The good and the bad
Blijf op de hoogte en volg Alenka
09 Augustus 2016 | Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka
So now I go to the disabled home every day. I thought I would have some days of but it looks like I will have to go to the disabled home almost every day. Actually today I didn't have to go so I had some free time. 2 volunteers for his project came Sunday night very late. So yesterday I was on my own. I finally got a chance to see Susi, one of my friends here in sri Lanka. We went to see the cricket match of Disa's son (maduranga). The match was from 9:30 till 5 o'clock but we only stayed for the beginning. They won the match so that was good. At 11 we went to kegalle cause I still had to pay the tiles shop the rest of the money for the tiles for the disabled home. After this I bought some presents for the people I stayed with the first few nights and also a present for the neighbours of Amarasiri where I am staying now. I also bought a small gift for amarasiri s daughter because today is her birthday! She turned 9 years old. I only bought a small present cause I want to buy her a new pair of glasses. She has glasses to see in the distance but at the moment she looks like harry Potter because her glasses are covered in tape to keep them together.
After the shopping we went for lunch. Delani made again very good food. Amarasiri called that I had to go to the disabled home in the afternoon so after lunch I went first to the safari. Susi came with me because she worked at the safari 3 years ago so she also knows most of the people. At 4 I came back to amarasiri s house where me and Delani and the kids went to kegalle where I took the bus to the disabled home. It was the first time I took the bus alone. You might think why is that so special but until you have experienced the busses in sri lanka you will never understand. It is chaos... people jumping on and off the bus, the bus drivers always seem to think they are playing GTA or some kind of racing game. But I managed. At the disabled home it was a lot harder though because the workers don't speak any English and I speak only a few words Singalees. While calling amarasiri the phone was passed from me to the worker and again back to me. It didn't really work but in the end we managed and together with the worker I went to kegalle and there I met with amarasiri and his kids. Well... I thought the staring and pointing couldn't get any worse but I was wrong. When a white girl is walking on the street with two sri lankan girls by her side people look even more. Amarasiri s daughters want to walk hand in hand with me the whole time. I think it is kind of funny how everybody is so amazed by it.
We all went back to amarasiri s house and had dinner. In the evening I took a shower and was offered a cup of tea by the neighbours. I gave them the present as a thank you because I am staying with them for free and I feel guilty but now they are doing even more for me. After the first night I stayed here the lady (she is pregnant) fixed my bed a certain way. The next day I did it myself so that she wouldn't have to do it. But when I went back to my room the sheets were new. Every time I try to do it the right way so that she doesn't have to do anything but still she keeps cleaning when I am not there. They are really to nice.
This morning I got up and it was amarasiri s daughter birthday so I gave my present. I think she liked it. I didn't have to go to the disabled home so I went with amarasiri and the two Chinese volunteers to kandy. In hindsight I probably should not have gone....
Yesterday a festival started in kandy. It is called the Perahera. It goes on for 10 days. Almost all the elephants in the neighbourhood come to this festival. They stay around the tooth temple for these days. So many elephants are mistreated... the mahouts don't care about their wellbeing or don't understand them. When elephants are stressed they swing from side to side but all the mahouts will tell you that they are dancing. I saw this very young elephant and he was shaking so much. The mahouts were cruell to him and he was in the burning sun without any possibility to cool down, no water, nothing. I couldn't stop the tears streaming down my face. Amarasiri was also very sad and said that this was exactly the reason why he wants to do his project. He wants to give these elephants a happier life. The elephant that amarasiri has at his project, Mali, is also at the Perahera for the festival because the owner of the elephant decides where the elephant is. Amarasiri has to pay the owner to have Mali at his project. Amarasiri also tries to change the mind of the mahout. The mahouts hit the elephants and don't give them time to respond to their commands. But the mahout of Mali is so good. He is called Samanthe and he gives Mali time to respond and makes sure that she is OK. You can really see the difference between Mali and all the other elephants that are skinny, 'dancing', and sometimes have bad injuries but still have to work. I felt really upset and sad but at least one elephant has a better life thanks to Amarasiri.
We went back and I took two busses all by myself to get to the safari and see my friends (very proud of that). Amarasiri says I am a real sri lankan; living in a sri lankan house with sri lankan bathroom, drinking water from the tap (which I might regret later on when I get sick), eating with my hands (that is custom here), and going by bus and talking Singalees. At the safari it was very busy and there were only 3 mahouts. Kalu was working again, he had a holiday for 5 days because of his sister. She got her first period and here in sri Lanka they have a party for 4 days and the whole family comes. It is really amazing how they celebrate the fact that you will be in pain for at least 5 days per month until you are in your 50's....
Kalu bought me tea and said sorry for being drunk before. He came to pick me up on his motorcycle to go to his house, two days ago, so I could be at the party for a little bit. But when I got on I realised he was pretty drunk... I was on the back without a helmet on... I was scared for my life... I was pretty angry with him but here in sri Lanka it is sort of normal... so they don't really understand when you tell them that.
I went back to amarasiri s house and played a little with the kids and I cuddled with Lucy, the street dog that always lives around the house and I befriended. In the evening we went to the restaurant for food because of Amarasiri s daughter birthday. I tried to pay for the dinner but failed... I can really see who are my true friends here because they take such good care of me. Amarasiri, Disa, Kalu, Kuma, and my mahout friends always make sure I have tea, food or something else when I come and they always pay for me, even though they are poor (mahouts make only little money and are really poor).
I am now lying in bed after going to the restaurant and the last thing I want to end with is a quote from Amarasiri this evening.
"When you got back to Holland, you will have coca cola body... but family size"
I had to laugh so hard when he said this xD
After the shopping we went for lunch. Delani made again very good food. Amarasiri called that I had to go to the disabled home in the afternoon so after lunch I went first to the safari. Susi came with me because she worked at the safari 3 years ago so she also knows most of the people. At 4 I came back to amarasiri s house where me and Delani and the kids went to kegalle where I took the bus to the disabled home. It was the first time I took the bus alone. You might think why is that so special but until you have experienced the busses in sri lanka you will never understand. It is chaos... people jumping on and off the bus, the bus drivers always seem to think they are playing GTA or some kind of racing game. But I managed. At the disabled home it was a lot harder though because the workers don't speak any English and I speak only a few words Singalees. While calling amarasiri the phone was passed from me to the worker and again back to me. It didn't really work but in the end we managed and together with the worker I went to kegalle and there I met with amarasiri and his kids. Well... I thought the staring and pointing couldn't get any worse but I was wrong. When a white girl is walking on the street with two sri lankan girls by her side people look even more. Amarasiri s daughters want to walk hand in hand with me the whole time. I think it is kind of funny how everybody is so amazed by it.
We all went back to amarasiri s house and had dinner. In the evening I took a shower and was offered a cup of tea by the neighbours. I gave them the present as a thank you because I am staying with them for free and I feel guilty but now they are doing even more for me. After the first night I stayed here the lady (she is pregnant) fixed my bed a certain way. The next day I did it myself so that she wouldn't have to do it. But when I went back to my room the sheets were new. Every time I try to do it the right way so that she doesn't have to do anything but still she keeps cleaning when I am not there. They are really to nice.
This morning I got up and it was amarasiri s daughter birthday so I gave my present. I think she liked it. I didn't have to go to the disabled home so I went with amarasiri and the two Chinese volunteers to kandy. In hindsight I probably should not have gone....
Yesterday a festival started in kandy. It is called the Perahera. It goes on for 10 days. Almost all the elephants in the neighbourhood come to this festival. They stay around the tooth temple for these days. So many elephants are mistreated... the mahouts don't care about their wellbeing or don't understand them. When elephants are stressed they swing from side to side but all the mahouts will tell you that they are dancing. I saw this very young elephant and he was shaking so much. The mahouts were cruell to him and he was in the burning sun without any possibility to cool down, no water, nothing. I couldn't stop the tears streaming down my face. Amarasiri was also very sad and said that this was exactly the reason why he wants to do his project. He wants to give these elephants a happier life. The elephant that amarasiri has at his project, Mali, is also at the Perahera for the festival because the owner of the elephant decides where the elephant is. Amarasiri has to pay the owner to have Mali at his project. Amarasiri also tries to change the mind of the mahout. The mahouts hit the elephants and don't give them time to respond to their commands. But the mahout of Mali is so good. He is called Samanthe and he gives Mali time to respond and makes sure that she is OK. You can really see the difference between Mali and all the other elephants that are skinny, 'dancing', and sometimes have bad injuries but still have to work. I felt really upset and sad but at least one elephant has a better life thanks to Amarasiri.
We went back and I took two busses all by myself to get to the safari and see my friends (very proud of that). Amarasiri says I am a real sri lankan; living in a sri lankan house with sri lankan bathroom, drinking water from the tap (which I might regret later on when I get sick), eating with my hands (that is custom here), and going by bus and talking Singalees. At the safari it was very busy and there were only 3 mahouts. Kalu was working again, he had a holiday for 5 days because of his sister. She got her first period and here in sri Lanka they have a party for 4 days and the whole family comes. It is really amazing how they celebrate the fact that you will be in pain for at least 5 days per month until you are in your 50's....
Kalu bought me tea and said sorry for being drunk before. He came to pick me up on his motorcycle to go to his house, two days ago, so I could be at the party for a little bit. But when I got on I realised he was pretty drunk... I was on the back without a helmet on... I was scared for my life... I was pretty angry with him but here in sri Lanka it is sort of normal... so they don't really understand when you tell them that.
I went back to amarasiri s house and played a little with the kids and I cuddled with Lucy, the street dog that always lives around the house and I befriended. In the evening we went to the restaurant for food because of Amarasiri s daughter birthday. I tried to pay for the dinner but failed... I can really see who are my true friends here because they take such good care of me. Amarasiri, Disa, Kalu, Kuma, and my mahout friends always make sure I have tea, food or something else when I come and they always pay for me, even though they are poor (mahouts make only little money and are really poor).
I am now lying in bed after going to the restaurant and the last thing I want to end with is a quote from Amarasiri this evening.
"When you got back to Holland, you will have coca cola body... but family size"
I had to laugh so hard when he said this xD
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