Day 32 - Tuesday 12th July 5.01pm
Not sure if it's the monsoon rain, messages from home, or the sudden craving for chocolate after all these weeks, but today has left me feeling a bit lost. Drained of all energy and motivation, I'm definitely starting to miss home at the moment. I guess it's been pretty good going so far, nearly five weeks of intense work and feeling content, the bubble had to deflate at some point!
So now I've been back in Ambalangoda a couple of weeks and it's definitely been a contrast to the travelling with my Leeds group. Of course it's not always fun and games in paradise!
When we arrived back in Ambalangoda, I was straight into it with my first orientation weekend. This includes a full brief on the project, volunteer houses and expectations, followed by a visit to the moonstone mine (a gemstone only found not found anywhere else in the world) and a local temple with the longest resting Buddha statue in South Asia and a introduction to Buddhism. It's surprising how much you know when someone clueless quizzes you on it!
My daily routine has now begun, doing rounds of all the volunteer houses with my personal tuk tuk, answering questions and making sure all the volunteers are clued up on the essentials.
My first weekend here was mental, making sure the new volunteer arrivals and all the departures were running smoothly, which is quite hard to do when you're working to Sri Lankan time!
Another orientation, feeling a bit more ready, but trying to ignore the ants all over my feet whilst speaking to sea of 50 faces staring back at me. It was a long day of bobbing jet lagged heads and the start of the 24/7 service of Emma question time... Can I switch my answer machine on please?
For the next week each day has just merged into one blur. It's a good thing I enjoy being uber organised! I've tried to take my office outside for a couple of hours when possible, otherwise my life has been spent with rice and curry in one hand and my diary or work phone in the other, with my evenings spent between the houses answering questions and sorting things out for the volunteers, collapsing in my bed around midnight before another early start for the daily transport booking mayhem. I certainly enjoyed being a tour guide for the first part!
At the following weekend nearly all the volunteers were away on various weekend trips - Yala safari, Maldives or exploring the island; which meant I had Sunday free to join my Real Experience group in Hikkaduwa for a perfect day of fresh vanilla milkshakes and snoozing on a sunbed by the sea.
And then the working week repeats - getting used to working by Sri Lankan time, in intense heat, with Western expectations to meet. Trust me it is not always fun and games in paradise! But I have got a fantastic family and local support around me to make me feel at home :) By next weekend, it'll even be half way through my time here, how's that happened?!
Day 39 - Tuesday 19th July 1.21pm
Well the last week has definitely passed in a flash!
Wednesday night was our chance to go to Hikkaduwa with all the staff and volunteers to unwind, which was a lot of fun with the local coordinators and tuk tuk drivers! On Thursday Ashika held a beach bbq for the Leeds group and I joined them for their final dinner in Sri Lanka on Friday - starting the weekend of goodbyes and new volunteer arrivals. I'm very sad they've all gone! Callie is involved in a school trip programme so I haven't been able to see her much, I'm going to miss having this group to come and chat to!
Every other day at work has varied completely so far, but recently there's been an increase of trips to the doctors and hospitals that seems to be creeping into my schedule. Please no more wounds, infections or broken bones!
Day 55 - Thursday 4th August 11.46pm
Callie's back!
After weeks of helping the school trip and leading another Real Experience group, I get to see Callie's face again snoring across from me when I wake up. Hopefully it will take a strain off my manic workload too!
Last week I wasn't in a particularly good mindset; I was constantly busy 24/7 and every situation became stressful and there was just generally a lot going on. This made me miss home quite a bit, without the support of Callie I was definitely struggling. I just need to keep positive and focused and things will get better!
Last week was a bit of a rollercoaster, starting with my first solo orientation with our first ever Chinese volunteers, then a bad day feeling ill exhausted and fed up, then an awesome day checking out the turtle conservation project. One day I joined the volunteers at the girls orphanage to raise awareness of the Global Goals for International Youth Day and the next day I was assisting a volunteer admitted to hospital for dengue fever.
The most tragic news though was the sudden loss of our elderly elephant, Manike, who collapsed on the way back from the river with her mahout on Wednesday afternoon. After everyone's best efforts to save her, unfortunately she passed away a few hours later. It's hard to explain how emotional it was to witness, with doctors trying to help save her and as word spread the locals swarmed around to see the unusual sight of a huge fascinating creature laying helplessly on the road. The rippling effects of this have been really hard for the whole team, especially Ashika, which has thrown us all into sideways shock and overtime. In a close knit community like this, any part of your work or life is a massive part of your everyday world.
So today Callie and I have been catching up over samosas and wadi, trying to lift spirits and prepare ourselves for the unknown weeks ahead
Day 61 - Wednesday 10th August 12.42pm
Currently sitting in the sweaty crowded Visa & Immigration Department, on a very uncomfortable hard plastic chair, very much craving some chocolate. We have been here for roughly three hours so far, after a 6am start and a two hour rickety bus journey to Colombo, which was just as squished and sweaty, as I dozed and bobbed, wedged between two locals. I was extremely excited when my number finally got called to the collection counter a short while ago, picturing the blue sky and breeze of the outside world awaiting me, to be swiftly told I still have to wait for a receipt stating '0 rupees' even though my extension is free of charge and it should be complete. Of course. Why would it be so simple?
1.46pm
Feel like I'm playing the longest game of Bingo known to man, rewound into ultra-slowmo. I think I've got as much chance of my number being called up soon as I have winning the lottery.
6pm
An exact 5 hours of waiting in that stuffy room and 5 hours on a bus later... I am back in Ambalangoda with a shiny new visa glistening in my passport. Never been so glad to be home and a Milo (chocolate milkshake) has never tasted so deserving!
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