My Foreign Tours
India
My 1st Foreign tour was to India in year 2007, I went to India to participate in the HIV/AIDS conference and Multimedia Designing training to Prevent HIV/AIDS, it was held at Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) Center in New Delhi. Although Conference and Multimedia Training was held at New Delhi, I had to Chennai first, because there were no Room for me in the Flight to go Directly to Delhi from Colombo. so I had to stay 4 hours in Chennai to get the Flight to New Delhi from Chennai. Luckily I found a Srilanken Girl on her way to Bangalore through Chennai to also for Workshop. She also had to wait 3 four and half hours to catch her Flight to Bangalore. So we decided to go to see Chennai and we were back in the airport after couple of hours.
there was 15 or so people where participated in the Training and Conference. They were from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives, Kazakhstan, Bhutan, and I was the only one from Srilanka. Conference and Training was held for 4 days and we stayed Indian Islamic Cultural Center, and I had to share my room with Asghar Hour guy from Bangladesh. I stayed 5 days in India and Tour was fantastic.
Nepal
My Second Tour was to Nepal, To Participate in Online Broadcasting And Web Development Course Conducted by Panos South Asia and Held at Panos South Asia Nepal office. Like when I was going to India this time also had to go through Bangkok, because there were no Direct Flight to Katmandu from Srilanka in that time. Unlike in India this time their was another two Person from srilanka to Participate it the training, both of the were from “Srilanka Broadcasting Corporation”. One was Janaka Suneth Bandara, and other one was Jayasinghe Wijebandara.
And we were in Nepal for 4 Days and there was 12 of them in the training, including three of us from srilanka, others from Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and Bhutan. We ware stayed at Hotel Himalya. And my room mate was Jayasinghe Wijebandara. Although we wanted to go to Lumbini to See Lord Buddha’s Birth place we didn't’t had the time to go there. Instead of that we went to Buddhist Temple situated Mountain in the Center of Katmandu with the Head of (WHO) Nepal, who was a srilanken Doctor. He took us to few places he knew in Katmandu free of charge. Including Lunch in Thai Restaurant. I had to go to Bangkok again on my way home because of No Direct Flight from Katmandu to Colombo.
Thailand
My third Tour was to Bangkok, Thailand to Participated in Conference and Web Development Training. Training and Conference was Held at Rangsit University and conducted by (AMIC) . Conference was about “ Achieving Millennium Developments Goals By Year 2010. I also had to do a Presentation About “How to Use Community Radio Broadcasting and Digital Story Telling to Achieve MDG's”. I was in Bangkok for 5 days and where stayed in Rangst University. With me there was a Another Srilanken Call Sameera Thilakawardane, who was a Film Director. With us there was people from India, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand, Philippine and Indonesia in the Workshop.
Mr. Thilakawardane and I went to see Kings Palace of Thailand which was about 70 or 80 Km from Rangsit University , we went by Taxi and one person had to pay around 200 $ for that Trip. That was two much for poor lad like me, so I dint want to go there, but Mr. Thilakawardane Pushed me to it, so I had to go and pay 200 $. On the finale day of the our training there was a cruise Party on River Situated at the center of Bangkok, and it was a Best ever Party I was Participated in. I have a fond memories about that party. But unfortunately I don’t have the Pictures to show it, all those Photos with Mr.Thilakawardane who promised me to send them but never send until today.
