Learning Between the Lines

When I arrived at Sujatha Vidyalaya last week to teach, I was greeted with a pleasant surprise: this month is the school’s sports meet, thus… practice and matches everyday at school! The school has 4 houses that compete against each other in each sport to become the year’s champions. Girls of all ages compete in a multitude of sports, including: volleyball, basketball, cricket, elé (kind of like softball J), net ball, squad (basically marching in lines), karate, and badminton. I went after school to lend a hand, and before I knew it, I was the head coach of basketball. 40 girls, 2 balls, one very old court. Go.

Like many challenging experiences, this one has been rewarding. Because there are only 2 girls out of 40 who speak English well, I have been practicing my Singhala a lot. Although each word I speak is followed by a procession of giggles, my players have become more comfortable around me after hearing me struggle with their language at such a basic level. Also, I have reverted to acting out most of my instructions, something that is also followed by giggles.

I have had a difficult time finding the right amount of intensity to enforce during drills. Because I have played competitive sports all my life, I am accustomed to working hard every practice and focusing all of my attention on the present drill. However, most of my players have never played organized sports competitively, and are just out to have fun, hang with their friends, and learn a little something. It is also difficult to keep the girls focused at practice because there are only 2 balls for so many girls. There is a lot of time for standing around and talking. Also, a lot of time is lost when I cannot explain my instructions in a way that they understand. Every day I see miscommunication at it’s finest.  

However, despite so many complications, in just 1 and a half short weeks I have seen girls who have never played basketball in their lives master the defensive position, make lay-ups, and score in a game situation. I feel like a proud mama.

Lastly, as with all of my teaching experiences, I find that I am learning just as much from my kids as they are learning from me. Every day at practice I am learning new Singhala words and phrases, I am learning about the intricacies of social life in a culture different than my own, and I have been reminded that the most talented are not always the most passionate. Despite our language barrier, we have managed to have conversations about religion, family, food, education, music, movies, and sports. Amen for intercultural exchange.

The basketball matches are all day Friday. GOOOOO SUJATHA!!

Netball Match

Basketball Practice

Puja playing in her temple clothes

The Big Picture

You may have heard in recent news about the 10 American missionaries who are being convicted for trying to adopt Haitian children and take them out of the country. This news is unsettling to say the least. 

The Facts:

• 10 American missionaries tried to smuggle 33 Haitian children out of Haiti through the border to the Dominican Republic.
• When the missionaries were stopped at the border, they said that they were taking the children to an orphanage.
•  Since then, investigators have discovered that some of the children still have parents living.
• “The children, who are from age two to 12, are now in the care of the Austrian-run SOS Children's Village in Port-au-Prince.” (BBC NEWS)
• “The missionaries have been charged with child abduction and criminal conspiracy.” (BBC NEWS) ~Damn straight.

The 10 missionaries have claimed to have done this out of the goodness of their hearts, only taking children who had either lost both of their parents or lost one and were abandoned by the other. When asked about the incident, one of the women missionaries commented, “I feel good. I trust in God.” Because so many lives have been lost (the most recent report is that 200,000 have died), it is true that there are going to be many children who have lost parents and will need to be cared for. However, you cannot just take children (or anyone for that matter) out of the country without any documentation! These missionaries are grown men and women. How did they not know something like this??!! 

Additionally, how could anyone take a child away from their home without getting their parents approval? Or at least doing research and discovering what has happened to their parents. Yes, the earthquake is a terrible disaster and many are in need, buy you cannot just take people away from their homeland and loved ones. Especially children! Children who have gone through hell and are so emotionally distraught and confused right now that they could not be expected to make a decision in whether or not to go with the missionaries. This is not the kind of help that Haiti needs right now.

Although this news is outrageously troubling, perhaps the most problematic aspect of it is that it is distracting American and global attention from focusing on helping Haiti during their time of need. Today, United States media is focusing almost all of its attention regarding Haiti to this case. It can be found in The New York Times, BBC News, Fox News, MSNBC (there are 7 articles on this case alone, all focused on the Americans in the story), and I’m sure many others. This is so not okay.

Now is the time for the world to come together and help Haiti in their time of need. There is no room for distractions. Every minute that people are focusing their attention on this case is precious time that is being lost for Haitians. I am not trying to say that this case is not important. The children who were involved deserve to have their stories told. But, the articles regarding this incident are not focused on the children- it’s all about what is going to happen to the Americans. Clearly, we are missing the big picture here. Instead of focusing our attention on what the media tells us, generally the more, shall I say, juicy information, let’s focus on what is really important here.

It is easy for people who are disconnected from disasters to not pay attention to them altogether. Out of sight out of mind, right? Wrong. Of course, not thinking about it all together is certainly the easiest way to avoid problems and sadness. Especially if you are not seeing them happen first hand. And we are all victims of this behavior, myself included. BUT, I challenge you to continue focusing on what is really important here:

• Helping Haitians during their time of need.
•  Doing so with compassion and with a humanitarian mindset.
•  Understanding that America is a country of privilege and we should use that privilege to help others.
•  Giving support and funds to help Haitians rebuild their nation, not to increase privatization or to make America look and feel good.
• And lastly, spreading awareness about Haiti’s history as well as it’s current events.

Awareness eliminates ignorance. And ignorance certainly is not bliss. At least I don’t think so. Do you?

Searching for Awareness...

I have been thinking a lot about the current situation in Haiti and felt the need to do something more than just donate money. First, I would like to say how deeply saddened I am by how many lives have been damaged and how many loved ones have been lost because of the earthquake. I cannot imagine going through yet another devastating disaster after an entire history of them. The nation has survived colonialism, patriarchy, racism, capitalism, and has had its resources preyed upon and stolen for years. In 2008 they endured Hurricane Gustav. And now this. If anything is for sure, it is that Haitians are a strong people. Against all odds, they continually battle back against whatever oppressor comes their way. Haiti, you are in my thoughts and prayers.

Haiti’s story is one that needs to be heard and I am doing everything in my own power to learn more about the country’s history and thus, understand the reasons why the earthquake has affected Haiti so hard. Haiti is a country that has been suffering for years; this earthquake is not the first devastation that they have had to endure, even though it is the first to receive such great international attention. In fact, the US has been involved with Haiti for years, but the involvement is rarely publicized. Most likely because it is not a relationship to be proud of, at least I am not proud of it. While it does please me that so many around the world are giving to Haiti now, it is frustrating to hear news reports that ignore the reasons why the country is struggling so greatly.

The media continually tells us that Haiti is the poorest nation in the western hemisphere and because of this they did not have the infrastructure to endure such an earthquake. Presenting the information in this way, without providing a historical background as to why, leads many viewers to assume that this unpreparedness must be at the fault of Haitians. But this is not so. Haiti’s history and relationship with the US as well as other countries has EVERYTHING to do with why they could not respond to this disaster.

I am certainly not an expert on Haitian history; in fact my education on Haiti has just begun. I just hope that the following information inspires you to increase your own awareness of Haiti and spread your knowledge with others.

This is what I do know:

After years of colonialism, Haiti gained independence in 1804, becoming the first Black country to gain its independence. In addition, Haiti was the only nation in the western hemisphere to abolish slavery when it gained independence. However, it came at a price, literally. France demanded that Haiti pay them a fine of 150 million francs plus interest for the land and for the slaves that they were losing. So, essentially Haiti had to pay for its independence. To do so they had to take out loans from France, the US and several other countries, causing Haiti to sink even further into poverty. The fee was finally paid to France in 1940, but Haiti still had loans to pay back at this point. In fact, because of loans and accruing interest, Haiti now owes the US millions of dollars. An unsettling amount of money considering that the US has been robbing Haiti of their resources for years. Haitians have been working in sweatshops making clothing for Walmart, Sears, JC Penney and others, as well as most of the baseballs used in the United States. Women working in these sweatshops suffer greatly; working under terrible conditions, working up to 70 hours a week, and receiving less than three dollars a day. When workers try and stand up for their rights, companies simply threaten to move, forcing the workers to continue without their voices being heard. This low-cost manufacturing has been pushing Haiti further into poverty for decades. Why hasn’t this injustice shown up in the media? In addition to apparel, the US buys Haiti’s resources (mainly coffee) for a cheap price, and then sells them at a large sum to make a huge profit. Haiti doesn’t receive any of these earnings and, like with low-cost apparel manufacturing, Haitians continue to work under poor conditions and receive incredibly low wages for their work.

Furthermore, the US, France, and other countries have been interfering with Haiti’s government for years. In relation to the recent earthquake, the US has told Haiti that they do not need emergency response units, something that would have saved possibly hundreds of lives after the earthquake.

This is only a small glimpse into Haiti’s history, but hopefully it has shed some light onto why the situation is so bad now. The injustice that has been inflicted upon Haiti throughout the country’s hisotry is something that should be known. To learn more about their history and the current situation, please check out the following websites and books:

http://www.democracynow.org/tags/haiti

http://www.creative-i.info/2010/01/21/the-real-looting-in-haiti-by-nicole-lee/

http://www.transafricaforum.org/

http://www.transafricaforum.blogspot.com/

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/02/haiti_three_weeks_later.html

http://video.pbs.org/video/1390712902/

Mountains Beyond Mountains: Healing the World: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer by Tracy Kidder

http://bbpbooks.teachingforchange.org/best-recommended/haiti (a booklist for readers of all levels)

Also, I know that a lot of you have been eager to give to Haiti but are having trouble deciding which organizations to give to, not knowing which ones will honestly give the donated funds to support Haiti. Please check out Yele Haiti, an organization that has been helping Haiti long before the earthquake. It works to help Haitians work together to rebuild their country. It has programs that aid Haiti environmentally, educationally, economically, and recreationally. Please log on to http://yele.org/  or http://www.yele-haiti.org/ to read more about the organization and to donate. It is an inspiring organization and is giving all funds to Haitians in need.

Additionally, Wyclef Jean has a new single, “Hold On” featuring Movado. Wyclef’s dedication to Haiti in this song as well as his work through Yele Haiti is inspiring to say the least. The song can be purchased on ITunes and all proceeds go to Haiti.

Lastly, please contact events@yele.org if you are interested in hosting an official fundraiser to benefit Yéle Haiti. 

A Great Week

In the first week of January we found out our teaching affiliation! Utsha and I will be teaching at the Sujata Vidyalaya schools (splitting our time between the elementary school and the high school) in Matara. We will now be living in Colombo part time and in Matara part time, spending two weeks of each month in each city. We are still waiting to hear where our teaching affiliation will be in Colombo.

My first week working in the schools in Matara was fantastic. I know that I can really make a difference with my students. It is exciting to be around young girls (both are all girls Buddhist schools) who are excited to learn about other cultures and histories. Utsha and I spent a few classes this week with a 12^th grade class. Our main contact at school, Mr. Jayasekera, allowed us to have a few periods with them to just talk. The girls asked the most intelligent questions. They were interested in cultural differences and similarities between Sri Lanka and the U.S., politics, race relations, the education system, and American history. Our discussions were so refreshing. I really feel like I can make a strong connection with these girls throughout the next 6 months and we will learn so much from each other through our exchanges.

In addition, all of the teachers we are working with are wonderful. We will be working with 3^rd and 4^th grade English classes at the primary school (elementary) and 6^th, 7^th, 8^th, and 12^th grade English classes at the college (high school). The girls begin learning English in 3^rd grade, so my experience with the younger classes will be much different than the older ones. It will be fun teaching basic English grammar and pronunciation at the primary level, while also teaching advanced English to the older girls. All of the teachers are so excited to have us in their classrooms. We have set up our schedule so that in January we were just observing classes, in February and March we will be assisting the teachers, and in April, May, and June we will incorporate teaching a couple lessons a week on our own. I am going to gain so much knowledge from the teachers here; I have a lot to learn from them.

The student’s attitude about school here is incredibly different than in the US. The first day of school was spent entirely with the students worshipping their teachers. It is tradition for each girl to go around to each teacher in the school and worship them (a quick bow and thank you), in order to give thanks for their work and meet new teachers. As you can imagine, in a school with 5,000 students, this really does take all day. It is a beautiful tradition and certainly reflects the student’s attitude about their education.

On our second day, we began observing classes and witnessed how respectful the girls are towards their teachers. When the teacher enters or exits the classroom, the girls all stand and greet her/him. Also, the teachers and students all have such a great relationship. Outside of the classroom many speak to their teachers as friends and the teachers show equal kindness and respect to their students. The behavior of both the students and the teachers is so refreshing, if only our schools ran this way in the U.S. I am so excited to go back down to Matara in February and be in the classroom again.

Lastly, Alix’s visit to Sri Lanka coincided with my first week of school! It was so great having him there in Matara for moral support during the first week. Before Matara, we spent a day at Mirissa Beach, the most beautiful beach I have been to in Sri Lanka. The water was gorgeous and the cove was truly picturesque. Also, the seafood was delicious ~ YAY for grilled fish and buttered prawns! During our time in Matara, Mr. Jayasekera took Alix, Utsha, and I for a day trip to some small villages around Matara. We went to an amazing underground temple in Weherehena with a Buddha five stories high, the temple on the water in Matara, and to a place called the Blow Hole (there is a spot in the rocks where water pressurizes and shoots up.)

Also, Alix and I took a day trip to the lighthouse in Dondra, where you can see the southernmost tip of Sri Lanka. The view from the top was beautiful and the water is so clear that we could see schools of tropical fish swimming all the way from the top. After my first week at school, we headed off to Ella. It was so nice to be in cool weather again (Matara was even hotter than Colombo and full of mosquitoes too!). We hiked Little Adams Peak and the view from the top was incredible. Next, we went to Kandy to meet up with Kirti and Ruth for an evening and then back to Colombo for one last day. Alix and I had a jam packed 10 days full of Sri Lanka’s natural beauty, temples, and delicious traditional food. I can’t believe how quickly 10 days passed. It feels like a dream. I miss you Al!

Games at Christmas

Pettah Vegetable Stand

Horton's Plains

Tea Plantations in Ella

Ella Gap

Halpewatta Tea Factory

Ella Falls

Droplets

Mirissa Beach

Sri Lankan Babies are the Cutest

Teacher Worship

Matara Sunset

Weherehena Temple

Underground Temple, Paintings from floor to Ceiling

Beautiful Buddha

Cove near the Blowhole

Ella Sunrise

Ella Rock

Singhala, Tamil, English

Picking Tea

Little Adams Peak

I love the Train

Kandy to Colombo

Tracks

Catch up...

A lot has changed since my last post. Unfortunately, our plans to teach in Wilgamuwa changed at the last minute and we did not end up going. Although we were very excited to live on the farm and begin teaching, after much talking it became clear that it was just too soon for the Fulbright to have an affiliation with Saaraketha. The company has so many exciting goals, but it is simply too young for us to be involved. The facilities would not have been ready for us to teach in until February; 5 months into our 9 month grant. So, throughout the month of December we waited to hear of our next teaching affiliation. We were told that we would be in Colombo for the remainder of our grant, so Utsha and I found a great apartment that quickly began to feel like home. Once we knew that we would be in Colombo for the remainder of our grant, we were finally able to settle our minds and bodies into a location and Colombo has become much more manageable and fun since.
My first Sri Lankan Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year were all festive, merry, and bright. Utsha and I traveled to Kandy to spend Thanksgiving with Kirti and Ruth. In true American style, we stuffed ourselves to the brim with delicious food. Christmas was equally as filling; Ruth, Utsha, Upama (Utsha’s sister), and I spent 2 days baking and cooking delicious food to celebrate. With the house decorated in snow flakes and Christmas chains, we enjoyed a delicious Christmas feast with other Fulbrighters and friends.
Also, we were invited to help with a Christmas party for a group of kids from Manick farm, the biggest IDP camp in Sri Lanka. Some of these kids are only 6 years old and they have experienced more tragedy in their lives than I could imagine. Before they arrived we were told some of their stories by the head organizer of this event. All of the kids are now orphans, either their parents are dead or left them, not able to provide support any longer. Some of the kids live in a orphanage being run by the local church and some still live the IDP camp. After hearing about their lives, I didn’t really know what to expect and was a little nervous for their arrival. But, the kids were so full of energy and life; their positive attitudes were truly amazing to be around. We had fun playing games, eating traditional Sri Lankan food, dancing, and celebrating one of the girls 14th birthday. The church had also purchased small gifts for the kids and for most of them, this was their first Christmas present. It was truly a special evening and I feel blessed to have been involved. It really was a beautiful Christmas.
The next few days us four girls set out to spend some time in a cooler climate (I have to admit, it was pretty strange spending Christmas in 90 degree weather). As we stepped off the bus in Haputale, we were greeted with chilly weather and pouring rain. After a cold and wet evening, we woke up at 4am to explore Horton’s Plains and hike to World’s End. The hike was beautiful and the view made 4am worth it. Next we headed off to Ella, one of the most beautiful places in Sri Lanka. The weather was gorgeous and chilly, we loved it. The view of Ella gap is to die for. The hills are covered with so many different shades of green, from dark pine tree green to bright tea green; covering all colors in the spectrum.
During our time in Ella we went to the Halpewatta Uva tea plantation and toured the factory. It was really fun to see how tea is made and we learned that Sri Lanka actually drinks the worst of the 5 types of tea that are produced at the factories! The best is sent off to the UK.
Next, we went to the rock temple in Ella, which is where King Rawana kept Sitha captive. The temple is literally a cave inside of a huge rock. Afterwards, we went to Ella falls and then finished off our day with a cooking lesson from the amazing chef at Rawana Holiday Resort in Ella, famous for his garlic curry. The 9 hour train ride from Ella back to Colombo was quite an experience. We met so many great people and shared our seats with multiple families. It was quite a trip.
We arrived back in Colombo just in time to celebrate New Year’s Eve. We spent the evening talking with friends and at midnight we watched fireworks being set off all over the city.
We have also made a lot of really great new friends in Colombo. It is so fun to finally have some Sri Lankan friends to hang out with in the city. We were invited by a couple of new friends to go out to Nuwera Eliya and visit his family’s tea plantation. Nuwera Eliya, also called Little England, is a quaint small town surrounded by hills covered with tea. The town is filled with old British colonial homes and with the cold weather, it really does feel like England. The trip was a ton of fun and it was great to spend time getting to know our new friends while seeing a new part of the country. I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to travel around the country, I am still surprised that such a small country can have so much geographical diversity. No wonder the New York Times named Sri Lanka the number one country to travel to in 2010!

Hikkaduwa Beach

Dinner at Chutney's

Crab Curry at Yarl Restaurant

Fruit stand in Pettah

Colombo

Sunset Over Paddy Fields

Seema Malayka Temple

Taembili

Pinnewela Elephant Orphanage

Elephant Love

Hindu Temple in Kandy

Kandy

We took a trip to Kandy a few weekends ago to visit our three fellow Fulbrighter's. Kandy is truly a beautiful place, both culturally and visually. It was such a treat to get out of Colombo's smoggy bubble and breathe in the fresh air. We arrived just in time for Halloween and managed to pull together a successful Halloween bash. The following day, we explored the outskirts of Kandy in search of two ancient temples, Embekka and Gadaladeniya. During our walk, we saw wild monkeys for the first time! Packs of them running across beautiful green fields and swinging from the trees. We made sure to keep our distance though, because the monkeys here are known to come up and try and steal your belongings. Gadaladeniya Temple was situated on top of a giant rock face, giving us a beautiful view of Kandy while feeling the cool rock beneath our feet. It was built in the 14th century by a great Raja (King). My favorite thing about many of the Buddhist temples here is that they also have Hindu God's inside, making them a place for both Buddhist and Hindu worship. It is fascinating that two religions that are so different are able to exist in the same structure. I think this is representative of Sri Lankan life in so many ways. So many different religions, cultures, heritages, and languages are existing in one small country. Even the trees reflect this concept of co-existing; it seems like there are hundreds of different kinds of trees, all sharing the same soil.

The following day was one of my favorite days so far in Sri Lanka. My first Poya Day. Every month on the full moon there is a buddhist celebration called Poya. We started the day with a trip to the Kandy Botanical Gardens, alongside the Mahaweli River. 150 acres of beautiful trees and flowers. It was amazing how well the land was kept up, every tree was trimmed perfectly and all of the flowers were gorgeous. During our long walk inside the grounds, we came across a group of monkeys as well as a scorpion and two water buffalo. After taking too many pictures of the water buffalo, I made it angry and in result, Utsha and I had to walk the long way back to the path in order to avoid it.

After the gardens and a delicious Indian lunch, we went to see the Temple of the Tooth, beautifully situated next to the lake in Kandy City. Even though it was pouring rain, thousands of people flocked to the temple for Poya. Buddhist monks come from all over Sri Lanka to pray at this temple because it is a sacred site and known to bring those who pray there closer to enlightenment. The Temple of the Tooth is perhaps the most popular temple in all of Sri Lanka. It is believed that one of Buddha's teeth is inside the temple, however it is kept inside of a sacred dagoba, so no one can actually see it. The tooth has been seen throughout history as a symbol of great power, and thus it is a very big deal that the Singhalese have ownership of it. Some believe that the Portuguese stole the tooth during their rule in Sri Lanka, but the Singhalese say that the tooth they stole was a replica and the real tooth was actually hidden in the hair of a princess during that time. Some believe that the tooth is still hidden, some believe it is indeed in the temple, as for me... it seems like an awful lot of hype about a tooth :) Relics are a strange thing.

The temple was beautiful and I feel very lucky to have visited on Poya day. After exploring the grounds, we marched back out into the rain to find our shoes and saw that there was a parade beginning for Poya day. What a special event to have stumbled upon. There were 5 elephants (one baby that was so cute) all dressed up for the celebration and many groups of Kanyan dancers. It was such a beautiful parade and so fun to watch the dancers.
The train ride home from Kandy was like the cherry on top of a beautiful weekend. I love riding the train through Sri Lanka. Each ride, we whiz past all of the villages and homes that line the track and I get tiny glimpses into the lives of the people who live there. Sometimes the smell of curry and coriander leaves quickly seep into my nose, as I catch a glimpse of women cooking dinner in their kitchen. I see kids playing cricket and volleyball and men working the paddy fields. So much life can be witnessed from my train window. We pass temples, churches, and shrines. People walk only 5 feet away from the track, following the same path we do. My favorite glimpses are of the people sitting outside their homes, waving and watching as the train passes. It's like they are waiting there just for us, welcoming.

Hot Flower Mama, Gym Teacher, Rizzo, Gangsta, Aladdin, and a School Girl

Cute girls walking home from school

Prayer Flags at Gadaladeniya Temple

Kandy Botanical Gardens

Couple Kanoodling

Holding on

Guarding the path

Oil lamps at Temple of the Tooth

Dressed for Poya

Train home