I don’t think I will ever understand them.

There is no future here, schools are bad, teachers don’t teach properly, and how to send the kids to university they are always closed no? And so hard to have a good lifestyle everything is expensive and no way you can save. And look at the state of the roads.

And so they leave. And then while you are here, sweatily getting on with Sri Lankan life, there they are living through the four seasons, so cold you have no idea, not like nuwara eliya, and building their houses by themselves, no masons and all like for you, we have to do everything ourselves in these countries. And the next time you meet them on their summer vacation, they are bringing you liver paté, real marmalade, and canned beef, looking for a Sri Lankan husband for their daughter who speaks only First Worldese, and complaining about the terrible cost of educating kids in those countries, we are all in debt, things are quite difficult there you have no idea. And why don’t you visit us, good chance for you to see some sights!

And then when you take up the invitation, here you are eating rice and curry in the US, just like in Sri Lanka the taste, all the spices from this shop in New Jersey, and walking around in Paris with relatives dressed in the worst fashion, very Sri Lankan you know his daughters, and as a treat taken to some gathering of fellow Sri Lankans in Brisbane, and didn’t you recognise that was Sirimal Fonseka’s son who is singing? Just like his father his voice. Why? Don’t you listen to these songs in Sri Lanka? These are the best songs. Last week we had a concert with that seventies group, we flew them here to play for us, you should have been here then.

And during leave-taking, here they are planning to come back again! Apoh, can’t shovel snow when we’re sixty, and now this government is developing the country no? Can you tell amma to look for a piece of land in Hikkaduwa?