LankaLife

Vibrant Vesak

One of the joys of living in a different country is the opportunity to participate in cultural and religious events as a "local", not a tourist. Vesak doesn't feature prominently in the tourist guides anyway, but it should. It's a colourful and generous time of year that is unlike anything in Canada.

Celebrated by Buddhists around the world under different names, Vesak is a festive day that marks the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha. Actually, it ends up being a week-long celebration that's both strongly spiritual and thrilling for people of all religions. A nighttime walk around Tangalla's candle-lined streets on the southern coast of Sri Lanka was the perfect way to experience Vesak. Almost every house hangs at least one colourful lantern - usually homemade - but most houses indulge in a variety of different shapes and sizes. Major streets and businesses put on an even grander show with intricate multi-level lanterns that draw large crowds.

Along the way, people are flagged down (literally, with Buddhist flags) to enjoy free food and beverages from families or community groups. It's an expression of charity offered to everyone, regardless of nationality or religion, that is particularly meaningful in this tsunami-affected community that lost so much not that long ago.

Every Vote Counts...But Not Mine

So, the Canadian election is a done deal and Stephen Harper is our new Prime Minister with a minority government. Congratulations to those that voted...and to those that didn't, don't complain about the decisions of the new government if you didn't bother to participate in the democratic process.

Those of us overseas also have the chance to cast a ballot, but tight timeframes, international mail, and government reponses make or break the chance that our vote will actually count. My vote was one that didn't count after being hijacked by government ineptitude. The Sri Lankan postal service apparently mailed my air mail posted ballot envelope directly back to its return address - just three blocks from where it was mailed.

Judging by my riding results, my one vote wasn't going to make much of a difference anyway. But given that every vote should count, the Canadian government might want to look at better ways to increase the effective participation of overseas voters.

Don't Step on the Beads!

New year, new customs.

Yesterday could have been just another Monday back to work, but this Monday carried some significance. As the first day back to work in the new year, some rituals were in order.

Chris walked to his workplace entrance as he would on any other day when, to his surprise, the normally quiet security guard ran toward him, arms flailing, yelling at him to stop. Just a foot away, patterned into the ground, was a beautiful flower mosaic made of thousands of colourful beads. Chris was literally one step away from kicking the labour-intensive artwork into oblivion, surely putting a damper on the ceremonies to come!

To start the morning off, Chris and his co-workers lined up in the hallway to watch an oil lamp lighting ceremony and then handshakes were offered from everyone. Handshakes complete, an enormous breakfast feast of milk rice, curries, sambol and sweets (and of course, tea) was presented. Needless to say, the morning was fun and not too productive.

It was a similar story at our new REN office. Together with our co-tenants, Energy Forum, a feast of the same sorts was provided and handshakes and "happy new years" were shared by all.

Sri Lanka has lots of little rituals like this one and it's a cool thing to be a part of. It adds a special feel to what could be just another event on a calendar. Lamp lighting ceremonies are done for all sorts of occasions, even beginnings of workshops and trade shows. Monks provided a blessing ceremony for our new office last week. And nothing much happens without food or tea, ceremony or just daily work. The formality is a welcome change from our sometimes too-casual North American ways.

The Saree Squeeze

Walk down any street in Sri Lanka and you’ll see a colourful collection of beautiful sarees: silk sarees, handloom sarees, Indian sarees, Kandyian sarees and daily sarees. If you're in the right place at the right time, you'll also see gorgeous wedding sarees.

It’s inevitable that female "foreigners" staying in the country for a while will wear a sareee at some point. In honour of the first trade fair for the Rural Enterprise Network’s work with tsunami-affected handloom weavers from Ampara district, I was initiated into the world of saree wearing.

Heading up to the week, I visited a saree store in Wellawatta and despite a dizzying array of choices and styles, I managed to pick one out and was referred to a tailor for blouse making. A male customer – clearly there with his partner to watch as they draped her in a variety of silks – gave his opinion on my saree, observing that my husband looked like he needed some help. Much appreciated.

When I picked up the blouse, I squeezed my way into it with limited success. After some on-the-spot alterations, it was adequate but still posed challenges to normal breathing.

The trade fair was in Kandy and I was thankful to have a colleague spend time with me to help me dress. Well, make that a lot of time. She also provided a slip, or underskirt, as I had no idea I needed one, and a collection of safety pins which are apparently essential to hold things in place. Saree dressing is a skill and it simply baffles me. But, thanks to her, I joined the fair saree-style, felt (fairly) comfortable for the day and was surprised by how much more elegant I felt. I can understand why the saree is considered a physical and philosophical expression of beauty and femininity as well as one of the most ancient pieces of apparel in the world.

My male colleagues seemed appreciative that I wore the saree and the handloom weavers were happy that I wore one of their sarees the day after. Saree wearing will take some practice – I’m still figuring out how to walk without stepping on the fabric, how to hold the pallav with some femininity, and how to sit without wrinkling the heck out of the saree. Plus, of course, how to wrap the darn thing. But it won’t be the last time I wear one: I’m already looking forward to doing more saree shopping!

Trying out the Health Care System

Nobody likes to visit the hospital, least of all when you're in a new country and don't know what to expect. But I've been to the outpatient department of Colombo's private Durdans Hospital twice now, and I'm happy to say that it was as good of an experience as one can get given the situation. I'd heard a variety of stories, ranging from good to bad, and was expecting less than I received. Lesson #1: don't believe everything you hear.

Colombo's hospitals reflect the two-tier health care system here, something we're still debating about in Canada. Volunteers are generally encouraged to use the private hospitals.

The first visit was an educational one, learning how the system operates. When you check in and report your problem, you're "registered" in the computer system, given a print-out and asked to pay for the consultation before you see the doctor. Once done, your paperwork is stamped "paid" and you proceed to the doctor's waiting room for a short wait. Nurses in traditional uniforms, caps and white shoes mingle about and eventually one asks you to step inside the doctor's office.

My first visit required tests, so on I went, paid for the tests before having them done, then back to the cashier to show my receipt. And in about five hours, I had the test results in hand. That's quicker service than you usually get in Canada.

My consultation cost Rs. 100 and my tests were about Rs. 250 (the rate card I have lists normal maternity deliveries at Rs. 2250 and air-conditioned rooms with toilets, hot water, tv and telephone at Rs. 3000, which I assume is per day).

I liked the doctor I saw on my second visit better than the first, but they were both professional. I appreciated the second doctor's sense of humour and we chatted about his sister who lives in Brampton, a place I lived for many years. Even half-way across the world, it's still a small one.

I can't report on a public hospital experience, but the private visits have certainly made me reflect on the Canadian debate over a two-tier system. While I've appreciated the access to a private hospital, it's a different context here. Perhaps a majority of the population can't afford the private system; on some level it points to the potential problems Canadians have discussed. I'm even more of a believer than before in improving Canada's one-tier health care system, so everyone - rich, poor and in-between - can access the same quality care they deserve, and pay for already. Easier said than done, but worth trying for.

Three Things We Learned This Week

Not in Canada eh?
Chris has been disappointed for five days in a row. Thirsting for a cold Lion lager, he's been rebuffed by hotels, restaurants and liquor stores. Election time is also dry time in Sri Lanka. For one day before the election and for several since, sales of alcohol have beenprohibited due to fears of problems escalated by alcohol intake. Perhaps it works because this election was fairly quiet though it must be hard for businesses depending on these sales. The lesson: stock up your home supply.

Something our mothers didn't teach us
We realize how spoiled we were, now that we're living without a washing machine, dryer, oven and hot water. We're mastering the art of handwashing but learned that there are still lessons to be learned. After a productive washing day, clothes carefully hung out to dry, then brought in and folded, we realized it works a whole lot better when you turn clothes inside out before putting them on the line. All our clothes had dirty, brown lines and smudges. So, back to the washing board.

Umbrellas: a multi - tasking tool
In Sri Lanka, umbrellas are used for rain, sun, and a shield to hide make-out sessions from prying eyes. We now use them just as much to stay dry as to keep the sun off our faces, copying the local habit. The sun here is so strong and hot that you just can't walk for a long time without some protection. Sunscreen just doesn't cut it. And, yes, we've tried out the umbrella cover-up at Galle Face Green, just to blend in with the couple crowd.

You Could Have Heard a Pin Drop

I could have done yoga in the middle of Galle Road today. Except the police and army wouldn't have let me.

Today was the swearing-in ceremony of Sri Lanka's new president, Mahinda Rajapakse, and as luck would have it, I wasn't wearing a watch. After coming out of the Holiday Inn post-swim, my husband Chris and I found ourselves on Galle Road with about 5 minutes to spare before the presidential motorcade flew by after leaving the Presidential Secretariat. The road itself was deserted and you could have heard a pin drop. Really. But you couldn't walk 10 steps without passing a soldier with a gun at hand or a throng of police. It was high security for the president's first drive down Galle Road as the new head of Sri Lanka, led by police in formal red uniforms and others in white, colonial-inspired uniforms.

Rajapakse narrowly won yesterday's largely non-violent election with 50.3% of the vote. His main opponent, Ranil Wickramasinghe, won 48.4% of the vote, with what appears to be major support from Sri Lanka's Tamil population. There's debate - in the press and in the country's workplaces - about what the victory will mean for the future of the peace process and the country's stock market has reacted negatively so far. Read more here and here.

As a side note, Practical Action/ITDG did a "mock poll" in the office last week and Rajapakse won. I've been told that all past mock polls held at ITDG have predicted the winner. Seems like the streak continues.