Sri Lanka - In 2003, an Italian NGO and UNICEF contracted me to go to Anaradapura in Sri Lanka and teach on the subject of gender-based violence. I stayed in a small house next to a hotel owned by a Sri Lankan and his Italian wife. Each day after conducting training, I would hurry out of the facility’s back gate to look upon a nearby reservoir. One day as I sat on a bench enjoying the view, I looked up and found myself staring into the eyes of a wild elephant. I was mesmerized by the elephants large eyes.
We continued to silently look each other in the eyes, then the silence was broken by a whispered shout. It was the hotel owner calling out, telling me not to move. From my point of view, I felt completely at ease.
After a few minutes, the elephant moved away and found a patch of ground to give itself a mud bath. I promptly began journaling about my encounter. The mud was flying onto the pages of my journal. I yelled at the elephant, demanding it to stop. The elephant did not stop. Instead, he lay down at my feet and slept. When the elephant finally rose, he stood before me and showed me its knee. It was injured. He stared at me a last time then walked off silently into the jungle.