2nd/ 3rd May

Saturday and Sunday was set aside for free time. (Oh! how nice). We visited Best Buy and I reserved a ASUS Net Book which need to be picked up on Monday evening. Christiana Mall has a speciality Tea Shop TEAVANA (sounds like Nirvana) Gen took us to the Delaware Park and watched live horse racing. We too bet and luckily none of us won! (good we don't get used to the bad habits!). At Gen's home we had dinner and watched the Derby Horse Race. Chris & Lynsey took us to Welmington for few Beers! Hopped for some more Bars before retiring. Sunday visited Sanjay's store and bought liqueur's with cinnamon. I bought my telephoto zoom 75-300mm from Wallmart and did shopping with Sajay. It was dinner time. Uma & Sanjay took me to Indian Palace in Wilmington. Anil & his wife too joined us. Biriyani & Garlic Naan with Chicken Masala & Mutton Khorma.

1st May

I visited Newark Natural Foods (http://www.newarknaturalfoods.com/) and met Sondra Broamell. She handles Tea and Spices counter. University of Delaware (UD) offer many courses except Medicine & Law. I had the time to meet a senior staff of the Agriculture faculty and visited some of thier facilities.

30th April

I left Ed and Harriet's home and visited Centreville RC and had breakfast before leaving to the next area (Newark, DE).

At Middletown Uma Patel and Allison received us and visited the Christiana Hilton and did a presentation to the Christiana RC. Evening was free time and met Sanjay and their son had the luxury of eating rice and fish curry using my hands after 20days. (wow!)

29th Wednesday

Visited Hanover Foods and their processing plant. It was interesting to know they recycle the water which is used to clean the vegetables back to their own fields and maintain a balance of the soil nutrients. My next stop was at a Vineyard and it is harvested only once a year in Fall (August).
I went to Eastern and had a haircut!
We went to St. Michaels a small town famous for tourism especially because of the water front it has (Miles River). A small Winery and a Brewery was visited before having lunch at the ‘Crab Claw’. The whole blue crab is cooked and Crab Claw provides a wooden hammer to break into pieces. After visiting the Maritime Museum Ed picked us.
It’s my last night with Ed and Harriet and she prepared a fresh Salomon with Asparagus.

28th Tuesday

Morning we sailed on the Chester River. These sails were used to catch Oysters. It was a nice sunny spring day and had enough wind to put the sails on.
After Lunch we visited Washington College and interesting to know that it has about 10% International Students including SLs.
We did our 1st Presentation in this area at the Chester Yacht and CC.

Washington DC

27th Monday
Ann took the trouble of taking us to Washington DC and I got off at the SL High Commission. Rest of the Team with Ann went to tour the Capital Building.

I met Nimal Karunatilaka (Minister Commercial) and HE Jaliya Wickramasuriya (The Ambassador).
I walked on the Pennsylvania Avenue up to the Capitol Building and I met the Team at Good House Eatery. The owner …………….also does a TV program on various food recipe
We visited Jaferson Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam War Memorial, FT Roosovelt Memorial and the White House.
Ed organised a dinner and AJ and his Hosts came over to have Fresh Rock Fish from Cheaspeke bay and fresh Asparagus.

26th April Sunday

We left the Hotel after having a much needed rest and free time and arrived in Centreville and I met Ed Caporin who will be my host for the next 4days. Ed is a retired Engineer and operates a Christmas tree farm. Evening the Team met at Robin Pilli’s home with all the host families. We met the first SL here Anura & Chulani and it was nice of them to have brought Biriyani for us.

Williamsburg, Virginia

We arrived at Woodlands Hotel & Suites in Colonial Williamsburg. At the dinner we met Gen, Chris, Lynn, Ken & Tim and the two teams did share our experience, which I believe is common to any GSE team from any part of the world. We ended up at Green leaf a pub where many College Students patronise.

The two GSE teams did the presentations and it was much awaited free time for us. We ended up having lunch at the Hooters! and took a tour in theColonial city which was designated as the capital of the British colony in 1699.

23rd Thursday

It was my VD and I did a quick tour of the Torroid with Kartrina. (Gunner’s Daughter).
My 1st visit was to Greenbranch Organic Farm. It supports CSA and Tedd Wycall is the young farmer who gave me a great tour.
I met Jennifer Timmons (PhD) from University of Maryland who took me on a tour inside the Chicken farm.
The final visit was to Grist Mill Greenhouse in Pittsville.

24th Friday
Today was my last Day with Maggie & Gunner and we met at Dove Pointe and left to Williamsberg, Virginia.

22nd Wednesday

We took a boat ride to the Smith Island. The lunch was organized with Cheapeake Bay Blue Crab cake and also the Smith Island Cake. After visiting the New Discovery Centre we head back home where Maggie organized a Dinner for some of her friends to introduce me.

21st Tuesday

We visited Ward museum and the Salisbury zoo and came back to the Dove Pointe and did a presentation for Wicomico RC.
We visited a Worecester Country Public Schools a Vocational Centre which teaches many disciplines like Computer, Carpentry, AC, Pre School etc.
We were given a tour at Assateague. Dinner was at Secrets in the Ocean City.

Pilot Boat Ride and Transfer to Salisbury, Maryland

The Monday the 20th was my last day with Rieley family and both John and Lou Ann came to drop me. We had a look at the Pilot Boat ride Operation in Bay & River Delaware.

The next stop was Salisbury, Maryland.We arrived at the Dove Pointe managed by Don Hackett. He was a recipient of the GSE and we were welcomed by the host families and few Rotarians who were present.

My host for this stay is Maggie & Gunner.

Maggie took me to her factory which makes welding transformers (http://www.arconweld.com/) and introduced to Gunner and all the staff. I also met Dave from Huston who will be with me during my stay at Maggie’s. We had a fine dinning with cavia and baked salmon fish. (of course with rice)

Rehoboth Beach

Saturday and Sunday were had little programmed work except for Shopping and Fellowship. Morning I spent time riding the Horse with both Thomas and John. Lou Ann organised a Barbeque for dinner and few friends were also there.

Sunday Dinner was organised by Bonnie & Hank at their residence.

West Farms & Dog Fishhead Brewery

17th April 2009

We attended Rehoboth Beach SunRise RC Breakfast meeting. They too meet in a lovely Golf club and this is the 3rd golf club we visited.
Bonnie (Bonnieta) picked both me and Ash for our VD. I met Stanley of West Farms. West Farms cultivate about 12,000Acres which includes Corn, Leema beans, Barley, Spinnach etc etc. Their facilities include washing and packing and maintenance for all the combined harvesters and land preparation, seeding and transporting trucks etc.
After lunch we visited the town of Milton where Dog Fishhead Brewery is. Milton reminds some what an old city in a Hollywood movie.

Canoeing
Evening weather was quite a treat and John and I went canoeing. We weren’t lucky to see any Eagles or a type of animal which looks like the Otter. Nevertheless I enjoyed the couple of hours we stayed in the lake. We went to see Deer which were coming quite close but it ran away when we tried to closer. W had a full house for dinner with John. Lou Ann, Thomas, Chris, Mathews, Ian and my self.

Stay at Millsoboro with Rieley's

John and Lou Ann have eleven kids and only 6 remain at home now. All the kids attend home school and study at their own pace. It also helps the smarter ones to attend College at younger age than the rest. This is conducted by Lou Ann her self. The Family Farm has about 90,000Chicken, 3 Horses, Sheep & Cattle. They also grow soya bean, corn etc. There are plenty of dogs. The kids work in the farm and get paid once in two months. Part of their money goes into investment and rest is available for spending.
I had Kebabs with Rice for Dinner and looks that I am here for a treat. We went out for dessert to a down town Restaurant.
The Rieley family was very interested to know more about Sri Lanka and my family and all of them are extremely knowledgeable on many disciplines.

Dover Final day

16th April 2009

It’s our last night with Malcom. My self and AJ hosted them for a dinner at a nearby Mexicon Restaurant.

We visited a Chicken Farm and Amesh people were doing a new construction.

We did a presentation to the Capital City RC at Sheraton Dover. It was well attended and we did it again!

It was time to say bye to Rich, Suchi, Tonda & George. And we left Dover and arrived in Georgetown-Millsboro with Rich and Suchi. There I met John and we left to his Office Edward Jones. Well we talked for couple of hours about the US stocks and Money market. John really enlightened me on these subjects and it sounded that my next Investments can be right here.

Visit to City Hall, Millsboro RC, Maple Dale RC

City Hall where the Mayor of Dover city Mr. Carleton E. Carey is a beautiful building sorounded by lovely flowers. We also met Mr. Deprima-City Manager.

We had our 2nd Presentation at the Millsboro RC, Georgetown. On our way back we visited the John Dickinson Mansion & Plantation.

My self and AJ went to Suchi's and she made us some Indian food and Kerala coffee.

The final presentation for the day was at Maple Dale Country RC.