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A reader commented on the Expat Report Culture Shock in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Do you have any advice or thoughts about culture shock you would like to share?

Avoid being a typical expat who would find time to complain at every turn, instead gel with the locals with a genuine interest.

Learn the language (although it really is difficult)

Sri Lankans are very highly moved by politics and somewhat against treatment received at the hands of western politics.

Be respectful. remember, this is not our home. Do not forget the manners we learned growing up. This is an Asian nation and respect goes a long way! (Continue)

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A reader replied most recently with:

Really appreciated ready your "report" - sounds like you have the right perspective on your new home! I too am moving to Sri Lanka (down south) from Dubai and a lot of what you say resonates with how i feel about Sri Lanka and what i hope to get from living there. Thank you for taking the time to share this :-)

A reader commented on the Expat Report Review of The Overseas School of Colombo in Colombo, Sri Lanka

How would you describe the facilities at this school? What extra-curricular activities are available?

The facilities are not wonderful the problem is there is no communication between staff. The problem is coming from the head of school; There is no Extra activities: Indoor swimming pool, dancing, ballet, singing, painting etc. (Continue)

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A reader replied most recently with:

local students are also attend The Overseas School of Colombo. I myself is a graduate from the school and I am Sri lankan with a Sri Lankan passport.

A reader commented on the Expat Report Review of The Overseas School of Colombo in Colombo, Sri Lanka

How would you describe the facilities at this school? What extra-curricular activities are available?

The school facilities are showing their age, although there is a big remodeling going on. Hopefully when finished the toilets will flush and the roofs wont leak. It has most of the things your local school back home would have, playground, field, outdoor pool, performing arts centre. Three days a week there are activities after school which are optional. There are many community service programs that have been developed by the Sri Lankan staff members over the years. These are excellent and the local staff should be thanked for all their hard work in developing these programmes. (Continue)

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A reader replied most recently with:

Visit the Overseas School website at www.osc.lk

A reader commented on the Expat Report Review of OSC in Colombo, Sri Lanka

How would you describe the facilities at this school? What extra-curricular activities are available?

Air-conditioned class rooms and dining area, modern, well- equipped auditorium, swimming pool, playing field.

Strong on drama-two productions a year. Good sports activities with opportunities to compete in soccer, basket ball, swimming, athletics with other schools in India, Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Very good community service programme (Continue)

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A reader replied most recently with:

Visit the Overseas School website at www.osc.lk

A reader commented on the Expat Report Review of Overseas School of Colombo in Colombo, Sri Lanka

How would you describe the facilities at this school? What extra-curricular activities are available?

Media and technology are in the dark ages, library books from the 1960s. Only one student use computer in each classroom. The grounds look nice, but there is no room for parking for parents or special events. There are many dedicated teachers. (Continue)

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A reader replied most recently with:

Luckily, the country's civil war has now ceased and Sri Lanka is a safe place in which to school your children. You can visit the Overseas School website at www.osc.lk.

2souls39 commented on the Expat Report Dating and Marriage in Colombo, Sri Lanka

What is it like in your country of residence for someone with your relationship status (married/divorced/dating)? If you're single, how do you meet other people? Do English-speaking people tend to gravitate to certain parts of your city?

IT is very difficult to face to the society. SOme of the people are ok. because they have an understanding (Continue)

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2souls39 replied most recently with:

Hi there After reading your report, i think you maybe able to help answer my query below. I have met a lovely, wonderful man who is Sri Lankan, he only moved to England few years back. We are in a full blown relationship as boyfriend and girlfriend. This is first time I even meet a Sri Lankan person, and I know nothing of the country itself. We been going out for about 6 months now, but knew each other as friends several years before that. But one problem is bothering him and I and I need advice on Sri Lankan culture and people please. He is around early middle age, and I am a white British girl in her late 20's. He is very shy and gentle, very quiet, and he admitted this his first relationship, and he never felt like this before about anyone before me. He shows extreme love and care, but can never actually say "I love you", even when I told him I love him. Is that their culture? But biggest problem is, he is so scared of his local community seeing us together, he not want anyone in our local area to know. He is happy for me to tell my parents, but he wants no one of his culture to know about us. We are sexual too, and I do not THINK he married, as no wedding ring, but someone lives at his home that he not want them to know about us. If he is married, I know it must be an arranged marriage, bcoz he so UNHAPPY before he meet me, and he been starved of affection and sexual pleasure. So you know, he is of the Tamil culture, and a Roman Catholic. So I ask anyone who know out there, do Sri Lankan families conduct arranged marriages, and will they shun and cut off the person in the marriage if that person meets someone new, especially of a different race? He runs his own little shop, but does not own it, is he worried family will take away everything if they find out about us? Many thanks for any help or advice given.

Expat Report Review of Overseas School of Colombo in Colombo, Sri Lanka was published

How would you describe the facilities at this school? What extra-curricular activities are available?

The school has good facilities for it's size. After school activities 3 days a week, sports teams in secondary, and community service projects. (Continue)

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Expat Report Having a Baby in Colombo, Sri Lanka was published

Describe your experience giving birth there. What type of facility did you go to? What (if any) type of pain management did you use? How long did you stay in the hospital? Was it a positive experience? Etc...

Giving birth in Sri Lanka was overall an extremely positive experience. I gave birth at Joeseph Fraser, an all maternity hospital in Colombo. It is the only one of its kind and is most likely where all expats are directed. The facility was fairly up to date although pretty lax sanitary conditions. When I first arrived I was put on a bed in a waiting area where a stray cat and her young litter were sleeping in the bed next to mine! By that time I had been in Sri Lanka for four years and it didn't phase me a bit - I was more worried about what was coming next.

Because I had been in prelabor for three days I was induced with pitocin in an IV and I was given an epidural fairly early on. There was only one delivery room which is separate from the operating room where the epidural was administered. To get from one to the other I had to be wheeled on a gurney out through the main garden which was a bit unnerving although once the epidural kicked in it was sort of nice to be able to see the beautiful blue sky. I vaguely remember commenting about what a nice day it was (only on the way back mind you - on the way there I was doubled up in pain.) Also a note about epidurals - it seems they are fairly uncommon, at least when I was there. There is a lot of pressure on women, by their families, to not use them. Somehow you are not going through real childbirth if you go with the epidural. As an expat, I did not encounter that and my doctor was very neutral and left the decision entirely up to my husband and me.

The labor lasted about six hours and the nurses were very professional and patient. We had also hired a Canadian doctor friend to serve as our doula. We had to clear this with our Sri Lankan doctor, but he was very accommodating. The only drawback was the fact that there was only one delivery room. It had two beds very close to each other and only a curtain in between. There was another woman in early labor in the next bed and I still feel sorry that she had to watch me deliver (and I didn't hold back) knowing what was next for her. They had only just recently changed hospital policy to allow husbands to be with their wife during delivery. The woman next to me only had her mother with her but I'm not sure how I would have felt having her husband in on my delivery. Hopefully they have added another delivery room by now.

I was set to stay at the hospital for three days but only lasted about 24 hours after the birth. The rooms are not air conditioned and the matress on my bizarrely high bed (I needed a foot stool to climb up) was simply a thin foam pad covered in vinyl with a sheet draped on top. So, it was uncomfortable especially when I had an air conditioning and plenty of family help at home. Again the doctor was very accommodating and released me early. (Continue)

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