Sri Lanka Is A Tale Of Two Parts: Safe For Travellers, A Danger For Some Cultural Groups

Australia's current government travel advise for Sri Lanka remains at Exercise A High Degree Of Caution...because whilst the 30-something year long civil war is meant to be officially over for a few years now, there is still danger in parts of the country, for some.

The steady stream of Tamil, and some Sinhalese, asylum seekers continues. There are refugee camps in India where Tamils who have fled Sri Lanka have lived and waited for a better life for years and years. Many Tamils, and some Sinhalese, from different religious groups but mainly Christians, have made the decision to escape and try and seek asylum in Australia.

This understanding of danger depends on which side of politics you come from, and what publications you believe. Although I know what I have heard in my line of work, and the stories people tell. The trauma, the fear, the desperation and need to leave.

I have traveled to Sri Lanka twice, to watch cricket, and never a thought of being unsafe entered my mind. I did stick to the southern two thirds of the country, though. As a Westerner with money, it was easy. Without participating in a religious practice, I did not expose myself to any prejudice or danger.

Tamils have been in danger in Sri Lanka since the end of English rule in the country, back in 1948. The brutal civil war was sparked by the militant Tamil Tigers, who fought for an independent state, with an end only being reached in 2009. But the current dangers to parts of the Sri Lankan population are not about the Tigers and the civil war.

Buddhist extremist groups have been targeting Christians in violent attacks, making the practice of their faith a target. Heavy military control of the Tamil regions in the north continue, with reported abuses such as harassment, torture, sexual violence, indefinite imprisonment. They can be denied access to education, and healthcare. Land has been denied to them.

Australia says the country is safe, and has returned failed asylum seekers. It clearly isn't. The volume of people fleeing say otherwise. The lengths some have gone to to avoid being returned, also scream for help. When will they be heard?

*This post is part of a series joining my travels with the lessons and stories I have come across in my work. Much of my travel has helped me understand different issues faced by my client group, and then many of my client's stories and experiences now shape my understanding of the world as I move through it. I wanted to share some of these points, to help others start to get this insight. These points are by no means a comprehensive thesis about the issues for each cultural group discussed - merely a starting point of thought and hopefully an antecedent to further reading and research, to gain an understanding for readers.

These photos were taken on my last trip to Sri Lanka, albeit down south in Galle.

The State Of The Post-Flood Solomons

When nature hits with a force on a small country in the Pacific, it takes so much more to rebuild and restore life for the people affected than when this happens in Australia, or other larger nations.

At the beginning of April this year, a storm that built up and eventually became Tropical Cyclone Ita when it hit Queensland, devastated areas of Honiara. It caused at least 24 deaths and displaced 10,000 people.

When I was visiting Honiara at the end of May there were still 2000 people living in temporary accommodation, in school buildings and other shelters. There were discussions about relocating the cultural minority that many of these people belonged to, a long-standing battle on Guadalcanal which has caused rioting and unrest in the recent past of the nation. A potential hot pot of cultural issues, this flood has stirred up again.

The physical devastation was very visible - particularly from the vantage point of the US War Memorial, but also along the river that was hit the hardest. The ruined buildings all along the river that flooded were in complete disrepair. The local community have needed to made a makeshift crossing over the river, to temporarily replace the bridge that was washed away and now being rebuilt, to allow their daily commute to and from that side to continue in the meantime.

I was lucky enough to attend a morning tea with my friend Fi, of a group of women working hard to assist the displaced community as much as possible. They were working on support through basic needs, like blankets, nappies for babies, and women's sanitary supplies.

I have looked for an NGO still working on support, and providing assistance to those in need in Honiara and the surrounding area, to promote and add to this post. I have had confirmation from Baptist World Aid Australia that they are still taking donations and helping the people that most need it - you can drop a few dollars their way here, to help.

Tassie Big Things

Setting off on a roadtrip from Launceston to Hobart after a football game this Winter, Laura and I happened the have checked out the list of Aussie Big Things that are in the Apple Isle, and started making some detour suggestions as we set off. Not big detours, but a slight diversion that would have us collect THREE! Our co-roadtrippers thought we were mad, but they went along with it nonetheless. And loved the end result, I might add!

The diversion meant coming off the main highway, and joining the road that had us also go past the Great Lake. Which was very pretty.

But first on the Aussie Big Things trial were the Big Wickets! In Westbury, they are standing in the public park, next to the football/cricket oval, and stand tall to mark the achievement of the local Australian test player. We were pretty excited to have found these!

Next up, and just further down the road, was a refashioned silo, painted with a handle and spout addition to be the Big Coffee Pot. This was on a farm on the side of the road in Deloraine.



A little further up the road is Mole Creek, and given that we were on a roll, we were hardly going to stop now, so close to another. The Big Tassie Devil! He is sitting out the front of a Wildlife Sanctuary, and looks pretty menacing!

Three Big Things in one day, plus the gorgeous Great Lakes area - definitely worth the detour on our drive down the island state!

Gorgeous Columns Of Erechtheion

Blazing sun, ancient ruins standing the test of time. The detail remains, the awe that is ours stays also. Things are not made like this anymore. The Greeks knew a thing or two about beauty and solid, lasting construction.

Village Life On Nugu

I followed the beach around from the Nugu Beach Resort where we were staying, leaving my group behind, to get a glimpse into the village just beyond. Such an isolated place to live, tucked away from the world, I wanted to see what these people were up to on a Sunday.

I had missed the church services of the morning, but as I wandered through the first cluster of homes, I could sense a quiet and a sleepy feel to the day. Not many people were seen in this first area, but soon I was to find my first companion.

He was shy at first, but seemed to determinedly tag along behind me, as if he had seen me first. He hesitated, but seeing me not worry too much about his presence, he continued.

Soon, other kids must have asked him about his walking partner out on this Sunday, and they joined us too. Before I knew it, I had a trail of very simply-clad children following along behind me, on my wander through the village.

I had acknowledged the first boy with a smile and a nod, and a couple of the other joining companions, but not made a fuss about them. My aim really was just to walk through the main path of the village, sticky-beak at life going on, not disturbing anything, and then return to the side of the island of the Resort.

But then I got to a point where I needed to cross a creek, and the first boy following along showed me a better way. This started our interactions. I asked him where his school was, and then he was proudly determined to show me.

A couple of older boys gathered around this white girl and her trail of village kids, and apparently upon hearing that we were headed for the school, ran off ahead.

I nodded greetings to people out on their basic wooden porch as I passed. To women going about the days work. I stopped at a gathering, as one man came up to introduce himself, and chat about where I was from. The kids then must have announced we were headed to the school, because he then saw me off, and I was walking once again.

I wasn't entirely sure what they were up to, as they guiding me down the path to the building at the end which they indicated was their school. The older man earlier had mentioned that there was a new teacher, and new teacher lodging just completed, and it seemed that the older boys from before came to join my little procession of kids from there.

As I reached the school building, a man appeared at the top stairs and came down to join me. He introduced himself as the new teacher, and proceeded to show me around.

He explained that some classes have been off for a few months now, but were due to recommence in the next month.

I wandered through the bottom floor classrooms, which we open, for a look at the setting and took in the lessons still on the board. Simple seating and desk, maths was the last class it appeared.

The teacher then invited me upstairs to more classrooms, and also unlocked a room to the office. He asked me to sign the visitors book, as we continued to chat about his class, and the gathering of kids from the island to attend. The high school he advised, was on the other side of the island, through the middle.

I left him to continue to enjoy his day off, and said bye to all the kids, and started my walk back through the village and back to the inlet where I was staying.

A couple of kids trailed after me for a bit, making sure I could find the way. I waved to the gathering of families sitting by the community hall and church.

A brief look into the life on the island. Simple, basic, but happy and content. Schooling and family, and a beautiful setting.

Top 5: Play Count

For many years now, during NaBloPoBo, I have been recording my Top 5 artists based on the top tracks played on my iTunes on my laptop. A little obsessive about this Top 25 playlist that iTunes accumulates as you play and synch, I think this list is telling of someone's music taste.

This year's annual post sees that Gotye's Making Mirrors has really made an impact, after it's release over 3 years ago now. Again, this list of my top 10 most frequently played sees 5 artists form this list.

My top song is Easy Way Out, followed by Save Me, my two favourites from that Gotye album. The very famous Somebody That I Used To Know is the fifth track on the list, with Giving Me A Chance - one I have grown into more and more with each listen - and the track I have loved for years, Learnalilgivinanlovin, equal at 6th and 7th.

Seeker Lover Keeper's Even Though I'm A Woman seems to play for me when I am traveling somewhere, lapping up my usual solo mode. It has been a favourite track since it's release, and when it plays on Shuffle of late, it is always at just the right time. It still ranks high, at number 3.

A song that brings me undone with every listen, particularly live, is Old Fitzroy, which sits on this list at number 4. Dan Sultan has been a regular voice in my ears this year.

The National and Sorrow is number 9.

Another artist that has occupied the sound waves for me this year has been Paul Dempsey, with Have You Fallen Out Of Love? coming in at 10, and being my 5th artist this year on this list. Love.

Council House 2: Open House Melbourne

There is a building the Melbourne's CBD that now practically pays for itself, after being a pretty ambitious endeavour to start with. A building so environmentally smart, it is taking care of it's energy levels using the sun and natural wind elements, in addition to creating a working environment for staff which is actually improving health.

The recycled timber shutters can be seen from Swanston Street, and is the façade of a City of Melbourne staff building - Council House 2. The shutters are made from wood salvaged from derelict and demolished housing, and follow the sun, allowing the building to heat and cool at optimum and efficient times. Maximising daylight into the building floors, cutting on lighting costs, they shut completely on those extreme heat days.

There is no artificial air conditioning system in the building, circulating human body heat and general infection, and costing the earth. The internal air is governed by a system that reads the environment outside and acts accordingly. One of the key features is the night purge of accumulated heat from the day, when the outside air is cooler. The absence of that office air-con hum is so noticeable, and quite, that they have needed to stream white noise in, so that people can tune out of the open office space natural noise.



The tour of the building during Open House Melbourne allowed us first to hear the impressive list of features running the internal environment in the building, and the cost of the building which has now been balanced by the energy cost savings within the building since it's operation - plus the calculated costs of usually expected staff absenteeism, which has dropped significantly, in comparison to the City of Melbourne sister building down the road.

The tour also allows access to the roof, which not only affords pretty impressive views of the city around the building, but shows off the feat of energy savings. The yellow turbines, which you can also see from the street, were a design feature to assist further with the energy conservation and heating and cooling. However, as explained in our tour, the building is so efficient it doesn't need this extra - plus the energy used to turn the heavy turbines could not be justified given the efficiency of the building without it - they are now merely decorative!

The building and it's features have now earned the 6 Star Green Star rating, and is lusted after as a work place - certainly after touring it. This was a building I had often wondered about, and now am even more impressed with. Definitely worth getting along to for the next OHM for an insiders peak!