Unawatuna

I have thought about creating a weblog for a long time and with some help from Johan (a dutch friend living at the same hotel) I finally got one. I am planning to write a bit about life in Una and about special events and add some pictures.

I have already been here two months and I like the place more and more. I am happy I chose to go to this place to do my studies. Later today I have an interview and I hope I will learn and understand more about culture and life at this place. Sometimes I find it difficult to ask for an interview or to do my work. I have found out that my role is not always how I want and need it to be and that can problemize my studies. But I learn about the culture every day just my spending my time here, observe and talk to people. I misunderstand situations some times, especially when I talk to some people who doesn`t speak much english. One example is when I thought I was going to wash some clothes with a woman from a tsunamicamp. I went to her place early in the morning and we went for a long walk with her dauther and a neighbour son. I wondered what the plan was since she didn`t bring any clothes to wash. We went to a beautiful beach and a nice pagoda and to visit her old mother. It was a nice and long walk to all these places, but I did not really understand the situation. When I got back to the camp the day after with my translater I found out what had happened. They had not meant to wash any clothes, but they thought that I wanted to go for a swim and that`s why they showed me this beautiful beach (jungle beach). I can misunderstand my local friends too (or not understand at all), but I discuss a lot to try to understand. I also discuss reactions and life with my foreigner friends and it can help me to understand more about this culture.