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 I’m not so lost, but I find myself with a number of incomplete story threads and I’m loathe to post partial stories – especially since it may turn out that my understanding of events is entirely wrong. In the meantime, I’ll fall back to the simpler task of introducing my host family and home.
Charley (Singhala name unknown) and Indrani live in the small town of Wadduwa on the south west coast of Sri Lanka with their son Danushka and Indrani’s mother (name unknown). After a few years of working in Sri Lanka, Charley moved to Saudi Arabia and stayed there for 13 years. Indrani joined him part-way through but didn’t like it much and returned to Sri Lanka after 3 years. Given that Danushka is 18 years old and their wedding photo on the mantle piece is in sepia, I’m assuming that they married before Charley left and that they’re in their late forties.
Charley now works for Projects Abroad as the hosting coordinator, where he arranges host families and work placements for incoming volunteers. The IT Centre where I will be teaching is located above Indrani’s corner store about one kilometre from their house and is one of Charley’s initiatives to provide a better future for the poorer children in the area.
The house is probably indicative of the wealthier class and backs onto the jungle, where they grow pawpaw and other fruits. It has 5 small bedrooms each with mosquito nets and ceiling fans as well as a privacy curtain (which allows air flow) and a door. The main living area is open to the outside through slits in one wall. This is the only light area in the house as only dim flourescent bulbs are used. As is typical in Indian restaurants, a basin sits in the corner of the dining area for the convenience of washing hands before and after eating. The water is pumped up from a well to a tank on the roof and is drinkable.
Produce for the shop is brought down from the capital, but Charley also has a ‘garden’ in the jungle a few kilometres from home where he grows fruit and vegetables which he then shares with family and friends.
I don’t interact with them much – I’ve never even seen Indrani or Danushka eat – but it’s clear from all the trophies around the living area that Danushka is quite a cricketer. I’m sure I’ll have more insights as I get to know this family over the next 6 weeks.