Unsocial Eating

Sri Lanka is the first Asian country I’ve been to where people seem happier to eat alone. In Japan, Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore people prefer to make a big event of eating together even daily lunch with colleagues. The only exception in my experience has been that Bhutanese families will eat in the kitchen while… Continue reading Unsocial Eating

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Categorized as Sri Lanka

The Perfect Volunteer

While volunteering in Sri Lanka, I heard stories of other volunteers who acted as if they knew better than their supervisors. Naturally, they did not have as good an experience as they could have and were considered to be intrusions by the organisations they were meant to be helping. I’m not suggesting that they were… Continue reading The Perfect Volunteer

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Categorized as Sri Lanka

A New Future

In 2009 I set myself 4 goals as steps towards a future of providing assistance on locally driven aid projects in developing countries. In their original form, those goals were: Publish a book on Bhutanese culture Complete a Masters in anthropology Buy a studio flat in Australia Invest the rest of my savings to create… Continue reading A New Future

Pace

I’ve always possessed an enthusiastic nature and that includes my walking pace. It’s commonly noted among hikers that there are two types of people: the sprinters, who rush ahead for a few minutes then stop to rest, and the plodders, who continue at a slower pace but rarely need to rest. I was always the… Continue reading Pace

Sarong

Apparently out of a desire to obtain a good rating for his hotel on my first morning in Sri Lanka, one of the staff pointed out the traditional dress in a wall painting, then brought a bed sheet to show me how to tie a sarong so that I could do it myself when I… Continue reading Sarong

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Categorized as Sri Lanka

Story of Funds

I heard a story about a medical volunteer who wanted to work in particular department of the hospital she was in. The director of that department was happy to have her there, but began asking questions about why she was there, with which organisation, how much she paid etc. Eventually he began asking where the… Continue reading Story of Funds

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Categorized as Sri Lanka