Let Dogs Mind Their Business – A Sinhalese Folk Tale

With only three weeks until my departure from Sri Lanka, I thought I’d do some general people watching in my favourite Colombo spots and detour into some shops for  air conditioned reprieve from the heat. In my shopping ventures, I stumbled upon a fantastic series of Sinhalese Folk Tales translated into English. This one in particular made me laugh out loud. I love that the stories we tell our children from generation to generation can explain so much about a culture.  So just before I go to bed tonight after a wonderful day of people watching, gift shopping, live theatre and a great dinner with wonderful company, I’m sharing this story with all of you.

Click on the pictures below to read the whole story.

Hope you enjoy.

Trina

Once upon a time there lived a Gamarala, the chieftain of a village. He was rich and had a house and property. He also had a donkey and a dog.

The dog was as black as black could be! So everyone called him “Kaluva”, the Blackie. His duty was to protect the house from thieves and occasionally accompany Gamarala to his hena, a plot of high land used for cultivation.

The donkey’s duty was a bit more difficult. He had to take vegetable and other grains to the fair and bring back other goods from the fair. One day, all in the house went to bed early. Blackie also went to sleep curling himself comfortably. But the donkey couldn’t fall asleep at all, because he was so tired after carrying all things on this back this way and that.

That was a dark night. Towards midnight a pack of thieves came to burgle Gamarala’s house. They tried to enter the house in secret. The donkey saw the thieves trying to enter the house. He thought that the dog will bark any moment now to drive the thieves away. But nothing happened. The dog was fast asleep.

Donkey felt sorry for the Gamarala. He though, “How can I watch thieves taking all the wealth that the Gamarala has earned all his life?” So the donkey brayed and scared away the thieves but he also woke up Gamarala. Gamarala lost his temper “Why is this silly donkey braying,” he thought.

Gamarala came out of the house. There was nothing unusual. Only the donkey was making a big noise.

The Gamarala could not bear it any more. He picked up a huge club and began to thrash the donkey. The donkey had enough of it!

Why did the donkey get assaulted? It was because he was trying to do something that was not his business. Looking after the house is the dog’s business. The donkey had to suffer because he tried to do the dog’s business. Ever since then whenever someone makes a fool of himself by trying to do someone else’s job, the Sinhalese began to say, “It is like the donkey trying to do the dog’s business.”

I’ve lost that blogging feeling

This was pretty much my permanent expression the last couple months.

It’s been two months and counting since I’ve returned to the land of ice and snow (although the Par 3 golf course opened today signalling the start of spring, so my troubles are officially over), and one of the saddest things about being home is that I’ve lost all motivation to blog.

Blogging in Sri Lanka was so much fun. It was definitely one of my most rewarding island past times.

There never seemed to be a shortage of hilarious situations to write and poke fun at publicly (and even then I had to self sensor a tonne so as to not offend some of our readers). There was always a stray elephant walking past you on the road or a doctor at the hospital telling you he longed for the days of the Soviet Union. All of it pure blogging gold.

Back in Regina, the only real good material is the name of the city itself. After that, it’s all pretty blah (except when you mix in Trina’s last name, then it gets funny again).

In Sri Lanka, there was always a spare minute (or five hours) to sit down and craft a short story. Back at home, my days are pretty much filled with non-stop work and chores and people and commitments and deadlines and meetings and on and on. Too much to do, and too little time.

Don’t get me wrong. It’s nice to be home, especially since it’s getting warmer.

It’s also nice to have your clothes not stinking like a sour rat after wearing them for one day, or to do your laundry in less than an hour, or to enjoy a quiet Sunday morning shuffling around at home, or to see your old friends whenever you want for a quick beer and a laugh, or to go for a run with your dad in the park. The list of nice things is long and I couldn’t do those things in Sri Lanka and it sucked.

Having said all that, if I’ve ever wanted to live in two places at the same time, it’s now. Not just because Trina is still on that crazy little island, but because a bit of me is still there too. A bit of me that still wants to sweat profusely and take hours to do laundry and hear honking buses in my living room and anticipate hanging out with my friends and family back home.

And maybe that’s why it’s so hard for me to write about stuff going on now. I’m not sure which bits of me are supposed to be writing it.

Ah well. None of that really matters because life goes on and I have to live and enjoy life in the present. Sri Lanka taught me that – and that’s something I’ll never forget.

Peace.

Shaun

Happy Mother’s Day

I went to a long lost buddy’s wedding in Medicine Hat. I couldn’t do that in Sri Lanka.

You might be an aunty if . . .

Now I’m not talking about the standard definition of being an aunt in the west which is a title automatically earned when your sibling has a child. I’m talking about the type of Aunty (pronounced AWnty )  that exists in SouthEast Asia. The type of Aunty that involves a lot of work and dedication. Aunties are adept at spying and gossip and I believe if traditional policing forces enlisted a special “auntie division” horrific cases of abduction such as those recently in the news would never happen. An auntie has your back.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the intensity of a Sri Lankan auntie, I’ve provided a list. You might be an auntie if. . .

• You ask random people personal questions and give them unsolicited advice. This is especially pertinent to college, marriage and children.
• You use the phrases “those days” and frequently contrast them to “these days” in a nostalgic fashion.
• You have the undeniable urge to tuck in shirts.
• You are know the exact record of your neighbours comings and goings.
• You’ve mastered the art of peeking from behind a curtain.
• You have the other aunties in the community on speed dial in case of an emergency such as the sighting of some young people “gallivanting” or “carrying on.”
• Your hobby is judging!
  Ever since I was called a young, old person (another Sri Lankan compliment),  I’ve decided to embrace my inner “auntie”. So all you people under 30 out there look out – “I don’t know you and you don’t know me, but I can judge you cause I’m your auntie.”
  Love,
  Aunty Trina

Compliments- Sri Lankan style

This is a very talented young Sri Lankan band that plays some great Stevie Wonder covers. Some of the strange compliments were given to me whilst cutting rug to their tunes.

Here they are –  some word for word compliments (I think), that I’ve received here in the last month or so.

“We will be sorry to see you go. You are someone we don’t mind working with too much.” –  a colleague

“You are not as fat as you were last year.” – lady at the gym

“Are you going out again tonight? You really don’t worry much about your household do you?” – landlord’s family

“Are you Sri Lankan? (pause for my response) Ah, I sensed there was something exotic about you.” (my white skin maybe???) – random jogger

“You are very humble like all foreign women. I like that.” – guy who talked to me for all of 30 seconds

“You truly do sweat a lot. That’s awesome!” – a friend cycling behind me in a fitness class, who has now conceded that I sweat more than she does

“Your curries are good.  .  . (look of apprehension) This one is just missing some salt, that one needs more sugar and your pol sambol needs more chili and lime. The carrots are perfect.” – Sri Lankan Aunty (BTW, the carrots were simply boiled with margarine added. I’m glad I didn’t mess those up).

“You’re 32? No way! I thought you couldn’t be older than 31.” – student

Enjoy the sunshine Saskatchewan! I’m actually enjoying the three days of rain here in Sri Lanka as it is cooling things down. It’s just not cool that my roof is leaking and during last night’s rain storm, I woke up to water dripping on my head. Oh well, rain or sweat, what’s the difference?

Trina

Life without Shaun in Sri Lanka

My work friends have been great at making sure I get out and have some fun while Shaun is away. This particular night, I must thank Sonalee for keeping me out dancing until some ungodly hour!

Many people keep asking me how things have been since Shaun has left this tropical island. So here are some things I’ve noticed in Shaun’s absence .

• The gin lasts longer.
• The leftovers I intended to take for lunch are still there.
• I am able to use his expired gym membership.
• I have cereal for supper more frequently.
• I am reading the “classics”.
• Scrabble against the computer sucks.

• The laundry isn’t done as quickly, but I am actually capable of doing it.
• I have discovered Youtube mixes. Awesome!
• I often have the song “Ladies Night” by Cool and the Gang running through my head – weird.
• I can more easily be convinced that something “isn’t really expensive”.
• There is no one around to blame for things like missing your flight home from Thailand because of a misread itinerary.

 

It could be the few gin ‘n’  juices I’ve be sipping on just like Snoop Dogg tonight (tomorrow is yet another Sri Lankan holiday) or the jazz music I’m listening to , but I feel the need to get a little sappy. The reality is that I miss my life partner and even though I don’t particularly look forward to the snow and the cold that Regina will inevitably bring, I know that no matter where we live we will always face it together with a sense of humour.

Trina

“A very tale that redefines the essence of love . . . ” Sri Lankan Movie Trailer

Check out this gem. I can’t wait to see the whole thing.

Happy Monday!

Trina

Say cheese . . . for the millionth time! – Thailand Pictures

I’m trying to capture a candid image of floating down the river. However, I could never get a shot without having one of the Thais taking a picture in it.

It is a common stereotype that Asians love to take photos, especially of themselves in front of things. While I wouldn’t suggest that we should believe all stereotypes and use them to classify groups of people, this one was proven time and time again in my recent trip to Thailand.  At every stop the Thais insisted we strike a variety of cute poses in front of landmarks. It was treated seriously like a professional photo shoot as all our poses were arranged into the perfect position and we had matching attire.

When I asked why the Thais love photos so much, my Thai friend Luck, replied it is because friendships are really important to them and they don’t get to travel much so they really want to remember the moments. I found this to be ironically funny because sometimes it seemed like that was all there was to the moment – the race to capture it in photography. What experience were we capturing when we had to all peer out from behind random trees, or pose in front of every National Park sign? I’m not sure.

I also did some informal research into the phenomenon and according to the blog Stuff Asians like “The act of self photography is in part a survival mechanism. Asians are, for the most part, quiet and unobtrusive (unless they are shouting into a phone or yelling at their children). Without self-documentation, Asians risk disappearing altogether. “

Rather than fight it, I decided to embrace my inner Asian and let the cheesy poses take over. And you kn ow what – it was a lot of fun! Check out a select few from the millions of  pics from my recent Thailand trip.

The next few photos were lend as evidence to support my claim that Thais are obsessive with their photography.

How’s does this score for artistic impression?

Cute, no?

Pictures in front of signs are a must.

Here we are in Pai with Love. How’s that for a cheesy photo?

Luck and I had the change to try out a fish spa in which this special type of fish eat all the dead skin off of your feet. It was a neat experience, once I got over how much it tickled.

Here I am putting rice and pouring water into each of the bowls for the monks as part of the Thai New Year Buddhist celebrations.

Luck’s youngest son, Op, munches on a mouthful of dried fish while in the temple.

I meet Dang and his family for the first time since 2004. His daughter, Ying, was literally just a few months old last time I saw her.

Here we are enjoying a dinner and a couple Chang beers with Dang and his family.

Great shopping doesn’t stop at night.

The Chaing Mai night market has something for everyone.

This bridge was supposedly very significant during WWII. Unfortunately, I didn’t understand why due to poor translation.

This location was beautiful with cooler temperatures and ideal jogging routes. Who could ask for more?

Apparently a Thai romantic comedy was shot in this location called, “Pai with Love” making it very popular to the local tourists.

Just in case you are wondering in which all the major cities (or the toilet) are this sign will help.

Ying shows off the cool interior of the huts.

These were out cute bungalows to stay in Pai.

No trip to Thailand is complete without a visit to a “traditional Chinese Village”. This was complete with Thai people dressed up in Chinese dress, selling green tea and giving acupuncture treatments.

YIng is dressed in a traditional Chinese outfit and drinking green tea just for this photo op.

I didn’t mean to take this pics in black and white, but they look artistic, no?

This is the boat were were about to get on to raft down the river. This young boy did eventually put some clothes on for his guests.

I’m trying to capture a candid image of floating down the river. However, I could never get a shot without having one of the Thais taking a picture in it.

This is Ning, Dang’s 22 year old brother’s girlfriend.

Of course there were places to stop and eat a picnic lunch along the way. We definitely wouldn’t want to get hungry.

This was the typical landscape we were rafting through.

I take control of the raft for a while – scary.

We spent a wonderful night looking through old photos, telling ridiculous stories and eating great food.

This is the delicious supper Mam treated us all to on the last night we stayed there.

This is Dang and Mam’s home on a egetable farm in rural Thailand. They are around two hours outside of Chaing Mai.

Here Dang’s mother performs a traditional ceremony in which she ties string around our wrists and chants prayers to bring us good health and happiness.

Here Dang is pictured chilling with his daughter and his niece.

It is tradition in Thailand during the New Year to give gifts to your elders. We gave a basket of goodies to Mam’s mother and then had a picutre taken with the family.

This is the village that Dang and Mam live in. I still remember pulling up on the bus in 2004 and Luck saying to us that she didn’t know which house was Dang’s and proceeded to yell, “Dang? Dang?” until someone miraculously came out and led us to Dang’s house.

We also met Mam’s grandfather and niece.

Mam’s grandmother might be 90 but she is still going strong.

We get our toes painted at a local shop while waiting for the bus.

Luck was my counterpart on the Thai – Canada cultural youth exchange 2000. We basically still look 20 years old!

Here are the two of us again. After all, you can never have too many snaps.

Dang, his wife Mam, daughter Ying, Luck and I are all dressed for success at possibly the world’s biggest water fight.

Drag queens put on a performance in the middle of the street. After all, it just wouldn’t be Thailand without a ladyboy performance.

Here Luck, Dang and I mentally prepare to wage water battle on the others. I haven’t seen Dang since 2004 and it was wonderful to be reunited.

Celebrating Songkran (Thai New Year) in Chaing Mai, Thailand is the place to be. The city is know for their good street parties and slightly cooler temps.

There were several concerts to watch along the way as we participated in the giant water fight.

Luck, Me, Tong and his son MJ before our boat ride.

Tong, MJ sleeping, Ja and Luck. They are all (except the little boy) former Youth Exchange participants.

It’s also not Thailand without the delicious food.

I had to laugh at the irony of the whole utopian image as many of the boats now sport noisy engines and simply transport tourists to the most profitable souvenir shops along the way.

On this floating market a couple of hours outside of Bangkok you could buy anything from ice cream to paintings all while on a boat.

After perusing this market, we of course needed a group shot by the sign.

Apparently circling underneath an elephant brings good luck. I’m wondering if this was a misinterpretation of when in the past some guy made it out from underneath an elephant alive and said, “Boy, that was lucky!”

Elephants are such fascinating creatures when you feed them. Their trunks act like they have a mind of their own as they sniff out and awkwardly grab the food you hand them.

You’re never two young to get into the love of being photographed.

Offerings were made at the local temples for this special time of year.

Just climbing the few steps up these ruins had us all drenched in sweat on this 40 degree day.

At this site of ancient ruins,

MJ strikes a pose proving he is just like his father!

Our last dinner together was on a boat shaped restaurant overlooking a river.

This was taken at the airport and meant to be a farewell photo. Had I not messed up my flight time it would have been a touching moment, but the Thais were stuck with me for another 12 hours.