Culture shock

*This post is probably going to rub quite a few "patriots" the wrong way and I write this with the danger of appearing self-righteous and preachy. However, those with a modicum of brain power will realize that the aim of the post is not to slander or belittle one's own country, but simply to point out where we fall short as a nation or simply, as human beings. (those without are the reason why I have to put this explanatory note in the first place)   

Scene 1 

Setting - Melbourne International Airport. A girl stands in front of a screen displaying flight details.

Voice - Excuse me

[The girl turns around. Behind her is a gentleman around 35 - 40 years in a  business suit carrying a briefcase. He is smiling at her]

The girl - Yes?

Gentleman - I'm sorry, you must hear this everyday, but I will tell you what I came here to tell you anyway. I noticed you from there [points somewhere left] You are very beautiful.

Girl - [Looking slightly surprised] Thank you.

Gentleman - You are very welcome. Have a safe flight. [Picks up the briefcase and walks away. The girl stares after the gentleman slightly baffled but smiles to herself after a while]

Scene 2 

Settling - Bandaranaike International Airport, Colombo. Same girl slightly jetlagged passes immigration and approaches the Dutyfree shops

Voice - (loudly) Ah nangi! Dutyfree eken monawath ganne nadda! ('Ah nangi' is a common crude term used by Sri Lankan males to address girls in a playful yet derogatory way. Loose translation - Aren't you going to buy anything from the dutyfree)

Voice 2 - Poddak hina wenna ko (Smile a bit please) [Snickering, leering, hissing ensues]

[The girl stops and stares obviously dismayed but couldn't bother commenting. She walks away]


Scene 3    

Setting - The luggage belt at the Melbourne International Airport. The girl waits for her baggage and spots it. She tries to haul one by herself.

Gentleman - Let me help you with that [Waits till all her baggage arrives and loads them on to a trolley for her]

Girl - Thank you very much.

Gentleman - My pleasure [smiles and collects his own baggage]

Scene 4 

Settling - Luggage belt at the Bandaranaike International Airport, Colombo. The girl waits for her luggage, spots it and tries to haul it by herself. Couple of males around her, airport staff watch her attentively. Several males mockingly cheer her on but nobody offers to help. 

Voices - Haiyyen allaganna (Hold it tight) Balagena wateyi (It will fall in a mocking tone) [Hissing, snickering continues]

Scene 5

Setting - Melbourne Airport customs. The customs officer watches her smilingly as she tries to push her trolley in a straight line. One of the wheels have gone astray. She approaches the officer and submits her forms)

Customs officer - Good day! What have you got there darlin'?

Girl - Clothes, books, some spices, you know the usual stuff. Would you like to have a look?

Customs officer - Nah, no need. The spices are all processed yeah?

Girl - Processed and packeted.

Customs officer - Good girl. There you go, all stamped up. Oh wait, wheel trouble eh. Let me fix you up.

[He goes off and fetches another trolley, shifts all her baggage to the new one] There you are. Off you go darlin'

Girl - [moved] Thank you very much.

Customs officer - Pleasure. Enjoy your stay [Calls after her] Great driving hun! *grin*

Scene 6

Setting - Sri Lankan Airport Customs. The girl has been cleared off the initial customs check and is proceeding towards the exit. Another set of trainee custom officers gather near the exit and descend upon her.

1st person - Stop. Passport? [Girl hands over the passport]

2nd - What do you have here?

Girl - Clothes, books, some chocolate, the usual stuff.

3rd - Open the bags [The girl looks at them perplexed as she has been cleared off. A senior customs officer passes by]

Senior officer - (Calls out to the trainee lot) She's been cleared. Nothing to see there. Let her go.

[The group disperses reluctantly, looking at the girl almost grudgingly]

Scene 7 

Setting - Supermarket, Melbourne. The girl is at the checkout counter getting groceries. A girl works the tills

Cashier - Good evening! How are you today? (smiles)

Girl - Good evening! I'm good. And you?

Cashier - Oh I am doing just fine. You have beautiful hair

Girl - Thank you

Scene 8

Setting - Supermarket Colombo. Same girl out shopping. The girl working the till looks at the customer, takes the whole of her in, frowns and continues to check the items out with a screwed up face.

Scene 9

Setting - Road crossing, Melbourne. The girl waits for the lights to turn and crosses the road with her grocery bag. One bag breaks and some apples roll over the road. The lights turn green for the vehicles but not a single vehicle moves. Two gentlemen get out of two cars, help the girl recover the apples and carries her bags across the road. Then only, the vehicles start moving.

Scene 10

Setting - Road crossing Sri Lanka. The girl crosses the road. Vehicles barely stop but whizzes past almost brushing.

Voices - Ah sweetie! Koheda yanne? (Where are you going) Oya mara sexy kalla ah! ('kalla' being a derogatory term, objectifying a woman) Balagena happey (careful you will be hit by a car in a mocking way) Sha! Oya maarai anee. [Wolf whistles, hissing, cars honking, headlights flashing, leering, jeering]

Scene 11

Setting - Melbourne streets. The girl gets onto a bus, punches in her Myki and settles down on a seat. The driver patiently waits till she is well settled and then only drives off.

Scene 12 

Setting - Colombo streets. The girl gets onto a bus. No sooner does she have one foot on the footboard the bus pulls off with a jerk. She has to fight her way in with great effort, get her change out with great difficulty and hand the money to the impatient conductor who accepts the money grumbling.



What hit me today suddenly is, living in this god forsaken country, you kind of get used to the harassment, the rudeness and the general ugliness of people's behavior and it all becomes background noise. Once in a while when you do get out of the country do you remember, hey, humans are not so bad after all. These are everyday situations I've put down. I've chosen Australia because those are the freshest memories, but experience is quite similar in other western countries as well. It is this sudden realization that prompted me to write this post today, of all the days. You become used to these atrocities to such an extent that at the event of a small kindness like someone opening a door for you, you are surprised. This must not happen. We are human beings after all. Not animals.

Granted that our infrastructure, economy and etc might not be even as close to being developed as Western countries, but surely it does not take an awful lot to be civil to another human being? Trouble is, we take everything from the western countries - their extravagant lifestyles of car races, fine dining, clothing and even their accents, but we don't even attempt to make an example of their good habits. Is it because our life here is so hard, that our economy in general squeezes, wrings us on everyday basis in a struggle for survival that we can't even get ourselves to smile at another person and just be pleasant? Makes me wonder.  

We were once a nation that was known for the smiles of its people and their general hospitality. It's still there to a certain extent among those who live in villages that are somewhat away from the dirty claws of urbanization. But us the urbanized lot have become cultural orphans belonging neither here nor there. Walk onto a public space in Colombo on a weekend and you will be surrounded by clones - straightened, coloured hair, bleached skin, anorexic figures, fake accents with everybody looking like gene confused clones, everybody looking the same. Attack of the clones. Individuality is lost. Why would anyone want to look like everybody else, doing what everybody else does just escapes me. And this 'everybody else' just happens to be 'not Sri Lankan'.

Women have to be stick-thin, body-hairless, fair, have neat straight hair and be subdued in nature. Men have to be clean-shaven, fair, wear neatly pressed clothes, highly polished shoes and have neatly cropped hair. They may stand out from time to time, in a typical Sri Lankan setting, but globally, they blend in with the furniture. Who sets these standards anyway? Colonial mentality? I feel so.

For me an attractive man is someone who stands out from the crowd, someone who refuses to conform and is a gentleman in every way. A beautiful woman is someone who celebrates her individuality, someone who is comfortable in her own skin and is big, bold and deep in every way. Others are just pretty faces, background trees and rocks. Landscape - easily forgettable. Especially when they look and behave like everybody else.

Globalization is necessary but we must weed out the bad and take only what is good. But what happens is the exact opposite. It does not take a lot to be kind. It does not hurt to be civil to one another. As for sexual harassment, if you like the way a woman looks, it does not hurt to let her know that in a civil manner. Actually, we appreciate it and might actually like you as opposed to wanting to throw our shoes and whatever that hurts at you.  

An orphaned nation we are, not knowing where we belong, not wanting to know where we belong. But as all rootless trees go, a rootless individual is easily swept away in a storm. Pianos or drums? Choose one.