Volume 12 Maya Puwath October 2016 - Welcome to Mahamaya ... · Mahamaya for 22 years. She was a...

MayaPuwathVolume12Number05

October2016BimonthlyNewsle/erfromMGCAANA

InThisIssuePg1:Frontpage-InthisIssue/

DhammapadaPg2:Editorial-

Pg3:MGCAANAAnnouncement&BatchGet-togetherAnnouncement.

Pg4:AboutMrs.Gunapala.

Pg5&6:DiabetesamongSouthAsiansPg,7,8,9,10:UnityTrain-

Pg11&12:AboutMentalHealthPg13,14&15:MyAdventurousTrip

toKumana-

Pg15:FinalPage

“-Likeabeau+fulflower,brightlycoloredbut

withoutscent,evenso

uselessisthewell-u<eredspeechofonewhodoes

notactaccordingly.-“

-Dhammapada-Translatedby

Sangharakshita

ItiswithagreatpleasurethatIpendownthiseditorialfortheMayapuwathOctoberissue.Thesummer heat waves are slowly fading away, replacedwith cooler breezes and the amazingchangeintofallcolors.Thosecolorsremindusthatwinteryweatherisjustaroundthecornerand that once again ourMahamayaGirls’ CollegeAssocia]on of Alumnae inNorthAmerica(MGCAANA)islaunchinganewbeginning.

As a long]meMGCAANAmember I cannotemphasizeenough the importanceof renewingyourmembershipwhileencouragingnewmemberswhogrewupwiththeblessingsofMotherMaya back in days in Kandy, Sri Lanka to join our alumni community. Your membershipextendsalongwaybybrighteningandpavingwaystowardsabe/erworldinaneconomicallydisadvantagedchild’slife.Manyofusremembertheac]onsofpeoplewhopavedtheroadforustobecomewhowearetoday.AsMayanswehavereapedbenefitswhilegrowingupinthehistorical city of Kandy under the guidance and educa]on provided byMahamaya, a strongfounda]onweallhaveincommontogether. Asgraduateswehavecon]nuedtheMahamayavaluesbyhelpingeconomicallydisadvantagedchildrenthroughMGCAANA. Weallhavebusyliveshere in theUSAandCanadaandoeendonothavethe]mewewouldwant todonatetowards chari]es. MGCAANA provides already established commitments with children whoneeds our help and by becoming a member your payments and dona]ons are the mosteffec]vewaytocon]nueoureduca]onalaid.

Bimonthly,wecreatethisnewsle/ertokeepourmembers informedonwhatwehavebeendoing and what our future plans will be. Our very ac]ve editorial board takes theirresponsibili]esseriouslyandcommunitysubmissionsarealwayswelcome.Weinviteyoualltoshareyourgreatar]cles,poems,recipes,andothercrea]vework.Oneofourstrengthsasanalumni society comes fromnewbloodbringing their individual crea]vity into our literature.This is also an opportunity for volunteer experience with MGCAANA by joining any of ourvariouscommi/ees. Iambothexcitedandhumbledtoextendthisinvita]ontopar]cipatetoallofyou,regardless;ifyouarebrandnewtothisorganiza]onorhavebeenwithusforsome]me.Itisagreatwaytocreateconnec]onsbetweenourcommunitywhilewearesofarawayfromourbeau]fulisland.

IwouldliketoconcludethiseditorialbysayinghowmuchIenjoybeingaMGCAANAmember,stayinginvolvedwiththeexecu]vecommi/eeforthelasttwoyears,andbeingapartoftheeditorial commi/ee. Ithasprovidedmewith irreplaceablememoriesandencouragedmetoreachgoalsonbehalfofbothmyschoolandmyself.Gehngmembers togetheronceayearwasachallengethatImetwithprideandI’mgratefulfortheopportunitytoworkwithothermembersinmakingannualget-togethersareality. Connec]ngwiththeoldandnewMayansgavemethetremendouspleasureandsolidifiedlifelongfriendships.Itismyhonortoletyouknow that the li/le that I did for MGCAANA has given me happiness and fulfillment for alife]me.

SriyaniDissanayakeEditoroftheOctoberIssue,2016

Editorial

MGCAANANEWS&BATCHGET-TOGETHER

Mahamaya '86 Batch Get-together on August 27, 2017

'86 batch mates who live in Sri Lanka and overseas, Please save the date.

For further information, please contact Priyanthi Senarath Dias on Facebook.

-- Arushie Nugapitiya --

MGCAANAAnnouncement

PastTeacher,Mrs.SumithraGunapala–TaughtatMahamayafrom1960to1982

Mymother's fullnamewasMrsSumithraGunapala (knownto friendsasSumi).ShetaughtatMahamayafor22years.Shewasaclassteachertograde1formanyyears,shetaughtEnglish,and English Literature to upper classes, she worked as the first Principal of the MahamayaPrimaryschoolwhen itwas re-established.Shewasadevotedteacher toherstudentsandtotheschool,Mahamaya.Shelovedallthosestudentsofhers,andevenlongaeerre]rementsheusedtotalkaboutsomanymemorablemomentsshehadwithherclasses.Aeerre]rementshelookedaeerherbedriddendaughterMaithrineefor18years,un]lthedaughterpassedawayin2003.Forthisreason,shewasnotabletoa/endMahamayapaststudents’andteachers’eventsinKandy.Butshecon]nuedtokeepMahamayaandthewell-beingofherstudentsclosetoherheart.Shewassohappyandhonored tobe invited to the!"උපහාරයorganizedby theClassof‘82.Shetalkedgratefullyaboutallherstudentswhovisitedherathomeduringherlastfewyears, thosewho sent cards andmessages. Shewasoverwhelmedwithhappiness to seepast student groupswho camewithdearMrsChunchi,with JayanthiWijesekara,with SriyaniDissanayakaandalsothosewhovisitedindividually.Shewassothankfulfortheopportunitytoseethemallagain,andsharesomeenjoyablememoriesfromMahamayadays.Duringherlastfiveyearsshewassufferingfromcancer.Butshetookeverythingwithcourageandhelpedherchildrentocopewiththedifficult]me.Shepassedawaypeacefullyonthe24thofSeptemberthis year. It is a loss beyondwords.May shea/ainNibbana.

SentbyNirmalaGunapala

DiabetesAmongSouthAsians:

As a nurse, I have witnessed the significant impact of Type II diabetes on the South Asianpopula]on living in North America. South Asian immigrants are 4-6 ]mes more likely todevelopdiabetescomparedtotheirCaucasianscounterparts.ThehigherriskmaybebecauseSouth Asians aremore likely to have lessmuscle andmore abdominal fat, which increasesinsulinresistance.

Onceconsumed,allcarbohydratesarebrokendownintosimplesugars(ex:glucose).Tou]lizethissugar,thepancreasmakesahormonecalled insulin. Insulinmovessugarfromthebloodintothecellsofthebodywhereitcanbestoredorusedforenergy.Diabetesoccurswhenyourpancreas cannotmakeenough insulin (insulindeficiency) and/or insulin is not able tomoveintothebody’scells(insulinresistance).Thiscausesthesugartobuildupinyourbloodoeenleadingtovariouslong-termcomplica]ons.

Riskfactors:- Ethnicbackground:SouthAsiansareatagreaterriskfordiabetesduetomanyfactorsincluding gene]cs, family history and stress related to migra]on from another country.Lifestyle is also affected by migra]on: ea]ng habits are modified to accommodate the“western”dietwhichoeencontainsincreasedcalories,fat,carbohydrates,andalcohol.Alongwithdecreasedphysicalac]vityandamoresedentarylifestyle.

- Obesity: These nega]ve lifestyle changes can increase one’s weight – especiallyabdominalobesity.Abdominalobesity,definedastoomuchfataroundthewaist,canincreaseone’sriskforinsulinresistance.Insulinresistanceisakeyfactorintype2diabetes.

- Age:thoseover40yearsofagearemorelikelytobediagnosedwithdiabetes(thoughthisthresholdisdecreasinginmanycountriesaroundtheworld–moreandmoreadolescentsandyoungadultsarebeingdiagnosedwithtype2diabetes).

- Gesta]onaldiabetes–ifyouwerediagnosedwithdiabetesduringpregnancy,youareatagreaterriskofdevelopingdiabeteslateroninlife.

WhyisDiabetesRelevanttome?High blood sugars alone may not seem worrisome. However, long-term complica]on ofdiabetescanbedebilita]ng.Someofthesecomplica]onsinclude:- Chronickidneydisease- Heartdisease- Stroke- Blindness/decreasedvision- Nervedamage(especiallyinhandsandfeet)- Footproblems

Articles from Mayans

Articles from Mayans Continued…………

Luckily, diabetes can be prevented and/or delayed. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for SouthAsians todelayhealth-related concernsun]l it is too late.Here are someways to ensure you takechargeofyourhealth:-Regularphysicalac]vity–Itisrecommendedthatadultsexerciseforatleast150minutes/week.Thiscan be broken down into 30minutes, 5 days/week. Exercise will help with weight reduc]on, andimprovedhearthealth.-Healthyea]ng–Followthehealthyplatemodel:½ofyourplateshouldincludevegetables,¼shouldincludea formofprotein (meat,fish, soy, len]ls),and¼should includeacarbohydrate (rice,pasta,bread).-Annualcheck-upwithyourdoctor– It is importantforeveryonetoseetheirfamilydoctorat leastyearly (ormore oeen as necessary) to conduct a full check-up, which can include blood pressure,weightcheckup,andbloodwork.

HealthyRecipe:OkraandTomatoCurryPrepara]on]me:20minutesCooking]me:20minutesMakes7servings

INGREDIENTS1tbsp.(15mL)canolaoil2mediumonions,thinlysliced(lengthwise)2mediumtomatoes,peeledandchopped1tsp(5mL)redchiliflakes1tsp(5mL)salt1/2tsp(2mL)turmeric2lb.(1kg)freshorfrozenokra,slicedandtrimmed1/4cup(60mL)freshlysqueezedlemonjuice1cup(250mL)water(approx.)1cup(250mL)choppedcilantro(approx.)

METHOD1.Inalargesautépan,heatoiloverMediumheat.Addonionsandcookforabout2minutes.2.Addtomatoesandcookun]lonionsaretranslucentandtomatoesaresoe;about2minutes.3.Addchiliflakes,saltandturmericands]rfor2minutes.4.Addokraandmixwell,adding2tbsp.(25mL)ofwaterifingredientss]cktopan.5.Addlemonjuiceandcookfor2minutes,addinganother2tbsp.ofwaterifs]cking.6.Reserve2tbsp.(25mL)cilantro,andaddremainingtopan.7.Ifusingfreshokra,addremainingwaterandcoverandcookupto15minutes.Omitaddingtherestofthewaterhereifusingfrozenokra.8.Garnishwithreservedcilantrowhenokraistenderandremovefromheat.

NutriLonalAnalysisperServing(1cup)Calories.......74Fat,total........2gFat,saturated........0gCholesterol..........0mgCarbohydrate.........15g

SentbyGeethanjaliWickramanayake

Articles from Mayans Continued…………

Unitytrain

WeweretravelingonatriptoEllaSriLanka,abeau]fulplaceintheHillsandmountainssurroundedbyteaestatesandteabushesCarpe]ngthelandscape.Weweregoingtostayinaresortcalled98acresHiddeninamountainandateaestate

WedecidedtotakethePodiMenikaTrainfromColombotoEllaReservedonthethirdclassseatswewereali/leapprehensiveas3adults6childreninathirdclassfullybookedtrainseemedali/ledaun]ngButthereservedwordsortofgavesomecomfortandhopethatwewouldactuallyHavesomeseats.

Allofthetravelingfamilymembersmetinthefortrailwaysta]onOnahotandhumidpoyadaymorning.ThetrainstarteditsadventurousjourneyAli/lelateinthemorningbutthecrowdedplawormvibratedwithaholidayspiritWhenweenteredthecompartmentitwasempty.ThecompartmentbeforeiswasfullTothebrim.Therewasnoroomtoevenputinafoottocheckforourseatnumber.

SomekindpersonwhosawourconfusionshoutedabovethenoiseofpeopleTogoforwardandfindourcoach.Wewereallpre/yrelievedtoseetheemptyPlace.OurseatshadbeenbookedallovertheplaceandifwewenttoruleWecouldnotsittogether.SincethecoachwasemptywetargetedtenseatstogetherAnddecidedthatwewouldtrytonego]ate.Afamilyof22gotinaeerus.TheconfusionwasGreatastheyalsohadseatsamidstoursbutatleasttheirswereinonecarriageSowespokekindlyTooneofthepartyandhewassoobligingashecouldseethepredicamentWewerein.Hegavetheordersandwemovedaroundsoonhisgroupwashappyandweweredelighted.Thisstartedourjourneywithkindnessandcompromisefromtotalstrangers.

OntherightsideblockwasaTamilfamilyalsoonholiday.Theyweresilentandlikeusdecidedtotakewhatseatstheycouldtobecomfortableandtogether.

Ali/lewhilelatereachgroupbroughtouttherefoodpacketsmadefromvarioushousesintheearlyhoursofthemorningasthiswasalongjourneythatrequiredbreakfastandlunch.Therewasacafeteriabutwecouldnotreachitthroughthesalmonpackedthirdclassnotreservedcompartment.Sowewerestuckherebetweentheengineandthelockedotherdoor.Theelderlymotherfromthelargegroupbroughtisapanbageandaskedustoshare.Wehadeatenalmostaswegotinsowepolitelyrefused.

Articles from Mayans Continued…………

Inali/lewhilewesawthatthekidsinthatgroupwerenotea]ng.Theseenisambolwastoohotforthem.Wehadplentyoffoodtogoaroundsoweofferedittothekidswhoaccostedwithallsmiles.Aeerali/lewhiletheAuntyfromthegroupcameagainwithfriedkadala.Itseemstheywerethankingusforfeedingtheirkids.Wereciprocatedbyopeningabiscuitpacketandsharing.Inali/lewhilecameaboxofcutlets.Wehadalsomadebuttheywouldnotletusrefuse.itseemedthefoodwasendlessandthepassingfromonegrouptotheothergenuineandfree.

Thenstartedthemusic.Itwaslikebeingpartofalivemusicalconcert.Thegirlsandtheboysofthegrouphadsuchbeau]fulvoicesblendinginperfectharmonyitwasamazing.Itwaslikeeachvoicehadaplaceinthesong.Thedrumthataccompaniedthemwaseffortlesslysehngthetuneandthesongsoldandnewthatcameoutfromthegroupwasspiritlieing.Weweretrulyluckytobeinthatplaceinthat]me.Wewerepartofabeau]fuloperagroupthatbroughtoutthetruemeaningofamelodyandharmonyinsong.Thefoodwasamazingandtheentertainmentwasbeyondexpecta]ons.Whatmorecouldwewishfor.

Wewereclimbinguphill.FromaboutNawalapi]yaaMuslimfamilygotin.TheirseatsdisplacedthefatherintheTamilgroup.Whostoodsilentlybyhisfamily.Wehadanextra]cketasoneinthegroupwasrunninglatebutIdidn'twanttogetinvolved.AeeralltheywereMuslims.Ifeltanini]aldislikeseepingin.Thefirstnega]vefeelinginthejourney.Afamilyoffour.Therewasayoungboyofabout15,glaringeyesandsetmouth.Seemedangryandtryingtotakeontheworld.

WemovedaroundaskedtheTamildisplacedfathertositwherewemaderoomforhim.Hewasmorethanhappytoaccept.Gratefulhesatdowninacornernotreallywan]ngtodisturbgroup.TheMuslimboywasglaringindisbeliefatthemusicFilingthetrainasifhehadneverexperiencedanythinglikethisinhislife.Weno]cedthatthisfamilyhadnoteatenanythingfromthe]metheygotin.Notadropofwaterandnotabiteofanything.

Ifeltbad.WhatsortofBuddhistwasI.IfIcouldnotseeorfeelbeyondclothesorlooks.Ihadfishcutletsandchickensandwichesbuttheywerenothalal.ButIdidhavesomepacksofbiscuits.Wehesitantlyofferedandwasnotsureifthereplywasayesorno.Soweleetheboxontheirtable.Theli/legirlinthegroupfrom]meto]mepeekedovertheseatatalltheexcitementgoingaround.Isawtheboyslowlylookaroundandopentheboxandputafewinhismouth.Wewererelievedaswerehopedwehadnotoffendedthem.

TheTamilfamilyleeali/lebeforethis.Thankingagainwithsmilesandgoodbyes.

Articles from Mayans Continued…………

Thebiggergroupwassingingawayandagentfromanothercompartmentwhocouldnotresistthemusicwasdancingandsingingaway.Butitwasourmusicianstogetdown.Webidourfarewellsandwishedeachotherawonderfulholiday.Itwasasadgoodbyefromoursideasourorchestralee.Wehadmuchfoodlee.Wetookaboxofcutletstothenextcompartmentgroupwhothedancinggenthadcomefrom.Theyweresohappytoreceiveourcutlets.Ithinktheyhadrunoutdofood.Wealsohadsomesandwichesleewhichwesharedagainwithdeepgra]tudetheyaccepted.Theyhadasurprisebirthdayintheirgroupwithabirthdaycakewhichwassharedwithallofus.

WeaskedtheMuslimmotheriftheywouldlikesomecutlets.Shewokehersonwhowithasleepysmilerefused.AgaintheyhadnotdrunkorWayneanythingexceptforthebiscuits.Theli/legirlstartedtoplaywithourkidsandsheacceptedamilkandbiscuitswithabigsmile.

Thekidswerehavingwonderful]measthewholecompartmentwasnowoursastheothergroupalsoleewithoneofthemali/leheavywithdrinkshuggingandkissingusbiddingfarewell.ThekidswereclimbingoverseatsandonthebarsandIknewDarwinstheorywasabsolutelytruewatchingwiththeeaseandfunthekidshadhavingonthebarsofthetrain.

Wetooktheleeovercutletsandshowedittothemotherwholookedatithungrily.Iputoneinherhandoneinherdaughterandonethefatheracceptedgratefully.Thesons]lldecidednotto.

TheygotoffinEllaandagainlikeallthegroupsbeforebidfarewelltous,eachgroupgehngoffthetrainandgoingoffintothedistancewithsmilesandwaveswithhopesanddreams.Somesimplytoenjoytheirholiday,somewonderinghowtomakeendsmeet.Butallofusinthosefewhourstogethercametogetherasafamily.Asafamilyofhumanbeingslookingforthingsthatuniteusandnotwhatdivides.Sinhala,Tamil,Muslim.Nodifferenttoeachotherexpectforabelief.Athoughtthathasbeenforcedoracceptedfreelyorborntowhichdividesallofus.Onlyathoughtthatwehavekeptthinkingoverandoveragainwhichwehaveformedintoareligionoraracetotallyforgehngwhoweareandwherewehavecomefrom.

Allofusarebornliveanddie,noma/erwhatorwhowebelievein.Noma/erhowwechosetoliveorfight.Itisdivisionthatismanmadeandeasilymanremovable.

Wechoseeachofusinthattrain.Inthatcompartmenttofindthingstouniteus.Tomakeuswholelikepiecesinapuzzle.Eachoneneededtomaketheotherabe/erperson.

Articles from Mayans Continued…………

Sowerode10hoursintheunitytrain.Withoutbarriers,bringoutoutthebestineachofus.ShowingEachofustofindthelightthatwecarryandtolookforthatinothersnottheoutercover.Tounderstandthatweareallone.Andthatthisoneiswhatweallare.

Unitytrain...takingustoheightsbreathtaking,andleavinguswithavibra]onsthatleaveusbreathlesswiththeirpower.

The10hoursweresowellspentinourbeau]fulblueunitytrain

SentbyNilminiDorabawila

“-HealthisthegreatestgiT,

Contentmentthegreatestwealth,

faithfulnessisthebestrelaLonship-“

-LordBuddha-

Articles from Mayans Continued…………

AboutmentalhealthEveryone'smental health is important. It needs to be taken care of tomake sure you stayhealthyoverall.Learnaboutyourmentalhealth,howtoimproveitandtheresul]ngbenefits.

Whatismentalhealth?Mental health is the state of your psychological and emo]onalwell-being. It is a necessaryresourceforlivingahealthylifeandamainfactorinoverallhealth.Itdoesnotmeanthesamethingasmentalillness.However,poormentalhealthcanleadtomentalandphysicalillness.

Goodmentalhealthallowsyoutofeel,thinkandactinwaysthathelpyouenjoylifeandcopewithitschallenges.Thiscanbeposi]velyornega]velyinfluencedby:• • lifeexperiences,suchas:o familysitua]ono thedeathofalovedoneo financialandemploymentstatus• rela]onshipswithothers,suchasyour:o friendso familymemberso co-workerso schoolmates• workorschoolenvironment• physicalhealth,suchasproblemscausedby:o long-termillnesso alcoholordrugabuse• thetypeofcommunityyouliveino is it a suppor]ve and trus]ng community or one where everyone keeps tothemselves?

Howcanyoutakecareofyourmentalhealth?Takecareofyourmentalhealthinthesamewayyouwouldtakecareofyourphysicalhealth.Ittakesprac]se,pa]enceandsupport.

Youcanmaintainorimproveyourmentalhealthbyfollowingtheadvicebelow.• • Knowandacceptthatlifecanbechallenging.• Knowandacceptyourstrengthsandweaknesses.• Setrealis]cgoalsforyourself.• Acceptyourselfandothers.Thisisthebasisofself-esteem.• Learn to recognize and understand that you andothers have both posi]ve and nega]vefeelings.• Createasenseofmeaninginyourlifebylearningandtryingnewac]vi]es,likestar]ngahobby.• Createhealthy,trus]ngrela]onshipswithpeoplewhoacceptandsupportyou.

Articles from Mayans Continued…………

Building a suppor]ve community is an important way to improve mental health. Makingmeaningful connec]ons with your family, friends, peers, colleagues and other members ofyourcommunitycanhelpyoufeel:• likeyoubelong• safeandsecure• freetoexpressyourthoughtsandfeelingsonissuesthatareimportanttoyou

Youcanhelpcreateahealthyandsafeenvironmentwhereyoulive,learn,workandplayby:• • knowingandaccep]ngthateveryonehasdifficul]esintheirlives• takingpartinlocaleventsandgehngtoknowyourneighbours• findingwaystogetinvolvedandgivingbacktoyourcommunity• suppor]ngandincludingpeopleofdifferentagesandbackgroundsinyourcommunity

Howdoesbeingmentallyhealthybenefityou?Beingmentallyhealthycan:• increasecopingskillso howwehandledifficultexperiencesandstresses• improveself-esteemo feelingconfidentinyourworthandabili]es• improveresiliencyo yourabilitytosuccessfullymoveonaeeranega]veeventandregaincontrolofyourlife

Increasingcopingskills,self-esteemandresiliencyencouragespeopleto:• createhealthyrela]onships• posi]velyinteractwiththeircommunity• talkopenlyabouttheirmentalhealth,includingtheirneedsandwants

Feelingconfidentandcompetentintheseareascanimproveemo]onalstrength.Inturn,thiscanhelpimproveandmaintainyourlevelofmentalhealth.

Source: Government of Canada (h\p://healthycanadians.gc.ca/healthy-living-vie-saine/mental-health-sante-mentale/improving-mental-health-ameliorer-sante-mentale/what-quoi-eng.php)

SentbyViharaDharmaratne

KidsCorner

MyadventuroustriptoKumana–Wildlifesanctuary

ByRavinduKarunaratne

Grade3–BearPathelementaryschoolinCT

Haveyoueverbeenonawildlifesafari?Ifyes,haveyouseenanimalsintheir natural habitats? Well I have! My family and I have been to awildlifesanctuarycalledKumanainSriLanka.Therewasaninforma]oncenterandtherewesawstuffedanimalsandseveralskeletonsofwildanimals including elephants. Those animals were dead by naturalcauses.Myfathergotusthe]cketstoenterthesanctuary.Healsorequestedparkinforma]onfromtheofficersattheinforma]oncenter.

A li/lebeforewewenttothe informa]oncenter,wewenttoanearbystoreandgotahugepacketofHawaiiancookiesandcreamcrackerbiscuits. Whoknewhowlong it’ll takesoweneededmore than enough food to be surewewon’t be hungry on our journey. Aeerwebought our snacks we got inside our car and started our journey! When we were drivingtowards the entrance I saw that the entrance gate looked just like the Jurassic park [theJurassicparkgateshownbelow].Aeerwepassedthegatewestartedseeingdifferentkindsofbirds like woodpeckers, kingfishers, parrots, mina birds, cranes, sparrows, lovebirds, and ofcoursepeacocks.

Slowly we reached a huge lake, it was almost en]rely full oflotusflowers,wealsosawotherlakeswithcoolcreatureslivinginthemsuchascrocodiles,alligators,andwaterbuffaloes.Iwasvery frightened but it was also awesome seeing creatures Iwantedtoseeforalong]mesoweslowedtoastopandgotofthe car sowe could takepictures of thewild animals that livethere.WealsosawsignsofelephantpoopandmymomaskedmeforajokeheyRavindu,canyoutouchtheelephant’spoop?Soifitshotisnewpoopanelephantisnearby,coldisoldpoopanelephant shouldbe longgone.Hahahaha! “Yesammi”….VeryfunnyIsaid.“It’snotfunny”myMomsaid.

Articles from Mayans Continued…………

AeerwegotdownfromthebirdcentermymomandIgotbackinsidethecar.Whileweweredrivingwesawthattheroadinfrontofuswasali/lefloodedmydadwasnotreadytodrivewithusinthecar,IwasalsoveryfrightenedIthoughttherewerecrocodilesinthere.

Photoofthewildelephant.Plus,itislookingdirectlyatus!

SoAmmiandIgotoffthecarandwewaitedun]lAppachchidrovehiscaracrossthefloodedpath.Aeerhecrossedthepathwayitwasourturntocrossthepath,IwasafraidbutmymomandIwasdeterminedtocrossthefloodedpathway.Allofasuddenweheardamanfromasafaritruckshou]ng“Elephant!Elephant!Getinthecar!”somymomandIheldourhands]ghtly and quickly crossed the flooded pathway and reached the car forgehng about thecrocodiles and we got in the car as quick as we can. Then while we were driving a wildelephantcameintoview!Mymomwasclearlyfrightenedandstartedwhisperingtomydadto leave this place instantly but my dad didn’t listen but he started taking photos of theelephant. Then my mom started whining and blaming my dad for going closer to theelephant.Buthekepttakingpicturesun]lhefeltliketurningaroundandleaving,whichtakesalong]me.[actually,mymomistheonewhotookthephotos,mydadtookthevideos,gladmydaddrovethecarbecauseifmymomwasdrivingshewillturnthecararoundandleave]Aeer we lee the elephant alone, my mom told me a fact, “One wild elephant is moredangerousthanaherdofelephants.

Articles from Mayans Continued…………

Itwastheaeernoonwestartedseeingmoreandmoreanimals they usually prowl when it’s close to night, Ibet that there are nocturnal animals living there too!While we were driving back we saw 2 foxes runningalong the road, many herds of deer drinking waterfrom sca/ered lakes, many peacocks ready to danceandalargerabbitwhichmymomgotmanyphotosof.Usually the sanctuary closes at 6:00 pm sowe barelycame out of the sanctuary before it closed. We sawmore elephants as we came out of Kumana. It wasgehng dark, we were very ]red. It was the mostamazingexperience I had. It is be/er thanany zoo inAmerica or even in Sri Lanka because in zoos animalsarekeptincages.Howwouldyoulikeifyou’rekeptina

SentbyRavinduKarunaratne

APUBLICATIONOFTHEMAHAMAYAGIRLS’COLLEGEALUMNAEASSOCIATIONOFNORTHAMERICA

Newsle\erCommi\ee:SriyaniDissanayake,VajeeraDorabawila,

BadulllaTrainandDemodaraArc

Bridge

TakenbySriyaniDissanayake