Day 2 - Moving

So I moved in today to my new home in Pattiyawala village. It was an overwhelming feeling of excitement and anxiety as I was already beginning to understand the challenges that this move would entail. However, I was warmly welcomed by several young girls and boys along with their mothers and they were eager to show me their village. So today I was escorted to one of the tanks (wewa) in the village which was named "Pattiyawela wewa". They picked me up in a three-wheeler and we drove close to the tank and walked the rest. As we were approaching the tank, the golden hour was upon us, there was a magical aura spanning across the scenery and I was immediately captivated by the unspoiled beauty of the tank, opposite lush green paddy fields and a gravel bunt road separating the two. The young boys were screaming to get my attention to show me two crocodiles basking under a tree in the middle of the tank. There were also two young men trying to catch some fish by laying out a small net, not too far away from the crocodiles. 

There was an old tamarind tree opposite the tank, we all stopped there for the shade and I noticed several cows tied and untied grazing the fields behind me, painting the iconic landscapes of the Sri Lankan countryside. One of the young girls picked up several tamarind fruits and placed them on my hand, while the others picked up some for themselves and we all indulged in its sourly goodness. All villagers in Pattiyawela depend on this tank to provide water for their paddy fields throughout the year, especially the dry months. They say it is getting difficult to predict the rainy months.