A Tale of Three Cities

All lands are mine
All men are my kin

Let me ask you a simple question. Where are you from? In other words, what is your hometown?

Now, you might be thinking, “Come on, you made up such a lame question to begin the speech!” Yes, this is really a primitive question to which you all know the answer by heart. But, in my case, the answer to this simple question is not so simple. Dear sir and my dear friends, let me tell you why. Let me tell you, a tale of three cities.

My first home is right inside the stunningly beautiful garden university. Yes, you all know it! The first candidate to be my hometown is, of course, Peradeniya. I was born there and I’ve lived there for nine years since 2006. I’ve spent hours riding a mountain bike along the curvy roads through its mountains and streams.

Kandy is one of the cities in Sri Lanka where all races live together in harmony. Studying in such a city makes a person more open to linguistic, cultural & religious differences. I have very close friends from all races and religions. Therefore, living in Kandy has shaped me in so many distinctive ways.

Although that was the case, both of my parents have Jaffna district as their hometown and almost all my family lives there. I have spent about nine years in Jaffna also. When I was four, my village was bombed. My family had to pick whatever they can and get out of the village within a few hours. Over the next six years, we moved between three rental houses. I attended the school from grade 1-6 in Jaffna. It was a pleasant experience to rejoin some of my grade five friends at the University of Moratuwa.

After my A/L exams, I spent about a year in Jaffna, exploring every nook and corner of the self-contented peninsula, pedalling on a bicycle. Even to this date, I travel to Jaffna once a month spending 9 hours on the bus or train to spend some quality time with my grandparents. My life has been an ongoing oscillation between two ends of the A9. So, I might also add Jaffna as my second hometown.

Thirdly, now I’ve moved to a new home, the University of Moratuwa. It feels like a city in itself, with its own liberal culture and pulsating energy. I’ve found some remarkable friends here, from every corner of the country and hence Moratuwa is making me into a true son of Sri Lanka. I’m having the best time of my life here, and here I’m undergoing drastic, positive changes in my personality.

I think now you might have understood why I feel it’s difficult to answer such a simple question. Through constant travelling, I’ve realized that every city has a soul and a unique character. My personality has been shaped not only by the three cities I’ve lived in but also by each city I’ve visited. When I spent three days in Akkaraippattu with my Muslim friends, I tasted their culture and I felt my change. I spent my vacation in various cities of Vietnam and I felt greatly transformed.

Therefore, today I don’t even try to answer that simple question. Because, I’ve come to realize, that being a citizen of the world is truly a liberating experience.

As an old saying in Tamil goes, “All lands are mine. All men are my kin”.

Thank you!

This was a speech I wrote in 2016 for the module: Communication Skills.