Spotlight: Sri Lanka

This small island south of India was first populated by the Sinhalese (a people from mainland Asia/India) in the 6th century BC. Two kingdoms formed at the cities of Anuradhapura (c. 200 BC until AD 1000) and Polonnaruwa (c. 1070 until 1200). In the 14th century, a southern Indian dynasty established a Tamil kingdom in the northern part of the island. In the 16th century, the Portuguese controlled the coastline, and in the 17th century, the Dutch controlled these same areas. In 1796, the island was ceded to the British. In 1802, Ceylon (former name) became an official part of the British empire and was fully united under the British crown by 1815. Independence from British rule came in 1948 and the new island nation officially changed its name to Sri Lanka in 1972. War broke out in 1983 between the Sinhalese majority and the Tamil separatists with a formalized cease-fire coming only in February 2002. The two major parties were the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Fighting intensified, despite the ceasefire, until 2009 when the Sri Lankan government finally declared that it had defeated the remnants of the LTTE and its leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran.

Full name: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (Shri Lamka Prajatantrika Samajaya di Janarajaya / Ilankai Jananayaka Choshalichak Kutiyarachu)

Form of government: Republic

Capital city: Colombo

Independence Day: Feb 4, 1948

Population: 21,513,990

Language: Sinhala (official and national language) 74%, Tamil (national language) 18%, other 8%

note: English is commonly used in government and is spoken competently by about 10% of the population

Ethnic groups: Sinhalese 73.8%, Sri Lankan Moors 7.2%, Indian Tamil 4.6%, Sri Lankan Tamil 3.9%, other 0.5%, unspecified 10% (2001 census provisional data)

Relgious groups: Buddhist 69.1%, Muslim 7.6%, Hindu 7.1%, Christian 6.2%, unspecified 10% (2001 census provisional data)

**For more information, please see the CIA World Factbook**

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On Thursday, June 10th, IK and I attended an event at the Sri Lankan ambassador's residence. It's a classic brick building off of Massachusetts Avenue just northwest of Dupont Circle. I love Buddhist artwork and relics, so I was not disappointed with we neared the front door and found 2 bodhisattva carvings placed on either side. From my visit to the Sackler Gallery several months ago, I believe these statues are meant to protect all those living inside. Spiritual guards, more or less.

The moment we walked inside, it smelled like food! Glorious. One of our favorite ways to experience a culture is through taste, so we knew this would be a good evening. We were also greeted by many embassy staff members, all of whom were extremely friendly and welcoming. Sometimes we find that embassy staff are rather distant and formal, but not at the Sri Lankan embassy. I am afraid I can't remember any names, but they're just so long! :-)

One aspect I love about Asian cultures in general is the detailed artwork and furniture. One of my favorite pieces that night was this oil lamp with their national bird, the peacock, perched on top. (Embarrassingly, I originally thought it looked like a rooster! That's why you ask questions!) One embassy staff member told me that you place oil in the three bowls on the lamp stand, then place cloth wicks in each of the little grooves in the bowls and then light them. I want one so badly! I could have used it the other night when our power was out. - Though, I believe these lamps are probably more ceremonial.

It's hard to make out this piece of artwork (right), but it's a cloth tapestry, painted, with a beaded outline. I'm not sure what story it represents, but it's a beautiful depiction of ancient Serendib/Ceylon.

While IK and I were signing people in, we took note of what our guests were wearing. The men, of course, were all in suits. The women wore beautiful saris, like the ones you see in India. We also saw young girls in traditional costumes, obviously preparing for their performances later in the evening. Walking around the house later in the evening, I noticed several photos on the wall of the ambassador, Jaliya Wickramasuriya, and his family. I laughed out loud when I saw this one:

Clearly someone has a sense of humor...

The ambassador himself has lived in the United States for years, and his family actually resides in Georgia - Atlanta if I remember correctly. But he visits Sri Lanka often and will be personally acting as tour guide to a group of International Club of DC members in August when they travel to the country. What a once in a lifetime experience! Certainly, given the recently ended war, Sri Lankan officials are eager to promote the country as a safe and beautiful vacation spot. War definitely takes a toll on a country's economy, although its most dynamic economic sectors today are food processing, textiles and apparel, food and beverages, port construction, telecommunications, and insurance and banking.

Food! The embassy chef prepared a great banquet of dishes including dahl, rice, a spicy eggplant/pepper dish, chicken, and fish balls. There was also a traditional drink available - pink and milky with what looked like poppy seeds. Delicious and not heavy at all. Dessert was also excellent - a light, sticky pudding-type dessert, very sweet.

After most people had finished eating, it was time for the dance performances. The songs these girls danced to are traditional Sri Lankan folk songs (and actually my Sri Lankan friend knew several of these girls! The DC metro area Sri Lankan community must be pretty tight.)

Every culture has wonderful things to share, and I think the Sri Lankan embassy did a wonderful job. They were very welcoming and friendly, and they put on a great show. Thank you!

And side note, I don't have a high grade camera (obviously!), but I hope you enjoyed these photos anyway!

-MK-

WHAT does DC have to offer??

**Disclaimer: I don't pretend to be an expert on any of this. I am simply speaking from experiences that I have had thus far, as well as from the desire to expand my search for interesting activities.**

I think Irina and I have been very lucky to have come across the International Club of DC because that is where we find most of our embassy events, concerts, art gallery events, balls, and open bars... "Membership" in the club only requires that you sign up for the listserve, and you can either purchase tickets for events or offer to volunteer (and attend for free!). Irina and I like the latter.

Things to do DC is also another similar organization in DC offering a wide variety of events and boasting a slightly younger crowd. You can't volunteer at any of these events, but some of them sound too good to pass up!

Put your name and email down on embassy listserves. If you ever find yourself at an embassy, try to find an employee or the cultural director and ask about event emails. Currently, I receive the Swiss and South Korean emails. Switzerland sends a collective list out about once a month. South Korea sends an email out per event (maybe 2 or 3 per month).

Check out the museums! I recently visited the Sackler Gallery where they have a Buddhist exhibit on display. Several times a year, the Hirshhorn Museum holds an "after hours" party where revelers can come to party, drink and enjoy the artwork. My roommate was there last night and had a great time (apparently they had outdoor air conditioning...).

Check the local papers and blogs. I love checking out the Going out Guide in WaPo and also going to the Washingtonian website. They update their events lists with concerts, food events, local and international cultural events, farmers markets, etc. It's amazing.

The E Street Cinema is always playing indie and foreign films. And the Goethe-Institut (German cultural center), right up the street from the Cinema, always has events going on (films, exhibits, language classes). Again, it's a good idea to check with individual embassies to see what's going on.

Get involved in your community. I know in the Foggy Bottom community, one of my friends became involved in their gardening club. The end product was a beautiful little garden on an island in the middle of New Hampshire, I Street and 24th Street.

Because Irina and I were international affairs majors in college, I think we tend to focus our interests mainly on global events. However, Washington DC has such a vibrant (and somewhat kooky) culture outside of the political and corporate vibe people typically associate it with. I've posted several pictures of some of my favorite events that I feel are "typically DC".

DC's inability to clean up after snowstorms...

Cherry Blossom season!

The Washington Capitals (first playoff game of the 2009-10 season) - and any other DC sports team (Redskins Nation, anyone? How about Stephen Strasburg?). But I have a soft spot in my heard for the Caps :-)

DC Pride Parade 2010. The gay community is alive and well, offering up many opportunities to see drag queens and shirtless men. Woot!

See also, Dupont Drag Race (every October, a week or two before Halloween)

We're only just starting to explore everything DC has to offer, so stay tuned...!

-MK-

Welcome!

"Culture is the widening of the mind and of the spirit."

Simply put, this blog is about international cultures.
Art. Music. Food. Dance.

There is so much people can learn from stepping outside
of their comfort zone...and you don't even have to leave DC!

Stay tuned for our monthly features:
Diplo-eats = Food
World of Art = Art
Global beats = Music
Reel Life= Movies