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“AAUBOWAN “Sri Lanka Reception booklet of AIESEC in Sri Lanka

AIESEC

SRI LANKA The Reception Booklet


INDEX PAGES

- Introduction

- Sri Lanka (Summery)

o Population

o Religion

o Geography

o Climate

o Ecology and Environment

o Flora and Fauna

o Government and Politics

o Peace process

o Economy

- Colombo

- Arts

- Food

- Sri Lanka – useful links

- Useful Information

o Banks and Money

o Cost Of Living & Local Prices

o Tipping

o Recommendations

o Transport

o Clothes

o Entertainment

o Electricity

o Toilets

o Holidays

o Health & Medical services

o Post and telephones

o Mobile phones

o Television & Radio

o Sports

o Dressing style

o Insects

- Sri Lanka – useful DOs and DON’Ts

- Checklist for a intern

- AIESEC in Sri Lanka

- Exchange information for the intern

o Reception Teams

o Arrival and Airport Pickup

o Accommodation

o Reception and integration activities

o Sri Lanka – useful phrases in Sinhala


Ayubowan, Wanakkam, Welcome Dear new intern!

We are glad that you have been matched to our beautiful island –

SRI LANKA – the Pearl of the Indian Ocean.

We recommend you to read this booklet carefully.

If you still have some questions, don’t hesitate to ask.

We are looking forward to seeing you here soon!

With love, AIESEC in Sri Lanka

A word from an ex-intern…

“It was only a couple of days before the start of my marketing management internship,

when I found out that I was going to spend a year in Sri Lanka. I didn’t know much

about the country, in fact, I only knew that it lies in the Indian Ocean beneath India,

that it is an island, that its former name was Ceylon, and that they have AIESEC there.

However, after receiving an email from a friend, who had been there for one month by

that time, I decided Sri Lanka was definitely the place for me to go. My criteria? I

wanted to go far away from home, to a very different culture, for a very long time, and

do something related to marketing. All my expectations were not only met, they were

exceeded.

The one thing that matters the most about any kind of internship are people who you

spend your time with – in our case the AIESEC community but gradually also other

people from the environment where we live. AIESECers are the ones who made my

integration into their culture and society very easy and comfortable. Although I hate to

generalize about people (because everybody is very unique) I need to say that Sri

Lankans are some of the nicest, most hospitable people I have met so far. They try to help

in any situation, make sure everything is going fine … they simply care.

I would recommend this beautiful island of paradise to any SN in the whole world who

likes to overcome cultural and personal challenges, learn many new things, and find out

more about you, because that is an order of the day here.

I know that some of you might be a little concerned about the safety situation here.

Media like to exaggerate a bit. I was concerned as well, but because I had generally very

little knowledge about the country, I decided to trust people here when assuring me of

no danger. I am glad I did so – I feel here just as safe as at home, that is Slovakia. I

soon learned that if a conflict occurs, it is always only on a national (Sri Lankan) level.

They have absolutely nothing here against foreigners. You see, if I had not come, I

would not have learned. So why don’t you come and experience for yourself.”

Stefan CHAMRAZ alias Stevo

Intern from Slovakia 2001/2002


Do you know about Sri Lanka…?


Sri Lanka – Population and People

“Sri Lanka is a country of really nice and hospitable people, who smile 24

hours per day and are very warm and sweet. You just have to love them as

much as they love you….”

- Intern’s comment

Ethnic Groups

Two major ethnic groups in Sri Lanka are Sinhalese and Tamils. Other than

them there are Muslims and Burghers.

Sinhalese

The Sinhalese constitute about 74% of the population. They speak Sinhala, and

are predominantly Buddhist or Catholics and have a reputation as easy-going.

The Sinhalese have a caste system, although it is nowhere near as important as

it is in India. They either belong to ‘low country’, or ‘Kandyan’. This low

country or Kandyan is then divided into several sub castes. But, nowadays caste

is not an issue except in marriages.

Tamils

The Tamils are the second-largest group, constituting about 18% of the

population. Tamils are predominantly Hindu and speak Tamil. About 50

million Tamils – far more than the whole population of Sri Lanka- live across

the Palk Strait in India. There are two distinct groups of Tamils. The origins of

so-called ‘Sri Lanka’ or ‘Ceylon’ Tamils go back to the southern Indians who

came to Sri Lanka around 1000 years ago. The other group is the ‘hill country’

or ‘plantation’ Tamils whose ancestors were brought to Sri Lanka from India by

the British to work on tea plantations in 19th century.

Muslims

Muslims comprise about 7% of the population. Most of them are ‚Sri Lanka

Moors’, whose presence goes back to Portuguese times and who are probably

the descendants of Arab or Indian Muslim traders and the rest are Malays –

who are of more eastern. Tamil is the mother tongue of most of them.

Others

The Burghers are Eurasians, primarily descendants of Portuguese and Dutch.

For a time, even after independence, the Burghers had a disproportionate

influence over the political and business life in Sri Lanka, but growing Sinhalese

and Tamil nationalism has reduced their advantage and many Burghers have

moved abroad.

There are also small Chinese and European communities and small,

downtrodden group of low caste South Indians brought in to perform the most

menial tasks.

Wannaiyala-aetto


The Wannaiyala-aetto (People of the Forest) are usually referred to in Sri Lanka

as Veddahs.

They are the original inhabitants of the country, and their story is one of great

tragedy. They

are by no means a homogenous group, sharing a common religion, language

and culture. And this is one of the reasons some people claim they actually

don’t exist. Some of them live deep in the forests in the south-east, and in recent

years it has campaigned hard and long for

recognition of its rights.

Sri Lanka - Religion

Religion plays an important part in the life and culture of Sri Lankans.

The Buddhist majority observe Poya Days (full moon days), once per month

according to the Lunar calendar. The Hindus and Muslims also observe their

own holidays. There are many Buddhist temples spread throughout the island

in addition to numerous mosques, Hindu temples and churches, especially in

areas where respective communities are concentrated.

Sri Lanka – Geography

Facts to know:

Sri Lanka is shaped like a teardrop falling from the southern tip of India. It is

just 353 km long from north to south and only 183 km at its widest. Its area of

66,000 sq km is about the same as that of Ireland or Tasmania in Australia.

It is worth traveling all around the country:

- visit coastal areas and beautiful beaches (Unawatuna in Galle, Trincomalee,

the best beaches are on the south-west and east coasts)

Sri Lanka religiosity

religion

percent

Buddhism 69%

Hinduism 15%

Islam 8%

Christianity 8%

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_calendar

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslims

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_(building)


- climb the highest mountain in the spectacularly beautiful hill country region –

Piduratalagala (2524 m) and Adam’s Peak (2224 m)

- travel by train through hilly up-country to Kandy (by observation wagon on

the back of the train as there is so much to observe on the way)

- follow the route of Marco Polo through the most catchy part of Sri Lankan

nature, trip with steam train to Badulla

Sri Lanka – Climate

- Typical tropical country, very hot, with high humidity that occurs that you are

Sweating all the time,

- There are dry and wet seasons, which are influenced by two monsoons

- From May to August – south-west monsoon brings rain to the southern and

Western coastal regions and the central hill country

- Dry season is from December till March

- From October till January – the north-east monsoon brings rain to the north

and east part of the island

- BUT the weather usually doesn’t stick to these seasons, it has changed so

nothing is sure – it often seems to be raining where it should be sunny and vice

versa

- Sri Lanka suffered from a serious drought, which led to power shortages that

influenced the industries, but at present things are back to normal with the

introduction of small scaled thermal power plants

- The average temperature in Colombo (capital) is about 28 degrees Celsius

- In the hilly up-country region is much cooler – about 20 degrees Celsius or in

Nuwara Eliya (16 degrees Celsius)

Sri Lanka – Ecology and Environment


There are many factors that contribute towards the destruction of the

environment in Sri Lanka to a certain extent – gem mining, deforestation,

cultivation, clearance for cultivation, sand mining, prawn farming, etc.

- Sinharaja (rain-forest) is a World Heritage Site (worth to visit)

- Sri Lanka has two marine sanctuaries: the Bar Reef and the Hikkaduwa + 24

wildlife sanctuaries

- There are laws against marine pollution, trade in endangered species or the

illegal felling of trees, but the destruction of forests continue due to a growing

population that demands more land to be cleared for settlement and cultivation

- There is no waste recycling. People usually throw everything down; you don’t

find many garbage bins here.

- In some areas you are not allowed to throw plastic or something else what can

pollute the nature (e.g. Knuckles, national parks)

- Air in Colombo is quite polluted because of a lot of cars, buses and dust (but

in some time you will get use to it ☺ )

Sri Lanka - Flora and Fauna

- Sri Lanka has a diverse plant and animal life – with elephants and leopards as

well as many national parks and reservations, which are the pride of this little

Island

- The south-western wet zone has a tropical rain-forest with lots of hardwood

trees, including

Ebony, teak and silk wood. Here you will find some of the most spectacular

orchids and many of the plants used in Ayurvedic (traditional) medicine.

- The central hill zone is cool and damp, with hardy grasslands, rhododendron

and stunted forests

- Dry zones are covered by trees with shrubs and dry grasslands that flourish

with green grass with the first rains.

- The animals of Sri Lanka are some of the most unusual and varied anywhere.

(86 species of

Mammals – elephants, leopards, deer, monkeys, sloth bears, Loris, porcupines,

jackals, flying

Foxes, wild boars, etc., 450 species of birds, 54 species of fish, 40 species of frogs,

83 species of

Snakes, 5 species of turtles, etc.)


- There are nearly 100 protected areas acknowledged by the government all

around the island due to more than 43 animal species that are endangered

Sri Lanka – Government and Politics

The Democratic Socialistic Republic of Sri Lanka:

- gained independence from Britain on 4th of February 1948

- First republican constitution in 1972

- Sri Lanka’s executive president is elected for 6 years and has the power to

Appoint or dismiss members of the cabinet, including the prime minister and to

dissolve parliament

- Members of the parliament are elected by the people for 6 years

- The country has 8 provinces: Central, North-Central, North–Eastern, North-

Western,

Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Uva and Western

- The legal system is a complex mix of English common law, Roman-Dutch,

Muslim, Sinhalese and customary law.


Sri Lanka – Peace process

There had been a war between Sri Lankan government and the Liberation

Tigers of

Tamil Eelam (LTTE) almost 20 years in the Northern and Eastern parts of Sri

Lanka.

These were generally ethnic and religious rather than class conflicts. The

conflicts in

Sri Lanka illustrated the operation of some of the most combustible factors in

ethnic

Relations: language, religion, long historical memories of tensions and conflict,

and a

Prolonged separatist agitation. (but some would argue that it’s all political )

The war was esp. on the north and east of the country that is quite destroyed

and not developed now.

From February 2002 there have been ‚peace talks‛ between government of Sri

Lanka and LTTE so situation is quite safe now. People can go to areas which

were closed to ‚normal‛ people before (Jaffna, Trincomalee,<), there are no

attacks, no curfews. For more information:

www.peaceinsrilanka.com.

Sri Lanka – Economy

Before independence the Sri Lankan economy centered on plantation crops (tea,

rubber, coconut) – a legacy of the colonial regime. While plantation crops

remain important, the

Economy today is considerably more diverse. The top earner is the

garment sector, whichaccounts more than 30% of manufacturing

employment and more than 45% of exports. SriLanka’s main export

crops are tea and rubber.

The main markets for Sri Lankan tea are Russia and the Middle East. Sri

Lanka’s fishing sector provides about 60% of the country’s needs. Fish

farming is centered on prawns, which is mainly done by the private

sector

.

Tourism, an important income earner, suffered a major setback

following several of LTTE attacks at important places in Colombo (1996

– Central Bank, 1998 – Temple of Tooth in Kandy, 2001 – airport, etc.)

Most tourists generally come from Europe (around 65%) and only about

3% from Australia.

Economic liberalization started in 1977 with the main thrust focusing on

reducing the size of the public sector and enhancing its efficiency. In

1995 government initiated a public sector reform program.

Privatization included most important companies like: Sri Lankan

telecom, National Development Bank, Sri Lankan Airlines, Colombo

Gas, etc. There was and still is a great expenditure on defense – more

than US$850 million annually.

http://www.peaceinsrilanka.com/


Sri Lanka – Colombo

Sri Lanka’s biggest city (two millions people) is the commercial capital of Sri

Lanka. It holds less of obvious interest than many other parts of the island – but

it’s a colorful place. Colombo is by no means overwhelming and its centre Fort

is Distinctly handy and very easy to get around on foot.

The Capital of Sri Lanka is Sri Jayewardene Pura Kotte, it was made the capital

of Sri Lanka by Sri Lanka’s first executive president late J.R.

Jayawardana.Before that Colombo was the capital under the British and in the

first four decades of Sri Lankan independence.

Colombo is broken into 15 postal code areas. Colombo’s main train station, Fort,

is for example in Pettah, where many buses start and it is known as Colombo

11. Then you get for example Bambalapitiya, which is Colombo 4 and so on. It is

very easy to orient in Colombo that way. For the intern is always useful to buy

the 73 page A-Z Street Guide and carry it in case you get lost. It includes also

suburbs of Colombo, where interns usually live.

Colombo is a normal happening place where all necessary facilities to live

comfortable are available: ATMs, banks, cinemas (English, Sinhalese), theatres,

night clubs, sport clubs, fitness centers, cricket grounds, temples, Christian

churches, Hindu temples, tourist information office, post offices, internet cafes,

bookshops, libraries, cultural centers, universities, laundry services, etc.


Sri Lanka – Arts

Sri Lanka’s famous Kandyan dance (nowadays considered to be the national

dance of Sri Lanka) and kolam (masked dance-drama) have their origin in

South India, but have developed a uniquely local character. The devil dancing

is very typical for the low country and almost certainly predates Buddhism.

There are many interesting rituals and costumes connected to all of these

dances, but the best is to experience it than just talk or read about it.

Sri Lanka – Food

Rice and curry is the food of Sri Lanka, and the variety of vegetables, meat and

fish make every meal an adventure for the newcomer. With rice you might get

crisply fried popadam, surrounding the rice are spooned different curries and

sambols (hot spicy relishes made from coconut, chilli and onion). Fried rice is also

very popular (rice mixed with some vegetable and fried on the oil). The cooking

medium for most curries is coconut milk, made from grating the white coconut

flesh, mixing it with a little water and straining off the milk.

Traditional breakfast consists of hoppers (appa), which are prepared from a

batter of rice flour,

coconut and palm toddy. Variation of it can be egg hopper prepared the same

way but with a fried egg in the middle or string hoppers – made also from rice

flour. Very popular is ‘roti’ as well – round, flat unleavened bread with a dash

of coconut and chilli. It can be also with egg inside (egg roti). Other variation is

parathas.


Sri Lanka is a place of a big variety of fruits and vegetables! All the possible and

impossible things you can get here!

Food in Sri Lanka is eaten by hands, esp. right hand, what you might find a

little bit weird but it is very easy to get use to it and all our interns enjoy it. The

only problem you can face is that srilankan food is spicy (they use a lot of

pepper, chilli so if you are not use to it, you don’t enjoy the food at the

beginning).

Sri Lanka – useful links

http://www.lonelyplanet.com

http://www.srilankatourism.org

http://www.lacnet.org

http://www.ilovecolombo.com

http://www.yahoo.com – countries - Sri Lanka


http://www.lanka.net

http://www.lankanews.com

http://www.infolanka.com

http://www.lankaweb.com

http://www.srilanka-travel.com

http://www.srilankan.lk ( National Carrier )Sri Lanka – useful information

Banks and Money

Sri Lanka has a decimal currency: 100 cents to the rupee. Foreign visitors should

bring US dollars, pounds or Japanese yen, as provincial banks may not accept

other currencies. Exchange rate of U.S.Dollar to Sri Lankan Rupee 1$ = Rs.100

Approx.

If visitors arriving in Sri Lanka have more than US$ 10,000 in foreign currency

they must declare it on a detachable slip affixed to the Disembarkation Card,

which has, in theory, to be surrendered to the Customs on departure. All

unspent rupees changed from foreign currencies declared on arrival can be

reconverted to hard currency upon departure. It is good to keep some of your

receipts, as well as exchange certificates, to make conversion easier.

Banks are closed at 4:30pm usually and are closed during weekends and public

holidays. Some banks are open half day ( 9:00am-1:00pm ) on Saturdays. Visa,

Master and Cirrus cards are accepted in most of the banks and you can

withdraw money easily from ATMs that are available in Colombo and bigger

cities (Kandy, Anuradhapura, Bandarawella, etc.) but are not available in

smaller towns and cities.

Other cards (e.g. Visa Electron) are accepted only in a certain banks so it is

better to have cards mentioned before.

Cost of living

Sri Lanka is generally more expensive than India, but nevertheless still

pleasantly economical. Generally, the salary of a intern is about 20,000 – 35,000

Rupees (220-320 $/month) – 6,500 is the price for an accommodation (average),

15,000 – 20,000 for food (it depends how hungry you are, where you eat, this is

average), 500 for laundry, 500 for traveling within Colombo and the rest can be

easily spend on traveling and entertainment. (Weekend trip would cost you

around 2000 Rupees, trip for more days 5000 - 7000 Rs).

Recommendation:

Take app. 400 $ for living for the first month, then another 150 $ for your

residence visa,

Another 200$ for advanced payment (Key Money) for your accommodation

(everybody has to pay it at the beginning, you will get the money back 1month

before leaving). If you plan to buy some clothes at the beginning then take some

extra money for that.

Public transport is totally inexpensive (6 Rupees for one kilometer by train or

bus). Distance buses and trains are also reasonable (A/C Bus Colombo – Kandy

– 220 Rs, Colombo – Anuradhapura – 150 Rs, buses without A/C are cheaper).


Local food has reasonable prices too (lunch – rice and curry would be about 150

Rs, bread – 250, dinner in the standard restaurant – 300-800 Rs, bottle of coke – 5

Rs, etc.). You can buy some European food in big supermarkets, for 1 week

average expenses will be 3000-7000 Rs..

What is expensive for foreigners are entrance fees to all tourist places (With

residence visa you can pay sometimes as a local, otherwise 2x-3x more then

locals – Sigiriya – 750 Rs, Yala national park – 1500 Rs, etc.).

Clothes are very cheap in Sri Lanka, e. g. clothes in House of Fashion (one of the

most popular places to buy clothes) are usually around 400 – 800 Rs, and of

course more expensive one are also available.

Entertainment – cinema 150 Rs, entrance fee to clubs – for men 500 Rs, ladies

free, beer in a pub – 120 Rs, bowling – 180 Rs per game per person, pool – 300-

400 Rs per hour. You won’t save money in Sri Lanka, sometimes you have to

spend your money, but the experience is so big that you won’t regret the

money.

Tipping

Tipping is optional. If you tip, about ten percent of the bill is a fair tip.

Electricity

The electric current in Sri Lanka is 230 – 240V, 50Hz. If you bring sensitive

electronic equipment to the country (eg a laptop) take a voltage stabilizer. Most

sockets here have three round pins, but an ever increasing number is starting to

have square pins as well. Adapters are available in electrical stores for about 2$,

but if you want to be better prepared, bring an adapter with you.

Toilets

Most of the time you will encounter sit-down toilets, squat toilets are used

usually out of Colombo. Toilet paper is available in supermarkets and general

stores (Rs. 35) and local people don’t use it at all (they use water and left hand).

Holidays

Sri Lanka has a five-day week, sometimes six-day week (they work a half day

on Saturdays). Beside weekends, every full moon or poya day is a holiday (once

a month). All places of entertainment (including cinemas) and bars are closed

on poya days. If you want to drink, you have to make all the necessary

arrangements day before. Some more holidays are during the year. Sri Lanka

has the most holidays of any country in the world (23 in all).


Health

Sri Lanka is not a dangerous or unhealthy place but still it is recommended to

consult with the doctor what kind of medications and vaccinations to get before

coming to Sri Lanka. It is recommended to get vaccination against hepatitis,

typhus and it is good to take anti-malaria tablets with you to Sri Lanka as well.

Some interns get the vaccination here if they don’t have enough time before

coming or because it is cheaper for them. Also anti-malaria tablets are available

here and they are cheaper. Do not start taking anti-malaria pills if you are

coming for the longer period as body can develop immunity against them. Keep

them and take them only before visiting rainforests or jungles in Sri Lanka.

If you do not have a stomach resistant to South Asian bugs, be prepared to have

a stomach upset at some point during your visit. You should be consuming

only boiled or filtered water, never directly from the tap. Papaya, curd and rice

are particularly soothing upset stomachs at the beginning.

Sometimes you can get stomach problem or diarrhoria that disappear next day.

If you have any specific allergy, bring medicines with you; otherwise all basic

medicines are available in Sri Lanka. You should definitely bring multi vitamins

with you and take one every morning during your stay until you get used to the

local food (srilankan don’t eat a lot of fruits and vegetables that is why you

need to take the

pills for balance).

Very important is to be aware of mosquitoes. They can cause malaria but worst

then malaria is

‚dengue‛ – it is faster then malaria and there is no medicine against dengue.

There are 3 basic types of dengue so it depends what kind you get; sometimes

people die. So it is good to use mosquito net (you can buy it very cheap here –

450 Rs) or some repellent or mosquito coils.

Medical services


Government hospitals throughout the island provide free medical attention.

The best services are probably in Colombo, but do not expect Western high-tech

medical facilities. There is no shortage of chemist shops in Sri Lanka. There are

also private hospitals where you have to pay. The service is of course much

better then in government hospital.

Post and telephones

Private post offices have sprung all over Colombo and they

are the quickest and easiest places to make international calls

or even buy stamps. Telephone services are also quite

developed and anywhere in Sri Lanka you find many

telecommunications centers, from which you can make local

or international calls easily. Local phone calls are cheap.

There are also many phone booths scattered around the city

of Colombo and the other major cities.

Mobile phones

There are four mobile telephone services operating in Sri Lanka. They are

Celltel, Mobitel, Hutchinson and Dialog GSM. They all cover Colombo and the

suburbs, as well as the other major cities in the Island. There is also coverage of

the other (non urban) parts of the Island, in varying degrees. They offer varying

tariff and service packages, and it is best to study all before picking on one.

Television & Radio

Sri Lanka has two state owned TV channels RUPAVAHINI and the

INDEPENDENT TELEVISION NETWORK (ITN). In addition to these, there are

several private channels, some of which are MTV, SIRASA TV, TNL, ETV and

SWARNAVAHINI. Most of the programmes in ETV and MTV are in English,

but other channels offer a variety of good English programmes too (e.g.

DynaVision).

In addition to the state run Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC), several

new private radio stations are on the air on FM bands. Some of them are in

English and they play rock, alternate, pop, hip-hop.

Newspapers

English Dailies – The Daily News, The Island and Daily mirror On Sundays –

Sunday Observer, Sunday Island, the Sunday Times, the Sunday Leader,

Weekend Express Wednesday - Midweek Mirror.


Transport

In Sri Lanka, the vehicles go on the left side of the road - NOT the right. This is

the opposite of how vehicles go in continental Europe. So make sure that you

don't look in the wrong direction while crossing the road!

In addition, Sri Lankan drivers are not noted for obeying the road rules. So be

very careful when crossing the road. Don't assume that drivers will stop when

you're on a pedestrian crossing.

Buses – The government’s central transport board has an island-wide network

of buses and many local services. There are also numerous private minibuses,

which drive quite fast and whose conductors try to cram in as many passengers

as possible. The merit of both types of buses is that they are extremely cheap.

Buses for short distances are usually not air-conditioned.

Taxis –There are radio-controlled taxi services operating in Colombo and

suburbs. They are Kangaroo – Quick Cabs, GNTC Cabs and Metro Radio Cabs.

They have meters count and are recommended when you are not sure about

rates and distance.

Three-wheeler’s / Trishaw’s / Tuk-Tuk’s

- Indian-made auto rickshaws are the

next step up the price ladder. But be

warned – they do not have meters count!

- so prior agreement on fare is strongly

recommended. Make sure you have a

rough idea of the rates and strike a deal

before you set off.


Rail – There are rail lines to most of the country’s main tourist destinations, and

Inter-City services to Kandy. There is also intra-city transport within Colombo.

Travelling by train is usually longer then by bus but sometimes you can see

very nice scenery.

A word of caution while traveling by public transport in Colombo

Pickpockets are active on public transport. Never get on a bus or train with

your shoulder bag unzipped – in fact, don’t even walk down the road with it in

that state. If you are carrying any valuables such as passport (interns have to

carry it all the time), you are urged to keep it in a money belt or a pouch under

your clothes (in other words, out of sight and out of reach).

Women may find going by buses not so comfortable sometimes. Fellow

passengers sometimes can’t keep their hands to themselves. As ordinary buses

are so crowded it is virtually impossible to avoid bodily contact with other

passengers, but if someone is making a concerted effort to invade your space,

such as it is, you have few options: if you are carrying a shoulder bag, put it in

between you and the other person, stick out your elbows so they are at least the

first point of contact between you and your unwelcome neighbors, move to

another part of the bus if you can. If things are unbearable, get off and catch

another bus.

If you are touched or robbed, shout loudly, try to grab the perpetrator’s arm

and draw attention to them, humiliation seems to be most effective. Or you

could say: ‘Epaa!’ (‘Don’t!’), or shout an

appropriately stern phrase in English.

Nightlife and entertainment

The best nightlife is definitely

in Colombo as in other cities it

is still not socially acceptable. If

you like dancing and clubbing

you can spend the night at one

of the three main discos in

town. All three are in big hotels

and the best one is Blue

Elephant at the Hilton (also the

most expensive one).

There is always an entrance fee for men: women can go in for free. It has an

intimate atmosphere but it is usually very crowded. Dress rule is very strict:

smart casual, proper shoes and no jeans. Drinks in nightclubs are rather

expensive to local conditions. There are several places where live music is

playing – rocks fans would find it very interesting.

From other entertainment opportunities very famous are: Dancing at Bistro

Latino, playing pool, bowling in Millennium Park, cinemas or just spending

your time in the pub on the beach.

Buses during the night time are rare in Colombo so you might have to have to

hire a cab or to have your own car to go home.


There are no real bars or pubs in Sri Lanka. Drinking is still a very big problem

in Sri Lanka although Srilankan should not drink. On full moon (poya days) it

is very difficult to get a drink anywhere.

Drinking is also very expensive ‘hobby’ in Sri Lanka. The most favorite drinks

in Sri Lanka are Beer and Arrack (local alcohol made out of coconut).

Sports

Many hotels in Colombo have swimming pools, some of which are open to non-

residents for a fee. ‘Power World’ fitness center is widely used by interns in Sri

Lanka as it is not as expensive as fitness facilities in hotels but provide you with

the standard of Western fitness studios. Jogging, running and cycling is not that

common in Asia Pacific because of the climate, but you can swim in the ocean,

play beach volleyball, play badminton which is very popular and of course

cricket and rugby.

Dressing style

Daily dress: People wear the same clothes as in Europe – shirts, T-shirts,

blouses, trousers, skirts

(preferably long ones), 3/4 trousers, rarely shorts (mostly for trips or to the

gym). Colour – usually dark such as black, gray, blue, although they like light

colours.

Office dress: mostly (smart) casual wear - Shirt with short sleeves (sometimes

with long sleeves), sometimes tie and trousers for men; blouse (suitable T-shirt

is possible) and skirt or trousers for women. In governmental institutions

women wear national clothes (Saree). You can consult a colleague at work to

ensure that you wear appropriately for work.

National dress: saree for women and sarong for men.

You as a foreigner can wear what you want but you can be sure if white girl has

short skirt and low neckline

that she attracts attention a lot.

Swimming suit: women use

next to swimming suit some

clothes wrapped around the

body or t-shirt with shorts,

men sometimes t-shirt and

shorts or only swimming suit.

As a foreigner again you can

wear what you want but if girls

have bikini all the men will be

soon close to them.

Insects

Just small warning that some insect is always everywhere so don’t be scared if

you see it, they are not dangerous, e. g. ‚home insects‛ - ants (you have to hide

your food very properly), small lizards, cockroaches of size 5 cm, spiders,

mice<


Sri Lanka – useful DOs and DON’Ts

Temple Etiquette – When visiting a Buddhist temple you have to remove your

shoes and hat and, if carrying umbrella, furl it. Your legs and shoulders should

be covered, never enter a temple in beach wear. You should never take a photo

of a monk without asking permission.

Photos should not be taken with your back to statues of Buddha.

In the more visited temples you will likely be asked to make donations. The

traditional practice is that you make a donation only if you wish. If you would

like to give something, never hand money directly to a monk, give it to a

responsible layperson.

In Hindu temples you have to follow same rules as in Buddhist temples.

Visiting homes – If you are invited to someone’s home, it’s customary to bring a

small gift. Do not bring flowers as they are not considered to be special. A

packet of tea or quality sweetmeats are ok.

Don’t be offended if the gift vanishes without comment; it’s considered to be

rude to inspect gift in front of its giver. You’ll be expected to dress decently and

remove your shoes before entering.

Right hand rule – Always give and receive and eat with your right hand. The

left hand is used for an associated with unclean functions and it is bad to use it

for eating (it is not so strict in Sri Lanka, sometimes you will see people using

also left hand for eating but mostly they eat with right hand).

Bathing – Nudity is absolutely not allowed anywhere. This include beach as

well. You will notice people bathing in streams and tanks all over the country.

But you will also notice that they do so covered with thin cloths and they

manage to soap and rinse themselves without removing the cloth.

Wedding, funeral, home coming – you can be invited from your colleagues or

some friends. These ceremonies are different then in Europe so be sure before

going there that you know what you are supposed to do.

Smoking – is forbidden in publics places!

Checklist for a intern or what you should definitely not leave at home:

(prepared based on discussions with interns)


.


AIESEC in Sri Lanka

AIESEC in Sri Lanka was established in 1995 and grown fast during the past

few years. We are a young AIESEC country which has made quick progress in a

short time. We have realized many management and development internships

during this time and takes pleasure in providing an unique experience to the

incoming interns.

We have 2 local committees (LCs ) and 2 Expansions.

Colombo North Local Committee ([email protected] )

This is represented at two universities: Kelanyia University (1hour North of

AIESEC office) LC

has approximately 15-20 active members. The members are from the faculties of

Humanities,

Science and Management.

Colombo South Local Committee ([email protected])

This is the University of Moratuwa (1hour South of AIESEC office) and has a

membership of 25-

30 active members. The university is a technical university and thus all the

members are

engineering undergraduates.

Ja’pura Expansion ([email protected] )

This is a recent development, University of Sri Jayewardenepura (known as

Ja’pura for ease and 15min South of AIESEC office)

To realize its true potential. Membership of 10-20 active members from Science

and Management faculties.


Colombo Extension

This is a recent development as well , which is based on the University of

Colombo and this is known as CX (and 10 minutes North of AIESEC office)

There is around 10-20 active members and most of them are from management

Faculty and Science faculty.

Member committee (MC) ( [email protected] )

The national executive body of AIESEC in Sri Lanka consists of 6 members with

three positions fulltime and another three part-time. The positions are

President, Director – Exchange, Director – People Development, Director –

Corporate Relations, Director – Finance, Director – Community Development.

History of exchange program in Sri Lanka is very much connected, as

mentioned above, with DT program (development internships in nonprofit

organizations) as that’s the area where

AIESEC contact details

AIESEC in Sri Lanka

20/1 A,

Pamankada Road,

Colombo 6,

Sri lanka

E-mail: [email protected]

Tel: +94 -11- 2366947


Exchange information for the intern

Reception Teams

Every intern coming to the country is assigned a ‚Servicing Team‛ ( a team of

four AIESECers from different backgrounds, with the company responsible being an

automatic member )

Which is

responsible for taking care of the intern: preparation and

communication before arrival,

Discussing intern’s expectations, creating a learning plan for the intern,

responsible for day-to-day communication with intern and company,

measurement and evaluation of the internship, coordinating reception

activities for the intern, home stay, etc.

If any problem occurs a ‚Servicing Team‛ member should be the first person

contacted and asked for help.

VISA

You will receive information on VISA separately ( inquire if not already

provided with )

Arrival and Airport Pickup

Make sure to communicate the arrival details (full name, date of arrival, time of

arrival, flight Numbers, photo, etc.) in advance to the members of the reception

team.

The reception team from AIESEC will pick you up at the air port upon arrival.

Reception and integration activities

Reception and integration activities that interns are involved in can be divided

into 4 categories: (here are examples of some activities from past interns history)

Cultural integration activities – cultural presentations done by the

interns for AIESEC members and companies.

AIESEC involvement activities – welcome package, running training

sessions for AIESEC members and companies, participation on LC

meetings,

Professional and personal development activities – participation on

training sessions that are being run for companies (as a delegate or

trainer), presentations at universities (in professional area), help with

raising funds for AIESEC, many opportunities can be found based on

intern’s interests and requirements

Community involvement activities – very important part of

involvement interns into day-to-day life of Sri Lanka and one of the

greatest expectations from us to you, there are many opportunities for

interns to be involved in society involvement and community

development projects.


Intern’s minimum responsibilities

Communicate with the Reception Team and the company before arrival

- Take all the documents necessary for arranging visa + photos (3 for visa)

- Send arrival note

- Have all the vaccinations required for Sri Lanka (hepatitis A, B, typhus,

bring malaria pills)

- Have a complete insurance for the whole stay in the country

- Have enough money for the first month in the country (visa, rent, living

expenses, Advanced payment for accommodation – together about 450$)

- Be subscribed to community SRI LANKA in www.aiesec.net (for more

information ask members of your Reception Team) – it is source of a lot of

information

- Submit expectation form

- Provide evaluation forms during your stay

- Perform the job properly according to the initial requirements

- Pay monthly accommodation rent to AIESEC if you live in AIESEC house or to

landlord if you live

in intern house.

- Participate on reception activities organized by AIESEC

- Present your country on welcome party/at the university/at the recruitment

sessions/in the company

- Cook at least once national food for AIESEC members and company

representatives

- Do ongoing evaluation of the internship with the company

- Participate on Community and other involvement activities

- Maintain a diary (reception plan) for AIESEC measurement purposes

- Submit final evaluation report to AIESEC and to the company


Experience of our interns

Positive “agents of change” of Sri Lanka – more experience from interns

- no matter where in the world you go for your internship, you will go through

a life changing learning experience, which will add great value to you

- Try to get from the culture as much as possible – you can achieve that if you

are open to, new things, to changes, to new experiences, if you talk to local

people, if you spend ,some time with them, if you do the same what locals do,

etc.

- don’t expect that Sri Lanka or Asia is the same as Europe that you can find

here everything you are use to having at home

- Don’t be disappointed if all your expectations are not filled, esp. job

expectations , sometimes you can do something else then it was in your job

description

- working style in Sri Lanka is different, everything takes long time, Srilankans

are usually, not punctual, they have their own ways how to do some work so

don’t think of them that they are stupid

- try to understand the people ,you will see that there are many things that you

will like but also many things that you will hate<.but it is the culture so respect

everything

- Sometimes happens that AIESECers have exams and nothing much is

happening. So don’t criticize them, be proactive and do something to overcome

this period

- People here are very friendly, always smiling; they have very close contact

with each other, for them their family means a lot, they are always very helpful

- Some people cannot speak English but usually you won’t have problem to

find someone who speaks English, at the beginning you might not understand

Srilankan English because of the different accent

- Sri Lanka is very beautiful country with beaches, mountains, waterfalls,

elephants; you can experience hot and cold, sun and rain

- Most of Sri Lankan cannot swim, they don’t like fruits much, some of them eat

rice three times per day

- Sri Lankan like gossips, everybody usually knows everything, they don’t

speak directly,

if there is something regarding you, usually people around you know

everything but not you.

- I definitely got more than a lot. My stay here over-exceeded all my

expectations by far

and I feel like receiving a double pack for the price of one.


VERY USEFUL PHRASES IN SRI LANKA:

CHANGES EVERY DAY

EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE

WE WILL SEE

THANK YOU AND SEE YOU SOON IN SRI LANKA!!!

[This reception booklet is developed by Tager Natalia who is currently the

National Support team member for non- cooperates for AIESEC Sri Lanka and

She is a Management Trainee in Weblook International. We thought that the

reception booklet will be more completed if it is written by someone who is not

from Sri Lanka and so here it goes.

Contact Details :

Tager Natalie | NST ICX Project 2010-2011 |

Skype - nati_ivy

E mail - [email protected]

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