Back to the WOMAD festival.

We had such a good time last night at the WOMAD festival that we came back again tonight with our friend Suranga. The crowd seemed different from last night, which was much more family orientated. Tonight the audience was almost exclusively male – many of them drinking and dancing. As Rob said, the atmosphere was more edgy. He told me, “if something happens, run towards the ocean cause everyone else will be running for the street”



Just like last night the music was amazing –– we heard a local Kandyan drum band (which brought down the house) and another African band. However throughout the night, guys kept brushing into me and touching my ass. At first I thought it was accidental but then when it happened several times and there was a good 10 feet of space around me I realized that these touches were not unintentional. (Apparently this sort of thing is quite common in crowded places). I told Rob and Suranga, and Suranga in particular seemed really pissed off and ready for a confrontation. Not wanting to be the foreign woman who caused a brawl, I ignored the touches, which incidentally were not nearly as offensive as the ways that Donna and I were groped in Italy. (Also here I did not feel that I was singled out as an “easy” Western woman). Personally I was more worried about someone stealing my wallet.