You are a citizen of the US.

New Orleans is my second home.

How do you cope with your choice of residence?

My family is there. My Husband and Daughter. My Sons are Schooling here. I go back. We are also involved in a small Tea business. Spend some time here, and some time there. I go into a Summer time employment. I teach you know.

Given the choice where would you want to live, say, spend more time here, or there.

US. Any time.

Why?

(After a while) Freedom. Yes that’s the word. Freedom. In any aspect. The American people respect one another. You are free to do what you want. Like, say, going to the store in your pyjamas. Put on a jacket and just do it. Nobody would care. If you want to take a drive, do it. That’s your concern. Nobody else’s. Things like that. I would dare not do that here. The roads are so chaotic. You have to mind the dogs, cattle, trishaws, people, busses crossing lanes. I would never cope with that sort of stress. America is an orderly place. Everybody abides by the rules. There are some of my ex-pat friends who have managed to cope. Takes quite some guts. I would not want to do that.

How do you fill your time? What do you do?

I’m a member of the North American Women’s Association. We raise funds for various causes. We have raised quite some funds, for instance, SUROL. They are doing a lot for the leprosy patients.

You have worked with Late Fr. Glen?

Yes very much so. They are doing wonderful work among the leprosy community. There are those stricken with the disease who have been absorbed into normal living. That is just one of our projects. We also run a small computer education School, to teach backward kids IT and also consequentially, English. From about 300 applicants, we select 30 and they go through a course, and become quite useful citizens. We work with the John Amaratunga Foundation.

You spoke of teaching. Where, and what age group?

In the US. Four to seven year olds. Mainly children with disabilities. Like Dyslexia, Autism,

What if you have a really difficult child to cope with, how would you manage.

With lots of love and understanding. You see, children are in large part influenced by the homes they come from. If their home life is unstable they are rebellious. They need understanding. Attention and love. Usually they do wrong because they want attention and recognition. There was one such, who I remember quite a while back about 20 years ago. Quite recently her mother called me saying her son (Blake?) had passed out a Doctor, and she thanked me for her son’s success. Its like that.

Your kids, how did you cope when they became that much more difficult?

(Laughs) You have to be very careful. They could run through you. If both husband and wife talk differently, they play one against the other. But our home, I think has influenced them quite nicely. The Tsunami was a good example. My Daughter, she’s 20 now, but then quite young, organized a forty foot container of stuffed toys for kids here. We did not know. When the container arrived she told us and we got the cargo out. But she did it all on her own with her friends. Here and in the US.

Your Association, what’s so extraordinary?

Not merely raise funds but we make a difference to lives of less fortunate. It was started 57 years ago. Don’t ask me who started it. I’ll have to tell you ‘I don’t, know.

Well meaning groups raise funds so..?

You’ve heard of Mardi Gras in New Orleans. It’s a festival of music, dance, a carnival. And held on Fat Tuesday. Fat Tuesday is before Ash Wednesday. We prepare for Mardi Gras about a month. Festivities are high end events, costly, but all funds collected are for charities. Nobody stints, because they know collections are well spent. Mardi Gras is celebrated here too. Its on 26th this month. We raise funds for the event and whatever we raise is correctly spent.

How many charities do you help here?

About ten.

And your members who are they?

The US ambassador’s wife, Sofia Blake is one, so too the Canadian High Commissioner Angela Bogdan, we have about 40 members mostly expatriate and North American, Mexico, as well. We have now broad based our membership.

How popular is Mardi Gras here?

If you need a pointer, we have no problem selling our Tickets. Raising funds now is a problem, because of the Country’s situation. Else we are doing quite nicely. Thank you.!! I was President twice, and I had good cooperation from all. Presently Sofia Blake and Angela Bogdan are joint Presidents.

Why did you go to the US in the first place?

To study. I graduated in Political Science, and eventually became a teacher, and liked it. I also Campaignd for the Governor of New Orleans. I was that interested.

You’re a US Citizen. Any problems with Government Departments, locally?