This one’s for you Chris…

My favorite picture of Chris.

Even though he left us here in Sri Lanka a couple of weeks ago to return for his last year at University, we still feel Chris Irwin’s presence. Chris has many accomplishments to his credit during his time here with VI: The land speed record for a round trip to Thissamaharama in a “dodgy” van; (hereafter referred to as “Bongo”); possibly the world record for the most chicken roti eaten at one sitting; ironically compensating a bicyclist and motorcycle rider on two different occasions for hitting him while he was driving; (this earned Chris the nickname “pay as you go bike magnet”) and showing miraculous restraint in not bitch slapping a particular member of the local religious community who pretty much deserved it.

Chris is an excellent driver. One needs to be here in Colombo, as the traffic is in my opinion one of Dante’s circles of hell. As I recall, it's the first level of the seventh circle, but it’s been a while since I read The Inferno. Chris is one of those safely reckless drivers and whenever we had a new volunteer in the van with us cringing at the near misses and trying to casually look around for the seat belts, (there are none) I would always say, “Relax, you’re safe as in your mothers’ arms!” Sometimes after a close call I’d shout out, “White man driving!” or “Sorry, we’re not from around here.” Chris, you’ll be happy to know that during my short stint driving Bongo in your absence, I completed the hat trick and sent a third biker ass over tea kettle on Elvitagala Mawatha. (He came out of nowhere just like always) Thus ending my career driving in Colombo, he was okay and yes…I fully compensated him.

Chris was instrumental in getting the well dug at the orphanage in Tissa as alluded to earlier in the blog. I went in person today to the pump place to speak with our old friend there about the infamous backordered submersible pump. It is now backordered for an additional 4-6 weeks. I made my (now patented) “bitterly disappointed” face and mentioned how sad it was the ORPHANS didn’t have a ready supply of water; how great it would be if his guys in Hambantota could get a temporary refurbished pump to help out the ORPHANS; and that I’m sure all the ORPHANS would be really grateful. You know the drill, he toddled off to the owner and said ORPHANS a few times and now they are installing a temporary pump until the elusive backordered one arrives. Like I always say, baby steps toward immortality. It’s not the final solution, but it is a temporary one. Just wanted to keep you abreast of goings on here and tell you I really miss you, ya big lug!