We're Not in India Anymore

We only traveled one hour by plane to reach the bustling city of Colombo in Sri Lanka. But that one hour in the air made a world of difference on the ground. Colombo is what you could expect from any big city in any country around the world, but the moment we landed, it was clear that we were not in India anymore.

Generally, the Sri Lankans look the same as any Indians we might meet; many of them, in fact, are originally from Kerala’s neighboring state, Tamil Nadu. But besides the similar facial features, the people in Sri Lanka appeared much different than those we have known in India. For one thing, the women wrap their saris differently – and that is if they are even wearing saris. More often, we saw women in skirts and shirts and even jeans and tops. And one thing that struck me right away was that, as these people in their skirts and shirts or jeans and tops went about their busy lives in the big city, they barely noticed a group of seven foreigners trying to make their way on this new turf. We did get our share of catcalls, to be sure, but we did not get the same attention as we would in India, where being foreign is akin to being famous.

As we went about our week in Sri Lanka, I was surprised to notice how far removed this culture could be from one that is merely an hour away by air. We noticed men and women walking along the avenues holding hands and sitting on busses with their heads on each other’s shoulders, and we learned that most people in Sri Lanka marry for love, which, of course, means they have to date first. And that happens only rarely in India.

Something that happens even more rarely, however, is the consumption of alcohol by women. For both religious and cultural reasons, it is not acceptable for women in India to order alcohol in a restaurant, to go into a bar, or to purchase liquor from a store. In Sri Lanka, however, the drinking norms seemed much more similar to those of the United States and other Western countries. It was ok and perhaps even expected for the girls in the group to drink a beer with dinner if we were at a place that was serving it. There was no one saying: “Women don’t do that,” or, worse: “Christians don’t do that.”

Along with the option of ordering a drink with dinner, we also found that we had more options in the way of food. Most restaurants were Indian or Chinese, but when we tired of eating those foods, we could easily go into a grocery store and find things like Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, hot dogs, peanut butter, and even…wait for it…M&Ms! Now, besides the M&Ms, I haven’t been craving any of these foods, but it was still nice to see those options on the grocery store shelves and to have a small taste of home.

These are, of course, only a few examples of how life is lived differently in Sri Lanka, and I cannot hope to paint a clear picture of this country’s culture with only these little tidbits of color to add to the canvas. I think, however, that I can make clear how incredibly exciting it is to cross a border and discover a whole new world.