Rain
Rain is something in my life that is especially enjoyable. In this picture, my friends and I are playing with banana leaves in the rain.

I went to our village's Buddhist temple with my parents. It was the day of Khatina Pinkama, when the people give new robes to the temple monks. People were making offerings of flowers, water, and medicinal herbs to the sacred bodhi tree to obtain blessings from the tree. After the ceremony, we prayed for an end to sadness for all living things. We poured water from pots onto the sacred tree and placed our hands together and bowed to the tree. We then bowed to the most senior monk and received his blessings.

We made a scarecrow in grandfather's paddy field to scare aware the birds that come to eat the ripening rice. I put an old hat on the scarecrow to make him look good. My little sister drew a face on the scarecrow with chalk. We had a lot of fun. Our grandfather looked happy at the sight of the golden rice. Our dog Bula also came with us and chase the birds away.

The awards ceremony for an art contest sponsored by the Sri Lanka National Commission for UNESCO took place in Colombo. The guest of honor was Bandula Gunawardana, the minister of education, and I welcomed him by placing a flower garland around his neck. Performances by dance groups created a good atmosphere. I was really happy that day.

My favorite thing to do during school vacation is to go to the stream that flows near our garden. It has different kinds of fish. My friend next door and I compete to catch fish.

A gypsy came to our house one day with a monkey and a cobra. He had a big bag on his shoulder. My grandmother let him come inside, and he played a special flute to make the cobra dance. The cobra danced really well, and the monkey jumped around and danced. My little brother and I watched the dancing.

Every morning, my little sister and I water the flowers. We are happy when the flowers bloom. We are even happier when butterflies, humming birds, and bees come to gather the nectar. Our is always full of the fragrance of flowers. My sister and I pick flowers in the garden and offer them to the Buddha everyday.

We went to ancient capital of Kandy to see the Esala Perahera festival. A beautifully decorated elephant was carrying a container that held a tooth of the Buddha. Dancers danced impressively to the powerful rhythm of drums. The Kawadi dancers were impressive, too. The procession also had pretty Buddhist flags and white parasols. Light from copra lamps lit up the procession.

Today, we went to the the Yala wildlife sanctuary. A herd of elephants came out onto the road that our car was driving on. The herd was two baby elephants and two adults. It was a great scene.

The day I sang with a band.
On my birthday a band came to play at my home. It was the first time I sang with a band. Everyone in the band was dressed alike. The stage was lit with beautifully coloured lights. I enjoyed the day very much with my friends.

Today is Sunday. It is a happy day for me. I received paint, paper and colours to paint pictures. My mother is watching me paint, and so is my pet dog. 17.9.95

Playing rabban
Women play rabban on New Year's Day. Children come to see them playing. The women are wearing dresses with flower patterns.