Sri Lanka bound after all???
Well, it looks like I may have a departure date sooner than I thought. I was beginning to think that the trip would be postponed indefinitely; however, I received an email today asking about my availability the first two weeks of July. Yeah. The trip will be centred in Colombo, with the library staff from Trinco and Batti coming to the capital city for training and development. Hopefully I will have definite dates to share very soon. I will keep you posted. :-)

The situation in Sri Lanka is steadily worsening...

U.N. official decries Sri Lanka civilian killings
Tue 23 May 2006 12:49 PM ET
GENEVA, May 23 (Reuters) - The United Nation's top human rights official on Tuesday expressed concern over mounting violence in Sri Lanka, including killings of civilians, as the country teeters on the brink of civil war.

Louise Arbour, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, said staff of humanitarian agencies were also being threatened in the Indian Ocean island country of about 20 million people.

"These violations are not only ceasefire violations, but also serious breaches of international human rights and humanitarian law," Arbour said in a statement.

A ceasefire between the Sri Lankan government and Tamil Tiger rebels, who want to carve out a separate homeland in the north and east, is officially still in effect but more than 270 troops and civilians have died in skirmishes since early April.

Tamil rebels and Nordic truce monitors have both said the country was locked in a "low intensity war" though the government disagrees, saying it was only retaliating in limited bursts.

So do I take the Dukoral?

Now I just don't know what to do. I started the necessary inoculations as soon as I found out about this trip. So I went to the travel clinic and got my first for shot for Hepatitis A/B, a Tetanus shot, and a shot for Typhoid. I was also given Dukoral, an oral vaccine for Cholera and Travellers' Diarrhea, to be taken three weeks before I leave (two doses one week apart). So should I take it? I also have an appointment at the clinic this Friday for the second Hepatitis shot, and some other shot that escapes me at the moment.

I am beginning to think that there may be no point in taking it. I just got a message from Ottawa, and things are not looking good over there. Apparently there was an attack against a foreign NGO in Trinco last week. This is not a good sign, as to date the NGOs had been somewhat immune to the chaos. I get the impression that I will not be getting on a plane anytime soon. I may need to figure out ways to help from here. Sad but true.

Hopefully I will have more news, better news, soon.

What to do with a Diabetic cat?

Okay, the first dilemma I had to face when planning a trip abroad... what to do about Henry? Henry is my twelve year old, diabetic cat, who also happens to be the love of my life. He is lovely, but he is also high maintenance, but then again aren't most men? ;-)

He requires injections of insulin twice daily, so staying home alone is not an option. Boarding at the friendly, neighbourhood vet's costs a paw and tail. And, of my friends and family, few understand why I go to the lengths I do to keep Henry fit and happy, so asking them to give him daily needles is not really an option. This leaves only the conversation of last resort... asking the grandparents. Ugh. My dad and his wife are animal people, and I think my dad has accepted that Henry, Trooper (the other cat), and Fred (my car) are the closest he will have come to grandchildren; however, taking care of Henry is a sore point. Those daily injections are too stressful for Mary Ann, my dad's wife.

But I am going to Sri Lanka to help. To make a difference. So, surely this will not be an issue. They will happily volunteer to help, so that I have one less thing to worry about. Right? Well, no, of course not. It must first be a drama, where I play the part of the selfish daughter, and they play the part of the overburdened parents. Fortunately, I also have Heather, my sister, to beautifully play the part of the go between. After Heather and her husband, Dwayne, agreed to take Henry in, even though they are not cat people, not even close, my dad had second thoughts.

So this long story has a somewhat happy ending. Henry is now welcome at my dad and Mary Ann's... although I suspect I will be paying the price for this kindness for years to come. Now, problem number two... is Trooper welcome there too? A question for another day!

Waiting for Word

Yes, I am apparently, bound for Sri Lanka, hopefully in June. I am currently waiting, ever so patiently, for the exact dates.

Why am I going to Sri Lanka? Well, this Canadian Children's Librarian is off to help several communities, which were gravely affected by the tsunami, to update and revitalize their children's libraries. Both Trincomalee and Batticaloa, are located on the northeastern coast of Sri Lanka. Their public libraries, which were already strained due to years of unrest, sustained considerable damage.

This amazing opportunity comes via the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. They are doing a lot of international development work and have various projects underway in Sri Lanka, library support is just one component.

To say that I am excited about this endeavor would be a huge understatement. To say that I am terrified would be equally inadequate. This is the opportunity of a lifetime and I hope that I can make the best of it. Make a difference.

That's all for now. Hopefully I will have more news soon! :-)