This week has afforded me a haven of sorts, called Lanka Bible College. Upon graduating from Briercrest, I doubted that I would be back in a Bible College classroom so soon, but here I am, in Kandy Sri Lanka carrying out the same routine that I have become so comfortable to me for the past five years. No, I have not re-enrolled in Bible school, this is only a one week stint at LBC, but a welcome one. My host, Chaminda, is working on a Bachelor of Theology degree and was due for a week of Contemporary Theology this week, so I opted to join him. For the whopping price of 1, 250 rupees ($12.50 Canadian - compared to around $700 per class that I paid per class back in Canada), and the promise of instruction in English, I figured it was too good to pass up.
This has proven to be a fantastic opportunity for me. I have been able to engage my mind in English again, and have also made some friends with a large handful of English speaking people in Sri Lanka. But more than that, sitting in discussions with a class full of Sri Lankans has allowed me to gain a MUCH greater understand of this nation, its people, and its values. I feel that I am starting to gain my feet once again.
A welcome sign of my acclimatization has been the return of humor. Rather than seeing culture differences as frustrating, a lot of them have become quite hilarious to me. For instance, today after class I went on a couple visits to some homes with my host, both of them non-English speaking. Sri Lankans LOVE to be hospitable, and in their world hospitality involves pushing as much food as possible at you anytime you visit. I have learned how to say no, but in this situation, with the language barrier, they must have misconstrued my polite "no thankyou" hand motions as a plea for more. So within an hour I had polished off half of a cake and had downed my 6th cup of tea for the day, and I am sure I would have been forced to consume more had it not been for Chaminda rescuing me from the food pushers by interpreting my feeble sign language.
My cultural learnings have also allowed me to uncover the hilarity behind some of the things that I previously disregarded. Case in point - This is a picture of one of my very first sights in Sri Lanka: a welcome oasis in the Colombo airport after the 9 hour flight from Frankfurt to Sri Lanka.
I was immediately intrigued by the "shower head" on the wall in the toilet stall, so I took a picture and wondered why people would find it necessary to shower in the bathroom stall. For the past week, as I have lived amongst hosts that are well accustomed to North American guests, in a house complete with all the North American comforts, my initial analysis of the airport bathroom required no further scrutiny. However, today during lunch break, as I discovered "the facilities," I found the same peculiar set up that I had seen in the airport, minus one very important item...toilet paper. As I frantically searched the neighboring stalls for a scrap of white gold, I came to the horrifying realization that toilet paper was not only missing, but entirely foreign to these bathrooms (and most bathrooms in Sri Lanka). Those "shower heads" were not for showering at all... and now I understand FULLY why everyone here eats with their right hand!
....sorry for the bathroom humour, hopefully you can laugh at my clumsy cultural education and not necessarily at the potty prose
6 comments:
an all-in-one bathroom, toilet, debay, shower and handwasher, why don't we use that?
Efficiency, no waste of trees (especially when you consider all the time you have taken in the past to plant new little ones), less chance of sewer backup. One question - if it has taken you until this week to figure out the purpose of the shower head in the bathroom, what have you been doing for the past week?!?!?!
Glad to hear that you are being challenged in encouraging ways this week. Love you!
Hahaha. That was my similar experience in Thailand, they dont use toilet paper there either. A further experience of mine there was with the squatty potties... but for a couple weeks I didn't know that people squatt on those stange looking toilets...I just thought they were really small toilets... so I would always sit on them like a normal toilet.... yeah I was kinda grossed out when I found out how its supposed to work...hahaha.
HAHA! I love that story! I didn't know you had a blog...until now of course! Thats cool you're way over there...I don't even know where it is, I will have to google it! What are you doing there? I hope all is well! Blessings
Mal
I can think of a specific occasion when those toilets would have been handy in our house. I think you will know what I am referring to.
I blogged too! Check it out. I am sure you will find it as fascinating as your own.
Love you!
Lindsay
David, a peculiar thought has been pestering me: If a person is right-handed it would stand to reason that they would use their right hand for most functions, including using the facilities. I noticed the shower head was on the right side of the stall so...what happens if you are left-handed? If you are left-handed would it stand to reason that you would keep your right hand in your lap or does eveyone have to eat with their right and do the necessities of life with the left? Just wondering! Love your stories! Take care. Love you. Mom
Post a Comment