Kalmunai Youth Forum

There were about 40 young people at the forum, from different ethnicity. The idea is to discuss issues and encourage debate amongst the youth.
I was there to do some activities in between the talking. We started the day with people in circles and a ball. At first saying their own name when they threw the ball, then after a couple of minutes saying the name of the person they are throwing it too. Next activity was the birthday line and next as ever, the egg drop!

Bath time at Akeels party

We all went for a swim in a local canal, not as scenic as some places I've been as right next to the road. But good fun, we played around with a tennis ball for a while. The current was quite strong so tiring.

The feast, Goat with rice and a selection of currys. Tasted good and not too hot for me.

Games at Akeels

The Human Knott, you stand in a circle, even number of people, all put right hand in the air. You grab another hand but not of a person standing next to you. Then the same with left hands. The result is a human knott which can be unravelled.

Water balloon roulette, get a few balloons filled with water. Get two people to stand facing each other. Each time they throw the balloon to each other they take a step back. Two of the guys got about 20m apart.
Hula hoop ring, just a bit of fun, form a ring holding hands with the hoop over the arm. Then pass the hoop round the circle as quick as you can. You can use two rings and race with people in two lines. I have used bicycle tyres for this one, the hoops are actually mosquito net rings.

Quoits, just a few rope rings and a coke bottle filled with water, can be made more complicated.

Akeels Leaving Party

Fahmi and Najma eating breakfast, we were supposed to be there at 8am, this was about 11am. We had half a loaf of bread and sambol. The sambol was hot but ok, I was starving by the time we ate!

Above is the kitchen, by the time we arrived the goat had been killed and sliced and most of the vegetables prepared. The pans were on the fire and the rice was being washed in the canal, picture below.
The cook at work, masterchef lookout.

Alms giving

I was sitting in the office when the sound of a drum coming up the road got me to go and see what was happening. It was an Alms giving procession, the umberella is sheltering the gifts at the front and the student monks have been arranged in line by height.

Random Photos

A pandol, used at wesak to celebrate the birth, death and enlightenment of Buddha. They look great at night, flashing lights and loud music.
Typical vegetable stall.
Get your smiling plastic flower here!

Fruit stop

Jazeem the trader, getting a good deal from these roadside sellers.
The fruit peels revealing a white juicy flesh around a stone, bit like a lychee taste. Red and taste the same to me.

Working late

Whilst I was with the Peoples Forum, The FCE Ampara, Human Security team were completing an exercise preparing the next 6 months expenditure forecast. Lots of flipchart paper and much calculating going on.

Evening activities

This was a three island game, on one island everyone can talk, hear and see, on another only see and hear, the last hear only.

The island that can't speak have some tennis balls which they have to give to the blind island who can throw them into a basket placed in the middle of the islands.

You cannot leave your island defined by a ring of rope, could be chalk line outdoors.

The idea is to get communication going and underline the problems and difficulties of communication.

Chaos ensued but all had fun. This wasn't one of my games but I will give it a try. I think the group size needs to be 6 or less.

For vols, training can be a little more random than you may be used to and being there is probably more important than getting the point. So you have to be patient and tollerant, go with the flow.

Dropping Eggs again

In a 5* hotel you have to drop the eggs outside. As ever this bit gets the most attention and people have lots of fun.

This lady was the second to attach the egg on a chain of elastic bands. we didn't allow it but on reflection we should have. I will next time.

Games Time

The first activity, the birthday line. Played in total silence with no pens or paper, all have to form a line by day and month of birth. I steer clear of year for modesty and to avoid offence. So first of January at one end and 31st of December at the other. A good icebreaker, energiser or warm up activity. You can also do names in alphabetical order or shoe size.
The egg drop again! Well it works, especially if a few eggs are broken. This time most people wrapped the eggs. I had 12 teams of 4 so a big group, but it went well.

The Blue Wave Kalutra

The hotel at the end of an epic 17 hour drive in a van. This was the morning after, and a lovely place to wake up in.

Last minute trip

Decided at the last minute to go on a trip to Colombo. We set off at 4am from Ampara, the first problem we encounter in half an hour out of Ampara the road to Kandy is closed for security reasons and won't be open till 9am. So we turn back and try another route out of Ampara, this time the road is blocked by Elephants! After we get past the Elephants and to the bottom of the 17 hairpin bends that you climb to cross the mountains to Kandy, the clutch went!
It ended up taking 16 hours to get to our hotel south of Colombo another long day in paradise.

More random Pic's

Pettah street stall in Colombo
Ice cream vendorNot much doing for a trishaw today!
Tambelli or king coconut. You drink the water inside it is supposed to be good for most things but definately good for avoiding dehydration.

Winning Drop and hot in here!

The drop that worked! Out of six teams only one managed to drop the egg in one piece.

Missing the landing site was the cause of much ammusement to everyone there.
Jazeem and I congratulating the teams in English, Sinhala and Tamil. Yes that is sweat on my shirt, it's the hot season here and being in a room with thirty people isn't a great idea. Even with the fans going it is in the high 30's Celcius and very humid.

After lunch it transpires that it was the American Ambassador, however two people from the British High Commission arrive about 2.15 and stay for half an hour. In the end it is now getting late and last busses have to be caught so no time for any more games.
I head by the beer shop on the way home for a couple of bottles, then go for a swim in the lake. A busy day!

The Drop !!!!

Somebody has to go first and Team 1 discovered that aiming for a small area isn't that easy.

Most teams have gone for a cushion approach, in some cases aided by a funnel, however dropping an egg from a height and hoping to hit a funnel is a tall order. Sure enough team one miss and we are 1 egg down. Team 2 are successful, team 3 went for wrapping the egg in sellotape and elastic bands but to no avail. Teams 4, 5 and 6 have aiming problems too.