A Weekend Without Work
Finally 2 full days off! Last week I ended up working on both Monday and Tuesday, so basically didn't have a weekend. I was thinking about going to the tea country for a couple of days this weekend, but was so tired yesterday that I decided that I needed a day doing nothing. It's also Maggie's birthday today, so I wanted to take her out for lunch as a treat. Maggie and I have decided though to drive up to Nuwara Eliya for the day tomorrow as I want to go to Labookellie Tea Estate (http://www.mackwoodstea.com/default.asp) to get some tea to take with me to the Czech Republic. It's been a while since I've been up to the tea country and I'm hanging out for some tea and chocolate cake!
Am off to the Czech Republic next Sunday evening. I really wish the break was a bit longer as 10 days seems like such a short period of time, but I start teaching again on April 17th and anyway I can't really complain about my holidays. Am really looking forward to the break though as it's been a busy term. Am hoping to spend a couple of days in Wien before heading back to Sri Lanka, but haven't made any plans yet as it really depends on what we end up doing. Jiří is taking next week off work and in many ways I'm quite happy to stay in one place rather than doing lots of travelling around.
Yesterday evening I went to see a peformance by Blind Summit Theatre (http://www.blindsummit.com/) at the university. When I lived in Japan I was really interested in Bunraku - the Japanese puppet theatre - so I was really curious to see the show. Am not sure what the Sri Lankans in the audience made of it as there were a lot of very culturally specific references, but I loved it. It was very well done and there were some hilarious moments - particularly the part where they used lots of small, inanimate, blue puppets to dramatise a film that was on TV in the bar where the show took place.
Have been reading with disgust on the internet about the use of white phosphorous by the Israeli military during the assault on Gaza at the beginning of the year. Human Rights Watch have a harrowing account of the effects of white phosphorous (http://www.hrw.org/en/features/rain-fire-white-phosphorus-gaza) I can't believe that Israel manages to get away with such crimes, but unfortunately, until the US stops blindly supporting the Israel nothing is going to change.
The situation here in Sri Lanka continues to be grim with further damning reports about the conduct of both the government and the LTTE. The government has denied shelling the safe zone set up to protect fleeing civilians, but Human Rights Watch has a very comprehensive report on what's been going on (http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/03/23/sri-lanka-no-let-army-shelling-civilians). Al Jazeera also has a report (http://english.aljazeera.net//news/asia/2009/03/20093276247897702.html) that includes footage smuggled out of the country that suggests that the military is continuing to shell areas where civilians have fled to to escape the fighting. It's very hard to know what the truth is as there is no media access to the north. As always the truth is always the first casualty of war.
Talking of the truth, I've just finished reading Animal Farm. Maggie and I were talking about it the other day for some reason, so I decided to borrow it from the library as I'd never read it. It's quite an amazing book - George Orwell was so spot on.
Off to the Citadel soon for lunch. Was going to go for a swim before lunch, but it's too hot now, so think I'll stay on for a swim after lunch. - after a nap of course. Might watch some of the latest espisodes of Forbidden Love - need my fix of Christian and Olli!!!
Am off to the Czech Republic next Sunday evening. I really wish the break was a bit longer as 10 days seems like such a short period of time, but I start teaching again on April 17th and anyway I can't really complain about my holidays. Am really looking forward to the break though as it's been a busy term. Am hoping to spend a couple of days in Wien before heading back to Sri Lanka, but haven't made any plans yet as it really depends on what we end up doing. Jiří is taking next week off work and in many ways I'm quite happy to stay in one place rather than doing lots of travelling around.
Yesterday evening I went to see a peformance by Blind Summit Theatre (http://www.blindsummit.com/) at the university. When I lived in Japan I was really interested in Bunraku - the Japanese puppet theatre - so I was really curious to see the show. Am not sure what the Sri Lankans in the audience made of it as there were a lot of very culturally specific references, but I loved it. It was very well done and there were some hilarious moments - particularly the part where they used lots of small, inanimate, blue puppets to dramatise a film that was on TV in the bar where the show took place.
Have been reading with disgust on the internet about the use of white phosphorous by the Israeli military during the assault on Gaza at the beginning of the year. Human Rights Watch have a harrowing account of the effects of white phosphorous (http://www.hrw.org/en/features/rain-fire-white-phosphorus-gaza) I can't believe that Israel manages to get away with such crimes, but unfortunately, until the US stops blindly supporting the Israel nothing is going to change.
The situation here in Sri Lanka continues to be grim with further damning reports about the conduct of both the government and the LTTE. The government has denied shelling the safe zone set up to protect fleeing civilians, but Human Rights Watch has a very comprehensive report on what's been going on (http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/03/23/sri-lanka-no-let-army-shelling-civilians). Al Jazeera also has a report (http://english.aljazeera.net//news/asia/2009/03/20093276247897702.html) that includes footage smuggled out of the country that suggests that the military is continuing to shell areas where civilians have fled to to escape the fighting. It's very hard to know what the truth is as there is no media access to the north. As always the truth is always the first casualty of war.
Talking of the truth, I've just finished reading Animal Farm. Maggie and I were talking about it the other day for some reason, so I decided to borrow it from the library as I'd never read it. It's quite an amazing book - George Orwell was so spot on.
Off to the Citadel soon for lunch. Was going to go for a swim before lunch, but it's too hot now, so think I'll stay on for a swim after lunch. - after a nap of course. Might watch some of the latest espisodes of Forbidden Love - need my fix of Christian and Olli!!!
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