One Hour In Elephant Kingdom Part-1

Pinnawala Elephant Sanctuary, for the first time I was going to visit a place like this. So far I had only heard about animal sanctuaries or safari parks or these sorts of places but it was my first experience to visit a true wild-life park full of elephants!

As I already mentioned, we were having sessions in the MIMT for around two days, so getting fresh air and visiting a new place created more enthusiasm in me.  And I could see others, and could feel their excitement too!

It was a very well-organized place, wonderfully planned apt to the taste of tourists. I kept being amazed with new revelations one after another!

Heading To A Wild-Life Adventure!

13 January 2014

Krriinngg!! Krriinngg!!
Yes, it was my alarm. I opened my eyes slowly. It took a moment to grasp the truth. A beautiful day it was, glittering sunshine, sweet smell of wild flowers and no noise of regular busy life, only sweet and chipper songs of birds! I took some deep breathes. 
Maya was sleeping and I reckoned, everyone else in the Chalet were having some peaceful sleep as well.
Today we were scheduled to visit the "Pinnawala Elephant Sanctuary" in Pinnawalla. I was a bit more excited for it because in last two days it was the first time we were going out of MIMT. As I already mentioned MIMT was Mass Fabric Park and it was highly restricted. No one was allowed to cross the perimeter.

Last Night In Chalet 36

It was 7.30 in the evening when the sessions finally ended.

I was damn tired. The only thing was working in my mind “I need to go to chalet!”

On the way, putting my head quietly on the seat, I was looking through the window of our transport. It was dark already and that place was quieter than ever! I had already started counting the chalet as my home, and my room-mates as my family members! It was strange how I wanted to go back to the place and to those people when I was on the brink of collapsing due to tiredness.

I Have Ended Up Where I Needed To Go

This trip to Sri Lanka meant something very special to me. As I already told you, it was my first ever visit to abroad, leaving behind all my beloved ones, came here alone to make friends who even did not belong to anywhere near to me! 

With those lonely Islands, we had to make a choice. I felt this connected with my own journey. Here, I was uncertain every moment, what to choose; what not to chose; what to do; what not to do; Every time following my own instinct, trying to make bonds with the fellows who used to live thousands of miles away from me just a day ago. Sometimes a blank space was there like I am in a black-hole and everything around me was blending up in it. 

Mysterious Islands : New Concept Of Sessions

“Sharing stories and experiences of our Social Action Projects”: we did not call it a session, rather than it was a sharing part. Some Active Citizens volunteered and shared their exclusive stories that really helped us to know that in every corner of this world youth are doing such tremendous works to make a change, to bring a change! It was really very inspiring.

The team Bangladesh also took part in sharing. I told them about my SAP, which was “Active Citizens” Promised to Community Health-Care”, a health-camp in short. It was a successful event for our Active Citizens batch 13. Sazzat also contributed with his story about his SAP which was “Preventing Early Marriage”.

Country Presentation: Bangladesh, Our Pride

It was time for getting prepared. So...preparing for what?  
     

My Lovely Stall of Bangladesh

The most important part you may say.

The Country Presentation!

We ran towards the training room as we had only one hour for settling everything up.  We brought many traditional things with us that could represent the culture and the tradition of Bangladesh. I had brought some hand-made accessories and Nakshi Kantha (Designed hand-stitched wrapper) and some materials related to my country. And my co-partner Sazzat Hossain shopped on the night before our flight so I had no idea what he had got with him. But I insisted him consistently to shop from Aarong, which we called our most traditional shopping center and I also insisted him to take some Bangladeshi sweets so that we could welcome people in our stall by offering sweets.