Finally (11/08/06)
Sorry it’s taken this long to get the first post up but hey it took this long. That’s how long this takes.
I have had an interesting run of experiences on this trip so far, some fun some not so fun.
I want to thank Charlotte and her Fiancé’ Luke for taking me around London and showing me a LOT of London in a short amount of time. Charlotte took me to the British Museum, Leicester Square, Trafalgar Square, up and down the Thames, the Tate Modern (amazing space with fantastic work coming and going in it) numerous bridges and sadly only one pub. I had a plane to catch so drinking my way through London was out of the question on this stop. I had a blast.
Sri Lanka, I landed in Sri Lanka around 2 in the afternoon and headed straight to my friend Melissa’s apartment where I had arranged to trade dinner and drinks for a spot on the couch for one night. Upon my arrival to her apartment I learned that she wasn’t there, no one knew where she was and no one had heard of me. Luckily her roommate (who was leaving the country that night) vouched for me and I was allowed in and stayed the night on the floor. At 4:30 am my cab pulled in and I left not knowing what the hell happened to her. Turns out she’s fine, she had missed a flight back into Sri Lanka herself and had no way of contacting me. At least that’s her story. The truth is that this was the most elaborate way of standing me up for dinner that any woman has ever attempted. She could have just said no. Again proof that the ladies love me. They leave the country when I am in town.
Male’,
The Maldives is an amazing place, the islands here are far more beautiful than Hawaii, the water is warmer and clearer than any I have ever seen, the people are friendly and helpful, its quite strange. Nothing like New York at all. Actually it’s more densely populated than NYC. Male’ is something like 2 km square and has nearly 90,000 people living here. Coming from Sri Lanka, Male’ is very first world. The streets are very clean, EVERYONE is on a cell phone, almost everyone speaks English, and well. I know that reads like a dumb American wrote that. But it’s true.
One of the coolest things to me is that I have never been to a Muslim country before. Sri Lanka is mostly Buddhist and Christian with some Hindu and Muslim in the mix, my first morning here I woke up when the prayer calls where being made and it was beautiful. Don’t get me wrong, after “sleeping” on planes and on the bare floor I was not thrilled to wake up early EARLY in the morning to anything but it is a beautiful sound. I could get used to it here.
However, like anywhere else, if you look you will find things that your not supposed to see. Like the large and growing drug problems here amongst the younger generations. Heroin is big here, strangely so is drinking perfume. Alcohol is forbidden by law (entirely Muslim country), like everything else illegal, if people want it they will have it.
One of the biggest concerns among Youth oriented groups (like UNICEF) is the drug problem. The kids here literally have nothing to do, so many end up using drugs, or drinking “cola water”, perfume and the like. This is rapidly becoming an epidemic and the government wants to stop it but can’t seem to get in under control. According to the Narcotics Control Board here, on average the first time user is 12-13 years old.
One member of UNICEF here has heard from a school official that up to 70% of his students are users. Many people her think the reason the government cannot get this under control is because those that are paid to stop it are making more money by not stopping it. The president has held power here since 1978. According to the state run media, by democratic elections despite the, up until very recently, one party system that he controls. It is damn hard to lose when you’re the only one playing. I have been told that the port here has one of the most sophisticated screening equipment in the world, yet drugs are given away free to kids in staggering quantities.
If I want to get a beer I have to jump in a boat, ride out about 10 minutes to the airport island (everything has an island here) to sit at the airport bar for a drink, but I can walk outside my hotel and get heroin. Strangely despite the amount of drug abuse, crime is very very low here. Especially compared to any other city with this kind of density.
I don’t want you to read this and think that the Maldives is some drug-addled hellhole; it is a stunningly beautiful, clean, friendly place. Most tourists would never know that any of this exists, mostly because they are never here. When you land you head out to the boat going to your particular resort or island and you leave there only when you are leaving the country. Hell you need permission to travel inter-island unless you are Maldivian. You actually need to have someone claim responsibility for you in order to stay on any of the islands. In most cases the Resorts assume responsibility.
This island is an enigma to say the least.
The class.
Tomorrow is the first day of class. I cannot possibly translate how excited I am. I am nervous as hell though. It seems as though there will be as many people, officials and interested parties “stopping by” to see my teaching “methods” and see that the kids are doing than there will be students. Not too much pressure huh?
The purpose of the class is to teach the students to use photography to address the major issues that they are dealing with as young Maldivians. Be it, the unemployment, the drugs, the tsunami itself, the recent political upheavals, there is a lot going on here that these students can go after. I am very excited to see what they want to shoot.
I have planned and scrapped about 10 different ideas for teaching the students, I realize that until I know what I am dealing with to worry to much about it just means I sleep less.
I need to get back to work, write me if want to at the website address and I will do my best to get back to you.
I still don’t know when I am heading back, I could be back as soon as the 20th but I doubt it.
Damn that is one long ramble. Sorry again.
Take care,
David
I have had an interesting run of experiences on this trip so far, some fun some not so fun.
I want to thank Charlotte and her Fiancé’ Luke for taking me around London and showing me a LOT of London in a short amount of time. Charlotte took me to the British Museum, Leicester Square, Trafalgar Square, up and down the Thames, the Tate Modern (amazing space with fantastic work coming and going in it) numerous bridges and sadly only one pub. I had a plane to catch so drinking my way through London was out of the question on this stop. I had a blast.
Sri Lanka, I landed in Sri Lanka around 2 in the afternoon and headed straight to my friend Melissa’s apartment where I had arranged to trade dinner and drinks for a spot on the couch for one night. Upon my arrival to her apartment I learned that she wasn’t there, no one knew where she was and no one had heard of me. Luckily her roommate (who was leaving the country that night) vouched for me and I was allowed in and stayed the night on the floor. At 4:30 am my cab pulled in and I left not knowing what the hell happened to her. Turns out she’s fine, she had missed a flight back into Sri Lanka herself and had no way of contacting me. At least that’s her story. The truth is that this was the most elaborate way of standing me up for dinner that any woman has ever attempted. She could have just said no. Again proof that the ladies love me. They leave the country when I am in town.
Male’,
The Maldives is an amazing place, the islands here are far more beautiful than Hawaii, the water is warmer and clearer than any I have ever seen, the people are friendly and helpful, its quite strange. Nothing like New York at all. Actually it’s more densely populated than NYC. Male’ is something like 2 km square and has nearly 90,000 people living here. Coming from Sri Lanka, Male’ is very first world. The streets are very clean, EVERYONE is on a cell phone, almost everyone speaks English, and well. I know that reads like a dumb American wrote that. But it’s true.
One of the coolest things to me is that I have never been to a Muslim country before. Sri Lanka is mostly Buddhist and Christian with some Hindu and Muslim in the mix, my first morning here I woke up when the prayer calls where being made and it was beautiful. Don’t get me wrong, after “sleeping” on planes and on the bare floor I was not thrilled to wake up early EARLY in the morning to anything but it is a beautiful sound. I could get used to it here.
However, like anywhere else, if you look you will find things that your not supposed to see. Like the large and growing drug problems here amongst the younger generations. Heroin is big here, strangely so is drinking perfume. Alcohol is forbidden by law (entirely Muslim country), like everything else illegal, if people want it they will have it.
One of the biggest concerns among Youth oriented groups (like UNICEF) is the drug problem. The kids here literally have nothing to do, so many end up using drugs, or drinking “cola water”, perfume and the like. This is rapidly becoming an epidemic and the government wants to stop it but can’t seem to get in under control. According to the Narcotics Control Board here, on average the first time user is 12-13 years old.
One member of UNICEF here has heard from a school official that up to 70% of his students are users. Many people her think the reason the government cannot get this under control is because those that are paid to stop it are making more money by not stopping it. The president has held power here since 1978. According to the state run media, by democratic elections despite the, up until very recently, one party system that he controls. It is damn hard to lose when you’re the only one playing. I have been told that the port here has one of the most sophisticated screening equipment in the world, yet drugs are given away free to kids in staggering quantities.
If I want to get a beer I have to jump in a boat, ride out about 10 minutes to the airport island (everything has an island here) to sit at the airport bar for a drink, but I can walk outside my hotel and get heroin. Strangely despite the amount of drug abuse, crime is very very low here. Especially compared to any other city with this kind of density.
I don’t want you to read this and think that the Maldives is some drug-addled hellhole; it is a stunningly beautiful, clean, friendly place. Most tourists would never know that any of this exists, mostly because they are never here. When you land you head out to the boat going to your particular resort or island and you leave there only when you are leaving the country. Hell you need permission to travel inter-island unless you are Maldivian. You actually need to have someone claim responsibility for you in order to stay on any of the islands. In most cases the Resorts assume responsibility.
This island is an enigma to say the least.
The class.
Tomorrow is the first day of class. I cannot possibly translate how excited I am. I am nervous as hell though. It seems as though there will be as many people, officials and interested parties “stopping by” to see my teaching “methods” and see that the kids are doing than there will be students. Not too much pressure huh?
The purpose of the class is to teach the students to use photography to address the major issues that they are dealing with as young Maldivians. Be it, the unemployment, the drugs, the tsunami itself, the recent political upheavals, there is a lot going on here that these students can go after. I am very excited to see what they want to shoot.
I have planned and scrapped about 10 different ideas for teaching the students, I realize that until I know what I am dealing with to worry to much about it just means I sleep less.
I need to get back to work, write me if want to at the website address and I will do my best to get back to you.
I still don’t know when I am heading back, I could be back as soon as the 20th but I doubt it.
Damn that is one long ramble. Sorry again.
Take care,
David
posted by davidlang at 12:04 AM
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