Things here are going well, fairly quiet right now, but good. The students are getting more accepting of things not working perfectly (e.g. delays on field trips, problems with printing, length of classes, difficulties getting from one place to another, etc., etc., etc.). In fact, the student who's been the worst complainer actually managed to be pretty reasonable on the field trip we took yesterday. He was a little pushy about trying to find out our precise schedule, which we never managed to come up with (it was for the Art, Drama, and Poetry course, and, predictably, the professor is not one to be held to a tight schedule, indeed, we were continually it in the van as we went), but overall seemed to have a decent time and put up with the imperfections we had to deal with.
The field trip was pretty good, but tiring, as they usually are. The three people in the class, three other students, the professor, the director and her husband, and the assistants (me and Sarah) were driven down to Colombo by Sumanasena, which is a 3-hour plus drive and then spent the day going to art galleries, a temple with some paintings by a famous Sri Lankan painter, and a bunch of stores and/or restaurants with art galleries or displays. There were a fair number of cool pieces of art we saw, but what stood out most was the stores, which were so nicely done, although not always as tasteful as they seemed like they should be. One place, called Plate (pronounced plah-TAY) had a bizarre collection of art, some modern stuff from Sri Lanka, some older looking pieces from all around Asia, a photo studio, a book section, and overall just lots of random stuff, all in this very nicely appointed store.
We also went to a chic restaurant that had its own gift store, an entrance hall, a half-covered area with a fish pond and then the restaurant, with cafe tables and chairs, all of which looked more like it belonged in a trendy new place in a coastal US city. It's all so strange to see here! And so expensive, I don't remember looking at the menu, but the stuff in the gift store, while nice, was ridiculously over-priced (by Sri Lankan standards). There was a box of 12 postcards, with envelopes, that cost $17.40!
The highlight of the trip was lunch, which took place at Barefoot, now a Colombo icon, and is a store specializing in clothing and sarongs made of colorful, hand-woven fabrics, but which also sells just about everything else and has a cafe and art gallery. There were some interesting pieces in the art gallery, and just about everyone enjoyed the opportunity to do some shopping (I must confess to buying a shirt). But the food at lunch was relatively expensive, thoroughly delicious, and paid for by the program. Except for the wine, which we paid for ourselves. It was a wonderful opportunity to relax, temporarily forget the rigors of the program and of being in Sri Lanka, and enjoy ourselves.
Of course, it was still all weird too, visiting boutiques that are clearly appealing to a very select audience, that almost seem to say, "aren't you special for knowing enough to shop here?" In part they're meant to be places of refuge for the foreign tourist or the disaffected ex-patriate, so it never has to feel too much like you've left the comforts of home, but they also play on the desire for status of the Sri Lankan elite, and they pose such a striking contrast to the vast majority of commerce on the island, which has no such pretensions, and to the status of the dedicated, non-commercial art galleries, including the national gallery, with it's single (albeit large) room and water-stains and mold marking the walls here and there. For the most part, I got the impression that art's only real value here, except for the occasional genuine enthusiast, is as a symbol of purchasing power, of taste, of culturedness. I'm sure that's something of an overstatement, and I did enjoy the day, but still it's such a contrast. Something I just thought of was the non-presence of any Buddha images (or other object of veneration) in those places, whereas almost any shop or home in Kandy will have at least a little statue of the Buddha tucked off in a corner. And the temple with the murals of the Buddha's life by the famous artist? Run down, poorly supported. The murals are somewhat worn, fading, and there's clearly no money to spare for their upkeep. I hope our donation will go to that.
It's an interesting contrast to the earlier trip around Kandy, where everyone we saw cared so much about the art they collected and/or created.
Well, eventually we got to drive home in heavy rain and heavier traffic, which Sumanasena didn't like at all. But, after stopping for a light dinner, everyone made it home.
Today was nice, didn't do much other than read and go to cooking class. Several students, Sarah, and I are taking classes from a professor's wife, who is a caterer. It's been fun so far, and we've learned lots of good recipes.
I guess that's all I have to write about for now.
