I first arrived in Sri Lanka in 2019 to start my job as a pharmacist at Newgen Lanka. It was an exciting step in my life, but it also came with many emotions. When I left Bangladesh, my children were only two years old. Leaving them behind was the hardest part. During those early days, I missed them a lot.
The first thing I noticed was how green the country is. From the moment I left the airport, palm trees, tropical plants, and open landscapes were everywhere. The weather felt similar to Bangladesh, but the surroundings had a calm island atmosphere that was new to me.
At the beginning, the company provided me with accommodation. I stayed in a house arranged by the company with a few colleagues. Everything around me felt new. A new country, new people, and a different daily routine. Slowly, I started getting used to my workplace and the environment.
Adjusting to daily life took some time. The language was one of the biggest differences. Sinhala and Tamil are widely spoken, and at the beginning, I could only rely on English to communicate. Thankfully, many people were friendly and patient, which made the transition easier.
Food was another interesting discovery. Sri Lankan cuisine has strong flavours and many coconut-based dishes. Rice and curry are common meals, but the taste and spice combinations are quite different from what we usually eat in Bangladesh. Over time, I started to enjoy local favourites like kottu roti and string hoppers.
One of the first places I visited in Sri Lanka was Nuwara Eliya. I still remember that trip very clearly. None of us really knew how cold Nuwara Eliya could be. We went there expecting the weather to be similar to that in other parts of Sri Lanka, so none of us brought heavy winter clothes.
When we arrived, the temperature was much lower than we expected. The cold evening wind was quite shocking for us. Luckily, I had a monkey cap in my bag. With just a full sleeve shirt and that cap, I somehow managed to survive the cold of Nuwara Eliya. My colleagues were in a much worse situation than me. They had almost nothing warm with them, and their condition was even more miserable that night.
Despite the cold, I liked Nuwara Eliya very much. The cool weather, misty hills, and endless tea gardens made the place feel completely different from anywhere I had been before. It quickly became one of my favorite places in Sri Lanka..
There were also small things that made me realise I was far from home. In Bangladesh, I always enjoyed riding rickshaws. It is such a simple but joyful experience. In Sri Lanka, there are no rickshaws like the ones we have in Bangladesh, and I honestly missed them. Sometimes I even imagine how nice it would be to ride a rickshaw through Sri Lanka’s green landscapes.
Instead, I was introduced to something very Sri Lankan. The tuk tuk. At first, it felt different, but soon it became one of the most convenient ways to travel short distances. Tuk-tuks are everywhere in Sri Lanka, and over time, I got used to hopping into one whenever I needed to go somewhere nearby.
Looking back now, those early days were full of small discoveries. Learning how transport works, trying new food, meeting local people, and gradually feeling more comfortable in a new country.
A few months after I arrived, the world suddenly changed. The COVID pandemic began, and Sri Lanka also went into a strict lockdown. For around 40 days, we mostly stayed inside the house. Streets became quiet, daily life slowed down, and those days felt quite long.
Being far away from my family during that period was not easy. Video calls became the only way to see my children and talk to my family back in Bangladesh.
Life slowly started returning to normal after that difficult time. I continued working and gradually became more comfortable living here. Then, after almost two years, one of the happiest moments of my journey came when I finally brought my family to Sri Lanka.
After spending so long apart, starting our life together here felt very special.
In the next part, I will share the story of our first rented home in Sri Lanka and how our family life on the island really began.
