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Author's Notes

Friends, family, strangers… whoever has been reading this blog… it’s time to come to a closure. As any good book also the good experiences come to an end. On Monday 18 Feb I'm packing my bags and flying back home. Consider these as the author’s notes on the back of the book.

What will I be missing about Sri Lanka?

Sounds of life: It´s not just tuk-tuks, music, prayers and tooting horns but also the sounds of nature. In Sri Lanka you feel as part of nature. It surrounds you. You are part of it. And every living creature around you is your fellow citizen, not just the human beings.

Being recognized: As awkward it might have been in the beginning, I will miss the fact that complete strangers greet you on the street. And for them you are “Sir”. New people that you meet are genuinely interested of where you´re coming from, how is your country and how do you like their country. For them you are someone interesting, someone different, someone.

Diversity of nature: The parrots, crabs, slugs, spiders, stray dogs and the huge flying foxes (enormous bats) are just a fraction of the nature. You observe the trees and without turning your head you see ten different ones. Within just a couple of hundred km radius you shift from city to hill country to a paradise beach. It´s all there - all you need - compact on one small island.

The beach life: You jump into a bus and in three-four hours you are in paradise (namely Mirissa beach). So far you´ve spent 50 cents. You spend your weekend there among coconut trees, crystal-clear ocean water, fine-grain yellow sand, and absolutely no one bothering you. You eat and drink well for the whole weekend and still end up spending just about 20-30 euros. It´s affordable, no? And the best thing is that it seems like made for you. Just a handful of tourists lingers on and on the low-season it´s just you and your friends.

Solitude among chaos: The weirdest thing is that though in the city (Colombo) the hazzle is omnipresent – except after nine in the evening – you somehow find a lot of time for reflection. You can walz among the chaos and still feel that it´s just you with your own thoughts.

Anti-materialism: Except for my laptop (that enables me to create text, sounds and images) I managed to rid myself of nearly all materialism. Losing cameras or phones didn´t matter that much. Going around in far-from-perfect clothes was ok. And the so called necessities like fridge, TV or an oven became distant luxury.

Tuk-tuks: No matter how much hazzle you have to go through to bargain a reasonable price or how annoying it is that 50 drivers bug you on your Sunday walk, the tuk-tuks – or three-wheelers – are a very convenient means of transport. They are everywhere, anytime! You just hop in and they take you to your destination saving you the trouble of walking or using a crowded bus.

Riding a Gizmo: Even the tuk-tuks pale in comparison to your own moped – or the commonly known brand name Gizmo. The freedom that you feel when you are criss-crossing amidst the traffic and finding your way through the smallest entries possible is just overwhelming. You can break all the traffic rules and just speed away when the cars patiently wait in the rush hour.

Kirulapone family: Regardless of poor living conditions in my first accommodation in Kirulapone the people there made it home. As we were all going through the same tough experience the bond between people was amazing.

Time freedom: Being the master of your own time and not feeling any external pressure to hurry is such a good state of being.

Food: Though you quickly get fed up – no pun intended – of rice and curry when you have it every day that will be something I will miss. So elegantly mixed tastes of different curries and sambols mixing and matching with the plain rice… and the best thing is that you could use your fingers for eating! Also the seafood, deviled dishes, kotthu, wade etc will always remain in my memories… and hopefully again on my plate one day.

Sun: It seems that I´m physically made for a place with an everlasting sun shine and warmth. I feel better, I look better, and my friggin´ skin is not dry!

What will I not miss?

Pollution: Though you get accustomed to it very quickly and it doesn´t really bother you after a while, the pollution in the city is something I will not miss. I´ll be glad to breathe the fresh winter air again.

Mosquitoes: Those vicious little bastards suck your blood and keep you awake at night. It´s not the thought of them spreading diseases but just the mere annoyance of their presence that really gets to you.

Monsoon rains: Oh boy, the infamous mid-summer rains back home are a pathetic tricle compared to these mega-showers. And they are so unpredictable! There you are enjoying the sun-shine when a cloud appears from nowhere and pours cats and dogs for the next three hours. And sometimes it just doesn´t stop! Nearly continous rain for three months is not fun anymore! Seeing a sunny day gets you hoping it stopped and then the showers return. You are wet all over and you got to walk through the shitty water on the streets that´s up your knee level.

Malfunctioning Gizmo: Regardless of the freedom and ease of travel the moped provides, finding it malfunctioning can really get on your nerves. It was not uncommon for me to try and start it for ten minutes before the poor bugger would turn on. Sometimes it drained my wallet but mainly it was the burden of getting it fixed over and over again that was really irritating.

Kirulapone residence: For a normal westerner the house in Kirulapone would be a no-no place to stay. We did. We put up with the discomfort of having no basic home equipment and sometimes not even water. We put up with the hideous bugs, rats, mosquitoes, spiders, cockroaches and whatnot. We even tolerated the friggin´uguduwa (infernal beaver-like predator cat whatever it is) peeing through the ceiling and running around in the attic. I guess the last straw was the increased discomfort of knowing that someone is watching you through the window in the night… that someone is coming in through your bathroom window and stealing your stuff no matter if the people are there or not.

Dishonesty: People trying to rip you off just because you happen to be white or someone taking your belongings is something I cannot tolerate. Full stop.

What were my most impressive experiences?

Climbing Sri Pada: Going up more than 5000 steps in the middle of the night being surrounded by pilgrims of four different religions and of all age classes from babies to grannies and grandpas is a once in a lifetime experience. Waiting the sun to rise on the top of Adam´s Peak to take away your shivering cold and unveil the beauty of the landscape is something you cannot describe in words.

Sitting on Giragala: Sitting alone on top of the parrot rock in Mirissa and watching the wide-open sea is what I did many times but what I never got bored of. The process of going there became kind of a tradition. First you get yourself to the rock – usually through shallow water. Then you go and see the diversity of fish that are gathered to swim around in nature-made aquarium next to the big rock. Finally you climb on the top and just sit there contemplating and observing the beauty of the white-foamed water that splashes against the rock revealing the crabs that hurry back and fro. Your vision is filled with the splendor of the most exquisite beach, lined up with coconut trees and caressed by the waves that change their color from deep blue to green to white as they proceed.

Nature trail in Belihuloya: Facilitating treasure hunts for the clients was just a minor part of being in Belihuloya. That place became so familiar so quickly. You would know every rock, stream, tree and paddy field in the vicinity. Still every time it was a bit different. The water levels had changed revealing things that you had not noticed before or disclosing pathways that you thought you could be using. In my mind´s eye I remember every small detail along the seven-kilometer trail. I can still feel the mud on my feet, the water on my face, and the distinct odour of the nature. I can still see the beauty of the 12-foot waterfall and I can still remember the joys of the river bath – the ultimate treasure at the end of the rainbow.

What were my worst experiences?

Bureaucracy: Dealing with government agencies in this country is a major turn off. Whether it´s department of immigration, post-office or police station there should be a huge warning sign AVOID for all the westerners – well maybe not Germans – who have got used things going smoothly. Honestly, these guys are just killing time in those offices, not actually working. The fear of the man keeps them fixed with their rigid rules, guidelines, stamping and checking processes that slow things down considerably.

Sweaty nights: Waking up in the middle of the night crying and wondering why are you sobbing just to realize it´s because of the smoke from the mosquitoe coil pervading your eyelids is not a pleasant experience. Adding to that, the extreme heat caused by the malfunctioning fan could well make it to the list of worst experiences. And of course all this happened in that lovely house in Kirulapone, without a real bed but just a mattress on the floor!

What will I enjoy about being back home?

Friends: My best friends are there. I will find time to spend time with them and catch up the lost time together, regardless of whatever urgencies the life might pose.

Sauna: Integral part of my upbringing, culture and my lifestyle has been missing for so long. I want to go to sauna at least once a week from now on.

Comfort of living: I will now appreciate more the great living standards that we have. Being home is at least as good as going to movies or dining out.

Ease of traveling: Finnish trains and buses are light years ahead of these cramped public transportation methods and slowly proceeding traffic.

Nature: Jotting down the best sides of Sri Lanka made me realize how much I appreciate being in the nature. I will go out of my way to explore the Finnish nature more than this far and stop taking it for granted.

Drinking tap water: We have the best water in the world – better than any bottled water - and we use it for washing our cars and watering our plants! I will do my best to preserve that scarce resource and enjoy every drop of it.

What willl I not be enjoying about being back home?

Cost of living: I hope I won´t be converting all prices into rupees because then everything will appear very costly. I have to start getting revenues from my business pretty soon in order to afford living in Finland.

Cold and dark: I don´t know how my system will react to the immense switch in temperature and humidity that I have to deal with going back home. It might be very depressing if I´m not able to enjoy the four seasons anymore.

What would you like to keep having/doing at home?

Sports: Going to gym and playing badminton became nearly a routine for me towards the latter part of my time in Sri Lanka. I need to build a routine of these to activities also back home. For that I need to have some company because playing badminton is pretty difficult just by yourself and I also need someone to kick my butt to the gym regularly.

Time freedom: Though the life rhythm in Finland is more hectic and people respect time more than in Sri Lanka, I will try to get the best of both worlds. I will avoid saying “I´m busy” because that´s the only way to become busy.

International lifestyle: For the past three years or so I´ve mainly used English as my first language and the diversity of people surrounding me has been stunning. If I´d discontinue this kind of lifestyle it would be odd.

How is organizational culture different in my home country from Sri Lanka?

Everything is much more planned, punctual and organized. I should not let it inhibit my ability to explore and innovate unplanned ideas every day. If I can combine these two ways of work it will be a true strength.

What are my expectations and ideas about the return situation?

I don´t expect it to be too easy. I guess I need to take the same approach as when coming here: take the whole package with positive and negative sides and withold judgement. I don´t expect anything. I can not. If I do I will be let down, disappointed, by my home culture.

What has changed in me, my world’s perception, and values?

Having gone through this experience I don´t take anything for granted anymore. I forbid myself of seeing just one side of the coin, of judging that there´s only one way of doing things, living, making decisions and co-existing with the rest of the world. Maybe it is increased tolerance or maybe it is that I´m now more ready to see and explore other ways of leading one´s life.

As for the values the family has become much more important. I know see and admit how grueling it must have been for my parents to try and raise me. I see how much my siblings have invested in helping me. I see the family as a safety net one can always fall back on. They don´t judge you. No matter what they say or do, deep within, it´s unconditional love. I´ll do my utmost for enriching their lives as they have done for me. And all they ask is that I be with them. Doable.

What has changed in my family and friends?

My mom, dad, sister and brother are all seemingly enjoying their lives. Sometimes it seems that they are even getting along with each other better than before. I hope we could become a tight-knit family with open communication and a lot of interaction. If I can be an agent of positive change in that I´m willing to see through what it takes to make it happen.

My girlfriend remains an enigma with increased independency and a curious human being seeking for more international adventures. Though it will be painful to let go again, after this common experience I know our relationship is strong enough to take whatever hits that might lurk along the way.

Many of my friends are becoming more and more stable, getting married and raising children. I fear that I will soon have nothing in common with them, or that we don´t find time to nourish the friendship. Then again, my best friends are still in their adventurous phase of life with high ambitions and future dreams. I feel that time away from them has connected me with them on even deeper level than before. That is genuine friendship worth living for.

What are the difficulties I may face? How will I overcome them?

Being an outsider: Living in a community of people who are going through the same experience for the past one and half years will no longer be there. I will be totally alone with my new perspectives if I don´t find people to share it with. Luckily I have a few very close friends who have gone through that hell already.

Work-life balance: Becoming an entrepreneur and practically starting out with nothing is a scary thought that will push me to work real hard to become successful. Then again, it is not going to be a success if I lose my mind in the process or seriously harm my closest relationships. Finding time for myself, for my business and for my closest people is going to be a balancing act.

How can I best present my experience back home?

I will take part in the re-integration seminar (Success 2008) to hear the stories of other returnees and discuss the similarities in our experiences. For our “old gang” there will be a special “homecoming party”. For my other friends and family I share what they want, without pushing them too much Sri Lanka this and that. As per my previous experience people don´t seem to care where I have been or what has happened. What they do care – and that is more important – is that I´m back with them. Still, I would like to share this extraordinary experience with others. If you are reading this it means I´ve managed to do it.

If this really was a book, what genre would it be?

Romance-action-thriller-tragicomedy.

posted by Tomi Astikainen @ Tuesday, February 12, 2008