Anthony Malloy

Dear god, she’s in Grade 4.

I received an email from a close friend today. This is what he had to say.

Friends,

I plan on getting in touch with the lady, Janine Cooke (an ex Sri Lankan Model now living here and doing good work in Sri Lanka long before the disaster) and making a small donation so she can continue the good work, as it is apparent the small places have, and will be forgotten in the grand scale of the relief efforts.

Any help from yourself/your friends/ will be of genuine appreciation.

The email below was attached. It was sent to him from Sri Lanka on Jan 26., 2005 – one month to the day after the wave hit. It comes from his first cousin .

[…]On Monday, being Poys day, Reza and I together with Ali and Nimmi, went as far as Galle to see how things were. More towards Colombo, it was Moratuwa/Panadura that was affected very badly. In certain areas the water had come across the road to the land side as well, destroying many homes/shops. Then again from Piyagala, it was one real mess, apparently right down to Yala – we went only a wee bit beyond Galle. The smells are still terrible. The US Marines, together with the Indian Navy and others from Japan and Korea are doing a good job cleaning up the roadsr and installing clean drinking water taps along the way, as well as repairing roads/rail tracks, etc. People are living in tents all along the way, until new homes are constructed fo them. You cannot imagine that water could do so much damage to life and property. It looks more like an after war scene.

We visited a Home, called the “Sambodhi Home”, as Lizzie contributes towards it monthly, and her friend Jannine Cooke comes to SL often as she is involved in running it. That place was a pathetic sight. All the inmates are either disabled (by way of deformity) or mentally retarded. There are adults as well as children there. They had 110 inmates with only 4 people to look after them. 48 inmates died due to the Tsunami, as the water came up to about 6 feet in that area. So they were unable to save everyone, as some were even bedridden. They have lost everything. The place was smelling like hell and infected with flies. I am glad I went there somehow, cause we asked them what they required and went to the Supermarket in Town and got them everythig they need, as well as disinfectants and sprays for the flies, etc. This Home is next to a canal, which is filthy and smelly, there are dead bodies in there still. I feel so sorry for these people who have to live in those conditions, as they need beds/linen/clothes and most of all medication, as some of them suffer with bed soars. Luckily I took a load of boiled drinking water in bottles, which I was able to give them. A few cannot even walk and go around on their bums. I still cannot get that place out of my mind, but I want to continue helping that Home, and must get together with Sheryll, and do something for them soon.

Jannine was trying to talk Lizzie into coming to SL with her in May to visit this Home and help her, but I dont think Lizzie could handle it, as it is not like the Nursing Home she works at there. I told her so, so it is up to her.

Thats all for now, so love and God Bless you all.

Bye for now,

Trudy.

If you want to contribute in a way that will go directly to those obviously in need you can contact him, his name is Fairley, at falw@netspace.net.au.

Australia Day 2005, and what better way to celebrate than by going to sit in 35 degrees and watch your boys run through training. While Rae closely monitored the shirtless Mark Chaffey as he ran laps I was keeping an eye on the lads and it looked good. Several times they were told off for not concentrating, they were told they should know their positions at stoppages instinctively and they were worked bloody hard.

It was all such a change to training sessions under the last coach where drills seemed to last a couple of minutes, then they’d mill around a bit and then do another two minute drill. Today they were running, they were hitting, they were focused and they were disciplined.

Hopefully like the Tigers of old.

I’ve used it twice in two days now and it’s fun.

We have the benefit if being able to see any door-to-door people coming up the path, which gives you the seconds advantage you need. As soon as I open the door, and before they have a chance to start their “I’m not trying to sell you anything” spiel I ask “Who are you with?”.

Both have appeared a little stunned, they don’t expect a question before they can start and they abandon their script to blurt out the name of whoever is paying them a pittance.

A simple “no thanks” and walk away leaves them floundering on the doorstep before the long march to the next house.

I found out my blood group today. 34 and a half years and I didn’t know.

I’m B+

I really don’t function well on little sleep. The full story is available on Contemplating Albert (or Kennedy).

Night.

That’s it, we’re now up to date with downloading our television shows. So far that’s 11 episodes of Desperate Housewives (all watched), 13 episodes of Lost (7 watched) and 1 episode of Carnivale (being kept for the end of season 1 on ABC). Last we night we sat down to watch episode 4 of Lost. We had to give up at the beginning of episode 8 ’cause it was way past our bed time.

And today you missed out on a photo of the grooviest tea set you could ever wish for ’cause I forgot to put a memory card in my camera. Maybe next week.

Someone actually sent the ramble below to a web site I administer for a local sports team.

Translations gratefully received.

hey i dont know what enquries is but i want to say u guys are great .and now to the team side um um ok know i remembre that [Fred] you would be a great insparation couse u where the one that made me the goalie now that the [team] kicked the [other team] ass in the final and i baged the shit out of them i fell great but we still came third .so one word [TEAM] rule oh so do [another team] but thats another story

There’s been an update on one of my other blogs. The one I share with Rae.

You may want to check Albert

I noticed that, by coincidence, I had posted a cat photo on this day for the past two years. Who am I to mess with tradition?