On my last day in Sri Lanka, I visited the US Agency for International Development before going to Bandaranaike International Airport. All I wanted was to obtain a couple pamphlets and let my presence, albeit belated at this point, be known by a local arm of my government. Although I was granted entrance after clearing security and handing over my cellphone, I was only able to visit the library. If I wanted pamphlets, apparently I would have to schedule a meeting with someone and gain official approval. The costs simply exceeded the benefits of such a course of action, so I decided to cut my losses and return to my hotel to write before leaving in the early afternoon.
My journey back to the United States took a total of 35 hours in transit from the time I jumped in a hotel cab to reach the airport until the moment I stepped onto US soil. As penance for choosing an inexpensive flight, I traveled from Sri Lanka to Chennai, India (where I had a 6 hour layover and was herded with several others into the immigration area, as if the airport had never before dealt with passengers who needed to go in different directions upon landing in India. At least they gave me a free Indian vegetarian meal for my troubles), then to Singapore (where I spent my hour-long layover shuttling back and forth between terminals in an attempt to obtain my boarding pass which I had not been given when I checked into Air India back in Sri Lanka), then South Korea (where I had to alight, pass through security again, and return to the same plane), and finally San Francisco, California (where reintegration was quick, and my bag arrived as intact as I did). I made several new acquaintances along the way, including an American-Argentinian ex-pat couple living in Chennai and a Mexican pianist who wanted to study the intersection of music and literature. Although it was an intense one-and-a-half days of travel, I made it safely back to the United States, my wallet now full of useless currency and my stomach full of several different types of Asian cuisine.
It has been quite a trip, and yet I have more traveling ahead in the immediate future- conferences in San Francisco and Chicago in back-to-back weeks, and a workshop on environmental rights at Yale two weeks later. During this time I will transcribe my interviews and follow up with my respondents to ensure the accuracy of their statements and afford them the opportunity to make any clarifications.
Thanks for following my adventures in Sri Lanka and feel free to email me with any comments or questions you may have at [email protected]. You can also follow me on Twitter: @JoshGellers. Take care everyone, and remember to be safe and enjoy your life no matter where your journeys may take you!
My journey back to the United States took a total of 35 hours in transit from the time I jumped in a hotel cab to reach the airport until the moment I stepped onto US soil. As penance for choosing an inexpensive flight, I traveled from Sri Lanka to Chennai, India (where I had a 6 hour layover and was herded with several others into the immigration area, as if the airport had never before dealt with passengers who needed to go in different directions upon landing in India. At least they gave me a free Indian vegetarian meal for my troubles), then to Singapore (where I spent my hour-long layover shuttling back and forth between terminals in an attempt to obtain my boarding pass which I had not been given when I checked into Air India back in Sri Lanka), then South Korea (where I had to alight, pass through security again, and return to the same plane), and finally San Francisco, California (where reintegration was quick, and my bag arrived as intact as I did). I made several new acquaintances along the way, including an American-Argentinian ex-pat couple living in Chennai and a Mexican pianist who wanted to study the intersection of music and literature. Although it was an intense one-and-a-half days of travel, I made it safely back to the United States, my wallet now full of useless currency and my stomach full of several different types of Asian cuisine.
It has been quite a trip, and yet I have more traveling ahead in the immediate future- conferences in San Francisco and Chicago in back-to-back weeks, and a workshop on environmental rights at Yale two weeks later. During this time I will transcribe my interviews and follow up with my respondents to ensure the accuracy of their statements and afford them the opportunity to make any clarifications.
Thanks for following my adventures in Sri Lanka and feel free to email me with any comments or questions you may have at [email protected]. You can also follow me on Twitter: @JoshGellers. Take care everyone, and remember to be safe and enjoy your life no matter where your journeys may take you!
Free food for a weary traveler in Chennai, India.
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