After 7 fantastic weeks of work in Gandarawatte village, some of us have become so integrated that we simply cannot keep away.So when an invitation was extended for us to observe some of today’s Poya worship ceremony in Gandarawatte temple, we jumped at the chance. Arriving early in the morning, we were first treated to a breakfast of gargantuan proportions peculiar to Sri Lankan hospitality. Meanwhile villagers in traditional white apparel had gathered to offer prayers, listen to sermons, and meditate before the massive statue of the Buddha, and we joined them for a meditation on friendship (or so we were led to believe, since all the chanting was naturally in Sinhala).As if this were not generous enough, this evening a few of the members of our young adult class offered to join us and act as guides at the nearby Dondra perahera. As at Kandy, the crowds were vast and it was comforting to have savvy friends to help us navigate them. The procession itself, whilst different from our previous experience, was equally spectacular. What was more, we were lucky enough to run into many villagers, who were as delighted to see us as we were them.