*Transcribed*
After all the checkpoints, we didn’t have enough time to make it to the Mullaitivu border and back. I must say, the checkpoints weren’t one tenth as bad as what people were preparing me for! We came to Jaffna for the night and we’ll probably be here tomorrow as well. Driving around Jaffna, it’s sad to see the destruction here that has been caused by the civil war. Most of the houses are dilapidated and ruined. All these people have been displaced, but not by the Tsunami. If this country can come together at this critical time, this could be the opportunity of a lifetime to rebuild not only the affected areas, but the whole place. Who was it who said “Opportunity knocks once.”? I was just thinking how the amount of natural resources here is incredible and in what other country do you have such a variety of terrain and climates in such a small place? This country has the potential to be such an amazing place. I can see why it was called “The Paradise of the East” and “The Pearl of the Indian Ocean”. This place has gone through such hardship for a long time. This event could very well be a blessing in disguise if people can just get their priorities straight and get organized. I’m just afraid that this vast amount of funding is going to be mismanaged and things will VERY sadly remain the same. I’m really praying this will not be the case. I could go on about this, but let’s move on to a less depressing topic:
I just met my grandmother’s younger sister. My grandmother (Ammah) looks younger than she does, so I thought this one was the oldest. Ammah’s other sisters look a lot like her, but this one looks a little different. Once I saw her mannerisms though, they were exactly like Ammah’s. The best one that struck me was: during our conversation, not while I was speaking, but while SHE was speaking, in the middle of her sentence she just got up and walked off. I looked at Jacob and started laughing. There was no “excuse me”, “I have something on the stove”, “wait a minute”, nothing. In the middle of her sentence she just got up and walked away. She never even came back to tell me the rest of her thought! This was too funny. My grandmother often randomly hangs up the phone while I’m in the middle of a story. At least she doesn’t hang up while she’s talking!