Grand Adventure Part 5 (Isle of Man)

We (Paddye and I) got to work right away on finishing up event entries and worked until it was time for opening ceremonies. It was a wee bit chilly but pretty cool to see all the young athletes parade into the opening. Some of them were so little (gymnasts)! It was a pretty impressive show; of course, youth driven. All the performers, dancers, and parkour artists were youth (except for the Vikings, that is ... whom we learned were actual members of a local Viking club).

The grand finale of the opening ceremonies. 

The following days were filled with results. We based ourselves at the NSC where badminton and swimming were taking place and the track was right next to it. We found a little corner in the cafe and called it home for about 12 hours each day ... to the point that a few volunteers came to see us each day to say hello and have a little chat!

Achini and Upuli - Sri Lanka Womens Doubles Team (white) in action against the Aussies;

The volunteers were remarkable. Everywhere we went they were so friendly and so helpful. If they didn't have an answer, they were certainly going to find it. If we looked alone, they'd sit with us to chat and tell us all about the Isle of Man. I love volunteers!



I wish I could say that I witnessed some pretty amazing sport performances, but truth was that we barely got any time away from our computers. I did manage to sneak away and see the final few points in the badminton match which Sri Lanka won the bronze medal in women's doubles. We got glimpses of the track as there were floor to ceiling windows in the cafe. It's amazing how disciplined, intense, and in shape these young athlete are! I most certainly was not at that point when I was 16 and maybe it was just that I didn't know what high performance sport really meant.

Everyday, having arrived with little rest, we got more and more exhausted. Our giggles and uncontrollable fits of laughter got more frequent as some of the littlest silly mistakes or forgetfulness became hilarious. There were times we laughed so hard I couldn't remember the last time I was in stitches like that! The long hours glued to our computers resulted in some pretty rewarding moments though. When we ran our first report to look for mistakes it was amazing how much data we had entered and how easily we could manipulate it in Zeus. Even cooler was that even as we were updating throughout the days of competition, someone at CGC was able to see our updates real-time while she was looking for Canadian results. Basically, any CGA using Zeus had access to these results as soon as we could enter them and run their own customized reports for their needs. Additionally, these results automatically updated to their databases of athletes so they don't have to do any data entry. The results are linked to the athletes forever so if an athlete competes these results stay with that name in Zeus. Cool, eh? Maybe not ... but I'm a bit of a geek.

And for your enjoyment, some photos! 

Grand Adventure Part 4 (Ireland to Isle of Man)

Sorry for the hiatus! I was prepping for, then attended the South Asian Beach Games in Hambantota the last two weeks. But, to pick up where I left off...

We had our tickets booked from Dublin to Douglas, Isle of Man departing roughly around 10am to arrive in Douglas at 1pm. We got up and left the hostel just after 9am to catch a bus to the ferry terminal, only to find they don't run a bus service for the Isle of Man Steam Packet ferry (they only do for Irish Ferries and maybe the Stena Line). So we paid an exorbitant amount for a cab to get to the Dublin Ferry Port where we immediately found out our ferry had been cancelled due to rough seas.

Now, this doesn't happen very often. They gave us our alternative route to which we went O.O and :O We looked for a way we could call Richard, our CGF Zeus guru and supervisor at the Games (and with all things related to Zeus). I had no credit left on my mobile phone and there was no free wi-fi. Paddye ponied up her credit card and used their public phone to call (the bill, we later found out, was also exorbitant) and find out what we should do. Booking last minute flights turned out to be way too expensive so the alternative route we would travel. Here is our journey, documented in photos:

Leg 1: Dublin Ferry Port to Dun Lagohaire Ferry Terminal @11:30am

Leg 2: Dun Lagohaire to Holyhead, Wales @1:15pm

Leg 3: Holyhead to Liverpool @3:45pm

We had dinner in Liverpool in this awesome little pub in the downtown/financial district (which was deserted by 6pm, by the way). It was cheap (i.e. less than 10 pounds for dinner) and DELICIOUS. And the staff were so nice ... they got the ingredient list for the things I wanted to eat and just really understood that an allergy is not to be taken lightly. They were concerned when their bread didn't have an ingredients list. So sweet. In the end we tipped them a little bit and they were so shocked that we would want to do that for them. They had to ask if we were sure we wanted to leave a tip and we were both like, "yeah!".

Leg 4: Liverpool to Heysham @ 9pm

Leg 5: Heysham to Douglas, Isle of Man @ 2:15am

Leg 6: Douglas Ferry Terminal to Hotel @ 6:15am (luckily this was only 2 minute ride).There's no photo here because we were so exhausted from the cold on and off again napping on the ferry and well, I think I just simply forgot.

By the way, we didn't shower that morning because we were staying in a hostel in Dublin and just couldn't be bothered to. We thought that we'd be just a few hours away from a posh hotel with an awesome shower and decided we'd just wait. We were so wrong in that decision! So what was supposed to be a simple, 3 hour, ferry trip turned into a 19 hour journey. Needless to say, were exhausted and feeling rather gross. We checked into the hotel, showered, took a 2 hour nap, then went straight into our work! 

Grand Adventure - Part 3 (Ireland)

After a relaxing and scenic journey by train, ferry, tram, and train again, I get to Limerick where I find my colleague Paddye, her friend Lisa, and Lisa's friend Kate just arriving at the same time I did. Perfect timing! We load my giant backpack into Lisa's car and just a few minutes later we're at her family's place. Our amazing hosts, the Buckleys, had put Paddye and I in their guesthouse for our stay. We just chatted a bit, made some dinner, then went to the bar briefly after. I passed out that evening in what probably was the comfiest bed of my month long trip. I had buried myself so well in the duvet/blanket that night that when Paddye came in she didn't even know I was in the bed!

Blarney Castle

Kissing the Blarney Stone.

The next day, Kevin (Lisa's bro) and Kate took us to see the Blarney Castle as I really wanted to kiss the Blarney Stone (nope, no gift of gab yet). The castle is pretty cool but I had no idea it was such a large ground with all sorts of gardens and other little remnants of what life was like here a few hundred years ago. I almost wish I had more time to just wander around the grounds! They were so well kept and it was so peaceful ... not a lot of people which was so unlike to what I've been accustomed to the last 4.5 months and all the sights in India.

We headed back to Limerick in the afternoon to quickly pack up our stuff and make the trip to Kilkee where the Buckleys have a weekend home right on the coastline. We went for a walk to where the cliffs were (gorgeous!), then went back where we changed into our swimsuits (yes, swimsuits in 15 degree weather) for a "dip" in the Atlantic. Little did we know on our chilly walk down that we were being brought to the diving boards at swimming spot nicknamed "Newfie". The original plan had been to go to the Pollock Holes, three "swimming pools" exposed in the rocks at low tide.

Paddye and I were definitely hesitant. Here we are, standing at the edge of the Atlantic in fall weather, with diving boards that were probably 4m above the water. Without hesitation, Kevin goes first, followed shortly by Lisa. "How is it?" Paddye and I ask. "Refreshing" they reply. They climb out so they can man the cameras for Paddye and my turn. Paddye steps on to the diving board with quite a bit of doubt ... after some self-convincing she goes for it. In she goes, and we wait for her to come back up. When she does, she exclaims that "this is NOT refreshing, it's coooold!". Now it's my turn. I step on to the diving board. It's cold under my feet. I look down ... the water is clear but it's dark. It looks really cold. I think "heck, who knows when I'll be on a coast of the Atlantic again". I look back and think, "here goes". I walk to the edge and knowing that if I stop I probably will never make the jump so I leap right off the edge. It seemed like forever before I hit the water, but when I did it was FREEZING cold. I swam as fast as I could to the surface which seemed like an endless swim. When I made it, my first words were "OH MY GOSH IT IS SO COLD" and made a beeline for the ladder out of the water.

Lisa and Kevin made a couple more jumps, then we headed back to the house where we all had warm showers then started cooking the most amazing meal ever. Fresh greens, lightly blanched broccoli (crunchy broccoli ... I get limp stuff here which I don't buy), bbq corn on the cob, bbq chicken, and mashed potatoes. Yum! It was also Lisa and Kevin's parent's anniversary so Lisa baked a cake while I made a apple crumble. We socialized a bit, watched some X-Factor, then brought the treats over to her parents who were hanging out with some of their friends. We celebrated and they took turns singing popular and Irish songs acapella (such musical people!). When it came to Paddye and I we really had nothing. We don't really sing ... and well, we both suck at memorizing lyrics. =P

The Cliffs of Moher

The next day we slept in a bit, had a really chill breakfast, then made the trip to the Cliffs of Moher. We got drenched in a downpour, but the most amazing rainbows (yes, I saw a double rainbow), Irish Stew, a half pint of Guinness and the best jam ever made it all better. We drove through The Burren, through all sorts of farm land and fields stopping at old churches and castles (and whatever looked awesome) along the way. It was one of the most scenic drives I have ever been on and was wishing I could do it on bike (although the winds would make it HARD). Eventually, we made it back to Limerick, had an easy night then got ready for our train trip next morning to Dublin.

The Temple Bar in Dublin. 

Dublin was nice ... but not as nice as Limerick and the countryside so we didn't feel too inspired to snap a lot of shots. However, like London, I loved that there were old buildings everywhere and the sites were so well preserved. Paddye and I also did a bit of shopping at Penney's which is kinda like H&M but has a way better accessories section. In the evening we met up with one of Paddye's friends who just moved from Canada to Dublin, chatted at the pub and enjoyed the live Irish music in the background.



The next morning we were ready to depart for the Isle of Man! But that alone, is a story for my next entry.

Check out my Ireland photos here. I'm too lazy to upload them to my Picasa account =P. If a pop up tells you that you need to log in, just click cancel and you can continue to view my photos!

Look closely and you'll find the double rainbow. Unfortunately this photo did not do the rainbows justice!

Grand Adventure - Part 2 (London)

It's my first time in Europe!

I arrived in London around dinner time on August 31st hoping to quickly get to my hostel, check-in, and find myself a good meal. Those hopes were almost dashed when I saw a long snaking lineup for customs which took about an hour to get through (not that bad compared to some of my other colleagues who flew to Heathrow as well). Anyhow, thanks to well-marked signs everywhere, I got an Oyster Card (for you Hong Kong-ers, it's like the Octopus card, but you can't pay for food with it) and boarded the Tube towards Holborn.

I got to my hostel for the next two nights, checked-in, threw down my bags, met my roomies for the night, and went off in search for Jamie's Italian. I think I was the only person in the restaurant dining by myself, but being a bit of a foodie I was pretty darn happy and I didn't care! I had some tasty antipasto and slurp-a-licous pasta.Yum! Not only that, I was loving the weather and being able to walk around without the gawking and staring (not to mention feeling pretty safe at night)!



The next day, blessed with blue skies, warm temps, and sunshine, I set out on a whirlwind tour of the city hitting all the main sights:

Buckingham Palace

Westminster Abbey

Big Ben

Tower Bridge (it's up as a boat crosses through!)

St. Paul's Cathedral

London is an amazingly easy city to get around in. There are signs and maps everywhere, transit running every which way, and if you can afford it, taxi cabs. I also have to mention that Londoners all look so fashionable ... at least a little if not head to toe. Didn't see too many people wearing jeans with runners (like I) and not a pair of Lulus in sight (see FB link to an article critiquing Vancouver's lack of fashion-sense).

My friend and fellow Capacity Support Officer, Paddye, was supposed to arrive in the evening, but got stuck in the customs line-up at Heathrow for over two hours. We were going to go for a late dinner, but after 9pm, I figured I better go eat before the restaurants close. I got back, there was still no sign of her so I got ready for bed. The next day, as I was up at 6am (and as was she) I heard her voice checking out while I was packing downstairs. I learned she didn't get in until really late and barely got a wink of sleep. We briefly said hello and she was off to the airport to fly into Shannon, Ireland, whereas I was going to take the scenic route through the UK to Holyhead via train to board a ferry to Dublin, then take another train to Limerick. We said our "see ya later" and started our journeys to find us some Leprechauns.

And here is a link to my favourite London photos. 

Grand Adventure - Part 1 (India)

Oh boy, I'm gone for a month and there's a brand new Blogger template and Facebook has changed yet again.

I've been back in Colombo now for just over a day and it's been a bit of a rough go. Having been surrounded by familiarity and people from back home I love the last month, coming back has felt a bit isolating again. I'm sure in a few days I'll reconnect with the friends I haven't seen here the last month and all will be well again!

Well, a lot has happened in the last month so I will blog about it over a few posts.

On August 26th I departed for India, sick and tired. It seemed I had yet another virus. Despite being excited for the trip, I had no energy to be excited. Anyhow, I boarded a plane at night to Delhi via Mumbai. Mumbai airport is bare and stark (although modern). Not a place for a tired traveller to nap on the floor (darn!). Anyhow, I arrived in Delhi around 5:00am the next morning ready to find a taxi to the train station. After 45 minutes of searching the airport for the left luggage counter (it's above the metro entrance, by the way), I found the pre-paid booth, purchased my ticket, and off I went. Lucky for me, it was rather straightforward and hassle-free!

First order of business was to head to Agra to meet up with my very good friend Linda. She had been travelling for over three weeks by this point, been sick almost the whole time with what we thought was a parasite, and harassed endlessly by Indian men. When we finally saw each other, we gave each other a GIANT hug and then we gabbed for probably what was a couple hours over food and soda. We made plans for the next day and then to bed we went!

The not so honest man from the back.
He worked hard, but because of his
greed we felt unsatisfied. "You happy,
I happy. You pay if you happy." Then
at the end we weren't that happy ... so
after we handed over some cash, he
then asked "how about more?" We just
walked away. 

Next day before the break of dawn we headed to the Taj Mahal. We wanted to capture it at sunrise, but the sunrise was rather blah this particular morning. Oh well. The best part likely is that we beat the big crowds giving us the freedom to shoot photos with a minimal number of people in it. It's hard to believe that these grounds were built by hands without any modern tools. The precision with which the carvings were done and stones were laid is mind-boggling! The rest of the day we felt rather unmotivated to see anything else. It was still summer temperatures (i.e. pushing 40 degrees) and I was drenching my tops in sweat. We eventually hired a cycle trishaw who took us to a few places ... he had promises of being honest but in the end, greed reared it's ugly head and we were done with that. That evening, we boarded an overnight train to Varanasi.



The Ganges unfortunately was really high when we were there, so no river tours, and the Ghats were mostly covered. We did visit two Ghats, where at one of them I walked by some bodies that were wrapped up gorgeously and ready to be cremated. A bit creepy, but amazing at the same time. No photos though as they were sacred places. Walking around old Varanasi wasn't too bad aside from the cow dung and garbage almost everywhere. It was probably the place we were least harassed and the most interesting. There was so much in all the little shops! This place definitely had character.

The real Brown Bread Bakery in Varanasi. 

Nice gentleman number 1. I can't find
his business card so I don't remember
his name. 

India has some really cutthroat people, but there were a few people who were worth mentioning for the kindness of their hearts. First was the man who helped me hire a motor rickshaw at a fair price and helped me find my guesthouse in Agra. I wish we could have communicated more easily but thank you for being honest. Second, was the man who sold me my "bling" to go with my Salwar in Varanasi. You enjoyed what you do and you had so much patience with my indecisiveness. And to top it off, you threw in a free gift for my friend and I. Very unexpected for culture that has greed woven intricately with it's traditions (a generalization, I know). Third, for the kind gentleman who took us in at his shop for a chat and some chai when we were at our wits end trying to arrange some travel. In the end, I know it helps you do your business (How could I resist not buying a bunch of scarves!). But, I know you would have been perfectly fine with us not buying anything at all. Like the second man, you threw in a couple freebies for us. Also very unexpected. (For those of you who want to know, this guy has his shop in the same building as the Brown Bread Bakery - the real one - an amazing restaurant/bakery that trains locals in the restaurant and also funds a school, in addition to empowering local women).

Even though I was only there for 5 days, I was exhausted in the end. I was tired of being seen as $. I was tired of worrying about whether my next meal would make me sick or not. I was tired of the heat. I missed home. To top it off, when I got to Delhi airport 7 hours before my flight, they wouldn't let me go into the arrivals hall (where people are picked up) so I could go take a shower or check in early so that I could go past security to use the showers in the departures area. I couldn't wait to board the flight to London! I don't know if I would go back ... probably not to that region. Maybe the North or the South in the future, and definitely not in the summer.

And your reward to reading the whole post, a link to my favourite photos from India. 

Because I said so!

It's been noisy around Olympic House the last couple of weeks. The walls that previously surrounded the grounds on which our building sits are in the process of being torn down. Why? Because "someone" said so. This "someone", like "He who must not be named" in a very famous movie, is a bit of a villain in my mind. Unfortunately, this person also has a lot of power.

A friend told me this person can order pretty much anyone around. This person, has "asked" the the National Olympic Committee and the other user groups around us to knock down our outer walls to create a more "open space". Why? Because he likes it. Because, from where he lived overseas, that's the way things are with more open spaces and he likes it. Along the the same lines, if this person sees a wall that is painted the "wrong" colour, he'll ask the property owner to paint it a colour of his choice.

Of course, me being me, I asked, "what if someone says no"? She replied, "No one can say no" to which I did not understand. There is no law against having a wall is mismatched with those around you. Nor is there a law that says you can't have walls up. I know I have no control over it, but it irks me that one person in a position of power can disrupt so many people's lives with a few words and perhaps a wave of a hand (or wand in the movie mentioned above). Sure, if in a neighbourhood where all the walls were white and an eccentric resident chose to paint his/her wall in a multi-colour splatter, I can see them being asked to conform. But, only if it the majority of those living in the vicinity of this resident agree that the wall should be white and even then they can ask and not force this person to change.

So here we are at the NOC, down to almost no walls and feeling rather naked and exposed to everything else around us. The walls provided a feeling of security and identity.  Not just for us, but probably for people like the ones I can now see through the window at my desk; the living area of the few live-in workers in the building next to ours. The walls were a boundary that told us "this place is ours". Now, anyone can walk onto our grounds and enjoy them, which isn't necessarily a bad thing as we have a beautiful place. It's just that there is little privacy anymore. But if the ducks have it their way on the grounds, no one will get to enjoy the grounds. (I tried today to cut through the outdoor dining area of the restaurant attached to our building and they chased me out. These ducks also like to leave little gifts all over our driveway and grounds).

Kandy Esala Perahera

Sri Dalada Maligawa lit up at night for the Esala Perahera. 

Last weekend, the girls in the office, with some help of people connected to the NOC, organized a trip for all us to go see the Kandy Esala Perahera. The Perahera is a big parade with dancers and elephants which celebrates and honours the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha housed in Sri Dalada Maligawa temple in Kandy.

The Intercity Express.

We took the Intercity Express train from Colombo Fort Station on Saturday morning in reserved 1st class seats. It was a lovely ride going through rural parts of Sri Lanka passing through rice paddies and coconut plantations before we climbed the hills, reaching Kandy in just under three hours.







Fast forwarding to the parade itself, we were lucky to have had someone arrange for us reserved seating under cover in the stands. It was a bit of a rainy day as according to superstition, whenever the Tooth Relic is taken out of it's room, it rains. Seems like the myth was holding true! We got to our seats at about 5pm to ensure they weren't taken and sat around waiting for the 7:30pm start. We snacked, chatted, and then got a bit bored. Because we were in the hills it got a little chilly too! Prior to the Perahera starting, the roads were washed water about a hour prior to the start. Then about half an hour before the start, the roads were washed again with a water and turmeric solution that is supposed to disinfect the road. According to Indian and Sri Lankan traditional medicine, turmeric is an antiseptic and is sometimes put on wounds. Who knew?! Before long, it was dark, and we heard the sounds of whippers - men and boys who crack long whips before the procession to signal the start of the Perahera.

Torch bearers walk alongside with the procession the whole way through lighting the way for the participants and the elephants. There are flutists, horn players, Kandyan dancers, fire spinners, and drummers interspersed with elephants carrying various relics on their backs and decorated with gorgeous drapery and lights. The Perahera repeats every night for two weeks ending on the Poya day in August with the grandest parade of them all. Because we saw the Perahera near the beginning of its season, it was lower key than the ones following it with more amateur performers - kids who look like they would much rather be somewhere else and many that looked bored to be there. However, there were a few performers who performed with so much passion it was such a pleasure to watch them dance with endless energy.

The elephant in the middle is the one carrying the casket in which the Sacred Tooth Relic sits. 

It was a LONG and slow parade though ... 2 hours with everything repeating itself about 5 times but with slightly different costumes and colours. They were kind of split into different segments depending on which relic was being celebrated but the performances that followed each relic (being carried by an elephant and it's elephant entourage) eventually started to look the same. At least there people were performing all the way - unlike at home where sometimes it's just people walking behind a banner in a parade or waving on an uneventful float.

Kandyan Dancers

The day after we visited the Sri Dalada Maligawa for Puja while the doors to the chamber in which the Sacred Tooth Relic is held were open. We got a glimpse of the casket in a very busy hall where many people were making their offerings and chanting. The girls walked me through how to make an offering to the Buddha with Blue Lotus flowers which entitled me to one wish after the offering. I'm not telling what it is!


Fast forward to the next day ...

So I didn't plan any celebrations for my birthday and kept it pretty low key. Sri Lankans party pretty hard and I was not up to that task for my birthday so I didn't really put it out there. So what do I mean by party hard? In line with the habit of eating dinner late, say, not until 9 or 10pm, they don't head to the clubs/bars until well after midnight. It's common not to get to a club until 1am or 2am then stay until 4 or 5am! For those of you who know me well, I love my sleep and it's hard pressed to find me up that late. Usually at that hour I might be waking up to go snowboarding in the winter...

My Birthday cookies. 

I did do a small celebration with the girls at the office. Here, it's customary that when you celebrate something, you bring the celebration! Knowing that I wouldn't be able to just buy a birthday cake because of my egg and dairy intolerances, I baked some birthday cookies instead. They were a sugar cookie, dipped on one side with lime flavoured icing and topped with dried coconut. The girls gave me a lovely card and some gift certificates to spend at ODEL (yay!). I think the highlight though was when Dinushi said she would love to open a cookie shop with me. ;)