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Destination: Sri Lanka

Date: 05 February 2012

Newsletter  Feb 2012

Friday 3^rd Feb

There were a few snowflakes today – yikes but I am at Heathrow waiting for the flight out and the weather is cold but clear.  There is a major weather warning for tomorrow so I am really hoping we will fly tonight with no hitches.  The flight is over booked by 2 and I was offered a free flight valid for a year – hotel accommodation and an upgrade if I flew tomorrow – however the downside – severe weather warning – and arrival in Sri Lanka 2am! Ummmmmm no thanks.

Sat 4^th Feb

Great flight – sat next to a Sri Lankan Dr from the UK – he was really nice – going home to meet with his mother and sisters and brother from Australia in Colombo.  The flight wizzed past as we chatted for most of it.  He promised to email me. Prasad was waiting as usual and we had the BEST ever trip as we went on the new highway – so exciting……..no traffic and it was straight like a roman road.  Ended in Baddegama and total drive time of 3 hours a RECORD in the day time.  That is what we do at night when there are no cars on the other route!

Into the hotel by 5pm and just time to check in and unpack before I was invited to be ‘felicitated’ I was hoping it wouldn’t be painful.  This is the delightful term used to welcome returning guests – they are treated to a cocktail reception and Siri telling us all about each other! There was one man who had been more times than my 35 in 7 years -  he had been 50 times over a span of 40 years.  Still think I won tho!  Siri waxed lyrical and then told the assembled throng that I would speak – no warning – he wanted me to tell them what I was doing in the area.

We were all given a ‘carriage clock’ – I know I have arrived now!

BUT it is a carriage clock with a great big flash difference – there is an elephant on top!  Cracked it – I have always wanted a carriage clock but thought I would have to work for a boring company for 300 years and get it on my retirement! However I do very interesting work and have been at it for 7 and so I have broken the stereotype! Yay

Bed is calling – loudly!

Sunday

Woke in the night at 2am – wide away – read for a while and then fell into an uncomfortable slumber – woke at 8am very groggy!

Once we were on the road I felt much better – straight to see Nilanthie and Dihen came straight out to ask me how I am – he is SO grown up now.  Nilanthie was showering Mahon but he also came out all smiles to play with the toys I had bought for them.  Gave Nilanthie the Chanel from Ali.

We planned for the allotment and agreed Nilanthie will make a poster for people to apply to us and we will have selection next Sat – we need a manager and 8 families to have a plot each.

Next we called at Niroshini’s to give her the calendar.  The oldest boy Thilina is 13 and top of his class – next year he will leave to go to Ambalangoda but she would like him to attend the college up the road as it is considered to be better.  It is 15,000 rupees for 3 years  £83.27!  anyone want to sponsor him?  He will be the man of the family as his older brother Sahan is severely disabled and unable to earn – father was killed on the railway track.  I will find out more – I reckon for £150 for 3 years we could do the books bags and uniform too!  That is £50 per year for 3 years!

Next we went to see the Plastic house family but they were out.

Next to see Anura and his family and see how the brother is (he had a tragic accident which killed on of his sons and has rendered him brain damaged) The little boy was full of smiles and wanted to know where Ali was.

Brother is a little better – gave him some vitamins and the boy a Silvester toy – he was very pleased.

Premedasa was out but we met him on the way  out – he has been sick with gastritis.  Gave him 1,000 ( £5.55 ) rupees and a bottle of water too.

On to Charles but the girls and Dad were out.  Gave mum a calendar and a box of vits for the little girl and also Dad as he has broken his wrist in a moto accident.

Sarath and Ragani next – little fella came out laughing and smiling especially when I gave him his pressy and he saw himself in the calendar.  Gorgeous girlies there!  Gave Rangani the 3 inhalers I had been given by Dr Sue.

back to the Hotel for a quick bite and cool down!

Nalin was next on the list to give his 2 children a little pressy – I gave his daughter Rosie a little doll and she kept kissing it and stroking its hair – so sweet and Taneesha had a swimming jacket from the Barracudas.  Nalin was telling me that over half the folk have left the village they were relocated to inside after the Tsunami as there is no water and the services promised were never allocated.  They all have terrible problems with the deeds of the land each house is on.   It seems we never learn from our mistakes and I fear the same thing is happening in Haiti all over again.

Next was Disna – her husband has dug the well but she needs a collar putting around the top so the baby will not slip down and it also stabilises the ground at the top too.  Tharushi has grown tall and was thrilled with her doll – the baby looked at me very seriously but seemed to like the soft toy.  Pasindu was out playing cricket. Hemalatha and the 2 girlies were next – I gave them their gifts from Ali – they were very pleased – especially with the nail varnish and the flannel – Marshika’s hair is now long thick and glossy – she had to have it all cut off as she was sick.  Mum asked me for help with school shoes – the girls ran into their room and produced some really worn out shoes – I gave them £10 to buy some new ones.

We drove up the road to see Mahathun and while driving Prasad asked me if I knew what had happened to Chandana’s family?  I asked why and what he told me next rendered me speechless……………..

I visited them in September last year and 3 days later Chandana was killed on the same road and same spot his mother was killed 3 years ago…………I was SO shocked and a cold chill – in this 30%  - heat ran down my spine!   Of all the families for this to happen to………….

My first meeting with this family of 4 girls, Chandana and Mum and Dad was through a man at a hotel here in Hikkaduwa.  Chandana had gained really good A levels and been offered a scholarship to the UK – after some confusion we realised that it was first to Oxford to read English and then to Cambridge to study to become a vet. 

Their kitchen – a shack – had blown down in a storm – and we including Roger Allsopp, Jean Rouget, Frnkie Sutton, my son Jack and Maire Tyrell decided to build a better kitchen alongside my builder Damith – this we did – and it was better than their shack of a house but we couldn’t build as they did not have the land.  I promised to buy land and build for them.  In the meantime the mum was struck on the zebra crossing and died.

Chandana wrote to me and told me a man had said he would give him 500,000 rupees (£2,775) to sell a kidney.  I of course told him not to do it and wait till I got there and we would discuss what was needed.  By the time I reached Sri Lanka Chandana had decided not to go to the UK but to instead train to be Dr within the Sri Lankan army.

I gave Dad some of the money as he said he wanted to build the house on the land we had just bought himself.  All went well but by the time he was up to roof height – with stage payments – suddenly he ran out of money – it turned out he had turned to drink – so naturally I did not give any more.  We got the house and land back from the family and I agreed with Chandana and his sisters that I would continue the build myself BUT the father would not be allowed to move in with them.  They all agreed somewhat relieved.  This was to be my project to finish this time.! Ouch

Damith came to the hotel so I asked him to quote me for the collar for the well at Disna’s, 2 new wells at the Allotment – one for the house and another for the land and to finish the Chandana house.

Big electrical storm  with torrential rain tonight – apparently it had been TOO dry till I got here! Usually it is the other way round and the sunshines!