Asia – Page 3 – One People, Many Cultures

Sri Lankan Hamster Wheel

My first spontaneous interaction with my Sri Lankan neighbours came on my second day in the country. I walked up the road to the East, past the IT Centre and Indrani’s shop and into the jungle. When I turned around, a group of locals called me over to the side of the road where they… Continue reading Sri Lankan Hamster Wheel

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

Mawala IT Centre

I’ve been told that Sri Lanka was in the Guiness Book of World Records for having the most holidays of any country. I can’t find the record, but with the number of days off I’ve enjoyed since my arrival, it wouldn’t surprise me. Then again, I did arrive just in time for New Year. Eventually,… Continue reading Mawala IT Centre

Tribute to Robin

Robin, my Bhutanese friend who ran the rock climbing group, passed away last week. He didn’t seem the type to have email let alone facebook (in fact he did) so I haven’t exchanged a word directly with him since I left. My decision to leave came suddenly so I don’t recall even saying goodbye. I… Continue reading Tribute to Robin

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

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

A Sri Lankan Festival

Charley had me up at 5:30 on the 14th of April to attend the festival at Kalutara – the one we’d seen on TV the day before. The first event of the day was a marathon and some fifty local runners were lining up to register for the race. Before they could be given approval… Continue reading A Sri Lankan Festival

New Years Day in Sri Lanka

I began my trip to Sri Lanka early so I could experience the New Year celebrations. I had no idea what to expect and was surprised by the way events occurred. As in many Asian countries, there were fireworks, temples and blessings, but done with a precision that no one could explain to me. My… Continue reading New Years Day in Sri Lanka

Family and House

Anthropologists often find themselves unable to do any qualitative work when they first visit a new ‘tribe’. While they learn the new language and create bonds with their research subjects, they focus on quantitative tasks such as kinship charts and drawing the layout of the village. So many people in Sri Lanka speak English that… Continue reading Family and House

Research for Sri Lanka

I’m feeling nervous and excited today. In a few more hours I’ll be on a plane to Sri Lanka for 6 weeks of volunteer work. I’ve done very little in the way of research on the country since a school project in 5th grade (1982) and I had even forgotten what the flag looked like.… Continue reading Research for Sri Lanka