14th September 2010 After rescuing a few thousand pineapples from suffocating weeds Aaron and I left the DDC and Sri Lanka to return to India. I thought of it as a rescue operation because sometimes when the hot sun burned, sweat dripped down my chest and spiky pineapple leaves scratched my skin I needed reminding that eliminating all plant life was not the objective. Usually though the methodical work was peaceful and I discovered how enjoyable and what a good work-out gardening could be. My thighs ached from doing squats all day, but it was rewarding to see the difference we made. My fingers muscles had grown to big for my ring, or maybe my fingers were just swollen in the heat. Two days before leaving Yakalla I took my last chance for some sightseeing in the area. At lunch time I rode in a three-wheeler up to a rock temple about 10km away. One of the priests gave me a personal guided tour. Unfortunately he didn't speak much English, so although I was honoured I didn't learn ...

September 8, 2010 Breakfast is rice and dhal. There's also watermelon left over from lunch yesterday. We eat with Suni who spoke at and moderated a forum at the center yesterday about community organization and the roles of NGOs and POs. Currently, he's a drama teacher in Columbo but he's really interested in community development. He's lived and worked in several parts of Africa. We got into talking about the attitude of Sri Lanka and American people towards government. He also filled me in about how the current president of Sri Lanka is trying to get a constitutional amendment through that will allow him to run for a third six-year term. Apparently, this a rather cyclical occasion in Sri Lanka history. After breakfast we start at second row and get about halfway finished before we hear the bell for tea. It's already gotten quite warm and my ball cap is soaked with sweat. Jean is looking flushed. We're thrilled to give the pineapples a rest for a bit. We g...

September 8, 2010 Compared to India where we often found ourselves on a buses or trains or rickshaws Jean and I have led a sedentary existence here in Sri Lanka. Other than four or five nights in Beruwela and the night in Nurwela we've slept at our little bungalow at the DDC in the village of Yakalla every night. And during the days it all about the pineapples. Chaminda told me that there a five thousand pineapple plants on the DDC farm. That's a lot of pineapples. Here's a day in the life of a pineapple farmer: I usually wake up about six when everything is still quiet. We're a couple of hundred yards from the road and during the day there's regular traffic. The sun hasn't risen yet and the top of the palms are aglow with soft yellow light. There's a covered porch attached to our bungalow. Lately, I've been reading from the book of Jeremiah in the mornings. I've always had trouble keeping my focus through the the old testament prophets. I keep...

September 6, 2010 Four days after we got back from Beruwela we were back on the road again. This time with the DDC on a staff retreat of sorts. Chaminda had mentioned it back when we first arrived a few weeks ago but we weren't really sure if we were invited. We didn't want to impose and were full ready to fend for ourselves come the weekend. Friday evening I broached the subject with Chaminda and he gave me one of those enigmatic looks that I've come to know well. Of course you're coming along, don't be silly. This baby was amazing on a very long, jarring bus trip. Early Saturday morning we were given our lunches wrapped in banana leaves. We then boarded a colorfully painted bus with the DDC staff and their families and  headed out. Headed out to where we weren't quite sure. Chaminda had told us Nurwela and to bring a jacket before jetting off on his motorcycle Friday night. We found Nurwela on our tourist map of Sri Lanka in the lower middle section ...

August 30, 2010 When a man loves a turtle Can't keep his mind on nothing else He'd give up all his comfort Sleep out on the beach If she said that's the way it ought to be Since our bodies have recovered from the beating of the Katelios workout regimen Jean and I have developed a nostalgia for the six weeks we spent volunteering with the sea turtle conservation group on the Greek island of Kefalonia. Through intensive study of turtles, talking to tourists about turtles, daily snorkeling forays to see turtles, and the rare nocturnal grappling session these gentle knights-errant of the sea have found a warm place in my heart. So, went I saw a turtle hatchery on my map mere millimeters from Beruwela I couldn't help but drag the wedding party there one afternoon. With its sandy beaches and warm climate the Sri Lanka coast is a hotbed of sea turtle activity. As the same suggests the Sea Turtle Protection Project in Bentota, Sri Lanka is a conservation group d...

31st August 2010 As I sat down for breakfast by a beautiful, wide river fringed with palm trees, I felt the warm sun, saw the brilliant blue sky and knew this was going to be a lovely day for a wedding. When Aaron and I were in London last May I was surprised to find out from my friend Emily that of all the places in the world, my friends Kat and Gareth had chosen to get married in Beruwela, Sri Lanka during the time that Aaron and I were WWOOFing in the country. I was excited that the coincidence meant I could rekindle my friendship, thousands of miles from home, with the happy couple and Emily and Emma and I was delighted that Kat and Gareth invited us to be part of their big day. I had many great adventures living with Kat, Emma and Eleanor during my second year of university in Bath, but as much as I would love to share some of these, they are unfortunately out of the scope of this blog. I had regrettably not seen them or many other of my friends from uni since I moved to Austin 2 ...

25th August 2010 Today Chaminda suggested Aaron and I have a day off since we had spent the last seven days on project work and the programme for today was cancelled. We had spent five days weeding pineapples, one day on a skills development programme for children and one day on a programme in a village in the dry zone. The programmes had not been too demanding and the long breaks during the days we are farming meant that it hardly felt like we had been working for the last seven days, but we didn't want to turn down the opportunity for a break. After a lazy start to the day, compared to our usual 6.30 am, we asked Chaminda for suggestions of where to go and he recommended Batalagoda Water Tank, a lake just a few km away. We caught a ride to the reservoir in the DDC mini van that was on it's way somewhere further afield. They pointed out the best areas for swimming, but Aaron and I decided not to swim since the murky wetland was not too appealing. We did however find a lo v...

August 24, 2010 Yesterday, Chaminda, the Sri Lanka WWOOF director,  told Jean and me that there would be a program today. I have noticed that Chaminda can be a little vague sometimes when it comes to details. Our last "program" was a few days ago. A couple of dozen children came to the DDC. Well, Chaminda referred to them as children but they were aged anywhere from 12 to 20. Chaminda and several other of the DDC staffers held sessions including a film and book discussion, and lectures covering the history of computing and civil awareness. At one point Chaminda turned to Jean and me and asked if we would like to present something to the children in English. "When?" I asked. "Oh, now." "Okay." *    *    * So, yesterday I peppered Chaminda with questions about the program gathering that it would be about conservation in nearby village, with adults and there wouldn't be any English instruction. I still wasn't clear as to...