Anniversary Surprise!

Nope the anniversary has nothing to do with my love life. :p

Exactly a year ago today (20th May 2016) I and my fellow batch mates submitted our 4th year theses to the University of Colombo. As part of my thesis on the f***ing amazing YouTube series, Lizzie Bennet Diaries, I maintained a blog called A Cross Media Thesis. 

Due to concerns from my lecturers, I had to make it private. Now, a year later, I'm making it public again so that people will read it and hopefully fall in love with LBD all over again. It has been 5 years since it first revolutionized transmedia narratives on YouTube and I want people to remember just how great a series it was.

So, happy reading and happy viewing everyone!

Read my blog here

Watch The Lizzie Bennet Diaries here

No, I'm Not Back

Says Dorothy, "There's no place like home"

When I saw the last 'posted' date, I was shocked. 27th February??? Why on earth haven't I written anything on this blog since then?

The truth is that I haven't traveled anywhere new this year. 2017 has been... different. Every month when I try to plan a trip, something happens and I have to cancel. It has also been a very difficult year. I lost two people very close to me, one of whom was family and someone I miss every single day. What with the funerals and the subsequent dhaanes (alms givings), I have not had time to go on a pleasure trip.

It has also been a difficult year professionally. While I love what I do for a living, I have had to realize that love for a job alone is not enough - you also need emotional maturity. You have to be able to walk into a class, face the toughest, least interested children in the world (or so it feels) and still have 100% enthusiasm and energy for the next class. That takes patience. And guts. And tons of tea.

I know this sounds like a bunch of excuses and yes, you're right. They are. This blog post is to let you know that my life has been a little too busy to be #budgetingto anywhere and it will probably be that way for a while to come. I will definitely blog about my next trip - it will be severely BUDGET - so keep your eye on those feeds! Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or subscribe to this blog down below.

Have a wonderful rest-of-the-year you guys, and watch out for some exciting news soon about... well, you'll see ;)

-Asuka

Bobbing Among the Mangroves at Madu Ganga

It's been awhile and it's strange to be back.

It's strange because it feels petty to be writing about travels and budgeting when I'm still mourning the passing of a loved one.

But life goes on. I see it everyday as the sun comes up, as the children I teach scream and shout and as the crickets start chirping at night.

Captain's Boat House

So here we go.

Unfortunately, I haven't gone #budgetingto anywhere recently. So I had to dust this one off of  my memories and write it out. Excuse any mistakes - I'm as dusty as this experience. Also, I'm not offering the usual cost breakdown because I honestly don't remember. All I remember is that there were 4 of us and it cost us LKR 1500 each at the boat house and about LKR 500 more for other expenses.

On a bright and sunny Saturday, 4 of us decided to grab a car and drive down to Captain's Boat House in Balapitiya, on the banks of the Madu river. If you are Googling it, it will come up as Gangabada Asiriya on the map.

Our sojourn to Maduganga via Google maps

Bobbing along

There are plenty of other places alongside the Maduganga that offers boat rides, but this seemed the most establlished and trustworthy, and we were right; the guy who took us on the ride was careful and very respectful of the flora and fauna surrounding the river and had a s*** ton of knowledge about everything.

We took the Southern Highway, starting early morning. You have to take the Kurundugahahetekma exit (couple of exits before Galle) which leads on to the Ambalangoda road. Keep following the lovely lady on Google to reach your destination :)

ඉස්සෝ කොටු (Shrimp traps) 

Call the 'Captain' a day or two early to give him the numbers so he can arrange lunch. They're used to large parties but are happy to accommodate small groups of friends too. We were swept away on the boat up and down Maduganga and we ended up having fish massage our feet, we saw traditional shrimp traps dripping with soot and coconut oil and we visited 2 small islands on the river where we downloaded some info on the cinnamon trade and visited an old temple.

The trip is more than worth it because it is a side of Sri Lanka we don't get to see very often. The river is calm and quiet, reminding all visitors of what paradise could be like, if only we allow it.

Cormorant

Very ticklish!

All photo credits go to S. Randeniye

*All pictures are subject to copyright © Asuka Randeniye 2017

Trash: Why I Hate Nature Hikes Sometimes

Hey everyone! Since I haven't been on any trips yet this year (#budgetingto or otherwise) I was kinda at a loss to decide what to write - and then it hit me. 

KABOOM!

Trash.

And not just any trash either. I'm talking about the disgusting plastic and polythene stuff that is left behind by my fellow (I'm ashamed to admit it) human beings. I have thought long and hard about it and I've come up with some reasons why people feel compelled to litter where they shouldn't. Just to be clear, I'm not talking about cities and towns. That's to be expected since that's where we live. I'm talking about Mother Nature with a capital MOTHER. Yeah, that's where we litter. 

Anyways...

Reason #1: Our Kindergarten/Nursery/Montessori Teachers

Bits of paper, bits of paper

Lying all around, lying all around

Makes the place untidy, makes the  place untidy

Pick them up, pick them up.

Being a teacher myself, I completely accept that our students don't like listening, learning or paying any damn attention to us. But we still try to teach them all the right stuff. Don't fight. Don't be mean. Don't litter. But when our KG teachers teach us the above song, you can understand why they grow up to become nasty human beings who go to Ravana Falls and leave shampoo sachets and water bottles in the water. Bits of paper??? Teach them to pick EVERYTHING up, dammit! EVRYTHING! Otherwise, we end up with this:

Spot the Coke, Sprite and water bottle if you can

Why do you need a toothbrush???

Everybody picked up the paper. They forgot the polythene. Well done teachers.

Reason #2: We Mark Our Territory

Dogs and cats piss around their homes as a sign, "Don't come near my territory or you'll be sent home with an ear missing." Now either human urine doesn't smell that strong (coz I've seen men urinate in all kinds of weird-ass places) or we needed a better way to mark our territory. And some genius thought, why don't we leave behind our litter? Y'know, like Hansel & Gretel with the breadcrumbs except they were in mortal danger??? Idk why, but people seem incapable of keeping their polythene bags, lunch sheets, toffee wrappers, chewing gums, bottles and whatnot to themselves. Instead they throw them out of trains, cars and alongside the road:

These are from my Pattipola railway hike last December, on the way to the railway summit. We were unfortunately too busy to take pictures later, but our campsite was more like a dumpsite. We had to clear away rubbish for 4 f***ing hours before we could put up our tent. What's more, we saw soiled baby diapers, panties, boxers, handkerchiefs, lunch sheets, lunch boxes and the list goes on. Eww.

Reason #3: We are an Evolutionary Dead End

Bear with me here. We learn over and over again from the media, from schools, from elders and the internet that harming Nature is bad. Littering causes pollution and damage to the environment which in turn can kick our asses eventually. But we never learn. Case in point: we saw the disappointing Bambarakanda Falls in December and underneath the viewing platform was a whole slew of beer cans and arrack bottles, because it's really smart to get drunk near water. Well done humans!

See it?

When a rat realizes that there is a trap in the kitchen, it avoids it. When a dog gets a treat after performing a trick, it will repeat the trick. Basically, animals adapt in order to survive. We don't. If we keep littering despite all the warning signs and the information, then clearly we are pathologically incapable of learning and adapting, which means we are an evolutionary dead end. Man will soon be unable to survive their toxic environment and we will die in the same sh*t we helped to create.

Happy surviving everyone!

Adieu Jaffna! (Part 3)

The 3rd and final day we spent in Jaffna was idyllic as far as trips go. We explored a lot, we ate our full and we came back wanting more. Let me be short and sweet and use pictures to describe our last day.

(Also 'coz I'm writing this in a hurry and I don't have a lot of time)

Breakfast was at the lovely Thal Sevana resort run by the Sri Lankan army. We had string hoppers with fish curry and... what's English for kiri hodi?

Afterwards we contacted 2 tuk-tuk drivers through the hotel and decided to sight see a bit. Our train wasn't due to leave till 1 PM and we could see the station a few metres in front of the hotel on the land side so we decided to head off - there was no possibility of missing the train, after all. FYI, the hotel has some AWESOME old-time carts in their collection.

The history nerd in me swooned

The model boat @ Dambakola Patuna

The tuk-tuks took us first to Dambakola Patuna an ancient port made famous by the arrival of Therani Sangamitta from India with a sapling from the sacred Bo tree for planting in Sri Lanka. The legend is required (sometimes forced) learning in all government schools, so most of us know and learn the story as historical fact. I was rather disappointed by how much 'mainstream' history seemed to have been imposed on the area; the temple at Dambakola Patuna was maintained and administered by the Navy and has been rebuilt into quite a compound complete with a working model of Therani Sangamitta's boat. I saw very little evidence of the rich history underlying the Jaffna kingdom. Even I only know about the Aryachakravarti dynasty, and I know there's a lot more to it than that.

View of the sea and port

After enjoying a cup of belimal at the Navy store, we decided to go to the Keerimalai pond, the magical bathing places which are separated from the sea by a mere wall but contain fresh water. There are 2 separate bathing areas for men and women, and the women's one is secluded. Since it was empty, I took the liberty of taking a few pics. Here's what the water looks like:

Keerimalai pond

We did want to go check out Nilavarai Bottomless well but were too tired and was running out of time so we went back to the hotel and relaxed a bit along the beach. The younger ones in the party decided to explore a food truck parked a little way away, and discovered that it sold kottu! Me being me, I badgered everyone into trying a kottu and it wasn't half bad. 

We'd asked the hotel to pack us lunches to take on the train since it would be evening by the time we reached Pettah. This time, I did take pictures:

The fish roll was in my stomach by that time :)

The train journey back was much more interesting than the one coming in because it was daytime and we could see everything. I wish I could've been on the roof of the train as we passed Elephant Pass because we went down a thin railway track with the sea on both sides and I could've taken a great picture. 

I fell asleep somewhere around Kilinochchi and didn't wake up till we came to Pettah around 8 PM. The trip was a blast, and I'm looking forward to another visit. 

See you again with another trip soon!

*All pictures are subject to copyright © Asuka Randeniye 2017

Exploring Jaffna Town (Part 2)

Nallur Kovil

Once we got back onto shore (we were charged LKR 30 per head) we decided that it was time for lunch. A friend of mine had recommended Hotel Rolex for lunch with the promise that we were gonna be blown away. 

She was right. 

It's a narrow building with stainless steel food counters running down a long aisle which leads to a back room; said back room has tables for diners. It was heaving with people when we walked in, especially young teenagers. The meals are sooo affordable there. My mother and I shared a seafood rice plate actually packed with seafood and it was only LKR 500. The chicken fried rice was cooked with real butter and it was just LKR 400. Mind you, the portions were so huge that we all shared 1 dish between 2 people and it was still too much for us. We stuffed our face (and forgot photos).

MY ice cream - look at the treacle!

For dessert we went to... *drum roll... RIO! Rio ice cream is a popular and historic Jaffna establishment that survived decades of conflict. Now, I have tried ice creams from many different places in Sri Lanka, Japan and Singapore. NOTHING comes even close to the heaven I tasted at Rio, Jaffna. My mother and I had a kitul treacle and nut sundae while the others opted for chocolate stuff. Divine and yu-mmy!

Chocolate glory with wafer stick

Bellies full and sated, we decided to go to the famous Nallur kovil. We had to wait a few minutes before the front doors were opened at 3 PM and then the women went inside; the men, being prudes, didn't want to remove their T shirts (however, they are very comfortable watching women shed clothes on the internet. Wonder why?).

The atmosphere inside was very calm and serene. It's not easy for a religious institution to become famous, popular and still maintain such a spiritual atmosphere because sooner or later, it becomes a tourist attraction. Nallur kovil did though. Despite being one of the landmarks of Jaffna and having large crowds every day, the massive compound was silent save for murmured prayers.

Nallur kovil has a distinctive colour that sets it apart from other kovils

The inside was cavernous and breathtaking. The decorations were so delicate and detailed, covered in gold paint that somehow gave everything a magical, shimmery quality. I regretted not knowing enough about the Hindu religion because I couldn't figure out the back stories of all the murals and statues. If you ever decide to go, take someone with you who knows these things.

Jaffna Fort

We had a long drive towards KKS (Kankasathurei) at the top of the Jaffna peninsula where we would stay the night at 'Thal Sevana', the Army-run guest house. So we decided to make the visit to the Jaffna Fort quick. Initially built by the Portuguese, it was expanded and improved upon by the Dutch. Most of the remains speak to Dutch origins and we were happy to see that the architecture department seemed to have taken over the site and was running it as a dig site. We could still go in, and climb up onto the ramparts. 

Main Entrance

More ruins

Ruins

Ramparts

The walls were made of lime and stone but interspersed with coral, no doubt taken from the sea which was only a few hundred metres away. From up there we could see the whole of Jaffna town, including the infamous library. Unfortunately, we couldn't go see the library since it was closed.

The  stones in the middle are coral blocks

After spending a good hour there, we got back into the van and moved off towards KKS. It was a long drive of about 1 hour, and we were sure glad to see the lights of the rest house in front of us. 

We went to a couple of places the next day too, but that's for the next post. Till next time!

*All pictures are subject to copyright © Asuka Randeniye 2016

Jaffna: The Forgotten Kingdom (Part 1)

We arrive in Jaffna!

Going to Jaffna has always been a dream for me. I always thought it was a shame that we didn't learn more about the history of that ancient kingdom in school. For most of my life, it was mired in conflict and when it was finally safe to go, there was always something that stopped me; the family was busy, transport was crappy, there was no proper accommodation. But 7 years after the war ended, I finally went to Jaffna and it was... different.

Jaffna station in the morning light

This one wasn't a budget trip because it was sponsored by the adults in our life. Although I paid for snacks and a few tickets, most of the expenses accrued were handled by those with bigger paychecks than mine. So, I'll give you guys the expenses, but remember, this trip wasn't cheap.

We booked tickets in the night mail train to Jaffna from Pettah, the train leaving at 8.30 PM. The ticket costs LKR 1400 per person for first class; less in 2nd and 3rd. Mind you, first class is sooo comfy. I slept like a baby all the way.

We turned up in Jaffna around 6AM and was met by a van we hired for the day. It cost us LKR 6000 for the day and we pretty much covered everything there was to see within the town. Public transport isn't too bad, but I highly recommend hiring a vehicle simply because it makes the sight-seeing much easier.

 

View from the road to Nagadeepa

 I don't know what I was expecting from Jaffna but I was  pleasantly surprised. It felt familiar, almost like a transplant  of Pettah. The only difference was that everything was in  Tamil and made me feel very inadequate that I didn't know  one of the 2 official languages of my country. Everything  else though was very picturesque.

 We had breakfast at the Tilko Jaffna City Hotel because our  parents were a little put off by the 'saivar' places open at that  hour. The hotel had a decent breakfast buffet, coffee/tea  included. They had a mix of local and Western fare for LKR  700 per head. It's pricey but clean and the bathrooms were  fantastic.

 We set off immediately afterwards for Nagadeepa, the island  temple made famous as one of the places visited by Lord  Buddha. Nagadeepa is only accessible by a rickety old ferry,  which is always crowded so aim to go there as early as  possible. 

We stopped at the Densil Kobbekaduwa memorial on the way. There is a monument and the remains of the vehicle he was in when his car bomb went off. It's a desolate place, surrounded on three sides by marshland with two soldiers on duty. In fact, there were soldiers in most of the historical and cultural places we went to see, even though we studiously avoided any places that were associated with the war, like old bunkers.

The Kobbekaduwa Memorial

The boat ride to Nagdeepa was a bit disappointing. Passengers are given life jackets and shoved down into the hold of an old wooden boat; we saw nothing of the sea while we were in it. We didn't even know what direction we were going in. But I have to say, they did bring us in safely.

From the pier to Nagadeepa temple

Nagadeepa is quite frankly, an extravaganza. There is a main road running down the length of the island, and the temple is on either side. The old temple was filled with photos and memorabilia of how Nagadeepa used to be before the reconstruction; call me a romantic, but I thought the simplicity looked better on it than the gold plated fences that now adorn the temple boundaries.

We walked to the other end of the island, where the ferries gather at another pier to take us back. After a short wait, we went back into the boats, and emerged on the mainland. They charge LKR 30 per head one-way btw.

I know this has been short, but I wanna spend as much time as possible reliving Jaffna so next up: lunch at the famous Hotel Rolex.

See you guys next Monday!