The Jaffna resonance 2020 trip was a mish-mash of cultural experiences, ranging from traditional dances and music, to cuisine, to historically significant sights.

We begun our trip to Jaffna with a 7 hour train ride, something I have never done outside of Europe. This was quite the experience as I became quickly familiar with Sri Lankan public transport and what the country looks like outside of Colombo. My classmates and I commented on the change in scenery and how the architecture in particular changed as we got further from Colombo.

Once we arrived in Jaffna we begun by visiting the Nallur temple, the central Jaffna temple. Having to remove our shirts to enter was a new experience to myself and my male counterparts. This was a completely new area of cultural respect. I found the ceremony we witnessed very interesting and i loved the music and singing that accompanied it.

We also visited the Dutch fort on the first day, looking at how and where the fort had been modified by different nations who gained control of it. Much emphasis was provided on the different types of rocks used in different time frames and by different people. I never knew that coral could be used as a brick!

On the second day we visited the Nagadeepa temple. I found it interesting how different this Buddhist temple was from the Hindu one we visited the day before. A local Monk talked to us about the history of the temple and how the British had destroyed part of it looking for a jewel encrusted throne.

After we visited a prison, used by the Dutch and set on an island. We were all amazed by the inhumane and poor conditions that law offenders would have had to endure while imprisoned. From inside the cells it almost felt like a cave, as the wall was made of solid rock. I found it ironic how it had now been turned into a luxury tourist attraction, to stay where convicts would have hundreds of years ago.

Performance day came and, although I wasn’t performing I still found it interesting to see the reception that our performers received. We were greeted with several performances by the local college. I thought that the way the language, in the song performed alongside the dance, was quite fluid made the performance much more smooth.

Our second performance was at a University and before we were sung to by the students. It was a different style of music from before, but I thought the way performers kept time with their hands greatly increased the beat of the song.

In both cases the schools were overjoyed to experience our performances and experience our introduction to western culture through music.

I thought that this was one of the most fitting ways to introduce ourselves and who we were, through music, as it introduced our background as well as our individual tastes in songs.

Overall the experience was a lasting one. I discovered Sri Lankan culture outside of  Colombo for the first time, saw the country change as we traveled through it and met people throughout the trip. I talked to new people, both from my school and from far far outside it.