The funeral for the slain general was on Wednesday and what a mess with traffic. We decided to skip language class and go to an Israeli film shown at one of the cultural centers here but when we got there it had been canceled due to the funeral. Bummer. We fought traffic all the way back home. As a result of the suicide attack, more roads are now blocked that makes it worse to try to get anywhere. This is an increase over the roadblocks that were set up in April when the top ranking general was attacked by a suicide bomber. Today I was out running errands and there was an abundance of armed soldiers in one area. Traffic came to a standstill and I noticed that the soldiers were holding even pedestrians in place. We sat there for over five minutes. All the sudden a number of military vehicles zoomed past us on the opposite side of the street, and they were flying. Obviously someone important was riding in one of the vehicles. I didn’t much care to be that close to someone who could be a potential target for the LTTE. However there was no way to get anywhere near the vehicles with traffic held in place and a gazillion soldiers around.

We are growing weary of the problems and strife in Sri Lanka. I personally am tired of breathing dirty air, having to deal with dirty water (you don’t rinse you toothbrush under running water here) and constant sticky sweat. The air is so dirty that the window screens turn your hands black if you brush against them. Yes, I have washed them just a couple of months ago but I reckon it’s time to do it again. My curtains are starting to look really grimy too. I took three showers the other day and within minutes I was sticky again.

Today there has been a reprieve. A rainstorm awakened us this morning. We hopped out of bed to close the French doors that are on the first and third floors as the wind was pushing lots of water into the house. It has continued to rain off and on and has kept it cool today. I have yet to put on my ‘uniform’-shorts and a tank top. I actually have on a long sleeve shirt and long pants, both are made from the thinnest cotton imaginable. There is a light breeze so I am happy. Ron is in the midst of planning a conference for 500 people. It was originally designed for the local authorities but somehow it got expanded to include a lot of politicians who keep adding to the invitee list.

He has three consultants here now working with Anuradhapura on how to handle large events, specifically traffic and solid waste issues. There was supposed to be a small social to introduce the consultants to local authority staff. Ron got the list late Friday and it had grown to 78 people, two-thirds of whom have nothing to do with the project. He went through the ceiling. This is yet another example of how political everything is here. The commissioner had extended invitations to include, we assume, everyone to whom he owed a favor. To add to his stress, we are still fighting with WAMU over PIN numbers. Ron’s has arrived but mine has not. He has called collect so many times that they have cut him off and no longer will accept his collect calls. HA! We discovered that there are six websites that have been created to complain about WAMU. Can you believe it? We can.

We had a good week with lots of dinner guests. On Sunday last week, I think I mentioned we entertained our language teacher, Chandini and her husband. I prepared a great Italian feast of lasagna, salad and bread. Ron did a beautiful antipasto tray. Then on Tuesday we had John Craig over. He’s a consultant on Ron’s project and has become a good friend. He lives in Croatia and is from the US. He has a new baby boy and showed us some wonderful photos. Then on Thursday I fixed dinner for three men from Vancouver WA who are here to serve as consultants on one of Ron’s projects. I made four salads, given how hot it was they seemed appreciative. Then on Sunday we had friends returning from the States so I made four more salads so they could eat as soon as they got here and then go home to bed after their 20 plus hour flight. Unfortunately I have ruined my average of cooking once every six weeks!!!

Pat McDonnell is one of the folks that are here from Vancouver. He is the City Manager there. I guess we have acclimated to the heat at some level because Pat is really suffering with it. Sweat was literally pouring off of him while we sat at an outdoor café. His shirt was wringing wet. For us it was one of the cooler days in Colombo. I pity him working with local authorities because they do not have air-conditioned offices like we are used to in the States. Tomorrow is the Fourth of July but not a holiday. I scheduled myself for a massage because it is way past time.

On Friday I had a representative from the USAID approved shipping company come to the house to give me information about what is needed when it comes time to leave. In case we have to leave before our scheduled departure in December due to the war resuming, I want to be as ready as possible for the event. He was wonderful. I showed him what was to go to Thailand and what would go to the US. He said we had about 17 cubic yards of goods to go to Thailand for a 20-foot container that will hold 30 cubic yards. I told him I had better go shopping! So on Saturday Ron and I went to look at chests. We found some we liked so now will wait until we go to see the Thai house before making any more purchases. No sense buying things until we know if there is room or if they are needed. But it was fun to get out and look. I love looking even more than buying. It’s free after all!

We also went to two art shows of local artists and found a lovely watercolor of a typical scene at the beach. It is almost monochromatic. It is lovely and a steal at $150 framed. We now have three pieces of original art work for the Thai house.

It seems we’re turning our attention and focus to what’s next. Certainly the Thai house will be a fun get-away. But we’re also starting to think about house projects in Vancouver (you know we have almost a year and a half of maintenance projects to catch up on), we need to re-do our side deck where the hot tub needs to come out because after 25 years it finally died. And most of all, we’re thinking of how we can reconnect with our family and friends!

That’s about all from paradise just 5 degrees above the equator. Happy Fourth of July! Be safe out there…