Pallama

                  Concerts are common to all kinds of schools, high schools , universities and other  firms, when the time I was in Mahailluppallama sub campus university of Peradeniya we also had a nice concert called Pallama. The specialty of the Pallama is outside helps are not allowed, means ; no musical groups can be involved, no other professional singers or actors are allowed on the stage.

                 If it says in simple words stage also should be made using simple non cost materials. But the show is very popular among villagers, and the staff members of university of Peradeniya . Normally pallama is scheduled on 30^th  or 31^st   of December. But when we prepare to our Pallama the faculty (faculty of agriculture) forced us not to do Pallama this time. The reason for that was the senior batch had spend lot of money for Pallama.

                                            Anyhow with the help of our senior batch and some staff members we were allowed to do Pallama show. fortunately I also was a member of Pallama organizing committee. We planned lots of events to perform as in a usual show, but the most difficult things came behind us, the most conflict problem was to built the stage…… 

                            We thought about number of methods but all of them were not practical. Suddenly a tractor went opposite to us on the road, it gave a hint to make the stage on tractor trailers. Yes finally the 08/09 Pallama stage was established on three tractor trailers astonishing the visitors.

I should say that the staff and temporarily staff gave us a great support to make our dream true, with the kind help of the 07/08 batch and our batch mates we were able to present a wonderful Pallama show.

Mr Madushan was the main organizer of our show Mr Dinushka ,Mr  malintha, Mr Mahesh, Mr Omal and I were with Madushan in the committee.

                   How ever at the end of the Pallama so many funny things happened which can’t mention on this blog….. J J  J          J     pallama video

Wild Flowers......

                    Does Sri Lanka provide free education for all citizens equally….? If someone asks so definitely the answercould be nope. As we say in Sinhala  “Colombata kiri Gamata Kekiri”  the best opportunities are always waiting for the urbans. But is that fair …? Have to think twice …..//  education and health is totally free in Sri Lanka, this free services are provided by the government by collecting taxes from the nation. Every lope of bread we consume , every liter of fuel we burn taxes are added to provide free education and health…..  

                         

                                 Urban people , rural people both pay taxes similarly, though ……………………..?? yes though rurals are lack of their basic needs yet.., no point of arguing on this point that’s why we decided to conduct a small seminar program for the students who are in G.C.E O/L classes.

               Mr Buddhika the president of student union of faculty of agriculture invited me and few other my colleagues to do the seminar program mentioned above. We accepted the invitation warmly, and try to find a school which actually requires our service. Meanwhile Mr Dhananjaya (secretary  of peradeniya students union) said that lets begin the program from his school named Maneruwa Maha Vidyalaya.

                                      The way to Maneruwa village was so hard to cross, there are only two buses from Dambulla to Maneruwa, if someone missed the bus he would wait until the next sun.

                             Our team was six in number , Mr Dhananjaya provided us accommodations, as the villagers heard the news of our arrival they’ve prepared meals for whole period which we were looking to stay there. Though Maneruwa is categorized as a very rural village she has the characteristic Rajarata beauty(Rajarata is the area which old Sinhala kingdoms were, ruled by kings specially in dry zone)

Maneruwa tank , and the paddy fields down there shows the pover of those villagers will, because it’s not an easy work to fight with the Earth.

                      Very first day of the seminar was come, all of us were transported to the school by Mr Dhananjaya. Mr Dhanapala the principal of the school warmly welcome us, we followed the principal to the main hall where was ready for the seminar. Grade 10 and 11 students (about 60)  were there very silently waiting for us, actually I’d like to say that, we have also been in O/L classes when we school, but not with such a silent….. these brothers and sisters haven’t seen a university yet, thus they might try to seen it from us, that was how I realized their politeness.

                           First day was scheduled for maths, Madushanka conducted the lesson, with the help of PSU (peradeniya students union) all tutes were printed on A4 sheets and we distributed them among the students, I was surprised after heard what they said , “this is the first time that we got a question paper which is printed in an A4 sheet, after grade 5 scholarship) 

                  They paid their full attention to us during the two days, but the sad thing was majority of the students very poor for maths and science.  They don’t even know how to add minus numbers and plus numbers L L. Then we separated the class in to two groups and taught basic maths for one group and the tute was conducted for the other group. For these two days villagers highly appreciated us , they had prepared morning and evening tea for us extra to the meals.

                       In the next day I did the science paper, though these students lack of basic knowledge of maths they have the thinking power as mush as the best students. At the end of the seminar we gave two little gifts to two students who solves the summations given from the early lesson in each day. The principal and the venerable Thero gave presents to the students… J   J 

                They didn’t forget to treat us with a song or two when both parties got tiered, and at the end of the seminar program we had a little discussion and intended them to enter to the university……………//

Mr Dhananjaya

       

Mission Impossible

                

                 Students who were selected to the faculty of agriculture university of Peradeniya should stay in Mahailluppallama for six months to complete their practicals (the whole first semester).By  the first visits anyone will be frighten after see the place which has given to live for a semester…. Yes true when I was selected to the faculty of agriculture I also had that terrible , unforgettable ,the most sweetest experiences in my life.

                              

                                    The entrance to MI(mahailluppallama) is on 11km away from Kekirawa in Thalawa - Kekirawa road.As usually I and my father came to the MI junction with the turning of the vehical into the subcampus Mahailluppallama my heart was going out of beat with a little fear. Actually MI was located in a governments(Department of Agriculture) seed farm called  Mahailluppallama Seed Farm which was extended about 1200 acres.

                From the MI junction we went on a kaput road to our hostels…… Im not think twice to tell, that was the most beautiful scenery I have seen in the Dry Zone. I felt that I’m walking on a green carpet which was put along the whole area, yes it was so beautiful, can’t explain in words. Newly grown paddy fields were in the both sides of the road, areca nut trees were standing with the road just like receptionists to welcome us.

Then the van entered to a huge grassland which looks like Ambewela New Zealand Farm, every one was astonished thinking the presence of such a place in Anuradhapura. After a ten minutes tiredless way we were on the hostels entrance. The way to hostels from the entrance was along a mango forest, various types of ripened mangos were there as it was august.

                             Boys and girls hostels were separately. I was registered to the first hostel out of the three. Four students were stayed in a room, Pavithra ,Madushan, Sameera and I were in second room.

Everyone had come to MI with their parents except one , he is Pradeep who was sent by Special Task Force (sri lankan police) as a student. With the leaving of parents felt that wewere alone, MI was a terrible place with lot of mosquitoes and saline water. The situation was very similar from the girls hostel too.

With the fed up minds we were called for the first meeting in MI at 6 pm in common hall (place where kept for dining, gathering). The incharge of the MI sub campus senior lecturer Mr Ranbanda gave a speech releasing our home sick. There were some amazing things in RB sirs speech, one of them is the whole semester will go on food committees which is done by students themselves. With more details sir explained it ;

          

                                     “ 12 or 15 students can form a food committee, 7 boys and 7 girls should be there. Every Sunday food committees change. Every Friday the boys in the food committee should go to Dambulla market and bring food items( rice, vegetables and others for a week period) for your easiness you can use Mr Kiribandas lorry to travel. Girls are supposed to do serving of foods.”

           Then we appointed a batch representator, a treasurer …………… like some posts.  

                         Next day was somewhat familiar than yesterday, for first week the university has given us food thus still we didn’t feel the real MI life. In the noon some staff members and demonstrators were in the common hall to address us. Mr Athauda who is the proctor and animal science lecturer address us and he explained how we should be in MI…….. ,. As we were still new to MI, a life skill development program was prepared for all students., it improved our inter communication skills , leadership, and had a lot of fun for a week.

                     English pre intensive course was started after the life skill program, it was run for a month. Within this period all students are supposed to get familiar with the foot cycles which they’ve brought ( everyone had to bring a cycle and a mosquito net when come to MI), girls took the priority here ;)

In the 10^th of October our academics were started, I’m still remember that lecturer Mrs Ramya Malkanthi gave us the first lecture in university life, it was about crop science..    J

                                    Academics were somewhat difficult because there were practicals twice a week. Every Tuesday and Thursday practicals were scheduled, according to the schedule everyone is supposed to be in the field before 8 am, therefore  four hours were waiting on every Tuesday and Thursday to get our service. In the first week more than 25%of the batch were sick by the hard working ; there we had to cultivate 45 crops including rice , onion ,carrot , pumpkin ,gourds finger millets, sesame, corn ,sunflower ,soyabean………..  J J J

                        With the time no more patients were recorded, everyone enjoyed the practicals and had a plenty of mental happiness looking at the crops that we’ve cropped. The Mi six months were gone in the speed of the light, in 14^th march the 08/09 batch (us) was send to Peradeniya for other seven semesters keeping the most sensitive memories of our lives……… //

   

               

Mirissa

                 While travelling along Galle road there can be seen a small fishing village called Mirissa  5km  to matara  from Weligama. Major occupation of villagers is fishing, as so the village posses the largest fishing harbor in the area. I’m very proudly say that Mirissa is my hometown.

                      Tourism also take a major role in the villagers income earning process. Giragala , Garanduwa lagoon, ancient weheragalla temple(Buddhist) , and the breathtaking beach attract foreigners. Mirissa is world famous as it’s a best place to watch Whales, and a paradise for wave surfing.

             
                           Year 2004 was a very fruitfull one to the villagers as lots of foreigners came to the village but the happy which they earned in 2004 couldn’t be able to continue to the next year. At 9.20 am of 24^th December in 2004 the tsunami wave hit the village and carried out thousands of villagers and tourisms who were in the beach at that time. Hundreds of buildings were vanished within one minute.

               It says that the tsunami wave had come to a hight of fifteen feet, anyhow nature couldn’t break down the villagers will though it broken all physical assets. Within one year period Mirissa was built as the morning which it was in 24^th December before the wave come.

                       

                               Now all are in happy they don’t even feel they were affected by the cruelty of the nature. Protecting the name of down south Mirissa contributes to the National Income……………………..