Chronicles of Shah

I wonder why time flies so fast. Iz it juz me? I can vividly remember typing my last closing entry for the year of 04 @ my old log Diaryland. After a long time reflecting on tht year, I hav finaly decided to clean up certain aspects of my life. Now here I am doing it again. Its like I started wif January then skipped right to December. 2005 hav its fair share of my ups and downs. Always, every year tht passes by, I always learn things.. both good and bad. Indeed, experience is of course the best teacher anybody can hope for. Good memories tht fills me wif joy and hope, and of course, the yang tht fills me wif disappointment and bitterness.

Indeed... I feel 2005 is much better than 04. I've choose to let go the unworthy of my friendship, cleaned up my closet and am one step closer to redemption. As the year draws to a close, here are the lost entries.

30th May 05

Day 1 Galle City

Sri Lanka

We finally arrived after fours hours of direct flight from Singapore to Colombo. We took additional five hours of journey in the bus frm Colombo airport to Galle, one of the most affected hit tsunami areas. The relief effort group, dubbed chrysalis, were split into two for the journey. The main body, consisting of the committee members and partisipants, preceded the logistic group. They arrived there sum 8 hours before us, scouting the local ppl there and basically adapting to the local climes there. According to them, the weather there was quite stormy, due to the aftermath of the monsoon season, thus for the need for our relief efforts. Our objectives are as follows:

1)Assist in the rehab and rebuild of the basic infrastructure

2)Construction of basic wooden beds and shelves for the Internally Displace Populace(IDP)

3)Provide aid and information gathering on wht the IDP needs.

The logistic personnel (Fadil, Suriadi and me) were joined by Jovin and Yujing. We departed Singapore at night and arrived at Sri Lanka in the early mornin hours. It was still dark and damp when we arrived at Colombo airport. The rain had stopped juz before we landed. Thank goodness I did not suffer frm air sickness or claustrophobia. After all, I took the economic seat. Our guide was waiting wif his bus and the main group tht preceded us really looked weary. Guess we would be catching our sleep in the bus for the next 5 hours.

My 1st thoughts as we journeyed in the bus was tht Sri Lanka reminded me of the kampong days. As we were in the wee hours of the morning, there were no one around unlike in Singapore where there would still be sum ppl out clubbin or cabs in the street. Its darker here than in Singapore. As the rainclouds hav receded, I was pleasant surprised to see the moon as a source of illumination. Its pale grey face surrounded by tousands of stars. I feel asleep soon after tht, nodding off and squirming in my bus seat. Thx god it was air conditioned.

I was jolted from my seat frm the bumps and jostling in the bus. It seems tht we hav left the easy road and the sun was rising. We were nearly there. I can already see the skeletal remains of buildings and debris by the coastal area. We hav arrived at Galle, one of the most affected areas hit by the tsunami sum 6 mths earlier. There were debris and wrekage everywhere. At least there were no bodies anywhere. But there's aready recovery. IDP camps were everywhere, from tents to crudely formed wooden shacks flying the banners of various relief effort groups like the Merci and red cross. Did I see a couple of UN flags as well?

We stopped at our designated lodging area. It was abt 1/2 a click frm the coastal area. It was like a holiday bangalow, except it was half completed and full of dust and the remains of construction material were outside the gate. Wait, who am I kidding, there was no gate, juz a big hole in the outer walls where the gates were supposed to be. Well, we make do wif wht we hav, I mean, it sure beats livin in tents for the next two weeks.

The gerls and the guys stowed our gears in our respective rooms. The larger room was designated as the gerl's domitory while the smaller ones's ours. We unloaded our supplies and equipments for our jobs in the main living room, and proceeded in prepping the kitchen, toilet and basically sum general maintenance and clean up of the then vacant house. What a mess. Our living condition were very spartan too. The gerls did wht they can to liven up the house abit.

Still trying to adapt to this new environment. I'm not feeling at my prime, perhaps due to lack of sleep or perhaps itz juz the weather? Smells strongly of grass in the rain. Who knws? We hav our lunch in Galle City. Its life as usual for the locals here. Reminds me of pasar geylang in singapore. The street vendors selling fruits, spices and vegies. Also sum 'mobile coffeeshop' by the street. The locals eyed us wearily. Hmm.. muz be becoz we really stick out frm the crowd. We all loojked fresh and not to mention a bit 'pale' while the locals are more weathered and seasoned.

We spent dawn at an ancient historical place called 'The Fort' Apparently, sum ancient engineer thought this place, a hilly alcove overlooking the sea was a perfect defensible place to set up a fortress. Well, he was right. After sum (minor) acrobatic and basic wall climbing, I reached the outer edge of the wall looking the vast open sea. I peered over the edge of the crumbling, weathered stone and yelped in surprise. Beyond it was like a sheer drop into jagged pieces of rock wif the sea waves crashin violently against the fortress walls. Impressive. I doubt anyone can scale it frm below. The view frm the top was breath taking. I can see the city's layout frm up here. Behind me was the hustle and bustle of so called modern life... while in front of me... I can see the wide open ocean and it stretches to the horizon. As dawn gives way to nite.. I stare at long moments into the sun as it sets. In a long moment in my life... watching the sunset... I feel alive. Tomorrow we shall get down to business (crack knuckes)

Shah DarKSidE.

"I xpect to pass through this world but once. Any good thing, therefore, tht I can do or any kindness I can show to anyone let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it; for I shall not pass this way again..." Quoted frm an Anonynous source.