EWWW!

Ok, usually I try to avoid sounding like a 12 year old (not that there's anything wrong with that.) But that's really the only word for it.

We returned to our house on the East Coast after being gone for two weeks. (We are still not officially living in Batticaloa but were back for a quick trip). Anyway, we returned to our house to find that there was a problem with our power. It was not properly grounded, or something, it doesn't matter at all why it happened. But the power had been off for the entire two weeks that we were gone. No big deal...

...except for the fridge. Now, there wasn't much in the fridge as we'd basically emptied it before we left, but what was there was absolutely disgusting! Opening that fridge was like some insane tv show where they make you do gross things like...open up fridge doors that have been more like warm mold factories for two weeks. (I wouldn't watch a show like that after having done it myself)

So the fridge was gross, but the freezer was absolutely the most disgusting thing I have ever experienced.

It had maggots in it.

And I must say I felt a little like some cool scientist on some tv show where they solve mysteries through science, as I pointed out that there were 3 life cycles of maggots involved. The dark brown, dead, crusted onto the freezer walls cycle, the recently dead light brown partially crusted on cycle and the young, white, "Gollum" cycle. (raw and wriggling). Needless to say my fridge received the bleaching of its life and all the remaining food was wasted.

So, like I said, Ewww!

Evacuation to Colombo

Well during our last blog Alanna told you that we had been evacuated to Colombo. During this time we were given a long weekend of R and R. The break really could not have come at a better time. We didn’t realize until the time off how much we were internalizing the conflict and the inert stress that had accumulated. It had become very normal for us to continue conversations as intense shelling took place from inside the city. During our time here we had accumulated skills that I never thought I would need. Such skills as the ability to discern the sound difference between mortars, artillery and multi-barrel rockets. Needless to say it was good to get some time away.

My folks were planning on visiting us but we decided that this was not the best time but Alanna and I decided to avail ourselves of the resort that we had booked for them. It was just what we needed, a couple of days of sleeping in and relaxing. The resort had kayaks that we used to go wave surfing for hours and hours or until Alanna’s puny little arms started to hurt. What a blast. I of course was the master surfer because of my raw athletic talent but Alanna struggled because of her general dislike of the outdoors.

The only down side is that in our surfing and crashing we both lost our wedding bands. I thought this meant I could start looking for a Sri Lankan girl but Alanna thinks it means we need new bands. Needless to say she won that argument.

Make it a great day.

Our life as gypsies

When I was a young girl, my sister and I used to dress up as Gypsy Rosa Lee for Hallowe'en and I think other random occasions. It must have got in my blood because I seem to be living a gypsy life now. We have been moved once again just after getting settled into our new place. The situation on the east coast has been getting pretty tense and volatile and so we have relocated to Colombo for a couple of weeks to reassess. We are of course worried about our friends and colleagues on the east coast and we are heart broken over the tragedies that continue to rock this beautiful island and its gentle people. Please join us in praying for peace.

If you are interested in following the situation a little more closely, the reuters humanitarian website is pretty good. Find it at www.alertnet.org, there's a link on the side bar.