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The Director's Sri Lanka Journal
Read the March 2005 mini-tour Diary!







The Clown's Diary

Sunday 20 March

I woke up on Sunday after a good night's sleep and went for a meeting with Reverend David. Unfortunately he was delayed by over an hour with another, more urgent matter. He told me that if we want to use his fellow priests for contacts etc., then we have to go through the Bishop of Columbo who has ordered his priests not to work with any foreign N.G.O.s, unless they have been passed by him. In all honesty, I can see the point in this, but it was still another challenge to be overcome. Luckily for us, our good friend Mohan Samarasinhe of the Ruhana Children's Development Trust, who took me and Bella on our tour along the south coast, knew someone in the Bishop's office and telephoned him and got us clearance.

We then discussed Children's World International's work and the Reverend asked if I could do some shows and play workshops in the church grounds on Easter Sunday. His congregation suffered badly in the Tsunami and he thought that our work would help the children. I agreed and asked how many children would there be.

"Oh we have lots of children, maybe 200, but not all will come", he replied. I have the feeling that it could be a good day.

I then told him about yesterday and how I had been conned over the van and translator, and saw the anger in his eyes. He demanded that we return to the hotel.

The sight of Reverend David storming down the hotel's driveway, pure white robes flowing and brilliant white in the noonday sun is a sight that I will never forget! He entered the hotel lobby and started a loud, fast conversation with the manager. The owner was called and joined in the discussion.

It was all in Tamil, so what was said is beyound me, but I could tell by body language that Reverend David was not happy, and the manager and hotel owner were looking very shame-faced. Eventully I was offered a R1500 refund. The Reverend David was still angry, and still thinks that I was made to pay way over the odds, but could get no more out of them. I'm very grateful to the Reverend and respect the way he handled the situation.

Next I went to the internet office and sent some diary stuff to Bella for the website. (Apparently it was never received, but that's technology for you - it has been very hard keeping in touch, though it is easier now that my mobile phone is working).

At 12:30 I meet with Antony, my translator for the day, and we headed off to camps a few kilometers north of Trincomalee. En route we passed taped-off areas and signs that said "DANGER - MINES". Both the goverment and the LTTE (Tamil Tigers) have used land mines in this area. Unfortunately the Tsunami has lifted and moved a lot of the mines, placing some of them in areas used by civilians, including one garden that we drove past. Many mines are still unaccounted for, which is quite a worry.

We worked at 2 camps today. At the first camp we played games with over 40 children and a dozen or so adults enjoyed both the show and the sound of the children's laugher as we played. And Antony was great - the best translator I've had in Sri Lanka. Not only does he know how to translate, but he also knows how to talk to children, and he thinks that parachute games are great. When the ball would fly off during parachute football, he would race the children to get it, laughing as they beat him to it. It really does make so much difference when the translator joins in the games.

At the second camp we were shown the remains of a temple. The only part of it left was the floor, and a statue of a god that had been untouched. There weren't so many children here, maybe only 25, but still they and half a dozen adults enjoyed the show and games very much.

After work Anthony took me to some hot springs. There are seven springs within 40 feet of each other, each one a different temperature - a refreshing change from luke warm/cold showers.