Home again, home again...

Yes, I am home. Safe and sound and just a tad jet-lagged. It was a bit of a shock to come home to find that winter arrived while I was away. It may take me a few days to get used to the snow and ice! And, I was up last night at 2:00 am... still exhausted but completely unable to sleep when I need to be sleeping. Oh well, I guess that will work itself out.

I was going to post a few more pictures... but somewhere between the Hong Kong airport and Kitchener the laptop died (UGH). I guess it is good it happened when it did, otherwise I would have spent the agonizing flight stressed out about having killed a computer. All of my pictures and the almost completed report are on it... so keep your fingers crossed that Bryan the-world's-best-IT-guy can salvage the hard drive! Yikes. Can't stand the thought of starting the report from scratch... without Rob.

I received my first email from the Batticaloa Library overnight... it was a great message to find in my inbox. So happy that they are using the internet/email and starting to get more comfortable with it.

So that is all for now. Thanks for reading!!! Really, thanks, it kept me motivated to post. I will let you know any further developments... like if or when I am to go again to Sri Lanka.

Keep warm,
LR

Farewell Sri Lanka

Well, I will be leaving Sri Lanka in a little more than 12 hours. Cannot quite believe that the trip is over. It has been indescribeable... although I have done my best to describe it here. I have done lots of work, made great friends, and seen things I never, ever, imagined seeing. This children's librarian from little old Guelph has finally seen a bit of the world. What a gift. Now before I get too sappy I will share a few more photos from the trip back to Colombo from Batticaloa. The pictures say more than my words...

Elephant Crossing
Not far from Habarana traffic stopped... there was a wild elephant in the middle of the road! And we think that moose are dangerous driving hazards... we passed him, and he definitely didn't seem to be in a rush to go anywhere. I also saw a number of elephants in the brush along the side of the road as we were driving. Loved it!

Hindu Temple in Matale
We stopped at this amazing temple so our driver (I feel bad calling him that, but I don't know how to spell his name) could worship before the end of the day. It was spectacular. It was so high I couldn't get a good picture of it.



Sunset in Kandy
We stopped overnight in Kandy on the way back from Batticaloa. The driving is slow and we were not to be on the roads after dark (see photo above for one good reason why! ;-)). Kandy is quite impressive. We only had a short time there, but we managed to see some traditional Kandyan dancers and tour the Buddhist Temple of the Tooth... a very famous landmark. It was fascinating and full of tourists and worshippers. It just so happened that we were there on the 9th anniversay of the bombing of the Temple (by the LTTE). This picture is taken just outside the Temple looking out over the lake and into the surrounding hills. Just beautiful.

So I guess that is it. All that awaits me now is the long journey home to the snow and ice. Ugh. I will let you all know when I am safely home again. Thanks to everyone for the comments to my blog and the emails... I have really enjoyed hearing your responses, and to hearing from old friends. Thanks so much!

Hope to see you all soon.
Luv,
LR

...the Batticaloa Adventure Continued...

It was really great to finally get to see the library for myself. We arrived there bright and early on Monday morning ready to get to work. First we had to have a brief meeting with the Municipal Council Commissioner (the head honcho). Then we got to meet all of the library staff and have a tour of the library... the moment I had been waiting for. I learned a lot on the tour!

Me and the staff of the Batticaloa Library. They were all so gracious and welcoming. I think they had heard a lot about us and Canada from their colleagues, so they were very excited to meet us and they were so generous and helpful. I wanted to hug them all before I left, but that seems culturally inappropriate.

This is the Children's Library... the lending section. It is quite charming and they definitely spruced it up to welcome us. The furniture is adorable, and it great condition. It has been donated by the Sri Lankan Library Association. You can see that there is LOTS of space for more books on the shelves, but otherwise it is in good shape.

After their trip to Canada, the Batti Library organized monthly storytelling at four of their locations. They are lucky to have a master storyteller on their Library Board. He now comes and entertains the children regularly (about 150 attend each session!!!). When they told me about the program I made an off-handed comment that I wished I could have seen him... so they organized a special program for me. When we arrived at the library on Tuesday several hundred school children were waiting to greet us, and the storyteller was there to perform. He was this tiny old man who is a gifted storyteller, he told several traditional Sri Lankan tales (in Tamil)... the children absolutely loved him. It was so great to see. But, then, as an extra surprise, the Head Librarian ushered me up to the front to tell a story! Gulp. Yikes. I didn't really have the option to decline, so there I was in front of these beautiful, excited children, telling a story in English, following an unfollowable act. It was an odd and slightly embarassing situation. The children were just wonderful and they indulged me. Then I took lots of pictures of them which definitely translates. They were like a beehive, just buzzing with energy... hence the blurriness of the picture. An unforgettable experience.

At the end of the day on Tuesday, the Head Library, Mr. Vithiyasgaran, and Mr. Paravasam took us on a tour of town. Including the tsunami affected area. It was good and sad to see. Above is the remains of church. It must have been a beautiful spot, a Portugese church right on the beach. There are a number of monuments, listing all of the dead along the length of the beach. It is quite impressive and awe-striking. Included in this tour was a quick visit at Mr. Premakathan's home, to meet his wife and children, and Mr. Vithiyasgaran's (a.k.a. Mr. Hero... long story) home to meet his family as well. Everyone was sooooooo nice. It was heartwarming.

Okay, that is probably enough for now. I will end this post with sunset at the Riviera Resort. Oh the things I have seen! Just overwhelms me. Who'd a thunk eh? ;-)
More tomorrow, I promise!

Connected in Colombo

I'm back! Did you miss me? ;-) I must say it was strange to be offline for so long... no emails, no internet, no telephone calls! It was weird at first, but quite nice really.

But, enough about that, you want to know about the trip...

It was great. We left Colombo early on Sunday morning and made it to Batticaloa in the late afternoon. The drive was an adventure... like a 300 km game of chicken... just a tad hair-raising at times. Fortunately we had an excellent driver and he got us there safe and sound. The entire journey is along a narrow, two-lane "highway" that twists and turns and has pot holes, in places, that could swallow elephants... okay, maybe that is an exaggeration, but definitely a dog or a goat. The scenery was incredible. Breath-taking. It was wonderful to be able to see so much of this beautiful country... hills and valleys, rainforest, rice paddies, lakes and rivers, wildlife (yes, I saw an elephant)... too much to describe in one sitting. Just imagine all of the shades of green in one place... BEAUTIFUL... well except for all of that Army green that also dots the landscape.

This was one of our pitstops along the way. Sigiriya Rock is off in the distance, but you will just have to imagine it because it is only a shadow in the picture. This is a little over half way to Batticaloa. Below is a picture taken looking down the road at the same spot. It shows how lush the countryside is and how narrow the road.

The drive was long, but quite entertaining. Rob and I were travelling with Canisius a program officer from FCM's Colombo office. He and the driver were just great. They answered our many questions and didn't seem to get too annoyed. :-) And, they made me feel completely safe, through all of the checkpoints and what not.

Around Habarana I saw my first Sri Lankan elephant... you see I had passed on the many, many invitations I had received to go to the Dancing Elephant Festival while in Colombo (a common tourist scam)... so this sad elephant, chained to a tree in front of someone's house, was my first. The poor thing did not look too happy. On the way home I saw him again, and there were four men sitting drinking at a table right beside him.

Anyways, we reached Batticaloa in the late afternoon and we were happily greeted by Nesha. It was great to see him in his home community. He escorted us to our hotel The Riviera Resort ... don't be fooled by its name, this is definitely the "urban camping" I had been prepared for... but it was in a beautiful spot along the lagoon. The view was lovely, especially at sunset. The mosquitoes were a tad nasty... but I managed to protect myself enough to only come away with a couple of bites. phew.

Well, that is all for now. I have only been back at the hotel for a little while and I REALLY want to have a bath before dinner. I feel a little grungy after all that travelling.... and I don't want to bore you too much at once. I will continue my adventures tomorrow....

A Busy Day in Colombo...

Well, I tried to make the most of my day off. Went out exploring Colombo... the guidebooks definitely have it right when they describe it as "frenetic"... that is the most appropriate word. It is busy, and crowded, and a tad overwhelming in places. Rob and I took the bus up to the Fort area (sorry no pictures allowed) near the train station and the "world market." It was all a little too much for me. Between the heat, the noise, the cars, and the people. Ahhhhh. We stopped at the Dutch era museum... which was an interesting, if some what sad experience. It is situated there in the middle of the chaos, a bit of an oasis... but the exhibitions were sad, and I really wanted to get a rag and a bottle of lemon oil and attack the dusty old furniture on display.

After a long, HOT walk (I think I got a little colour today) we stopped at the Galle Face Hotel for a cold beer... what a nice spot to sit and watch the ocean and cool off. There was also a wedding there so it was great to see all of the beautiful women in their amazing saris.

After a breif break back at the hotel, I ventured out again. I wanted to go to a store I read about, Barefoot. So I grabbed a tuktuk and set off by myself. The driver was a little too helpful... took me on a side tour to the "Ceylon Museum of Gems" ... a somewhat questionable setup, clearly a place designed for tourists. I took a quick look around, bought the cheapest thing I could find to be polite, and then finally got to my destination. It is a very cool store, I think I will go back next week before I leave. I then realized that I didn't have enough rupees for the return trip (bad planning) so I walked back to the hotel... which was actually quite nice. Galle Road was not too busy and it was a good walk.

...sorry, I think that I am just rambling at this point. Really I am procrastinating... I need to get everything packed up for the trip to Batticaloa. We will be leaving at 7:00 a.m. So I need to get organized and have an early night.

So that is all for now. I am sorry I have no pictures today. Now remember, I will not be posting again until Friday at the earliest... so don't worry... I will be back soon.

Have a good week,
LR :-)

P.S. Dad - I am sooooo proud of you... not only did you go to the library, but you also figured out how to post to my blog! I am VERY impressed. You made my day! Luv, LR

The End of Week One

Well, I have finished the first week of work. We got quite a lot accomplished, I think. Today we had a very good meeting with Mr. Yapa, the creator of PURNA... turns out that he too is an alumni of the UWO Library School... oh, the library world really is so small! He gave us some good information about the integrated library system he developed, which is widely used in Sri Lanka. It looks very likely that both the Batticaloa and the Trincomalee libraries will begin the automation process very soon. What a huge step!!! I think that the librarians are both excited and very nervous about this step.

So now, Rob and I have tomorrow to prepare for the training sessions next week. On Sunday we will leave for Batticaloa and we will return to Colombo next Friday. During that time I will not be blogging.... just wanted to warn you. ;-) I will post tomorrow and then not for almost a week. Don't worry, during that break I will take lots of pictures and notes, so that I can catch you up when I get back to Colombo. Tonight I am going to rest up, so I can get lots of work done tomorrow.

That's all for now. Hope all is well at home... LR :-)

Another Good Day

Well it was a good day, but I am afraid that I do not have much to say today. We got a lot of work done... finished the implementation plan... assigned tasks, set deadlines, it was a very good exercise... but it left us all a little tired. Then we did a little exploring of the PURNA cataloguing system... a Sri Lankan adaptation of ISIS from UNESCO... which seems to be the most common integrated library system here. It was good to finally see it, and tomorrow we are having lunch with Mr. Yapa, the PURNA guru. Ahhhh, we are making good progress.

After the work was finished for the day Nesha took me out shopping to The House of Fashion... I guess it is a famous and very popular Colombo shop. It was a bit overwhelming, and the trip there was harrowing, but I bought a pair of pants for $3.50... so it was all good. ;-)

So, I am off to bed now. I hope it is not tooo cold at home! More tomorrow...

Sharing Successes

Today was a good day. It was great to meet my Sri Lankan friends again. We spent the morning getting reacquainted, and each library gave updates of what they have done since returning home from Canada. And, let me say, it is very impressive to hear about all the things that they have accomplished. I am soooooo proud of them. Especially since there was a serious virus going through their communities, and they were all off sick for several weeks over the last few months. And, yet, they have organized children's programs, trained staff to use computers, recruited volunteers, created library pamphlets, and more. They have been busy, and they were excited to tell us all about it.

Then we had to get down to work on the strategic plans and implementation plans... not quite so fun. So it was a long day. Now I still have to work on typing up the implementation charts for us to review tomorrow. Lots to do.

All is good here. Having a great time. I will write more soon....

My First Experience with Sri Lankan Libraries

Well today was a busy day... tired now, and it is only a little after 5:00 pm... must still have a little jet lag.

This morning we (Rob and I) were picked up by the FCM vehicle and taken to tour the Colombo Public Library. It was a very enlightening experience. The Colombo library is the largest public Library in Sri Lanka, and it sets the standard for the rest of the country.

It is an impressive building, built around a central courtyard, which makes it quite bright and airy inside. They have a Lending Library, Reference Section, Newspaper Room, Study Rooms (one for men and one for women), and a large Children's Library. The hope to start an automation project in February, pending Council approval later this month. I will let the pictures tell the rest of the story...

the Teen Collection (Lending Library)

the Children's Library

the Rare Book Room

Mobile Library (you cannot read it, but there is a sign on the door that states it was donated by Canada)

There is only one branch for Colombo City but they have 50 sites that are serviced by the Mobile Library system, including community centres, sunday schools, etc.

It was all quite interesting to see. We also visited Kotte Public Library, which is basically a suburb of Colombo. It was quite a bit smaller, but already starting to automate. All, in all, it was a very good thing to see these two libraries... puts the Sri Lankan state of libraries into a clearer context. And, these libraries are in a much better position than the communities on the east coast. So I am very anxious to see the Batticaloa Library next week.

Amidst these tours we also met with Wayne from FCM and had our political and security briefings. Lots of information to absorb. To say Sri Lanka is a complex nation is a vast understatment.

Now, I have the evening to prepare for our first meetings with the Sri Lankan library staff tomorrow. I am soooooo looking forward to seeing them all. So I will sign off... need to get some dinner and do a little work.

Sorry no pictures today...

I did not do so well with photographs today. Rob and I walked the sea wall... it was beautiful and interesting, but the whole area is a high security zone, so there are no photos allowed. We walked down past the old parliment buildings, very colonial looking and surrounded by statues of past presidents, but there were army guys with large machine guns all over the place, so we did not risk sneaking a picture. Oh well. I am sure I will have better opportunities for pictures of the country next week when we leave the city.

The sea wall follows along the shore of the Indian Ocean in this part of the city. It is sort of like the boardwalks we know... lots of people, and vendors selling ice cream, roasted nuts, and some foods that I cannot identify. There were also a few people selling inflatible toys... soccer balls, cats, but most entertaining... snowmen. Yes, as I am walking along sweltering in Sri Lanka, there is a man selling inflatable snowmen. Too funny.

There were lots of families out enjoying the holiday. Oh, and lots of young couples... there are stairs set back from the wall, and lots of couples were sitting on the stairs stealing moments together hidden under umbrellas... like no one would suspect that they were canoodling under there. It was quite charming.

Now after that long walk in the heat I have comeback for a cool shower before dinner. Tomorrow the works starts. I am looking forward to meeting the FCM staff and getting started.

Enjoy that snow storm you are getting back home! ;-)

A Few Pictures...

I did a little exploring today. Colombo is fascinating. It was VERY hot. So I am back at the hotel now cooling down. The heat is tiring. It looks like it could rain at any time and the air is heavy and humid, so a cool break is a good thing.

I also learnt today that it is illegal to take pictures of many things here... for security reasons they do not allow you to take pictures on the street and of most buildings. So here are a few that I managed...

the Galle Face Hotel (where Rob & I stopped for an afternoon beer... well he had beer, I had water) ... it is across the street and about three blocks from my hotel

the view from the Galle Face Hotel (for those of you who are geographically challenged, that is the Indian Ocean)

the waterfront looking north

Okay, so I never claimed to be much a photographer. These are the best I have so far. More to follow...

First Impressions

Well, I am getting settled in... yesterday is a bit of a blur. I tried to get myself on Sri Lankan time, but I think that I was just too darn tired. I went out a exploring a bit in the morning, then came back "to close my eyes for half an hour" in the early afternoon and didn't wake up until after five. So I ended up having a quiet and relaxing day. It was quite nice.

I knew that Sri Lanka was hot and humid, close to the equator, etc. and I had seen lots of pictures but some how in my mind's eye I had missed the word "tropical"... yes, odd I know, it is so obvious... it the perfect word... at least from this vantage point in Colombo. It is lush and green, and so fragrant... there is spice in the air, it is wonderful.

Last night I treated myself to a nice dinner in one of the hotel restuarants... sitting outside with a lovely breeze, watching the palm trees, soaking it all in, it was really amazing, I couldn't believe I was there. Too good. Oh and the food was great! I ordered hoopers (I had read that they are a traditional Sri Lankan dish) and a curry ... delicious, though I am pretty sure that I didn't eat it properly... I suspect I amused the staff.

Now today, I feel rested and ready to explore a bit. Rob arrived last night, so I will surely end up having a beer with him at some point. ;-) Then Monday is a national holiday, so I have a couple of days to get organized. Meetings at the FCM on Tuesday, then the Sri Lankan librarians will arrive here in the capital on Wednesday. Now there is talk of Rob and I leaving Batticaloa on the Thursday of next week and travelling to Kandy, and then from Kandy back to Colombo on the Friday for meetings... oh, I really hope that plan sticks! I would love to see a little bit of Kandy. Very exciting.

Anyways, that is all for now. Today I will take some pictures...

Safe, Sound & Exhausted!

I am here? I am there? Okay, I am so tired that I don't really have any idea where I am or what day it is. But I trust them when they tell me I am in Colombo. Wow. What a trip. I left home about thirty hours ago and have been travelling almost non-stop...just a few layovers. It actually was not as bad as I thought it was going to be. Everything went smoothly, no delays, turbulance was not too bad, my luggage arrived and I was met at the airport... really what more could I ask for?

So, I should probably be in bed right now, but I had to buy an hour of internet time ($6USD) to even check my email so I figured I might as well post and get my money's worth. Although, I will probably read this tomorrow and be horrified because I am not very coherent at the moment and I cannot seem to type.... but I won't let that stop me. ;-)

Now the killer leg of my journey, the fifteen hour Toronto to Hong Kong flight was on Air Canada... I didn't think the service was too bad until I had the second two flights on Air Singapore... wow, talk about enjoyable flying! The first plane was brand new and soooo spacious, and they served the best meals... who knew plane food could be so good? But, the best thing... actual silverware and glasses! I cannot believe they still have those... not to mention the free razors in the restrooms... apparently terrorism does not threaten them. Impressive. Oh and they also have the most beautiful flight attendants and free wine... so fly Air Singapore if you have the chance!

I got here to the Cinnamon Grand about 1:30 am... the thirty minute trip from the airport was very interesting. I can't wait to see it in the daylight. Even at this hour it is a bit crazy out there, lots of speedy drivers honking everytime they pass someone. And lots of huge Buddas funked up with neon lights.

The rest will have to wait until tomorrow.

So stop worrying (you know who you are)... I am here. I am good. I am going to bed.

Good night,
LR :-)

2 days and counting...


Two days away and the trip is still happening. There were some incidents south of Colombo over the weekend, but they have not affected my plans. PHEW. So the next time I post it will be from Colombo... either late Friday or early Saturday... just to let you all know that I arrived safely. I arrive in Colombo around midnight on Friday (Sri Lanka is ten and a half hours ahead of Kitchener time)... but I may not be conscious enough to do anything at that point.

I think that I have everything I need for the training sessions, I have lots of DVDs that have been donated, and I even have an older laptop to leave there. So my bags will be full! Now all I have to do is actually pack them... but I will save that for Wednesday to keep me distracted.


Wish me luck!
LR ;-)

10 days and counting...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Well, it looks like 2007 is going to be an interesting year. I cannot believe that the trip is only ten days away and that it is really happening... but, it is! I have the plane tickets, I have had the shots, and I have the piles and lists to prove that something is happening! So, now all I have to do is finish preparing the mission program and I will be good to go. So much left to do... oops, I cannot think about it too much or I lose the ability to breathe... which really is a problem. We submitted the mission plan and it has been sent off to the field which is good... now I just have to prepare the training sessions and figure out how to do it without all of the support materials that I usually depend on... I cannot bring a shelf of books and a closet of props. That is making me nervous... it will only be me. UGH.

The good news is that I will be bringing a laptop, and I think I will have easy internet access, at least while I am in Colombo for the first week, so I will be able to blog while I am there... okay, maybe that is not so exciting, but I feel better knowing I will be connected to my real world in some way.

Okay, this is merely procrastination at this point... must get back to work... or, maybe I will go scrub the kitchen floor... :-)