So much stuff happens in just a few days that I can never figure out what to write about. I'm literally being timed as I sit on the computer in the internet cafe, which isn't a problem as far as money goes because it's pretty inexpensive, but it is a big problem in terms of creativity. I've learned and thought about so much while at work and I really want to write about that later, but for now I just want to write about my Saturday evening fishing trip. Shilpa was invited to go fishing by Krishanta (possibly one of the house recipients), and she asked me and Chris to come along. Not knowing what to expect, we climbed into a tuk-tuk and followed Krishanta on his motorcycle down to where the fishing boats are. After a little preparation, six of us headed out to sea in a little 15-foot boat with a small motor - me, Chris, Shilpa, Krishanta, and two other local fishermen whose names I can't remember right now. Its was so beautiful heading out at about 6pm as the sun was beginning to set on the ocean. We arrived at our spot about 2 kilometers off the coast of Galle and dropped anchor. The fishermen baited our hooks with shrimp and squid and cast our lines into the water. We didn't actually use fishing poles; we held the line in our hands as we fed it from a spool by our feet. Shilpa caught the first fish of the day and it was a really nice one. After that we each reeled in a few and I ended up catching a pretty big fish which was very fun. He put up a good fight, but it wasn't exactly like The Old Man and the Sea. After a while the sun set and it was dark. The fishermen pulled out a watering pale that had been converted into a kerosene torch and lit the spout. The pale was placed on a little wooden shelf at eye level and the light from the flame was just enough to tip the whole experience over the top, somewhere into the surreal. There were several points at which Shilpa, Chris, and I exchanged big toothy smiles and not much else needed to be said. It was a very cool night. When we finished the fishermen insisted that we keep our catch, which we knew was very generous. A member of the kitchen staff at our hotel, Sampath, cooked our fish for us just last night and it was so good. Of all the things I thought about this fishing trip, the thing that stood out to me the most was that it was such a unique experience that not every visitor will have here. Once again I felt lucky to experience some small, authentic part of everyday life in Sri Lanka.