Week 1 -- Days 2-7

Day 2 (Monday)

**My new favorite thing: Mango Lassi
Lassi is a yogurt drink that is mixed with pureed fruit in a variety of flavors. We think that the drinks here are made with curd, not yogurt, because curd is so much less expensive here. Either way, they're delicious. Cold and creamy with a fruity flavor. Michele, Harriet, and I stopped in a little cafe in the Dutch fort today and got some. The cafe was empty except for us, and we sat around drinking our Lassi and reading the books they had lying around the cafe. Mostly books (in English) about Sri Lanka.**

I wake up at 5AM this morning, and though I know I don't need to be up for hours, I don't fall back asleep. I feel rested, so instead I read, daydream, and just relax. At 7:30 I meet Harriet and Michele for breakfast and we plan to go to the beach when they come home for lunch. They just work mornings, I guess. After breakfast are my language and culture classes. Michael talks to me about the culture here and then his adult daughter begins to teach me Sinhalese.

After lunch Michael's son-in-law, Indika, takes us to the beach, a little known spot a 5 minute walk from the road. As it is a holiday here, there is more of a crowd than usual, approximately 40 people, all local. We swim and play in the water, never without being closely watched by at least 15 pairs of eyes. After a while Harriet and I retire to the sand to lay down on our towels for a while, but are quickly driven back into the water by a group of men offering us beer, smoke, and incessantly asking us the same questions over and over in broken English. All of these things so adorable when the interaction is with the children that approach us often, but when accompanied by a leering look and an apparent inability to now when to stop, we quickly remove ourselves. Even the security that Indika's company provides is fading as the other swimmers become more bold. A group of them take our ball (ok, it was a floating fruit that we were playing with) and would not give it to Michele unless she told them her name. She (very wisely) refuses. I had just that morning learned the Sinhalese word for "please," so I reached out my hand for the ball and said it. I must have mispronounced it because they mistook part of it for my name, and spent the rest of the time we were there shouting it, "Karala, come over here!" "Karala, we love you, baby." "Karala!" "Karala, what is your age? 16?" By the way, a lesson to all the men reading this, there is a limit to the flattery of underestimating a woman's age, and I do NOT look 16!

I am so disheartened at the complete failure of my first attempt to communicate in Sinhalese. Indika cheers me up saying that these are clearly not gentlemen and so perhaps they have never heard the word "please." We all laugh and I feel better.

On the way home Indika drops us off at the Dutch fort where we walk to a cafe for the mango lassi and reading. I was supposed to have Indika take me to the turtle conservation project as part of my culture class, but I elected to go with the girls to the cafe instead. I'm sure Michael won't mind.

Day 3 (Tuesday)

**My new favorite thing: Local shopping.
In the local town center there are very few tourists, so the things we see there are authentic and fixed price. This is music to my ears because I hate haggling. I remember stopping in Mexico on a cruise a couple years ago I was introduced to it. I would browse the beach vendors' items and then report back to my friend Jesus what I wanted and he would take my money and haggle for me. Since I don't have Jesus with me here (and his fluency in Spanish wouldn't be as much of an asset anyway) I am glad for some shopping that I can do on my own. It's also a different attitude than tourist traps. People greet us and gesture toward their shop, but do not pressure us or try to keep us from walking away: these are the items/prices and if you don't want them, they let you move on. I bought a couple things for myself here today. It's mothers day and also my mom's birthday while I'm over here, so maybe I thought about that while I was shopping, but maybe not... Don't get your hopes up, Mommy!**

After I wake up I wow Deneshi, Michael's daughter who is teaching me Sinhalese, with my memory of yesterday's lessons, and my quick grasp of today's first lesson, but lose my edge with today's second lesson. I fall apart trying to name the days of the week or tell someone that I am thirsty.

Harriet and Michele come home at lunch and today we go shopping in Galle. I text Michael that I will be at the bus station to meet him for my culture trip (don't want to miss it again today!) at 3, and go shopping with the girls. Today my trip is to the turtle conservation project. Endangered turtles lay eggs on the beaches in Sri Lanka, but people here dig them up and sell them as delicacies for people to eat. The conservation project tries to stop this and also will buy the eggs to save them. They rebury them inside the project's facilities, and release them a few days after they hatch. I get to see some turtles that have hatched just last night. They are so adorable. The trip is interesting, but I wouldn't recommend it. 

After dinner Michele, Harriet and I break out some chocolate and stay up for hours talking in the living room. We are still there long after the house is asleep, comparing our views on Sri Lankan culture and religion and segueing into talking about the political climates in our own countries. Michele is from Switzerland and Harriet from Australia. We compare, contrast, complain, and covet. We all 3 seem to agree that we would like to see a combination of the culture we see here and the culture we have each left behind. The busy, bustling lives we have left contrast sharply with the laid back attitude here. I find it so refreshing to get away from it all, but I think I would go insane if I spent all my days with nothing to do but lounge lethargically in the heat.

Day 4 (Wednesday)

**My new favorite thing: Spiders.
Well favorite might be a bit strong of a word, but considering how far down on the totem pole they were, they definitely get an award for most improved. I have entered into an alliance with any spiders I see. They have free reign of the house and in return for catching the mosquitoes, I do not kill them. I make no promises about the strength of the treaty if one of them crosses over the territory line and begins to crawl on me.**

I am "skipping" my classes today to go on a day trip with Harriet and Michele. We are going surfing at a beach about an hour away and then shopping on the way home. I hope I can stay awake, I've been up since 5 and found it impossible to get back to sleep.

Well, surfing didn't go quite as well as planned. Actually, I had no false hope that I would be any good. Harriet, who surfs every day in Australia, was told by her fellow surfers that there is very good surfing in Sri Lanka, and they made her promise to go. I'm sure that somewhere there is, but we were clearly in the wrong place. Oh well, floating on a board out past the break-line for an hour was well worth the 300 rupee board rental.

Day 5 (Thursday)

**My new favorite thing: hot tea in the heat.
Not only is Sri Lankan tea world renowned, but it is the perfect drink in the heat of the day. Drinking the hot tea makes me sweat more, which ends up cooling me off. It is very refreshing.**

I have double classes today to make up for spending the day out yesterday. One great thing about the immersion program being done by Michael and his daughter is that it's very informal and since I am the only student it can really cater to me. After my morning classes I decide to walk to town to pass the time. I think I remember the way to the local shopping area, but today I am walking alone because Michele and Harriet are still working. Anyone who knows me will not be shocked to hear that I got very lost. It is a straight shot home from the bus station, which I never wandered too far from, so I know if I could make my way back there I could get home. After circling the area around the station twice I finally found the shops (hiding in plain sight) and still made it home for lunch and afternoon lessons.

Today's trip, the beach. I am currently engaged in a staring contest with a crab which has taken a particular liking to me. I noticed something moving out of the corner of my eye while sitting on my towel at the beach. He was walking along toward me, so I flicked some sand at him to scare him away. It did not work as planned. He scuttled away a couple steps and he's just staring at me. Now he's inching toward me. I flick some more sand and that seems to turn him away a bit. Nope. He just made a mad dash to my towel and started clambering around my water bottle and flipflops. I am very proud of myself because I did not make a scene or jump up. I picked up one of my flipflops and shooed him away. Now he's staring and inching again. We are at a standoff.
Creep. Stop. Creep.
Flick sand.
Back off, lay down to look like a rock. Sloooowly rise back onto feet. Creep. Stop. Creep.
Flick sand.
I wish my tuk-tuk driver would get here to pick me up. Michele and Harriet were busy this afternoon, so I am here alone. Well, I guess I have the company of little Sebastian here, and all the locals who are standing around looking at me even though I did not go swimming and am not wearing a bathing suit. In my culture classes Michael warned me about the clothing and the men here. He said that when tourists go to and from the beach they should take care to cover themselves if they do not wish for every man to stare. These men who do not often see this much of a woman walking down the street will all stare, and it irritates the tourists. I agree with his sentiment and abide by the rules of modesty here, but it does little good. Walking around either alone or with Harriet and Michele, we are young white women and we attract attention wherever we go, whatever we wear.

It is a sad night tonight because Harriet is going back to Australia. Michele is especially sad to see her go, they shared a room for 3 weeks. And after Sunday even I will be gone and Michele will be all alone.

Day 6 (Friday)

**My new favorite thing: Sinhalese.
Perhaps by the time my 10 weeks is up I'll actually be able to have a conversation in it. I am certainly not there now, but I know enough to let people know that I am not merely a loud American passing through. The shopkeepers give me approving looks as I tell them what I am looking to buy, and local men tend to leave me alone after I answer their English questions in Sinhalese. What makes me a target--to men, shopkeepers, beggars--is not the color of my skin, but what it indicates: a lack of cultural knowledge. Not knowing that I shouldn't trust the men here, not knowing what things should cost, not knowing that begging is mostly a scam...Michael told me to beware of men asking me to buy milk powder for their children, they prey primarily on white people (probably women) and insist "not money, please just buy me this milk powder," to gain trust, but will return the powder once you're gone and, throwing the shopkeeper a tip, pocket the cash. Using Sinhalese keeps some of this at bay. Not all (I've still felt the need to learn how to say "my name is not 'baby'") but enough that I feel more comfortable. And I like the happy looks I get with the comments of "you are learning Sinhalese!" This is clearly not a trend among visitors.**

This morning for my last culture trip I go with Michele to the orphanage. Michael has arranged for me to go as a volunteer, like Michele, for 3 hours. My last language/culture classes will be this afternoon.

The babies are so cute and some of them are so so small. I spend the morning changing diapers and holding babies. If the environment were slightly less depressing, this would be a job I could do every day. As it is, however, I think that it would overwhelm me. These babies don't have enough diapers, and not nearly enough love. A little girl, much too small for her age, falls asleep in my arms. Another little boy, who I think might have a bit of a fever lays don't on my legs while I fan him to keep him cool. When I go to the section with the older children (probably 1.5-3 years) I am bombarded by tiny hands brandishing toys for me to admire. One boy has a doll, another boy has the shoes that belong on the doll. I show them that the shoes go on the doll. They are very impressed. Then, for the next 5 minutes I am the center of a trading port for doll shoes. The orphanage must have gotten a bulk shipment of these dolls because suddenly I have about 11 shoes (all the exact same) being brought to me. A little girl will thrust 3 into my hand, a couple boys will take them away, but them come back with more. The shoes are running around the collective of children, changing hands, moving around me, but all through me. It's very sweet.

I'm am so glad that I got to see the orphanage, but I think that I'm also glad that I won't be going back after lunch.

My last language class is bittersweet. Daneshi praises my swift memory (if not accent) of the language, and I am happy to please her. I am sad to be leaving, certainly, but I will be on my way to what I really came here to do, work with the Elephants!!

Day 7 (Saturday)

**My new favorite thing: Walks on the beach.
I never used to be a huge fan of walking on the beach. The sand gets everywhere and if I go in the water then the sand sticks to my capris, it's a mess. Here, however, it's not like I'm clean anyway so what does it matter?
My feet actually feel cleaner than before. I'll find grains on sand on me for hours, but I don't feel any grittier than normal, really. There is a stretch of beach just outside Michael's house, so today I went out and walked along it. Coated in sunscreen and with my water bottle slung over my shoulder, I took an hour to myself for a relaxing walk through the waves. Michael's wife, Pushpa, laughed at me when I got home because my capris were so soaked. There was hardly anyone there and I was able to just be there watching as the waves crashed and rolled. Far enough down the beach, the beige sand turns jet black, and my legs had a thin residue of black linger on them. But mixed in with the sand I would swear was crushed up diamonds. All along the beach the sand was twinkling at me in the sunlight. Against the pitch black ground it looked so much like stars, it was really beautiful.**

Today there is very little going on. Harriet is gone home and Michele has left for a trip. I spend the way walking and relaxing with the family. I also finish The Picture of Dorian Gray. I have been reading so much more than usual while I've been here, it's wonderful. I think this makes 4 books/short stories that I've read.

I pack as well because tomorrow I AM GOING TO THE ELEPHANTS!