The City of Lakes

I just returned to Colombo's blistering heat yesterday after a week long trip to Udaipur, India. The dry heat in Udaipur certainly was a treat and actually reminded me a lot of California!

Visiting India was such an enriching experience for me. I was expecting it to be somewhat similar to Sri Lanka but the two countries are exceptionally different. Being in India helped me realize how much of an island culture Sri Lanka has. Time seems to pass very differently in India. The colors, tastes, climate, landscape, attire, pace, smells, tastes, and language were all clear differences from Sri Lanka. Being in India allowed me to gain a broader understanding of the diversity of Southeast Asia, something I had not yet experienced.

The small city of Udaipur is beautiful. The streets are small and windy. Exploring them brought back memories of walking through the tiny streets in Florence, although a bit dirtier and exploding with color and sweet smells of poori and gulab jamun. The women are beautifully adorned with bindis, bright yellow and red sari's (the traditional Rajasthani colors), and gold jewellery, while the men's simple attire is complimented with a colorful turban. Udaipur is known as the "city of lakes", and although many are dried up (we were there in dry season) or polluted with a green colored sludge, it is still beautiful. The constant trips to the chai wallah, naan, thali, and samosas made my stomach restless but kept my mind and taste-buds happy.

One morning we visited the Eklingji and Nagda temples. Nagda is a temple centuries old that has been left in ruins due to time and flooding. The temple was breathtaking. Feeling the cool marble beneath my feet was therapeutic. The white walls of the temple were gorgeous against the green and brown hills.

The Eklingji temple, although only five kilometers away from Nagda, was remarkably different. The temple has been operating since the 15th century and is a representation of Shiva. It was a special feeling to be walking through temple for prayer exactly as people have done for hundreds of years.

After exploring Udaipur for three days, we moved into the Rockwood Palace hotel to begin the Fulbright conference. The following three days were jam-packed with interesting presentations and discussions led by Fulbright scholars and students from India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. I learned so much and wish there was more time to share experiences. It was exciting to be around so many people who are deeply committed to their work and passionate about learning. Many pushed me to think about my own experience from a different perspective. The conference was filled with much reflection and cultural exchange- keeping true to the Fulbright mission.

Although Udaipur is beautiful and my experience was positive, I still want to reflect on the other not-so-pleasant aspects of the city that I witnessed. Udaipur has many more homeless people than I have seen during my time in Sri Lanka. I do not want to generalize and say that this is reflective of India and Sri Lanka as whole countries because I have not yet visited all of Sri Lanka and have only lived here for 5 months, and also only have one week in India under my belt. Therefore these observations are strictly a reflection of my personal experience. However, the difference was obvious to me. It's always an internal struggle for me when homeless people ask me for money. Especially kids. And this happened on multiple occasions every day throughout the streets of Udaipur. How do you deal with this? On the one hand, I do have the money to give to those in need. But on the other hand, I do not want to promote the idea that Americans, particularly white Americans (or westerners as a whole), have the means to just give their money away to anyone who asks. Also, if I give someone money when they ask- is this really helping? How far will it get them? Is it instilling the ideals that I admire- that people should work hard for their money and not rely on others to just give it to them. But this is coming from me- a person of privilege. Let me know what you think. I'm constantly confused about this.

On top of the homelessness that I saw- it was also clear that Udaipur has a lot of poverty. Walking through the streets as a white tourist and bargaining over 50 rupees for a sari at the bazaar, often filled me with a feeling of guilt. I don't want to be ripped off continually, but I can afford that extra 50 rupees and the shop owner most likely needs it more than I do. Another source of inner turmoil for me that I also experience in Sri Lanka. Feedback please.

Lake Pichola

Outside of Jagdish Temple

Hethipole Vegetable Stand

Traditional Rajasthani Dancers at Shilpgram

Gulab Jamun!!

Train Ride through the Garden

City Palace at Dusk

Nagda Temple

Making Sugar Cane Juice

Navam Poya

Sunday was Navam Poya in Sri Lanka. We attended Colombo’s annual perahera in honor of Buddha’s announcement of his coming death. The perahera was a special event to witness. It seemed like all of Colombo’s inhabitants were in attendance. Kids excitedly begged their parents to buy them light up toys and cotton candy. It took me back to when my parent took my brother, sister, and I to the light parade at Disneyland when I was young. Recalling on the excitement I felt that day and watching the kids around me experiencing the same feelings put me in high spirits.

The perahera was incredible. There were hundreds of dancers and musicians, beautiful costumes, and 68 elephants! I felt pretty conflicted seeing these elephants in chains walking through the city. But they certainly are beautiful animals and have been used in Buddhist celebrations for centuries. 

 It was great listening to the drums and horns as they went by; something that made the experience much more stimulating than just hearing music blasting from a speaker like most parades in the US do.

After watching for two hours, the perahera was brought to an abrupt halt. An elephant stepped on a hot coal that had fallen from one of the large torches. The poor thing freaked out and got loose! Everyone went running. Kids were crying. It was crazy. As far as I know, no one was hurt except the elephant. It was quite a scare. I think it was an obvious indication that elephants should not be in chains walking through the streets of a big city.

Despite the unexpected ending, it was an amazing perahera. This country has so many beautiful traditions to share. From the Kandyan dancing to the intricate costumes, the perahera communicated many aspects of Sri Lankan culture. 

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

(Re)thinking about America

After completing my first week at Ladies College in Colombo and my first 3 weeks at Sujatha Vidyalaya in Matara, I have taken part in some interesting discussions with my students. Our conversations range from politics to culture to views regarding America and Sri Lanka to food to entertainment and more.

One question that Utsha and I often pose to our students: What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of America? After asking several 10^th, 11^th, and 12^th graders at Ladies College this week, I received some interesting responses. The most common:

• Obama
•  Big
•  White 
• Powerful
• Too many restrictions
• Organized driving J

It’s interesting hearing their answers and think about what mine would be. Living in a foreign country and thinking about America from a distance has changed my perspective. I get asked questions about Obama, foreign policy, the current United States financial situation, the American education system, etc…  on a daily basis. I often feel strange answering these questions because I don’t think that I have enough knowledge to give a comprehensive answer. There is a lot of pressure being a representative of an entire country. Major props to President Obama, politicians, diplomats, celebrities, and others who do this with remarkable grace. It’s not easy. One thing that I always include in my answers, “…America is a huge and diverse place. This is just my opinion based on my personal experiences. Many have different views and have come from different backgrounds.” I hope that this translates across the ever-present conversational language and cultural barriers.

So, my personal response to the question I pose to my students? The list is far from static:

• Home
• Opportunities
• Diverse
•  Privileged 
• Education
• Self-serving
• Capable of great things

So, I’d like to pose the same question to you. Even if you don’t write a response, it’s something interesting to think about.

Colombo

When I came to Sri Lanka I did not expect to be living in a busy city, and it took me quite a while to adjust to the fast pace, the noise, the crazy driving, and the smoggy air. However, as time has passed I have realized how lucky I am to be living in the capital. Colombo represents all of Sri Lanka’s different religions, including the four most common: Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, and Hinduism. Also, all of Sri Lanka’s racial/cultural/ethnic groups live in the city, including the 3 most prevalent; Singhalese, Tamils, and Muslims. Living in Matara and traveling through the south and central province has exposed to me that most cities and villages are predominantly Singhalese. Tamils mainly live in the northern and eastern provinces. There is relatively little racial diversity in most towns and cities, except Colombo.

Through conversations with friends I have made or with people that I meet on the street or in a restaurant, Colombo-ites (?) also express their diversity of thought. Obviously this is partially a result of people mixing together from so many different backgrounds. It is an outcome of differences in race, class, language, political, and religious beliefs (to name a few factors) among Colombo’s population. But it also has to do with the fact that people in the Colombo seem to speak their minds more freely than in other cities.

The elections really made this apparent to me. In Matara, everyone that I met was voting for Rajapaksa, his face was plastered on walls and buses all over town. I didn’t see a single image of Fonseka in the whole city. When I asked my students why they liked Rajapaksa, I often heard the response, “We just do. He ended the war.” However, when I presented political questions to my students in Colombo, many had a lot to say. Some voiced that politicians were corrupt here and that they wouldn’t have voted even if they could. Some voiced praise for Fonseka, and some for Rajapaksa. They presented likes and dislikes about each candidate. I am not suggesting that my students in Colombo are more intelligent than my students in Matara- both schools are filled with young, brilliant women. I think that diversity is the driving force behind the critical thinking expressed by my students in Colombo. It is certainly not my students’ fault that Matara is not a diverse place and that it is the only place that most have ever lived and known well.

Having the experience of living in several cities and countries, I can look back on memories and recall differences between my experiences based on the diversity of my location. I grow so much when living in a place where I am interacting with people of all different backgrounds. For this reason- I am thankful to be living in Colombo. During a pivotal period of time for this country- I am thankful to be located in a city where I can hear and see all different views. It was exciting to be here during the elections. It is exciting to be here during the first year of non-violence after 25+ years of civil war.  I am aware that many living in this city are in positions of privilege, myself included. This experience has been far different than I expected, it is certainly nothing close to the farm that I was expecting to be living on.  But, often the things that do not go as planned are the things that you learn from the most. 

That is how I feel about Colombo. It has been a pleasant/educational/growing/difficult/diverse surprise.