IIn ancient times, Sri-Lanka was known by a variety of names; from the ancient Greek Taprobane to the Portuguese Ceilão (translated into English as Ceylon) to the Arabic Serendib, the origin of the word serendipity.
According to a British translation company, serendipity is one of the top ten English words that are hardest to translate, but roughly serendipity refers to the effect by which one accidentally discovers something fortunate, especially while looking for something else entirely.
Throughout my time with Projects Abroad (both as a volunteer and member of staff) I have met many people who decide to volunteer for a specific reason. The reasons why people want to volunteer abroad are vast; wanting to learn a new language, see the world, lend a helping hand or gain some work/life experience. As well as finding what they set out to find, volunteers tend to leave their placements with the unexpected bonus of having formed very strong bonds with other volunteers, their host family, locals and staff members both at their placement and the Projects Abroad office. It could be said these friendships are stumbled upon serendipitously! Who knows what else you’ll discover whilst volunteering in Sri Lanka on one of our Teaching, Care, Medicine, Journalism or IT projects...
Sri Lanka is a stunning country, famous for her pristine beaches, stunning scenery, fascinating wildlife, intriguing history, tasty cuisine and friendly locals. If you want to impress a Sri Lankan just remember to start practising your pronunciation (or research) of Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene; everyone and anyone you meet in Sri Lanka will want to talk to you about cricket!
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