A Sing Along in Colombo

Last weekend I went to a Sing-A-Long fundraiser for the Peter Weeraekera Children’s Home. This was my first introduction to Colombo society, and it was a great deal of fun. I attended the event with several other Fulbrighters, it was held at the BMICH hall in...

Expectations

As a 6’1″ tall white guy, I stand out in Sri Lanka. My looks really influence people’s interactions with me here. When speaking Sinhala I take people off guard, as they don’t expect a foreigner to know the language. At the store today I thanked...

Voting as a Signal

This past week the news in Sri Lanka has prominently featured two main stories: Hurricane Sandy and the American Presidential Election. Most of the world was following Hurricane Sandy as Cyclone Nilam – which displaced 70,000 Sri Lankans – raged through...

Sigiriya

While in Kandy we decided to make the trip out to Sigriya, the ancient rock fortress and monastery near the center of Sri Lanka. From Kandy it was a two hour drive out to the historical site, and we arrived shortly after nine in the morning. It is an impressive site,...