Holding hands and running by the beach, singing, dancing and laughing without a care in the world, I have passed my days in the company of the most amazing people from all over the world. I have listened to their stories, gotten inspired and lived this multicultural experience with all my heart. I have been loved and appreciated; in turn I have teased most of my people and found a new international family away from home.
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Having marked the streets of
Colombo as my own, I have stood on buses and swayed to the speed of the crazy
drivers. I have travelled in overfilled trains and spontaneously gotten dropped
off in cities. I have travelled for 14 hours in a day to drop a visit to a city
for three hours. I have strolled in the ve
ry artistic fort of Galle and felt
the traces of history inspire me. I have let the waves of the roaring sea crash
against me and lost in the thrill of the Indian Ocean, I have almost drowned. I
have danced by the beach, fallen off the rocks and mildly injured my leg, their
scars I wear with pride now. I have jumped off cliffs, slide over rocks and
rafted through white water. I have been a witness to the most beautiful
festival in Kandy and I have seen the reason why the culture of Sri lanka grows
on foreigners. I have stood on the most southern point of Srilanka in a
lighthouse and seen the presence of nothing but infinity of sea. I have visited
endless temples and seen the importance of a simple lotus flower and a burning diya
for the ordinary man. I have experienced architectural miracles and gained
endless exposure. I have cycled through the city of ruins and felt the power
the history can have over one. I have seen the tea trails, visited the tea
factories and drank the tea in its purest form. I have been affected by the
myths and stories, and traveled over a hill to see the beautiful waterfall:
The lovers leap. I have bottle fed infant elephants and held handicapped
turtles. I have climbed the rock of Sigiriya and envied the god kings who
resided amongst such beauty. I have hiked on the Adams Peak through the night
to watch the sunrise and stood shivering at the top through dawn, dumbfounded to
be a part of the surreal experience. I have carried the flag of Pakistan in my bag
pack through it all, proud to be from Pakistan and ecstatic to share the
stories of its many colors with anyone I encountered. I hope to have inspired
my friends, who have endlessly inspired me.
A Chinese roommate, who is
undoubtedly my other half, a Pakistani girl, with crazy detour plans and a
shared shopping problem, a polish girl who's laugh can light up anyone’s world,
a Croatian beauty with the biggest heart, a Chinese boy with endless
inspiration and motivation for our team, another with a crazy accent which has
me in fits of laughter every time I hear it (never mind I’ll find someone like
you), and the third one with a magical voice and beautiful stories, Thank you
for inspiring and loving me. I hope our paths cross again and we can hold hands
and sing again as we watch the sun rise and sigh at the beauty of it, together.
Now as I sit at the airport, about to board, I realize everything Sri Lanka has given me, and I hope to have influenced others in turn. I miss those I am leaving behind and now I am looking forward to my mamas Biryani and the family and friends that await me.
AIESEC South Colombo, Thank you for the 'awesome life changing' experience. The Art Project 2013, interns and the OC, you will be missed.
by Tayyaba Anwar from Pakistan.
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