by Sean | Jan 21, 2013 | Economics, Emerging Markets, Fulbright, Politics, Sarvodaya, Sri Lanka, Teaching English
What do Sri Lankan students, an American English Teaching Assistant (ETA), and a Korean rapper share in common? For one thing, we all possess a love of dance and music. Psy’s top charting song, Gangnam Style, has taken the world by storm. With its gripping lyrics and...
by Sean | Dec 19, 2012 | Business, Emerging Markets, Fulbright, Sri Lanka, Travel
Steaming hot, bitter, and slightly sweet. The first sip is delightful, but by the end I can barely stomach another gulp. Instant coffee is many things, pleasant isn’t one of them. I’m a bit of a yuppie; there’s nothing I enjoy better than lounging in a coffee shop,...
by Sean | Nov 21, 2012 | Emerging Markets, Fulbright, Sri Lanka
Tea is life in Sri Lanka. It’s always tea time. When you wake up tea is served, when you meet someone tea is served. Sri Lanka grows some amazing teas, mostly of the black variety. Green tea is grown here, but mostly for export. If you want to buy green tea...
by Sean | Nov 19, 2012 | Education, Emerging Markets, Fulbright, Sarvodaya, Sri Lanka, Travel
Last Monday I arrived at Sarvodaya’s headquarters in Moratuwa. I had been staying with a few other Fulbrighters who rented a house in Colombo, and I had enjoyed a great weekend strolling about town. I was all packed, and my car arrived at eight in the morning. When I...
by Sean | Nov 15, 2012 | Emerging Markets, Fulbright, Sarvodaya, Travel
He hadn’t noticed me approaching in the predawn darkness. Sitting, it seemed that he had fallen asleep while watching the gate. It was only as I opened the gate did he regain consciousness, startled by the clamor of the latch and sliding of the heavy door....
by Sean | Oct 17, 2012 | Emerging Markets, Fulbright, Travel
During my sophomore year at Fordham I traveled to Kenya with a group of students as apart of the Fair Trade Micro Finance program, Amani. There are many challenges to working in a foreign, and many opportunities to unwittingly violate cultural norms. While in...