Frustrations,Progress ,and one less hairy knee..

The mask which brings good fortune to Siri Madura

Frustrations = Internet and email access
I was unable to access the site for awhile so sent an email to blog readers. In the last blog I was rejoicing that we had dial up internet access at Siri Madura and would soon be getting wifi .
Well!!!!!!!!!!all change . Im now using a dongle - the dial up is off, the wifi is set to go but the phone line is disconnected- I got a really good technician to service my lap top and note pad and now neither of them work properly !! However  Ive managed to get onto the internet this lovely sunny Saturday morning when its not too hot and the monkeys I can see outside my window are grunting away as usual and Zigger is snoring contentedly under the bed having been out for his morning  toilet and had his customary ginger biscuit in leau of dog biscuits. The local ginger biscuits are very gingery indeed but Ive become accustomed to them now.
So it looks like Im back to intermittant email contact. My small IPOD allways works well when Im in range of Wifi so its not total lack of communication.

                                                       

.This is me using a ginger biscuit to try to get Zigger to look at the web cam.  He now has a fenced area in the garden so that he can be off lead and run about and chase the ball. I hope that will reduce some of his excess weight. He gave me a terrible fright when he staggered up to me swaying from side to side , panting furiosly and clearly asking for help but I remembered something I'd read and covered him in cold wet towels and after about an hour his heart rate was back to normal. He had been running about at midday and was just too hot. I learned later that a solution for overheated animals and humans is to put and icepack under the armpits to lower body heat quickly. Im sure those of you in the UK will find that very useful in your present climate.

Tuk Tuk rides with Rassica - one hairless knee!

A depiction of female monks bringing a special plant from the Buddha, in India, to a temple near Umawatuna, Galle.

Below is Eilidh holding a turtle in the turtle sanctuary which we visitited on a fun day out . A trip in Rassica's Tuk tuk with Zigger and a hotel guest Clare to see the " Cinnaman " man who lives on one of many islands on a vast lake and farms Cinnman and demontrates, outside his cool mud walled home. how he strips the bark and uses the cinnamon. It tastes more lemony when fresh than the old dried stuff we get in UK. I don't have any pics of this trip after the turtle sanctuary as I dropped my camera there. In the evening the turtle farm owner got a tuk tuk for an hours trip to bring it to sunbeach to see if it was my camera. I hadn't noticed that I'd lost it. The turtle sanctuarty needs volunteers for a day just to help feed the turtles and when they are ready release them into the ocean. they collect the eggs and care for them until they hatch and keep any disabled turtles who would not survive - some blind. some with damaged legs. 

 The beauty of the shell patterns was amazing. And the small newly hatched turtles soooooo sweet. Each tank is signed by the UK benefactors who support the place.

We also went to a spice garden where the herbalist produced many lotions and oils for ayuvedic medecine and proceeded to magically and painlessly remove hairs from one of my knees with a special lotion. I was very impressed but the price condemned my other knee to remain hairy.  

I am planning to create a Tuk Tuk rides guide with Rassica and we planned to meet this week to discuss the booklet but then Rassica had to rush home as Mutu his wife had started to give birth - 3 weeks early- to their first child - a girl -and all is well. So the booklet plan will have to wait awhile. It would give me the excuse to go on interesting journeys and I could sell it to raise a few more Rupees for the Centre.

she loved the keyboard

The Chandrasevana Arts Centre welcomes the locals. 

This was a big event for us as we advertised a film evening to the people living nearbye so that they could satisfy their curiosity about all the work that has been going on  over the last few months and find out what we are doing here. As usual technology was a little problematic at first but projector and sound system and laptop eventually worked in harmony and  we had an audience of around 25 to watch  A Mr Bean film.  We set up a display of photographs of the  arts days and put a line of tiny oil lamps to light the way and served water or  coca cola -cold from the fridge and room temperature - an important choice for people here. Afterwards the requests for a Bollywood film and a Sri Lankan film have set the programme for the next 2 film evenings. It was very clear that people welcome the Centre and the acitivities and are keen to take part  so I am much encouraged by this evening even though rain started half an hour before we opened and stopped some people from getting here.

We have a volunteer, James, from Suffolk here for 2 weeks and he is helping and will do some work in the garden.    We are thinking of putting a notice on the gate to see if any tourists would like to come and do a couple of hours practical work, like painting and clearing the garden while they are in the area.                         

fabric painting of initials

Visa application I am progressing with my visa application for the " My Dream Home" Visa - for people over 55 who are allowed a 2 year visa if they can deposit £10,000 retunable surity and reasonable pension income. Im hoping to borrow the surity by various means as I don't have much savings but my pension is sufficient. Compulsory private health insurance is a big obstacle - extortionate charges but I am sorting it all out with the help of generous friends and all the money is returned after the 2 years with interest whichb I undersrtand is quite a bit higher than current UK rates..

Sukitha Days.

We have completed 4 of our 6 days with the disabled groups from Sukitha orphanage. On one there was a power cut all day. So candles were needed even with all shutters open. The penants show intials in English and in Singhalese. There is such joy on some of the faces-- and some residents who seem withdrawn manage to smile and take part as best they can. 

games in the garden

I won't be able to continue with these sessions when Eilidh returns to Scotland as she has brought funding for them and each day costs about £80.  

Progress!!
Today ,Sunday, the carpenters began putting up the roof of the outside area which will be a theatre space and soon the Kandian dance teaching can begin .
We have found a local music teacher who will begin a weekly class for keyboard and drums. This man is disabled and drives himself around in a converted Tuktuk .His English is very good and I will help with this class and engage participants in some art/ discussion along side the music teaching. 
Eilidh begins a weekly art and play class for 8 to 14 year olds tomorrow and is full of interesting ideas for that.
After the film night we have had several requests for English conversation classes, and this is my inroad to the emotional health/ peer support idea that brought me here. I'm planning those now.using simple paper creative art exercises, adapting some materials I used in UK ,to get conversations going.


the wiahes tree in the garden

 Many parents are keen on the English class idea but  of course my time and money is limited and this is an Arts Centre so most things will have art or craft basis. We are still searching for local people with good English to run the groups and translate for us. Many people would like to set up activities for young people in the centre but at the moment we don't have the money to pay the teachers.

So suddenly  I'm very busy and could be too busy. I find the heat slows me down and I do get very tired so have to take care to get rest time in the day and not take on too much. Tonight a mosquito or 2 got under my mosquito net and began feasting , unable to sleep, Im writing this blog - it helps to stop me from scratching ! 
Off to the big supermarket in Galle in the morning to stock up on essentials and treat myself to some real cheese - I cant bring myself to tell you how expensive that is !!
 I have to say that this project is so very worthwhile and the local people are so pleased that this facility is open to them and especially for the young people. Your support is really paying off now and Im thrilled to see the results of all the planning and preparation.. If you want any information do please email me on eddi.pipe@gmail.com  or write a comment in the space below the blog.
Hoping that there are signs of Spring in Europe and you have had the worst of the winter by now.
All bestwishes  from~Eddi and Zigger at  sunny Siri Madura, Sri Lanka.

lunch for the Sukitha girls





time to leave the creatiive arts day