

Still it was a relaxing afternoon watching the current Singhala teledramas on the TV stations. They all put the completing ones on at the same time, so the remote gets a work out. I have to remind myself to tell more about the imported, dubbed Indian programming in another entry.

Bed near eleven means my eyes are a little glassed over by the time I'm hitting the mattress.

Labels: Sri Lanka 2006

Due to a cramped airplane seat and the International Date Line, I didn’t really have a day today. We got on the airplane yesterday in Vancouver and off at 3:10 pm in Hong Kong. The actual flight time was something over thirteen hours. It was a leisurely connection, so we had three hours to walk around the airport. The connecting flight went to Bangkok first. There was a whole group of well-behaved, Chinese youth on that three-hour sector. They were oodles easier than the previous screaming toddler on the previous flight.

We stayed in the plane, on the ground. The cleaning staff between flights is very efficient. Usually their work goes unseen by passengers.

The final flight was only two hours in the air. Few passengers got on in Bangkok, meaning that our section of the plane was about 5% full. Jay and I each moved to window seats. I was able to stretch out a bit.

Cathay Pacific had good food, I have to admit. And lots. Of course, I only have North American domestics as recent comparisons. When we went from Seattle to San Diego in the spring, I got a packet of pretzels and a half glass of 7-Up. Yet on these sectors, the airline offered good meals. When leaving Vancouver, the first meal ended with a nice Saskatoon-berry mousse. Everything went smoothly aboard. Of course, it should as I estimate that this was the most expensive ticket I have ever paid for in my life. I've done quite a bit of flying over the years.

A bit before the day ended, we finally landed. The airport expansion is very nice with beautiful white tiles and a long, long section of new gates. One pops right out of immigration into duty free. We each got two bottles of whiskey as gifts. The bags arrived quickly and we just walked through the green line declaring nothing. I'm sure that as visitors we were probably not supposed to have our bags full of gifts. How many tourists bring along a new DVD player?

Out into the main hall and to the banks. I went to Bank of Ceylon. Jay cashed some old Euro traveller's cheques from last year. Then, we went to the airport taxi service. Minuwangoda is only about twenty minutes away. I am sure that when our driver received his ticket, he must have been a bit disappointed. Some arrivals want to take a more costly, long-distance trip.

Labels: flying, Sri Lanka 2006