Last Sunday, we rented dirt bikes and spent the afternoon enjoying the Lord’s handiwork, seeing the countryside – it’s amazing how creative we are becoming in the absence of a television! The scenery was magnificent, as was the weather, and we enjoyed the interaction with the locals we met and passed on the street. In an effort to avoid Galle Road, we rode back to some pretty remote villages, where we were greeted with smiles, waves, cheers… and some gawking. When Chris asked a Muslim man for directions, before responding, the man just looked at him and then poked Chris’s white skin, like he was really not quite sure what to make of it. A couple kids high-fived us as we rode past and about 15 construction workers stood on the roof of a house, jumping around, with their fists raised in the air whooping and hollering as we rode by. We weren't sure if the locals were intrigued just because we were white, or because there were FIVE of us in a parade of dirt bikes, or if they had just never seen anything quite like our friend Paul, AKA: "Big Dog." He's the one with a white hat turned backwards because the bike shop tried every helmet they had, but did not have one that didn't cut off circulation to his brain. We even got stopped by the police (it's illegal to ride without a helmet, and they love to fine tourists - extra money). When we demonstrated why he was not wearing a helmet (by trying to pound it onto his head), the officer laughed, had no idea how to respond, and waved us on. (Paul is a good buddy from college; he just arrived as a volunteer to help with the project for the next 3 months.) Wish you all could be here to enjoy these fun times with us. What a refreshing day! It was 6 dollars well spent!

Some of the views from the back of the bike (starting with Chris, immediately prior to being completely covered in mud):

Gallegodawatta Ceremony to celebrate the handing over of 101 houses. (This was the reason behind getting dressed up in the sari's). The whole Gallegodawatta community was invited and most of The Salvation Army Headquarters personnel made the trip from Colombo. The ceremony started with a formal parade - in the rain - complete with Kandyan dancers, drummers, The Salvation Army officers, children handing out flowers, and two white girls in sari's (Ha! Not kidding! The Sri Lankan's were so excited to see Caucasians in sari's, they told Mindy & Martina to walk in the parade). Here's a few shots from the day...

Sari Stories. Our first week here, we were invited by Swarna (1st picture, HIV/AIDS and Anti-Human Trafficking Coordinator) to her house for dinner. In addition to a fantastic Sri Lankan meal - she gave me 6 meters of fabric to have a Sari made, as a gift. Adam and I went to Galle, where I was measured for a jacket and an underskirt. The seamstress took 22 measurements for the jacket, written straight down the page in a line, in the middle of a spiral notebook - with not a single word of identification as to what was being measured. It's a miracle that it didn't turn out with 3 arm holes or something. I was shocked when it was ready when she said it would be -- and astonished that it actually fit. The day of my sari debut at Headquarters, Mrs. Major Jaya (2nd picture, the wife of my boss's boss) invited me into their apartment to help me get dressed. FORTY-FIVE minutes later, we emerged. Both wringing wet with sweat. It is no small feat to get yourself into a sari and have all the pleats gathered, stuffed, and laying just right -- with the right decorative end showing in the right direction -- in a manner secure enough that you don't lose your clothes, yet loose enough that you can still walk without hiking your sari up (that's a big no-no).

We had a huge community ceremony at Gallegodawatta last Saturday. So, Martina (our Irish team member) agreed to wear sari's. Gida (orange & white shirt) lives on our street and invited us into her house, where she would help "drape" us. Her English is fantastic. She is the mother of 2 daughters & twin sons. Her parents live with them and her husband is working in Iraq as a logistician for the American Army. (It is not uncommon for one family member to move to the Middle East for employment and send their earnings back to the family.) She is absolutely delightful and has the sweetest spirit. She invited us into her home -- spent an hour per person "draping" Martina and me -- and served us tea. Her hospitality was overwhelming. We later brought her flowers as a "thank you," and since then, she has been inviting us for tea every day when we pass in the street.





Mindy, Martina, & Major Pat Kiddoo (Assistant Director of SAWSO) - trying to look as stately as possible at the Gallegodawatta ceremony.

Cultural Landscape: Galle Road. Here are some of the common sights between Hikkaduwa and Colombo. Except for the first shot, these were taken through a windshield, while moving, so some are a bit blurred...