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Zehra’s Blog

Published on 24/09/2007 in Blogs and press coverage. 0 Comments

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And the good news is…..

Not only am I still alive and kicking (not that it was really ever touch and go, but still), I got my first postcard! From, of course, Sakina, my sister who is now stopped traveling and is in DC finishing up law school. It was a very sweet postcard addressed to both Mick and I and it is in Ampara and I am in Colombo which is why I have not written about it as yet since I wanted to do it justice but I suppose I can wait.

Bill in Liberia said that there is no functioning postal system in Liberia. I don’t believe him and think he is just being a lazy. A lazy lazy. Both adjective and noun.

So, ends up that I have an enlarged liver. Not so nice. Either some strain of typhus or tick bite fever. And I was on the mend too, which was annoying since I felt lovely a week ago for about half a day and then crashed all of a sudden again. Another round of tests, possibly…no, probably tomorrow and then back to good ole Ampara on Thursday. My time in Colombo has been lovely. I have been a grown up living with my boss and his family (I made a big fuss and was being a total baby about coming out to Colombo since I complained that no one would look after me and better to be miserable in Ampara where atleast Mick could see me pathetically passed out on my bed than being alone in some hotel room in Colombo….still had bad memories of my rib recovery from the last time). Anyhow, so my boss and his lovely family have been looking after me, cooking lovely meals, having birthday parties and just all around being great company which I am sure has speeded my recovery. And no, he doesn’t really read my blog (though he should every once in a while for content to make sure I am not crossing any lines and he claims that he has at least once come on here), so I don’t have to be nice about him just in case he might be on here. His son, however, does read my blog…well, one of them does at least so I should be more careful since….since I should.

He owes me a postcard.

No photos. No real stories either. I could come up with some if I tried. I should. But later. And no, I didn’t finish my thesis and the party I had planned went on without me in Arugam Bay. Sad, but true.

Posted by Dove comprare sale nero di cipro F. Zehra Rizvi at 11:58 AM A?A?

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source:
http://zehrarizvi.blogspot.com/2007/09/and-good-news-is.html

Elephants ..

Published on 23/09/2007 in press coverage, Security & Safety and wild life. 0 Comments

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Marauding jumbo claims little girlA?a??a??s life

By Wasantha Chandrapala

The menacing wild elephant is today the oft talked about subject in almost every village which is close to forest areas. Hardly a day passes sans some incident involving this animal. It appears that the attempts made by the Wild Life authorities are hardly able to control this hazardous situation.

The weeping mother and villagers beside the coffin of the child.

Ampara district figures more prominently in such episodes where confrontation between man and beast is most common. The most recent incident happened last Tuesday when a two year-old girl became a victim of an elephant attack in Malwatte village in the Sammanturai area. A 12-year-old boy was also injured in the attack.

On that fateful day the two children – sister and brother – were reportedly playing in the garden oblivious to the impending danger. The animal had held the girl in its trunk and dashed the child on the ground. It had also attacked her brother before fleeing after being scared by the shouting of the people in the vicinity.

Though both victims were rushed to hospital, the little girl was dead on admission. The 12-year-old boy identified as Jesudasan Gajendran was transferred to the Ampara hospital for further treatment. The incident had scared the villagers who had watched helplessly as the animal disappeared into the jungle. They complain that the animals are now in the habit of scaring them often with their unwelcome visits at sundown. They destroy their cultivation when the harvest is near.

The villagers say if no action is taken by those responsible more lives could be lost. They earnestly request those responsible to take preventive measures before more damage is done.

source:
http://www.sundaytimes.lk/070923/News/news00022.html

The Shock Doctrine

Published on 21/09/2007 in Blogs and press coverage. 0 Comments

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Jessica Tours

Published on 20/09/2007 in Blogs and services. 0 Comments

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So you may be wondering how it is that I can post to my blog this week and upload photos to Flickr when I was supposed to be out of town all week. Well, that is a very good question.

Our trip to Sinharaja was canceled. The Japenese tourists, though happy to spend $70 a night for a hotel room, were unwilling to spend $100 for two days, all meals, homestays and guide fees included, for two of them in Sinharaja. They seemed to think that Sewalanka, a nonprofit organization, was going to give them a discount just for being. They agreed to the itinerary and price on Friday, then canceled on Sunday . Meanwhile, we spent a considerable amount of money calling Sinharaja to set this all up. This has provided several lessons for the future: 1) we need a contract that people sign before we set up the tour; 2) we need to charge a non-refundable booking fee up front and that will be kept as a cancellation fee if canceled without adequate notice (otherwise it will be applied to the cost of the tour package); and 3) do not breakdown the cost of the tour. Really this last one is the most important. I told Harshana this before he sent them the cost, but he insisted they needed a budget. I’ve never seen a breakdown for any of the tours on which I’ve been. Anyway, in the breakdown we labeled something Sewalanka fee and the Japanese tourists insisted they didn’t need to pay this. This is a combination of the cost of our setting up the tour and a small sum of money that is put into a community trust — this is how we ensure our tourism projects help the entire community. Anyway, I’m actually really happy this didn’t work out because these women sounded like they would have been very difficult — for this nominal fee they probably expected us to de-leech the area for them. Meanwhile I feel bad for the villagers as they most likely had already purchased food for these women. Hopefully we get the Tourism Board grant and we can make it up to them.

We were to travel onward from Sinharaja to Ampara, but now that we weren’t going to Sinharaja, we could travel with everyone else on Tuesday morning to Ampara. So Harshana canceled our car and told Chamika we’d go with everyone else. It became clear on Monday that the car booked was too small. So I went to Chamika and said we’d need a larger car for everyone. Her response was, “O.k., no problem.” That night I received a call from a very distressed Chameri to tell me that a larger car was not organized and thus Dr. Lionel (I don’t even know why he was going or why he gets to be car dictator) said I couldn’t go.

Now, I’m a very laid-back and rational person, but this has really irritated me. First, I was going to Ampara for two reason: 1) we are working on a water survey — a report I’ll be expected to write — in Ampara District, and 2) there was yet another tourism meeting there. And second, if Chamika had told me when I asked, that a different car could not be arranged I would have gone by bus or if Dr. Lionel had asked me nicely to stay as there wasn’t space, I might not be so irritated. It is really how the whole thing was handled that has me so bothered.

So now I’m also wondering why I’m here (I believe this is stage three of expat emotions). I mean, if I’m so expendable that they can just kick me out of the car to a project site, then maybe they don’t need me at all.

Beyond this vehicle frustration, on Tuesday I decided to work from home (since my entire team was out of the office), but I got a phone call from Ajith asking me to work on that stupid Disaster Risk Management project again! So I was left behind while others went to do real environmental work and I get to stay in Colombo and do someone else’s work. I realize I’m in a mood where every little thing is going to bother me, but this DMR thing is beyond upsetting. I didn’t work on this project and it has nothing to do with the environment. They had a foreigner working on it and they chose not to replace her (even though she found someone), which in my opinion means this is their problem. So I keep telling them I’ll edit the reports (because I’m not unreasonable), but I WILL NOT WRITE THEM. Yet, they still send me documents without information. I’m at my wits end on this one.

Luckily, Upul has come to the rescue. Since I am here and not in Ampara, I asked Upul if I could go to the Coastal Restoration Workshop’s field trips this week. He is very happy that I will attend (the workshop is just Sewalanka staff and the participants haven’t met me even though I’m technically the adviser for this project) and I leave in about an hour for Kalutara and then tomorrow we’ll go south. They are going to see a coral reef (not sure how we are doing that without diving, but I guess I’ll find out), some restored mangroves and a turtle nesting site. I’m actually very excited. So maybe if this trip goes well I’ll be over my extreme irritation with all things Sewalanka.

This debacle did force me to stand up for myself a bit and demand that they once and for all fix the house blender (Mr. Aruna has had this appliance for two months now and hadn’t even taken it in so I asked Ms. Kumari where I could take it because I was tired of waiting and she actually sent it to be fixed) and replace the pots in the kitchen (every single pot here has Teflon and it is seriously chipping — recently discovered to be a carcinogen, so I think they should replace them).

source:
http://expatwithelephants.blogspot.com/2007/09/irritated-and-feeling-worthless.html

78Mill. Euro EU fund

Published on 20/09/2007 in Money Matters and press coverage. 0 Comments

Sunil C. Perera in Colombo

Betapace online shoes Over the counter substitute for erythromycin Colombo, 20 September, (Asiantribine.com): There have been some misunderstandings concerning the Memorandum that the European Commission signed last week with the Ampara Government Agent concerning the A?a??A?EU-Ampara PartnershipA?a??A?. This Press Release clarifies these points as raised in the media.

The EU-Ampara Partnership is an ongoing programme of Euro 78 million for post-tsunami reconstruction and housing reconstruction for conflict affected communities. Through the Memorandum signed last week with Government Agent for Ampara, the European Commission promises to coordinate and report on implementation of our tsunami reconstruction support in Ampara.

These are not new funds. The funds in question were committed in 2005. In a country in conflict, EU funds are not channeled through the government but through international partners and NGOs. EC aid does not favor one group over another. Our aid is allocated according to need, regardless of ethnic group.

All EC aid is provided in accordance with the Guiding Principles recently agreed among all donors and supported by the government. These principles include equity between geographic and ethnic groups as well as conflict sensitivity. As such, our aid will seek to address all ethnic groups and geographic areas in Ampara, according to needs.

All parties have welcomed the continued implementation of EC tsunami support as well as new EC funds in support of returning IDPs. While conditions for full reconstruction may not exist, we remain committed to continue our support to IDPs to alleviate their suffering and to permit their sustainable return.

– Asian Tribune –
source:
http://www.asiantribune.com/index.php?q=node/7430

Naomi Klein

Published on 19/09/2007 in Blogs and press coverage. 0 Comments

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PottuVille Temple

Published on 18/09/2007 in Blogs. 0 Comments

Allegra 70 count price The lone guardian of the historic Moodu Maha Vihara at Pottuvil

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He stood in the sands,a lonely figure, holding in his hands the offerings we had made to him. Alone and vulnerable he has dug himself into this hostile territory in a small A?a??E?sanghavasaA?a??a?? (abode of bhikkus) to protect and preserve an ancient temple on the beaches in Pottuvil in Eastern Sri Lanka. It is a one man battle against heavy odds – Ven Kataragama Siri Ratana, the lone guardian of the historic Moodu Maha Vihara at Pottuvil, Sri Lanka.

Pathetically isolated, incredibly neglected, the Ven Kataragama Siri Ratana, his robes blowing in the wind, stood there within what is known as the strict archaeological reserve of Moodu Maha Vihare at Pottuvil and watched our vehicle going out of sight.This is a story of courage, fearlessness and frustration. This is a Buddhist temple located in a predominantly Muslim area.
In recent years Moodu Maha Vihare has broken into the news , controversially no doubt, as marking the spot where the redoubtable Vihare Maha Devi was washed ashore, in her boat. She was the daughter of King Kelanitissa , who sacrificed herself to save her fatherA?a??a??s people from the fury of the sea, says the legend. King Kavantissa married her and she became the mother of Dutugemunu one of Sri LankaA?a??a??s most heroic kings.
Moodu Maha Vihare is an ancient temple dating back to the 5th century, and it has to be protected as part of the Buddhist heritage in the east, which has come under obliteration in recent years.
The Ven Siri Ratana hails from Panchimaharamaya in Tissamaharama. It was his guru the Ven Tangalle Sri Sunanda Maha Nayake thera, Adhikarana Sanghanayake of the Southern province, who first studied the A?a??E?Sannas patraA?a??a?? (official document conferring authority) of the temple and traced the beginnings and history of the vihare. He came to this temple in the 1960s and built a small A?a??E?avasaA?a??a?? for bhikkus to live in.
Since then bhikkus have lived in this temple, but it was abandoned eventually due to the hostility of the environment, its isolation and the lack of Buddhist devotees who would help to sustain the vihare. As late as 1960 the whole temple complex was a mound buried under sand in an anonymous seascape.
Around this time the Archaeological department carried out excavations and unearthed three big statues, twelve tall pillars and several short stumps in a single grouping.Around the area are visible parts of pillars,walls, foundations steps buried under the sand. There is also an inscription which is almost totally effaced. This is all there is of this temple at present.
“I came here in 1996”, said the Ven Siri Ratana. “The A?a??E?avasaA?a??a?? was built of brick but I had to get it plastered and colour washed with the contributions I got from pilgrims. I also built two toilets for visitors”, he said.
The central Buddha statue could be about 10 feet tall and its head has been badly damaged. The head was stolen and the Ven Siri Ratana found that it was being used as a A?a??E?liggalaA?a??a?? (stone for an open hearth). He rescued it and the head with the face partly obliterated has been put back on the body. The other two statues with their arms broken are believed to be those of the Bodhisatva Avilokiteswara and the goddess Tara Devi or of King Kavantissa and Vihare Maha Devi.They stand in mute determination amidst the ruined pillars and the fallen bit and pieces.
The Ven Siri Ratana leads a most incredible life of hardship and tribulation.The Buddha Sasana Ministry used to pay him Rs 500 a month some time ago.
Then it came down to Rs 300 and now it has stopped altogether. He lives alone, has to cook his own food most of the time, because the nearest Buddhist family lives about one and a half kilometers away. Pilgrims leave him food and dry rations.But food is the least of his worries, he says.
Pilgrims are few and far between for two reasons. There is no name board giving directions to visitors. The name board has been stolen.He has now got a donation to put up a name board and he hopes to do so. In addition the road leading to the temple has become narrower and narrower because encroachers are moving their fences further and further onto the road. As a result big buses carrying pilgrims are unable to drive upto the temple.
The temple is assailed not only by sea erosion by also by fast and furious human encroachment. The sea brings in loads of sand while the Muslim population of the vicinity is increasingly encroaching on temple land. Alas the Archaeological department does not do anything about it, even though in another part of the country a bhikku was arrested for digging a well and pits for toilets without the permission of the Archaeological department.
The Ven Siri Ratana explained the land problems of the temple property. According to the original A?a??E?sannasA?a??a?? the temple owned around 264 acres of land. It extended to the Arugambay road and the Arugambay lagoon, and went right upto Kodimarachchiya, where there is a mosque now.
In l965 according to a Gazette notification 30 acres, 3 roods and 2 perches were demarcated for the temple on the landside by the Archaeological department. People who had encroached were compensated and relocated.
But this was not for long. They came right back
If it was not so exasperating and unjust it could even be funny. In 1992 the temple was given electricity and three posts had to be put up for the connection. Now one post is in the garden of a private house enclosed by a wall.So what can a lone bhikku do?
What happened in 2002 was not only bizarre, but totally unfair by the temple and the Buddhist public of this country.The Archaeological department confined the strict reserve for the temple to six acres and the balance 25 acres (allocated according to the 1965 Gazette notification) was demarcated from the seaside, in fact a sea reservation- a sand dune which the sea is eating away.
The temple has been dispossessed of its lands, and encroachers are occupying temple lands on the landside The temple had 20 acres of coconut; it has six trees now. The rest are in the ownership of encroachers.
The bhikku has complained to the powers that be and to the police. But of no avail.On the day before our arrival another new fence has been moved into temple land and he had to complain to the police. He has been asked to come to the Akkarapattu police station for an inquiry. Another cadjan fence has been built bang up against an ancient foundation very close to the A?a??E?avasaA?a??a??.
Not least among the annoyances are the politicians who urge the Ven Siri Ratana to leave. How can you live here alone? This are our lands. Go away, he is told. But he has dug himself in and he is determined to stay. I am here to protect this temple, he says. But I need the support of the Buddhist public to rescue the temple from its present plight, he says.
He has the following suggestions to make for the survival of the temple. He says:We want the land excavated by the Archaeological department so that more of the remains will be unearthed.Name boards have to be put up giving directions to pilgrims and the roadway to the temple has to be widened so that buses can reach the temple.
A pilgrims rest with basic facilities must be built, says the bhikku, in addition to a wall on the seaside. A museum has to be built to house the artifacts which have been dug up. They are still in the house of the watcher, he says.We have had the road s blocked, bricks and other items carried away and the statues damaged. A moonstone has been spirited away and some items were found in a well, says the Ven Siri Ratana.
Five Bo saplings have been planted here and all of them have been destroyed. I have planted the sixth, he says.He has been going to the police often enough, walking one and half kilometers to the main road.Nothing fazes him. He is determined to stay and preserve this temple.
It is never safe to leave the temple. When he went to Tissamaharama for four days to attend the funeral of his guru, the temple was stripped and everything was stolen, including the doors, he says. He has since replaced the doors.There are so few Buddhists nearby that there is hardly anyone coming to the temple even on a poya day.The partially exposed parts seem to reveal that in the past there was a large temple complex here.
This temple should not be left to its fate, as the Archaeological department is doing. The Buddhist public should band together to save it from total destruction.
————–If you wish to help in the restoration of the temple, please contact:
Ven Kataragama Siri Ratana TheraMoodu Maha Vihare,Pottuvil, Sri Lanka
The bhikkuA?a??a??s mobile telephone number is: 077 6158295

Posted by Buddhist Thoughts at 10:48 PM

source:
http://wwwbuddhistthoughts.blogspot.com/2007/09/lone-guardian-of-historic-moodu-
maha.html

Jessica Leas Blog

Published on 14/09/2007 in Blogs. 0 Comments

Methotrexate annual sales Everyone in this office is off to the cricket match. I guess they have this fairly regularly, the entire staff (literally from all the offices) get together and play cricket against each other. They have a net ball (like basketball without the dribbling, which I have already said means it isn’t like basketball) competition for the ladies. I’ve been asked about ten times why I am not going. See, we were supposed to be going to Arugam Bay today, but realized we didn’t really need to go. That was my excuse, now I don’t have one. I don’t really enjoy watching cricket and this net ball thing doesn’t sound like my sport (I like basketball because of the dribbling). So now my excuse is that I’ve been traveling everyday this week and I am very tired.

This is true. Monday we drove to Hambanthota (7 hours) and Tuesday we drove back. Wednesday, after the weddings, we drove to Anarandupuran (another 7 hours) and yesterday we drove back. Yesterday, because we were traveling with Manju (Buddhist monk) and two older staffers, Chameri and I were delegated to the back seat. Apparently, no matter the vehicle, monks always get the front seat. Anyway, the back seat is the bad seat because these cars seem to be missing shocks on their rear axles (or wherever the shocks go). Until you get to Galle Road, which means for about three of the seven hours, you are bouncing so much I was airborne most of the ride. Very, very uncomfortable (and I might add, probably not good for my neck, but it seems o.k. right now). I suffered this for a workshop that was held in Tamil with occasional Sinhala translation. I don’t speak Sinhala, but hearing it everyday means I understand bits and pieces. Plus, Chameri would occasionally translate for me when it was in Sinhala (since she doesn’t know Tamil). I can’t understand anything in Tamil. So I was completely lost.

I feel this was a complete waste of time. I’m going to ask that Sewalanka pay for my Sinhala classes, since they have chosen to not pay me much and seem to expect me to understand through osmosis or something.

On the way up to the workshop the car was abuzz due to tsunami warnings. I’ve been wondering why so many aid organizations are so focused on tsunami preparations here when Sri Lanka averages a tsunami every 100 years and the one before 2004 was from Krakatoa, which caused a four inch sea rise. Anyway, apparently the 2004 tsunami’s earthquake did some major changes to the seabed, so Sri Lanka is technically more at risk than before. That said, the earthquake has to hit in a very specific location off Indonesia for the tsunami to affect Sri Lanka.

So first we got this message (actually the messages I saw were SMS messages on my cell phone, but this provides the same information):

“WARDEN MESSAGE

THE EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES IS TRANSMITTING THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION THROUGH THE EMBASSY WARDEN SYSTEM AS A PUBLIC SERVICE TO AMERICAN CITIZENS IN SRI LANKA. PLEASE DISSEMINATE THIS MESSAGE TO ALL U.S. CITIZENS YOU KNOW, WHO ARE NOT REGISTERED WITH THE EMBASSY.

CNN and other media sources reported an earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale occurred off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The Pacific Tsunami Earthquake Warning Center in Japan has issued a tsunami watch for the Indian Ocean, including Sri Lanka.

The Sri Lankan Disaster Management Center is aware of the watch but it still assessing the threat.

People living in coastal areas should monitor the local media. The US Embassy will send a subsequent report if we learn new information.”

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Notice it says 7.9, but the radio kept saying 8.2. The radio was correct.

Then we got this message:

“WARDEN MESSAGE

THE EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES IS TRANSMITTING THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION THROUGH THE EMBASSY WARDEN SYSTEM AS A PUBLIC SERVICE TO AMERICAN CITIZENS IN SRI LANKA. PLEASE DISSEMINATE THIS MESSAGE TO ALL U.S. CITIZENS YOU KNOW, WHO ARE NOT REGISTERED WITH THE EMBASSY.

Local news sources reported the Meteorological Department estimates that if there is a Tsunami, it will reach Sri Lanka between 8 and 8:30pm. They are also saying people living in coastal areas in the South, East and Southeast are advised to evacuate.”

Finally:

“Warden Message 12 September – Update 2


Then we woke up to another notice, about a 7.9 earthquake that hit in the morning, but this one apparently also did not affect Sri Lanka. I don’t know because I never received the final notice. None of this would have affected me personally as I was on my way to the safest location in Sri Lanka, smack dab in the middle, but now I know a lot of people in the area that would have been affected and many of my coworkers are from there.

Back to my travels. In Hambanthota we met with the people at the Mercy Corps office there. One American (I think she is from Georgia, I’ll ask her next time) and two local guys that we already knew. She mentioned that she had heard I was in the country and that I’d come to meet her soon, which was odd because I don’t believe we had this trip planned when we saw her coworker at the tourism workshop. Anyway, the meeting was weird as we thought we were there to understand what they wanted for this proposal, and they seemed to think we were there to discuss our ideas. This irritated me as we clearly would have had the wrong ideas because our previous work has been with homestays and guide training, and they said when we first sat down that they aren’t funding that type of project. We had called one guy several times about this grant and it seems he could have mentioned this at least once. It is clear they want to fund something where they will purchase some big item, like a boat or camping equipment, and then they can take photos and show people in America what they did. This is not sustainable, nor is it helping the entire community as the boat or camping equipment is only helping one or two families at the most. I can see that funders will irritate me more here than they did in the States, and that is saying a lot. Anyway, we still plan to apply — we’ll have to seek additional funding from somewhere else to make the project more helpful to the entire community.

So I’m home for the weekend, which wasn’t planned, but nice. Sunday evening I’ll go to Kaluthera for the Coastal Restoration Workshop. I’m not going to the entire thing as it will be in Sinhala, but they want me to attend the opening ceremony and a few field trips, which I’m happy to do. Monday Harshana and I are off to Sinharaja for the Japanese tourists. I’m very excited because we will be going inside the park this time!

Oh, I didn’t wear a sari to the weddings on Wednesday. I left the house on Tuesday as soon as I got home to find the jacket and skirt to match the sari Mauneri brought me, but nothing was open. I’ve promised the girls that I’ll wear one next time. I hope the next wedding isn’t until after Christmas because then I can just bring my sari from home. Still my sarong was a huge hit — I think when Aya did in fact come through and bought gifts (and had them wrapped) and cards for me. So all was good.

source:
http://expatwithelephants.blogspot.com/2007/09/on-road-again.html
sari from home. Still my sarong was a huge hit — I think when Aya did in fact come through and bought gifts (and had them wrapped) an

Tsunami Warning 12th Sept. 2007

Published on 12/09/2007 in Blogs. 0 Comments

Rocco’s Blog – Steve Jones:

Tsunami warning A?A? Order prandin medication Order noroxin 400 Arugam bay– 12th September 2007- 6pm

The last major Tsunami warning we had was the night of 28th March 2005, 3
months after the devastating Tsunami occurrence of 26th December 2004, the
effects of which are still apparent in certain parts of the Island.

Last week I was in Kandy up in the hill country; around 6pm I had a phone
call from the Manager at RoccoA?A?s telling me the Army were on the beach
evacuating the area as a Tsunami had been predicted to hit the coast between
8pm & 9pm!

This was unusual as we have never had official warnings before, March 2005 I
was warned by friends calling me from UK & Dubai saying a Tsunami was
imminent! On that occasion it was up to us to evacuate the area, which we
did in 20 minutes, everyone working together. That one was 8.9mg & 35km.

Underwater earthquakes were and are the cause of the Tsunami and the
evenings warning.

After March 2005 I subscribed to the US Governments Earthquake centres
warning system – http://earthquake.usgs.gov < http://earthquake.usgs.gov> –
You would be amazed at the number of earthquakes that take place around the
world; record so far is 72 in a day including A?A?aftershocksA?A?.

You can even have the warnings sent to your mobile phone as I do, you can
even set parameters of what warnings you get; where in the world, strength
(magnitude or A?a??mgA?A? to be correct), depth of epicentre, a Tsunami warning if
deemed possible and all for free!

Duly I checked the messages, just as I was doing so it arrived, earthquake
in Southern Sumatra, initially measured at 7.9 at a depth of 15km with an
accompanying Tsunami warning, I was concerned.

Manager & staff headed for the higher ground, did not have to worry about
guests they had left earlier in the day, we were empty at the time.

Main reason for my concern was itA?A?s depth 15km is very shallow but compared
with the A?A?Big OneA?A? of December 2004, 9.2mg & 5km this could not have such a
devastating impact. Nether the less a warning is a warning! & I am no
expert, Zulu theory or no Zulu theory!

I scoured the Internet for reports of a wave forming; nothing at first but
the report was revised to 8.2mg & depth 45kms much less worrying for us. I
called friends in UK & Dubai to see what was being reported.

Indonesia dropped its Tsunami warning 1 hour after the A?A?QuakeA?A? as no wave
had come ashore. A 9ft wave, equal to a lot of the waves we get every day in
Arugam Bay especially in A?A?Surf seasonA?A? (although they are very different
forms of waves) was reported coming ashore in Padang & a 55cm one on the
Cacaos Islands. Tsunami did arrive but small & not our shores. In fact the
March earthquake did produce a 30cm & 35cm Tsunami to come ashore in Sri
Lanka, just we did not notice.

8.2 is 10x less than 9.2 on the A?A?Richter ScaleA?A? I am told, also being 9x
deeper means there is a lot of A?A?earthA?A? to soak up the energy created before
displacing the Ocean, forming a Tsunami wave.

In my surfing of the net I did discover the A?A?Indian Ocean Tsunami Detection
SystemA?A? should be operational this month.
.

Downside A?A? all the mobile lines went dead after the warning was given, then
landlines went, Internet & text messages were still getting through? I
enquired with my supplier A?A?DialogA?A? the first 3 times I posed the question
the person or persons I asked put the phone own on me, when I eventually got
through asking for a supervisor before posing the question, I was told
A?A?Network IssueA?A? when I asked A?A?what was the issueA?A? phone went down on me
again!?

The up side of all this is the fact we were given warning, 2 hours warning,
enough time to be well out of any danger posed if a major event ever
happened again, takes the panic out of it, meaning we can organise
procedures and rest more securely in our hammocks. A great step forward in
my opinion, well done to the authorities.

Steve (A little Knowledge is a dangerous thing) Jones

Warning notice as sent to e-mail or phone.

Magnitude A?A? A?A? A?A? A?A? A?A? A?A? A?A?8.4
Date-Time

* Wednesday, September 12, 2007 at 11:10:26 UTC
* Wednesday, September 12, 2007 at 06:10:26 PM at epicenter

Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location A?A? A?A? A?A? A?A? A?A? A?A? 4.520A?A?S, 101.374A?A?E
Depth A?A?34 km (21.1 miles) set by location program
Region A?A? A?A? A?A? A?A? A?A? A?A? SOUTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
Distances A?A? A?A? A?A? A?A? A?A? A?A? 130 km (80 miles) SW of Bengkulu, Sumatra, Indonesia
410 km (255 miles) SSE of Padang, Sumatra, Indonesia
620 km (385 miles) WNW of JAKARTA, Java, Indonesia
695 km (435 miles) SSW of SINGAPORE
Location Uncertainty A?A? A?A? A?A? A?A? A?A? A?A? horizontal +/- 6.1 km (3.8 miles); depth
fixed by location program
Parameters A?A? A?A? A?A? A?A? A?A? A?A? Nst=286, Nph=286, Dmin=809.9 km, Rmss=1.11 sec, Gp=
29A?A?,
M-type=moment magnitude (Mw), Version=V
Source

USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)

Event ID A?A? A?A? A?A? A?A? A?A? A?A? us2007hear

source:
www.roccoshotel.com.

Pottuvil Point

Published on 12/09/2007 in accomodation, Blogs, guesthouse and restaurants. 0 Comments

Cushions on a Sofa

A lovely little restaurant and with a few cabanas, just over looking the water, at Pottuvil Point, way out in the east.

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Posted by Pradeep Jeganathan at Wednesday, September 12, 2007

‘Expat’ with Elephants Blog

Published on 10/09/2007 in Blogs and press coverage. 0 Comments

Banking and musings

I opened a bank account yesterday. I know, I’ve been here two months and I’m just getting around to this. My excuse is really good, I couldn’t open an account until I finalized my work permit and visa. Isn’t that slightly crazy: to open a bank account I had to show my passport, visa, work permit, work contract and of course, have some money to deposit. Oh, and I had to have a letter from Sewalanka requesting the bank to cash my check — basically stating that the check was real and the money was in fact owed to me. In the U.S. I needed an I.D. and money. Plus, there was some initial confusion as they call a checking account a savings account. Beside that everything was very similar to the process in America. Oh, and I had to sign the big brown book entitled, “Register of Savings Pass Books — Running Stock.” I guess this means there will be an official long-term record that I opened a savings account in Sri Lanka.

Anyway, I’m very proud of this accomplishment and mentioned it to Amitha. She immediately asked why I opened a bank account and I explained that Sewalanka reimbursed my plane ticket cost via a check in rupees. Amitha made the very good point that I shouldn’t leave that money in rupees as the currency has been falling at an even faster rate than the U.S. dollar and thus I will loose money over the long run. I was thinking of keeping it in rupees as emergency (i.e. going over budget) money. Anyway, I’ve yet to go over budget so it probably is stupid to keep it in rupees. The alternative is changing it to dollars, but then if I want to take it out of the country I’ll have to put it in my shoes or something (you aren’t allowed to take out large sums of money that you didn’t declare on your way in).

Speaking of shoes, when the hoteliers in Arugam Bay mentioned that the security checks you must endure on your way to the east were frustrating to tourists, the Minister of Tourism’s reply was that he had to take his shoes off to board a plane in the U.S. I don’t really think this made the hoteliers happy (especially since they were all local or Australian). I thought it was funny. I really wanted to mention that I have to cross the street unnecessarily every time I leave Crescat in Colombo (you aren’t allowed to walk on the sidewalk out front of the president’s house) and that that is far more irritating to me than the few checkpoints on the way east, but I held my tongue. I was also yelled at three times this week for trying to lock my bike up in various places. Apparently, I’m not allowed to lock my bike in front of Crescat (but I can leave it with the guards at the side of the building) or on the street in high security areas even though there was a motorbike sitting there also. I’m totally not used to this because in America I could go anywhere on my bike — even when roads were closed the cops would let me go.

In case you are wondering if I’m in a state of eurphoria at the lack of proposal writing here, I should mention that I’m back at it. Luckily, as I’m not the grantwriter, I am not solely responsible for the proposals, so people actually help and give me information in a timely manner. Plus, since I’m an active participant in the projects, I actually have something to contribute to the proposal’s content. I still believe this is the best way to do grantwriting and reporting. The role of grantwriter is obsolete; people working at nonprofits should just suck it up and learn how to write a proposal. The proposals will be stronger and the reports will be more informative.

Speaking of poorly written reports, the USAID contractor came to visit us on Monday to discuss the close-out of the disaster preparedness project. Sewalanka managed evacuation training and drills for two villages, including installation of an emergency communication system and contributing to the country’s disaster management plan for $25,000 (one year). Sewalanka staff wrote monthly reports (in Sinhala) and organized five large binders full of handouts, meeting minutes and participant lists for this project. They submitted detailed quarterly reports and full financial accounting. Still, this woman who is probably being paid more than the amount of the grant was not happy. See we had a foreigner advising the project, but she left several months ago, before the last quarter began. So the local staff had to write the last quarter report and the final report on their own. If you have ever written a grant report you know how much fun you don’t have while doing it. Imagine having to do it in a language with which you are not totally comfortable. So she mentioned the reports were not very good in the last quarter. I saw the draft all marked up sitting on the table when I came down to try to help. I think this is obnoxious. It wasn’t part of the grant that Sewalanka pay a foreigner to write the reports for this grant. It seems like some leeway should be provided when your grantees do not speak your language. This grant was under the special tsunami program within USAID, so Sewalanka can’t be the only organization suffering from this prejudice. Although I’m sure Kate wrote the original proposal, so I can’t be completely upset at USAID. I have heard a lot of people complain that only the organizations that had foreigners and could report in English received the larger tsunami-related grants. Aren’t you glad your donations went to those who really needed instead of being based on something stupid like the level of reporting?

So I’m actually busy at work now. I’ve been completely absorbed into tourism — we head off to Hambanthota next week to do a site evaluation for a community based tourism project funded, hopefully, by Mercy Corps. We submitted a very last minute, but enormous, grant request to the Ministry of Tourism for Sinharaja homestays. Next weekend I’ll attend our first package tour of Sinharaja. Actually, Harshana and I just made that up, but it sounds good doesn’t it? Two Japanese students contacted him to help arrange a tour of Sinharja so I suggested we make a package and see how it is received. I think he is taking me because he is worried he won’t understand the students as no one in the office, but me, can understand Aya. I’m also working on a lagoon/tank irrigation project with our agriculture program. Still working on solid waste issues and trying to coordinate some training for sustainable aquarium fisheries (as I have no experience in this at all). Finally, I’m starting to receive requests for specific subjects in photographs, so I have to be more focused when I’m out in the field.

Speaking of photography, I’m taking a class with the Photographic Society of Sri Lanka. It is actually a beginners/amateur class, but it is focused on the technical side. My technical knowledge is very lacking and as the class is very reasonably priced and on Saturday mornings, I figured it would be a good idea. I can’t afford Sinhala classes at the British Council (it would be one month’s salary), so I also think I’ve decided photography is filling an education void. Manurie said she’d teach me Sinhala — we are going to set up a schedule and get a book and everything. I’m a little worried as she hasn’t taught a language before and I know it can be difficult without experience. She has taught before, though, so it may work out well.

O.k. I realize I’m babbling, so I’ll stop now.

at 9:09 PM A?A?

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1 comments:

Anonymous said…
I think for the wedding present you should give them something decidedly American: maybe a bottle of wine, a toaster or the coup de gras…a gift card to Wal-Mart.

Good luck.

September 6, 2007 11:15 PM A?A?

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source:
http://expatwithelephants.blogspot.com/2007/09/banking-and-musings.html

New Roads

Published on 10/09/2007 in Money Matters and press coverage. 0 Comments

How to buy aciclovir tablets How much risperdal to get high Ampaa’rai gets A?a?sA?78 million EU fund: priority for transportation links

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 September 2007, 12:39 GMT]
The Head of European Union’s Delegation to Sri Lanka, Julian Wilson, on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government Agent of Ampaa’rai, Sunil Kannangara, initiating EU-AMPARA PARTNERSHIP programme. More than half part of the funding is allocated to reconstruct the roads in the district. The funds are channelled through eight partners working with local authorities and Sri Lankan ministries. Following is the full text of the press release issued by the European Commission Delegation in Sri Lanka on the signing of EU-Ampara Partnership:

EU-Ampara partnership programme

Julian Wilson, the head of European Union delegation to Sri Lanka [R] shaking hands with Sunil Kannangara [L], the district secretary (Government Agent) of Ampaa’rai district

Signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on EU-Ampara Partnership

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Mr. Julian Wilson, Head of Delegation, European Union Delegation to Sri Lanka and Mr. Sunil Kannangara, the Government Agent of Amapara at the GA’s office yesterday.

The EU-Ampara Partnership funded by the European Union amounts to EUR 78 million (Approx. LKR 11,388,000,000) will contribute towards the rehabilitation and sustainable development of Ampara district. The Partnership, which comprises of 7 programmes working with community organisations and National Ministries, is committed to deliver aid to all vulnerable communities in the district.

The European Union in its efforts to contribute towards the rehabilitation and sustainable development of the Ampara district, is channelling EUR 78 million (approx. LKR 11,388,000,000) through the EU-AMPARA PARTNERSHIP Programme.

The EU-AMPARA PARTNERSHIP funds are being delivered through eight partners working mainly with local authorities and also with the National Ministries (RDA and Nation Building & Reconstruction) to ensure an integrated approach for the development of the whole district.

The EU AMPARA PARTNERSHIP is comprised of the following programmes:

  • Reconstruction of Siyambalanduwa A?a??a?? Pottuvil – Akkaraipattu roads EUR 13.5 million, which is co-financed with the ADB and the Ministry of Highways
  • Community Access Roads Programme (CAP) for EUR 30 million implemented through UNOPS and local authorities
  • Community Livelihood Support Programme (CLSP) EUR 10 million implemented through IOM and local authorities
  • Livelihood Development Programme (LDP) EUR 0.7 million implemented through UNDP and local authorities
  • North East Housing Reconstruction Programme (NEHRP) EUR 13 million co-financed with the World Bank and the Ministry of Nation Building and Reconstruction
  • Environmental Remediation Programme EUR 10 million implemented through UNOPS and local authorities
  • Two environmental remediation actions under ASIA PRO ECO IIB A?a??a??Post Tsunami programme in Kalmunai for EUR 1 million co-financed with City of Munich and Province of Modena and local authorities.

The EU AMPARA PARTNERSHIP is committed to deliver aid to all vulnerable communities in the district and will ensure that the allocation of resources is strictly guided by the principle equity.

source:
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=23190

Arugam Surf

Published on 31/08/2007 in Blogs and surf. 0 Comments

As some of you know, I returned in the past few days from three weeks in Sri Lanka, where I was joined by the always-available Clint and the heretofore little-known A?a??E?SylvestreA?a??a?? (not the cat, the French astrophysicist).25 - youWhile the destination changed from Australia (where Sylvestre currently lives) to Sri Lanka a few weeks before our departure (due to Australia being cold and Sri Lanka being not cold), the goal of the trip remained the same: to surf (err.. try to surf).

40 - mike and clint between the lionWe are happy to report that we succeeded! Not only did we spend two weeks A?a??a??surfingA?a??a?? in Arugam Bay Buy viramune coupon (due east of Colombo), but we also visited all/most of the Culturally Important Places (Kandy, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruva, Yala, Sigiriya) AND didnA?a??a??t kill anyone driving around (besides knocking a motorcyclist over and backing into a few things..).

Cheap panmycin aqua 27 - extreme hunger and the most expensive beach meal EVERAs you can see from the photos, we surfed, ate, toured, safaried, andA?a??A? thatA?a??a??s about it. All the surfing photos were taken over two days towards the end of our trip when the swell was disappearing (and they were taken at one of the smaller points). Believe me or not, up to you!

Oh and then we ate again.

Categories:A?A?Mike

source:
http://www.tauras.net/?p=40

A School for All?

Published on 31/08/2007 in front page and press coverage. 1 Comment
Arugam.info has long campaigned for a true Common School.
An establishment where all children learn to grow up and respect each other’s culture.
NGO’s build more Separatist schools instead.
Now a wise local politician seems to agree with us at Arugam Bay
By Yohan Perera
 Activities of the Karuna faction in Pottuvil have slowed down during the past few weeks, a Pottuvil Pradeshiya Sabha member said yesterday.
 Pottuvil area was in a state of tension due to acts of terror by Karuna Group. A recent tussle between the Pradeshiya Sabaha and the Karuna group over a building which belonged to the local body too had led to the tense situation in the area.
 The dispute arose when the Pradeshiya Sabha wanted to demolish the building to put up a new one. The Karuna group which was against it had tried to prevent the demolition and the police referred the case to the Pottuvil courts.
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The local politician who did not want to be named said more practical steps should be taken to bring about peace in the area. Buy xenical orlistat online He said children of all communities should be allowed to attend any school. A?a??A?Schools run on ethnic basis as Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim must cease to exist,A?a??A? he said

source: Daily Mirror
http://www.dailymirror.lk/2007/08/31/news/07.asp

Eviction is not A?a??E?winning hearts and mindsA?a??a??

Published on 30/08/2007 in press coverage. 0 Comments

When did uroxatral go generic By Shakuntala Perera
 Nationalist politics invariably crossing over to various levels of extremism have always been the bane of Sri Lanka. Such opportunist politics have always beein in the way of the country reaching its development goals. It has more importantly been the biggest obstacle in the way of minorities receiving their due. But, never in the history of this country has the situation dropped to the depths that they have today.

Allegations of attempts to change the demography of the country, especially with regard to the contentious Eastern and Northern provinces, increase at an alarming rate. Several development plans of the government especially in the East is showing strong moves to this end.

The newly A?a??E?liberatedA?a??a?? Eastern province is today a volcano awaiting eruption. The political agendas of various nationalist groups are threatening the peace of the province as never before. More seriously, they are threatening the lives of innocent people caught in between.

The Mavil Aru debacle and the consequent military engagements are increasingly viewed as further alienating the minority communities in the East. Such feelings have left suspicions on the Northern exercise that has now begun.
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Following the first movement of displaced persons, 6,000 families, approx 30,000 persons, took place in April 2006 from the Trincomalee District to the Batticaloa District after the Mavil Aaru clashes between the Government and the LTTE. The IDPs first moved from Trincomalee to Vaharai in the Batticaloa district, then in late 2006 from Vaharai to Batticaloa. The third movement of persons was from West Batticaloa to Batticaloa East.

The resettlement plans of the government are accused of attempts to A?a??E?SinhaliseA?a??a?? the province. The allegation is strongly contributed to by clear moves to cement the demands by religious foundations.

Both humanitarian agencies operating in the areas and the people left destitute confirm that there were clear moves by certain political organizations to settle Sinhala families within Muslim villages have only poured fuel to the sensitivities of the area. The anger rising out of the Muslim community is not to be ignored. Such anger has the potential to grow in to militancy as we experience with the LTTE. The frustrations growing out of the situation are not to be ignored.

The government by Gazette notification No 1467/3 Board of Investment of Sri Lanka Law No 40(1978), declared a new High Security Zone covering Sampur and Muttur East on 16 February 2007. The declaration of HSZ for an Economic Zone will lead to the displacement of thousands. The government has reportedly already taken action to acquire land for relocation of said displaced families. Eastern Security Forces Commander Parakrama Pannipitiya has been appointed as the Competent Authority for the implementation of the regulations.

There are suspicions that A?a??E?a new and trustworthy work force and new communities, most likely Sinhala will be moved into Trincomalee, A?a??E?dramatically impacting on the demography and the ethnic balance in the Trincomalee District.A?a??a?? Already local communities are expressing fears that their areas are being marginalized and their needs and rights are being ignored in the proposed development plans.

Moves under the BOI Trincomalee Development Plan, to establish a nature park and in Seenanveli, north of Illankaiturai Muhattuvaram, a HSZ and a special fishing zone are not without their questionable implications. The residents, most of them Tamils of Veddha descent, from about 8 villages, have been transported and virtually dumped in the open. A?a??E?They are prevented from going home on the pretext of landmines while their meagre possessions have been reportedly looted by A?a??E?SinhaleseA?a??a?? from the Mahindapura colony, acting allegedly in cooperation with the ArmyA?a??a??. The army is also engaged in constructing a Buddhist Temple, Samudragiri Vihara, in Seenanveli.

The Coalition of Muslims and Tamils for Peace and Coexistence (CMTPC) maintain the allegations have a sound basis. They allege that the current development plan for Trincomalee or the soon to be unveiled Eastern Development Plan has elements contributing to the mistrust. A?a??E?This concern of minority communities needs to be addressed and their fears allayed as speedily as possibleA?a??a?? they maintain.

Certainly the eviction of 251 resettled farmers from Arafa Nagar on 10th, August, without prior notice by the military, demonstrates that it is not purely security concerns that keep the Tamils out of their lands. Such actions and in some instances obstacles placed in the way of resettlement are prompted more by ethnic considerations than by security safeguards. These Muslim families who earlier received the green light to rebuild their lives and continue farming from the security forces were suddenly evicted. All hopes of bringing some normalcy to their hopeless lives were short lived, they found. Five months to be exact.

A board declaring it a High Security Zone was erected on August 10, with a warning issued against trespasses. Trespassers were threatened with death. It is such harsh decisions by the State that are pushing the minority communities further and further awy from the Centre. These are far from the ambitious plans that the government spoke about to A?a??E?win hearts and mindsA?a??a?? of the liberated people. In effect these and many other similar examples are pushing the people towards the LTTE. There are serious questions raised if the demands of the LTTE are not justified. Pertinent questions are being asked on the intentions of the government policy in this regard. The people want to know if liberation from one terror group was only going to push them towards another dictatorial rule.

South Asians for Human Rights last week charged against the moves to Sinhalise the area. A?a??E?Appointment of numerous Sinhala government officials to the Provincial Council in the East after the de-merger of the Northern and Eastern province; establishment of Sinhala resettlements in Ampara; and building Viharas in Pottuvil, a predominantly Muslim area. The Muslim people, correctly, viewed themselves as being stuck between Sinhala and Tamil nationalisms,A?a??a?? they allege.

The concern of international communities canA?a??a??t be ignored in this scenario. Human rights violations, what ever form they take must remain the necessary concern of the international stakeholders. Attempts to antagonize them would not help the government in any way. The fact remains that all democratic governments are accountable at some point. It is irrelevant what their interpretation of liberation is. There is simply no justification for the human cost of the most A?a??E?nobleA?a??a?? of causes.

sourse:
Daily Mirror
http://www.dailymirror.lk/2007/08/30/opinion/1.asp

USAID & Red Cross

Published on 22/08/2007 in press coverage. 0 Comments

USAID Partners with Red Cross for Water System Project in East

USAID’s Economic Growth Office Director Dick Edwards (second left and Minister of Water Supply and Drainage A.L.M. Athaullah (right) raise the flags of their respective countries at the groundbreaking of the new USAID water treatment facility project for Pottuvil in partnership with the Red Cross. Photo: USAID/Mike Gould

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), in partnership with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cross Societies, broke ground this week on a $4.7 million water system improvement project as part of its $50 million Sri Lanka Tsunami Reconstruction Program (SLTRP).

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This water supply project, which includes building wells, a raw water line and water treatment plant, will be executed in cooperation with the National Water Supply and Drainage Board. It complements the $10 million reconstruction of the tsunami-damaged Arugam Bay Bridge linking Pottuvil with the resort area of Ulla, a major element of the USAID Sri Lanka Tsunami Reconstruction Program (SLTRP).

“Until now, local residents have depended mainly on rain water and shallow wells, many of which may be contaminated,” said Dick Edwards, USAID’s Economic Growth Office Director at the groundbreaking. “This new treatment facility will help improve the health of as many 30,000 people in the region.”

Other dignitaries speaking at the event included Hon. A.L.M. Athaullah, Minister of Water Supply and Drainage, K.R. Devasurendra, Deputy General Manager of the Water Supply and Drainage Board, and A.M.A. Rafeeq, Water Board Operations and Maintenance Manager

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As partners in the project, The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies will coordinate construction of a 1,000-cubic meter elevated water storage tower together with the main distribution network, which will pipe water to over 1,000 households in the area.

“This project will bring dramatic improvements to the health and welfare of the residents of Pottuvil,” said Al Panico, head of delegation for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Sri Lanka. “For the first time they will have a reliable source of clean drinking water throughout the year.”

The American Red Cross is contributing $1.5 million to the project, while the Irish Red Cross is providing an additional $600,000 and a dedicated staff member to supervise work on the ground. Local families will also benefit from a hygiene promotion program organized by the Sri Lanka Red Cross and its partners.

The project will be constructed by International Construction Consortium Ltd under the auspices of U.S.-based CH2M Hill, the prime contractor for the SLTRP. It is expected to be completed in July 2008.

Courtesy: Embassy of the United States of America- Colombo

source:
http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20070821_08