more..

After my last blog I decided to write down what I want to make sure to talk about because I invariably forget a lot and new stuff happens like today. We were driven to our afternoon class to the International Peace Council  for Sri Lanka where we had a talk about their work and the political history of Sri Lanka.  I guess I naively thought that since it was a Buddhist country it would be more peaceable then other places.  Sri Lanka is actually a pretty warring  nation. I temporarily forgot Northern Ireland, the Crusades, Bosnia, you know what I mean, ethnicity seems so strong, more then religion and yet sometimes justified by religion.  Anyway that is not what I wanted to talk about but I do need to say that I just a few days ago, found out the most horrible news which is that in Uganda it is now the law that you will be put to death for being homosexual!   The law stating that if you purposely spread AIDS you will be put to death was defeated!
Let me talk about some very happy things.  For Christmas 8 of us volunteers are going down to Galle and to the beach.   We are staying in a place called the Frangipani Hotel.  It sounds dreamy and it is in the old Dutch section of Galle.  We are leaving next Tuesday until the 27th.  We decided we shall have Secret Santa since we shall be there on Christmas which is big here at least in terms of decorations.  The  Lankans celebrate all holidays I've been told!  This fact is why they have about 25 holidays off a year.  I get 15 of those thru VSO plus however many my employer gives off plus 20 work days off for vacation a year!  So I am off a minimum of 35 days a year!  Start putting bids in for travel folks, you to me, me to you, India, Maldives whatever, that's a lot of time to play!
Have I mentioned the dogs who travel in packs here?  It is a little scary but I we stay clear and feel very reassured that we got our 3 rabies shots despite the $1000 it cost for them (no I didn't have to pay).
I am making the equivalent of $10 a day which so far is fine and we get an allowance to buy things for the flat we get.  Of course having little else to see in Colombo I am on a search for the right sheets, towels, dishes, pots, pans and lovely things to decorate my home.  I am determined to pretty much hit every important shop so no stone is left unturned to get the best value, price and beauty.  I already bought some lovely placemats which I fell in love with which then led to a sale of white dishes to go with them..not so important you say well for me it made sense but then I worried about what color the flat was and what if I buy the wrong color so I researched (questioned anyone who might know) and found out my walls are pale yellow so now I have a better sense...I know you are laughing about this.  What is funny is that one of my language teachers took me round last night to look at things in a couple of shops and a craft show.  We had very little time because she arrived SL time as they say (very late I say) and so I looked quickly everywhere thinking we were in a rush and I would come back.  She meanwhile shopped, bought stuff in every store and chastised me for not studying each product enough, she does not know who she is dealing with!  Anyway I think this woman is great, her ancestry is Buddhist, her parents became Christian and she has become a Jehovah's Witness.  I am looking for Buddhists and so far I have been out with a JW and Friday I am going out with a Catholic Priest!  Oy...