Kulture Korner

There is this very hinky affectation that all native Sri Lankans have, I call it the “Bobble Head”. You know those weird little bobble head dolls they give away at baseball games? I guess they’re collectables, but don’t go by me. Anyway, from a very early age, Sri Lankans are instructed in the fine art of bobbling. It’s neither a nod nor a shake, rather both done at the same time. Try it…it’s really hard! Think about doing both things at once with your head while keeping your nose in sort of the same place. It essentially means, “Yes” “Okay” “I’m Listening” “Please Continue…” It’s often misconstrued by westerners, new to Sri Lanka as, “No way Jose!” If it’s done with enough vigor, “Yo Mama!”

I’m trying to get my friend Kenney to teach me, but he can’t do it at all if he’s trying, so it has to be totally subconscious. (I ask him anyway, because he blushes and starts laughing) Janaka, my favorite tuk-tuk driver, is a master of the bobble. He is trying to teach me in exchange for me coaching him with his English. So far, he can say: “Damn Skippy”; (it sounds like Dan Skibby when Janaka says it) “Outstanding” (owstanind) and we’re currently working on “Yah, Sure, Youbetcha, Snookums,” done with a Minnesota-nice accent. For two people that can’t really communicate with each other, we sure do have a great time. I wish I could paste a video onto the blog, so you could see the bobble heads in all their glory as well as their natural habitat.

Janaka, tuk-tuk driver extraordinaire, Ph.d. in Head Bobbling...Damn Skippy!