Experiencing Sri lanka's True Culture And Meeting Native People In Dumbara Valley

14 January 2014

Heading Towards Dumbara Valley

We were straight up for Dumbara Valley next day in the morning just after having finished with our breakfast. It was a bright shiny beginning a day when we left Hotel Mahaweli Reach. Today's project was to visit a local school in Dumbara Valley and to get engaged with some social actions that could motivate the students towards volunteerism and social works.

The thing I liked most about my community visit, Kandy, that for me, it was the most versatile expedition including engaging in social actions, knowing native people,experiencing root level culture of Sri Lanka and its traditions, perceiving religion, making friends, enjoying natural beauty of the Island, and a taking a step forward to the door of enlightenment!

A Night Of Random Memories In Hotel Mahaweli Reach

Introducing Lucca Sokhi, An Uprising Chef

“It’s unbelievable man!” Lucca expressed his astonishment. He was a progressive chef at the Waterhouse Restaurant and he was absolutely passionate about food. According to him new amazing tasty foods always made his passion grow stronger and he believed that Catering could be a great opportunity for youths for their career-making.

Well, how much I had reckoned him, he was a softhearted, generous guy with a very strong personality. He was straightforward, at the same time very emotional. His honest approach to express his affection and frank attitude always seemed praiseworthy. He was like a brother to me. Though our relation developed during community visit, it is still the same warm and welcoming for both of us whenever we talk.

Launching in Kandy, Sri Lanka : The Grand Hotel Mahaweli Reach

He Is Daniel Smith

On the way to Kandy; I devoted myself to a peaceful sleep after some long hectic sessions. The day time was already about to end when we started for Kandy. So, due to my short and 
deep naps I did not miss anything. Dan was right beside me taking naps too. 

Aah, Daniel Smith! What can I say about him!

With Dan, always with his smile :)

Adeu Thulhiriya, Adeu Chalet 36

"We are going to Kandy", Sazzat informed me abruptly on the way to dine.
"Seriously?" - I wondered! I was recommending Kandy from the beginning as a choice of my community visit. Didn't know they made the final list already. I was up for my lunch, otherwise I was dying to see the group list they had made.

In front of Chalet 36

Took my last meal at MIMT with a bit of excitement and a bit of itching sensation for getting apart from my friends.Hot waves of mid-noon wind splashed upon my cheeks with a sudden burning desire of staying back, though it was a mere whimsical emotion of my heart that had also learned to move on for greater good..
Packing was done already, we just came back to the chalet to get our staffs, reconcile our brisk memories, and to say a final goodbye to Chalet 36.

Anoma Rajakaruna : A True Inspiration

Anoma Rajakaruna, made her floor radiantly. why would not she?  She was another vivid Icon for especially the rising female activists like us!

She shared her personal experiences where she had to face excruciating struggle to make her career in film industry.

Anoma Rajakaruna

She was interested in story-telling from her early age and by observing her creative aptitude for narration, her tutor suggested her to join a course of script-writing. From that time she started facing challenges due to discrimination and accusations due to the minimal chance of being successful in this arena.
However, her dreams and determination never allowed her to collapse before this stereotype mentality of the soceity.
She fought hard to make her way and her hard work  always found a path as she got a chance to make mini-tele-drama eventually. She was seventeen when her first production was released but once again, she was restrained by Political Censorship. The issue was simple. Her first tele-drama, "Sonduriya" contained some sensitive social material. In her words, the story was about a woman whose emotion was torn between two men and her conflicts regarding this issue. 
Surely the society at the time was not ready to accept this bold attempt of showcasing such thing where reality overpowered society's formulated norms.

Ishan Jallil : Revealing The Key Of Success

Now, can anyone tell me that what kind of person could be a great feature and inspiration for raising youth leaders like us? 

Well, the two persons who came as guest speakers among us, were probably the best examples that could be given to uphold the strength and encourage our motivation, I bet.

Anoma Rajakaruna, an activist and Documentary Film-maker with the astonishing story of her journey in Film Industry and her inestimable struggle to make her position established, was among us to fire up our aspiration. And there was another stupendous figure, Ishan Jalil, an UN volunteer, graduated from University of Colombo. The special thing about him was though he could not see in conventional way, he had enabled himself to see the world with his determination, knowledge and hard work.

Ishan Jalil