Sri Lanka Bound ~ A Canadian Librarian Abroad

2007-12-26T13:30:00.000-05:00

hAPpY NeW YEaR!

2007 is drawing to a close. I am ready for 2008, but I will always, always remember this year with great fondness, and in the years to come, I suspect a touch disbelief. This has been the most unexpected year of my life, a year I could not possibly have predicted. Three trips to Sri Lanka. Me. I made three trips to Sri Lanka. Wahhh. I have no words to express what it feels like to write that, to have lived that. I know there are many people out there who do these things all the time, and it is just normal to them, but for me it is monumental. I hope it is a beginning and not an end. I hope there are many unexpected experiences waiting for me, and for all of you. Who knows what could be next??? Keep your passport handy just in case! ;-)

Best wishes for the new year,
LR :-)

2007-10-17T11:57:00.000-04:00

Photos on Flickr

Hey there. Home. Safe. Sound. Jetlagged. Toe healing. All is well...

All except my inability to get more photos uploaded on blogger. So... if you would like to see my photos check them out on flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/15347400@N08/?find=laura.reed%40rogers.com. Hopefully it will work!

Thanks,
Laura

2007-10-12T03:37:00.000-04:00

I'm Back...Online!

Phew. Sorry for the long delay in posts... or maybe it just seems long to me... days without even being able to check email was a little disorienting. Here it is October 12th and I don't even know who won the Ontario election, and I sure hope there is a leftover Thanksgiving turkey sandwich in someone's freezer for me!

I am back in Colombo... and happy but tired. I have to say I have worked my butt of for the last few weeks.... Gnana and those Trinco librarians kept me hopping trying to get everything accomplished that they wanted. But, I think we have done it. We gathered the information, more or less, for the evaluation reports, and we managed to get some other big projects done too.... a new vision statement and mission statement for Trincomalee Library (USAID is building them a website so they wanted a new mission statement to put on it), layouts for the renovated Trinco Library (they will be in it until the new library is completed, and construction is progressing slowly, so it could be a long term temporary solution), collection development policies for Batti and Trinco, and more. And yes, I know, those of you who know me are probably wondering what business I have doing any of those tasks, but I don't somehow I managed. ;-)

Now I just have to finish (start) writing the evaluation reports. A BIG BIG job! But enough about that.... here are some pictures...

International Children's Day perfomance in Batticaloa (organized by the Butterfly Peace Garden)... there are five young men under that elephant!

.... hmmm, I cannot get anymore photos to upload... I will try again when I get to the hotel (at the FCM office at the moment). More soon, promise!

2007-10-05T23:48:00.000-04:00

...testing, testing... in Trinco....

Hi. Just using the dial-up connection at the hotel, which is a little wonky. So I won't write much in case it doesn't work.

I have been in Trincomalee for two days. It is currently Saturday morning and I am off to the Children's Library to interview children and parents about the changes they have seen in the library. I will also do some work on their computers and load a few cd-roms. Yesterday, I put an I Spy game on one computer and I had about a dozen children playing it. They were soooooooo excited, and we had a great time. So, for all of you who donated cd-roms... THANK YOU! The children LOVE them and they will definitely get a lot of use.

It is hot here, but the evening is a little bit cooler, maybe 25, but with the ocean breeze it at Club Oceanic it is very pleasant... so sweat and parboil all day, then cool off and relax in the evening. It is odd to be here alone. Kinda miss Rob. There are people in the hotel from all over the world... Switzerland, the Netherlands, Iceland, Germany, France, Japan, Australia... it is a miny United Nations... actually a lot of them do work for the UN. ;-)

Better go, the driver will be here soon.

Pictures will come when I am back in Colombo on Friday or Saturday.

LR

2007-10-01T23:24:00.000-04:00

Briefly from Batticaloa...

Greetings from Batti! Just starting day two of work here. The library looks GREAT! (I will post pictures later)... with the new computers, some new furniture (more to come), and most importantly the removal of lots of boxes of discarded books, the library is looking so good... clean and spacious and organized. It is great to see.

The staff are all well and send their regards to Canada.

Yesterday was International Children's Day... so there was a performance in the town square in the evening with children singing and dancing, there was an amzing paper macheie elephant, and costumes... I will post those pictures too. It was colourful and lively, and a real treat for me to see.

Anyways, I better get to work. More soon...

LR

2007-09-29T13:13:00.000-04:00

Off to the East...

It is my last night in Colombo already. I am leaving at 7:3o in the morning for Batticaloa. Looking forward to getting there and seeing my friends and colleagues. I will be in Batti until Wednesday, off to Trincomalee on Thursday, in Trinco until the following Wednesday, then the whole group will meet in Habarana for a day, and Friday I will be back to Colombo. Hope that makes some sense!

I will check in when I can, internet access is not quite so easy when I am in the east, but I will do my best. I will also take lots of pictures to share.

Don't worry. All is well.
Laura

2007-09-27T07:03:00.000-04:00

Safe Arrival

I am here. In Colombo, at last, and just a tad jetlagged. The flights were all good and everything went smoothly... the cd-roms and I all arrived in one piece.

It is hot and humid here, but not raining... apparently it rains mostly at night, which is good news. I expected to get off the plane in the rain.

Well, I am going to go have a coffee to try and stay awake. The work starts tomorrow so I need to get on schedule. I will write more when I do not need to stop every other word to yawn!

Laura :-)

2007-09-20T10:37:00.000-04:00

5 Days and counting...

Yup. I leave in five days... the evening of September 25th. Am I ready? No, not even a little bit. There is so much to do. This mission is going to be hard... a lot of work to get done in a short time, and it is the last mission, so I want to make sure that I haven't missed anything... and then there are the evaluation reports which need to be done... I am really not look forward to them.

I leave here Tuesday night, get there Thursday morning, then meet with someone at the National Library on Friday... hopefully to get a better understanding on some of the national policies, especially weeding. Then Sunday I will be off to Batticaloa, then Trincomalee, then the whole group will meet for a day in Habarana... then I will be off back to Colombo and off home again. A bit of a whirlwind.

I will blog as much as I can.

Thanks to everyone who donated cd-roms for the libraries... I am able to take the start of a really great collection. Thanks so much.

More soon,
Laura :-)

2007-08-30T09:11:00.001-04:00

Get ready, get set, go...

My trip has been confirmed. I will be away September 25 - October 16. That is the good news, the bad news is I have soooooooo much to do between now and getting on a plane. I guess you'll know where to find me for the next few weeks... if I am not in my office at the library, just follow my laptop cord, I will be at the end trying not to panic. Rob is definitely not coming on this mission, so it is down to me, and since it is the last mission there are evaluation reports which must be completed... they have me very worried. Oh well, I work best under stress (or at least let's hope I do!), and really sleep is over rated.

More soon...

2007-07-25T09:17:00.000-04:00

Return of the Bad Blogger...

I know... I should have posted before now... but I have been busy, distracted, tired, or some combination of those things for the last few months.

Oh, and, I really have nothing exciting to report. Things are plugging along. The Summer Reading Club is keeping me busy at work, reading Harry Potter kept me busy for a few days, and now we are almost half way through the summer... where does the time go?

I don't have official dates yet, but I think I will be leaving for Sri Lanka during the last week of September and will be there for the first two weeks of October, or so. Will have to be back by October 19th for Kathy and Anita's wedding... I may be jetlagged, but I wouldn't miss my sister's wedding for anything, not even for an extra week in south Asia! ;-)

So that is it for now. Once I have any details... or anything interesting to say, I will be back.

LR

2007-05-29T12:34:00.000-04:00

Home soon...

Well, I will be home in about twenty-four hours. I feel like I have been away for a long time. It will be good to get home and back to normal.

I have had a lovely day in London... the sun came out today and thawed me a bit. My feet are tired from much wandering. It has been nice.

I saw EQUUS last night. It was powerful and disturbing and difficult to watch at points... but really wonderful. Richard Griffiths was amazing. Daniel Radcliffe was perfect. It was a real treat to be able to see the production here in London, in a beautiful old theatre. I was sitting beside an older man who saw the original production about thirty-five years ago, and he was very impressed with this revival. The hype was about a naked Harry Potter, but the substance definitely wins out.

Today I went to see the Tate Modern... a new facility... just great. It is right on the Thames, overlooking the Millennium Bridge, in an old factory space. It is huge and impressive. The opening collections are equally impressive, almost overwhelming to an art novice like me. It is a mid-term break this week, so everywhere is overrun with children... yes, I know, I am a children's librarian, I am supposed to love children, but having boys spitting down the stairwells and children running through galleries was a little much.

Anyways. That is it. I will be home tomorrow. Just off in search of a good English dinner now. Thanks for reading. I will try to keep you posted about what happens next. At this point, it looks like there will be one more trip and I will once again be Sri Lanka bound in August.

LR :-)

2007-05-28T07:54:00.000-04:00

Live from London

Hello there. I am writing from a very blustery London... just about a block from Hyde Park. Nice, quiet area. But it is COLD!!! and RAINY. I don't know why I am surprised. This is how London is supposed to be right? Just add some fog. ;-) It is just a bit of a shock after a few weeks in Sri Lanka... and it was nice and warm here when I checked before leaving Canada... so I am not at all prepared for this weather. I was just out walking for three hours, but had to come back to warm up for a bit. Had to buy a scarf (could see my breath!), and tights to wear with my dress for the theatre tonight.

See this is what I get for whining about the heat in all my posts from Sri Lanka!

Oh well, I will just drink lots of hot tea.
Cherrio...
LR ;-)

2007-05-26T12:45:00.000-04:00

All Good Things Come to an End...

Well, I cannot believe it is over. I leave Sri Lanka in a little more than twelve hours. How quickly time goes. Now I am off for a few days of fun in London. Looking forward to it.

Today was a great last day. I went to the library at the British Council, which was interesting. Nice facility and absolutely packed. Then I did a very little bit of shopping. Back to the Cinnamon Grand to work on the report with Rob... then I made him go to high tea with me at the Galle Face Hotel. It was nice... great tea, scones with cream and jam, and an amazing view of the ocean. Wonderful. All for 550 rupees. Okay, Rob didn't actually have the tea and finger sandwiches, he had beer, but I think he enjoyed it anyways.

So now I just have to finish packing and get myself to bed early. A long day ahead tomorrow.

I don't know if I will be able to post from London... but I will try... I am sure you are all waiting for my review of EQUUS!

Wish me a safe flight.

Ta ta,
LR

2007-05-25T12:56:00.000-04:00

A Few Photos...

Back in Colombo! Loving the towels and the pillows (long story). Too tired for many words, but here are some good (I hope) photographs....

The view from my room in Colombo... see, technically, an ocean view! ;-)

Cows in Habarana.

Monkeys drink coke too! I opened the door to my room in Habarana and there were dozens of monkeys. So cool.

Sunrise in front of Club Oceanic in Trincomalee.

THE beach!!! Soooooo beautiful.

Fishermen on the beach in Trincomalee.

Me and the kids in Trinco.

Nesha and his son... too cute and sooooo much energy!

Me and Rani. Yup, touched an elephant on the return visit to Habarana. Was offered a ride... but I already felt sorry for her with the chain around her neck, couldn't bear the thought of her having to trot me around.

Okay. It is my bed time. I am looking forward (fingers crossed) to a great nights sleep. More tomorrow.

LR :-)

2007-05-23T03:57:00.000-04:00

Baked in Batti!

Hello all. Sorry for the delay in posting. Things have been hectic here in Batticaloa. And it is hot. Did I mention it is HOT??? I am a little parboiled at this point (picture Barney Rubble feet), a tad pink, and all limbs are polka dotted with bug bites (don't think they are mosquitoes, but taking my malaria pills just in case).

We have gotten a lot of work done here. And, we have generated some good ideas for programs, volunteers, and more. Seriously struggling with the automation plan. Very complicated. But, hopefully we will figure it all out. A few more hours this afternoon, an hour or so in the morning, and that is it. The time goes so quickly.

Tomorrow (Thursday) we will leave Batticaloa and go to Habarana for the night, then on to Colombo on Friday. In Colombo I will post a bunch of pictures... it would take too long with the connection here.

We have had some interesting times in the last few days. We are staying in a different hotel than last time... it is... ummmmm... interesting. The first night a breaker burnt out and we were each (Rob and I) in our respective rooms with no windows, no a/c, no fan. UGHHHHHH. I have never been so hot in my life. It is better now... Rob and I have the "deluxe" rooms with a/c... so I have to share the quote from the Lonely Planet travel guide I have..."The air con rooms are particularly miserable, dark and dank." Too funny. Rob and I have been "particularly miserable" at times, but we are able to laugh about it over a beer, and we both know that a little suffering is the least we can survive when there is so much real suffering around us.

Okay. Back to work. Hope all is well in Canada. Photos... soon... I promise!

2007-05-19T05:57:00.000-04:00

HOT HOT HOT

Well, I am still in Trincomalee... we leave tomorrow morning at 6:45 am to go to Batticaloa. Trinco has been great. Great to see the library. Great staff. Great beaches. Amazing views. But everyday it seems to get a little bit hotter. Today it is 37!!! Hot and still... okay if you are near the ocean, but otherwise it is hot hot hot.

I have taken a lot of amazing photos... but can't upload them here. I will try to post a few before I leave Colombo. Lots of wildlife this time... monkeys, deer, lizards, cows, and thankfully no snakes. ;-)

Stay cool in Canada.

LR :-)

2007-05-17T09:10:00.000-04:00

Tired in Trinco!

Hello. Sorry for the delay in posting... I wrote post yesterday and then I lost it, the system would not work for me and I was just tooooooo tired to try again. But, today is a new day so I am giving it another shot... but, I will keep it short in case it does not work again.

We are having a nice time in Trincomalee... getting lots of work done in this heat. So we get back to the hotel pretty tired by the end of the day.

Trinco is beautiful... the beaches are spectucular. Spectacular and sad. This is a tropical paradise that no one is able to enjoy. We are staying at a beautiful resort but there are no tourists. Too dangerous or complitcated. So I walked the beach for a kilometre or so when we got back today and didn't see a soul.

We are here in Trinco for a few more days. THen off to Batticaloa. I will try to download and post some pictures before I go. You will not believe what I have to share with you.

More soon.
Laura :-)

2007-05-14T23:17:00.000-04:00

Happy in Habarana

Hello. Well, we made it a little over half way to Trinco on Monday... then stayed the night at resort in Habarana... wow, this is a little piece of paradise. Tropical breezes, absolutely beautiful. I am just using the resort's cyber cafe and the connection is a little slow, so I won' t post pictures now, but will when I can.

It took over 5 hours to get here, and hopefully only another 3 or so to Trincomalee. We will get there mid-afternoon and head right to the library. I am looking so forward to seeing it.

Hope all is well at home.

Luv,
Laura

Jesse - running into girls is not the way to get a date! ;-) Hope you're feeling better. Take care.

2007-05-13T02:42:00.000-04:00

Greetings from Colombo...

Hello all. Well it is a beautiful, hot, sunny day here in Sri Lanka. I am just organizing the craft supplies I bought yesterday and this morning... I got lots of kids scissors, glue sticks, coloured paper, punches and more. It was fun shopping for the libaries and thinking of all the fun things the kids will be able to make. I even got a few great programming books with craft ideas and reproduceables, and a few wooden puzzles... so THANK YOU to everyone who helped to make it possible.

Rob will be arriving later this afternoon... then we will have to get to work and get organized. We will be leaving for Trincomalee tomorrow morning/afternoon, driving half way, and then finishing the journey on Tuesday. We will be in Trinco until Sunday and then we will travel to Batticaloa. We will be in Batti until Thursday... then back to Colombo on Friday (May 25)... Why am I giving you this itinerary? Well, I don't know when I am going to be able to blog again. It may not be until I get back to Colombo. So if there are no posts for two weeks, don't worry... it just means I don't have easy internet access. I will try to find a way to post a little whenever I can.

Happy Mothers' Day.

More soon,
LR

2007-05-11T09:10:00.000-04:00

In Colombo...

Hello. I am here. In Colombo. Arrived safe and sound, if somewhat exhausted from the long haul to get here. I arrived around 9:15, my luggage arrived too (always a relief), and I made to the hotel by noon... then I had a bath and a long nap. Feeling almost human again. Okay, that pretty well sums up my day. :-)

Just wanted to let you know I got here safely, nothing to worry about. Now I am going to go get something to eat, and then I will probably go back to sleep. Oh the exciting life of a world traveller. ;-)

I will try to do something interesting before the next post!

Take care,
LR

2007-05-10T17:55:00.000-04:00

Dazed in Dubai!

Okay, I probably shouldn't be blogging right now, because I am a little loopy from the chaos and exhaustion, and I will read this later and be horrified by the spelling and grammar... but, here I sit at the airport in Dubai with a great (free) internet connection and a few hours to put in before my flight to Colombo leaves... and I have to do something to stay awake.

This airport is unbelieveable... it is 2:00 am and the place is absolutely packed, people everywhere, and everyone has duty free bags... it is kind of like the United Nations but with Baskin Robbins, Dunkin Donuts and McDonalds in the middle. Very interesting.

So far the flights have gone smoothly... just one more to go. I am looking forward to getting to Colombo, so I can relax and get to work.

... for those of you are interested, and you know who you are... since leaving Toronto I have watched The Good German, Bobby, The Bridge to Terabithia and Miss Potter... not a bad quadruple feature eh? Okay there were gaps in all of them when my eyes where closed but the still count. ;-)

Anyways, that is all for now. More from Sri Lanka...

LR :-)

2007-05-09T09:44:00.000-04:00

See ya soon...

Well today is the day. I will be off on a plane later tonight. Makes me tired just thinking of the next day or so... I leave at 11:00 pm tonight and I arrive in Colombo at 9:00 am on Friday. Now all I have to do is finish packing (yes, blogging right now is procrastinating). I have one bag ready to go... the easy one, the one full of books and dvds... the easy one to pack, not so easy to lift. ;-) But, I know the libraries will appreciate all of the materials that have been donated. So thanks again for helping out. I can't wait to watch the Wiggles with the kids.

So, I guess I really should get back to the ironing board. I will blog again as soon as I can, so you know I have arrived safely. I am not sure how much internet access I will have over the next few weeks... I will be in Trincomalee for a week and then Batticaloa for a week... I am not sure if I will have internet in Trinco, hopefully I will and I will be able to send some updates.

Okay, I am really going now... Trooper is staring me down, he knows something is going on and he is not at all impressed... I am not sure which he dislikes more, the sight of his carrier or my suitcase.

Take care. I'll post again soon.

Laura :-)

2007-04-20T22:24:00.000-04:00

Travel Plans...

Well, I think my trip is set (fingers crossed). I am leaving from Toronto on May 9th, flying to London, then Dubai, arriving in Colombo on the morning of May 11th. Yup, I am going in the opposite direction as last time. I am happy to be trying another route. This means that I don't have a long, long, long flight like the fifteen hour one from Toronto to Hong Kong... instead it is approximately 7 hours, 7 hours, 4.5 hours... that's better eh? I am going straight there so that I have an extra day to get acclimatized and ready to work. But on the way home I am going to stop for a day in London, well actually, the thought of a day in London was sooooo good, that I thought three days in London would be even better. So after Sri Lanka I will have a three day mini-vacation in London. I am looking so forward to it. I haven't been in London since I was eighteen... yeah, a long time ago!

So now all I have to do is get things organized at the library, gather together all the information for the training sessions, and pack my bags. Yikes, may not sound like a lot, but I think I will be in full panic mode for the next two weeks trying to get everything done. Wish me luck.

More soon....

L.R. :-)

2007-04-13T14:55:00.000-04:00

A Little News...

Well, I have a little news... I am going back to Sri Lanka! The mission is scheduled for May 14 - 25, so I will probably be leaving on May 10th! Ummm, yes, that means I will be in Sri Lanka, or at least in the air en route, four weeks from today. YIKES!!! I have sooooo much to do between now and then.

Quietly freaking out in K-W. ;-)

2007-03-26T22:09:00.000-04:00

Bad Blogger!

Yes, I know, I am a bad and fickle blogger. I got back to Canada, got distracted, and forgot to post any updates. Not that I have anything particularly exciting to report. I do have tenative dates for a mission to Sri Lanka in May and August. After the news reports over the past few days I am not very confident about those dates, but we will see.... if I have learned anything in the past year it is that the situation in Sri Lanka is completely unpredictable and can change from day to day to day. I will let you know more when I know more.

The good news is I am typing this on my shiny, brand new laptop! Just got it. Love it. And, it will be much less stressful worrying about my own laptop instead of the library's laptop.

So that is it... see I meant it when I said I had nothing to say. :-)

2007-01-31T09:02:00.000-05:00

Home again, home again...

Yes, I am home. Safe and sound and just a tad jet-lagged. It was a bit of a shock to come home to find that winter arrived while I was away. It may take me a few days to get used to the snow and ice! And, I was up last night at 2:00 am... still exhausted but completely unable to sleep when I need to be sleeping. Oh well, I guess that will work itself out.

I was going to post a few more pictures... but somewhere between the Hong Kong airport and Kitchener the laptop died (UGH). I guess it is good it happened when it did, otherwise I would have spent the agonizing flight stressed out about having killed a computer. All of my pictures and the almost completed report are on it... so keep your fingers crossed that Bryan the-world's-best-IT-guy can salvage the hard drive! Yikes. Can't stand the thought of starting the report from scratch... without Rob.

I received my first email from the Batticaloa Library overnight... it was a great message to find in my inbox. So happy that they are using the internet/email and starting to get more comfortable with it.

So that is all for now. Thanks for reading!!! Really, thanks, it kept me motivated to post. I will let you know any further developments... like if or when I am to go again to Sri Lanka.

Keep warm,
LR

2007-01-28T00:43:00.000-05:00

Farewell Sri Lanka

Well, I will be leaving Sri Lanka in a little more than 12 hours. Cannot quite believe that the trip is over. It has been indescribeable... although I have done my best to describe it here. I have done lots of work, made great friends, and seen things I never, ever, imagined seeing. This children's librarian from little old Guelph has finally seen a bit of the world. What a gift. Now before I get too sappy I will share a few more photos from the trip back to Colombo from Batticaloa. The pictures say more than my words...

Elephant Crossing
Not far from Habarana traffic stopped... there was a wild elephant in the middle of the road! And we think that moose are dangerous driving hazards... we passed him, and he definitely didn't seem to be in a rush to go anywhere. I also saw a number of elephants in the brush along the side of the road as we were driving. Loved it!

Hindu Temple in Matale
We stopped at this amazing temple so our driver (I feel bad calling him that, but I don't know how to spell his name) could worship before the end of the day. It was spectacular. It was so high I couldn't get a good picture of it.

Sunset in Kandy
We stopped overnight in Kandy on the way back from Batticaloa. The driving is slow and we were not to be on the roads after dark (see photo above for one good reason why! ;-)). Kandy is quite impressive. We only had a short time there, but we managed to see some traditional Kandyan dancers and tour the Buddhist Temple of the Tooth... a very famous landmark. It was fascinating and full of tourists and worshippers. It just so happened that we were there on the 9th anniversay of the bombing of the Temple (by the LTTE). This picture is taken just outside the Temple looking out over the lake and into the surrounding hills. Just beautiful.

So I guess that is it. All that awaits me now is the long journey home to the snow and ice. Ugh. I will let you all know when I am safely home again. Thanks to everyone for the comments to my blog and the emails... I have really enjoyed hearing your responses, and to hearing from old friends. Thanks so much!

Hope to see you all soon.
Luv,
LR

2007-01-27T05:53:00.000-05:00

...the Batticaloa Adventure Continued...

It was really great to finally get to see the library for myself. We arrived there bright and early on Monday morning ready to get to work. First we had to have a brief meeting with the Municipal Council Commissioner (the head honcho). Then we got to meet all of the library staff and have a tour of the library... the moment I had been waiting for. I learned a lot on the tour!

Me and the staff of the Batticaloa Library. They were all so gracious and welcoming. I think they had heard a lot about us and Canada from their colleagues, so they were very excited to meet us and they were so generous and helpful. I wanted to hug them all before I left, but that seems culturally inappropriate.

This is the Children's Library... the lending section. It is quite charming and they definitely spruced it up to welcome us. The furniture is adorable, and it great condition. It has been donated by the Sri Lankan Library Association. You can see that there is LOTS of space for more books on the shelves, but otherwise it is in good shape.

After their trip to Canada, the Batti Library organized monthly storytelling at four of their locations. They are lucky to have a master storyteller on their Library Board. He now comes and entertains the children regularly (about 150 attend each session!!!). When they told me about the program I made an off-handed comment that I wished I could have seen him... so they organized a special program for me. When we arrived at the library on Tuesday several hundred school children were waiting to greet us, and the storyteller was there to perform. He was this tiny old man who is a gifted storyteller, he told several traditional Sri Lankan tales (in Tamil)... the children absolutely loved him. It was so great to see. But, then, as an extra surprise, the Head Librarian ushered me up to the front to tell a story! Gulp. Yikes. I didn't really have the option to decline, so there I was in front of these beautiful, excited children, telling a story in English, following an unfollowable act. It was an odd and slightly embarassing situation. The children were just wonderful and they indulged me. Then I took lots of pictures of them which definitely translates. They were like a beehive, just buzzing with energy... hence the blurriness of the picture. An unforgettable experience.

At the end of the day on Tuesday, the Head Library, Mr. Vithiyasgaran, and Mr. Paravasam took us on a tour of town. Including the tsunami affected area. It was good and sad to see. Above is the remains of church. It must have been a beautiful spot, a Portugese church right on the beach. There are a number of monuments, listing all of the dead along the length of the beach. It is quite impressive and awe-striking. Included in this tour was a quick visit at Mr. Premakathan's home, to meet his wife and children, and Mr. Vithiyasgaran's (a.k.a. Mr. Hero... long story) home to meet his family as well. Everyone was sooooooo nice. It was heartwarming.

Okay, that is probably enough for now. I will end this post with sunset at the Riviera Resort. Oh the things I have seen! Just overwhelms me. Who'd a thunk eh? ;-)
More tomorrow, I promise!

2007-01-26T05:27:00.000-05:00

Connected in Colombo

I'm back! Did you miss me? ;-) I must say it was strange to be offline for so long... no emails, no internet, no telephone calls! It was weird at first, but quite nice really.

But, enough about that, you want to know about the trip...

It was great. We left Colombo early on Sunday morning and made it to Batticaloa in the late afternoon. The drive was an adventure... like a 300 km game of chicken... just a tad hair-raising at times. Fortunately we had an excellent driver and he got us there safe and sound. The entire journey is along a narrow, two-lane "highway" that twists and turns and has pot holes, in places, that could swallow elephants... okay, maybe that is an exaggeration, but definitely a dog or a goat. The scenery was incredible. Breath-taking. It was wonderful to be able to see so much of this beautiful country... hills and valleys, rainforest, rice paddies, lakes and rivers, wildlife (yes, I saw an elephant)... too much to describe in one sitting. Just imagine all of the shades of green in one place... BEAUTIFUL... well except for all of that Army green that also dots the landscape.

This was one of our pitstops along the way. Sigiriya Rock is off in the distance, but you will just have to imagine it because it is only a shadow in the picture. This is a little over half way to Batticaloa. Below is a picture taken looking down the road at the same spot. It shows how lush the countryside is and how narrow the road.

The drive was long, but quite entertaining. Rob and I were travelling with Canisius a program officer from FCM's Colombo office. He and the driver were just great. They answered our many questions and didn't seem to get too annoyed. :-) And, they made me feel completely safe, through all of the checkpoints and what not.

Around Habarana I saw my first Sri Lankan elephant... you see I had passed on the many, many invitations I had received to go to the Dancing Elephant Festival while in Colombo (a common tourist scam)... so this sad elephant, chained to a tree in front of someone's house, was my first. The poor thing did not look too happy. On the way home I saw him again, and there were four men sitting drinking at a table right beside him.

Anyways, we reached Batticaloa in the late afternoon and we were happily greeted by Nesha. It was great to see him in his home community. He escorted us to our hotel The Riviera Resort ... don't be fooled by its name, this is definitely the "urban camping" I had been prepared for... but it was in a beautiful spot along the lagoon. The view was lovely, especially at sunset. The mosquitoes were a tad nasty... but I managed to protect myself enough to only come away with a couple of bites. phew.

Well, that is all for now. I have only been back at the hotel for a little while and I REALLY want to have a bath before dinner. I feel a little grungy after all that travelling.... and I don't want to bore you too much at once. I will continue my adventures tomorrow....

2007-01-20T07:33:00.000-05:00

A Busy Day in Colombo...

Well, I tried to make the most of my day off. Went out exploring Colombo... the guidebooks definitely have it right when they describe it as "frenetic"... that is the most appropriate word. It is busy, and crowded, and a tad overwhelming in places. Rob and I took the bus up to the Fort area (sorry no pictures allowed) near the train station and the "world market." It was all a little too much for me. Between the heat, the noise, the cars, and the people. Ahhhhh. We stopped at the Dutch era museum... which was an interesting, if some what sad experience. It is situated there in the middle of the chaos, a bit of an oasis... but the exhibitions were sad, and I really wanted to get a rag and a bottle of lemon oil and attack the dusty old furniture on display.

After a long, HOT walk (I think I got a little colour today) we stopped at the Galle Face Hotel for a cold beer... what a nice spot to sit and watch the ocean and cool off. There was also a wedding there so it was great to see all of the beautiful women in their amazing saris.

After a breif break back at the hotel, I ventured out again. I wanted to go to a store I read about, Barefoot. So I grabbed a tuktuk and set off by myself. The driver was a little too helpful... took me on a side tour to the "Ceylon Museum of Gems" ... a somewhat questionable setup, clearly a place designed for tourists. I took a quick look around, bought the cheapest thing I could find to be polite, and then finally got to my destination. It is a very cool store, I think I will go back next week before I leave. I then realized that I didn't have enough rupees for the return trip (bad planning) so I walked back to the hotel... which was actually quite nice. Galle Road was not too busy and it was a good walk.

...sorry, I think that I am just rambling at this point. Really I am procrastinating... I need to get everything packed up for the trip to Batticaloa. We will be leaving at 7:00 a.m. So I need to get organized and have an early night.

So that is all for now. I am sorry I have no pictures today. Now remember, I will not be posting again until Friday at the earliest... so don't worry... I will be back soon.

Have a good week,
LR :-)

P.S. Dad - I am sooooo proud of you... not only did you go to the library, but you also figured out how to post to my blog! I am VERY impressed. You made my day! Luv, LR

2007-01-19T07:57:00.000-05:00

The End of Week One

Well, I have finished the first week of work. We got quite a lot accomplished, I think. Today we had a very good meeting with Mr. Yapa, the creator of PURNA... turns out that he too is an alumni of the UWO Library School... oh, the library world really is so small! He gave us some good information about the integrated library system he developed, which is widely used in Sri Lanka. It looks very likely that both the Batticaloa and the Trincomalee libraries will begin the automation process very soon. What a huge step!!! I think that the librarians are both excited and very nervous about this step.

So now, Rob and I have tomorrow to prepare for the training sessions next week. On Sunday we will leave for Batticaloa and we will return to Colombo next Friday. During that time I will not be blogging.... just wanted to warn you. ;-) I will post tomorrow and then not for almost a week. Don't worry, during that break I will take lots of pictures and notes, so that I can catch you up when I get back to Colombo. Tonight I am going to rest up, so I can get lots of work done tomorrow.

That's all for now. Hope all is well at home... LR :-)

2007-01-18T12:05:00.000-05:00

Another Good Day

Well it was a good day, but I am afraid that I do not have much to say today. We got a lot of work done... finished the implementation plan... assigned tasks, set deadlines, it was a very good exercise... but it left us all a little tired. Then we did a little exploring of the PURNA cataloguing system... a Sri Lankan adaptation of ISIS from UNESCO... which seems to be the most common integrated library system here. It was good to finally see it, and tomorrow we are having lunch with Mr. Yapa, the PURNA guru. Ahhhh, we are making good progress.

After the work was finished for the day Nesha took me out shopping to The House of Fashion... I guess it is a famous and very popular Colombo shop. It was a bit overwhelming, and the trip there was harrowing, but I bought a pair of pants for $3.50... so it was all good. ;-)

So, I am off to bed now. I hope it is not tooo cold at home! More tomorrow...

2007-01-17T10:17:00.000-05:00

Sharing Successes

Today was a good day. It was great to meet my Sri Lankan friends again. We spent the morning getting reacquainted, and each library gave updates of what they have done since returning home from Canada. And, let me say, it is very impressive to hear about all the things that they have accomplished. I am soooooo proud of them. Especially since there was a serious virus going through their communities, and they were all off sick for several weeks over the last few months. And, yet, they have organized children's programs, trained staff to use computers, recruited volunteers, created library pamphlets, and more. They have been busy, and they were excited to tell us all about it.

Then we had to get down to work on the strategic plans and implementation plans... not quite so fun. So it was a long day. Now I still have to work on typing up the implementation charts for us to review tomorrow. Lots to do.

All is good here. Having a great time. I will write more soon....

2007-01-16T06:45:00.001-05:00

My First Experience with Sri Lankan Libraries

Well today was a busy day... tired now, and it is only a little after 5:00 pm... must still have a little jet lag.

This morning we (Rob and I) were picked up by the FCM vehicle and taken to tour the Colombo Public Library. It was a very enlightening experience. The Colombo library is the largest public Library in Sri Lanka, and it sets the standard for the rest of the country.

It is an impressive building, built around a central courtyard, which makes it quite bright and airy inside. They have a Lending Library, Reference Section, Newspaper Room, Study Rooms (one for men and one for women), and a large Children's Library. The hope to start an automation project in February, pending Council approval later this month. I will let the pictures tell the rest of the story...

the Teen Collection (Lending Library)

the Children's Library

the Rare Book Room

Mobile Library (you cannot read it, but there is a sign on the door that states it was donated by Canada)

There is only one branch for Colombo City but they have 50 sites that are serviced by the Mobile Library system, including community centres, sunday schools, etc.

It was all quite interesting to see. We also visited Kotte Public Library, which is basically a suburb of Colombo. It was quite a bit smaller, but already starting to automate. All, in all, it was a very good thing to see these two libraries... puts the Sri Lankan state of libraries into a clearer context. And, these libraries are in a much better position than the communities on the east coast. So I am very anxious to see the Batticaloa Library next week.

Amidst these tours we also met with Wayne from FCM and had our political and security briefings. Lots of information to absorb. To say Sri Lanka is a complex nation is a vast understatment.

Now, I have the evening to prepare for our first meetings with the Sri Lankan library staff tomorrow. I am soooooo looking forward to seeing them all. So I will sign off... need to get some dinner and do a little work.

2007-01-15T07:12:00.000-05:00

Sorry no pictures today...

I did not do so well with photographs today. Rob and I walked the sea wall... it was beautiful and interesting, but the whole area is a high security zone, so there are no photos allowed. We walked down past the old parliment buildings, very colonial looking and surrounded by statues of past presidents, but there were army guys with large machine guns all over the place, so we did not risk sneaking a picture. Oh well. I am sure I will have better opportunities for pictures of the country next week when we leave the city.

The sea wall follows along the shore of the Indian Ocean in this part of the city. It is sort of like the boardwalks we know... lots of people, and vendors selling ice cream, roasted nuts, and some foods that I cannot identify. There were also a few people selling inflatible toys... soccer balls, cats, but most entertaining... snowmen. Yes, as I am walking along sweltering in Sri Lanka, there is a man selling inflatable snowmen. Too funny.

There were lots of families out enjoying the holiday. Oh, and lots of young couples... there are stairs set back from the wall, and lots of couples were sitting on the stairs stealing moments together hidden under umbrellas... like no one would suspect that they were canoodling under there. It was quite charming.

Now after that long walk in the heat I have comeback for a cool shower before dinner. Tomorrow the works starts. I am looking forward to meeting the FCM staff and getting started.

Enjoy that snow storm you are getting back home! ;-)

2007-01-14T06:14:00.000-05:00

A Few Pictures...

I did a little exploring today. Colombo is fascinating. It was VERY hot. So I am back at the hotel now cooling down. The heat is tiring. It looks like it could rain at any time and the air is heavy and humid, so a cool break is a good thing.

I also learnt today that it is illegal to take pictures of many things here... for security reasons they do not allow you to take pictures on the street and of most buildings. So here are a few that I managed...

the Galle Face Hotel (where Rob & I stopped for an afternoon beer... well he had beer, I had water) ... it is across the street and about three blocks from my hotel

the view from the Galle Face Hotel (for those of you who are geographically challenged, that is the Indian Ocean)

the waterfront looking north

Okay, so I never claimed to be much a photographer. These are the best I have so far. More to follow...

2007-01-13T20:47:00.000-05:00

First Impressions

Well, I am getting settled in... yesterday is a bit of a blur. I tried to get myself on Sri Lankan time, but I think that I was just too darn tired. I went out a exploring a bit in the morning, then came back "to close my eyes for half an hour" in the early afternoon and didn't wake up until after five. So I ended up having a quiet and relaxing day. It was quite nice.

I knew that Sri Lanka was hot and humid, close to the equator, etc. and I had seen lots of pictures but some how in my mind's eye I had missed the word "tropical"... yes, odd I know, it is so obvious... it the perfect word... at least from this vantage point in Colombo. It is lush and green, and so fragrant... there is spice in the air, it is wonderful.

Last night I treated myself to a nice dinner in one of the hotel restuarants... sitting outside with a lovely breeze, watching the palm trees, soaking it all in, it was really amazing, I couldn't believe I was there. Too good. Oh and the food was great! I ordered hoopers (I had read that they are a traditional Sri Lankan dish) and a curry ... delicious, though I am pretty sure that I didn't eat it properly... I suspect I amused the staff.

Now today, I feel rested and ready to explore a bit. Rob arrived last night, so I will surely end up having a beer with him at some point. ;-) Then Monday is a national holiday, so I have a couple of days to get organized. Meetings at the FCM on Tuesday, then the Sri Lankan librarians will arrive here in the capital on Wednesday. Now there is talk of Rob and I leaving Batticaloa on the Thursday of next week and travelling to Kandy, and then from Kandy back to Colombo on the Friday for meetings... oh, I really hope that plan sticks! I would love to see a little bit of Kandy. Very exciting.

Anyways, that is all for now. Today I will take some pictures...

2007-01-12T15:22:00.000-05:00

Safe, Sound & Exhausted!

I am here? I am there? Okay, I am so tired that I don't really have any idea where I am or what day it is. But I trust them when they tell me I am in Colombo. Wow. What a trip. I left home about thirty hours ago and have been travelling almost non-stop...just a few layovers. It actually was not as bad as I thought it was going to be. Everything went smoothly, no delays, turbulance was not too bad, my luggage arrived and I was met at the airport... really what more could I ask for?

So, I should probably be in bed right now, but I had to buy an hour of internet time ($6USD) to even check my email so I figured I might as well post and get my money's worth. Although, I will probably read this tomorrow and be horrified because I am not very coherent at the moment and I cannot seem to type.... but I won't let that stop me. ;-)

Now the killer leg of my journey, the fifteen hour Toronto to Hong Kong flight was on Air Canada... I didn't think the service was too bad until I had the second two flights on Air Singapore... wow, talk about enjoyable flying! The first plane was brand new and soooo spacious, and they served the best meals... who knew plane food could be so good? But, the best thing... actual silverware and glasses! I cannot believe they still have those... not to mention the free razors in the restrooms... apparently terrorism does not threaten them. Impressive. Oh and they also have the most beautiful flight attendants and free wine... so fly Air Singapore if you have the chance!

I got here to the Cinnamon Grand about 1:30 am... the thirty minute trip from the airport was very interesting. I can't wait to see it in the daylight. Even at this hour it is a bit crazy out there, lots of speedy drivers honking everytime they pass someone. And lots of huge Buddas funked up with neon lights.

The rest will have to wait until tomorrow.

So stop worrying (you know who you are)... I am here. I am good. I am going to bed.

Good night,
LR :-)

2007-01-08T22:53:00.000-05:00

2 days and counting...

Two days away and the trip is still happening. There were some incidents south of Colombo over the weekend, but they have not affected my plans. PHEW. So the next time I post it will be from Colombo... either late Friday or early Saturday... just to let you all know that I arrived safely. I arrive in Colombo around midnight on Friday (Sri Lanka is ten and a half hours ahead of Kitchener time)... but I may not be conscious enough to do anything at that point.

I think that I have everything I need for the training sessions, I have lots of DVDs that have been donated, and I even have an older laptop to leave there. So my bags will be full! Now all I have to do is actually pack them... but I will save that for Wednesday to keep me distracted.

Wish me luck!
LR ;-)

2007-01-01T13:00:00.000-05:00

10 days and counting...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Well, it looks like 2007 is going to be an interesting year. I cannot believe that the trip is only ten days away and that it is really happening... but, it is! I have the plane tickets, I have had the shots, and I have the piles and lists to prove that something is happening! So, now all I have to do is finish preparing the mission program and I will be good to go. So much left to do... oops, I cannot think about it too much or I lose the ability to breathe... which really is a problem. We submitted the mission plan and it has been sent off to the field which is good... now I just have to prepare the training sessions and figure out how to do it without all of the support materials that I usually depend on... I cannot bring a shelf of books and a closet of props. That is making me nervous... it will only be me. UGH.

The good news is that I will be bringing a laptop, and I think I will have easy internet access, at least while I am in Colombo for the first week, so I will be able to blog while I am there... okay, maybe that is not so exciting, but I feel better knowing I will be connected to my real world in some way.

Okay, this is merely procrastination at this point... must get back to work... or, maybe I will go scrub the kitchen floor... :-)

2006-12-15T09:10:00.000-05:00

Flight Booked, Provincewide Bumped

I received my intinerary today for the flights to and from Sri Lanka... The first leg of the trip is direct from Toronto to Hong Kong, it is 15 hours and 55 minutes! From there 3 hours and 5o minutes to Sinapore, then 3 hours and 40 minutes from Singapore to Colombo. Yes, if you did the math, I will be in the air for almost 24 hours! Yikes. I am not a nervous flier, but the length of this trip is making me nervous... that is a lot of sleepless hours to entertian myself without going crazy. Oh well, it will be worth it.

I also found out today that the piece that Diane Vernille is doing for CTV's Provincewide will air at 6:30 this Sunday (December 17) not as originally planned on Christmas Eve. She is doing a special on the anniversary of the tsunami. Tune in for a good laugh... me saying crazy things, and Michele and I demonstrating programming techniques (yes, that means singing and dancing, ugh).

2006-12-12T09:48:00.000-05:00

It is real...

I am going to Sri Lanka. Leaving on January 11th, returning January 30th. It is really going to happen! Sorry for repeating myself, I am just a little shocked... after so much waiting, it is finally happening. The flights will be booked today.

Needless to say, I am excited, oh, and slightly terrified about all the work that needs to be done. I have to start working full out on the mission plan. But, the other good news is that it sounds like I will actually get to go to Batticaloa, and maybe even Trincomalee. This makes me even happier. I had thought the mission would end up being in Colombo and the staff from the two communities would come there... to get to the communities, and see the libraries is HUGE. I think it will make the mission, and future missions, much more beneficial... I NEED to see the libraries and meet the community. Yaaaahhhhhh.

In the time since they went home the Sri Lankan library staff have been really busy, and they have been trying new things. It is so exciting, I am so impressed. The Trincomalee staff organized a three part seminar for students preparing for their exams. By the look of their audience, they had a great turnout for a homework program, and they clearly have a few things to teach me! I would love to see a group teenagers this size at KPL.

That is all for now. Once I have more details I will post again. And, I really hope that I am going to be able to figure out a way to post while I am there.

More soon,

Laura :-)

2006-11-07T19:46:00.000-05:00

hmmmmm...

Well, it has been almost six weeks, and the dates of my trip have not changed. Could it be that it is really going to happen??? I think so. I think I will be going to Sri Lanka on or about January 8th. Can you believe it? I almost can... which is more than a little terrifying.

I just received an email today about what is happening at the Batticaloa Library since the return of the staff... they now have 22 youth volunteers (!!!), making them the first department in the municipal government to employ volunteers. They also used their brand new tv and dvd player to show their customers the movie of their trip to Niagara Falls, as part of their Library Week celebrations. And, they are looking at ways to promote their Sunday afternoon storytime. Wow, things are changing already! It is soooooo exciting.

As soon as I have the tickets for the trip in my hands I will let you know. ;-)

2006-09-21T16:36:00.000-04:00

Sri Lanka bound after all?!?!

Well, things are looking up. I may be off to Sri Lanka in the new year, if everything goes according to plan... for three weeks in January (8 - 26) and two weeks in March (19 - 30). Good news eh? So keep your fingers crossed that things stay relatively calm over there. This may mean I will have a valid excuse for missing March Break for the first, and probably only time, in my career. Yipppeee.

2006-09-17T10:40:00.000-04:00

Wow! It is over already...

Here is the whole group posing with Dale Dyce (KPL's Coordinator of Marketing and Communications) and their K.P. Owls, on their last day at the library. We had a great two weeks, and it went so quickly, a bit of whirlwind. So much anticipation, work, and worry, and now they are on their way home later today.

I don't know where to begin in describing this experience. It has been exciting, exhilarating, inspiring, and completely exhausting. It is definitely a highlight of my career to date. The speeches they gave on their last morning were overwhelming, we really made a difference. Mr. Selvajothy, the Reading Room Supervisor from Trincomalee (shown far left in the above photo), really said it best... he told us that he has worked in the library for 24 years, and for all that time he thought that libraries were just about books, and we have shown him that libraries are really all about people. So when he goes home he will look at his library with new eyes. To me this means we were successful.

It was just wonderful getting to know the group over the two weeks, building friendships, and professional trust. Now I think if I get to travel to Sri Lanka we will be able to work together well, and we will make great progress. I am excited to see how they take everything they have seen and learned here home, to make changes in their context.

(me with the staff from Batticaloa)

(Ari, our wonderful translator, and the staff from Trincomalee)

So, I am sure I will have more to say, after I have actually had a good nights sleep, and a bit of time to digest everything. In the meantime, I will be off to the airport later this afternoon to say a final goodbye... though, I KNOW that I will meet these friends and colleagues again... I will get to Sri Lanka! Now, I must!

2006-09-10T22:57:00.000-04:00

Henry - In Memoriam

I am sad (ridiculous understatement) to announce that my Henry passed away, quite suddenly, on Monday, September 4. Yes, right in the middle of the chaos and stress, I lost my love, my Henry. He was such a special cat. I adopted him as a kitten in the spring of 1994. He was there when I finished library school. Then he moved to New York City with me... and on some pretty dark days, he kept me going. He was with me in NYC, Guelph, Richmond Hill, Toronto, Peterborough, Whitby, and Kitchener... yup, we moved a lot, but we always had each other and that was okay. In June 2005 he was diagnosed with feline diabetes and he fought it, and after a few months on insulin, he bounced back and he was healthier and more active for the last year than he had been for years. So his death was a shock, but at least he didn't suffer and I was here with him. Life in the old apartment just isn't the same now, but at least Trooper and I have each other for company. Henry cannot be replaced and he will never be forgotten.

2006-09-10T22:46:00.000-04:00

Survived week one!

Well, it has been quite a week. I have not been this exhausted and exhilarated in a very long time. The group arrived late last Monday night, and we have been going strong ever since. It has been really great. They are lovely people, eager to absorb as much new information as they can. I will post pictures and details just as soon as I can. I just hope that this week goes as smoothly as last week.

I feel like they are becoming more comfortable with Canada, KPL and me, everyday... which is just great. I love that they are more open to me and willing to risk trying to speak English to me. I wish I could be so brave with Tamil. They are eager for me to come and visit them, which mean so much to me. Hopefully someday, not too far away, I will be on a plane to Sri Lanka.

In the meantime, be sure to set your VCRs to tape Provincewide with Diane Vernile on December 24th (yes, Christmas Eve), she came to interview me and is going to do a segment on the project... okay, I am horrified and excited at the same time.

Next weekend, once they have safely boarded their plane, I will finally have time to post some pictures and more details about what we did. In the meantime, I will leave you with my favourite quote thus far... as I finished giving a tour of KPL on the first day, one of the gentleman just shook his head in disbelief and said "Kitchener Library is a whole world!" It is so good to have a reality check, and see the library through their eyes... they do not see the flaws they just see what is great about KPL. I needed that!

Wish me luck for week two!

2006-09-01T17:23:00.000-04:00

two days...

Yup, the Sri Lankans will be here in two days. They arrive in Kitchener late Monday evening. I can't quite believe it is true, and I have to admit that I am a complete and utter nervous wreck at the moment. I hope that once they get here everything will go smoothly, they will have a great experience, and they will go home with lots of inspiration and ideas of what they can do in their libraries. I hope I have planned enough. I hope I have remembered everything. I hope I don't f*#k up. That's all. Oh, and a little sleep in between would be a very good thing!

wish us luck...

2006-08-23T12:43:00.000-04:00

Good News!?!?!

Well, things have turned around. Finally I have good news to pass on. For the last week or so I haven’t really believed that the group would be able to come, as there was a question about whether or not the Canadian government would issue the delegates visas. Apparently there was concern that due to the situation in Sri Lanka that the group would get here and some or all would claim refugee status.

But, I just got a message that they had their visa interviews yesterday and everything went smoothly. So we have a green light. I expect that they will arrive in Kitchener in less than two weeks!

….now I am truly panicked and off to push the planning process into high gear… yikes, I didn’t really believe they were coming! Ahhhhhh.

2006-08-07T11:06:00.000-04:00

Not looking good...

Wow. I just checked my library email. I am signed up for Reuters news alerts on that account, and I found 6 messages from the last day and a half about what is going on in Sri Lanka. The situation there has deteriorated even further. They are basically acknowledging that they are in a full civil war. Both sides are actively participating, and the civilians are paying a high price. It is a mess, there is even a report that 15 locals working for a French NGO were executed. The focal point is Mutur a community very close to the port of Trincomalee.

If this level of unrest continues, I do not think it will be safe for the libary delegation to leave their communities to travel across the island to Colombo and the international airport. We can't go there and they may not be able to come here. What a sad, sad state of affairs.

For the meantime, the planning process continues... but I am anxious to hear what the FCM has to say this week. I will keep you posted.

2006-07-27T14:40:00.000-04:00

Sri Lankans Bound for Canada

They're coming. Yes, six library staff from Sri Lanka are preparing to visit Canada, more specifically Kitchener... I know, it is an odd choice, and I feel bad that my involvement in this project has somehow led to them missing Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, in favour of Waterloo Region. But hell, I will do my best to show them a good time.

Although I haven't received a final confirmation (yes, that is the theme of this whole experience) it looks like they will be here for the first two weeks of September. They will arrive on Labour Day, and their first day at Kitchener Public Library will be Tuesday, September 5th... which also happens to be the day that KPL staff will be dressed as superheroes... talk about making a first impression! The translators should have fun explaining that one. But, not to worry, I will not greet them dressed in lycra. I wouldn't want to scare them on day one.

So now the fun begins... trying to fill two weeks with meaningful library related experiences, developing skills that will be relevant when they get home, all while making them feel welcomed and giving them a taste of Canada. Lots, and lots, and lots of work to do. Trying not to panic....

2006-07-04T13:10:00.000-04:00

Miss me?

No, I wasn't in Sri Lanka; I just haven't had anything new to report... well nothing good at least. If you have been reading the newspaper you probably know that the situation in Sri Lanka continues to be confusing and distressing. The LTTE threaten to use suicide bombers one day, and then vow to recommit to the peace process the next. Um, flighty “terrorists” make me nervous. Over 700 people have been killed in the conflicts so far this year, and there doesn’t seem to be any end in sight to the violence… much of which is centred around Trincomalee, the site of one of the children’s libraries so much in need of attention.

So, I can safely say that I will not be traveling to Sri Lanka anytime soon. The FCM is monitoring the situation and looking for alternatives. There is a chance that staff from the Sri Lankan libraries will be brought to Canada for training, which I am sure would be an overwhelming experience for them. One way or another we will find away to help.

Okay, now I have my shots, a passport, and I am ready to go… somewhere. Ideas anyone???

2006-06-15T12:30:00.000-04:00

The relative calm of the last few weeks has been shattered...

KILINOCHCHI, June 15 (Reuters) - Aircraft dropped bombs near the Tamil Tiger rebel headquarters of Kilinochchi on Thursday night, a Reuters witness said, in a new series of retaliatory strikes after a suspected rebel attack on a bus.

Tiger officials told Reuters government aircraft dropped eight bombs some 4 km (2.5 miles) south of Kilinochchi along the main road. There was no word on casualties.

"If they are attacking Kilinochchi, they are showing they are ready for war," head of the Tiger peace secretariat S. Puleedevan told Reuters.

...oh, and there is no news about the trip. LR

2006-06-06T19:02:00.000-04:00

No News is No News
Okay, I know that I promised an update with actual dates and details over a week ago... but I still have nothing new to report. Just waiting to hear something, anything. I will let you know as soon as I have something more exciting to report... in the meantime I will go back to getting things ready for the Summer Reading Club. Wahoo.

2006-05-29T18:38:00.000-04:00

Sri Lanka bound after all???
Well, it looks like I may have a departure date sooner than I thought. I was beginning to think that the trip would be postponed indefinitely; however, I received an email today asking about my availability the first two weeks of July. Yeah. The trip will be centred in Colombo, with the library staff from Trinco and Batti coming to the capital city for training and development. Hopefully I will have definite dates to share very soon. I will keep you posted. :-)

2006-05-23T15:33:00.000-04:00

The situation in Sri Lanka is steadily worsening...

U.N. official decries Sri Lanka civilian killings
Tue 23 May 2006 12:49 PM ET
GENEVA, May 23 (Reuters) - The United Nation's top human rights official on Tuesday expressed concern over mounting violence in Sri Lanka, including killings of civilians, as the country teeters on the brink of civil war.

Louise Arbour, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, said staff of humanitarian agencies were also being threatened in the Indian Ocean island country of about 20 million people.

"These violations are not only ceasefire violations, but also serious breaches of international human rights and humanitarian law," Arbour said in a statement.

A ceasefire between the Sri Lankan government and Tamil Tiger rebels, who want to carve out a separate homeland in the north and east, is officially still in effect but more than 270 troops and civilians have died in skirmishes since early April.

Tamil rebels and Nordic truce monitors have both said the country was locked in a "low intensity war" though the government disagrees, saying it was only retaliating in limited bursts.

2006-05-22T12:34:00.000-04:00

So do I take the Dukoral?

Now I just don't know what to do. I started the necessary inoculations as soon as I found out about this trip. So I went to the travel clinic and got my first for shot for Hepatitis A/B, a Tetanus shot, and a shot for Typhoid. I was also given Dukoral, an oral vaccine for Cholera and Travellers' Diarrhea, to be taken three weeks before I leave (two doses one week apart). So should I take it? I also have an appointment at the clinic this Friday for the second Hepatitis shot, and some other shot that escapes me at the moment.

I am beginning to think that there may be no point in taking it. I just got a message from Ottawa, and things are not looking good over there. Apparently there was an attack against a foreign NGO in Trinco last week. This is not a good sign, as to date the NGOs had been somewhat immune to the chaos. I get the impression that I will not be getting on a plane anytime soon. I may need to figure out ways to help from here. Sad but true.

Hopefully I will have more news, better news, soon.

2006-05-20T15:25:00.000-04:00

What to do with a Diabetic cat?

Okay, the first dilemma I had to face when planning a trip abroad... what to do about Henry? Henry is my twelve year old, diabetic cat, who also happens to be the love of my life. He is lovely, but he is also high maintenance, but then again aren't most men? ;-)

He requires injections of insulin twice daily, so staying home alone is not an option. Boarding at the friendly, neighbourhood vet's costs a paw and tail. And, of my friends and family, few understand why I go to the lengths I do to keep Henry fit and happy, so asking them to give him daily needles is not really an option. This leaves only the conversation of last resort... asking the grandparents. Ugh. My dad and his wife are animal people, and I think my dad has accepted that Henry, Trooper (the other cat), and Fred (my car) are the closest he will have come to grandchildren; however, taking care of Henry is a sore point. Those daily injections are too stressful for Mary Ann, my dad's wife.

But I am going to Sri Lanka to help. To make a difference. So, surely this will not be an issue. They will happily volunteer to help, so that I have one less thing to worry about. Right? Well, no, of course not. It must first be a drama, where I play the part of the selfish daughter, and they play the part of the overburdened parents. Fortunately, I also have Heather, my sister, to beautifully play the part of the go between. After Heather and her husband, Dwayne, agreed to take Henry in, even though they are not cat people, not even close, my dad had second thoughts.

So this long story has a somewhat happy ending. Henry is now welcome at my dad and Mary Ann's... although I suspect I will be paying the price for this kindness for years to come. Now, problem number two... is Trooper welcome there too? A question for another day!

2006-05-17T13:58:00.000-04:00

Waiting for Word

Yes, I am apparently, bound for Sri Lanka, hopefully in June. I am currently waiting, ever so patiently, for the exact dates.

Why am I going to Sri Lanka? Well, this Canadian Children's Librarian is off to help several communities, which were gravely affected by the tsunami, to update and revitalize their children's libraries. Both Trincomalee and Batticaloa, are located on the northeastern coast of Sri Lanka. Their public libraries, which were already strained due to years of unrest, sustained considerable damage.

This amazing opportunity comes via the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. They are doing a lot of international development work and have various projects underway in Sri Lanka, library support is just one component.

To say that I am excited about this endeavor would be a huge understatement. To say that I am terrified would be equally inadequate. This is the opportunity of a lifetime and I hope that I can make the best of it. Make a difference.

That's all for now. Hopefully I will have more news soon! :-)