IT BOGGLES THE MIND........

WHY ARE THESE PEOPLE SMILING?

another Kingdom paradox.......

When Janis Joplin sang about her days on the road with Bobby Magee, she said 'freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose'.... I think she was on to something.... If so, these folks are definitely on Freedom Road!

One of the earliest groups of people Community Concern Society  (http://www.communityconcernsociety.com/) got involved with were 33 Malayalam families – Gypsies who originated from India but had migrated to Sri Lanka years ago. They traditionally stick together as a community and wound up in the sea beach shanties in our little kingdom on the outskirts of Colombo. The most marginalized of the poor, these people continue to endure racial prejudice wherever they go. On Dec. 26, 2004 every one of them survived, but their huts and all their meager possessions were swept away with the tsunami waves. They, along with all the other shoreline dwellers, wound up in refugee camps, living in conditions not fit for a dog. They stayed there for 3 years, waiting for the houses promised to all victims of the tsunami. CCS finished building 33 homes for our unique friends in Dankotuwa, Sri Lanka in Dec. 2007. Just as all were preparing for the big move to their new homes, the local community, led by their religious leaders in Dankotuwa, rose up in protest against their new neighbors and threatened to kill them all if they dared to move in. Imagine that! The decision was made to give the homes to more acceptable Sinhalese refugees instead, so it was back to the camp for the wandering Gypsies. Nearly two years later, we are happy to say our resilient friends have finally moved into new homes in Kolonnawa provided through the good joint efforts of CCS and Habitat for Humanity. Still struggling to survive, their attitude and gratitude continues to impress and humble all of us.

Here are a few more pix of our overcoming friends, the Gypsies of Kolonnawa......

Here is Sriyani enjoying a moment with some of her buddies...

.....happy for sure to be finally living in a decent home, but happier by far to connect and share their joy....

the last shall be first.....

go figure,

Tom

DIVA REVIVAL......

Sri Lanka is a land of exquisite natural beauty. In spite of this, it is still struggling to find it's way in the modern world. Though blessed with extremely talented people, being a developing island, the opportunities for aspiring artists to 'make it big' are limited. Nevertheless, locally it is a feast of beauty and artistic expression. The unique nature of the place is surely reflected in the attractive people and promotes itself in all kinds of subtle sensitivities.
Here are a selection of lovely ladies I shot for a local calendar recently. Movie stars, recording artists, catwalk queens, popular models and beauty contest champions all agreed to contribute their time and images to raise awareness and funds for women who are victims of abuse.
Enjoy.......


Shiyani


Bianca


Piorina


Rozelle

Natasha


Ann


Sachini

Rozanne

Chula

Geraldine

Nadeeka

Danielle

I thought this would be a pleasant way to ease into the New Year...
God Bless each and every one and here's to walking on the bright side all year long...

Tom

I LOVE A PARADE...

In spite of economic hard times and frigid temperatures, the 25th annual Star City Holiday Parade in Lincoln, Nebraska was a smashing success this year. Organized by the 'Updowntowners', the festive event held yearly in early December enjoyed a record turnout. A crowd of 100,000 lined the streets ten deep in downtown Lincoln to celebrate the day and share holiday cheer all around...

Here I am enjoying the good life a couple days later... They say if you don't like the weather in Nebraska, just wait a few minutes... it's bound to change. No parade this week.

I might get a little exuberant at times over my appreciation of Nebraska, but like they say, 'There's no place like home!' Good honest people, good friends, good times...

My homies know what I mean...

There is no place like Nebraska!

Tom

POETRY IN MOTION...

Serendipity...the faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident.

'Serendib' is one of the ancient names of modern Sri Lanka. In the West the offshoot word senendipity became common in the 18th century due to English man of letters, Horace Walpole. He coined the word, having been inspired by a Persian fairy tale, 'The Three Princes of Senendib' whose heroes often made discoveries by chance. To this day in Sri Lanka, senendipitous occurrences are common and often acknowledged ... like this one...

The 'Monk' (affectionate nickname for my son) and I were lolling around in the afternoon shade of the 'Drunken Monkey', one of our favorite Hikkaduwa surf beach spots. As we occasionally glanced seaward keeping an eye out for action in the surf or on the beach, our glance became a gaze when we spotted the graceful tandem moves of an apparently foreign couple frolicking on the shore. The more we watched the more we became caught up in their highly professional skills and mutual understanding executed adeptly on the edge of the lapping waves. After some time, the handsome couple headed our way and we couldn't help commenting on their beauty and what a treat is was to watch them in action. We introduced ourselves and became friendly in no time, which is common in that laid back setting. We learned they were indeed professional dancers from Paris, France and were on a short holiday in Sri Lanka, having recently performed in Colombo. Being quite humble and very accommodating, they agreed to meet me and my camera a little later in the day for a repeat performance down by the waterside. What a treat!...the best impromptu shoot ever!!!

Let me introduce Tamara Fernando and Kirikoo and share with you a few pix from our little time on the beach in Hikkaduwa...

We even had a serendipitous rainbow show up during our short time together...

Keep your balance... you never know what's coming your way...

A bend in the road is not the end of the road unless you fail to make the turn...

Tom

WHEN THE MAN COMES AROUND...

I recently met up with Dr. Tom Osborne, Athletic Director at the University of Nebraska, to get a shot for our upcoming 2010 issue of 'Lincoln Today' magazine. Coach Osborne was warmly welcomed back at the University in 2008 as AD to right the ship in Huskerville and restore traditions dear of the people of Nebraska... traditions envied by knowledgeable sports fans everywhere.

Considered one of the all-time best coaches in college football, Tom Osborne is a legend. Peerless as an offensive mastermind and fiercely competitive, he is most respected as a gentleman of principle and high moral character, who not only knows how to win but how people tick, as well.

In every sport, coaches are always looking for playmakers, impact players who rise to the occasion and make the difference in competition. But, no matter how talented the players, a winning team always needs 'a straw to stir the drink'...a phrase coined describing Reggie Jackson, 'Mister October', baseball superstar of World Series fame. Reggie once said, "I'll tell you what makes a great manager; a great manager has a knack for making ball-players think they are better than they are. He forces you to have a good opinion of yourself. He lets you know he believes in you. He makes you get more out of yourself. And, once you learn how good you really are, you'll never settle for playing anything less than your very best."

Coach Osborne had that knack.

Here are a few shots from the glory days when Coach Tom roamed the sidelines...

Coach Osborne always said the game was won by how you prepared in practice, and he always practiced what he preached...

... I should know since he was my Sunday school teacher when I was just a kid.

It's been a good run,

Tom

TALK ABOUT COOL...

...these guys have got it goin' on!!! 

 I may be a little biased about my boy, Luke, but Wynton Marsalis, one of the finest jazz musicians of all time, definitely walks away with the prize.

He kicked off  his superb performance with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra at the Lied Center for Performing Arts in Lincoln, Nebraska with his rendition of 'Old MacDonald Had a Farm'.  He cretainly knew his audience and won lots of hearts right off.

After the show,  Wynton cordially agreed to mix backstage with several admirers. He and Luke hit it off and shared a few moments of mutual affection which was cool and fun to be a part of. But, what was most impressive to see, was Wynton's personal touch on display. Being an award winning artist of international acclaim he could have easily basked in the lingering applause from his encore performance and considered his evening's work to be over. Instead, he chose to stick around and make some friends. Carrying with him the love and genuine respect shared between the boys in the band onstage, he entered the room and made a beeline to the wheelchaired fellow he spotted in the far corner.  Kneeling down, he talked warmly for some time and sincerely thanked the man for coming out to hear him play.  Then, as he mingled and showed personal interest in the rest of the fans, he came to a young kid who exuberantly proclaimed, 'Hey, I play the trumpet, too!'  Wynton said, 'Go, get your horn', and spent the next hour giving the kid the time and lesson of his life. 

Now, that's cool!

It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing...

Tom

OPIUM FOR THE MASSES...

...And, man, this is pretty good stuff!!!

Outsiders may snicker about Nebraska with its predominately rural population and its 'a little rough around the edges' down home ways. But, there is more going on around here than often meets the eye. Sometimes, it shines through and hearts are revealed... events seeming to bring out the best in folks all around. In this case it just happens to be the statewide tradition of supporting the beloved University of Nebraska football team. 

Last weekend, the whole state celebrated one of the most amazing records in the modern era of sports... the 300th consecutive sellout of Memorial Stadium for home games in Lincoln, Nebraska!

Yes, you may say it's just a game and there are certainly more pressing matters in the world today, but for insiders, you know what 'There's no place like Nebraska' means... For the rest of you, please click on these two links and you'll get an idea of what makes us proud to be Cornhuskers in Nebraska and what all the shouting is really about...

http://www.espn1420.com/Default.aspx?tabid=3710&EntryID=6695

http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=8707247

Go Big Red!!!

Tom