Found In Ceylon

Fundraiser Update–And It’s All Good News!

Adam — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:03:20 +0000

Last fall and winter 2011, nearly 100 people from all across the United States and overseas donated a total of $6,620 to support building new classrooms and help complete a national sign language dictionary and grammar DVD project. Here’s an update on what’s happened so far with your generous support of Rohana Special School and [...]

Fundraising 2011: Give the Gift of Education

Adam — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 15:06:23 +0000

This successful fundraiser has concluded! Go here for updates on how your generous support and donations were put to good use to improve the education of deaf and hard of hearing children in Matara, Sri Lanka. This fall, give the gift of education to Deaf children and adults in Sri Lanka! Last July, I [...]

Sri Lanka 2011 Tour Vision

Adam — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 04:44:03 +0000

Friends, Many of you know that in 2006 and 2007, I lived and worked in Sri Lanka for nine magical, unforgettable months. I was a volunteer at Rohana Special School, a school primarily for deaf children in Matara on Sri Lanka’s southern coast. I wrote extensively about my experiences at my blog, Found In Ceylon [...]

The Beginning of This Journey

Adam — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 08:01:36 +0000

I never explained how I first came to Sri Lanka. My journey started with an e-mail that I blew off for three months. It was an e-mail from my mom titled “Fwd: Deaf & Blind Orphanage,” a forward from my parents’ good friends Jim and Julie Regan. They had written to their friends about an [...]

“Deaf Can!” So Say The Rohana Special School Children!

Adam — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 06:16:41 +0000

During one lesson in the Deaf Studies class, I showed them a short video from California School for the Deaf’s Middle School PAH! Day celebration. The children were so inspired that they wanted to make a video themselves. I suggested the “Deaf Can!” theme and they ran with it. About half of the footage were [...]

The Video Dictionary Non-Project

Adam — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 04:31:13 +0000

I made some mention of a video sign language dictionary filming project in partnership with Ruhunu Sumaga Circle of the Deaf. I would like to update everyone and explain that this did not happen after all due to a succession of reasons. But the last reason is the best one of all: the Central Federation [...]

It’s Not All Bad…

Adam — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 06:23:58 +0000

Of course, I don’t want to leave the impression that returning to this country only fills you with deep, unanswerable questions. There’s a lot of joy to be found in every single day in Sri Lanka. In the last seven days, I’ve: Gone to Mr. Abeygunawardana’s mirith, a house blessing where twelve monks chant all [...]

The Observer Effect, Among Others

Adam — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 03:47:00 +0000

The thought has crossed my mind that perhaps I shouldn’t visit Sri Lanka anymore after this trip. Perhaps it’s just a temporary feeling of moroseness brought on by the clouds and torrential rains that have pounded Matara the past three days, but there are real issues at work here, both personal and social. First: There [...]

Deaf Studies Programme, Week One

Adam — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 03:44:48 +0000

Monday, 26 May Plan: Outside Activity: Do the trust fall activity outside; first, in pairs and on the ground; second, with groups catching pupils falling backwards off tables. Introduce Deaf Studies. First activity: Pupils pick a playing card, read its number, then tell that many unique things about himself to the class. Second activity: each [...]

The Sinhalese of Reason, Revisited

Adam — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 03:43:54 +0000

(This is an update to The Sinhalese of Reason post, March 2007.) I didn’t notice Kasun’s absence right away on the first day I came back to the school (it was their Buddhist day prior to Wesak), and I don’t think I made note of it until the next day. I even forgot his name [...]