The Oasis Hotel Colombo

... and a shanty town. I know my limits and don't need to see some trash strewn beach so much that I would cross through dilapidated shacks. I was expecting a full on India experience here but have been pleasantly surprised that the city is relatively free of beggars, horrible slums, piles of trash everywhere and horrific stenches like I experienced in Delhi last year. It's dirty but not so bad my senses are repulsed. Actually it's fine and doesn't bother me ...

... anyone is reading this and thinking of going to a Kosgoda sea turtle hatchery - please pick carefully and make sure your donation is being used wisely - learn from our mistake. ) This morning we caught the train to Colombo, passing the Mount Lavinia hotel that Taid stayed in years ago. We went in to town to try and pick up some bits in the markets but today has been declared a national holiday and so the streets were ...

... Google him and, while no journal article popped up, there was a newspaper article from a year ago in which teachers and principals in the provinces complained that they could not get textbooks and teaching guides because the publications department that he heads up was over-capacity and could not keep up with orders (article's title is Lambs To the Slaughter in Education Department Mess, April 2008). When interviewed for the article, the deputy general ...

... school library physical set ups. Within a span of 25 minutes, we were interrupted at least 8 times with people walking in and out of his office to get his signature on documents. Every time I asked if certain documentation was available, he would pick up one of his three phones (one an intercom, one a landline, the third his mobile) and bark orders/instructions to someone to immediately bring this and that to his office, extravagantly slamming the phone down ...

... later, a small fleet of army speedboats bounced across the horizon, appearing, apparently, from behind a group of men in Afghan dress gathered at the foot of the perfectly manicured lawn. I wondered whether I should panic but just couldn't muster up any sentient response other than 'this could very well be the life'. I realise now that this might be how governments get away with perpetrating atrocities on their own people without anyone batting an eyelid. It's a ...

... long walk along the Green and watched all the locals swimming in the beach, playing cricket and flying kites... I got near the end and about 1/2 doz cars & trucks with gun toting men came hooning past (they weren't in uniform) so i got a bit freaked and made my way back ... I ordered some room service or soup and pasta the settled in to watch a bit of TV while the thunder and lightening raged outside...

Today I had a very long day slated: a train ride that could take anything from 7 to 10 hours from Nuwara Eliya all the way to Colombo, a couple of hours to kill in the capital, and then heading out to the airport to catch my 3am flight and spend the whole of tomorrow flying. I was hoping there wouldn't be any repeats of my last train ride, and I booked a first class ticket (still only $5). On that particular route, because ...

... to explain ) I meet my driver and started the long and very wet drive to MEF ( roads were shocking even by normal standards ) I arrived here at about 5 local time and after a few drinks and a very brief chat to every one I feel into bed at 9 and fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow I woke on Saturday at 3.30 am local time and could not get back to sleep for love nor money so I took a book outside and watched the sunrise. Every one ...

... think of is "if your happy and you know it" and "old macdonald"! then every afternno i'll take an afterschool class for english. you can just imagine little sri lankan kids running arounf with broad belfast accents - looking forward to that! i also have to work alongside teachers. discipline of children is an alien concept out here so i have to train the teachers how to deal with it. simple things i've observed already is ...

... 98 because of material in Mary and Human Liberation Evelyn: moderated the session -invited Tissa to share experiences -inquired about his interest in feminist perspective and about Mary and Human Liberation Tissa: -thanked the group for lunch -would like to learn from the group gathered -question for reflection: Suppose you were person who decided what theology is and you were allowed to change 1 item... What would that item be? -before taking answers, sharing of two ...