As I sat watching the sunset tonight I decided now was a good time to write another email to all of my friends back in the US. Right now I’m sitting on the back porch of the house with little kitty and big kitty chairs on either side of me. I’m eating a mixture of three different curries that Piasili made for me today, and they are all delicious. I’m drinking a glass of wine because the beer here is not very good, but my aunt and uncle appear to have good taste in wine (not that I would know really). Across the patty fields I can hear monks chanting for the sunset. I just got home from work where I split time today between editing my thesis (yes, it’s really really close to being done) and working on my project at IWMI.
The project that I’ve taken on is the creation of a Water Governance Index, which would ideally rate each country in the world in terms of how well it governs its water resources. I’m the person in charge of this project, which is pretty cool, but also a bit intimidating. However, I have three people who I’m working with some who I can consult with and who plan to help me write and edit the paper I’m putting together. If you’re interested in this project, shoot me an email and I’ll send you some of the stuff that I’ve been working on.
After work I met up with an Iranian who works at IWMI called Pulad to play ping pong. He was pretty good, and I think that if we find a couple more people at the office who play we could get a pretty good doubles game going. However, just playing ping pong drenches me in sweat in this weather, with the humidity around 100% each day.
I updated my weather forecast add-on for firefox, which informed me that it was 29 C out but that it felt like 38 (just over 100F). The forecast for the next few days was:
Tomorrow: 29C partly cloudy, feels like 38
Wednesday: 29C, chance of rain, feels like 39
Thursday: 29C, partly cloudy, feels like 38
Friday: 30C, chance of rain, feels like 39
So, that’s what weather is like in Sri Lanka, every day.
I didn’t make it out to do any kayaking or surfing this weekend because I got a bit of food poisoning on Friday morning that had me sick until Sunday afternoon. This was too bad because I had planned to accompany Borderlands Adventure on a trip to the beach on Saturday and a kayaking trip on Sunday. On the other hand, on Saturday afternoon I decided that I should just get out to try to feel better, and went to my first Ultimate Frisbee game here.
I showed up at the field and threw with the group for five minutes before one of the better throwers of the group came to talk to me. He asked if I had played before (yes), how long (6 years), for whom (a college team in the US), and if I would like to be their coach (ummmm….). I watched them play some, and then got in for a couple points and it was clear both that they needed a coach, and that I was qualified for the position (thanks Sweets). However, they practice 30 minutes from where I live (a $5 trishaw ride each way) at 6am twice per week. I’m going to try to go tomorrow, but I don’t know how realistic that is. They are attending the Manila Spirits tournament in November, but the airplane ticket is pretty expensive. Maybe if I coach them they’ll buy my ticket or something.
Last week I met a guy from the office at lunch, and somehow we got on the topic of rafting, and he asked if anyone kayaked because he has a boat, but doesn’t know anything about whitewater. I said that I have been teaching kayaking for a long time, but that I don’t have a boat. He said that he’d find a kayak for me if I’ll teach him. But, it gets better. He then asked me if I know what a waveski is. I said yes, that I’ve been interested in waveskiing and surfkayaking for a while now, and that I’ve been looking for someone who has a waveski in Sri Lanka. Perfect. He’s agreed to take me out waveskiing if I give him and his daughter kayaking lessons. Done. I think that I will take him up on that offer ASAP.
Living alone here for the last week hasn’t been as lonely as I thought it would be. I still go to bed around 8 pm (2 hours after it gets dark) and wake up around 5am, but I have plenty of things to fill my time, and when I don’t, I read novels (something that I didn’t have nearly enough time for in the last four years). My aunt and uncle don’t get back until Wednesday because their flight got delayed, but that’s not too bad, I have a pretty good routine going. I am restarting the 100 pushup challenge on week 5 this week, those of you who started with me should get back on board too. Schissler, Rob, Chalfant, I’m looking at you.
Let me know how your life is, it’s great to hear from people back in the US and elsewhere.
Cheers,
Luke
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