Jen's GSE Sri Lanka Blog

District Welcome Home Dinner - 15 March

2009-03-11T20:00:00.000-07:00

The team was reunited this evening for an casual dinner sponsored by District 7630 and it was great to see everyone again.

Rotarians from around the district showed up to enjoy traditional American food with the team and to hear about our wondrous adventures! The team fielded questions for over an hour - it was a lot of fun to recount our journey. The questions were varied and touched on topics relating to religion, culture, business, economics, industry, Rotary club meetings, Rotary community projects, the educational system, the civil conflict, and of course elephants.

Due to a bit of a misunderstanding about who would provide the projector we were unable to show photos of our trip. In the coming days I will post photos online and provide links to them on this blog.

For those who didnt' get to see the elephant video or really want to see it again, here is a link to the elephant charge video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScvWDaWsxEA

Since my return home - this evening included - I've gotten a lot of questions about the civil conflict and my brief but rather direct experience with it. So here's my story: Lynsey and I were staying in Colombo with the Jafferjee family. It was Friday night around 9:00. We were getting ready to go out when suddenly the power went out. We didn't think much about it, actually we were a bit disappointed because we were without AC and it was darn hot. Not long into the outage we heard what sounded like gunshots, then heard and felt an explosion. After our stomachs flipped back around to their normal position, curiosity took us to the second floor porch where we saw anti aircraft fire in the sky. Periodically we heard gunshots, but for the most part we only saw red tracer fire crossing the night sky. It was so hot inside that Lynsey and I decided to brave the mosquitos as well as the unknown and sit out on the porch and watch the military fireworks. Within an hour or two all was quiet and power restored. Traffic was back on the streets and life in Colombo pretty much returned to normal. We immediately turned on CNN to try to find out what happened. I have since located the following links to articles with photos and videos which tell the story more accurately than I can: Javno, Townhall.com, Reuters, IBN Live, and Truveo. This page puts faces to the two LTTE pilots - Tamilnet.com.

Gala Beach Fiesta - 21 February

2009-03-11T19:45:00.001-07:00

Saturday night's conference function was a big beach party. Here the team is pictured with the RI President's Representative PDG Aziz Memon (Pakistan) and his wife Samina. The party went on with dancing and fellowship through midnight and then relocated to a night club until 3:30am. It wasn't much fun getting up the next morning but we were all on our game for the presentation. I spent the afternoon cramming all my stuff in my luggage as I packed for the trip home. Sunday evening we had dinner at the Galle Face Hotel with the Sri Lanka Foundation Alumni where we had one last opportunity to socialize and relive our fond memories with our hosts.

The Dream Summit -21 & 22 February

2009-03-11T19:34:00.000-07:00

The Dream Summit is District 3220's 18th District Conference. It is well attended with over 700 participating on Saturday. Our presentation is on Sunday and we're looking forward to the opportunity to thank our hosts and share images of our exchange experience.

DG Nalin Fernando gives his "State of Rotary in Sri Lanka" address at the opening conference session.

Last Stop - 20 February

2009-03-11T19:15:00.000-07:00

My Mid Town Hosts - The Jafferjee Family

My Regency Hosts - The Fernando Family

Today we shifted host clubs for the last time. Its astonishing how quickly the trip time has passed. Our new host club is the Rotary Club of Colombo Mid Town, the home club to IPDG Thariq Thulba and DGN Imthiaz Ismail. Our new host club has nothing scheduled for us to do except shop and eat. Oh yeah, we have that little thing called the District Conference to go to as well. It's with mixed feelings that I anticipate the arrival of the District Conference - I'm excited to experience another district's conference, I'm sad because the conference pretty much marks the end of our trip, but I'm happy to see again all the friends I've made as I've traveled from club to club.

MAS Intimates Unichela - 19 February

2009-03-11T18:26:00.000-07:00

The garment industry is the second largest revenue producer for Sri Lanka so our program would not be complete without a visit to a garment factory. MAS Intimates Unichela is located in Panadura, a town about a 45 minute drive south of Colombo. This factory primarily makes bras. They will make any type of bra for any type of function - from intimate to sport - for well-known brands such as Victoria's Secret, Nike, Amante', Adidas, and others. They will also make matching pieces to bras such as panties for intimates and shorts for sport. We all had to giggle when the operations manager told us the garments get really raunchy during the weeks leading up to Valentine's Day!

The factory focuses on lean manufacturing techniques and they are always searching for ways to minimize the amount of work and time required to sew a product. It takes on average 12 minutes to sew one bra. The factory was impressive in its technology, size, scope, and most importantly, ethics. A good place to work, the factory is clean and safe, it provides transportation for its employees, and two meals per day in addition to weekly pay.

Rotary Club of Colombo Regency - 19 February

2009-03-11T17:59:00.000-07:00

This morning Rotarians from the Colombo Regency Club took us to one of their vocational projects at the Dudley Senanayake College, a public school in Colombo. The Rotary club was providing vocational counseling to eighty 10th grade students at the school. Primary grades in Sri Lanka are 1 through 9, secondary 10 through 12. After grade 10 or 11 students can quit school but their career options are more limited than if they complete grade 12. The program provides for a counselor from the Vocational Training Authority to explain career options available to students as they complete each school grade with the primary goal of encouraging students to stay on through the end of year 12. In the picture above the student is completing a personal evaluation form to help him align his personal interests with career opportunities. Regency Rotarians explained that it is a real challenge to find schools to participate in this program. Schools have a tight schedule to complete the required syllabus and often can't make time for training even this valuable. It was quite an accomplishment to get this school's administration to donate four periods of classroom time for today's vocational counseling.

On the Road Again ... Back to Colombo - 18 February

2009-03-11T16:44:00.000-07:00

How cool is this banner?

Well, we hit the road again. We've just about come full circle. We're back in Colombo for the final leg of our journey. It's been fun being out of Colombo - or outstation as folks who live in Colombo would say. Sri Lanka really is a beautiful country and it is full of variety. You can drive for two hours and find yourself in a completely different landscape with a completely different climate surrounded by completely different people. What is consistent though is the hospitality. All of our hosts have been very friendly, very professional and have really gone out of their way to make us feel welcome. It's been great and I fear I am getting spoiled.

Later this afternoon we will shift hosts to the Rotary Club of Colombo Regency. Until then we've been relaxing at Jayantha and Asanthi's home in Colombo. I was able to spend some time talking with Jayantha about his club's (RC Wariyapola) Milking Cow Project. I really like this project because it's all about giving folks a hand up, not a handout. A milking cow costs about 75K-80K rupees. Jayantha's Samakaroon Foundation accepts applications from families to receive a cow. The Foundation screens the applications and the Rotary club extensively interviews the family to ensure their suitability to the program. Upon selection the family is provided a female calf by the Samakaroon Foundation. The family is expected to raise and care for the calf and is allowed full use of the cow's milk production either for their personal use or to sell for profit or both. The majority of folks in Sri Lanka use powdered milk and more than 85% of what they use is imported. A healthy cow will produce 15 to 20 liters of milk per day and at 40Rs per liter there is real opportunity to make money selling fresh milk. The family is also expected to pay for an insurance policy on the animal; which costs the owner about 2,000Rs per year. The other great thing about this project is that it is self perpetuating. Besides producing milk a cow can produce offspring and the family is expected to return a female calf to the Foundation within 3 years. How do they do that? Well, within the Wariyapola Rotary Club there is a veterinary surgeon and a livestock development officer and it's their job to artificially inseminate the cow. They are not so talented that they can guarantee female offspring but that's one of the reasons the family is given three years to return a female calf. This project really demonstrates the essence of Rotary - Rotarians use their resources, their talents, and their expertise to help the less fortunate build a foundation upon which they can prosper.

Coconut Grove - 17 February

2009-02-23T22:48:00.001-08:00

Our late afternoon/early evening field trip took us to one of Jayantha's nearby coconut groves. An interesting fact about coconuts - everything associated with the coconut is useful. Like tea, coconuts are plucked. A coconut plucker will pluck about 500 trees per day. A tree in its prime will produce 10-12 coconuts per pluck. The coconuts are then aged/dried for about 2 months in a 3'-deep heap covered with coconut fronds. The coconuts are then husked to reveal the nut inside. The discarded husk is used to make rope or charcoal. The nut is what we get from the grocery store when we buy what we call a "whole coconut." Nuts not sold in this manner are further processed. The nut is broken open and sun-dried for one day and then kiln-dried for three days. The dried product inside the shell is called copra; which is sold to mills where it is pressed into coconut oil. The cake remaining after pressing is called poonac and is used for animal feed. The shell that housed the copra is burnt to make charcoal.

Some other coconuts facts:

Sri Lanka produces three billion coconuts per year and two-thirds of those are consumed internally.
A coconut tree takes 4 to 6 years to mature. It will live for up to 100 years, but its useful productive life is about 80 years.
An acre of land will support about 70 coconut trees.

Wariyapola District Hospital - 17 February

2009-02-17T10:54:00.000-08:00

After the hot climb up Yapahuwa we started back to Wariyapola. We made a quick stop at the Wariyapola District Hospital to see a water purification project sponsored by the Rotary Club of Wariyapola. The system may not look like much but when you consider this filtration system purifies water to the hospital that serves over 300 patients per day it is quite impressive.

Yapahuwa Rock - 17 February

2009-02-17T10:52:00.002-08:00

Today we visited another great architectural site of Sri Lanka - the rock fortress of Yapahuwa. The fortress reminds me a bit of Sigiriya and of course we had to climb to the top (of the rock, not just the staircases!) Unlike the magma plug that is Sigiriya, Yapahuwa is a rocky granite outcrop. It rises almost 300 feet above the surrounding plains. Don't let the picture fool you - the second staircase is quite steep. The hike up the rest of the rock was via steep, rocky trails and the view was fantastic!

Yapahuwa was the capital of Sri Lanka in the early 13th century. It was selected for its defensibility and the king built a palace and a temple to house the famous tooth relic. The fortress had a short-lived life as the capital city - only 11 years. After it was abandoned Buddhist monks settled in and remain today.

The lion pictured above is one of a pair located at the top of the second staircase and is pictured on the Sri Lankan Ten Rupees bill. Also at the top of the staircase are the remains of the temple and ornately carved guard-stones.

Wariyapola - 16 February

2009-02-17T10:52:00.001-08:00

Our home for the next two evenings is the estate of Jayantha and Asanthi Samarakoon in Wariyapola. This evening Jayantha hosted a multi-club Rotary meeting to introduce the Indian and American GSE teams to Rotarians in this area. Rotarians from the Rotary Clubs of Athugalpura, Wariyapola, Panduwasnuwara, Nikaweratiya, Kurunegala, and Kuliyapitiya came out this Monday evening to meet the two GSE teams. By request we kept the presentations to a minimum and the socializing to a maximum!

Panduwasnuwara - 16 February

2009-02-17T10:38:00.000-08:00

Remains of Resting Buddha Statue at Panduwasnuwara

Excavated Ruins at Panduwasnuwara

Mid-morning on Monday we set off for the town of Wariyapola located NW to Kurunegala. We learned we will all be staying together with one Rotarian family - more about them in the next post.

Our cultural experience for the day was an afternoon road trip to the town of Panduwasnuwara. Located here are fortress ruins dating back to the 5th century BC, but most items unearthed here date back to the 12th century AD when this city functioned as the capital of Sri Lanka. Within the site are ruins of ancient buildings and fortifications, some of which are yet to be excavated. The function of the excavated buildings are identified by the relics located within them - worship temples, dagobas, meeting halls, living quarters, dining rooms, and even latrines have all been unearthed. While most of the valuable relics discovered here are housed in the National Museum in Colombo, there is a small archeological museum in Panduwasnuwara displaying jewelry, Buddha statues of various sizes and poses, ornate wooden pillars, bronze objects, iron nails and objects, terracotta human and animal figures, rigid tiles, clay objects, and stone objects.

Also discovered was the foundation of this city's temple that housed the Tooth Relic during its reign as capital city. The foundation is in really good shape and an ornate roof replica was added during the 1970s.

Not far from the temple is an excavated island palace surrounded by a moat. Legend has it that the multi-story palace imprisoned the king's daughter - a princess so cherished she had to be shielded from eyes of men. I couldn't quite get the translation, but apparently there was a miraculous rescue of the princess by a winged hero who flew across the moat to the island and rescued the princess. The visual evidence supports the legend, however the dates don't match. The story dates to the 5th century BC but the ruins are dated to the 12th century BC, so the legend remains unproven.

Dambulla Caves - 15 February

2009-02-15T23:52:00.001-08:00

After the hot and humid climb up and back down Sigiriya Rock we were treated to a relaxing and refreshing lunch by the Dambulla Rotary Club. We then headed for the famous Dambulla Cave Temple, also located in the Central Province.

This temple is also known as the Golden Temple of Dambulla and its history dates back to the 1st Century BC. Five caves with painted ceilings and Buddha statues make up this temple. The caves are in a very large overhanging rock and have been carved in so that the drip line keeps the caves dry. Inside one of the caves is a spring that drips water from the ceiling that is considered to have healing powers.

It was late afternoon by the time we finished exploring the caves so we headed back to Kurunegala for an evening on our own. We were all really craving western food but were unable to find any such restaurant in town, so we ended up at the Cargill's Food Mart where we bought crackers, a cheese ball, some fruit, cereal, milk, Pringles, tuna fish, peanut butter and jelly ... and then enjoyed a veritable western feast back at the hotel.

During our ride to Sigiriya and Dambulla I was able to chat about a lot of different things with the Athugalpura Rotarians. Of course President Obama was of great interest to them. I learned that this area's economy is based heavily on agriculture. The town of Dambulla is the agricultural hub where all harvested crops are brought for distribution. Because deliveries arrive at all hours Dambulla is known as the City That Never Sleeps. Banks and many businesses are open 24-7. I also learned that the Athugalpura Rotarians are very active with community projects with their main focus on a disease called Thalassemia. Thalassemia is an inherited blood disease for which there is no cure. It can be treated with blood transfusions and other complicated procedures, but the Rotarians find the most effective and least expensive approach is to prevent the disease through education and blood screening ... services they sponsor at the local hospital.

Sigiriya Rock - 15 February

2009-02-15T23:51:00.000-08:00

Our hosts today are the Rotarians of the Athugalpura Rotary Club. We are staying in at the Blue Sky Hotel in Kurunegala in the Northwestern Province. Rtns. Smag, Chinthaka, Shanaka, and Tilak are our guides to two must-see spots in Sri Lanka's Cultural Triangle - Sigiriya Rock and Dambulla Caves.

Sigiriya means "lion's rock" and it gets its name from what must have been a very grand and ornate main entrance shaped like a lion. All that remains today are the lion's paws at the foot of the entrance.

Sigiriya Fortress was built in the late 5th century AD during the reign of King Kassapa. The rock rises abruptly from the flat plains around it. It is 1,200 feet tall and sheer on all sides. At some points the cliffs overhang the base - a very secure location for a fortress. The king built a rather extensive palace on the top. Cut into the top are cisterns that were used to retain water (they still do). The lion's gate mentioned above is situated mid-level on the rock and at the base the rock is surrounded by moats, ramparts, and large terraced gardens.

Two interesting features of the site are the frescos painted on the sheer walls of the rock and the mirror wall. Only 23 of the original 500 frescos remain. Those missing have been destroyed over time by the elements. Those that remain were painted on overhangs that were protected from weather. The mirror wall is located between the base and mid-level and it was created by the king so that frescos would be visible on both sides of the path up the rock. Even though age and graffiti have dulled its surface you can still see reflections in the wall's porcelin surface.

The Statue at Monaragala Vidya Sagara Piriven Viharaya - 14 February

2009-02-15T23:29:00.000-08:00

After Ridigama Governor Nalin took us to a large rock outcrop where sculptors are creating the largest granite Buddha statue in Sri Lanka and what will also be the largest granite seated Buddha statue in the world. The height of the sculpture is 67.5 feet. It was started about 5 years ago and the sculpture itself should be finished later this year. The facility expects general construction to continue for another two years as they complete terraces and plazas leading to the Buddha statue.

Ridigama - On the Road to Kurunegala - 14 February

2009-02-15T23:12:00.000-08:00

Saturday morning I said good-bye to my wonderful hosts for the past week - Carl and Arlene Kelaart. Arlene treated me to some wonderful homecooking and Carl was tireless at delivering me to multiple Rotary functions.

We headed out for our next destination - Kurunegala. On the way we stopped at Ridigama where none other than DG Nalin gave a personal tour of the Pahala Vihara Temple, which contains artwork and sculptures dating back 2,000 years. There are also sculptures and paintings as new as 500 years old. Interestingly, in this temple there are European tiles brought by the Dutch that depict Christian images. The tiles are about 400 years old and are installed alongside a 500 year old reclining Buddha. DG Nalin brought us to this temple because it is not really on the typical tourist's list of sites to visit. It was quiet at the temple and we enjoyed what seemed like our own private tour.

Royal Botanical Gardens - 13 February

2009-02-13T13:27:00.000-08:00

The Gardens in Kandy were originally the royal pleasure grounds of the Kandyan Sinhalese kingdom. The British established the grounds as a formal Garden in 1821. We spent about an hour and a half walking the gardens and observing some of the Garden's more than 400 indigenous tropical flora and exotic plants of Sri Lanka.

After visiting the Gardens we ate lunch at a unique traveler's destination called Helga's Folly. Words can hardly describe this fascinating place - check it out at http://www.helgasfolly.com/

In the evening we gave our presentation to a joint meeting of the Kandy and Kandy Metropolitan Rotary Clubs and then enjoyed fellowship, dinner, and entertainment by first by tradional Kanydan dancers and then by fire eaters and walkers.

Sri Lanka Cancer Society - 13 February

2009-02-13T13:26:00.000-08:00

Our morning started with a visit to the Kandy Branch of the Sri Lanka Cancer Society. This facility provides cancer awareness programs, counselling services, accommodations for patients and their next of kin, a dining room, and a cancer screening center. Most impressive was the accommodation facility called the Cancer Home that includes 65 beds - 55 for adults, 5 for children, and 5 for hospice care. The Home is available for patients who come from other parts of the Island for treatment at the nearby Kandy hospital or for those who are terminally ill and cannot be cared for in their own homes. Patient care including full meals, medications, and nursing care are provided free of charge.

Rambukoluwa Village - 12 February

2009-02-13T13:21:00.000-08:00

We left Safari Village Thursday morning to return to Kandy. On the way back we detoured to a very remote village called Rambukoluwa where the Rotary Club of Kandy sponsored a matching grant water project that delivers water from the mountaintop to the villagers' homes. Rotary has also assisted the village by making improvements to the school and the village temple. Villagers here are agrarian and have little interaction with outsiders - primarily because of their remote location but also because they are quite self-sufficient. In addition to teaching what we Americans consider standard subjects, the teachers also focus on life-skills such as cooking and gardening. Shown in the picture is the school's kitchen where children can learn and practice cooking skills.

The school children performed several songs for us and then we gave them some cookies, pens and pencils. After visiting with the school children we had a tasty lunch in the village temple. The lunch was prepared by the locals from food they grow and farm locally. Knowing just how precious this food is to them made the meal all the more special. The village priest then blessed us by performing a traditional Buddhist chant. It was mesmerizing - I wish I could have recorded it.

Wasgomuwa Nature Reserve - 11 February

2009-02-13T13:00:00.000-08:00

I just returned to my host's home after two days in the jungle. It was a very exciting time because we went on a safari jeep ride in the Wasgomuwa Nature Reserve. We saw much wildlife - monitor lizards, rabbits, wild boar, water buffalo, mongoose, water fowl, pea fowl, jungle fowl, deer, colorful birds of many types, and of course elephants.

Twice we were charged by the elephants. The first time was rather scary because one elephant in a group of twenty or more charged and then her friends came as backup. The elephants were trumpeting and then, if that weren't intimidating enough, one let out this low gutteral growl that sounded like one of the T-rexes in Jurassic Park. I didn't know elephants did that and I would have remained happy in that ignorance. The driver had shut off the engine when we got close so that we would not be intrusive (obviously that didn't work) and then he couldn't get it started. More elephants joined and had us surrounded in a semi-circle. The driver and the ranger (you have to have both to enter the reserve) worked really well to stand down the elephants. I think the whole event took only five minutes but it was a long, long, long 5 minutes. There were two really young elephants in the herd and we figure the elders were being protective. It's also hot right now and very dry so the elephants are quite tempermental according to the ranger. When I did have my wits about me it was interesting to witness the pack nature of the elephants and how even when in an aggressive mode they all surrounded and protected the young. I had to laugh at one point because even the young ones were trumpeting at us like they were mad too. It was pretty scary at the time but I wouldn't trade it for the world. Eventually the truck started and after a few more yells by the ranger the elephants backed away. A few big ones gave a very short chase probably just for show. Later we were charged by a lone bull elephant but after being surrounded that was nothing. That and the jeep started right up so we got away no problem.

We spent the night in lake front cabanas at a place called Safari Village. We ate delicious Sri Lankan food and enjoyed a quiet evening by the lake.

Team member Chris did a nice job combining photos and video of the elephant ordeal - view it on YouTube here ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScvWDaWsxEA

Vocational Day - 10 February

2009-02-13T03:11:00.000-08:00

Today was a day of vocational visits. Lynsey and I were hosted by Rtns. Ishri and Ananda. Ananda is in the electrical business and owns his own company called Ediriweera Construction. He favors this time of year because it is election time and the local politicians really pick up on electrical installations and improvements to local villages. He showed us a utility installation outside of Kandy where he renovated 5 km of a 33kV line, installed a new pole-mounted transformer, and installed a new 230V line 2km from the transformer to a small village. The poles here are primarily made of concrete, I've seen only a few wooden poles. The job required 50 10m poles for the high tension lines and 20 8m poles for the 230V distribution. The Ceylon Electricity Board (state owned and run utility) provides all materials, private companies like Ananda's provide labor only. Ananda uses local labor for digging holes and cutting trees. Tri-M folks better not cry - these guys dig their holes by hand - I have pictures to prove it! He uses skilled and trained company employees to string the lines, install the transformer, and make the tie-ins. Interestingly, not long after the project was complete, the political party that sponsored the project had plastered the poles with posters of their candidate!

In the evening the team attended a special meeting of the Rotary Club of Kandy. At the meeting there was a large contingency of Japanese Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Kurayoshi in District 2690 who were in town to kick off a matching grant project. Two evenings prior my hosts and I had dinner with Rotarians from District 1470 in Denmark who are significant supporters of the Center for the Handicapped. Imagine - I visit Sri Lanka and am returning home with banners from three different countries - and there's still time to add to the collection!

Poya Day - 09 February

2009-02-13T02:57:00.000-08:00

Poya Day is a public holiday in Sri Lanka which occurs every full moon day. The February poya day is called Navam Full Moon Poya Day. Almost all shops and businesses are closed. For me Poya Day could not have been more timely. My legs are killing me. Right now going down stairs is quite possibly the most painful thing I've ever experienced. But that's what happens when an out-of-condition desk worker climbs a mountain. How many days of post-event punishment must I endure?

My hosts Rtns. Carl and Arleen are members of the Victoria Golf Club and arranged for a day of relaxation poolside at the club. I opted for the full-body herbal massage. What a treat ... a full hour of massage followed by a few minutes in the steam bed. Very relaxing but I am still darn sore.

Temple of the Tooth Relic - 08 February

2009-02-13T02:45:00.000-08:00

Rotaractor Gershani was our tour guide to Sri Dalada Maligawa - the Temple of the Tooth Relic. This temple contains the most sacred relic of Buddhism - the left upper canine tooth of the Lord Buddha himself. The relic is kept in a golden lotus beneath six caskets considered to be too precious to be put on public display. The relic is removed from the temple only once per year during Esala Perahera, a ten day festival in August.

The relic has played an important role in the local politics for centuries - it was believed whoever holds the relic holds the governance of the country. Ancient kings protected the relic with great effort. The relic is kept in Kandy, the capital city of the last great Sinhalese kingdom.

Center for the Handicapped - 08 February

2009-02-13T02:21:00.000-08:00

The Center for the Handicapped is a flagship project of the Rotary Club of Kandy. This facility provides prosthetic limbs for amputees at no charge to the patient. The limbs, primarily legs, are fabricated on site. The patient visits once for initial fitting and then returns for at least two weeks after the limb is fabricated for custom fitting, physical therapy, and training. The facility can house up to 20 people at one time. Amputees are victims of accidents or land mines, casualties of the war, or lost their leg due to improper treatment of diabetes. Presently the center has a waiting list of over 400.

By US standards it is really inexpensive to provide an artificial limb to an amputee in Sri Lanka - US$180 for a below-knee limb and $370 for an above-knee limb. Check out the Center's website for more information and to find out how you can contribute http://www.cfhsrilanka.org/index.html

Hindu Festival - 08 February

2009-02-13T02:12:00.000-08:00

After visiting Summerville we said good-bye to the very hospitable Dickoya Rotarians, packed our stiff and sore bodies into the van, and headed off to Kandy. Guess how long it took? Yep, 3 hours. But again the journey was scenic and fascinating. We passed through a small town in the midst of a Hindu festival. There were people in the streets on some sort of procession. No traffic control like in the States, but there were a few police officers basically trying to direct traffic while trying not to get killed.

We arrived in Kandy in time for lunch and sight-seeing. We were greeted by President Gowri, Rotarian Carl, and Rotaractor (and former GSE'er) Gershani.

Tea Plantation Line Homes - 08 February

2009-02-12T18:18:00.000-08:00

This morning we visited a line home community called Summerville. Line homes are prevalent on tea plantations. The Dickoya Rotarians brought us to this community to show us how a significant portion of the population live in Sri Lanka. There are no facilities for children to play, although there is a very small daycare - a room no larger than 15'x15' - where about 25 less than school-age children spend the day while their parents work the plantation. There is water available here but it is of questionable quality. The line homes are usually 7 to 1o rooms in a row. One family lives in each room ... that could be up to 10 people. The rooms are somewhat divided into two - sort of an entrance/foyer and then what appears to be sleeping quarters. The rooms are very small ... 10'x10' on average. The residents have made makeshift ceilings so that they can store things above in the rafters. The cooking facilities are limited and the cooking fire is kept inside with no chimney. Consequently lung problems are prevalent with the women. Waste disposal is also unsanitary. There is a high infant mortality rate in these communities. As Rtn. Dr. Chandra puts it, "Everything here can be a Rotary project." It is the Dickoya Rotary Club's goal to address these issues in their local community. They will be forwarding ideas as to how Rotarians in District 7630 can help in partnership with them.

The people that live here appear happy and they were very friendly. They were proud to show us their homes and openly invited us in. We shared some salt water taffy with the children - they loved the sweets!

Dickoya Rotary Club Projects - 07 February

2009-02-09T06:25:00.000-08:00

After a few hours rest we spent the late afternoon and evening with the Dickoya Rotarians. They are a young Rotary club but very active. We are the first GSE Team they have hosted (and we should not be the last!) and they were anxious to share with us some of their projects. They support the clinics at the Dickoya District Base Hospital where Rtn. Dr. Chandrajan is the director. They also provide wheelchairs for the hospital and Dr. Chandrajan was pleased to show us his medical waste recycling program. The photo is of the recyclables room (not a very creative photo I know, but I was really tired after the climb and I hadn't gotten a nap). The club also has provided fishing boats and nets for tsunami relief, runs blood collection drives, and sponsors an eye clinic providing cataract surgery to those who cannot afford it.

Adam's Peak - 07 February

2009-02-09T05:26:00.000-08:00

What would prompt an individual to climb Adam's Peak? I can't find the answer to that in my extremely sore legs. Divine inspiration - I don't think so - it's more like insanity. But this mountain has been climbed for at least 1,000 years and I really didn't want to be left out. Adam's Peak has been the object of worship and pilgrimage for Buddhists, Hindus, Christians, and Islamists for centuries. The summit is at 7,359 feet. Of course we didn't start at sea level, but rather at about 4,600 feet. There is a lighted staircase all the way to the top. We started the climb at 12:30am. It's recommended to climb at night to avoid the heat of the day and then be there to witness the dramatic sunrise. It took me 4 hours to climb but alas I got to the summit too early. Lynsey and I arrived at the top at about 4:30am and then shivered until the sun started to rise a little after 6:00am. The guys made it upper faster but their only reward was longer shiver-time. How happy I was that I brought along my new sweatshirt and windbreaker AND that I also carried along my fleece and shell. It was quite chaotic at the top as there were many pilgrims since it was a holiday weekend (Poya Day on Monday). The sunrise really was very nice - and intense - at that elevation. We then fought the crowd to get to the other side of the mountaintop to view the famous and dramatic Shadow of the Peak (shown in photo). The trip down, though faster, was harder than the trip up. Oh, my aching knees. When I got to the bottom I looked up to see the top - if I would have seen that in the daylight before my ascent I probably would have said forget it.

The Road to Dickoya - 06 February

2009-02-09T05:13:00.000-08:00

After a quick lunch and even quicker shopping (I bought a Columbia fleece-lined sweatshirt and an EMS windbreaker for less than $30) we said good-bye to Nuwara Eliya and headed for Dickoya. The road was windy and hilly and like all other trips took about 3 hours. Along the way we viewed two more waterfalls - St. Clair Falls and Devon Falls. We stopped for tea and a bathroom break where we saw this quite funny-looking tree.

We arrived in Dickoya where again we were greeted by a large contingency of Rotarians and were treated to tea at the bungalow of Rtn. Thayal Rajasingham. We moved on to our lake front bungalow called Summer House where we snacked and rested before our journey to and up Adam's Peak.

Moonplains Sanitary Landfill Site - 06 February

2009-02-09T04:55:00.000-08:00

Lynsey and I visited the engineered landfill while the guys explored the town. The landfill was engineered and financed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency and it is the only landfill in Sri Lanka. The landfill can handle medical waste, gully sucker waste (sewage basically), and trash. They utilize a vertical gas ventilation facility and leachate collection and filtration facilities. What I found most interesting was their use of coconut fiber to treat the leachate (see photo). The leachate flows through ten stages of filtration before coming out as clear water that is clean enough to drink. This water drains into thenearby wetlands.

The city of Nuwara Eliya has made significant strides in trash management. It is a very clean city and has readily available trash receptacles and recycling containers. Since something like 75% of the garbage is food related the city instituted a home composting program. Between recycling and compositing the city has managed to minimize the amount of trash taken to the landfill. RC Nuwara Eliya contributes to the city beautification by providing the color-coded recycling bins.

Nuwara Eliya - 06 February

2009-02-09T04:38:00.000-08:00

We said our good-byes to the Bandarawela Rotary Club on Friday morning after enjoying an informal club meeting and dinner at our bungalow the night before. We were off to Dickoya with a short stopover in Nuwara Eliya. NE Rotarians Sathish, Yogesh and Wijey welcomed us to town and introduced us to His Worship Mayor Chandana Lal Karunaratne. Expecting to visit an engineered landfill (Lynsey's vocation in case you're wondering why) we were hardly dressed to take tea with the Mayor, but he seemed genuinely happy to greet us regardless. He stood with us for a quick photo then handed us off to his staff to arrange the visit to the landfill.

Rawana Ella Waterfall - 05 February

2009-02-09T03:55:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed a lunch of sandwiches and potato rolls at the Rawana Ella waterfall. I took pictures of the falls but the sun was in a bad spot and its glare ruined the shots. However, there were lots of monkeys who - forever hopeful for food - unknowingly posed for lots of photos. This guy looks bored, doesn't he?

Lipton's Seat - 05 February

2009-02-09T03:38:00.000-08:00

Sir Thomas Lipton (of the famous household Lipton Tea that we know) purchased several tea plantations in Ceylon during the 1890s. Lipton's Seat is located on his Dambatenne Estate and is the spot where Lipton would relax and enjoy the scenery below. The view is a commanding one at over 6,400 feet.

Tea Plucking - 05 February

2009-02-09T03:22:00.000-08:00

It seems as if tea is grown everywhere in the central hilly region of Sri Lanka. Tea growing takes place on three elevation levels: high-grown at 4,000 - 6,000 feet, medium-grown at 2,000 - 4,000 feet, and low-grown at 2,000 feet and lower.

A tea plucker is expected to pluck 18 kilos of tea per day but we were told that they always pick more than that. They are paid daily and they are paid extra if they pick more than 18 kilos.

Nayabedde Tea Estate & Factory - 05 February

2009-02-09T02:41:00.000-08:00

This morning we visited the Nayabedde Tea Estate & Factory. The plant was not in operation because of the National Day holiday but we were given a personalized tour by Factory Officer S. Sritharan. It was probably better that the factory wasn't operational because I think it would have been very difficult to hear over the equipment. Photos were not allowed inside the plant so all you get is this not so glamorous building photo. Nayabedde Estate plants 6,000 acres of tea and employs 750 pluckers. The factory can process up to 21,000 kilos of tea per day.

When plucked tea (more about this next post) arrives at the factory it is spread out in large wire troughs to wither for 12 hours. Fans blow air under the troughs to accelerate the drying process. Then it is mechanically sifted to remove large scale debris. Next it is rolled in rotating press machines. The rolled leaves pass through three stages of cutting and then are spread out to ferment for 2 to 4 hours depending on the humidity. When the air is too dry it is made moist by fan-blown misters. After fermentation the tea is put through a dryer to remove the last bit of moisture. The final stages are sifting and packing. Initial sifting is done by a mechanical process which sorts the tea into three gauges - 10, 12 and 16 (yep, just like wire sizes - the bigger the number the smaller the processed tea leaf). Interesting that final sifting; which yields eight separate grades of tea, is done by hand using eye and experience. The tea is packed into aluminum foil lined bags so that the product is protected from moisture during storage and transportation.

Some personal observations: The tea factory was extremely clean. Just like processing facilities do back home, the plant utilized holiday downtime to perform basic maintenance and repairs on their equipment. There are practically no personnel safeguards on the processing equipment. A factory worker must be aware at all times - the rollers, cutters, and sifters could easily maim or kill.

The Cool Climes of Bandarawela - 04 February

2009-02-09T02:19:00.000-08:00

It took 3 hours for the drive from Ratnapura to Bandarawela. Bandarawela is known for its mild, dry and cool climate. It's elevation is just over 4,000 feet. Not to annoy folks back home shivering in the winter cold, but we were happy for relief from the heat and humidity. Bandarawela is located in the Uva Province and is home to lots of tea plantations and the Sri Lanka Military Academy. We were greeted by a whole contigency of Rotarians from the Bandarawela Club and treated to tea and snacks at Rtn. Sunil Fernando's home. We stayed in a holiday bungalow just up the hill from the military academy. In the morning we could see and hear the cadets doing their morning drills.

Saman Devala - 04 February

2009-02-07T01:58:00.000-08:00

No pictures were allowed inside so I only have this not very exciting outside shot. It was a really busy day at the temple because it was Sri Lanka's National Day Holiday. This temple was originally built by the last king of Kandy who promised to build a temple in this area if he was able to find prosperity here. The local abundance of gemstones fulfilled his wish and he kept his promise by building Saman Devala. Later the Dutch destroyed much of the facility but it has been rebuilt and you can still see some of the ancient wall paintings that the temple is trying hard to preserve.

Also located in the main temple is a stone branch growing from a piece of a tree. The stone branch looks kind of like a vine and is growing up in the air. It's about one-half inch in diameter, perhaps 4' tall, and it is housed in a windowed case. The stone is so old that the growth is imperceptible in one human lifetime and only centuries of documentation validate this miracle.

We ate lunch with Ratnapura Rotarians Anusha, Fasmia, Sadith and Palitha and then said our goodbyes as we loaded into our van and headed to “the Cool Climes of Bandarawela” where we were greeted by a large contingency of RC Bandarawela.

Rubber Harvest - 04 February

2009-02-07T01:51:00.000-08:00

On our hike around the estate one of Anusha's rubber workers demonstrated harvesting rubber - or more accurately the sap that is cured into rubber. The stuff that looks like white latex in this picture is the sap. Not much rubber is being harvested right now because the weather has been too cool for sap to flow. Sap flowed from this tree fairly strong (at least in my sap harvesting opinion) so perhaps the harvest will begin again soon in earnest.

Rubber Estate - 04 February

2009-02-07T01:42:00.000-08:00

Rtn. Anusha Weregama hosted the entire team at here rubber estate located outside Ratnapura. Anusha harvests both rubber and tea on her estate.

This morning we took a hike around the estate looking at the tea fields and the rubber trees. In the photo you can see the roof of the estate complex.

Ratnapura days are hot but the nights are cooler and less humid than Colombo and we all enjoyed the change in climate.

Ratnapura RC Projects - 03 February

2009-02-05T11:28:00.001-08:00

Visited two Rotary Matching Grant Water Projects in the Sabaragamuwa Province that were sponsored by the Ratnapura RC, the Kandy RC, and a RC in the Netherlands who I believe learned about the project on the WCS website. The project involved providing clean drinking water to 17 schools in the province. The total project cost Rs1.2M; which is about US$12K.
What really stood out at both schools was the excitement on the children's faces and the gratitude expressed by the school teachers and administrators. The girl shown in this photo was very happy to receive a pen and pencil that Lynsey brought from DSWA to give to the school children.

Seevali Vidyalaya (School) – 100 yr old school located in Ratnapura
This school was home to several hundred children – I'd say 400 or more. This school had an available water source but it was not pure. Through the grant a water filtration and purification system was installed along with a storage tank. I was honored when I was asked to turn the knob starting the flow of water to the hose bibs.

Halmillawa Vidyalaya (School) – rural school located in Embilipitiya
It took about 1.5 hours to travel from Ratnapura to Embilipitiya. There are about 250 kids in this school. This project was a bit more involved because there was no water source at the school. Rotary installed the distribution system, filtration and purification, and storage tank. At this school I again felt honored when I was asked to cut the ribbon on the path to the new storage tank.

After visiting the Halmillawa School we headed back to Ratnapura and visited a local waterfall called Bopathella Falls. Sorry no photos because it was early evening until we got there and the sun was practically set. However, the team was able to enjoy a quick dip in the pool at the base of the waterfall.

Gem City - 02 February

2009-02-05T11:17:00.000-08:00

Upon arriving in Ratnapura - also known as Gem City - we were greeted by Ratnapura Rotarians Prasad, Fasmia, and Anusha. We were taken to the Dheheragoda Family Gem Mine where we treated to tea - no tea was served but instead fresh juice and light snacks. After tea we were taken to visited the family's gem pit. Hi-tech its not, but it gets the job done. This particular pit is over 200 feet deep and the miners crawl up and down the pit on logs separated by I'd say about 3'. CRAZY

We then visited the Gem Museum and finally ended the day with a little gem shopping! The primary type of gem found here is sapphire - which comes in blue, ruby/pink, orange, pathmaraga (lotus color), yellow, green, brown, and white.

On the Road to Ratnapura - 02 February

2009-02-05T11:05:00.000-08:00

Once we said good-bye toour host families we were on the road to Ratnapura located in the Province of Sabaragamuwa. We spent all morning on the road and at one point got behind a truck with an elephant loaded on the back. You just don't see that back home!

Leaving Ratmalana - 02 February

2009-02-05T10:54:00.000-08:00

This morning was my last breakfast with my host Pancherine Dias of the Reconnections Club. Here is a photo of her with her two daughters. Pancherine lives in Ratmalana which south of Colombo. It was a nice place to stay and Pancherine was a splendid hostess. Many thanks to her for her wonderful hospitality.

No, I didn't get to watch the Super Bowl. We couldn't find anyplace showing it. Considering it came on at 4:30am here I can't say I'm too disappointed, but it looks like it was a good game. I'm happy to have my personalized tour of Sri Lanka over the Super Bowl!

GEM T.E.D - 01 February

2009-02-05T10:44:00.000-08:00

On the way back to Colombo from Unawatuna Beach we stopped in the small town of Beruwala to visit one of Colombo Central's projects called GEM T.E.D. GEM T.E.D was started by a Rotarian from Dijon, France who is a gemologist by trade. He started a school for underpriveleged girls ages 17-20 where they learn gemology, gem cutting, English, French, art, sports, and communications. RC Colombo Central supports the facility by providing paperwork assistance and matching grants to purchase equipment. This photo is of the gem cutting lab.

Unawatuna Beach - 01 February

2009-02-05T10:24:00.000-08:00

OK, now you can be jealous. After visiting Seemigama we drove on to a small resort called Unawatuna Beach. Sri Lankans regard this to be one of their most beautiful beaches and - having been there - I would tend to agree. We spent the afternoon lounging on the resort patio and splashing around in the Indian Ocean. Very relaxing.

Road Trip - 01 February

2009-02-05T10:07:00.000-08:00

Today's program was hosted by the Colombo Central Rotary Club. We took a trip to the beach but before anybody back home gets too jealous just know it wasn't all play. Our first stop was in the small village of Seenigama. Seenigama was a coastal town devastated by the tsunami. You might recall the tragic news story of the train full of people that was thrown from the tracks by the big wave. That happened very close to Seenigama. A former Rotarian named Kushil Gunasekera managed a small community center in Seenigama before the tsunami. The photo above shows the water line after the wave hit in the original building. Since the tsunami his foundation has been blessed with significant support and now it is large community complex containing a medical clinic, a dental clinic, a center for women, a day care, a sports complex, a computer training center, and more. If ever anything good came out of something so tragic, this is it.
For more info visit http://www.unconditionalcompassion.org

Quiz Competition - 31 January

2009-02-05T10:03:00.000-08:00

After visiting the Temple we had lunch at the Odel's shopping mall. I bought a beach towel and t-shirt for our trip the beach tomorrow. We then retired for a quick nap before readying ourselves for the Cinnamon Gardens 15th Annual Quiz Competition. Our team members were joined by fellow GSE'ers Chamara and Ima. The Team made a valiant effort answering questions from categories of general knowledge, sports, visuals, and Rotary knowledge but honestly didn't fare so well. Rotary Club of Kandy took home this year's championship.

Changing Lightbulbs - 31 January

2009-02-05T09:58:00.001-08:00

I don't really know if they were changing lightbulbs or doing some other type of work - I was to scared to stay and watch.

The Day After - 31 January

2009-02-05T09:52:00.001-08:00

It’s a good thing Saturday was a relaxed day of sightseeing and shopping. It seems like we barely took a nap before we were up and about. We visited the Gangaramaya Buddhist Temple with Buddhima, Parvartra and Waruma. The temple was quite large and housed two museums of antique art, furniture, and statues including the world's smallest statue of Buddha that you have to view through a magnifying glass. I took this photo of Buddha from off to the side because they were set up to change light bulbs in front. See my next entry ...

Obama People - 30 January

2009-02-05T09:46:00.000-08:00

We spent Friday night and most of Saturday morning enjoying a band called Wildfire at a pub called The Keg. Wildfire is definitely a local favorite. After closing down The Keg we moved on to a club called R&B. It was interesting to witness the Colombo nightlife ... lots of American music spanning several decades, lots of cigarette smoke (at the club only, patrons had to go outside the pub to smoke), lots of dancing – it's ok to dance with anyone on the floor whether you know them or not, and lots of alcohol. These folks do know how to enjoy a party!
Now for the title of this entry. I snapped this photo of a billboard advertising a news program on the way to The Keg. Folks in Sri Lanka are wild over Obama. It's the single most asked question I get – “What do you think of Obama?” A complete stranger in the street asked if we were Americans and when we said yes he exclaimed “Good People, Obama People!” I've seen the text of his victory speech posted on billboards. It is an understatement to say Sri Lankans hold great hope in Obama.

Connecting with Reconnections - 30 January

2009-02-05T09:34:00.000-08:00

I spent the afternoon with Reconnection Rotarians Tilan and Rohan discussing a few projects that clubs in District 7630 may be interested in supporting. Tilan is the incoming club president and gave an overview of several projects the club is working on including reducing infant mortality in rural areas and providing package water treatment systems to schools. Rohan is an engineer working for the National Water Supply & Drainage Board. He also travels for The Rotary Foundation evaluating major grant water installation projects. He has engineered water projects for two schools in low income areas that have water supplies not safe to drink. The project provides water filtration and purification plants at the school wells as well as follow-up monitoring and testing. More will follow on these projects when I get back to the states. Sorry no picture to show.

While on the Topic of Safety - 30 January

2009-02-05T09:28:00.000-08:00

Snapped this photo while on our tour of Colombo yesterday. You can't tell in this photo but the men on the scaffold are in sandals/flip-flops. I was scared to watch for too long. Double-click the image to zoom.

Safety First - 30 January

2009-02-05T09:23:00.000-08:00

It just so happened there was a small renovation project downstairs in the lobby of the building that Asia Siyaka is located in. The Safety First sign caught my eye before I was discharged from the car out in the parking lot. I would say the safety signs are more of a suggestion than a requirement. This worker is wearing sandals and no hardhat - but he does have gloves on.

Asia Siyaka Tea Broker - 30 January

2009-02-05T05:11:00.000-08:00

In this morning's vocational session I learned a bit about tea brokering. Tea is the 3rd largest source of revenue in Sri Lanka following remittance of wages from overseas workers and the garment industry. Tea brokers essentially represent the plantation owner and sell the product to buyers all over the world. After the tea is harvested and processed the tea broker evaluates the product by preparing a small sample of that particular crop. The broker inspects the tea leaf, the wet leaf infusion of tea leaves, and the prepared liquor for a variety of properties including process quality, color and flavor. The purpose for this is two-fold - he provides information to potential buyers that will help set the selling price and feedback to the plantation owner as to the quality of a particular crop. We witnessed a couple professional brokers taste tea and then tried our hand at it. It must be an acquired taste – no matter how different the prepared liquors looked – some were very clear and others opaque like they already had a small amount of milk added, and some were very dark and others light – they all tasted pretty much the same to me.

The Seaspray Buffet - 29 January

2009-02-05T05:01:00.000-08:00

Dinner after the Reconnections meeting was at the Seaspray Buffet. There was lots to choose from but I only ate the seafood! Pictured is cuttle fish on the left and crab on the right. Prawns and some fish - tuna I think - were also available. The cook grilled our seafood over an open flame. It was delicious - especially the prawns and crab.

Colombo Museum - 29 January

2009-02-05T04:53:00.000-08:00

Our new hosts from the Colombo Reconnections Club took us to the Colombo Museum for a short lesson on Sri Lanka's long history. After that we took a quick shower at one of the member's swim club so that we would be presentable for the Reconnections dinner meeting. Before dinner we enjoyed watching the sunset from the verandah of the Galle Face Hotel - a Colombo landmark and the regular meeting place of the Reconnections club.

Photo - relaxing to sunset at the Galle Face Hotel

Leaving Battaramulla - 29 January

2009-02-05T04:40:00.000-08:00

I'm really struggling getting the lay of the land in Colombo. Hans has a shortcut to get anywhere and a long cut that avoids heavy congestion on traffic-jammed shortcuts. We never go the same way twice. We'll be driving along and approach a landmark that I recognize but from a different direction. That coupled with the fact that traffic flows opposite to that in the States has my usually half-decent sense of direction all out of whack. I learned today that Hans' house is in Battaramula, a suburb located SE of Colombo city. Anyway, this morning I enjoyed my last breakfast with Hans and Beverley and then was handed-off to the Colombo Reconnections Rotary Club. Colombo Reconnections is one of only two Rotary clubs in the world formed by GSE Team alumni, but now there are many members who are not GSE'ers. The photo is of my first host family Hans and Beverley in their garden.

KFC - 29 January

2009-02-01T10:51:00.001-08:00

The final leg of our tour concluded with lunch at KFC. Not much to comment except "tastes like chicken". For those of us (not me) struggling with the Sri Lankan cuisine this was a nice change. Actually, I enjoyed the chicken too.

Colombo Bus - 29 January

2009-02-01T10:36:00.001-08:00

We took the bus from Mount Lavinia back to Colombo. As I understand it there are government operated buses and private buses whose fairs match those of the government. Surprisingly, the bus ride cost more than the train ride, but both were extremely inexpensive compared to the US ... the train was 100 Rupees or about 0.10 USD and the bus was more like 200 Rupees of 0.20 USD. The picture is crooked because the ride was rather bouncy and we were always swinging left and right as the driver passed slower drivers/pedestrians/bikes/triwheelers on the right and then swung left to unload and load passengers.

King Coconut Anyone? - 29 January

2009-02-01T10:28:00.001-08:00

After getting off the train we continued with the second foot part of our tour. Here a shopkeeper is preparing king coconut for us to drink. This coconut is not ripe so the milk inside is very clear and thin. It tastes like coconut but the flavor is not strong. Clarence said you drink it for its energy and health benefits, not for its robust flavor.

Colombo Train - 29 January

2009-02-01T10:23:00.001-08:00

Use of the train is quite popular. We rode this train from Colombo to Mount Lavinia. The train continues on to Galle on the southern coast. One of my hosts - not sure who - told me that no updates to the rail system have been made since British rule came to and end.

Colombo Transportation Tour - 29 January

2009-02-01T09:58:00.000-08:00

Before handing us to the Reconnections Club, Clarence took us on a foot-train-foot-bus-foot tour of Colombo. I took this photo of a man fishing in the Indian Ocean while waiting for the train in Colombo.

Leaving Battaramulla - 29 January

2009-02-01T09:28:00.001-08:00

I'm really struggling getting the lay of the land in Colombo. Hans has a shortcut to get anywhere and a long cut for those times he needs to avoid heavy congestion in traffic-jammed shortcuts. We never go the same way twice. That coupled with the fact that traffic flows opposite that in the US has my usually half-decent sense of direction all out of whack. I learned today that Hans' house is in Battaramulla, a suburb located southeast of Colombo proper. I had to buy a map to figure that out - there aren't many big green signs overtop the highway directing you to a specific town or suburb. The big green signs only come into play on round-abouts ... and those are a whole other level of chaos. I think I figured out the rules to drive by here (not that I could) - look only straight-ahead, never out the side- or rear-view mirrors, if there's a spot take it, and if there isn't a spot make it. It's that simple. Oh, and nerves of steel help, too - especially when you consider you share the road with cows, dogs, goats, humans, bicycles, motor-bikes, triwheelers, cars, buses, and other assorted vehicles.

Anyway, this morning I enjoyed my last breakfast with Hans and Beverley. The team will be handed-off to the Colombo Reconnections Rotary Club. Reconnections is one of only two RCs in the world formed by GSE team alumni, but there are now many members who are non GSE'ers. I also learned that Reconnections proposed Sri Lankan GSE team member Chamara.

The photo is of my host family Hans and Beverley in their garden.

Royal Colombo Golf Club - 28 January

2009-01-28T18:29:00.000-08:00

Members of the Colombo Uptown RC treated the team to cocktails and dinner at the Royal Colombo Golf Club. This club is very much like the Newark RC when it comes to socializing! Hans and Lynsey became fast friends sharing (lots of) Lion beer. Good thing last order comes at 10:45! We enjoyed Hopper night at the Club and again I filled mine with spicy Sri Lankan food.
Tomorrow we shift to the Colombo Reconnections RC. Many, many thanks to the Colombo Uptown RC for their wonderful hospitality and fellowship!

Vocational Visit to Fentons - 28 January

2009-01-28T17:53:00.000-08:00

This afternoon I had an interesting and informative meeting with Mr. C.W. Abhayaratne, Managing Director of Fentons. Fentons and Tri-M are practically mirror images of each other ... full service electrical contractors ... electrical, security, telecom, fire alarm ... for commercial and industrial clients. Like Tri-M, Fentons works on both design-build and plan-and-spec projects. We also share similar woes - the slumping economy, cancelled projects, frustrations with getting paid, customers shopping our numbers, and the like. There is quite a bit more emphasis on renewable energy here, especially with regard to small system hydro power.
Mr. Abhayaratne gave me a full tour of the facility and pointed out to me the onsite apartment in which he lived for many years ... I'll think twice before complaining again about taking my work home with me!
The photo above is of the electrical division. At Fentons one person is responsible for a project from start to finish - estimating, managing, purchasing, as-built drawings, and everything else. Interesting to know they do all of their estimating by hand.
www.fentons.com
A separate point of interest - each of Mr. Abhayaratne's three sons attended Washington College in Chestertown, MD - small world isn't it?

Visit with the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka - 28 January

2009-01-28T17:26:00.000-08:00

This morning our team, the Sri Lankan team, DG Nalin and GSE Coordinator Ari visited the US Embassy in Colombo and met US Ambassador Robert Blake. A frequent speaker at Rotary Clubs, Mr. Blake was interested to hear about our GSE program. He is from Bethesda, MD so he is quite familiar with our district. Mr. Blake then gave a brief overview of the function of the Embassy and also spoke to the Embassy's role in assisting with a political solution to Sri Lanka's civil conflict.
(I'm slightly out of order here ... the visit to the US Embassy was before lunch at GOH.)

Lunch at the Grand Oriental Hotel ... on York Street - 28 January

2009-01-28T11:35:00.000-08:00

Our lunch today was a buffet of Sri Lankan food taken with our partner GSE Team at the Grand Oriental Hotel. The GOH is located on 2 York Street in Colombo. For those of you who don't know, I was born and raised in York County, PA - thus my interest in this street sign. The restaurant provided a nice view of the Sri Lankan Ports Authority. No photos were taken because phoyography of the facility was not permitted.

Meet the District 3220 GSE Team

2009-01-28T11:19:00.000-08:00

Columbo Uptown Rtn. PP Clarence Siemon is the GSE Team Leader for the GSE Team traveling from Sri Lanka District 3220 to District 7630 Delaware & Maryland's Eastern Shore. He invited his team members to attend Tuesday night and they all made the meeting. Pictured above are Ajantha (AJ), Ima, Ashani (Ash), Chamara, and Clarence. A fine group of young professionals, they will be a great team to host! The two different teams enjoyed the opportunity to get to know one another, hopefully we will see them some more during our stay in Sri Lanka.

Columbo Uptown RC - 27 January

2009-01-28T04:48:00.000-08:00

Two Past Presidents 2005-06
Jen Reider (Newark, DE, USA) & Manoji Samararatne (Colombo Uptown, Sri Lanka)

Our first group presentation was to the Colombo Uptown Rotary Club. The meeting was held at the TransAsia Hotel in Colombo. The Uptown Club is a dinner club and the home club of each of our hosts. They normally meet on Monday evenings but made the change this week to Tuesday so that they could host our group. District Governor Nalin and GSE Chair Ari also attended the meeting. Our presentation was well received by the audience. Governor Nalin gave a short talk as well and complimented our team on being an adventurous group as proposed exchanges initially with Denmark who could not gather a team and secondly with Sweden who could not find a team leader both fell through.
Some club business followed our presentation and then the meeting adjourned for fellowship and a buffet style meal. I had my first Egg Hopper for dinner - a hopper is kind of a thin, crispy pancake but not sweet like our pancakes. I filled it with a spicy vegetable mixture and a hot chili sauce. It was very tasty and folks were impressed that I could eat it - and live to talk about it!
During the fellowship I met PP Manoji Samararatne who presided over the Uptown Club the same year I was the Newark RC president. Manoji is a Marketing Lead for Microsoft and we enjoyed a few minutes of conversation about the challenges of being club president as well as the challenges facing new US President Obama.

Ceylon Motor and Yacht Club - 27 January

2009-01-27T18:29:00.000-08:00

Our hosts very nicely arranged a rest day for us before starting us on our official duties. Rotarians from the Colombo Uptown Rotary Club treated us to a quiet afternoon at the Ceylon Motor and Yacht Club, where my host Hans is an honorary lifetime member. The photo to the right is a view from the club's porch overlooking Bolgoda Lake. We enjoyed a fine lunch of Chicken Lumprise - a mildly spicy dish of rice, chicken, egg, brinjoles (similar to eggplant), a fishball, and katta sambol (the spicy stuff). Then Hans took Lynsey, Tim and I on a quick motor boat ride around the lake. We could have stayed all day, but we had to return home to make ready for our first team presentation at the Colombo Uptown RC.

A Warm Welcom from Our Hosts - 26 January

2009-01-27T10:02:00.001-08:00

Don't we look a sight?!? But our hosts did not care - they welcomed us with fresh flowers, hand shakes and hugs!

The trip from London to Bangalore and then on to Colombo was uneventful. Well, it was uneventful for us but not for Tim's luggage. We're not sure what part of the world his bags saw but they didn't catch up to us for over 28 hours! Tim took it all in stride and really maintained a positive attitude.

Rtn Clarence Siemon and his wife Suranganie had a nice spread of snacks, coffee and tea for us. We enjoyed egg salad sandwiches and fishmeatballs while we got to know our host families. Chris and Lynsey left with their hosts while Ken and I went shopping with Tim and Clarence to find some replacement clothes for Tim. Clarence then delivered me to my host family. Hans and Beverley Svendsen opened their home to me like I was part of the family. Then a hot shower, more snacks, more chatting, a cold 'n tasty Sri Lankan Lion beer, and finally a nice bed and I was out until morning.

London In 15 Hours

2009-01-25T12:04:00.000-08:00

Buildings Along a London Street

We arrived at Heathrow about 30 minutes ahead of schedule. After a quick dash ... as quick as you can dash in an airport as monstrous as Heathrow (18 minute bus ride from terminal 5 to terminal 4) ... to the Kingfisher desk to check in for our evening flight, four of us set out to explore London for a few hours. We were in the Tube by 9am and at Picadilly Circus before 10am. We made a brief stop for caffeine and then we were off: Buckingham Palace, Big Ben and Parliament, Westminster Abbey, a long walk along the Thames to the Tower Bridge and Tower of London with a stop on the London Bridge. Then back in the Tube to return to Heathrow. Quite an impressive amount of touring for a short amount of time and except for the Tube rides to and from the airport we did everything on foot. We didn't really have a choice - the two primary Tube lines in the tourist areas were closed for the day for maintenance - apparently not uncommon for a Sunday in London. Our tour of London turned out to be a really great added bonus to our GSE trip.

Bon Voyage

2009-01-25T11:58:00.000-08:00

The Team Meets at PHL - Chris, Lynsey, Tim, Ken & Jen

The team met at Philly International at 4:45pm on Saturday, Feb 24. We were all excited to travel and even more excited when we learned Chris reserved exit row seats for each of us. Flying with leg room on budget travel ... who would have thought.

Five Days Till Liftoff Part 2 ...

2009-01-19T14:25:00.000-08:00

Max is ready to go too ... but he's not as relaxed as Fred about the adventure.

Five Days Till Liftoff ...

2009-01-19T14:06:00.000-08:00

That's Fred on Mom's lap ... asleep before leaving the driveway!

Last Thursday the team met for the final review of our presentation. DG Cam stopped by and spent some time chit-chatting with the team. He was also patient with us while we worked through some kinks in our presentation. It was nice having another set of eyes, especially since he hadn't heard nor seen it before. He offered some valuable feedback. Over the weekend I merged all pieces together and it seems to have developed a nice flow while still maintaining the unique individuality of each team member.

We also discussed our layover in London and packing strategies. All of us purport to the philosophy of packing light ... but will we translate it into reality??? I'm not holding my breath.

On Sunday Mom and Dad drove down to pick up the boys ... Max and Fred to those of you who don't know them. I miss them terribly. Only a few hours went by before I was calling to check on them. They, however, seem very excited at the prospect of staying with Grandmother Joan and Grandfather Dean. They know the cooking will be LOTS better. It's now been more than 24 hours - I suppose I'll survive.

Check-Out These Links

2009-01-11T11:52:00.000-08:00

Team Member Chris' GSE blog
Rotary District 3220 Website
Rotary District 3220 DG Nalin's Blogsite

Good info and interesting reading. Note on DG Nalin's blogsite that so far over 500 Rotarians have registered for their district conference ... IMPRESSIVE!

Flight Plans

2009-01-11T11:45:00.000-08:00

See you in a month ...
24 JAN 09 - SATURDAY
AIR BRITISH AIRWAYS FLT:66 ECONOMY MEALS
LV PHILADELPHIA 655P EQP: BOEING 777
DEPART: TERMINAL A 06HR 55MIN

25 JAN 09 - SUNDAY
AR LONDON HEATHROW 650A NON-STOP
ARRIVE: TERMINAL 5
AIR KINGFISHER AIRLINES FLT:2 ECONOMY MULTI MEALS
LV LONDON HEATHROW 1005P EQP: AIRBUS A330
DEPART: TERMINAL 4 10HR 00MIN

26 JAN 09 - MONDAY
AR BANGALORE 135P NON-STOP
AIR KINGFISHER AIRLINES FLT:63 ECONOMY SNACK
LV BANGALORE 300P EQP: AIRBUS A320
01HR 20MIN
AR COLOMBO 420P NON-STOP

Trip is over ... time to come home
23 FEB 09 - MONDAY
AIR KINGFISHER AIRLINES FLT:64 ECONOMY BREAKFAST
LV COLOMBO 915A EQP: AIRBUS A320
01HR 15MIN
AR BANGALORE 1030A NON-STOP

AIR KINGFISHER AIRLINES FLT:1 ECONOMY MULTI MEALS
LV BANGALORE 1255P EQP: AIRBUS A330
10HR 50MIN
AR LONDON HEATHROW 615P NON-STOP
ARRIVE: TERMINAL 4
OTHER LONDON HEATHROW

* FORCED OVERNIGHT *
OTHER LONDON HEATHROW

24 FEB 09 - TUESDAY
AIR BRITISH AIRWAYS FLT:67 ECONOMY MEALS
LV LONDON HEATHROW 1115A EQP: BOEING 777
DEPART: TERMINAL 5 08HR 00MIN
AR PHILADELPHIA 215P NON-STOP
ARRIVE: TERMINAL A

Wednesday, January 7, 2008 - Another Shot & Team Meeting

2009-01-07T18:29:00.001-08:00

Another shot today for Japanese Encephalitis.

The team met this evening to work on our presentation, but we spent the first hour discussing the itinerary our hosts have prepared for us. Having the itinerary in hand now has each of us really excited about going. The map to the right pinpoints areas of Sri Lanka that we will be visiting.

Wondering about what each day will bring in Sri Lanka made it difficult to focus on our presentations, but we did eventually get around to dong some actual work. We now have a solid outline of topics that each person will present ... the trick will be keeping each person's segment from being too long ... four minutes each is not a lot of time. We'll meet one more time next week and then we'll be ready to go.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009 - Itinerary!

2009-01-06T19:25:00.000-08:00

I received the proposed GSE program from our host district today. It arrived by email from DG Nalin. This is very exciting. Like team member Chris said - "it seems official now". I also learned today that our plane tickets are issued. That makes things "really official."

We will be staying - in this order - in the cities of Colombo, Ratnapura, Bandarawela, Nuwara Eliya, Kandy, Kurunegala, Wariyapola, and then back to Colombo. We're scheduled to meet the US Ambassador and visit the South Coast cities of Hikkaduwa and Galle. There is a day scheduled for us to share vocational knowledge with school children and we will participate in a Rotary Quiz Competition. We will visit gem museums and gem mines, a tea factory, the Temple of the Tooth Relic, an elephant orphanage, and more! They have even slated time for us to watch the Super Bowl! All this on top of nine club visits, multiple vocational visits, and the District Conference! WOW - what a schedule our hosts have prepared for us. Many, many thanks to our hosts for the significant time and energy they put into planning our visit.

Wednesday, December 31, 2008 - Immunization Day

2009-01-06T19:05:00.000-08:00

One word describes today - OUCH! Five shots - Hep A, Hep B, Typhoid, TDP, and Japanese Encephalitis. Also filled scripts for an antimalarial drug and an antibiotic for traveler's diarrhea - lovely.

Friday, December 19, 2008 - Field Trip to Salisbury, MD

2009-01-06T18:40:00.000-08:00

Today the team took a field trip to Salisbury on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Since all of us live or work in New Castle County it seemed only appropriate to venture south and get a feel for life in this part of our Rotary district. We met with Don Hackett who is a Rotarian with the Wicomico County Rotary Club. Don began his Rotary experience as a GSE team member to South Africa in 1995. It was an added bonus of the day for the team members to hear about his experience as a team member. They got to ask a lot of questions about what they can expect during the trip. Don so enjoyed his GSE experience that he joined Rotary and now is District Governor Nominee for 2010-11.
After chatting with Don for a while we visited the Wicomico County Tourism Office and then the Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art (pictured). Affiliated with Salisbury University, the Ward Museum houses an impressive collection of wildfowl art and carvings. It is named for brothers Lem and Steve Ward of Crisfield, MD - "wildlife counterfeiters in wood" - who elevated decoy carving to a fine art.

Sunday, December 14, 2008 - Experiencing Sri Lanka II

2009-01-06T18:26:00.000-08:00

L to R: Jen, Kamal, Chris, Tara, Lynsey, Ken, Tim

Part II of our intercultural training involved meeting with Kamal and Tara deFonseka. Kamal and Tara are both native Sri Lankans. They live now in Wilmington and both work as consultants in their respective fields - Kamal in chemistry and Tara in financial investments. Kamal is a member of the Wilmington Rotary Club. We spent about an hour discussing the core values of Sri Lankans, verbal and non-verbal communication, typical topics of conversation, traditions & celebrations, and behavioral norms & etiquette. It was a very informative meeting and the team members felt a lot better about understanding Sri Lankans and their culture.

Sunday, December 14, 2008 - Experiencing Sri Lanka I

2009-01-06T17:50:00.000-08:00

A One Day Intercultural Training

Today the team benefited from a very informative intercultural communication seminar lead by Camilla McGill. Ms. McGill is an intercultural consultant and is a member of the Caesar Rodney Rotary Club. We discussed the complexity of culture and our cultural values as Americans. We then discussed how our values may differ from those of our hosts in Sri Lanka and how we can effectively navigate a culture that is different from our own. The key is to adaptable and flexible ... easy to say but challenging to do when you are the minority and your support infrastructure is back home half a world away. (Pictured above are Camilla (right) and I).

Monday, December 01, 2008 - Newark Rotary Club

2009-01-04T19:58:00.000-08:00

Today each of the team members attended the Newark Rotary Club regular weekly meeting. The Newark Rotary Club is the club I belong to and is also the sponsor club for Chris and Tim. I think each of the team member's enjoyed the meeting and the fellowsip they shared with the Rotarians at their table. Rotarian Jean Andress commented to me after the meeting what a nice looking GSE team our district has put together. I could not help ut agree.
After the meeting I gave out our uniform blazers and we briefly reviewed our presentations. Everyone is well on their way, but I think the challenging part will be combining them into a seemless presentation. I am confident it will all come together with time and practice.

Sunday, November 23, 2008 - Dinner at The Anderson's

2009-01-04T19:25:00.000-08:00

L to R: DG Cam Yorkston, Kathy Yorkston, Tim, Ken, Jen, Lynsey, Chris, GSE Chair George Anderson

The team ventured to southern Delaware to meet our GSE Chair PDG George Anderson and his wife Peggy, and our District Governor Cam Yorkston and his wife Kathy. George and Peggy live in Bethel, Delaware and were our hosts for the day. It was a really nice day with regard to both the weather and the company. DG Cam gave the team a statistical and geographical overview of our District and a description of how Rotary is organized from the local club level up to Rotary International. It was interesting and will be good information for the team to know during our travels. Cam also described the circuitous route through which the District 7630 & District 3220 GSE partnership was formed ... one that I am certainly glad has occurred!

Saturday, November 15, 2008 - 2nd Team Meeting

2009-01-04T19:21:00.000-08:00

Nothing too exciting to report about this meeting - it was all business. Uniforms, shirts, presentations, cultural training, Rotary training, gifts, pins, etc.

Sunday, November 02, 2008 - 1st Team Meeting

2009-01-03T16:29:00.000-08:00

Team Members from L to R: Ken Carson, Chris Hughson, Lynsey Kocenko, Tim Dean

Not pictured is Team Leader Jen Reider (someone had to take the picture)

Today our team finally met for the first time and we started to get to know one another. We introduced ourselves and talked about our predeparture preparations.

Ken Carson is the Executive Director of The Lorelton - an 82-bed assisted living facility in Wilmington, DE. Ken is sponsored by the Wilmington Rotary Club.
Chris Hughson is the Manager of Financial Reporting and Analysis with Corporation Services Company in Wilmington, DE. Chris's sponsor club is the Rotary Club of Newark.
Lynsey Kocenko is a Civil Engineer who works as a Project Manager for the Delaware Solid Waste Authority in Dover, DE. Lynsey is sponsored by the Newark Morning Rotary Club.
Tim Dean is a Senior Probation Officer with the Serious Juvenile Offenders Unit in Wilmington, DE. Tim is also sponsored by the Rotary Club of Newark.
Jen Reider is a member of the Rotary Club of Newark and is a Senior Estimator with The Tri-M Group, LLC - a full service commercial and industrial electrical contractor located in Kennett Square, PA.