Long long Time
August 13, 2008 (started)- August 24, 2008 (finished)
I am so sorry to all of you that check my blog often. I really do try and write regularly. It is harder than it seems. I will start with a timeline of life since July 2nd. Hmm On July, 2nd we had weights day. We are implementing a heifer calf feeding program in Gorakgasagara and attempting to collect data so that we can show people that you can earn more money feeding your heifers and having them calve in at 2.5yrs (Bos indicus calve later and these are mixed breed mostly so 2.5 would be an excellent average calving age) than having them calve at 3.5-4 years because of the slower growth rate. Anyway once a month we weigh all the calves. We are trying to have people volunteer calves that they are not feeding so that we can have a control group, but we also don’t want to discourage NOT feeding heifers. Now people “see” how well fed calves are doing they are beginning to purchase food for the other calves as well. This is a good thing, but sort of sucks if you want a control group to compare you fed group to. We may just have to use anecdotal evidence. (I put the word “see” in quotes b/c people tend to ‘see’ things out of excitement.) Anyway, I like this day b/c it is physical work. I prefer physical work to computer work.
Next week on the 10th July, we took farmers to the Milk Collection center in Nathandiya. It is where their milk goes when the truck picks it up. There is no processing done there, but it is collected and tested for bacteria, fat and snf. After that we visited a good farm in the area.
Mom and Dad came on the 15th. Shiloni and I went to pick them up in my car. When we stopped security to get into the airport, the guys asked if Shiloni was my tour guide. A dumb question if you ask me. Not too many tourists drive their tour guides around in their cars in Sri Lanka. Anyway, I was super tired (we left my house at 330am as their flight was to get in at like 450 or something like that.) and we waited and waited. Dad came and said that luggage was not. Anyway, we left w/o luggage and a small stipend for clothes. That day we got back and went shopping at P&A (roughly a little like K-mart for clothes.) We also took naps. I am sure mom and dad can give you a better account as they kept journals. Tuesday they came to the Colombo office with me and met all my colleagues. Wednesday to Friday we were in Madampe doing stuff. Friday night we came back for Bible Study. Saturday we left for the cultural triangle Dambulla, Sigiriya and Pollannaruwa. We stopped places there. then went to Kandy and the elephant orphanage and tea estates. We took the train back from Kandy, that was nice. Oh and I took them to the dancing show and the Kandy market (mom forgot the fruit she was going to take back…oopps…it made excellent fruit smoothies for me…thanks mom) After that we went down south to the beach. We went by AC bus. it was good. I didn’t know that Dad had never been to an ocean beach before. He and I are natural body surfers. We were riding waves left and right. I think that was my favorite part of the trip. Hanging out at the beach is often a highlight. It is nice just to be lazy beach bums. Sleep, swim, eat, kick parents’ butts in the Pass the Pigs game. It was nice. We were back in Colombo then for a day or so. Saturday before they left we went to the park for Frisbee and then out for seafood with some of my friends. That was nice. It wasn’t the place I wanted to go b/c they were all booked but it was a nice place with a seafood buffet. Sunday we went to lunch with Pastor and had dinner with Priya and Brindan at Priya’s house. They had to be to the airport early b/c the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) conferences were in town and security was up up up. They got off ok and the rest they can tell. It was a really good time!!!! I am so happy they came. Even if they think I was annoyed by them by the end (yup, Navin ratted you out). Yes, it is tiring trying to make sure people are having a good time and I was tired by the end. BUT I could have lasted forever and never complained b/c it was worth so much more than being tired!!!
Since then…Not a whole lot. We have been planning for next year and getting stuff ready for my visa renewal application.
Aug. 24
Ok since the visit in July I have been in and out. Not in Madampe too much. We have been working really hard on all my visa renewal stuff. Weeeeeee!!!! lots of reports and statistical analysis. During that week I did get to go to a cricket match that I thought I would get to participate in. But apparently “women can stand by the side and cheer.” Even some of my male friends thought it unfair AND it wasn’t the first year for this event or the first year women have been denied the right to play. I left and will no longer be attending events hosted by this particular CHRISTIAN organization. Yes, I did say Christian. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr aaarrrrggg.
On a more exciting note, I coordinated games for vacation Bible school. It was good times and I got to know a lot of people and kids. The songs were good. It was a great time. Most of my games involved water balloons. It rocked. Ok now I am done updating you.
I am so sorry to all of you that check my blog often. I really do try and write regularly. It is harder than it seems. I will start with a timeline of life since July 2nd. Hmm On July, 2nd we had weights day. We are implementing a heifer calf feeding program in Gorakgasagara and attempting to collect data so that we can show people that you can earn more money feeding your heifers and having them calve in at 2.5yrs (Bos indicus calve later and these are mixed breed mostly so 2.5 would be an excellent average calving age) than having them calve at 3.5-4 years because of the slower growth rate. Anyway once a month we weigh all the calves. We are trying to have people volunteer calves that they are not feeding so that we can have a control group, but we also don’t want to discourage NOT feeding heifers. Now people “see” how well fed calves are doing they are beginning to purchase food for the other calves as well. This is a good thing, but sort of sucks if you want a control group to compare you fed group to. We may just have to use anecdotal evidence. (I put the word “see” in quotes b/c people tend to ‘see’ things out of excitement.) Anyway, I like this day b/c it is physical work. I prefer physical work to computer work.
Next week on the 10th July, we took farmers to the Milk Collection center in Nathandiya. It is where their milk goes when the truck picks it up. There is no processing done there, but it is collected and tested for bacteria, fat and snf. After that we visited a good farm in the area.
Mom and Dad came on the 15th. Shiloni and I went to pick them up in my car. When we stopped security to get into the airport, the guys asked if Shiloni was my tour guide. A dumb question if you ask me. Not too many tourists drive their tour guides around in their cars in Sri Lanka. Anyway, I was super tired (we left my house at 330am as their flight was to get in at like 450 or something like that.) and we waited and waited. Dad came and said that luggage was not. Anyway, we left w/o luggage and a small stipend for clothes. That day we got back and went shopping at P&A (roughly a little like K-mart for clothes.) We also took naps. I am sure mom and dad can give you a better account as they kept journals. Tuesday they came to the Colombo office with me and met all my colleagues. Wednesday to Friday we were in Madampe doing stuff. Friday night we came back for Bible Study. Saturday we left for the cultural triangle Dambulla, Sigiriya and Pollannaruwa. We stopped places there. then went to Kandy and the elephant orphanage and tea estates. We took the train back from Kandy, that was nice. Oh and I took them to the dancing show and the Kandy market (mom forgot the fruit she was going to take back…oopps…it made excellent fruit smoothies for me…thanks mom) After that we went down south to the beach. We went by AC bus. it was good. I didn’t know that Dad had never been to an ocean beach before. He and I are natural body surfers. We were riding waves left and right. I think that was my favorite part of the trip. Hanging out at the beach is often a highlight. It is nice just to be lazy beach bums. Sleep, swim, eat, kick parents’ butts in the Pass the Pigs game. It was nice. We were back in Colombo then for a day or so. Saturday before they left we went to the park for Frisbee and then out for seafood with some of my friends. That was nice. It wasn’t the place I wanted to go b/c they were all booked but it was a nice place with a seafood buffet. Sunday we went to lunch with Pastor and had dinner with Priya and Brindan at Priya’s house. They had to be to the airport early b/c the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) conferences were in town and security was up up up. They got off ok and the rest they can tell. It was a really good time!!!! I am so happy they came. Even if they think I was annoyed by them by the end (yup, Navin ratted you out). Yes, it is tiring trying to make sure people are having a good time and I was tired by the end. BUT I could have lasted forever and never complained b/c it was worth so much more than being tired!!!
Since then…Not a whole lot. We have been planning for next year and getting stuff ready for my visa renewal application.
Aug. 24
Ok since the visit in July I have been in and out. Not in Madampe too much. We have been working really hard on all my visa renewal stuff. Weeeeeee!!!! lots of reports and statistical analysis. During that week I did get to go to a cricket match that I thought I would get to participate in. But apparently “women can stand by the side and cheer.” Even some of my male friends thought it unfair AND it wasn’t the first year for this event or the first year women have been denied the right to play. I left and will no longer be attending events hosted by this particular CHRISTIAN organization. Yes, I did say Christian. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr aaarrrrggg.
On a more exciting note, I coordinated games for vacation Bible school. It was good times and I got to know a lot of people and kids. The songs were good. It was a great time. Most of my games involved water balloons. It rocked. Ok now I am done updating you.
posted by Jodi Crossgrove at
11:51 PM
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1 comments
