Sri lankan

[Hina Muqadas]

[Sri Lanka] is a tropical island situated in the Indian Ocean right below India and belongs to the South Asian region. Its inhabitants are known as [Sri Lankans]. Sri Lankans are comprised of several ethnicities; [Sinhalese], [Sri Lankan] Muslims, Sri Lankan Tamils, Burghers, [Moors], Parsis, Bharathas, Malays, Kaffirs, Indigenous Veddhas and several more minorities.
Sri Lankans are generally a [laid-back] people; they like their leisure and doing things at their own times and may seem downright idle to a person [who’re] not used to their nature. Sri Lankans enjoy their holidays with a passion – a fact only exemplified by Sri Lanka being the one of the countries with a most number of National Holidays (A staggering 26 Holidays a year). Sri Lankans as a habit are not [punctual] – being 5-10 minutes late is the general norm, and ‘impolite’ only starts after 20 minutes or half an hour.
Their many holidays are spent [idling] at home with a cup of fine Ceylon tea, visiting closer friends or relatives for a leisure chat or by all means playing their favourite sport. [Sri Lankas] national sport is [Volley] Ball; but it is seldom played except on beaches and school tournaments. It is the Unofficial National sport of Sri Lanka that is closest to its people- CRICKET. A typical Sunday or a national holiday in Sri Lanka is marked with innumerable cricket pitches scattered all over lonely roads, grounds and fields. The biggest pastime of the Sri Lankan population, after [playing cricket], is watching the Sri Lankan National Team playing cricket. It is common for businesses to shut down when very big matches are televised. This was the case in 1996 when the Sri Lankan team beat Australia in the finals to win [the Cricket] World Cup. The whole country shut down as though there were a curfew imposed upon the whole island.
Sri Lankans like their food spicy and served hot. Though the nation nurses an unbeatable fondness for bread (for breakfast and dinner), it is considered just plain ‘wrong’ if you don’t have rice and curry for lunch. Lankans have an insatiable appetite for Kottu (Kottu, or Kottu [Roti] is a Sri Lankan dish, made from a [Lankan] [roti] called Godhamba Roti and Vegetables, Egg, and/or Meat, and various spices); Sri Lankans are so fond of Kottu that the sound of making Kottu (Distinct sound of metal on metal when Kottu blades chopping roti, meat, and vegetable on a heated metal sheet) is music to their ears regardless of how noisy it is. Other Sri Lankan favourites are [Hoppers] (Egg or plain), Cheese Roti, [Parata], Milk-rice etc. The traditional Muslim dessert Vatalappan is an all-time favourite while Wadai, Poori and Thosai are the most popular Tamil delicacies. There are several modern inventions dear to a majority of Lankan hearts such as [Seeni] Sambol with bread (Breakfast/Dinner), Pol-sambol with bread (all-time popular breakfast), Chillie-paste mixed with [Marmite], Pol-sambol with a dash of Marmite (Lankans are exceedingly fond of Marmite). The all –time favourite Lankan drink is Ginger-Beer while they’re also passionate about Tea- Plain/with milk or [Ginger tea] (Tea boiled with a dash of Ginger), Iced Milo, Lemonade, [Lime Juice] and [Iced Coffee]. A very popular alcoholic drink is [Toddy] or Arrack, both made from [palm tree] sap. Sri Lankans also take delight in Chocolate – a Sri Lankan who knows his fellow Lankan relatives and friends would not dare to return from a trip abroad (whether it be business or leisure) without several generous kilos of Chocolate.
Sri Lankan fashions are a mixture of popular culture [tides] from the western world and a closer source-Indian Bollywood culture while a sub-culture of fashions inspired by traditional Sri Lankan ethnic-wear also exists; a style slowly yet effectively catching up among Lankan youth is Sri Lankan ethnic-wear mixed with fashions of the international pop-culture (Ex; 2000-2003: Short/long Cotton Tunics/Kurths tops with denim jeans, 2002-2004: Ethnic [shawls] with plain T-shirts and Jeans/skirts, 2004-2009: Traditional ethnic jewelry worn with T-shirts, jeans, skirts etc., ).
The dominant music tide in the Lankan [youth culture] is usually a mixture of the current world-pop-culture with a clever twist of Lankan falvour (Ex; as of 2001-2009 Hip hop music has been a great influence in the local music culture while sub-cultures like Alt. Rock, Heavy Metal, Sri Lankan Classical also exist). Portuguese [Colonialism] also had a considerable impact on local music and instruments while African slaves called kaffrinha, and their dance music was called [Baila] had a great and lasting impact on the island’s music; Sri Lankans enjoy good Baila music with a passion to this day. Traditional Sri Lankan music includes the hypnotic Kandyan drums - drumming was and is very much a part and [parcel] of music in both Buddhist and Hindu temples in Sri Lanka. The Signature Sri Lankan drum beats are often mixed with modern beats in present music.
Sri Lankans overall are laid-back, friendly and great lovers of spicy food, good drinks and Cricket.