Brokedown Palace Meets Little Miss Sunshine, But in Sri Lanka

There is a jangling, stomping, raucous, all-male, sing-along, dance party taking place outside my room right now. The entire local police force is out there celebrating. Most of my travel mates are all passed out in the adjoining room in a drug-induced stupor. I am taking it easy as well, writing in my journal, as my face just almost got eaten by a me-sized German Shepperd.

Let's start from the beginning though.

1. Picked up at the airport in Colombo, Sri Lanka: 7:15 a.m.
2. Two little Taiwanese/Chinese American girls, one Indian American girl, two Sri Lankan men. One van. Most of us strangers prior to this meeting.
   
3. Head to YMCA, where one of the guy's friends works in a restaurant. Eat some delicious dal curry with other delicious, goopy piles of yummy spiced things. Plus a giant block of congealed coconut rice.
4. Drive around forever in search of a hotel.
5. Super sketchy drug deal takes place (why does this always seem to happen to me when traveling with a bunch of people I don't know so well?). I guess I don't have any experience in this department, but this did seem extra shady even for a drug deal. There was a lot of driving in circles and strange men jumping in and out of the van. We did get to see some interesting part of Colombo, and it was a new cultural experience!
6. Finally arrive in Jayawardenapura (about an hour from Colombo) and settle into a random guest house.
7. While others get high back at the hotel, I instead, of course, go eat! Veggie rotis, veggie samosas, more dal curry, hopper (thin, spongy bowl-shaped crepe), crazy sweet milk tea, smoothies from "The Juice King" made from fresh papaya and one with wood apple (tastes like a pear-flavored fruit leather). This small village is about two blocks, so we've already visited almost every eating establishment on the main street.
8. On the back deck of the guest house, we befriend a Nigerian man who lives in Cambodia, and I listen in as my friend and he discuss the international jewel business. I admire the sporadic way fireflies reveal themselves and then instantly disappear into the night. Sometimes I wish I could do the same.
9. We are offered a few plates (boiled cassava, cucumber/tomato/onion salad, apples with salt and pepper) from the banquet occurring at the table beside ours. These are the local police. They are celebrating someone's recent promotion on the force. What an interesting coincidence that we all seem to be collected in this same place this evening. The recreational drug-users of the group found this less amusing.
10. We were invited into the guest house manager's home, where we awkwardly made conversation with his mother-in-law and were introduced to his adorable giant two dogs. The German Shepperd and I decided it would be a good idea to get into a head-butt contest. He won, his head being literally twice the size of mine. Tiny gash on my forehead and cut on my lip resulted in a hilariously, over-dramatic looking, blood bath on my face and hands.
11. All in all, a fun first day in Sri Lanka!