Hey Ben,

I'm emailing you because I thought about you today. Yesterday I started doing site measurements at the Children's Home here in Sri Lanka. I was reminded of our countless hours spent measuring El Eden. The slopes I'm working with here are pretty intense. There is also a leech problem. Leeches are so gross, they have the body of a slug the movement of an inch worn and the blood sucking power of a dozen ticks, gross.

So back to yesterday. Harry Van Burick and his Sri Lankan wife Jenny, said that I should wear my boots with long socks and tuck my pants into my socks (which looks ridiculous by the way) I took the extra precaution of spraying DEET all over my boots and pant legs. I did discover that leeches don't like DEET. At the end of the day however... loosen up it wasn't that bad... I took off my socks and a big fat gross leech falls to the ground and there is blood on my sock and my leg slowly bled for over an hour.

So today, I tried the local method (while Jenny is Sri Lankan, she isn't really a country girl). This is what made me think of you...Here they wear flip-flops, roll up there pants and put this blue soap all over there legs. If a leech climbs on you can feel it and flick it off before it bites. And it actually works, I substituted DEET for the soap which I think works better.

You should have seen me you would've been proud. There were some times that the mud over took me, but I did pretty well. Especially, considering the slope is 30-45 degrees in places and the is 9 and 12 foot drops.

The flip-flops I have are pretty cool. I bought them locally. Here the call then slippers. But the toe and back are not rounded, they are squared off. I like them alot. Anyway, I wanted to let you know that I thought of you today. I hope you are doing well in studio and in all that other stuff that doesn't seem to matter.

Your flip-flop footed friend,
Kiel