Project in Adampan, Mannar

My project in Adampan is going on slowly but surely - support comes in from such unexpected sources that I am amazed. A friend of mine out of the blue rang me to say
that they had done a trip up North to Jaffna and found out first hand information for themselves and they were appalled that they had for seven months just sat in Colombo totally unaware of the actual ground situation and done nothing. She contacted me thinking I might have some opening for them to help out. Here was I looking for help and it fell into my lap. Hopefully this group of people from a suburb of Colombo - will be able to help out in some way.

The individual stories of families that need help are so varied that one could write
individual stories and probably put it together for a book. Most families that seek help have lost one family member and very often with the parent a child has also been
lost mainly due to aerial shelling. How these families are trying to put their lives back together - facing a loss of a parent, and a sibling and economic losses on a huge scale are courageous. Lands have got fallow, gone back into shrub jungle and trying to clear these areas are an uphill job. This area is extremely fertile and I
know that given sufficient inputs it could be turned around.

So far children that have come to my attention have got sponsors of some kind and for this I am truly grateful. All over the world so many natural disasters have made so many people homeless, so many people deprived of everything that resources have to be stretched. I am glad that help is reaching people in Adampan.

The weather gods were kind and rain has started once again in Colombo. True an isolated shower only but hopefully its a beginning. I thought this dry, hot weather was never going to end.

Next month we celebrate a beautiful festival in Sri Lanka - the Singhala and Hindu New Year. Hopefully new beginnings for our country. Cannot end this post without mentioning that we are once again the midst of a general election falling on April 8th. Hopefully peaceful.

Quilt finished at last - Log Cabin design

Review - Susan Howatch - Glittering images

I had read several Howatch books but I felt that I should have started right at the beginning and then worked my way through the lot. My knowledge of the Anglican church
the politics, the workings of a parish in England in the early part of the 20th century, the hierarchy of the bishops, arch bishops, deacons and vicars were all little known to me and was actually of very little interest to me until I got my hands on Susan Howatch.

Her books are intense, all encompassing reads. You feel swept along in the passion of how each person feels not just for their lives, including their sex lives! but the passion and fervor shown towards their religion in this very modern age. The details are minute but not boring, and show very clearly how the ecclesiastical system works.

This book deals mainly with Dr. Charles Ashworth as the primary character and Bishop Jardine and his wife Carrie along with the mysterious Miss. Lyle being supplementary characters. Initially Charles is sent to investigate the actual workings of Bishop Jardine's household and where Lyle fits into the general scheme of things. Lyle is an extremely attractive 35 year old who does not apparently show any kind of love requited or unrequited for the Bishop and who seems devoted to his wife Carrie and acts as hostess and general dogsbody in the household. Charles goes to Starbridge as a spy for his Bishop Lang and though uncomfortable with the thought is determined to seek out the truth of the Jardine house.

Ashworth is a widow of seven years and the attraction for Lyle is immediate on his side. He pushes through his views with Lyle despite her obvious reluctance to do so and also at this point it does appear that her loyalties are divided and that she does not want to do anything that will upset the apple cart of the Jardine's lives.

Whilst pursuing Lyle, Charles Ashworth also discovers various aspects of his own life which are mysterious and answers which do not quite tally. His antagonism and difficult relationship with his own parents, why his parents constantly quarrel, why love and affection were never shown to the children of the Ashworth household. Past histories are untangled with surprising results leading to a certain amount of reconciliation between Charles and his own parents.

The focus shifts to Charles own twisted psyche and that Charles himself has grown far too confident for his own good and the fact that he seems to know it all - knows how to handle the problems thrown up at him and feels he can do so without spiritual guidance, almost too cocky for his own good! He disdains advice from his spiritual advisor in the form of the enigmatic and deeply charismatic Jon Darrow and he thinks that he is above it all and can manage perfectly well on his own steam. It is Darrow who guides him, protects him from the demons within him, gives him strength to pursue a path which he feels is pre destined for him and also shows him a path to reach out and win over Lyle without hurting either Bishop Jardine or his wife.

A twist in the tale at this juncture is almost too much to handle. A "spiritual" marriage between Jardine and Lyle witnessed by Jardine's wife is "permitted" according to Jardine as Carrie is not interested in the physical aspects of the marriage and how this is reconciled in the eyes of the Bishop, his wife and Lyle is too good to be true!!! You have to read this to understand how someone could actually blindly follow a charismatic man despite knowing fully well that what he is saying has absolutely no legality or validity from any point of view. It seems that almost anyone who comes in contact with the Bishop is hypnotised by the Bishops way of doing things and accepts it blindly as the only way.

The ending of the story is unusual in that Lyle leaves the Bishops house or rather runs away from the horrible position she is in and Charles naturally welcomes her with open arms as he wants Lyle with him under any circumstances. What he didnt envisage is that Lyle will get deliberately pregnant as she feels that this is the only way for her to escape from Jardine. Bishop Jardine realizes at this point that the time for retirement has come as not just him but the entire bishopric will be disgraced by the scandal.

The book is good reading as it delves not just into the lives of clergy who are shown up as very normal human beings but is also a very good descriptive read of the early 20th century in England. For those of us not from England this will come as something different and unusual. A book that I couldnt put down and had to finish in one go.

Review - Colin Dexter's The Daughters of Cain

This author was absolutely new to me but I liked the sound of the title which seems really childish I know. The book is one of a series dealing with the Wagner loving, beer guzzling, very stingy Inspector Morse.

I found the meanness to be a bit difficult to comprehend in this character who seems so above board in every other respect! We find here a mystery involving two separate and so far unlinked murders. Morse and Lewis initially have to take over the investigation into the murder of Prof. McClure. Morse seems unhappy to have to take over midway but he accepts with good grace and pursues the case. The Professor at Oxford seems to lead a blameless life but a little digging shows drug taking and selling on a massive scale, call girls, and plenty of motive to get rid of the good Professor but no witnesses and no weapons.

Add to the story another body across town with a tenuous link to the first and two women - one cleaning lady, and one school teacher and the story gets a little complicated. Morse seems to think that the link is the two women and to this he adds a third woman - the call girl who is also linked to one of the victims being his step daughter, also linked to the Professor as his long standing girl friend. Everyone is kept on their toes as to who the actual murderer could be. Are these two murders done by one person - are they linked in any way seems to be the questions asked by Morse. What would be the purpose in Julia and Brenda killing the Professor and how was Mr Brooks stabbed by two small made women. Morse is also drawn to Ellie the call girl though this has no bearing either on the story or the plot but would highlight Morse's own emotional involvement in the case highlighting Morse's more caring nature.

The book is lively and I would certainly like to read Colin Dexter's other books with Morse - I do wish though Dexter will get rid of Morse's stinginess. It adds a totally unbalanced view to the character of Morse. I just couldnt shake this off!
Other than that, an interesting mystery to read.

Review - Cover her Face - P D James

I've always loved P D James' books and if ever I see one around I snap it up right away. This was a very quick read of just a little over 200 pages and involved the ever enigmatic Adam Dalgliesh Scotland Yard Detective.

The story which seems romantic and very idealized in its setting is a quaint, typical
English village portrayed so often and in my eyes oh so very nice to live in. I wonder whether the actual situation is so! Getting back to our story, the plot involves a family of repute living at Martingale for generations and looked up as one of the "old" families of the area. A doctor son, a divorced daughter, an ailing husband nearing the end of his life and a devoted wife form the crux of the family. The supporting cast becomes finally the main characters of the story and this is very interesting how James incorporates the minor characters of Catherine and Miss Liddell and even Felix Hearne (who is courting the daughter)and most surprisingly the housemaid Sally Jupp forms the pivotal part of the story.

On the surface everything seems very calm leading to an annual fete held traditionally in the gardens of Martingale - beneath this very benign fairy tale
scene simmers tensions, antagonism and outright hatred which culminates in the murder of Sally with seemingly little or no idea of who or why someone wanted Sally
out of the way. Knowing Sally's character of playing off one against the other, being very secretive and having an affinity for creating problems wherever she lived, there are many suspects all of whom have very legitimate reasons why they dislike her to the point of even murdering her. The ultimate murderer when revealed is a total surprise as to all appearances she seemed the stable, steady person who held the reigns of the entire family in her hands.

A very pleasant read as usual from Ms James. Right now I seem to be reading more detective books than anything else and enjoying them very much. Am in the middle of a Colin Dexter book - review will be done soon.

Review - William Dalrymple - Nine Lives

Those who have read Dalrymple's earlier books would find this book definitely edgy. Interestingly edgy. The book deals with nine distinct personalities each very different but each experiencing a situation - which has no basis for rational understanding or scientific analysis. Individuals depicting not just the major religions of India but also little known sects as well.

There is the Jain nun who ritually starves herself to death (albeit over a period of
two years)to a well digger who belongs to a very low caste and who will not even be touched by upper caste Hindu Brahmins, except for the period when he dons the masks of a god to dance Theyyam in Kerala.During this period he is revered by the same people who will ignore him for ten months of the year. We then see a Buddhist monk whose very religion preaches ahimsa (non violence) who felt he had no choice but to renounce his religion to fight the Chinese in Tibet, and a Bihari Muslim who has ended at a Sufi shrine in Pakistan.

Dalrymple himself calls these people crazy but crazy as not afflicted with a mental illness. Crazy as a people apart - people who are exceptions to the rule, who are rare in modern India as they seem to combine the wisdom of an ancient religion and philosophy and have adapted it to suit their present day needs and the needs of those around them.

The book explores nine different lives and lets the life of each individual speak to us - it shows us the variety of religious beliefs (which may be quite surprising for some readers) it also depicts how religion has not only survived in modern India but actually flourishes and far from depleted places of worship, temples, and mosques and religious festivals are very much part and parcel of the daily life of most Indians - much loved, and looked forward to. The book shows how modern India handles the secular and the religious not allowing one to completely annihilate the other and to live in balance.

Dalrymple has surpassed himself with Nine Lives. His other books are a tad historical and enthrall anyone who has a love for the East. This book enthralls you to the point that once this is over, you want to learn more. One point however, which seems slightly off key is that Christianity in any form(despite the sizeable number of Christians in India) is not touched upon - maybe Dalrymple has his reasons and one of these days a book may probably tell us why.

Review - - Mark Tulley's No Full Stops in India

I have always been fascinated by India and its nothing to do with the close proximity
that Sri Lanka has to India. i enjoy reading so very much of its history which is complicated to say the least, bloody very often and also extremely romantic at times.

Added to that you have a huge mix of cultures - not just Indian - the South is so very different to the North despite sharing a common religion of Hinduism, languages are so diverse that they do not even seem remotely connected to one people, and even physical characteristics are so very different. Geographically too the country varies so much its mind boggling.

Naturally I have been drawn to people who write on India, and about India. Today's book is by one who could be called an authority on India, writer and broadcaster and it reaches to its very heart - from the peasantry to the towns and bigger cities in India.

The stories commence with Tulley's own experience firstly with his personal servant Ram Chander who is not just a cook, but a cleaner, housekeeper, finance manager, advisor on the proprieties of living in India and becomes for the Tulley family a friend though on Ram Chander's side the Tulleys appear always to be the "bosses" and should be revered and respected as such. We learn much of how a village operates, the attitude of the villagers towards this family and how much affection for the family there is from this extended village family. The story moves to Mahabalipuram in the South and then to the Kumbh Mela in Allahabad which is
considered by some to the biggest religious festival in the world. This one attracts over 10 million people bathing in the sacred river on one particular day. The logistics are mind boggling considering that you are dealing with people who are going to camp outdoors, with no proper facilities available to a great extent!! and to top it all people all who may be talking several different languages and dialects.

The next short story deals with the rewriting of the Ramayana. Something equivalent to taking the old testament and making it into a tele drama serialized with lots of action, dancing, human interest stories, religion, and most importantly making the actors and actresses believe that this is not acting, its actually an epic, they are gods and goddesses and so the film became the runaway success it was, grossing millions for the producers apart from enthralling a nation for months on end.

We next go to the infamous attack on the Golden Temple in Amritsar and its repercussions on modern India and move on to Communism in Calcutta which has a never say die attitude despite crumbling infrastructure and millions of poor and a surprisingly flourishing religious streak despite the every prevalent Communism, then a fairly uncommon sati in Deorala (a wife's ritual suicide by burning herself on her dead husbands pyre). The practice was common but is presently outlawed like child marriages but unlike child marriages is very rare thank God.

The stories Tulley weaves around us are varied ending with the tragic death of Rajiv Gandhi killed by a suicide bomber from Sri Lanka. Politics of every hue are woven into Tulley's stories which add to the variety and interest that is always found on the Indian political scene. The communal politics which emphasise and divide people by caste, language, race and religion are seen in a style which is easy to understand for the non Indian reader who may find it mind boggling and bewildering that politicians can actually swing votes on these lines.

A very enjoyable book for someone wanting to know about India not from a tourist's point of view but to understand to a small degree the vastness of India.

Tulley has written several books on India and I hope I will be able to do the other reviews shortly.