Ayubowan, hello/hi in Sinhalese and a timeless way of greeting people in Sri Lanka. Ayubowan is my personal tribute to 'the teardrop of India', as Sri Lanka is often called. But even more so to its wonderful people. Sri Lanka is a magical place, a country of old temples and ancient cities, of spices and elephants, religion and colorful culture, lush jungle and pristine beaches. But most of the magic in Sri Lanka stems from its people. Kind, helpful, welcoming people. With a permanent smile on their faces, although I've chosen not to highlight that aspect in my photos.

The people in my shots are at work: either as a rickshaw driver, a captain, a train conductor, as fishermen, even a school boy. Everyday situations, but these are not everyday snapshots. I've taken my time with all of these people to talk to them, get to know them a little bit, say hi (or ayubowan), before taking these photos.