Actually, it is a knife, (piyae).
Take the coconut.
Place the coconut in hand or on sturdy surface.
Address the coconut with knife.
Hit coconut.
Repeat.
Afterwards, split coconut. Eat center with spoon.
Friday, January 30, 2009
How to Properly Cut a Tambli
Use a machete.
Actually, it is a knife, (piyae).
Take the coconut.
Place the coconut in hand or on sturdy surface.
Address the coconut with knife.
Hit coconut.
Repeat.
Actually, it is a knife, (piyae).
Take the coconut.
Place the coconut in hand or on sturdy surface.
Address the coconut with knife.
Hit coconut.
Repeat.
Cultural Complexity
A comment on domestic servants...
It's a different culture.
That does not without a thought "ok" it, but keeps in mind that culture arises from the actual situation. People have money, people do not have money.
If a master is fair, the assistant is happy and loyal.
If the master is difficult, the assistant seems happy and loyal.
Class is more divided. Categorized is a good word.
All societies have differences, some are aware and recognize it, others do not.
It's a different culture.
That does not without a thought "ok" it, but keeps in mind that culture arises from the actual situation. People have money, people do not have money.
If a master is fair, the assistant is happy and loyal.
If the master is difficult, the assistant seems happy and loyal.
Class is more divided. Categorized is a good word.
All societies have differences, some are aware and recognize it, others do not.
Phone Call from Pussellawa
After returning to town and the vicarage, I found a shop with IDD (international direct dialling)phones I was somehow able to call my parents.
This was after what I understood to be a short visit, and after 3 hours of thinking, and laughing, "There is no way I'll make it back to Kurunegala in time to call them." Because of my passing the Hindu temple and not being "strong" I was 200 rupees short, and that cuts the call by about 5 minutes. Drat! So I was thinking" There is no way to call them" and "I didn't bring enought to call them."Turns out, there is some kind of time shift in the Northern Hemisphere that does not happen at the equator, so even when I called I was 13 hours ahead, thanks to the time zones.At 6:30 am US time my mom, clearly having been woken by the phone, tried to convince me she was wide awake, almost as well as a drunk person can convince someone who is sober they are good to drive. After my father came on the phone things were much better, and mom went to get her coffee.I taught my dad 2 phrases I had just learned that day, "bathroom engay?" and "pear enna" both of which share the root en, which shows is a question. I had learned a few phrases from the Father and his family, and my sharing it with my parents was a way to "give back" to the US.Now, if they ever come to Sri Lanka or parts of India they can ask for the bathroom, and for the person's name.My parents were supposed to ask what this meant at church, we'll see if they did.
This was after what I understood to be a short visit, and after 3 hours of thinking, and laughing, "There is no way I'll make it back to Kurunegala in time to call them." Because of my passing the Hindu temple and not being "strong" I was 200 rupees short, and that cuts the call by about 5 minutes. Drat! So I was thinking" There is no way to call them" and "I didn't bring enought to call them."Turns out, there is some kind of time shift in the Northern Hemisphere that does not happen at the equator, so even when I called I was 13 hours ahead, thanks to the time zones.At 6:30 am US time my mom, clearly having been woken by the phone, tried to convince me she was wide awake, almost as well as a drunk person can convince someone who is sober they are good to drive. After my father came on the phone things were much better, and mom went to get her coffee.I taught my dad 2 phrases I had just learned that day, "bathroom engay?" and "pear enna" both of which share the root en, which shows is a question. I had learned a few phrases from the Father and his family, and my sharing it with my parents was a way to "give back" to the US.Now, if they ever come to Sri Lanka or parts of India they can ask for the bathroom, and for the person's name.My parents were supposed to ask what this meant at church, we'll see if they did.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Pussellawa
This week I visited Holy Trinity Church, Pussellawa. It was spectacular. The priest there is a younger fellow and is someone I respect very much. He is the closest I have come to someone my age, with a similar education. The other Fathers are great too, and several stand out in particular as very wise individuals. The Sri Lankan education system really sifts through the people so only the really smart (even gifted) people pass through. It is extraordinarily difficult, and you can be assured the people who reach tertiary education are extremely gifted.
In Pussellawa they do not have internet yet. I stayed in a 150 year old bungalow, for the night, after a long day of a 2 hour bus ride, walking to the Church, being urged to donate to a Hindu
temple, and arriving in about an hour before the 8 oclock service (do the math, I left Kurunegala around 5 am...).After the service we visited the tea plantations. Yep, the people
who pick our tea. It was truly insightful. The day's visit was truly incredible, in the sense the circumstances and situation was truly mind boggling to a foreigner.The multinational corporations offer job stability, but the pickers, who are more or less born into the system, receive only about $1.70/ day (200 Sri Lankan rupees).
The Father I was visiting is from this Indian Tamil community, and somehow got out to pursue his higher studies and now is wanting to provide a link to them.
During the visits to the tea plantations Father Shelton who was recently transferred to Holy Trinity conducting his first Sunday of official duties, checked the premises of one of the churches belonging to his parish. It is an old building built on the tea estate itself by the planters for the Church of Ceylon, and now is disused. Thought it was fixed up and repainted for a Diocesan Anniversary, the location of it, at the very centre of a tea estate, makes it difficult to serve the needs of the people on the estates.
Basically, due to the reality of the situation, it is too financially draining for the Diocese to meet the needs of the estate people.
Families without transport after the service, in front of their provided quarters.
Limiting factors include time and fuel cost.
ch. The reality of the situation is the Diocese is stretched in terms of personnel and resources. Father Shelton's vicarage is adjacent to Holy Trinity Church, which is on the main road in town. In contrast, this small church building lies at the centre of a tea estate, accessible only after an expensive ride on a trishaw. The people on the tea estates, have no money...
This is the reality situation.
The Diocese of Kurunegala (Anglican) has no money.
Who will serve their needs?
In the absence of the Church of Ceylon's (Anglican) shrinking capacity to reach these people, there are several Hindu temples. There is an Assembly of God Church with a pastor, and the Diocese remains challenged as to how to reach these people.
The Church of Ceylon, with its historic presence as a domestic church, is not able to meet its mission and requires outside assistance for its survival.
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