The midday heat had set in and I was craving coconut water. No coconuts near and far, so I kept paddling. Pretty exhausted I arrived at a fruit stand and - under the astonished eyes of the surrounding men - emptied the coconut in one sip. It was nearly 12 noon and time to head back to my guest house. I asked for the Main Street to make sure I was on the right track, but the four men, including a police man, did not seem to understand. I repeated the words 'Main Street' several times and pointed with my finger on the map even though I knew that most Sri Lankans do not know how to read maps. I tried in a different way asking for the name of the street where we were. Still no response. Then I asked for the police station and addressed the police man directly. Big question marks in his face. I folded the map, concluded that I knew roughly where I was, and found my way in no time.
As I pulled into the drive way of the guest house, I decided that I had seen enough. After a stay of only 20 hours, there was really no reason to stay longer in Anuradhapura. I enjoyed the cold shower and packed in record time. Upon check-out the receptionist wished me farewell by saying "And don't lose your smile on the way!".* The friendly tuk-tuk driver brought me to a place where I could stock up on lunch items for the long bus ride to Kandy. He also made sure that I had enough water. With his blessings, I boarded the bus and soon after was involved in a discussion with my neighbor.
I noticed quickly that the young lady next to me had a sharp mind. What triggered our conversation was a young boy on the bus begging for money. He put a piece of paper in everyone's lap explaining his family situation and came around to collect donations. Approaching my seat, he curiously asked the lady next to me what is in the plastic bag that I had tied to the window bar. I explained that I would be happy to share my lunch, but would not give him money. She translated to him and he was not interested. This confirmed my decision not to give money.
Elin's English was not perfect, but her questions were smart. Instead of the usual 'what is your name, where are you from, are you married - checklist', she wanted to find out more about my country, my education, and my experience in Sri Lanka. I asked her as many questions and it turned out she is a news speaker for a national radio station. She expressed regrets that her English was not as good as mine and I encouraged her to keep talking to foreigners and to read as much as she can in English. We talked about her family and whether she was planning to give up her job after marriage. She declared that she would rather stay unmarried than give up her job. A big compromise in a non-emancipated society! Elin was my age and keen to exchange more. I gave her my email address which she stored away like a treasure. Turns out she also uses facebook and I truly hope we will keep in touch. Before getting off the bus after about one hour, she concluded that I am very sociable and friendly and how happy she was to have met me. Indeed, I thought to myself, delighted to have shown a smile and enough openness to start this conversation.
* His genuine words of wisdom would soon gain significance to me.
As I pulled into the drive way of the guest house, I decided that I had seen enough. After a stay of only 20 hours, there was really no reason to stay longer in Anuradhapura. I enjoyed the cold shower and packed in record time. Upon check-out the receptionist wished me farewell by saying "And don't lose your smile on the way!".* The friendly tuk-tuk driver brought me to a place where I could stock up on lunch items for the long bus ride to Kandy. He also made sure that I had enough water. With his blessings, I boarded the bus and soon after was involved in a discussion with my neighbor.
I noticed quickly that the young lady next to me had a sharp mind. What triggered our conversation was a young boy on the bus begging for money. He put a piece of paper in everyone's lap explaining his family situation and came around to collect donations. Approaching my seat, he curiously asked the lady next to me what is in the plastic bag that I had tied to the window bar. I explained that I would be happy to share my lunch, but would not give him money. She translated to him and he was not interested. This confirmed my decision not to give money.
Elin's English was not perfect, but her questions were smart. Instead of the usual 'what is your name, where are you from, are you married - checklist', she wanted to find out more about my country, my education, and my experience in Sri Lanka. I asked her as many questions and it turned out she is a news speaker for a national radio station. She expressed regrets that her English was not as good as mine and I encouraged her to keep talking to foreigners and to read as much as she can in English. We talked about her family and whether she was planning to give up her job after marriage. She declared that she would rather stay unmarried than give up her job. A big compromise in a non-emancipated society! Elin was my age and keen to exchange more. I gave her my email address which she stored away like a treasure. Turns out she also uses facebook and I truly hope we will keep in touch. Before getting off the bus after about one hour, she concluded that I am very sociable and friendly and how happy she was to have met me. Indeed, I thought to myself, delighted to have shown a smile and enough openness to start this conversation.
* His genuine words of wisdom would soon gain significance to me.
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