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I cannot believe the summer is half over. I am sure all of my fellow teachers are having the same sad thoughts. I hope this email finds everyone well and a bit sunburned from too many days lazing away on the beach. I manage about one or two days to work on my tan. Other days are spent working with Sam around town managing our various projects, chasing people who are not doing their jobs quickly enough, trying to manage the accounts for the charity (hateful, awful, disgusting, boring job: sorry to all math teachers, bankers and accountants) and writing proposals and/or updates for the trustees.

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August 2, 2005 Sri Lanka

Lasulo
2006-01-06 19:45:50

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I cannot believe the summer is half over. I am sure all of my fellow teachers are having the same sad thoughts. I hope this email finds everyone well and a bit sunburned from too many days lazing away on the beach. I manage about one or two days to work on my tan. Other days are spent working with Sam around town managing our various projects, chasing people who are not doing their jobs quickly enough, trying to manage the accounts for the charity (hateful, awful, disgusting, boring job: sorry to all math teachers, bankers and accountants) and writing proposals and/or updates for the trustees.

In between all of that I have managed to immerse myself into village life and have been invited to and attended the following: the mayor (called the Head Man) of Unawatuna's daughter's wedding, several funerals, a big girl party (when a girl gets her period she is thrown a party - I was the only white person there and was quite the star attraction when I got up to dance with the kids. Cameras were taken out, and I had my photo taken at least five times), a few birthday parties, and a few restaurant openings. At all of these events, the men and women sit separately. The women chat and eat, and the men drink arrack (local, lethal stipple made from coconuts, is dirt cheap, and makes people slightly crazy). I have also been to the police station twice (to sort out problems with Sam's van) and had my first overnight stay in a hospital. Ever. Yes, my first time ever having to stay overnight in a hospital and it happens to be in Sri Lanka where the medical care is absolutely frightening. Here is what happened:

First of all, I moved again, just one floor up in my hotel to the penthouse. And, let me tell you, it is a penthouse. It is a huge studio apartment with a kitchen and three walls of windows that face the ocean. The view is unbelievable. The price: 800 rupees or $8. Yup! ...