Today's post! Not old!

Today I skipped Buddhism (which I’m auiditing) so I can use the internet and update things. I’ve been super busy, and I don’t know when I the next opportunity will arise, so I figured now’s a good time. Tomorrow, we go to Nilambe for a meditation…thing. They’ll teach us how to meditate, have a discussion with us, and we’ll have lunch with them (the monks there). After that on Saturday, I’m going to Anuradapura again, this time with my family to do a hike. Sunday, I have to really buckle down and write my material culture paper. It’s due Monday and I haven’t started it yet. Busy busy busy.

Scene from daily life

Sumanasena is our driver, and he’s a damn good one. He also happens to be an insane 70 year old kid. These two factors combined the other day, when we were late for classes at the university. It was really like a rollercoaster ride…dodging around people and cars, going over bumps and around corners. He was in absolute control of his vehicle and in tune with his surroundings (I swear that man knows every road in Sri Lanka like the back of his hand). Still though, it was the sort of feeling you get in a rollercoaster: knowing you’re safe, yet grinning at the sheer insanity of it all.

Opportunities

I’m getting such opportunities here in Sri Lanka that I often find myself speachless to express how lucky I am. I’m here with a group of 12 students, with an entire study abroad program set up just for us. My art, drama and lit class is with a world renowned poet and painter (Ashley Halpe), and I’m in the class with one other person. He’s trying to organize a get together at his house with his friends and acquaintances: other world renowned poets, painters, writers, and play directors. He’s invited and encouraged us to present something of our own (drawing, poem, etc.). Wow…Eeek! That’s a little intimidating, but SO COOL that we’ll get a chance to meet these people. We’re also going to be meeting the author of this great book we read in the class, and next weekend we’re going to another city to see a play. Halpe’s pulled some strings and we’re going to meet with the director/playwrite for a half hour before the play to get a rundown of what it’s all about. Hells yeah.

I told you about the monk I met on the plane? Well, I finally got up the courage (and the time) to call him, and dropped by last night. I went with my family and spoke with him for awhile. He’s the head of his monastery, and apparently it’s quite rare for someone in his position to be able to speak English. And he’s willing, and happy to talk to me! That I happened to sit next to him on the plane, and that he happened to speak English, and that his monastery is in my area, and that I have the opportunity to speak with him is such a string of fortune that I can’t believe it. One of his disciples from Nepal has offered to talk to me at any time that he’s available. This Nepalese monk teaches Sanskrit at the University of Perediniya.

There’s a history course that I’m not taking, and apparently the prof wrote the book on Sri Lanka. Literally. He’s THE leader in his field, and has a pet PHD that follows him around.

Our dance instructor and drum instructor are the best, or among the best, in their field.

Our material culture professor is friggin’ amazing as well. He’s been recovering from his surgery, but we’ve managed to have a couple of lectures with him, and he’s just been hurling fascinating facts and views at us, putting history, human sociological evolution, and technological innovation into whole new perspectives.

I could go on, but you get the idea. We’re getting individual attention from the giants of the scholasticism, the arts, religion, and all of the other fields we’re studying here. I feel incredibly lucky, and a little small. I’m a good student, but I’m not exceptional. I didn’t beat out 100 other applicants to be here. Yet I’m in the midst of such opportunities that I can’t even express my good fortune in any way other than simply describing the experiences and letting the experiences and opportunities speak for themselves.

Kassipu, Anyone?

On a lighter note, I think it’s time I told you about Sri Lankan alcohol. First, there’s arrack, which is made from fermented coconut. It tastes like a cross between vodka and bourbon, though it’s been described as “smoother” than bourbon. It’s quite strong, and this is a favorite of the trishaw drivers. As soon as the sun goes down, most of them get smashed on this before resuming the evening’s driving. Don’t worry mom, I don’t go out after dark, and my driver to school is a very respectable woman with a van.
Of course, those who don’t get enough kick from arrack can kick it up a notch with raa. Raa is illegal, so I’ve never tried it. However, it’s been described as “borderline illegal,” at least when compared to the Sri Lankan equivalent of moonshine. It’s called “kassipu.” It’s made from sugar, bananas, chameleons, barbed wire, rat snake, garbage, and God knows what else. It can be used in cars as a substitute for gasoline.

Prejudice

This may be difficult post for some of you to read, since it deals with prejudice and children suffering as well as the goodness I’ve observed in Sri Lanka. Feel free to read or not at your discretion.

It’s said at Carleton that you can’t put people into neat little categories, and that they continually shatter the boxes that you put them in. That’s true here as well. Buddhism, the very same religion that frowns upon killing an ant, has also resulted in an ethno-religious war.

Just so, having this quality or that quality, this thought or that does not make people good or bad. To try to give you an idea of this, I’d like to tell you of the prejudice that exists here in Sri Lanka, and also tell you of what good I’ve seen in the very same people.

For starters, homosexuality is illegal here. Forget gay marriage, homosexuality itself is a criminal offence. In America too, there are archaic laws against (gay or straight) oral sex and sodomy in some states, which have never been struck down simply because they are completely ignored by law enforcement, and there are never any convictions. Unlike in America, homosexuality is an offence which is actually illegal, and people do go to jail for it. (By the way, don’t let this discourage anyone from coming to Sri Lanka. As long as you don’t advertise that you’re gay, you’ll be completely fine. Even hand holding is something you see everyday here between members of the same sex, because it’s interpreted as a non-homosexual expression of friendship.)

Next, there’s the caste system. It’s not as extreme as in India, where some of you may have heard of the “untouchable” caste. However, there are a range of castes from very high to very low, and the vast, vast majority of people will not even consider marrying outside their caste (nor allow their child or relation to do so). Any person doing so is very likely to be disowned by their family, and the entire family will be shamed in society’s eyes. My sweet, giving, caring, and relatively progressive family here, believes in this caste system, and they are far from alone.

This isn’t an easy problem to understand, either. Like racism in America, where minorities are more likely to be from a lower economic bracket, thus have less education, live in a rougher neighborhood, and because of this may even be more likely to involve themselves in crime (or perhaps a biased judicial system simply convicts more minorities). This whole tangle is self perpetuating, and leads to the stereotype of minorities being dangerous or violence-prone. The same thing is here with the caste system, except to a greater extent. There’s also religion, and perceived social status/dishonor tied into the whole mess.

And you know what? Nothing really excuses the prejudices held by most Sri Lankan people. There are plenty of social pressures and customs which explain it, but not excuse it in my eyes. But you know what else? It’s not the entire picture.

Let me tell you of my Nendamma (aunt), who I met with the day I write this. I’m not sure where to start, so I’ll just mention this and that in the hopes that I can eventually give you the whole picture:

I’m in awe of Nendamma. She meditates every day. Her eyes are large, dark and deep, such that I feel as though an ancient stone statue has opened its eyes and fixed me in its serene gaze. She volunteers often in social work, like counseling cancer patients and working at an orphanage for mentally and physically disabled children. Amma told me of that orphanage before. The children are caked in filth, under-nourished such that a 12 year old looks 5. Their neck muscles are sometimes not strong enough to lift their head, and they are so weak that they have to be carried from place to place. These children have never learned to smile, nor to show affection, and due to their handicaps they are prone to lashing out in fits of anger. When you carry them, they may urinate or defecate on you, simply because they have no control, or because they are not used to the kind contact. To volunteer at such a place is one of the most soul-breaking experiences I can imagine.

Nendamma didn’t tell me of any of this. She just mentioned that she was going to volunteer again soon at the disabled children’s orphanage. Having heard about this place from Amma, I remarked in Sinhalese that volunteering there is very difficult. She genuinely didn’t know what I meant. Amma explained, and Nendamma told me that it was not difficult; that to not volunteer, to do nothing would be difficult. For someone else this would seem like modesty, and like she was deflecting compliments…but Nendamma really meant it.

How do you reconcile such contrasts? Such good people with such petty prejudices? I don’t know my Nendamma’s ideas on race, caste, etc., but my Amma is the same sort of good person, who takes on not just her problems and concerns but that of her entire extended family; gives alms to the poor; still cries two years after the death of her father; has such a big heart that I can only observe her in awe.

Okay, I just tried to post this, but I don't see it so...

So, today I took my Sinhala oral exam, which together with my written exam brings an end to session 1 of my OCS experience. I've also had the first class for most of my academic courses in session 2: Buddhism (auiditing), Women and gender studies, and art literature and drama. Women and gender studies could be good. Buddhism, unfortunately, is really boring so far. We had a hundred pages or so of an analysis of which parts of the Pali Cannon came before which others and who may have written what. In short, we have learned a great deal ABOUT Buddhism, yet have learned very little of Buddhist doctrine, belief, teachings, etc. I'll keep going though in the hopes that it'll pick up. Art, lit, and drama is really great though. The class is just me and one other student. The professor is (at least officially) retired, and clearly has a passion for the subject and a poet's soul which shines through his considerable academic experience.I've also started some extracurriculars. In Batik (a traditional Sri Lankan style of art and dying), we traced some patterns onto cloth. We'll probably start the dying next time. We also have dance and drumming twice a week. The drumming is very cool, but it's rather hard for me. On the other hand, I'm starting to get the hang of the dancing I think, and the instructor apparently approves of my progress (I've heard through others). He's actually pretty accomplished as a dancer, so much so that he's the one that teaches the president's children, dances in the place of honor in the Perahera (an annual buddhist festival). In any case, the dance looks a bit goofy at first, but has certain similarities to Aikido movements. The fingers of the hands are supposed to be in the closed position though (as opposed to Aikido), so I'm having a great deal of difficulty with that.Speaking of which, I'm not getting much Aikido practice here. I ran through the basic movements once, and in the beginning I was teaching Will Cole some Aikido, but he hasn't asked about it in awhile and I don't want to push him if he's not interested. I'd like to practice breakfalls, but I hesitate to roll around in the grass and mud since my Amma does my laundry (and is a little protective. That's less of an obstacle though.) I MISS AIKIDO! : ( Is it odd that I find myself really wanting a bokken or a katana to swing around? Maybe I should pick a fight with some machungs (Sinhala for "bro" "dude", etc., and having a rowdy reputation).

So, today I took my Sinhala oral exam, which together with my written exam brings an end to session 1 of my OCS experience. I've also had the first class for most of my academic courses in session 2: Buddhism (auiditing), Women and gender studies, and art literature and drama. Women and gender studies could be good. Buddhism, unfortunately, is really boring so far. We had a hundred pages or so of an analysis of which parts of the Pali Cannon came before which others and who may have written what. In short, we have learned a great deal ABOUT Buddhism, yet have learned very little of Buddhist doctrine, belief, teachings, etc. I'll keep going though in the hopes that it'll pick up. Art, lit, and drama is really great though. The class is just me and one other student. The professor is (at least officially) retired, and clearly has a passion for the subject and a poet's soul which shines through his considerable academic experience.

I've also started some extracurriculars. In Batik (a traditional Sri Lankan style of art and dying), we traced some patterns onto cloth. We'll probably start the dying next time. We also have dance and drumming twice a week. The drumming is very cool, but it's rather hard for me. On the other hand, I'm starting to get the hang of the dancing I think, and the instructor apparently approves of my progress (I've heard through others). He's actually pretty accomplished as a dancer, so much so that he's the one that teaches the president's children, dances in the place of honor in the Perahera (an annual buddhist festival). In any case, the dance looks a bit goofy at first, but has certain similarities to Aikido movements. The fingers of the hands are supposed to be in the closed position though (as opposed to Aikido), so I'm having a great deal of difficulty with that.

Speaking of which, I'm not getting much Aikido practice here. I ran through the basic movements once, and in the beginning I was teaching Will Cole some Aikido, but he hasn't asked about it in awhile and I don't want to push him if he's not interested. I'd like to practice breakfalls, but I hesitate to roll around in the grass and mud since my Amma does my laundry (and is a little protective. That's less of an obstacle though.) I MISS AIKIDO! : (
Is it odd that I find myself really wanting a bokken or a katana to swing around? Maybe I should pick a fight with some machungs (Sinhala for "bro" "dude", etc., and having a rowdy reputation).

Backlogged Blog 2

So, I just returned from my 8 day tour of Sri Lanka’s “cultural triangle.” WOW. I was just floored. I got up at 5:30 to get ready, and arrived at the ISLE center for a 7:00 depart. It was a few hour’s drive up to Anuradapura, which was the farthest north we traveled. It was a little more than 200 Km from Jafna, which will be a reassurance to family, and a dissapointment to those friends who were hoping I could join the Sri Lankan civil war for my independent study. No dice.
Anyway, Anuradapura was amazing. We stopped halfway there in a random field full of cows (and cowdung), where our archeologist guides told us about megolithic societies. The connection was apparently that the area was the site of both megalithic and later societies, and was a materials waypoint on the way to Anuradapura. Anyway, we also went to see some nearby megalithic burial sites, reflecting the animistic religion that buddhism supplanted when it arrived in the 3rd century BC.
In Anuradapura, we arrived at our hotel and moved in, had lunch, then went out again to see Mahintale, the first monastery built in Sri Lanka (3rd century BC). I think that despite the grander sites that we saw, this one still moved me the most. It was a series of drip ledge caves carved into the rock (a drip ledge is a sharp chisel line across the top of the cave, such that rain drops from the overhang rather than following the wall inside). It was all very beautiful even in its austerity, and seemed to radiate a sense of serenity.
However, I don’t want to belittle the other sites we saw on our trip. Anuradapura was the first capital of the united Sri Lanka. It still holds the Sri Maha Bodhi, a tree planted from a cutting of the Bodhi tree the Buddha became enlightened under. Right nearby is a magnificent stuppa holding a bodily relic of the Buddha (Ruwanweliseya). (if I can figure out how, I’ll upload some pictures. If not, google image search?). We also saw the “twin ponds”, the moonstone at King Mahasen’s Palace, and went to Abhayagiri Vihara (an old monastary site.) Also in Anuradapura was a carving called “The Lovers.” Some archeologists speculate that it depicts King Dutugemunu’s son, and the low caste maiden he fell in love with and for whom he gave up his claim to the throne.
At Mahintale, there is an ancient stupa, and a pilgrimage place with a precarious ascent to a beautiful overlook of the jungle.
Next, we went to Sigiria, the second capital of Anuradapura. There, we saw an old rock fortress that has to be the most utterly impregnable place…ever. History tells of a certain Sri Lankan king who killed his way to the top. After he killed his father, his brother fled to India, fearing for his life. Before going, he vowed to return with an army to challenge his brother. His brother decided to move his residence (and the capital) to Sigiria, where he constructed this fortress. It’s surrounded by at least one moat and thick walls. Inside of this are three terraces which lead up to the sheer face of a plateau. The first third of the way up, there are stone steps cut into the rock, following which there were only hand and foot niches acending the vertical rock. Today, they have built spiral staircases, but the ascent is still dizzying. 2/3 of the way up, there are murals painted on the rock wall. Evidence suggests that there may have been 500 or more figures drawn there at one time, but today all but 23 have been washed away. The ones that remain are magnificent, and ancient poetry to to their beauty is carved into the “mirror wall” which faces them (about 1,500 bits of poetry and prose!). We didn’t climb all the way to the top, because there were killer wasps living there whose sting can cause excrutiating pain, brain damage, and death. They’re agitated by loud noise and vibration, and since some idiot German tourists were up there singing at the top of their lungs, we decided not to test our luck. It’s too bad though, because at the top is the citidel, which lies between two carved, giant lions paws. In any case, I doubt the brother who fled to India took this place by force.
Also in Sigiria: more monastic sites, more stuppas, and a giant standing Buddha constructed in a later age (10th or 12th century I think).
The last place we went is Polunaruwa, which was also the capital during the middle ages (10th and 12th century). Here, we saw one last stupa, the ruins of a large buddhist monastary, “the sage”, the inner citidel at Polunaruwa, the lotus pond, and a site (gal vihara) with 3 huge Buddhas (one seated, one standing, one reclining).
This entire trip was magnificent.
Our regular matierial culture course teacher is recovering from a pacemaker operation, so we haven’t actually had any of those classes yet. This whole field trip was for that class though, so we have to come up with a paper topic based on the trip. I think I’m going to do mine comparing the Buddha’s teachings on the importance of non-attachment to bodies, things, etc. to the physical, material representations of that religion (huge stupas, grand monuments, worship of the Buddha’s bodily relics, etc.).

Weekend in Nuwara Eliya

Okay, I've got Backlogged Blog 2 on my flashdrive, but technology here is sketchy, and it's not reading it. I'll keep trying, and post that when I can. It's about my Northern Tour. In the meantime, Here's what I did over the weekend!

So a bunch of people from my program were planning on going to Nuwara Eliya over the weekend, and leaving right after Sinhala class. Originally I wasn't going to go with them, but on the spur of the moment, I decided to join them. Let me tell you, I'm really glad I did, because it was an awesome trip.Nuwara Eliya is about 2 or 3 hours from Kandy, and in terms of elevation is the highest city in Sri Lanka. The drive there was quite simply the most beautiful view I've ever seen. There are steep, rolling hills hundreds of feet high, draped in a lush green jungle. Waterfalls tumble down the cliffs into the lake at the vally floor, and sunshine beams down through wispy clouds. When people imagine paridise, this is what it looks like.The city of N.E. is a bit different, but every bit as interesting. In Sri Lanka it's sometimes called "mini-England." For one thing, it's downright chilly. A strong wind constantly assails you, and the clouds rolling through the streets at ground level bring occasional spells of rain. It feels as though the entire city rests on the edge of a storm that never quite hits.
The People:People dart around the streets bundled up in knit caps and coats. As in the rest of Sri Lanka, people are absolutely tickled when you speak to them in Sinhala, and knowing even a tiny bit of the language opens a lot of doors. Warm clothes especially are super cheap in NE, and the same fleece pullover that you buy for $60 in a US department store can be bought for $6.50 here. On the whole, my interactions with people were really positive, and left me with a great feeling.
Sri Lanka does have a problem when it comes to women though. Young and/or unmarried men are in the habit of cat-calling and sexually harassing women (especially young women). The problem is much worse for foriegners, because the media portrays western women as being sexually uninhibited. On this trip, it was just Will Cole, me, and 7 women, so we all had to be really vigilant to make sure nothing worse than cat-calling happened.
One time some of the others were buying some dresses in from a street vendor in an allyway, and some slightly-rough looking young men were hanging around at the entrance to the ally. I ended up striking up a conversation with them, and everything turned out okay, but I definately didn't feel safe (and when they asked what hotel we were staying at, I said I didn't remember).
Other things:On the whole, the NE experience was really positive though. For instance, some other young people met us on the street while we were walking to lunch. They told us about a "Fun Fair" that was going on at the nearby "American school." After arriving, we found out that it was a non-profit vocational school for Sri Lankan students who didn't get into Universities, and they were having an activity where they all designed and executed a business venture. Western music was being played through a sound system in the driveway, and we all bought tickets to a haunted house. It was really good! We also met the director of the place, who was a really friendly Canadian man there with his family. He invited us to teach there for a semester, if we were so inclined.That night we stayed at "The Princess" hotel, and got two rooms for $17 each. It was pretty cold, but we all managed alright. We were going to go for a hike to Worlds End in the morning, but when we got up at 6 it was raining, so we all 9 of us combined our blankets, climbed into bed together, and snoozed for another 2 hours. When we woke up, we had cookies and crackers for breakfast. It was wonderful. Later on, we went to a tea estate, and drank some free tea. Nice.
Hey, Sri Lanka is pretty cheap, so if you want me to bring something home for you, put in your request. Possibilities include (but totally aren't limited to) Sarongs (skirts for men!), dresses (if you tell me your size), cold weather wear, batik (a style of dying clothing or art), knick knacks, a thumb drive (a bit cheaper here than in the states), tea...a monkey. Y'know, whatever you want. No promises, but I'll see what I can do.

Backlogged blogs 1

Well, sorry I haven't been more regular about posting. Internet access has been sporadic here. Anyway, I'm about to start an 8 day tour of Sri Lanka's "cultural triangle," which consists of Anuradapura, Sigiria, and Pulunaruwa. I'm sure I'll have a lot to say when I get back. In any case, my stay with my host family has been really good. In the beginning, I think we were sort of sounding each other out. I was being really careful not to offend them with cultural mistakes, etc. Anyway, things are a little freer now, and we can joke with each other a bit. My Amma is really nice. She tries to avoid force feeding me food (which is a difficult thing for her to resist doing, culturally). My Appachi is quieter, but very nice.
I also had the oportunity to meet loku maama (older uncle), who's a doctor. He speaks really good english, and taught me how to fake my way through Sinhalese using english. Basically, you say the noun, followed by the verb to make the sentence structure similar to Sinhalese. Like: "Ball eka throw karanne," or "butterfly eka look karanna" eka means "the" and karanne means "do". So basically its Singlish. The equivalent of "I want to go to el hospital."
Almost every educated person in Sri Lanka is bilingual with english. The first two years of college here, the classes are taught in English. It's a little humbling, considering how much trouble I'm having with sinhalese. It's amazing how much I've learned in a week and a half though. Our professor really knows how to teach a language.
what we've done in short: Gone to 2 orphanages, seen elephants, gone to the temple of the tooth (aka maligawa. Google it. It's awesome.), seen another temple carved into the rock, gone into Kandy.
Also, my laptop needs to stop giving me electrical shocks. It's supposed to work with 240 volts, but there's definately too much current running through it, and if I plug it in it becomes like an electric fence. Needless to say, I won't plug it in until that's fixed.

My first week...Continued

Okay, so to continue...

We started Sinhala class the day after we arrived (and have it every day thereafter except Sun.) We met our host families Sunday. My host mother (henceforth, Amma, Sinhalese for mother) and Appachi (the upcountry Sinhalese word for father) are both nice. My Amma works as an english teacher at a local girls school, and my Appachi does scientific research. They're both on vacation until early Sept.

In any case, we all met our families and had tea. It was a little awkward, but as I said, they're really nice.

Ah, I need to go. More later.