Oh my God, I think I’m hearing double

If Sri Lanka was a country without ‘unvisible’ voices asking ‘what my name is’ or ‘where I’m going to’, it would not be Sri Lanka.

Young monks on the bus

Asian 'aliya' in Morawaka!

Big boy with a kind heart!

As I have to experience all this country is giving me, I got dressed in a sari; thanks to Nipuni. Because if I want to do it myself -believe me, it’s NOT easy-, I really have to take some lessons from her…!

Note: there are two ways of wearing a sari. There is the Kandyan style and the Indian style.

Sari, Indian style

Escaping Buddhism in our daily lives is not an option -as we discovered the ‘pansila’ (temple) at the estate, after only 2,5 months…-, so you just do good and think about merits. This idea was not even necessary when the teachers alarmed me about a few children with some wounds on their limbs. I took some pictures and showed these to doctor Ravi; who told me that they really needed treatment. So what happens when you are told the parents cannot effort treatment and the bus ticket? You explain that they get health care for free in Sri Lanka (!) and you take the whole family to the hospital yourself. With great help of doctor Ravi, the whole family got treatment. As I am remembered of this several days after, I realize doing it for the innocent smile on the children’s faces!

How to battle an ant-invasion...

There we have to read newspapers for school, some interesting columns appear from time to time… Which does not mean I am reading it, Samuel! -Don’t believe this, my dear readers, it was too funny to skip it!-

Anyone interested?

Meanwhile I started collecting data for my thesis. As I have to ask questions to the patients, the language differences don’t make this an easy thing. But I gratefully thank doctor Ravi, nurse Thathsara and Chathurika for all the translations they did so far!

Donation from a Lion's club to the hospital

Cosiness at Mirissa

Happy faces after shopping, Mirissa

On the estate we live between Tamil people and we love to also get involved in their religion and cultural habits. To really get this experience, I went with the teachers to the Banagalla plantation -where the teachers teach some days a week- to celebrate Thai Pongal. This is the most important festival celebrated by the Tamil people, after the harvest season. The parade -which we joined, being an attraction at ourselves between all the Sri Lankan participants- was a mixture of colorful decorations, music, dances and some important rituals.

Colorful parade, Bangalla

Lovely little ones!

Sky filled with bats!

Before we climbed the hill of the plantation; sunshine all over and so thankful for this natural water spring...

On our way down; when the path became a small river. This looks like a river trip with the youth movement!

Waiting for the bus under umbrellas and banana trees!

To all the students -either you are in Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Spain, …-: thumbs up for the exams!

Last but not least, thanks to my family for the awesome Skype-time during the New Year’s dinner at home! 

I love you, mom!

See you in 16 days!

I love you, dad!