Explore Sean’s Essays:
Pol Sambol
Sweat rolling down your face. FIrst your mouth goes numb, and then the sensation envelops your esophagus and stomach. Quickly, you reach for water. Then you scoop rice into your mouth to try and balance out the intense heat of the meal you are eating. Sri Lanka is renowned for...
In Country Orientation
The US-Sri Lankan Fulbright Commission is housed in a beautiful 1930's era mansion in Colombo 3. This was the first time that the English Teaching Assistants had the opportunity to meet the researchers and senior researchers, who's topics range from architecture to the informal...
Shangri-La Bungalow
For the first month of my Fulbright I will be staying at Shangri La Bungalow, in Nedimala, Dehiwala. I'm here with my fellow ETA's. It's about thirty minutes to downtown Colombo from this location, and the house is beautiful. If you care to see where it is on a map, click...
How to Avoid ATM Fees
In an article written for Under30Finance, I talk about how to avoid ATM fees. Beijing, Dubai, Hong Kong, Nairobi, and New York. You might wonder what these cities have in common; I’ve never paid an ATM fee in any of them. We’ve all been there; out for a night on the town, when...
He doesn’t speak the language, He holds no currency
A man walks down the street, It's a street in a strange world. Maybe it's the Third World. Maybe it's his first time around. He doesn't speak the language, He holds no currency. He is a foreign man, He is surrounded by the sound, sound .... -Paul Simon, You Can Call...
Questions for Departure
Today marks the start of my Fulbright. For the next nine months I will be living and working in Sri Lanka. My monthly stipend of 125,000 Sri Lankan Rupees ($976). The average household income is Rs. 36451 ($704). So I will be earning roughly 38% more than the average family...
Lehamn Brothers: Four Years Later
Graduates of the Class of 2012 began their baccalaureate studies at the worst time during our nation's economic history since the Great Depression. Today marks the 4th anniversary of the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers, the largest bankruptcy in American history - and by some...
Novel, Nonobvious, and Useful
Can you patent round corners? Google was unaware that you could, according to David Lawee, vice president for corporate development at Google. In an interview with Bloomberg David made it clear that Google was not aggressive enough with their patent strategy. Apple's victory...
Preparing for Travel
Packing to leave your home for nine months can be a bit daunting. I've been gathering items from clothes to deodorant in order to get ready for Sri Lanka. I just purchased a pair of linen trousers, to help deal with the heat. I ordered them from BananaRepublic.com, and just got...