It almost seems like a while ago when I was on the sandy shores of a country that made me learn a lot about myself, about different cultures and people.
I landed a 6-month internship at the prestigious International Water Management Institute in Colombo, working on my master's thesis. My workplace was a dreamy green campus with people from all parts of the world on my team. To say that my 1 year in this country was all parts beautiful would be an undertstatement. And what made it all worth were the people, the natural beauty of Sri Lanka and my workplace.
The people
Sri Lankan people adore Indian culture and I found often striking similarities between us two nations, being close neighbours ofcourse. The warmth and friendliness of tuk tuk drivers, shopkeepers, fishermen I interviewed and my collegues won my heart. This island has its people rooted in culture and always lent a helping hand. While touring the country with my family, I stayed at a homestay of a Sri Lankan lady and her smile is still something I carry with me.
I was present when the deadly unfortunate Easter bombings shook the nation and spiralled it into a curfew. To see the strength of my neighbours and collegues at such a time made me realise their resilience and togetherness they all harbour.
Sri Lanka and its natural beauty
Be it visiting the Dambulla National Park , seeing 200 elephants in the wild ,snorkelling between bay sharks and turtles or rescuing turtle eggs from getting destroyed. Sri Lanka is filled with immense natural wonders which mesmerised me everyday.
I climbed the UNESCO world heritage site Sigiriya and learned about the rich culture and history which shaped the country to what it is now.
Although it rained for almost 6 months in a year but the people were sensitive towards their environment. Animals and humans live in harmony in this country and consider them sacred in accordance with Buddhism.
I used to volunteer for a local wetland organization and engaged in lake cleaning every weekend too.
My Research Experience
My research involved understanding the penetration of micro-plastics and the harm it was causing in one of the prominent estuaries surrounding Colombo.
The research involved me to live in a boat on the Negombo Lagoon and study the presence of microplastics in the water using laboratory experiments. It also included understanding how fishermen are being affected with this.I conducted several interviews with prominent decision makers as well who decided the rules and regulations regarding plastic manufacturing. The how, why’s and who of the plastic menace which this country was facing were studied.
I was nervous and faced initial hesitation because of the language barrier of Sinhalese, but owing to the helping and warm nature of locals I was able to get insights into the current problems faced by the fishermen while fishing. These insights helped me actually give recommendations.
I feel this is where the bug of being a designer and a problem solver bit me. More on that in another article as to how I and why I switched my career.
The whole experience was eye opening to how people in a country completely unknown to me, always lent a helping hand and made me feel at home.
