Rising at the unseemly hour of half past four in the morning, Kirsti, Bobbie, Lorna and I headed for Matara railway station, off on a mini adventure to Colombo. Hugging the coast, the train took in spectacular views of the sunrise to the east, and the ocean to the west. Scenic delights aside, however, the purpose of our journey was to participate in a pre-departure event, for Sri Lankan students preparing to begin at British universities, run by the British Council.It was a curious feeling returning to Colombo, our starting point all those weeks ago, but we were warmly received, and, as ever in this country, well fed. By the time we had finished running through our presentations, the students had begun to arrive, so we set about mingling, and offering a preliminary introduction to British humour. The session itself ranged from the mundane but essential – opening a bank account, finding accommodation, navigating the tube – to informal sketches put on by returning Sri Lankan students parodying aspects of British culture. Kirsti and I spoke on ‘What to expect: A guide to British universities by British university students’, presenting details of the opening weeks of university life, as well as covering social and academic differences to be aware of. Lorna and Bobbie, meanwhile, talked through ‘A day in the life of…’, again with the express aim of leaving the prospective students better informed, and, thereby, prepared.During the day we were interviewed by a journalist from the Sunday Observer, a leading national newspaper, on aspects of English education, both in the UK and abroad, and so we wait in eager expectation for our names – and remarkably perceptive insights – to appear in print. Finally, as if the day needed any further excitement, Bobbie and I almost wept with joy upon seeing the mountains of barbecued meat for dinner, and set about eating our body weight in chicken, lamb and fish.It was a thoroughly enjoyable day, and we hope that our contribution was appreciated and helpful. Project Sri Lanka is all about developing social, cultural and academic ties between our two countries, so this further opportunity to exchange ideas and experiences, on top of our work in the village and schools, was warmly welcomed.