more team pics

Laura painting at the temple.
Henre looking at the last of the re-bar cage.

more photos

Alex, the greek god of re-bar.
Deb with Stel, the greek god of concrete.
Travis takes no prisoners in the jungle.

Finally home

 I am glad that we are finally home. Staying away from home for 2 weeks can make you miss the things that you are used to. Going on this trip was a great experience and I hope to come on one of these trips again. I have seen a lot of cool things and places in Sri Lanka like the Buddhist Temples, that was pretty cool and the temples were huge! We saw the biggest buddha statue in Sri Lanka. We also visited a village called Ketakalawata. It is a village that was finished being built last year. There have been many groups from Kamloops working on the village over the last couple of years. It is now home to 24 families. The last day in Sri Lanka we stopped in the town of Galle. Galle has about half a million people living in it. When we were in Galle we went shopping inside the old fort walls. It is 500 years old. I bought some pretty cool stuff in Galle. We went to the old Dutch Church that was inside the walls as well. It was 350 years old. It was kind of creepy because people were buried in the floors and walls. The food was really good and spicy in Sri Lanka. My favorite meal at the Palm Paradise was the grilled chicken and Vegetable fried noodles. They eat a lot of seafood, curry, and rice. The weather is very hot and very humid. The hottest that it got there was 40 degrees and 95% humidity, so you were sweating a lot. The beach was very nice and relaxing when you got there after a hard days work. The water was very warm and very salty. The people are very friendly there and have smiles on there faces when they see you, especially the kids. They will try there hardest to speak english and try to understand you. 

       I learned that we have it pretty good here in Canada. It was pretty devastating seeing all those homes and buildings wrecked by the tsunami. I am thankful for what I have and I realize that I shouldn't take things for granted. 

   Thank you for following along with me on my adventure. It wasn't always easy but I wouldn't change a thing. If you would like to go on a trip like this sometime and have an adventure of your own go to www.developingworldconnections.org .  

    Raija.

Work site pics.

Brenda, Roger and Terry(Shupe-Dog) bending re-bar.

Mark cutting re-bar.

Ernie tying re-bar.

photos

Buddha statue in the cave temple.

The cabanas where we stayed.

Matt getting a lesson in cricket.

Surrong night

beach where we played

pics.

5 foot long Monitor lizard

Ralph cutting roof rafters

More pics.

The group on the last day 

home stretch

January 26th
On Thursday we were invited to have a BBQ with the Canadian High Commisioner (Angela Bogdan). It was really nice of her to have invited all of us to go have a swim and hamburgers. After the BBQ we went to the Star Beach Hotel before we flew out. We woke up early in the morning to go to the airport and fly down to Singapore. When we got to Singapore we headed straight to the hotel. It was a really nice hotel. We walked around and headed for the famous Raffles Hotel and Bar for the famous Singapore Sling. We sat down and talked and at the tables there were peanuts and we got to throw the peanut shells on the floor. Everywhere you stepped you heard a crunch. The original hotel was built in the 1800's. After that we went shopping and had dinner in a Japanese restaurant. My dinner was very good and filling. We got back to the hotel and went to bed.
We are on our way homeRaija

Last day in Tangalle

January 23,2008
Today at the job site there was a lot to be done. We poured the footings as far as we could go. My job today was bending wire for the rebar footings. We left early because we didn't have enough forms to pour the concrete. Since it is our last day, the Austrailians will hopefully get the footings done tomorrow. It is amazing how fast this trip went and I am going to be sad when we leave. Everybody worked very hard today and the whole trip for that matter. Tomorrow we will be leaving for Columbo but we will be stopping in Galle to do some shopping. Some pictures will be on their way soon. I will be writing when we get to Singapore. Gotta go. Raija

January 21st and 22nd

Yesterday we went back to the job sight and tried to pour concrete. From the morning till lunch we couldn't pour because the cement mixer was on the fritz. After lunch it started to rain. It got harder and harder. I have never seen rain like that before. It felt nice because we were so hot and sweaty. Most of us were soaked when we got home. Some people left early and some people worked till 5pm and got quarter of the footings poured.
Today was Poya day which is a holiday because of the full moon. We did not have to work today. In the morning we left to go play sports with the Australians and Sri Lankins. First they played Cricket which I do not undersand at all so it was hard to get the gist of the game. After a game of cricket people played a game of football (soccer). It was kind of weird seeing most of the Sri Lankins playing in bare feet. I tried it and it hurts. After all the sports, we decided to go home and swim in the ocean. Some of the Austrailians are going snorkling after lunch. I might just lie around on the beach. Well I got to go and eat lunch. Talk to you soon, Raija

Touring

January 20th
Today was a day off so we decided to do a bit of touring with the Australians. First we went to the Buddhist Monk Temple. It was extremely hot but we really enjoyed what we saw. At the beginning of the tour we saw about 20 monkeys in the trees. The first cave that we went into there was a huge statue of the Buddah lying sideways on the floor. The caves were covered with paintings on the wall and ceilings. We had to climb a lot of stairs to get to the top. About 500!!! The temple was very steep so it was tricky getting to the top. On the way to the top there were more caves. Each cave had the same buddah in it. Before we enetered the caves we had to take our shoes off. There was a table with flowers on it in front of one of the caves. Each one of us had to lay a flower in front of the buddah. When we got to the top there was this cliff that we stood on and we could see for miles. We took some cool pictures.
Secondly we went to see the largest Buddah in Sri Lanka. It was massive!!!! After that we went to see the blow hole. We didn't get to see a big burst of water because it wasn't the right time of year. That was our touring day and we took lots of pictures.
Raija

more pics.

Cliff and Donna working well together

Bob cutting rebar 

Marie-Ann tying rebar

Team members

Jen mixing concrete.

Matt digging a hole.

Raija at the opening ceremony

more work and more fun

Friday January 18th the team worked for 6 hours. Mixing concrete, hauling rocks, bending and tying rebar, and sweating a lot. It was 26 degrees at 8:00 in the morning when we left for work. The job sight has been making great progress over the last 7 days. I was still shoveling sand for the concrete. The job sight is about 2 minutes away if we take the vans and if people walk it's about 10 minutes. I walked this morning. Some people cleared the next sight so that another school building can be built there but we will not start on that one. After working some of the guys went to town and bought some surrongs (a wrap that the Sri Lankan men wear instead of pants) to were to the BBQ. When every one was dressed up we went outside and sat down at the tables under the palm trees. We were all talking and laughing. The Australians sat down with us and we ate dinner together. Some of the group members bought fire works and we were lighting them off at the beach. Thanks for all your comments. Raija

Sorry I haven't been talking for a while now I'm really buisy. I am having so much fun. Wednesday 16th we worked for 6 hours. It was long and hot but it was cool using different kinds of tools the we normally wouldn't use in Kamloops. After work my mom, Jen, and Steph went to a english school in a village called Ketakalawata. There we were able to meet the children and interact with them. It was cool that we got to sing and teach them songs. We took a lot of pictures of the children. After taking a ton of pictures we went outside and played games with them. We played duck duck goose and stuck in the mud. They loved playing the new games. Sometimes language was a barriere but we just smiled and nodded and it was o.k. I was able to see a monitor lizard in the bushes where I was sitting. It was about 2 feet long. How cool is that?! Today there was a bombing in Sri Lanka about 100 km from here. Don't worry, it was a ways from here. We are safe.
Jan 17
Today I was part of the concrete making crew. My job was to shovel sand into the cement mixer. 30 shovel loads a batch. Oh my aching back and blistered hands!!!!! For five days of working we have made a lot of progress. After work we went to the beach to play in the waves and sand. At 4:30 I had to go with my parents, Terry Lake and Terry Shupe to have tea with the Mayor of Tangalle. He had a big and beautiful house. Near the end of tea with the mayor, there were a whole lot of bats flying around us eating the bugs. Yikes. It is around 7:30 pm and I have to go have dinner now. Talk to ya soon, Raija

more pics.

Raija and Steph in there hole. Mayor Terry Lake breaking ground.

pics.

pics.

Day 2 and 3

Yesterday I couldnt get to blog because the reseption was bad at the internet cafe here in tangalle. Yesterday we worked for 3 hours. After that we went to several opening ceremonies. The first one was at the library. The second one was at a school. The third one was at the town hall were we got to see the presentation for the dump truck and the backhoe that Kamloops raised money for. These things were lost in the tsunami 3 years ago. We saw people dancing and drumming to celebrate the opening. I got to meet the Canadian embasetor to Sri Lanka. She was really nice and she has invited us to come to the embassy in Colombo to have dinner with her. After the ceremony we visited Ketakalawata, a villige that my parents and many other people from Kamloops have worked on over the last several years. It was very cool to see people living in there new homes after there old homes were wrecked in the tsunami. Today we worked for 6 hours back on the job sight. I tided rebar together and I mixed cement by hand which is very hard. Things are looking good at the job sight for three days of working there. I met some Ausralians today and they were very nice. After working I went swimming with my friend Stephanie and the water is very nice and warm. I am posting this blog from a computer school that Kamloops has helped raise money for. It's good to see Kamloops helping others in need around the world. I am trying to upload more pictures but the computers aren't cooperating. I will try to get pictures up a.s.a.p. Thanks for the comments I will wright soon. Raija

Finally here!

It took us 47 1/2 hours to get from Kamloops to Tangalle. I am glad we are finally here! After landing in Colombo we got into vans and drove another 6 1/2 hours to Tangalle. I saw a lot of cool things on the drive like rice patties, tea plantations, palm trees, and lots and lots of crazy traffic (they drive on the other side here). We even passed 2 trucks with elephants in the back. I have never been so close to an elephant before in my life. When we arrived in tangalle we headed for the Palm Paradise. This is where we are staying for the next 2 weeks while we are working here. It is really nice at the Palm Paradise. I am staying in a cabana (cabin) with my friend Stephanie. Today (Sunday 13) we woke up at 6:00 in the morning to have breakfast then we left for the job sight  at 7:15. When we got there there was a ceremony. A buddhist monk came to bless the job sight and then we got to work. We had to dig holes for the foundation. They had to be 4' by 4' by 4' so it was pretty hard. We work for 6 hours today. We were all sweating. It is very humid here. After working we went back to the Palm and we all went swimming. It felt so nice to get into the ocean. The water is very warm, the beach is lovely and the waves are awesome to play in. It would be cool for you to share this blog sight with others so spread the word. Talk to you later. Raija

After 18 hours and 45 minutes of flying time we are finally in Singapore.  It was 4 am Thursday morning when I woke up to go to the Kamloops Airport.  There was a mistake in my ticket so I wasn't able to board the plane.  They misspelled my name so I wasn't in the flight computer.  They finally got that straightened out and I was able to board the plane.  The plane ride to Vancouver was about 45 minutes then we had to wait in the airport for 5 hours before we could board the plane to Singapore.  We stopped in Seoul Korea for an hour to fuel up.  It was a very long and boring plane ride to Singapore due to the fact that our T.V.s were not working. It is 5:20 am in Singapore which makes it about 1:20 pm in Kamloops.  We are to board the plane to Colombo in 2 hours which is another 3 1/2 hour flight.  It will be about a 5-6 hour van ride to Tangalle, Sri Lanka from Colombo. I hope to post soon when we arrive in Tangalle.  Cheers, RAIJA  

The first 24 hours

The first 24 hours

FYI

To learn more about the organization that we are going with and other opportunities for travel please go to  www.developingworldconnections.org