CLASS IS IN

One of the things we are trying to do while we are here is to give people who can not attend English classes (either because they can't afford them or because of distance) greater opportunity to develop English skills. We want to train and assist volunteers with reasonable English skills to be able to share these skills with others, with the aim of having English programs running in impoverished or rural areas. This will open more career opportunities for the students than what is available to those without any skills in English.

After a year of developing a program for volunteers to use, we have finally been able to begin training our first group of volunteers. We have three volunteers who have been meeting on Saturdays to learn how to share English skills with others in creative ways. They are also learning teaching/classroom techniques. Although this is a small start, we are hoping that it will grow into big things. They have only a few Saturdays left of their training program and then we will assist them in getting their own classes started. The classes will be started as a result of generous donations, but a manageable (read 'small') student fee will allow these classes to continue in a self sufficient manner.

From little things, big things grow.

GIGGLES

Those of you who know us well will know how much we both like a good laugh. We both tend to see the funny side of things (maybe because of the way that we look at them). So, today I thought I might share a couple of things that have caused some giggles.

:) I asked one of my students to translate the sentence, "Ohu kakul mace miladi garnava" (He is buying socks) into English. As she worked through trying to form this into an English sentence (tricky work when you consider that English and Sinhala have very different sentence structures), the word 'chicken' kept coming up. We were all a little confused and then it dawned on us all at once. 'Kakul mace' are socks and 'Kukul mas' is chicken meat. A good giggle for the class. One thing's for sure, I will not be sending her to buy me socks! I'm just relieved that it's not just me who says silly things with Sinhala.

:D English class is a great place for a giggle. The students can always be counted on to say something amusing. If your day needs brightening, just show them a picture and ask, "What is this?" My favourite terminology to date includes the 'teafork' (an implement that makes putting sugar in your tea a difficult task) and 'shoe noodles' (for the pasta fanatic who needs to tie their shoes).

:P At lunch recently, one of our students opened his lunch parcel and exclaimed happily, "I told my wife to put minnows in and she did. She is such a good wife; she listens to what I say." In walks another of our students and she says, "You've got my lunch!" So he gives it back, looks in his actual lunch parcel and says, "She didn't give me any minnows. She gave me prawns. I told her I don't like prawns." I guess it's an easy mistake when you all bring your lunch wrapped in a banana leaf.

:} We spent last weekend in Colombo, with many appointments to keep. When we arrived back home on Sunday afternoon we were all ready for a nap. How can you tell? Because instead of telling Brenton to "Get the gate", Darren instructed his son to "Eat the goat".

Have a happy day!

UPCOMING ELECTIONS

We are now a week away from the upcoming presidential elections. Although we aim for political neutrality in our blog, I think it would be remiss of us to not to make note of some of the ways we have seen this event affecting life around us.

The most obvious indication that election fever is in the air is the plethora of photos of the president that you will see as you travel around Sri Lanka. The roadsides are swathed in images of the president; from the giant figures of him striding across billboards to the lines of posters of his smiling face, if you came to Sri Lanka not knowing who the president is, it would not take you long to find out.

Another way that the impending election is affecting daily life in Sri Lanka is that the cost of many goods has been reduced. Recently, when I received more than the expected amount of change for my bread I assumed they had made a mistake. I tried to do the right thing and return the extra five rupee (five cents), but they assured me that bread was now only Rs. 75. My Sinhala was insufficient to try and find out why without causing confusion, so I walked away with my extra five rupee and a clean conscience. Prince was able to tell me later, that the cost of bread has been dropped because of the election. Fuel is also cheaper as well as some other goods. (On the other hand, the cost of a roast chicken is now significantly higher as we face something of a chicken shortage. Chickens are being directed to Jaffna as part of the rebuilding process after the war (which is not to say that chickens are rebuilding Jaffna, just that the people are getting to eat them!). Although it is not pleasant watching the price of roast chickens go ever upward, I feel satisfied now that I know that it is because the chickens are going to those who need them more. I don't think this is election related, but I thought it was an interesting side note.)

The promise of an election has also brought about travel disruptions. Buses have been pulled from their usual routes to be used to transport people to rallies and public political events, meaning that travel plans have become increasingly uncertain for those relying on buses. Roads have been closed for these events or for the president (or those associated with him) as he travels. This can cause significant delays in travel as Sri Lankan roads are very busy and often only have one route between towns.

Lastly, you can tell an election is on its way by the patches of blue and green. The major political parties are identified by a colour and a picture; one is represented by the colour blue and a picture of a leaf, the other by the colour green and a picture of a swan. As you travel around Sri Lanka you will occasionally pass through areas of support for one party or the other. Blue or green ribbons (depending on the political allegiance) will festoon a group of houses and other nearby structures. Unfortunately, these allegiances can often become manifest in hostility towards supporters of the opposite party, which can lead to fighting. Yesterday we learnt that two people had died as a result of violence stemming from political differences.

So in one week's time we should know who won: the blue guy or the green guy. Here's hoping that bread still costs Rs. 75 in two weeks time.

EGG-CITING NEWS

We are pleased to be able to finish off the old year and start the new with good news. Niwton the Eggman, who received one of our initial micro-credit loans a year and a half ago has made his final payment. Yay! How egg-citing!

THE NEW YEAR STARTS WITH A BANG

Midnight, December 31st 2009/January 1st 2010: I was awoken from my slumber by a great noise. Was it the rumbling of a tropical thunderstorm? Could I hear waves crashing on the seashore? Were the ancient Romans invading Negombo with their chariots and multitudes of legions of soldiers? No, this was the arrival of the New Year in Sri Lanka.

Across the land, thousands and thousands of firecrackers were being let off in unison. The sound was amazing, like the sky had become one big, fizzy drink; it was like listening to a gigantic bowl of Rice Bubbles. While the war had been on, we had heard the sound of gunfire over Colombo but that had nothing on the sound of the New Year. From my bedroom windows I was able to enjoy several light shows, the best coming from the yard of a nearby neighbour.

It was quite some time before I slipped back into bed and returned to my sleep. It wasn't a restful night though, as I was woken several more times during the night by outbursts of firecrackers. The firecracker frivolity continued through the night and on throughout the following day. We were to hear later that over 2000 people went into Sri Lankan hospitals over the New Year period with cracker-related injuries. I can understand why Australia has made private firecrackers illegal.

To all our readers out there, we wish you a cracker of a New Year. May it be a year of love, hope and promise.

A LANKAN CHRISTMAS

So it was my first Christmas away from home. What a big step! Of course, it gets one contemplating the differences between the new experiences and the old, so I thought I'd tell you about some of the things I learnt about Christmas in Lanka.

1) A snowman is called an 'ice bubba'. I think that's pretty cool - no pun intended.

2) A common sight on the streets are the stalls selling inflatable Santas. The inflated Santas hang in lines from the tops of the stalls, or even from nearby trees.

3) I don't think I've heard so many Christmas Carols in a single Christmas season. The radio pumped them out on the days leading up to Christmas and even the days after. It seems that the most popular one would be "Mary's Boy Child", though I think "Little Drummer Boy" also got a fair amount of airplay. "Stay A Little Longer Santa" was one I'd never heard before and I have to admit that someone singing of Santa as their love interest was something I found a little unnerving.

4) I learnt that if you write Charismas Eve in a fancy font, nobody will probably even notice the spelling mistake.

5) Decorating houses with lights isn't done for Christmas. Instead, nativity scenes are the go. Straw nativities are made with statuettes placed inside to depict the events surrounding the birth of Christ. You can register your nativity for local competition. Judges will go around visiting registered nativities and will select a winner, who collects a cash prize. In fishing areas, the straw nativities are often made in the shape of a fishing boat.

6) I was showing my English students a selection of old Christmas cards. One had a picture of Santa standing by a chimney and this aroused the curiosity of my students. They asked me if there was any truth behind the legend of Santa Claus, so I explained the history behind the legend and how the legend is told in modernity. When I told the part about Santa going down and up the chimney, there were 'ah!'s of understanding all around. Now they understood why Santa was standing on the roof. A little explanation about reindeers and flying sleighs also helped to make things a little clearer (one girl thought that Santa delivered presents with his team of donkeys).

As I told my (adult) students the story of Santa travelling around the whole world in one night and leaving presents for all the girls and boys, I found myself wondering how this tale must sound to those who have grown up without piles of presents under trees, without stocking stuffed with toys and treats. Would a child wonder why this magical man would travel the whole world with goodies galore and never come to them? Do they wonder if there's backpay? I wondered if part of the reason that so few of us spare a thought for the needs of others at Christmas is because we've grown up being told that Santa visits all children - kick back and enjoy your goodies and count on

Santa to take care of everyone else. At that point it seemed that the Santa story as it is told in modern society is actually a story of exclusion; we would like to believe that Christmas is for everybody and yet it we can choose to build it around a concept that is only for a few.

Wherever you are around this world, I hope this Christmas was a blessed time for you and your loved ones. More than that, I hope you were able to look around you and be able to give to another who might not have had a wrapped gift sitting under their tree. And, even more than that, I hope that this is something you will be able to do each and every day in the coming year.

CULTURAL SHOCK

Recently I have been reading a book about a family that moved to Nepal to work as volunteers in a small hospital. The author speaks about his expectation upon arrival and what he found surprising during his time there. I found myself relating to the subject of cultural shock. I cannot remember specific examples of people telling me that I would experience it, but I do feel that there must have been some reference to it. Maybe this is what I told myself, what others may have said, or what I have picked up from reading.

My understanding of cultural shock was that it was having to deal with the spicy food, hard beds, regular cold showers with no pressure, not being able to understand the language, being stared at no matter where you go. However reading this book I have come to see that what he experienced had crept into my everyday life. Because Cultural shock goes past the physical, it is also the way we treat others.

Culture is simply the way we do things in our country. The way we drive, talk, deal with strangers and interact with friends that have come to visit. For the most part these are not really right or wrong- it is just the way we do things. But, I have found myself seeing the way I do things to be the correct way-even the best way. I have assumed an arrogance that I did not even realise was there, it had crept up on me because I thought I was right. I have experienced Culture shock in a way that I didn't even realise.

Slowly I have had to learn that my way is not the only way. The Western world may have many advantages but it doesn't mean that it is all right. I may have had the benefit of an education that many here could not, but the way I treat people needs to be free of the condescension that is part of the everyday expat community here. However, respecting their culture doesn't mean I look the other way when someone is going to put butter on a burn. Or when the neighbours burn rubber products outside their house I will ask them to stop because it is not good for their kids.