5 Things That Only Sri Lankan Girls Would Understand

2017 Apr 27

Being a girl is hard enough, let alone being a brown girl, and Sri Lanka has unfortunately ensured that all us girls have a multitude of things we can all relate to. Some bearable, some a little crazy, here’s 5 things every Sri Lankan girl can understand!

1. Boyfriend, never boy-friend

   

To our parents and Sri Lankan society, its almost mythical that we can have friends that are boys, purely platonic relationships are unorthodox and definitely inappropriate. Therefore it’s easier for them to cope by shaming you under the assumption that you’re involved romantically with the dude you met at tuition class and spoke to once about homework but your neighbour saw when he went to buy bread. 

2. Cat calls

‘Ah nangi!’ ‘Lassanaiii’ *slows down tuk and winks* 

The list is almost endless with the variety of creative ways the men – rather animals on the street, attempt to woo you. It’s such a common occurring, be it walking in broad daylight on a crowded street covered head to toe, no one is spared anywhere. We’ve almost grown immune to it. The urge to yell, scream and punch them where it hurts is consuming, but that would only feed their egos, so you just walk away, hoping it stops there. 

3. Fear of going anywhere alone

In all honesty, girls don’t go to the bathroom together to take selfies, we go everywhere together out of a lack of choice. Independence is hindered by the very fact that 1/6 women are victim to attempted or completed rape in their lifetime. It’s a liberating thought, to travel alone, to not burden your friends and family to accompany you, but unfortunately, the walk to freedom is long and appears to be meek. 

4. Bra straps, tsk tsk, no no

You know we wear them, it would be weird if we didn’t, so the logic goes along the lines of wear them but I don’t want to know although I technically do know…

The frustration is immense every time someone nudges you and tells you to adjust your t-shirt or to wear a top under another top because seeing the outline of your bra will somehow blind them. 

5. Periods, shhhhhhh

*rips off the 5 layers of newspaper over the pad*

Whisper was definitely a brand in tribute to all the Sri Lankan girls who literally have to, whisper about their periods. It’s a bodily function, biological, it’s not a satanic ritual (although it feels like one.) The pull-your-hair-out-of-your-head-irritation engulfs you because you have to treat your periods as if they’re the code to a nuclear missile and you’re a responsible President (so, not Trump.) And what’s even worse than going to a shop to buy a pad and being treated like you asked for cocaine is watching Hollywood television and dying of envy in the free and open manner girls in the West discuss their periods and how dreamily cute the boys are in response, whereas here, “I’m on my periods :(” is responded to with “new phone, who this?”

It’s a sad song and it’s a long one, but us Lankan girls will endure it (as we always have) with our head raised high, so our crowns won’t fall. So go out there girlfriend, you’re boss as ever!

Think we missed out on anything? Leave a comment below!