Journal Entries: 1 | 2 | 3

Entry 3
The days fly by. The student travelers are teaching again today in Pelena school. One more day tomorrow. They are also making a photo album for each of the 19 classes, taking pictures this morning that we will print out on the photo printer this afternoon. Tomorrow we will give the albums, and a thank you poster we are making, to the School. Principal Kumar has been more than generous to us.

At "interval" (lunch break) we all eat some rice and curry prepared by volunteers moms in the new kitchen at the school. This week we all tried curd and honey. The curd is buffalo milk yoghurt and the honey is thin and dark like maple syrup. The curd is silky in texture and a little sour, set off by the sweet honey flavor. It is absolutely wonderful. Here they say a good married couple is like "curd and honey". Thad, can you milk a buffalo?

Entry 2
Here we are in Weligama. Our beach house is a delightful mix of cultures. The owner, Aruna, and his friends keep their surf boards in the laundry room. The rooms are charming but with only cold running water. The mosquito nets are must as the windows are unscreened. Each day we gather for meals on the porch as we are occupying all the rooms. There are no other guests. Aruna and his brother, Chaminda, and the staff are fast becoming our friends, sharing pictures, stories and good humor. This morning we were honored by a visit from The Reverend Somarathna, a venerable Buddhist monk and past principal of Pelena School. It turns out he is a relative of Aruna's too. All the young men working at Samura Beach House know the Thera because he was their school principal. He told us who was a good student and who was not. We had a wonderful time talking and laughing together. He paid us a high compliment by saying we were his relatives. We are now all wearing our pirith string bracelets.

Tomorrow (Monday) we descend upon Pelena school. Rev. Somarathna will meet us there and we will give the gifts we have brought from US. Then the Meredith students will have chance to work in the classrooms with the teachers.

For today, however, we are relaxing. This is our first free day since we arrived. Some are snorkeling, some reading under a palm tree and others shopping for Sri Lankan gems. Paradise.

Entry 1 : July 11
Meredith and friends,

We have arrived. The flight was as painless as possible and the connections were a breeze. We were almost fooled by the new addition to the Sri Lanka airport, all shiny and spacious, full of perfume and computer stores, but once we stepped outside we knew we were really here. The air was warm full of bus exhaust and screaming crows and the smell of frangiapani. A complete tropical emersion.

We arrived at 5 a.m. so the day was long but busy and full of reunions and new experiences. We had lunch at the Galle Face Hotel (read Michael Ondaatje's book Running in The Family to learn more) and watched the wild monsoon surf while sipping lime.

Last evening we had a wonderful dinner with old and new friends at the Rowing Club.

I'll write more when I can but we are off to see the elephants.