froginmythroat (FIMT)

My perceptions of “the poor” as portrayed on television and in the popular media were changed after my visit to the child I sponsor through World Vision (WV).Pictures of impoverished children, and “a dollar a day could save this child’s life” are great hooks for the tender hearted, myself included. This type of advertising and campaigning emphasises those requiring emergency relief aid. But this is just one part of what organisations like World Vision do. They also do a lot of development, which is what I went and saw. Read the rest of this entry »

With a few days to go before I met with the family I sponsored through World Vision, I returned to Kandy. Read the rest of this entry »

Hatton to Kandy, Kandy to Vavuniya. This is were it gets interesting.In Sri Lanka the predominant ethnic group is the Sinhalese, with the major minority the Tamils. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is an army and political force fighting for a separate state for Tamils in Sri Lanka. One year ago a ceasefire was called between the two warring factions – the predominantly Sinhalese government and the Tamil Tigers. Read the rest of this entry »

A suitable educated partner is sought for attractive cousin, manager in a large company, BA, computer skills, 41 yrs., 5’1″ young looking with car and other benefits. Dowry a furnished house & jewellery. Willing to settle down in any European country. Reply urgently with family details and horoscope. Read the rest of this entry »

I arrived at Sri Lanka’s basic international airport at midnight.That day I had caught a Thai movie in Bangkok. My companion was a deaf gay man, and his choice of movie was about a group of lady boys (in Thai – kathoey). Interesting.

With no pre-arranged accommodation I booked myself into the Colombo YMCA in the early hours of the morning. My lodgings were a bed in a dorm on a balcony overlooking Fort, a suburb of the capital Colombo. Read the rest of this entry »