Returning to Sri Lanka.....As thousands leave Sri Lanka in search of a better life, we chat to a few who opted to come back home...

By Kshalini Nonis

Thousands today are attempting to go overseas to start a new life in a foreign country – some seeking greener pastures whilst others may do it to educate their children etc. However, there are those who have chosen to come back to Sri Lanka after spending sometime overseas whilst others choose to come back to their motherland after having being born overseas and growing up there. 

1.What made you go overseas and where did you go?

2· How would you describe your time abroad and what would you say were the advantages of being there as opposed to being in Sri Lanka?

3· What if any are the disadvantages? 

4· Many go overseas thinking the grass is greener on the other side – what are your comments?

5· Isn’t life though, perhaps more comfortable overseas, more stressful there (with little time for family etc.) ?

6· What made you come back to Sri Lanka and was it difficult to fit into life here after being used to life in a Western country?

7· Do you feel that your decision to return here was the correct one and if so why?

8· What is your advice to those like you who want to return to their country?

 Sonia Peiris

Q1: I went to Sydney, Australia to do my Bachelor's Degree. My father was a citizen and a resident there at the time and I was able to obtain my permanent residency status easily as I was 17 years old, a minor. 
I ended up living there for 12 years.

Q2:I enjoyed my time in Sydney. It was interesting to meet people from all over the world, as Sydney was very multicultural. Public transport was well organised and comfortable, vehicles were very affordable, government offices were super efficient and the service was great. The air was fresh, many beaches around and the food was of good quality and wide variety. Cooking was easy. Work was not stressful and the people were nice.

Q3: I came across racist comments a few times. Missed having easy access to Sri Lankan food and shorteats. Holidays, especially Christmas felt lonely. There were not enough public holidays! I only had  very few close friends.

Q4: I think it’s nice to live abroad in your twenties as it’s a great experience. However, there is no sense of community there as you are on your own. Social life is not like here and people don’t mingle as much. The different races/ethnicities tend to stick together, especially in Sydney. But the country is developed and there is justice and opportunity for all so you can survive and even thrive on your own. Now that I live in Sri Lanka, I can safely say that living abroad sometimes felt empty. 

Q5: I would say there is quite a lot of time for family as you have less friends! It's nice for couples to be abroad together as it's just them, whereas here each party tends to spend lots of time with  their own friends. I worked at a Bank and I cannot say that it was stressful.
 
Q6:I always thought I would live permanently in Australia. I took a year off work and came here as I had met someone. The relationship ended pretty shortly but within a few months I reconnected with my friends, and one of them convinced me to try working here and see. The rest is history. I love living here, especially because my mom is here and I like my kids to be around her and their cousins etc. I like how more sheltered the kids are here and I feel that’s important for my girls.
I did not take much time to adjust because thankfully we live in the heart of Colombo and life is pretty convenient. My kids are also in one of the top local schools so that’s nice.

Q7: Yes. I’ve answered this above.

Q8:They should think hard about what kind of life they want for themselves and their kids and weigh out the pros and cons of living there or here in Sri Lanka. I do believe that living here is better.

Rasitha Wickramasinghe

Q1: The 1989 JVP insurrection and to pursue higher studies in the UK. 

Q2: Access to a world class education system. Employment with global blue-chip companies following the completion of higher education.

Q3: Being away from family, missing spicy food and warm weather. 

Q4: Fly away i.e. go abroad when you are young and when you don’t have kids. Explore the world and broaden your horizons.

Q5: Yes, that is why if you go early, you can return to raise your own family in Sri Lanka, like I did.

Q6: End of the war and desire to be with ageing relatives.
It was very easy for me to fit in although I was away for 20+ years.

Q7: Absolutely. I have had a ball overseas when I was young, and the time was right for me to ‘bring my body where my heart belonged.’
I have had an excellent quality of life in SL with the wealth created and professional experiences I had overseas. If I had raised my family in the UK things would have been harder and stressful with a lower quality of life.

Q8: Make sure you have part or full foreign income to complement whatever you earn in SL.
Define your boundaries with friends and family.
Let go of your material attachments that you are so used to overseas, surround yourself with people that you can enable and prosper. Making a difference to others in SL.

Romesh Vidanage

Q1: Our family (Dada, Ammi, my 7-year-old brother, and I was 9 years old) immigrated to Saratoga, California in 1987 because my father's family had all immigrated to California since1969. It was our turn to come to America in 1987 to San Francisco, Northern California. 

Q2: The experience of living abroad was a mixed bag. On one hand, it was a dream come true - the chance to immerse myself in a new culture and see the world beyond the narrow depiction of America on television. However, the reality of life abroad also had a nightmarish quality to it. I quickly learned that the idealized vision of America doesn't match the everyday grind of having to work a job and constantly strive to get ahead financially.
The importance of having proper medical insurance and carefully budgeting every dollar to pay taxes was a harsh lesson. As a young person, I wasn't fully prepared for the realities of life outside my home country. While the diversity of seeing people from various nationalities was fascinating, I also observed how those communities tended to be quite insular and cliquish towards outsiders.

Q3: One disadvantage is being incorrectly grouped with people from other South Asian countries like India, Pakistan, or Bangladesh. Another is that travelling to Sri Lanka from California is expensive and takes two days to travel one way. 

Q4: The grass is only greener where you water it. Unfortunately, the actions of politicians in Sri Lanka have made it unmotivating to try to water or improve the situation there.   If you go  
overseas, be ready to understand that you left tropical greenery for something new. 

Q5: Money is the answer - if you have money, you can live comfortably no matter where you choose. In America, people won't look down on you. However, the caste system in South Asia, including Sri Lanka, means only certain people are expected to do certain types of work. This can make it more difficult to achieve a comfortable life there, even with financial resources. 

Q6: I came back to Sri Lanka to be closer to my father. The war had ended, and the country seems more at peace and united after the Aragalaya protests. However, fitting into life here is not easy. This is not a vacation - I have to adjust to the traffic, tropical weather, patriarchy, corruptiion of certain individuals, being confused for a tourist, and bureaucracy which will make my head spin. Despite these lingering challenges, the improved situation in Sri Lanka means it could potentially be a viable place to live comfortably if one has the financial means.

Q7: My decision to return to Sri Lanka was the correct one, and every expatriate I have spoken to feels the same way. There is nothing quite like the people, culture, history, food, and energy of this country. While there are certainly adjustments required in daily life compared to a vacation or living abroad, the benefits of being here outweigh the challenges.

Q8: Despite the lingering issues like traffic, weather, patriarchy, and bureaucracy, Sri Lanka offers an unmatched quality of life that makes it a viable place to live comfortably, especially for those with the financial means to navigate those factors. The improved stability after the Aragalaya protests has created an environment where expatriates can reconnect with the unique elements that define Sri Lankan life.  Don’t burn your bridge, keep your foreign passport, have lots of bank accounts, invest in the children of Sri Lanka, use social media and expose the unfair government, write about this magical country and use what you have learned in the country you went to and help make Sri Lanka Great Again. 

 Manoji De Silva

Q1:  I was actually born in the UK, regularly visiting Sri Lanka while I was growing up as I have family here -both my parents were born in Sri Lanka. I have always liked the idea of coming to Sri Lanka and becoming more “in touch with my roots”. A couple of years ago I also started dating someone living here, and we were long distance at first, but that definitely contributed to the move!

Q2: I’ve lived my whole life in the UK (I’m 28) and I feel like I wanted a change of scenery. London is so fast paced - it can sometimes feel like everyone is rushing around so much and there isn’t really a sense of community. I sometimes miss the availability of certain products that I am used to and I like to walk around from place to place in London, which is difficult to do in the heat here.

Q3: It can feel isolating sometimes in London, especially in the colder seasons. Sometimes months go by where you don’t see certain friends, even though there is always the intention of catching up. It goes without saying that everything is getting very expensive, it feels like it costs money to just breathe in London! UK politics is disillusioning, but it is not unique in that respect.

Q5: Although “everything” is happening and available there, sometimes you don’t make time for it because it’s too expensive or you have a very busy work life. Stress is something that I have always found difficult to manage, but I have found that seeing the sun everyday does help boost my mood and energy levels.

Q7: It feels like the correct decision right now because I am around people I care about, I’m eating lots of amazing food in a beautiful tropical environment. I remember a colleague at work saying that I’d only have regrets if I stayed in London and never tried living in Sri Lanka.

Q: Was it difficult to fit into life here after being used to life in a Western country?
There are certain things that take some adjustment, like people misunderstanding my broken Sinhala and my English accent.

I’m still getting my bearings around town with the help of Google Maps! But generally the change wasn’t difficult, it’s nice to have a more relaxed pace of life and I have made some “expat” friends who have similar interests to me (e.g. running, art, activism, music).

Q:What is your advice to those in a similar situation to you?
Don’t be afraid to try something new - Sri Lanka is such a naturally beautiful place and there is so much interesting history and culture to learn about.

 Krish Pieris

Q2: Being born there, the UK was home to me, I did not know any different so hard to say there were advantages. I only really discovered Sri Lanka after I returned.

Q3:  I never experienced any disadvantages.

Q5: Exact opposite. In Sri Lanka, especially Colombo there’s always something happening or going on outside of the family home from parties to funerals to weddings. In UK you seem to spend more time together as a family unit.

Q7: Sometimes I wonder, but overall have had a great life here.

Q:What made you return to Sri Lanka after being born overseas and spending several years there?
  My father wanted to retire in Sri Lanka after working in the UK for over 20 years and I decided to accompany him at the age of 17.

Q:Was it difficult to fit into life here after being used to life in a Western country?
 Yes, a little bit – my accent didn’t help but I was lucky enough to meet a great bunch of people who made me never want to go back and I never did, other than for holidays.

Q:What is your advice to those in a similar situation to you?
If you want to make a go of it, you’ve got to be able to adapt and acclimatize to the Sri Lankan style and way of life.

* Some names have been changed.