Faces of Sri Lanka

As my final farewell inches closer with each passing minute, I am trying to hold on to my memories of Sri Lanka as tightly as possible. I’m writing, thinking, reflecting, and doing everything I can think of to hold on. But it’s the people that I will miss most. Isn’t that the way it always is? The people that I have met here have changed my life forever.

The following photos are of my favorite Sri Lankans that I will never forget.

Mr. Jayasekera

Our girls in 12-I

~Jayathi, Shashi, Wageesha, Amasha, Himasha, Hasini, Nirashani~

My Basketball Girls/English Class

~Woshika, Pooja, Pavani, Prasangika, Raveena, Oshadi, Sethsini, Jayani, Gayani~

Chitra Teacher

Nalini Teacher

3rd Grade Sujathian

Lakhmini

Sujatha Special Needs Class

Dilsha and Vihara

Rasandi

Beautiful Imasha

Tharanga Ammy

Samantha

Nilan

Monica and Thanuja Teachers

Kayma

4th Grade Sujathian

3rd Grade Sujathian

3rd Grade Sujathian

Cute Kids at Mirissa

Ravana Guest House Cook in Ella

Achchi at Grace Care

Malik

Azam

YAAAAAA!!!!!

Dan-neh.

“You get a strange feeling when you’re about to leave a place, like you’ll not only miss the people you love but you’ll miss the person you are now at this time and this place, because you’ll never be this way ever again.”

-Azar Nafisi, Reading Lolita in Tehran pg. 336

I have reached the final days of my time in Sri Lanka. I cannot believe that it is ending.  My emotions are in constant contradiction; I feel both happy and sad simultaneously. Happy to return home and see everyone that I love and have been missing for so long. Happy to eat my mom’s cooking and drive my car. Happy to not sweat everyday and take warm showers with good water pressure and sleep in my bed.

But so sad. Sad to say goodbye to the friends I have made here. Sad to not wake up to the sound of the fish man yelling “Malu! Malu!” into his megaphone as he rides his bicycle down the street. Sad to say farewell to thambili, string hoppers, and kiribat. Sad not to hear Singhala being spoken every day. Sad to no longer feel the warmth of the Sri Lankan people, like the feeling of genuine kindness I‘ve had when holding hands with a person I’ve just met for the entire five minutes of our conversation; or being invited into a complete strangers home for tea just because they live next door to the person you were supposed to meet. Sad to say goodbye to a place that I have come to love deeply and that I now consider home.

It’s as if an epic battle of opposing emotions is going on inside of me at all times. I’m completely overwhelmed, excited, saddened, and afraid. I don’t want to have to explain my experience to people in less than 30 seconds. I know I will be asked to but I don’t think I can. How can I reduce nine months of my life into half a minute? How can I sum up an entire country to people who don’t even know where it is on the map? How can I explain that I am still me, but so different than the me they knew before? I have gained so much knowledge and understanding that cannot be expressed to others who are strangers to Sri Lanka, strangers to the growth you experience when you discover yourself again but this time on different terms than ever before, strangers to living in a country and culture entirely different than anything you have experienced before? How can I? Impossible. (And if you’ve never been to Sri Lanka, those last two short sentences may not register with the significance that they would if you have lived here.)

Basically, I don’t know how to deal. I don’t know how to deal now and I don’t know how I’m going to deal when I get back. I’m preparing for the best and the worst. I think Azar Nafisi expressed it perfectly, I know I will never be the same me again. And that scares the crap out of me. 

Sports Meets

I had the privilege of attending quite a few sporting events at both Sujatha Vidyalaya and Ladies College throughout the last few weeks. I love watching women’s sports matches. Women’s sports are particularly special to see here in Sri Lanka because it is a country where women get the spotlight less than men ~ even more prevalently than what I am used to in the U.S.

At both schools, as well as most other schools throughout the country (or so I’ve been told), an annual sports meet is conducted every February. The sports meet provides an opportunity for all students to participate, regardless of their skill level.  The event is drafted after the British tradition. There are four houses – each school has different names for their houses. The houses provide an outlet for students to come together for a common purpose. And the girls get pretty into it. Major house pride; even the teachers have a house from their school days and come out to represent.

Both meets were vastly different, but what I loved most about both sports meets was the excitement and friendly competition that surrounded them. For the few weeks leading up to the event, all the girls at school were busy practicing and organizing. The competitive attitude between houses was palpable, yet friendly.

I had a great time judging the girls basketball matches at Sujatha and attending other events. Sitting with the teachers and announcers at the Ladies College meet was quite an experience. It was fun to see the teachers let loose and have fun. The teachers’ relay race was especially entertaining.

Sujatha Vidyalaya

Netball match

Volleyball match

Get 'em Ravina

The crowd ~ major school spirit

Ladies College

Nixon house tent

Dale house

Whitney house

Loos House

Tunnel Relay

4 X 100

Musical Bikes; the song: Single Ladies :)

Closing Ceremonies

Nixon March Past

National Anthem

Catch up...

A lot has changed since my last post. Unfortunately, our plans to teach in Wilgamuwa changed at the last minute and we did not end up going. Although we were very excited to live on the farm and begin teaching, after much talking it became clear that it was just too soon for the Fulbright to have an affiliation with Saaraketha. The company has so many exciting goals, but it is simply too young for us to be involved. The facilities would not have been ready for us to teach in until February; 5 months into our 9 month grant. So, throughout the month of December we waited to hear of our next teaching affiliation. We were told that we would be in Colombo for the remainder of our grant, so Utsha and I found a great apartment that quickly began to feel like home. Once we knew that we would be in Colombo for the remainder of our grant, we were finally able to settle our minds and bodies into a location and Colombo has become much more manageable and fun since.
My first Sri Lankan Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year were all festive, merry, and bright. Utsha and I traveled to Kandy to spend Thanksgiving with Kirti and Ruth. In true American style, we stuffed ourselves to the brim with delicious food. Christmas was equally as filling; Ruth, Utsha, Upama (Utsha’s sister), and I spent 2 days baking and cooking delicious food to celebrate. With the house decorated in snow flakes and Christmas chains, we enjoyed a delicious Christmas feast with other Fulbrighters and friends.
Also, we were invited to help with a Christmas party for a group of kids from Manick farm, the biggest IDP camp in Sri Lanka. Some of these kids are only 6 years old and they have experienced more tragedy in their lives than I could imagine. Before they arrived we were told some of their stories by the head organizer of this event. All of the kids are now orphans, either their parents are dead or left them, not able to provide support any longer. Some of the kids live in a orphanage being run by the local church and some still live the IDP camp. After hearing about their lives, I didn’t really know what to expect and was a little nervous for their arrival. But, the kids were so full of energy and life; their positive attitudes were truly amazing to be around. We had fun playing games, eating traditional Sri Lankan food, dancing, and celebrating one of the girls 14th birthday. The church had also purchased small gifts for the kids and for most of them, this was their first Christmas present. It was truly a special evening and I feel blessed to have been involved. It really was a beautiful Christmas.
The next few days us four girls set out to spend some time in a cooler climate (I have to admit, it was pretty strange spending Christmas in 90 degree weather). As we stepped off the bus in Haputale, we were greeted with chilly weather and pouring rain. After a cold and wet evening, we woke up at 4am to explore Horton’s Plains and hike to World’s End. The hike was beautiful and the view made 4am worth it. Next we headed off to Ella, one of the most beautiful places in Sri Lanka. The weather was gorgeous and chilly, we loved it. The view of Ella gap is to die for. The hills are covered with so many different shades of green, from dark pine tree green to bright tea green; covering all colors in the spectrum.
During our time in Ella we went to the Halpewatta Uva tea plantation and toured the factory. It was really fun to see how tea is made and we learned that Sri Lanka actually drinks the worst of the 5 types of tea that are produced at the factories! The best is sent off to the UK.
Next, we went to the rock temple in Ella, which is where King Rawana kept Sitha captive. The temple is literally a cave inside of a huge rock. Afterwards, we went to Ella falls and then finished off our day with a cooking lesson from the amazing chef at Rawana Holiday Resort in Ella, famous for his garlic curry. The 9 hour train ride from Ella back to Colombo was quite an experience. We met so many great people and shared our seats with multiple families. It was quite a trip.
We arrived back in Colombo just in time to celebrate New Year’s Eve. We spent the evening talking with friends and at midnight we watched fireworks being set off all over the city.
We have also made a lot of really great new friends in Colombo. It is so fun to finally have some Sri Lankan friends to hang out with in the city. We were invited by a couple of new friends to go out to Nuwera Eliya and visit his family’s tea plantation. Nuwera Eliya, also called Little England, is a quaint small town surrounded by hills covered with tea. The town is filled with old British colonial homes and with the cold weather, it really does feel like England. The trip was a ton of fun and it was great to spend time getting to know our new friends while seeing a new part of the country. I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to travel around the country, I am still surprised that such a small country can have so much geographical diversity. No wonder the New York Times named Sri Lanka the number one country to travel to in 2010!

Hikkaduwa Beach

Dinner at Chutney's

Crab Curry at Yarl Restaurant

Fruit stand in Pettah

Colombo

Sunset Over Paddy Fields

Seema Malayka Temple

Taembili

Pinnewela Elephant Orphanage

Elephant Love

Hindu Temple in Kandy