...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!