Life with Chinese Characteristics, Chapter 16: Under the Sri Lankan sun

Enchantment is a word that often carries with it an allusion to fairy tales. Enchanted castles, enchanted forests, enchanting knights in shining armor. The word has taken on a new connotation for me throughout my travels. I have discovered a great deal of beauty as I have explored parts of South America and Asia; nestled in to rustic and quaint abodes, I have found many adventures and places of peace. Perhaps the first time that these two elements came together most deeply was when I landed in Cuzco and set out on the Inka trail with Liz. The lush green jungle in the cloud forest air that mingled with the history along those steps certainly did enchant me. The experience spoke to some part of my soul, filling me with awe and wonder. This past week I was enchanted by another land. 

I arrived very late to Villa de Zoysa, a yoga retreat two hours outside of Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo. When I awoke to take a closer look at my surroundings, I found immediately that the spirit of the villa and the space surrounding me awoke my spirit.

Morning sunlight filters into my room.

Stepping outside of my room, this was my first daylight view of the colonial home built in 1907.

The shala where we practiced yoga in the morning and early evening each day.

View of the pool and mansion from inside the shala. This was a beautifully serene place to practice yoga.

Kindred connections are those where some part of your soul awakens, and in standing in that land, or next to that person, you have a strong sense that you are just where you are supposed to be. And so it was with Sri Lanka.

I hope that you'll continue to read along with my words, both poetry and prose, to feel something of the charm of the 'The most beautiful island in the world.'

Above the white waves cresting

thin gossamer clouds form and float lazzily

under the Sri Lankan sun

Around the sun a large orb circles

Perhaps the sun's own kind of shadow --

-- not of darkness but of light

I lay my head back and breath in 

inhaling deeply the sweet sea air

The scene surrounding me is spotted by sunbathers,

friends running into the waves

as laughter rings out

and chimes in the breeze

a Sri Lankan woman wearing a baseball cap

to cover the top of her long braid

sells bright colored silk bed tapestries

while jet skiis play in the distance

and small boats rock gently in the water

as a lone snorkeler kicks by

Appearing rather sun-kissed here, those rays had their way with my
Northern Italian-German-Scandinavian
skin after an afternoon of sunbathing.

Sri Lankan scene -- roadside fruit market.

Sri Lankan scene -- stilt fishermen.

The sun sets in Sir Lanka

setting the sky on fire

reflecting onto the shore

After my day at the beach, I spent the following afternoon in Galle, a short tuk-tuk ride from the villa. 

An Unesco World Heritage Site, Galle is surrounded by an expansive wall as the city was founded by Portuguese colonialists in the 1500s. It is a town with a rich history. Walking its streets you will pass mosques, churches, museums, and Dutch colonial architecture. There are delightful cafes like Poonies where you may enjoy a light lunch surrounded by a lovely ambiance. 

Under the Sri Lankan sun I sit

atop the fort in Galle

Seagulls squak

lovers look into each others' eyes

Buddhist monks and European tourists traverse

the path along the ancient wall

Glass aquamarine waves keep rolling below me

creating hypnotic sounds of the sea

Villa de Zoysa is owned by a man named Devinda. He comes from a family with a rich and interesting history, and I hope some of you reading this post might some day get to sit and talk with Devinda about the stories of his past, and how his present came to be. He is an excellent host. One afternoon he took another guest, Lola who arrived from Paris, and me to a Buddhist temple that was off the beaten path. 

Sitting by the beach later this afternoon Devinda was telling me more about what he has learned from Buddhism. As large waves crashed into rocks that jutted out of the sea, Devinda spoke to me about the Middle Way. In Buddhist philosophy, the Middle Way is about balance. While the world is full of opposites, our work is to find the center of it all. I pondered this as I watched the rolling waves, mesmerized by their beauty. The pace of our modern approach to life often makes me feel that I am in the center of one of those waves, turning and rolling over, unable to find the surface, to catch my breath.

It was amidst all of the beauty that was my time in Sri Lanka that I found my center. Sri Lanka offers many opportunities to explore and discover, but I consciously chose to stay close to my abode for the week. Life in Shenzhen has been moving at a harried pace this year. What I was seeking on this trip was stillness. With a slower pace, both in yoga classes in the day's relaxing activities, my senses began to calm. 

She lives a dream

wholly awake.

Under the Sri Lankan sun

she opens her heart to the sea.

She is not a lady in waiting

She is not wishing

or wanting

She is already whole

in the world.

On my last night at Villa de Zoysa, Devinda took a group of us to another nearby temple. There we were blessed by a Buddhist monk as he tied a white string around our wrists. When we sat down to dinner after returning from the temple, I asked Devinda what the monk had said in his blessing. "I did not catch it all," he replied, but what I did hear was "May the wisdom, foresight and light guide you." And so it may be with all of us, this is my Easter prayer.