Sinhala Tikak Puluwan (“Sinhala a little I can”)

Yesterday I graduated from Sinhala I, a class I’ve been taking for the last several months at the British Council. I can’t tell you how good learning Sinhala has been for me. It’s helped me to communicate better with our girls, and to navigate Sri Lanka and negotiate prices with less stress.

Along with those practical benefits, it’s also given me something peripheral to Emerge to throw myself into. I have a tendency to continue working when I really should take time for myself. It’s hard when you live and work in the same space to separate the two. Taking Sinhala has given me something different to spend my time and energy on, which has provided a nice change of pace from the rest of the work I do. And funny enough, it’s made me miss school a bit. There’s something about going to a class, having a relationship with your classmates and teacher, and just simply learning that I love.

And for now, I can go into stores or walk along the road and continue to surprise unsuspecting Sri Lankans with my knowledge of what they’re saying about me.