Mainiac Tri, Fortune’s Rocks Beach, Biddeford, Me – 2nd in age group

It’s just mind-boggling to realize that I just spent 42 days traveling to 20 cities and villages, taking 14 different flights and 2 trains, listening to over 40 lectures, and staying in 16 different hotels and 1 hospital!

Fulbright friends at the Taj Mahal                         … and in Sri Lanka (courtesy Jill Hetzel)

Thanks to all of my new Fulbright friends – teachers, guides, and facilitators- for a most excellent adventure.

(bottom row photos courtesy Joan Boyle)

I also have some new titles for my booklist:

Running in the Family
Wise and Otherwise
The Inheritance of Loss
The White Mary

World famous Geoffrey Bawa designed this resort to harmonize with the natural surroundings of beachfront and palms.

Our first desire… to swim in the Indian Ocean! Despite the red flag warnings, we frolicked in the wild surf, our bodies battered like bowling pins. The surf was raging in cross-current rip tides, so we kept to the relative safety of the shallow shoreline. Just a few feet further was a deep drop-off with threatening undertow like nothing I have ever experienced. No body surfing here!

The extensive pool system provided us with the soothing and safe swimming experience we craved. Everyone remarked that I finally seem “like Mary” – and they’re right… I do think I’ve recovered from my hospital experience.

sri lankan fishing boat

As the afternoon progressed, we noticed a wedding going on… again we felt like voyeurs as we were so close to the activities. The groom rides the elephant to meet his bride. Unfortunately, as the groom was descending the ladder, Ellie decided to move, which caused the groom to land on his backside.

the ceremony – the groom was English, the bride Tamil

What serenity to wake up to the sound of pounding surf and the sight of swaying palms. An entire day to ourselves to relax before the 35 hour flying marathon to our homes.

Our list of “what I’m going to first when I get home” is growing longer as each one of us starts the mental transition of reuniting with loved ones, home life, and the world of work.

What a gift this has been. I am changed.

sunset on the Indian Ocean

On our last day in Colombo we made two site visits beginning with the Cathedral of our Lady. Inside the Cathedral, we were moved by the children’s choir rehearsal. Though we could not understand the words, the spirituality was inspiring. In the chapel, we viewed and extensive mural of Jesus turning water into wine. Lucky for us, the artist was there to explain his contempory interpretation of the 2000 year-old Biblical story. Of course, Jesus was Sri Lankan in appearance, gesture and dress. Even the symbolic cross was the Cyrillic version. At the well were three Sri Lankan women – Sinhalese and Tamil – all wearing the modern attire of Kandian saris and skirts. Even the landscape told the story of the topography, flora and fauna of Sri Lanka. Such beautiful work.

After exploring the Cathedral, we were bussed for our very last organized visit of the trip; the 43 Group Art Gallery. Here we enjoyed room after room of Sri Lanka art, from formal oil portraits, to devil dance masks, to sensual photography, to modern art.

the gallery

palm book

devil dance mas

Around the surrounding grounds were lovely specimens of native flowers.

Four of us decided to explore the House of Fashion, a department store featuring seconds from the garment industry. It was quite strange to see Tommy Hilfiger and Sonoma branded clothing for give away prices. My purchases were minimal: a couple of pashminas and cricket jerseys. Ah, two hours of R and R at the pool before repacking for our fifteenth hotel stay at Blue Water.

SAARC publicity

Development in Sri Lanka by Dr. Anila Dias Bandaranaike

the supreme court in Colombo

Natural economic resources:
o Island attributes – natural beauty, national security (island), food, minerals, sea ports, strategic location
o Land attributes – mostly arable, mostly flat, accessible mountains, plentiful water sources, easy road/air/sea access

topographical map of Sri Lanka
(photo courtesy Wikipedia)

Human economic resources:
o Cultural attributes – rich and diverse traditions of Sinhala, Tamil, Muslem, Burgher
o Religious attributes – Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Christianity
o Health – rich, varied diet of proteins, starch, fats, minerals, vitamins
o Education – 2 ancient languages of Sinhala and Tamil plus the global business language of English
Health indicators:
o Population of 20 million – SL will face future issues with aging population
o Malnutrition rates are high – 29% in 2000
o Life expectancy rate is 74 (2007)
o Infant mortality rate is 12%
Education and labor indicators:
o Literacy rate is 92% in 2007
o Secondary education is 42%
o Post-secondary education is 21%
o Only 14% of eligible students gain acceptance to universities
o Education is free to end of university level
o Unemployment rate is 6%
Poverty and Social Welfare
o Per capita income is 178,830 rupees ($1,617 US)
o Poverty head count is 15.2 (2007) – large regional disparities
o Extensive social welfare since independence
o Welfare programs are universal including maternal, child nutrition, free school uniforms, food stamps, income transfers, food, fuel, fertilizer subsidies
o Unfortunately, national debt is going up, and these programs are in danger
Standard of Living
o 89% home ownership, but not all with permanent floor, walls, or roof
o 91% own land
o 80% have electricity
o 85% have access to safe water
o 91 % have sanitation
o 71% have television access
o 47% have telephone access (due to mobile phones

provinces of Sri Lanka
(photo courtesy Wikipedia)

Summaries:
o Changing structure of consumption- shift is from spending on basic needs to choice (education, leisure, transport). This reflects rising incomes and affordability.
o Excess labor in agriculture (especially in the eastern provinces)
o Western Provinces is like a middle income country

o Continuous budget deficit
Politics of Sri Lanka by Mr. Rohan Edirshinha

law lecturer at Colombo University
(photo courtesy Wikipedia)

Sri Lanka had a strong and vibrant democracy and system of law up to the 1980’s. Currently there is a rising of authoritarianism, diminishing of the democratic way. Subsequently, ethnic conflict has snowballed. The Tamil community has aspirations of self-determination and nationalism in the Eastern Provinces. They want autonomy in their homeland. Political negotiations have broken down over the past 20+ years, and many bitter feelings remain. Talks with the LTTE broke down in 1995, and the current President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga strove to reform the Constitution to include Tamil Rights. Her line was “War for Peace”; it was strongly anti-military.

Sri Lankan security force
(photo courtesy Wikipedia)

LTTE Tiger forces
(photo courtesy Wikipedia)

Unfortunately, the reform failed as she tried to work with the Tamil Prime Minister’s philosophy of negotiation with the LLTE. Norwegians were asked to help with cease fire and negotiations. The negotiations failed for six major reasons. Some consider the conflict to be a terrorist movement, but others see it as an ethnic struggle. The new President has built up a war machine that is extremely anti-LLTE; this has severely impacted the lives of civilians and journalists. Since free journalism is banned in the east, the true story is lost.

Tissa’s wife, Lilani Jayatilaka wrote a personal account of the trouble of July 1983. A Tamil, she experienced a holocaust of terror and persecution against Tamils by the Sinhalese government. In reference to the ongoing strife in her country she writes, “Bullets and bombs do not discriminate. Everyone claims to be right. In the end, everyone is wrong… in this war everyone is a loser. Revenge begets revenge… When will the carnage cease?”
Women and Gender in Sri Lanka by Ms. Shyamala Gomez

Sri Lanka is a male dominated society where the male is considered the “head of household.” For this reason, land ownership and judicial laws do not favor women’s rights. This philosophy can be traced to the Dutch Period of colonization in the 1600′s. There are no laws on sexual harassment, gender discrimination or employment rights and no right to abortion. Not until 1995 did rape (‘sex without her consent’) become a crime with a mandatory sentence of 7 years.

The Sarvodaya Movement of Sri Lanka by Dr. Vinya Airyaratne

www.sarvodaya.org

Sarvodaya is a “a self-sustaining people’s movement” that works on village development in the areas of culture, social, economics. To date, Sarvodaya has worked in 15,000 villages across conflict borders. The process is continuous over a period of several years:
1. Bring people together to improve the community
2. Immobilize social support groups
3. Organize village groups
4. Help create village development with assessment of needs and strategies
5. Start economic activities and self-financing
6. Share success and training with neighboring villages
These are some of the types of projects that Sarvodaya undertakes:
o Clean water
o Adequate nutrition
o Simple housing
o Basic health care
o Basic communication
o Min supply of energy
o Educational facilities
Sarvodaya is proof that diverse ethnic and religious groups can live and work together, and people can feel empowered to help themselves.
Traditional Medicine of Sri Lanka by Dr. Nalin Perera

Ayahveda is called “The law of life.”  What can the oldest medicine in the world teach us today?

There are three influences at work in our body:
Water  – internal movement in the body
Pitta -  the energy in the body
Kappa – distribution throughout the body

Diagnosis always begins with taking of the pulse which indicates the tempo and rhythm of the body – “the bowstring of the body.”

Our speaker learned in the temple through experiential learning from his grandfather who was his guru. He shared some ‘uncommon wisdom.”
1.    Bad habits – Don’t focus any attention on the bad habit, as it reinforces it.  Instead, cultivate another beneficial habit. “Grow a mental rosebush next to the weed.”  Slowly the negative habit will fade away.
2.    Stress – Physical exertion is a good antidote.  Stress is an inseparable part of our being; it is a primary energy to achieve goals.  It is the tension that creates magic.
a.    Improve diet.  Leave behind the processed, canned, fast foods. Eat alive foods, fresh and whole: grains, veggies, grains.
b.    Be aware.  Live in the present.
c.    Have a bigger mission.  This gives a spiritual grounding of working for the good of everyone.
The goal of Ayuhvedic medicine is to treat the person, not the illness.