Becoming a Local
Although this is my sixth time, each time before now I have lived a sheltered tourist lifestyle while in Sri Lanka. Aside from living in the actual villages, my visits have often consisted of always being accompanied by my mother. Being stuck for hours on end in different shopping plazas while my mom looks through every item in every store. It's time consuming. I think my mother's love for shopping is what makes me the opposite. Other than continuous shopping, the usual visiting of family members, having to visit every one of my father's friends, and then traveling to resorts or other sites in Sri Lanka. I've never been able to be a local. I'm always pin-pointed as an American, as a foreigner, an outsider.
Since my teaching requires me to wear a sari, I get to blend in more. Even though I still stand out, people at least think I'm local. They don't harass me like they would if I was a Sri Lankan American. I'm beginning to like this sari thing, it's my disguise and slow assimilation into Sri Lankan society. On Tuesday, I wore a sari for the first time for school, and after school I usually get picked up by the family's driver. We had planned on me coming home by myself once I was more familiar with the area especially since there are no buses. The other thing is none of them take the bus. Gunaratne Uncle (driver) is great, he tells me where to take the bus or how to walk and the fastest ways, etc. But although everyone gives me different directions I can only truly understand how to get to my destination when I do it on my own. Which reminds me of one of the lines written in Lincoln's letter to his son's teacher, where he says "only the test of fire can make fine steel". This was the speech that my intermediate classes had to memorize for their Oratorical Contest next Tuesday. Needless to say, I've been reading, explaining and enunciating this and other speeches for many of my classes.
Anyway, back to getting picked up, Tuesday was swimming classes so they couldn't pick me up. I jumped at the early opportunity to walk on my own. I still had no idea where the roads were or the slightest clue how to walk back home. After my classes had ended, I went up and spoke to our family friend, the one that arranged everything for me here. I suppose he's taken the role as my mentor at Aquinas. I spoke to him for awhile and then asked him if he could give me directions on how to get home. Reluctantly, he explained how to get there even though he was concerned that I was walking home. I walked like I knew where I was going, and when I wasn't sure I asked someone in Sinhala and soon enough I found my way home. I was exuberant that I had conquered this on my own.
Wednesday, after I got home and ate lunch (since my classes end at noon). My host mom says get ready because you're going to the office today. At first I thought everyone was going and then I realized that it was just me. I had been enlisted into the family business to work at their jewellery store. This was great! I love being busy, there no time for me to be bored anymore it's like I was back in DC. So now I wake up at 6am, leave by 7'something for classes, teach until 12 and then go to work at the jewellery store. Right now, we're planning a press conference and cocktail reception for the 28th of June. Everything is underway, and I'm kept busy enough when there's work to be done.
Yesterday (Wed), they drove me to the office. I figured that's dumb for me to come home and then go to the office, I should just leave straight from school. So I asked Gunaratne Uncle this morning and he told me and showed me where to go, of course after being consumed in classes I had no idea which direction he told me to go to find the bus stop. I knew the bus number and destination 154 Angulana and my secret weapon, Sinhala. So equipped with my tools (sari, native language and switch blade), I moved forward asking people here and there. Gave 50 rupees to a beggar and found my bus. Granted my host mom had called me 3 times since classes had ended in fear that I would die on my way to the office via public transportation. I go on the bus, got off at Bambalapitiya and remembered this Hotel that I could see called "Pearl City Hotel" right across from the jewellery store. So, I found my way there and as I glanced the surroundings I saw my oasis "Christina" that's the name of the store.
I'm slowly becoming a local, learning the routes, speaking the language, eating the food, wearing a sari and conversing with others that aren't related to me. I call that progress.
Since my teaching requires me to wear a sari, I get to blend in more. Even though I still stand out, people at least think I'm local. They don't harass me like they would if I was a Sri Lankan American. I'm beginning to like this sari thing, it's my disguise and slow assimilation into Sri Lankan society. On Tuesday, I wore a sari for the first time for school, and after school I usually get picked up by the family's driver. We had planned on me coming home by myself once I was more familiar with the area especially since there are no buses. The other thing is none of them take the bus. Gunaratne Uncle (driver) is great, he tells me where to take the bus or how to walk and the fastest ways, etc. But although everyone gives me different directions I can only truly understand how to get to my destination when I do it on my own. Which reminds me of one of the lines written in Lincoln's letter to his son's teacher, where he says "only the test of fire can make fine steel". This was the speech that my intermediate classes had to memorize for their Oratorical Contest next Tuesday. Needless to say, I've been reading, explaining and enunciating this and other speeches for many of my classes.
Anyway, back to getting picked up, Tuesday was swimming classes so they couldn't pick me up. I jumped at the early opportunity to walk on my own. I still had no idea where the roads were or the slightest clue how to walk back home. After my classes had ended, I went up and spoke to our family friend, the one that arranged everything for me here. I suppose he's taken the role as my mentor at Aquinas. I spoke to him for awhile and then asked him if he could give me directions on how to get home. Reluctantly, he explained how to get there even though he was concerned that I was walking home. I walked like I knew where I was going, and when I wasn't sure I asked someone in Sinhala and soon enough I found my way home. I was exuberant that I had conquered this on my own.
Wednesday, after I got home and ate lunch (since my classes end at noon). My host mom says get ready because you're going to the office today. At first I thought everyone was going and then I realized that it was just me. I had been enlisted into the family business to work at their jewellery store. This was great! I love being busy, there no time for me to be bored anymore it's like I was back in DC. So now I wake up at 6am, leave by 7'something for classes, teach until 12 and then go to work at the jewellery store. Right now, we're planning a press conference and cocktail reception for the 28th of June. Everything is underway, and I'm kept busy enough when there's work to be done.
Yesterday (Wed), they drove me to the office. I figured that's dumb for me to come home and then go to the office, I should just leave straight from school. So I asked Gunaratne Uncle this morning and he told me and showed me where to go, of course after being consumed in classes I had no idea which direction he told me to go to find the bus stop. I knew the bus number and destination 154 Angulana and my secret weapon, Sinhala. So equipped with my tools (sari, native language and switch blade), I moved forward asking people here and there. Gave 50 rupees to a beggar and found my bus. Granted my host mom had called me 3 times since classes had ended in fear that I would die on my way to the office via public transportation. I go on the bus, got off at Bambalapitiya and remembered this Hotel that I could see called "Pearl City Hotel" right across from the jewellery store. So, I found my way there and as I glanced the surroundings I saw my oasis "Christina" that's the name of the store.
I'm slowly becoming a local, learning the routes, speaking the language, eating the food, wearing a sari and conversing with others that aren't related to me. I call that progress.
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