by Sean | Mar 20, 2013 | Fulbright, Sarvodaya, Sri Lanka, Teaching English, Travel
On Friday, March 15th the Fulbright Commission held a mid-phase review. All of the English Teaching Assistants, Student Researchers, and Senior Scholars gathered together at the Fulbright Commission’s villa offices in Colombo for a day of presentations. This...
by Sean | Feb 5, 2013 | Business, Emerging Markets, Fulbright, Sarvodaya, Sri Lanka, Travel
Over the past several months I’ve been forced to become more efficient in all of my interactions. When speaking with someone from a different cultural background, even in English, much can be lost. After studying in China for two semesters I had a good sense of...
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 | Jan 16, 2013 | Food, Fulbright, Politics, Sarvodaya, Sri Lanka, Teaching English, Travel
Today marks the final day of the Tamil harvest festival, Pongal. The first day of Pongal is spent worshiping the Sun; the Sun is the giver of life, and without it crops would not grow. The second day is spent paying respect to cows. They are critical to life on a...
by Sean | Jan 14, 2013 | Fulbright, Sarvodaya, Sri Lanka, Travel
Back in November, which seems like an eternity ago, I taught my students about the American Festival of Thanksgiving. I compared Thanksgiving to the Hindu festival of Pongal, which is celebrated in January. Pongal is a festival to celebrate the harvest. Pongal...
by Sean | Jan 6, 2013 | Fulbright, Sarvodaya, Sri Lanka
Face painted gold to lighten and brighten. Bangles rattling on her arms. Adorned in ounces of gold. This girl had just performed a dance at Sarvodaya’s Trinco New Year’s party. She was tired, sick of sitting in the auditorium, and ready to play outside....