Assessment so far

• Everyone speaks English, a remnant of British rule during the 1800s. I wasn’t expecting the English language to be so pervasive here; communication is effortless.
• The locals seem genuinely nice and helpful.
• The people on the South Coast seem so happy to have some sort of business, they don’t seem as worried about their profits. When Clara bought jewelry in Galle, they met her negotiated price, gave her two pendants as a bonus, and gave me a pendant for just being there. If I buy a sandwich on the beach, I’m likely to get a drink for free later.
• A nice tip here is 10% of the bill. Lunch costs about $3, therefore you should tip about 30 cents. It’s hard for me to reconcile what is culturally appropriate here (tipping change) vs. doing what I usually do in NYC (tipping 20%+ all the time). The tourism industry is obviously suffering, and it costs me very little to tip. However, I’m aware my generosity could come across as ostentatious and insulting, therefore I’m trying to use discretion in my financial dealings.