This blog I'm unsure how to start, or where to start. As my mind races 344543 miles a second I can say this blog will be a free flow, tad random, so keep up.

First week....

We quickly adapted to our schedules, and the daily routine. We wake up at 6:30am, eat breakfast which consists of bread, ground coconut with hot spices added, a fried egg, and some potato sort of yellow curry. Needless to say it has already got old. My taste buds yearn for some of momma's french toast.  After breakfast we get in our tuk-tuk which is a three wheel automobile that’s all open and has no seat belts, it’s a real joy ride wherever we go. 

This past week we were dropped off at "Sethma" a Private Sri Lankan hospital, the staff loves us and has no idea what we are saying so we just all smile at each other. In Sri Lanka there are private hospitals and government hospitals. Governments are huge chaotic buildings that cater to the vast majority of Sri Lanka population, these hospitals are completely free of charge. The Private hospitals are much smaller, cost money(5dollars in US dollars) which is quite a lot for them, so private hospitals cater to the “rich” population of Sri Lanka. Jen and I are amazed daily how things are ran in the hospitals, often we just want to throw up a red flag and scream what the HELLLLLL are you people doing. I am no doctor, but I do know when a child comes in with a burn blister on his finger you are NOT to pop the blister with your unsterile scissors and remove the blistered skin, or when you enter a surgery room to take off your shoes for my athletes foot is more sanitary. The list goes one, the hospital isn’t air conditioned, flies have invaded, mold grows up the walls, a “clean” working surface for lets say someone getting stitches for a toe is “newspaper”. The custodians clean barefoot, and use a mop that oh I’d say is 28 years old. I hate to complain for I simply just wish I could give, and teach the proper way of sanitation, but unfortunately I cant. The technology here is approximately 50 years behind us, no exaggeration, it is pitiful. Oh this ones big….Gloves aren’t worn within the medical field, fantastic huh?

Jen and I begged for more, we realized this was bad, but we wanted to see what that government hospital was all about, Nerangela shook her head in fear for us when we asked to go to a larger hospital. But agreed so Wednesday we ventured to the local Government hospital.

…..Embrace……

Got out of our tuk-tuk and stepped into a building about 7 levels tall spreading across acres of land. We walked in and were hit with shock. Within moments of arrival I had witnessed body parts dangling, leprosy, mumps, hyperthyroidism or an enlarged thyroid the size of a two baseballs, the list goes on. Our eyes were wide-open, honestly couldn’t believe my eyes, and wanted more. These images made me understand why I was here, I wanted this experience, I didn’t want to see the "ordinary". I was hooked. Sadly there is a process that is quite lengthy to get clearing to work in the Government hospitals that could take up to three weeks, so we don't have the allowed time to make this happen(another excuse to come back I suppose) Its scary as hell, but this is what I want, and where we ideally would have liked to spend our time.

SO , we finished out our first week at the private hospital, saw lots of thing, just not much work we could actually do, since language was a huge barrier. BUT its okay, mom will be happy on this one, for this current week we will be teaching English in the local grade school. (ages 6-16)We visited last friday to get a taste......and fell in love. At first sight we were swamped  with questions and gazing eyes. "Tech where from?" "Miss what name?" "Miss how old?" "Techaa, you botiful" They were precious and I instantly made myself at home and we began to chat in English. Friday, the Grade 11(age 16) teacher was absent, so they begged us to entertain for a few hours. We easily agreed, and began a lesson that was prepared in about 4 minutes:) They didn't care, neither did we. I accidentally pulled out my camera to take one quick snap, and needless to say they all turned into models and photographers. Didn't think a camera would be such a luxury item. So here below is what we did for English class.... oops! 

We ended up spending 4 hours or so, sampling each grade, the teachers loved not having to teach English, go figure, they have to learn too. The school house was a warehouse that was divided my metal fencing for the separation of the different grades. These kids begged to learn, and ate up every second of our attention. This one small girl asked me where I was from, I said America and smiled. She smiled, grabbed my hand, and said America? America has beautiful teachers. So happy you came to tech me, I love English. I said thank you in Sinhalese, she giggled for I'm sure I pronounced it wrong. I continued my lesson, I noticed she didnt take her eye off me, continued to question, repeated everything, she showed me the meaning of determination at its finest, I couldn't have been more flattered. SO this current week we start our next assignment, Teaching! For the girl that couldn't survive without Spell Check, and claims English to be her worst subject, this one will be for the books!

Home in Ja-Ela, is pleasant~okay hot, sticky, muggy, stormy, humid, bug infested BUT great, well as great as a 3^rd world country can be. This past week has taught me a lot. I will NEVER complain of being hot, being dirty, or not having enough money. Life here has showed me a strand of life that makes me known how good life is even if Mom says “Honey we are tight on money” we are not tight,we are comfy, we own a mansion, 2 cars, 2 dogs, all healthy, and food is always on the table , we are rich in my eyes. Here in Ja-Ela we have cold water that is it, we shower 3cm from our toilet, you put your toilet paper in a sac next to you, you don’t dare flush it. After you shower you squeegee the remaining water towards the drain and hope is drains. You go barefoot everywhere if you wish,but make sure those knees and shoulders are covered. If you wear white or light colored clothing expect it to be black due to pollution. I have never heard so much honking in my life.There isn’t such thing as ice cubes unless you are wealthy, you have metal fans as your air condition. All houses are completely open with basically just a roof, minus some bedrooms (bug spray is key)if you’re lucky you might have a wall or two hey maybe a door.  Although lots of natives live in shacks... yes shacks, made of leaves, brush, and palms. 

We eat a lot, lots of bread, all in which is homemade, lots of curry, lots of rice, lots of spice. I feel like a kid when I eat and am learning the technique, for silverware is luxury….we eat with our hands, quite the sight. I’ve learned that my four fingers can be transformed into a tiny scoop for my mouth, and my thumb is the shovel. If you can picture it, you scoop up with your fingers and shovel it in your mouth with the thumb. Hand cramp to say the least.

....I've made a list of some of the most bizarre customs....

-when you hear the song Here Comes Santa Clause, its just the bread man trucking around delivering fresh baked goods.

-number one death row scenario is being caught with any sort of drug(marijuana mostly) 

-when you go to dinner at someone else’s home you MUST bring a gift or a baked good, but you wont necessarily eat it.

- drunk driving is okay

-no speed limits

-police can shoot you at any given moment

-if offered Hot tea, it is rude to say no thank you(these people dont care if you are dripping with sweat, you will drink hot tea)

 -If you are sweating a noticeable amount before dinner is served you will be given a bath towel and asked to shower.

-When a Sri Lankan understands, or is agreeing to something they do this bobble head thing. Hard not to laugh, but just imagine, million of bobble heads surrounding you when you are having a conversation. Classic.

-The american way of motioning "come here" with one hand is reverse here, the motion of "shooing away" means 'to come' in Sri Lanka. Confusing. No wonder the kids didn't come to me when I attempted to motion them my way, for all I know I was swatting a fly. 
-Mosquitos have bitten every square inch of my flesh, (they like "deet" i suppose)
-when guys "hit" on us it is not a whistle, you are CLAPPED at or called like a cat!
-Jen was given a ring buy our Tuk-tuk driver, found out it was a wedding ring(she might not be returning with me haha!)

Some of the girls we house with are here for law, so they have introduced us to the wealthiest of the country aka the lawyers of Sri Lanka. This week we had dinner at two different lawyers homes. One Mr. Godfree Curry. The richest man here by far, he has 4 children all either doctors or lawyers that all live or went to school in the UK, which says a lot,if you have the money as a Sri Lankan to send your children to the UK you are well off. We went for dinner Tuesday, arrived at 5pm, chatted for a long time, meet the children, SPOKE ENGLISH, and after 6 gin and cokes I was leaning sideways and finally served dinner at 11pm, thank goodness using your hands was required for I probably couldn’t have held my fork or spoon. These dinners shall be interesting if they insist for us young-ins to drink drink drink before we eat. Ugh. What a night.

Thursday we did the same thing just at a the "younger" lawyers home, not as nice of a place, but way better then our shack so we took it! We played cricket, kind of like baseball, then drank, played with their 1 year old son, and finally at 11pm ateJ

Our frist weekend in Sri Lanka was well...interesting, sketch, scary, and one of the funniest social event this girl has seen. Friday we went to Colombo(about and hour from Ja-Ela) with Mr.Curry's children, we found ourselves enjoying the most high class club scene of Sri Lanka. These clubs were swarming with the attractive "upper class" of the island, Jen and I were in heaven, and had lots of eye candy for the night. 

Just me in our hotel in Nogombo,
 under the mosquito net,
living in luxury ya"ll! 

Saturday we went our on our own, in Nogombo(about 45min from Ja-Ela) this was were the description "sketch" came in play. We were at a tourist bar, entertained with american music and the average Sri Lanka crowd, with a hand full of Canadian folk, we had a splendid time, and were careful with our every move for this time we weren't protected by Mr. Curry's kids. The night grew near and finally we decided to head back to our hotel(cost 17US dollars for the night) the journey there..."Sketch" was only a 2 mile Tuk-Tuk to the hotel but we were bombarded with "How much?" "What's your room number?" "Sexy" "Want a lift, I'll pay you for the ride" and CLAPPING the list goes on. I was freaked out, after slapping the hell out of a few daring individuals we made it to our hotel. bolted the door and called it a night! 

The night life is great, just different. And for white girls is ultimately unsafe. You must watch your every move, and say no to everything that is offered to you. And never leave your friends. It's interesting to me, how this nasty night life culture is alive, but it is and I have experienced a taste of the Prostitute life....and sorry mom and dad, but it isn't for me!

Here's

A little

taste of

Paradise,

on the 

other side

of the 

world...

                    _____________________________________

I am the dirtiest I have ever been in my 20 years of life. Jen and I are actually not using shampoo but once a week. So my hair is growing like a weed, or least we'd like to thing so, them natural oils are great conditioner. My skin is soft, mostly because its moisturized with sweat constantly, my legs have never been as hairy as they are today, YET I smile, so large, larger then ever before. I smile because I am so very blessed with America the country of the free the country with running water and air condition. I smile because I have never thought such a poor country can still be so satisfied with life. I smile in hope that I can touch one heart, one soul, give one hand to truly make a difference. I smile because this trip reassures exactly what I want out of my life, clarifies that this isn’t the last 3^rd world experience I will be taking. I smile for 3 more weeks of Sri Lanka, a beautiful country of millions of stray dogs, cows, monkeys, snakes, chipmunks, tropical fruit, and by far the most pleasant people on Earth that understand the meaning of happiness in life!

Till next week…xo from the other side