Wednesday 25 February 2009
Farewell
It was farewell for the class 12s last night. They had a big celebration with candles and music. Afterwards there was a disco where we were up Bhangra dancing for a solid hour and a half. Never been involved in anything quite like it.
Hindi Song
I sang a Hindi song from a Bollywood movie at the cultural show during the exchange visit. It went down well.
I now have a medium sized picture in the local Hindi paper.
The video will be uploaded soon, keep checking this entry.
I now have a medium sized picture in the local Hindi paper.
The video will be uploaded soon, keep checking this entry.
Tuesday 24 February 2009
They did it
Despite quite considerable odds, the school band managed to learn and perform the British national anthem.
They did it in spite of:
1) Having four days to learn the whole thing
2) Not being able to read music
3) Never being able to practice as a whole band, only ever being able to practice in classes, where only two or three of them are there
4) Not being given instumental lessons, only "band" practices, which forms a subset of problems:
a) See number 2
b) Not knowing things like how to be counted in properly
c) Having terrible technique
6) The band room being about 2 sq. ft. big
5) Being taught to blast as loud as they can, so they weren't able to play anything quietly
6) The kids who weren't in the band being allowed to muck around in the band room with the instuments so you couldn't hear a thing
7) Different instruments being in different keys, but no one knowing what keys they were in, and being adamant that it didn't matter.
8) The band master not speaking a single word of English, so not being able to help.
9) Having some sort of aversion to playing the last line properly
But the final result actually came out alright, so I'm really pleased with them.
They did it in spite of:
1) Having four days to learn the whole thing
2) Not being able to read music
3) Never being able to practice as a whole band, only ever being able to practice in classes, where only two or three of them are there
4) Not being given instumental lessons, only "band" practices, which forms a subset of problems:
a) See number 2
b) Not knowing things like how to be counted in properly
c) Having terrible technique
6) The band room being about 2 sq. ft. big
5) Being taught to blast as loud as they can, so they weren't able to play anything quietly
6) The kids who weren't in the band being allowed to muck around in the band room with the instuments so you couldn't hear a thing
7) Different instruments being in different keys, but no one knowing what keys they were in, and being adamant that it didn't matter.
8) The band master not speaking a single word of English, so not being able to help.
9) Having some sort of aversion to playing the last line properly
But the final result actually came out alright, so I'm really pleased with them.
Monday 23 February 2009
School Exchange
The English exchange students have arrived so I get to do fun things instead of classes this week. I feel a bit like their bodyguard, hanging around making sure things run smoothly for them. We went to visit a different school the other day, which has students from 100 different villages all over.
We then visited a cow shed which the school owns for orphaned cows. At feeding time we got to chuck sugar resin at them. They were all lining up to get their share, when a charged up bull came crashing through the middle of them with his mate running away from underneath him. It was hilarious.
The aviary across the road wasn't such a success since it had no birds and I almost caused offence by suggesting that Lord Krishna rode on an ostrich.
The other day we went on a trek to a hill with a temple on top. You have to remember, the English people are all a bit overwhelmed by India, so the temple in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of men who lived there and smoked sheesa pipes all day was a bit odd to them. And so it should be...
We then visited a cow shed which the school owns for orphaned cows. At feeding time we got to chuck sugar resin at them. They were all lining up to get their share, when a charged up bull came crashing through the middle of them with his mate running away from underneath him. It was hilarious.
The aviary across the road wasn't such a success since it had no birds and I almost caused offence by suggesting that Lord Krishna rode on an ostrich.
The other day we went on a trek to a hill with a temple on top. You have to remember, the English people are all a bit overwhelmed by India, so the temple in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of men who lived there and smoked sheesa pipes all day was a bit odd to them. And so it should be...
Friday 13 February 2009
Bahal Sports Meeting
There were no classes today, which was as much of a surprise to me as the boys, and they were suddenly told they were to go and watch the local sports event in the village. When there, it turned out to be rather camel orientated. Basically there was a camel art exhibition. The local men decoratively shaved their camels, paraded them in front of the judges and made them do funny stuff like dancing. While this was happening the crowd were closing in more and more round the staging area, and all craning for view. I exited the crowd and then found myself offered a camel ride. Whats more exciting than a camel? A white person on a camel. The crowd quite quickly lost interest in the stage and turned round to swarm round me. I was paraded through the judging area, and there was a Hindi announcement in the middle of which I could pick out the word "Scotland."
After that there was an old man race. There were men with stunning beards running, who had probably come out of meditation in caves specially for the event. The winner was duly swarmed and actually lifted up like a champion above everyones heads, before celebrating by doing cartwheels.
Lots of fun.
After that there was an old man race. There were men with stunning beards running, who had probably come out of meditation in caves specially for the event. The winner was duly swarmed and actually lifted up like a champion above everyones heads, before celebrating by doing cartwheels.
Lots of fun.
Hapy Valentines Day
I got woken up at 5am by half an hour of the same four lines of music blaring out of the speakers. It's the first time I've ever been reduced to screaming into my pillow.
Monday 9 February 2009
Stilt Fisherman (or lack of)
I went to Galle the second time to find the stilt fisherman. Unfortunately all I found was a fake one. It was full moon festival wasn't it? No fishing today. Gutted. (Me. Not fish)
Luckily I found my favourite rickshaw driver who got me a massage, a look round a spice garden, and a chance to hold turtles at a hatchery in someone's back garden!
That night I was lying on the beach watching the crabs running around in the darkness thinking I'm tired of buses and I'm tired of trains, and I'm tired of being by myself. I thought I could see India over the water (of course I couldn't) and I decided it would be nice to get back. That's where I'm supposed to be right now.
Luckily I found my favourite rickshaw driver who got me a massage, a look round a spice garden, and a chance to hold turtles at a hatchery in someone's back garden!
That night I was lying on the beach watching the crabs running around in the darkness thinking I'm tired of buses and I'm tired of trains, and I'm tired of being by myself. I thought I could see India over the water (of course I couldn't) and I decided it would be nice to get back. That's where I'm supposed to be right now.
Tsunamiland
Standing in the station waiting for the train to Galle, I was met by a man trying to persuade me into his guest house. It's more boring now than anything else, listening to these people. But he showed me some photos, I flicked through them as fast as I could without looking rude, when I came to a picture of the house completely destroyed.
"That's my guest house after the tsunami" he told me. Now I was interested. The next few photos showed a brick house reduced completely to rubble, a hotel owner standing beside it left with nothing.
On the way there, I noticed what I failed to the first time, which was that along the coast line was a series of foundations of what had once been houses. A bit further back, on the other side of the train and behind the palm trees were a load of newer houses which an Austrian lady shooting a documentary with her partner told me were the new houses built by aid organisations.
I remember out shopping in Dundee one day, mum slipped a cheeky little note into a can in Marks and Spencers. I never thought I'd see what that note was going towards.
"That's my guest house after the tsunami" he told me. Now I was interested. The next few photos showed a brick house reduced completely to rubble, a hotel owner standing beside it left with nothing.
On the way there, I noticed what I failed to the first time, which was that along the coast line was a series of foundations of what had once been houses. A bit further back, on the other side of the train and behind the palm trees were a load of newer houses which an Austrian lady shooting a documentary with her partner told me were the new houses built by aid organisations.
I remember out shopping in Dundee one day, mum slipped a cheeky little note into a can in Marks and Spencers. I never thought I'd see what that note was going towards.
Alone on the road
Traveling alone is not something I would recommend. Aside from the fact that it's much harder to get things done, it's just about the loneliest thing I've done.
But it does have its advantages.
I left the cricket early mostly because it was getting a bit beery and drunken Indians are just tragic (and annoying). Outside I actually had to side step the rickshaws to avoid getting run over in their desperation to catch me.
"Junkies" a guy told me, and helped me find a decent driver. It was true as well, it's sad to see them all shouting, whistling at me, clawing at me and blocking my way in desperation. If I got in their rickshaws though they would have tried to sell me about 15 different other things and charged me about 7 times the amount. Helpless situation.
I had heard some tourists talking about "Negombo" so I decided to head there. Didn't get any sleep because of the Sri Lankan party/ jamming session going on in the lobby. Next morning I took one look at Negombo, decided I didn't like it, and left. I couldn't do that if I was with others.
I headed up the hill to Kandy. Kandy I would say is a classier version of Pokhara in Nepal. It's the hill capital of Sri Lanka and it had a lake and a massive Buddha statue on a hill.
I rounded the lake, which had huge bats flying around during the day, and got caught by an old Buddhist man. He led me with his walking stick into his Buddhist temple/ academy. In there I met the High Priest of the Temple of the Sacred Tooth (that's very important by the way, I'll come to it in a minute) He's very old- around 90 I was told, I was given a blessing or two and asked to give him a donation for medicine. I gave him a small donation. He said that was alright since I'm just a student (alright?? that was a gift!! (blessings cost money in this part of the world))
But this monk had been taking care of the Tooth Temple a couple of years back, when the temple was attacked in a bomb blast. He still had the burns from the attack which he showed me.
The "Tooth" of the Tooth Temple (which I visited next) belonged to Lord Buddha. So fittingly it's incredibly sacred to Buddhists and Hindus. I'll have to tell my monks I was so close to a piece of their Lord. The tooth has been stolen, and fought over for centuries (and was once owned by the British). I realised as I walked around, unknown to all the worshippers, I was actually quite familiar with most of it.
In the evening I saw the Kandyan dancing and some fire walking and fire eating. Wasn't so impressed with the fire things. Far more impressive and far more tragic were the fire eaters at Goa, who were basically taking mouthfuls of petrol and spitting it out into a flame, getting dangerously drunk in the process. These guys were far more professional.
Next day I decided I had seen most of Kandy, so I headed to Dambulla which is famous for its "cave temples" (a world heritage site). They were a let down.
Luckily, Dambulla was right next to "Sigirya" which was not a let down. It's a gigantic rock in the middle of a forest. I didn't have enough money to buy the ticket so I had to blag my way in for less, but climbing the rock was something incredible. No wonder the ancients chose it to be a temple. I've never seen anything like it.
The legend goes that the rocks are made from animals which turned to stone, hence things like "cobra hood cave" The animals were a bit out of proportion though, since the turtle was absolutely humungous and had a pair of lions feet half way up its back.
After that though I was sick of being on the road alone, but I still had a lot of travelling to get through yet.
But it does have its advantages.
I left the cricket early mostly because it was getting a bit beery and drunken Indians are just tragic (and annoying). Outside I actually had to side step the rickshaws to avoid getting run over in their desperation to catch me.
"Junkies" a guy told me, and helped me find a decent driver. It was true as well, it's sad to see them all shouting, whistling at me, clawing at me and blocking my way in desperation. If I got in their rickshaws though they would have tried to sell me about 15 different other things and charged me about 7 times the amount. Helpless situation.
I had heard some tourists talking about "Negombo" so I decided to head there. Didn't get any sleep because of the Sri Lankan party/ jamming session going on in the lobby. Next morning I took one look at Negombo, decided I didn't like it, and left. I couldn't do that if I was with others.
I headed up the hill to Kandy. Kandy I would say is a classier version of Pokhara in Nepal. It's the hill capital of Sri Lanka and it had a lake and a massive Buddha statue on a hill.
I rounded the lake, which had huge bats flying around during the day, and got caught by an old Buddhist man. He led me with his walking stick into his Buddhist temple/ academy. In there I met the High Priest of the Temple of the Sacred Tooth (that's very important by the way, I'll come to it in a minute) He's very old- around 90 I was told, I was given a blessing or two and asked to give him a donation for medicine. I gave him a small donation. He said that was alright since I'm just a student (alright?? that was a gift!! (blessings cost money in this part of the world))
But this monk had been taking care of the Tooth Temple a couple of years back, when the temple was attacked in a bomb blast. He still had the burns from the attack which he showed me.
The "Tooth" of the Tooth Temple (which I visited next) belonged to Lord Buddha. So fittingly it's incredibly sacred to Buddhists and Hindus. I'll have to tell my monks I was so close to a piece of their Lord. The tooth has been stolen, and fought over for centuries (and was once owned by the British). I realised as I walked around, unknown to all the worshippers, I was actually quite familiar with most of it.
In the evening I saw the Kandyan dancing and some fire walking and fire eating. Wasn't so impressed with the fire things. Far more impressive and far more tragic were the fire eaters at Goa, who were basically taking mouthfuls of petrol and spitting it out into a flame, getting dangerously drunk in the process. These guys were far more professional.
Next day I decided I had seen most of Kandy, so I headed to Dambulla which is famous for its "cave temples" (a world heritage site). They were a let down.
Luckily, Dambulla was right next to "Sigirya" which was not a let down. It's a gigantic rock in the middle of a forest. I didn't have enough money to buy the ticket so I had to blag my way in for less, but climbing the rock was something incredible. No wonder the ancients chose it to be a temple. I've never seen anything like it.
The legend goes that the rocks are made from animals which turned to stone, hence things like "cobra hood cave" The animals were a bit out of proportion though, since the turtle was absolutely humungous and had a pair of lions feet half way up its back.
After that though I was sick of being on the road alone, but I still had a lot of travelling to get through yet.
Wednesday 4 February 2009
LTTE
I should probably point out that I am aware there is a war going on in this country, and it is quite serious. 51 civilians have allegedly died, but this is all going on in a very small area in the North, so here I am very safe.
What bothers me about it is that it doesn't seem to be that big a thing. Walking down Colombo main street and whoosh past go six jets and three helicopters. Taxi drivers are usually quite keen to tell me whats happening in their country, but so far I've only had one who seems that interested. You would honestly never guess there was a civil war going on in this country.
There is however propaganda all over tv. Feb 4th was an important Independence Day this year, because the government are setting out to clinch the North once and for all. All the Sri Lankan channels were showing ridiculous military related programes. Pop songs with the singer on a navy boat and interviews with army soldiers with a braveheart sound track going on.
The worst though were these infomercials with a bunch of actors in army uniforms with ammo belts and big guns doing skids on motorbikes. They were riding along on motorbikes, skidding to the floor and using them as shelters to fire from, it was hilarious but kind of scary at the same time.
What bothers me about it is that it doesn't seem to be that big a thing. Walking down Colombo main street and whoosh past go six jets and three helicopters. Taxi drivers are usually quite keen to tell me whats happening in their country, but so far I've only had one who seems that interested. You would honestly never guess there was a civil war going on in this country.
There is however propaganda all over tv. Feb 4th was an important Independence Day this year, because the government are setting out to clinch the North once and for all. All the Sri Lankan channels were showing ridiculous military related programes. Pop songs with the singer on a navy boat and interviews with army soldiers with a braveheart sound track going on.
The worst though were these infomercials with a bunch of actors in army uniforms with ammo belts and big guns doing skids on motorbikes. They were riding along on motorbikes, skidding to the floor and using them as shelters to fire from, it was hilarious but kind of scary at the same time.
Chasing the Cricket Team pt. II
So I reached Galle by the time the match was over. I had missed them and they had run away back to Colombo.
I booked into a wonderful hotel that was British colonial style, but was deserted except for me and four ladies who had been there since British colonial times.
Next morning I woke up, checked out of the hotel and found the only honest tuc-tuc driver in Sri Lanka- the only one who didn't deliver the standard:
Do you want hotel?
No
Change Money?
No
Smoke?
no
Are you married?
no
Want a girl?
no
Very nice girl?
no.
He showed me round Galle Fort, in the tuc-tuc because we were pressed for time.
I drew some water from a Danish well, and then went on and found some cliff divers. We argued over the price of being able to film one of his jumps for a while and then settled for about SLR 100 (70p). He told me to pay discreetly though because there was a film crew there paying SLR 100,000 for the same. They dived off a fort turret into a hole about a metre wide, surrounded by water about waste deep. That's a good business. I stood and watched with a bunch of monks with parasols.
All in all it was a pretty brilliant morning, but I had to get on, because I had a cricket team to catch. The tuc-tuc driver sent me on my way and told me to find Sukadadasai stadium.
After a diversion caused by independance day rehearsals which meant we all had to get off the train and on buses, upsetting a lot of tourists, we ended up outside the station.
I jumped in a tuc tuc and asked for Sukadadasai...that's where the cricket is right?
No! That's a football stadium.
Ok... the cricket one then.
And I caught them!
The stadium was amazing. The atmosphere went from sort of funky during the day to electric at night. There were bongos and trumpets and people dancing non- stop. For the whole match the crowd was dancing away. I was one of the only ones supporting India. That felt good.
I booked into a wonderful hotel that was British colonial style, but was deserted except for me and four ladies who had been there since British colonial times.
Next morning I woke up, checked out of the hotel and found the only honest tuc-tuc driver in Sri Lanka- the only one who didn't deliver the standard:
Do you want hotel?
No
Change Money?
No
Smoke?
no
Are you married?
no
Want a girl?
no
Very nice girl?
no.
He showed me round Galle Fort, in the tuc-tuc because we were pressed for time.
I drew some water from a Danish well, and then went on and found some cliff divers. We argued over the price of being able to film one of his jumps for a while and then settled for about SLR 100 (70p). He told me to pay discreetly though because there was a film crew there paying SLR 100,000 for the same. They dived off a fort turret into a hole about a metre wide, surrounded by water about waste deep. That's a good business. I stood and watched with a bunch of monks with parasols.
All in all it was a pretty brilliant morning, but I had to get on, because I had a cricket team to catch. The tuc-tuc driver sent me on my way and told me to find Sukadadasai stadium.
After a diversion caused by independance day rehearsals which meant we all had to get off the train and on buses, upsetting a lot of tourists, we ended up outside the station.
I jumped in a tuc tuc and asked for Sukadadasai...that's where the cricket is right?
No! That's a football stadium.
Ok... the cricket one then.
And I caught them!
The stadium was amazing. The atmosphere went from sort of funky during the day to electric at night. There were bongos and trumpets and people dancing non- stop. For the whole match the crowd was dancing away. I was one of the only ones supporting India. That felt good.
Monday 2 February 2009
Chasing the Cricket Team
I'm not really into cricket but I told the boys at the school that while i'm here renewing my visa I would try and get to see India vs Sri Lanka.
Here, by the way is Sri Lanka. It's a nice little island to get lost on. I put the visa form in and they told me to come back in a week. So I can do whatever I want now. I'm in some place called Galle.
"Galle? Never heard of it." (Man on train)
"Dunno, I think it's the last stop on this train. Excuse me, how long until Galle?"
"Galle?? This is Galle!!" (Sri Lankan man on train)
"Let's go then!"
So when I got there it was mid afternoon so the cricket had probably finished. I'm hoping the next match is here as well, or i'll be hopping on another train to catch it.
Must go though because I haven't found a hotel yet, and I just realised I haven't eaten all day becaue I couldn't convince any of the lovely food vendors to give me a real price on food, how nice of them.
p.s. I had an argument with a shopkeeper over 7 rupees today because he tried to charge me for putting the bottle in the fridge.
Here, by the way is Sri Lanka. It's a nice little island to get lost on. I put the visa form in and they told me to come back in a week. So I can do whatever I want now. I'm in some place called Galle.
"Galle? Never heard of it." (Man on train)
"Dunno, I think it's the last stop on this train. Excuse me, how long until Galle?"
"Galle?? This is Galle!!" (Sri Lankan man on train)
"Let's go then!"
So when I got there it was mid afternoon so the cricket had probably finished. I'm hoping the next match is here as well, or i'll be hopping on another train to catch it.
Must go though because I haven't found a hotel yet, and I just realised I haven't eaten all day becaue I couldn't convince any of the lovely food vendors to give me a real price on food, how nice of them.
p.s. I had an argument with a shopkeeper over 7 rupees today because he tried to charge me for putting the bottle in the fridge.
A Beggar's Foot
I've read and seen two separate accounts of how beggars are controlled in cities now and they were both the same. The money goes to a master who takes them off the street and employs them in begging.
But they are given horrific injuries in order to make more money.
Today I walked past a man who's foot was in the shape of a globe with bones coming out at all different angles. And it looked to me- I might be wrong, I hope i'm wrong- like it had been done a long time ago, and like it hadn't been broken in a natural way, but it had been smashed repeated times until completely deformed. As in by a human.
But I think the key words there are "walked past." Hundreds of people "walk past" him every day. They can't really do anything else. That's the really horrific thing.
But they are given horrific injuries in order to make more money.
Today I walked past a man who's foot was in the shape of a globe with bones coming out at all different angles. And it looked to me- I might be wrong, I hope i'm wrong- like it had been done a long time ago, and like it hadn't been broken in a natural way, but it had been smashed repeated times until completely deformed. As in by a human.
But I think the key words there are "walked past." Hundreds of people "walk past" him every day. They can't really do anything else. That's the really horrific thing.
Really Nice Journey
Have you ever had to sit on a bus that you know is going quite unstoppably towards a place that is miles away from where you want to go?
No?
Thats probably because you live in a country where it's not polite to give people wrong directions.
Basically after having been told it was the bus to Delhi out of "politeness" (because it's rude not to know in India) I found out that it was not in fact going to Delhi.
So I sat on it for an hour and then got off at the first built up area. There were several options to get off on the way but if i used them i'd probably be stuck there forever without money and have to become a rice farmer.
But this place was the end of the world.
If you have ever heard the phrase, "acted as if they had never seen a white person before," belive me it does actually happen in some places in the most literal way possible. Except they also acted as if a white person was some sort of exotic bird that was to be goggled at.
I absolutely swear i had 26 people in a crowd around me, some of them pushing to get a better view.
It was slightly funny but really uncomfortable at the same time, and probably a bit too uncomfortable, so I left the station. Trouble was I was stuck there for 2 hours and all there was in the town was a main road with about a billion huge TATA trucks hauling down the middle. In that time I was invited to two separate people's houses.
So thanks to that man, really polite.
Anyway I got to Delhi eventually and met Rekha, who's a lovely person so it's all good.
No?
Thats probably because you live in a country where it's not polite to give people wrong directions.
Basically after having been told it was the bus to Delhi out of "politeness" (because it's rude not to know in India) I found out that it was not in fact going to Delhi.
So I sat on it for an hour and then got off at the first built up area. There were several options to get off on the way but if i used them i'd probably be stuck there forever without money and have to become a rice farmer.
But this place was the end of the world.
If you have ever heard the phrase, "acted as if they had never seen a white person before," belive me it does actually happen in some places in the most literal way possible. Except they also acted as if a white person was some sort of exotic bird that was to be goggled at.
I absolutely swear i had 26 people in a crowd around me, some of them pushing to get a better view.
It was slightly funny but really uncomfortable at the same time, and probably a bit too uncomfortable, so I left the station. Trouble was I was stuck there for 2 hours and all there was in the town was a main road with about a billion huge TATA trucks hauling down the middle. In that time I was invited to two separate people's houses.
So thanks to that man, really polite.
Anyway I got to Delhi eventually and met Rekha, who's a lovely person so it's all good.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)