Thursday, June 22, 2006
The Bare Necessities
Today I must leave the jungle.
So far I have been living in one of the AIESEC trainee houses. And the house is in the jungle. Really. There are palm trees and tall wild grass, and I have never heard so many animal sounds. Frogs and cockerels and crickets. Such odd combinations! A tiny dirt road that bends and winds and turns, and gets filled up with the monsoon rain. No lights - a challenge when battling the puddles at night. (Darkness here falls early: 6:30pm.)
I don't want to leave this jungle.
Yes, I am getting bitten to death, and my pretty shoes have been ruined by the muddy path. There are plenty of stray dogs, and little children that shriek "hiii, hiiiiiiiii!". I am told too that Sri Lankan men peer into the house at night, if windows are left open. They are not harmful, the trainees say, merely curious of our white skin colour. And inside we have tiny ants, and occasionally lizards. (It's ok - they eat the ants.)
Why do I want to stay here?
The trainees. It seems that AIESECers the world over are one and the same kind: warm, friendly, welcoming, caring, smiling, happy-go-lucky people. I have found my friends in this community.
Shek (India) touches my shoulder when he leaves; Rasmus (Denmark) eats any food that I have left. The perfect room mate - he doesn't snore! Juriaan (The Netherlands) has figured out how gullible I am, and uses this to his full advantage. (I have already been convinced that Sri Lankans eat just one meal a day.) Katia makes me tea and lets me eat her bananas.
Mandy (German) and I sing "It's commmmmming home, it's commmmmmming home" when preparing to watch a football match. Sietse (The Netherlands) lets me sit on his lap when four of us must cram into a rickshaw (or "tuk-tuk", as they are called by the trainees). Leonie (Hong Kong) gives me a tissue to press on weeping mosquito bites; Cherie (India) gave me Vicks balm to cure itching (it WORKS!).
These wonderful trainees have taken me to English pubs that serve vodka and bacon butties (essential, obviously). Juriaan drives me around on his scooter - it seems I'm addicted to the rush of riding on the back of them. (Helmetless and driven by a non-native in Sri Lanka - somewhat crazy, I know.) I have been invited to a trip to the South this weekend. And we have watched the World Cup two nights in the row - the final 8pm game airs at 12:30am here. (I'm getting good at feeling awake on 4 hours.) I can't quite believe that I've only been here for four days.
But I must leave the jungle today. I didn't arrange my internship with AIESEC, and now some new (and real) AIESEC trainees need to live in the house. AIESEC must provide their accommodation, so I must leave - it's only fair. I am going to live in an apartment rented out by a colleague's parent.
Though it's not all bad. Damitha - an AIESECer here - text me the following: "I know u like it dear, so sorry. ... It's not that I want u out." The trainees say I must do my laundry in their local launderette, so that I have an excuse to come and visit them. And Muditha (my colleague) says that she can drop me there at weekends.
They say it's people that make experiences - I won't argue with that.
So far I have been living in one of the AIESEC trainee houses. And the house is in the jungle. Really. There are palm trees and tall wild grass, and I have never heard so many animal sounds. Frogs and cockerels and crickets. Such odd combinations! A tiny dirt road that bends and winds and turns, and gets filled up with the monsoon rain. No lights - a challenge when battling the puddles at night. (Darkness here falls early: 6:30pm.)
I don't want to leave this jungle.
Yes, I am getting bitten to death, and my pretty shoes have been ruined by the muddy path. There are plenty of stray dogs, and little children that shriek "hiii, hiiiiiiiii!". I am told too that Sri Lankan men peer into the house at night, if windows are left open. They are not harmful, the trainees say, merely curious of our white skin colour. And inside we have tiny ants, and occasionally lizards. (It's ok - they eat the ants.)
Why do I want to stay here?
The trainees. It seems that AIESECers the world over are one and the same kind: warm, friendly, welcoming, caring, smiling, happy-go-lucky people. I have found my friends in this community.
Shek (India) touches my shoulder when he leaves; Rasmus (Denmark) eats any food that I have left. The perfect room mate - he doesn't snore! Juriaan (The Netherlands) has figured out how gullible I am, and uses this to his full advantage. (I have already been convinced that Sri Lankans eat just one meal a day.) Katia makes me tea and lets me eat her bananas.
Mandy (German) and I sing "It's commmmmming home, it's commmmmmming home" when preparing to watch a football match. Sietse (The Netherlands) lets me sit on his lap when four of us must cram into a rickshaw (or "tuk-tuk", as they are called by the trainees). Leonie (Hong Kong) gives me a tissue to press on weeping mosquito bites; Cherie (India) gave me Vicks balm to cure itching (it WORKS!).
These wonderful trainees have taken me to English pubs that serve vodka and bacon butties (essential, obviously). Juriaan drives me around on his scooter - it seems I'm addicted to the rush of riding on the back of them. (Helmetless and driven by a non-native in Sri Lanka - somewhat crazy, I know.) I have been invited to a trip to the South this weekend. And we have watched the World Cup two nights in the row - the final 8pm game airs at 12:30am here. (I'm getting good at feeling awake on 4 hours.) I can't quite believe that I've only been here for four days.
But I must leave the jungle today. I didn't arrange my internship with AIESEC, and now some new (and real) AIESEC trainees need to live in the house. AIESEC must provide their accommodation, so I must leave - it's only fair. I am going to live in an apartment rented out by a colleague's parent.
Though it's not all bad. Damitha - an AIESECer here - text me the following: "I know u like it dear, so sorry. ... It's not that I want u out." The trainees say I must do my laundry in their local launderette, so that I have an excuse to come and visit them. And Muditha (my colleague) says that she can drop me there at weekends.
They say it's people that make experiences - I won't argue with that.
Comments:
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Hey Sam,
Sounds like you're having fun, and it is so strange that Vicks seems to stop thew itching! Even though my mosquito bites from that barbeque were not as bad as yours, they are yet to fade, can't imagine what yours will be like! miss you lots xxx
Sounds like you're having fun, and it is so strange that Vicks seems to stop thew itching! Even though my mosquito bites from that barbeque were not as bad as yours, they are yet to fade, can't imagine what yours will be like! miss you lots xxx
# posted by 
: 2:04 am
: 2:04 am
Mine look like bullet wounds, it's terrible Cem! The Vicks is amazing - basically, it gives your skin a cooling burning sensation (that's the menthol), and nerve endings are confused - the burning sensation replaces the itch, but don't worry, it's mild. GET SOME! ;) xx
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