kohomeda


Mage name Wendy. Man mahatea Bill. Man social worker kenek. Bill retired judge kenek. WendyTa BillTa lamaiy hat denek. Man KaenaDawen. WendyTa ispiritaale WaeDeKaranawa.

Translation, you say? Ok.


Hello. My name is Wendy. My master/ (choke) spouse's name is Bill. I am a social worker. Bill is a retired judge. Wendy and Bill have seven children. I am from Canada. Wendy is working in a hospital.


So, from this little script, you can imagine that language school is intensive, difficult and completely overwhelming to us both. However, we can communicate in very basic ways and have been given enough language to order meals, shop, ask for directions, tell time, count etc. How I am supposed to work in the language is beyond me. However, most professionals have quite good English, at least where we are, in the capital city of Colombo.


Bill and I relocate to Nuwara Eliya, a city in the interior of the country, on January 23rd. This city is in the heart of tea plantations. We will stay in a guest house until we can find our own accomodation; a house or apartment. I have been "loaned" to the hospital at Nuwara Eliya for six months, with the understanding to them, that I may yet be moved to Jaffna. VSO continues to press the government agent for approval for me to go to Jaffna, where the need for mental health professionals is the greatest in the country.

This week we had lectures on three very important features of Sri Lankan life. The political structures, the issues surrounding the conflict between the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) and the Sri Lankan government and gender issues. All were fascinating, including one personal story from a VSO worker of how the racial and political issues, coupled with the effects of the Tsunami, have shaped her life. It made us realize how the conflict has invaded the safety and security of people living here.


The presence of post conflict is everywhere; soldiers on every street corner, artillery and war paraphenalia abound in compounds about town. However, there is currently no cause for any alarm regarding personal security.


On another note, just wanted to let you know, we are not anywhere near the flooding that is taking place in the east of the country. We met a woman who works for an NGO in that area of the county and she has not been able to get home yet due to the flooding (she was on vacation to the UK when the flooding began). She is not sure her home is intact. News are reporting 300,000 people have been displaced, at least temporarily, and death toll stands at 27. Unfortunately, this region affected by the flooding contains some of the country's poorest people. Rain has subsided, so water is receeding and hopefully, people can begin to pick up the pieces of their lives.


Gihin ennan: I go and I promise to return.

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