Browse content similar to Uncle Ragu. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!
Line | From | To | |
---|---|---|---|
Romi, I want you to visit Sri Lanka. | 0:00:02 | 0:00:04 | |
Would you like to do that, darling? | 0:00:04 | 0:00:06 | |
No. | 0:00:06 | 0:00:07 | |
Why not? | 0:00:07 | 0:00:09 | |
Sorry. | 0:00:10 | 0:00:11 | |
Jesus Christ. | 0:00:12 | 0:00:14 | |
My name's Romesh Ranganathan and I know absolutely | 0:00:14 | 0:00:17 | |
nothing about the culture of where my family are from. | 0:00:17 | 0:00:19 | |
My feet are actually burning. | 0:00:19 | 0:00:21 | |
I know more about Horsham. | 0:00:21 | 0:00:24 | |
That's sad, isn't it? | 0:00:24 | 0:00:25 | |
You are a Sri Lankan, but you're a coconut, isn't it? | 0:00:27 | 0:00:29 | |
Ow! Jesus! | 0:00:29 | 0:00:30 | |
'What do you mean, I'm a coconut?' | 0:00:30 | 0:00:31 | |
You were born and brought up in England, | 0:00:31 | 0:00:33 | |
so you speak English, you don't know the language. | 0:00:33 | 0:00:35 | |
You made me a coconut. | 0:00:35 | 0:00:37 | |
Oh! | 0:00:37 | 0:00:38 | |
Yeah, I'm sending you to Sri Lanka to learn about the religion, | 0:00:38 | 0:00:42 | |
the language... | 0:00:42 | 0:00:44 | |
Argh! | 0:00:44 | 0:00:45 | |
..about my relations and learn about their culture. | 0:00:45 | 0:00:49 | |
Shit! | 0:00:49 | 0:00:51 | |
My mum's put me up for doing a tour of Sri Lanka and I do want to go | 0:00:52 | 0:00:56 | |
and do it, but I'm not doing it cos my mum told me to, | 0:00:56 | 0:00:58 | |
except for the fact that my mum told me to and I am doing it. | 0:00:58 | 0:01:02 | |
Oh! | 0:01:03 | 0:01:04 | |
Oh! | 0:01:04 | 0:01:06 | |
Ooh! | 0:01:06 | 0:01:07 | |
Ow! Ah! Mate, OK, yeah, I'm done, I'm done. | 0:01:07 | 0:01:10 | |
You are meeting Ragu in Batticaloa... | 0:01:17 | 0:01:19 | |
Yeah. | 0:01:19 | 0:01:20 | |
..and he will take you to meet all the relations. | 0:01:20 | 0:01:24 | |
How do I get to Batticaloa? | 0:01:24 | 0:01:26 | |
Get a local bus or something. | 0:01:26 | 0:01:28 | |
Well, I found... This is the bus station but I don't know where... | 0:01:39 | 0:01:42 | |
Doesn't say where the actual ticket...you buy the tickets. | 0:01:42 | 0:01:44 | |
I'm excited to be here. | 0:01:44 | 0:01:46 | |
You know, some people might say maybe it's difficult to be | 0:01:46 | 0:01:49 | |
excited because you've now got to get an 11-hour bus | 0:01:49 | 0:01:52 | |
journey across the whole country to go to Batticaloa, | 0:01:52 | 0:01:54 | |
my mum's home town, and the bus hasn't been arranged | 0:01:54 | 0:01:57 | |
and actually it's the least convenient method of transport. | 0:01:57 | 0:02:00 | |
Bus to Batticaloa. | 0:02:00 | 0:02:02 | |
Some people might say that. Not me. | 0:02:02 | 0:02:04 | |
I'm bang up for it, I'm in Sri Lanka, | 0:02:04 | 0:02:06 | |
can't wait to get on the bus, mate. | 0:02:06 | 0:02:08 | |
Got a semi. | 0:02:08 | 0:02:09 | |
What if I get the wrong bus or something? | 0:02:09 | 0:02:11 | |
-You won't. -How do you know that? | 0:02:11 | 0:02:13 | |
Because it's written. I mean, if you learn Tamil, then you will know. | 0:02:13 | 0:02:16 | |
Oh, great(!) Well, that's fine. | 0:02:16 | 0:02:17 | |
It's written in English, Sinhala and Tamil. | 0:02:17 | 0:02:19 | |
-It's in English as well? -Yes. | 0:02:19 | 0:02:21 | |
I mean, what the hell does that mean? | 0:02:21 | 0:02:23 | |
Batticaloa. | 0:02:25 | 0:02:26 | |
Batticaloa. Batticaloa over here. | 0:02:26 | 0:02:28 | |
Thank you. | 0:02:28 | 0:02:29 | |
Well, we're on a bus to Batticaloa because my mum | 0:02:31 | 0:02:34 | |
decided it would be, like, part of the authentic experience. | 0:02:34 | 0:02:38 | |
Unfortunately, I brought the big suitcase, old Bertha. | 0:02:38 | 0:02:41 | |
It does often feel like the worst thing I could have brought, | 0:02:41 | 0:02:44 | |
but I've got 30 pairs of boxer shorts. | 0:02:44 | 0:02:46 | |
That takes up a lot of room. | 0:02:46 | 0:02:48 | |
Why? Are you worried about having an accident? | 0:02:48 | 0:02:50 | |
No. I like to do, like, a midday change. | 0:02:50 | 0:02:53 | |
I tell you what is nice - stick a pair of boxers in the freezer | 0:02:53 | 0:02:56 | |
on a hot day, slip them on - | 0:02:56 | 0:02:59 | |
oh! | 0:02:59 | 0:03:01 | |
Like bog roll in the freezer after you've had a really hot curry. | 0:03:01 | 0:03:04 | |
Have you done that? | 0:03:04 | 0:03:05 | |
-You're joking! -No. | 0:03:05 | 0:03:08 | |
You must have done, everyone's done that, haven't they? | 0:03:08 | 0:03:10 | |
So you put toilet roll in the freezer? | 0:03:10 | 0:03:12 | |
Like, if I've had a real ring stinger, it's amazing. | 0:03:12 | 0:03:15 | |
I mean, like, you're making me | 0:03:15 | 0:03:16 | |
feel bad about doing something incredible. | 0:03:16 | 0:03:19 | |
This authentic experience, you go on the bus for 12 hours. | 0:03:27 | 0:03:31 | |
What's authentic? It's bullshit. | 0:03:31 | 0:03:34 | |
Tell you what I'm going to do, I'll put bog roll in the freezer | 0:03:34 | 0:03:36 | |
and then I'm going to bloody bed, mate. That's what's happening. | 0:03:36 | 0:03:40 | |
I'm meeting my Uncle Ragu. | 0:03:42 | 0:03:43 | |
My mum told me to meet him here. | 0:03:43 | 0:03:44 | |
My Uncle Ragu's, like, one of my dad's younger brothers | 0:03:44 | 0:03:47 | |
and he's just basically a legend. | 0:03:47 | 0:03:49 | |
He's going to sort of introduce me to some of our relatives or something. | 0:03:49 | 0:03:54 | |
I'm very excited about seeing Uncle Ragu, let's just say that. | 0:03:54 | 0:03:56 | |
Good. That's good, and talk about Buddhism, | 0:03:56 | 0:03:59 | |
and if you can absorb a lot of good things from him, that'll be nice. | 0:03:59 | 0:04:02 | |
-Well, he might... -I'm glad that... | 0:04:02 | 0:04:04 | |
..he might absorb some good things from me. | 0:04:04 | 0:04:06 | |
Definitely, definitely, yeah, yeah, yeah. | 0:04:06 | 0:04:08 | |
Yeah, I've got some qualities. | 0:04:08 | 0:04:09 | |
I'm not saying you don't have any good qualities. | 0:04:09 | 0:04:12 | |
-You have got lots of it. -What in particular? | 0:04:12 | 0:04:14 | |
But if you lose a bit more weight, now that'll be great, OK? | 0:04:14 | 0:04:18 | |
Hey, Rom. | 0:04:19 | 0:04:21 | |
Oh, my God. | 0:04:21 | 0:04:22 | |
How are you, mate? | 0:04:22 | 0:04:23 | |
Oh, my God. | 0:04:23 | 0:04:25 | |
Oh, shit. Freaking hell. | 0:04:25 | 0:04:27 | |
You've grown, bro. | 0:04:27 | 0:04:29 | |
No, I haven't. How are you? You look brilliant. | 0:04:29 | 0:04:32 | |
-Not too bad, not too bad. -You look like me, basically. | 0:04:32 | 0:04:34 | |
This is the place where it all started, you know? | 0:04:42 | 0:04:44 | |
Yeah. | 0:04:44 | 0:04:46 | |
You know, your grandma, your dad's mother, | 0:04:46 | 0:04:49 | |
-actually she was born in this village. -Uh-huh. | 0:04:49 | 0:04:52 | |
And we are walking that village now, right? | 0:04:52 | 0:04:55 | |
HE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE | 0:05:05 | 0:05:07 | |
All right. | 0:05:07 | 0:05:09 | |
Hello. | 0:05:09 | 0:05:10 | |
-She's also Shanthi's auntie as well... -Oh, OK. | 0:05:11 | 0:05:14 | |
..at the same time, you know? | 0:05:14 | 0:05:16 | |
In both ways she is related to you. | 0:05:16 | 0:05:19 | |
Oh, my God, yeah, you're going to have everyone hugging you | 0:05:19 | 0:05:22 | |
and they can see your dad... | 0:05:22 | 0:05:25 | |
Yeah. | 0:05:25 | 0:05:27 | |
-And you to come here... -Yeah. | 0:05:27 | 0:05:29 | |
-..is bringing up so much memories for them, right? -Oh, right. | 0:05:29 | 0:05:32 | |
Of my mother and... | 0:05:32 | 0:05:34 | |
Oh! Thank you very much. Thank you, thank you, thank you. | 0:05:34 | 0:05:37 | |
Yeah. Thank you, thank you. | 0:05:39 | 0:05:41 | |
It is pretty hard to sort of handle, isn't it? | 0:05:45 | 0:05:48 | |
Yeah, it's a bit... | 0:05:48 | 0:05:49 | |
This is, like, one of the things where you can say... | 0:05:50 | 0:05:53 | |
I would say to my mum, "I totally get why you wanted me to come | 0:05:53 | 0:05:56 | |
"and do this," do you know what I mean? | 0:05:56 | 0:05:58 | |
The fact that I haven't connected with any of this at all, | 0:05:58 | 0:06:02 | |
I found it upsetting, you know? | 0:06:02 | 0:06:03 | |
Like, I was sort of thinking there's this whole, like, back story | 0:06:03 | 0:06:06 | |
here that, were it not for me coming here, I wouldn't have been aware of. | 0:06:06 | 0:06:11 | |
How many people here am I actually related to, do you know? | 0:06:13 | 0:06:16 | |
Yeah. | 0:06:16 | 0:06:17 | |
HE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE | 0:06:17 | 0:06:22 | |
Rom, you are surrounded by your close relatives, mate. | 0:06:31 | 0:06:35 | |
That's crazy. | 0:06:35 | 0:06:36 | |
So here, everybody gets married to their relatives, right, normally | 0:06:36 | 0:06:40 | |
because, like, in our culture, you could have actually married | 0:06:40 | 0:06:44 | |
-Shobela, for example, because... -Right. | 0:06:44 | 0:06:46 | |
..you know, that's only Ranga's sister's kid. | 0:06:46 | 0:06:49 | |
Yeah. | 0:06:49 | 0:06:50 | |
I'd say one of the surprises is how close-knit the family are, | 0:06:50 | 0:06:55 | |
and what I mean by close-knit is, a lot of cousin-on-cousin | 0:06:55 | 0:06:59 | |
action going on that I wasn't aware of and, you know, | 0:06:59 | 0:07:03 | |
I don't know... I don't know what sort of effect that does | 0:07:03 | 0:07:07 | |
have on genetics, but I do have a lazy eye. | 0:07:07 | 0:07:09 | |
I found it pretty amazing, the whole thing, to be honest. | 0:07:14 | 0:07:17 | |
Yeah, yeah. It's just unbelievable. | 0:07:17 | 0:07:19 | |
-I'm taking you now to your cousin's house, right? -Right. | 0:07:19 | 0:07:22 | |
We got to meet up with them and enjoy a nice meal with them | 0:07:22 | 0:07:25 | |
and spend a night, just because we're here. | 0:07:25 | 0:07:26 | |
We're going... No, listen. We're going, we'll have dinner, | 0:07:26 | 0:07:29 | |
we hang out, then we go. | 0:07:29 | 0:07:31 | |
-Because I'm not, I can't, I'm not staying. -OK, come on. | 0:07:31 | 0:07:33 | |
(I'm not staying. I am not staying here.) | 0:07:35 | 0:07:37 | |
(I promise you.) | 0:07:37 | 0:07:39 | |
We are here. | 0:07:39 | 0:07:41 | |
THEY SPEAK OWN LANGUAGE | 0:07:41 | 0:07:44 | |
What did they say? | 0:07:44 | 0:07:46 | |
Yeah, she's saying that they want you to stay | 0:07:46 | 0:07:48 | |
and they normally sleep out here. | 0:07:48 | 0:07:50 | |
-What do you mean, out here? -A nice mat. | 0:07:50 | 0:07:51 | |
Yeah, here, because veranda you've got the cool breeze coming through, | 0:07:51 | 0:07:55 | |
right here. | 0:07:55 | 0:07:56 | |
Now, this is the toilet. | 0:07:58 | 0:08:02 | |
This'll be an experience but there's nothing dirty about it. | 0:08:02 | 0:08:06 | |
Except I think you may... | 0:08:06 | 0:08:07 | |
You have to get a bit of practice sitting on it. | 0:08:07 | 0:08:11 | |
HE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE | 0:08:11 | 0:08:15 | |
So I was saying that you are English born and bred so nobody's fault. | 0:08:15 | 0:08:20 | |
So what do you think, bro? | 0:08:20 | 0:08:22 | |
Yeah, great. I think we need to have a... Can we have a chat? | 0:08:22 | 0:08:24 | |
Yeah, sure, yeah. | 0:08:24 | 0:08:26 | |
-I love this, this is all nice. -Yeah, yeah. | 0:08:26 | 0:08:28 | |
All I'm saying is, | 0:08:28 | 0:08:29 | |
the prospect of staying here makes me feel uncomfortable. | 0:08:29 | 0:08:33 | |
I'm fighting with the fact that I don't want to be rude | 0:08:33 | 0:08:35 | |
to my family because I love my family versus the fact | 0:08:35 | 0:08:38 | |
I'm a lazy, horrible, home-comforts-wanting pig. | 0:08:38 | 0:08:42 | |
Let's say that your dad was with you today, all right? | 0:08:43 | 0:08:46 | |
Yeah. | 0:08:46 | 0:08:47 | |
I feel bad that your dad should have been here really with you, | 0:08:47 | 0:08:51 | |
but in the same token I'm here and I feel like somehow this job's | 0:08:51 | 0:08:56 | |
been given to me to play your dad's part in this particular instant. | 0:08:56 | 0:09:01 | |
But tonight, please, for my sake, Rom, just one night, brother. | 0:09:01 | 0:09:06 | |
I love you, all right? Just one night, please. | 0:09:06 | 0:09:08 | |
We don't have to sleep, we'll just sit out there and chat | 0:09:08 | 0:09:11 | |
-because I want to tell you some stories, right? -OK, fine. | 0:09:11 | 0:09:14 | |
-About your dad. Cool, thank you very much. -Fine, I'm in. | 0:09:14 | 0:09:17 | |
I do appreciate it, honestly. Thank you very much, Rom. | 0:09:17 | 0:09:19 | |
I'm worried about it but I'm going to do it. | 0:09:19 | 0:09:22 | |
I'm getting stuck in, partly because, you know, | 0:09:22 | 0:09:25 | |
I want to be the good person and partly because my uncle | 0:09:25 | 0:09:28 | |
emotionally blackmailed me into it and trapped me. | 0:09:28 | 0:09:31 | |
Those things working together are the reason that I'm now staying there. | 0:09:31 | 0:09:34 | |
Obviously, you know, if we were just staying here, that might | 0:09:40 | 0:09:44 | |
be something approaching OK. | 0:09:44 | 0:09:46 | |
But, no, he's taking me to something that he's described as a nice | 0:09:46 | 0:09:50 | |
surprise that involves snakes. | 0:09:50 | 0:09:52 | |
CROWD: Whoa! Whoa! | 0:09:56 | 0:10:00 | |
What's happening now? | 0:10:04 | 0:10:06 | |
So I brought you in here because if you've got any ailments... | 0:10:06 | 0:10:09 | |
Just a lazy eye. | 0:10:09 | 0:10:10 | |
-Just lazy eye, that's it? -Yeah. | 0:10:10 | 0:10:12 | |
This will help you get well. | 0:10:12 | 0:10:14 | |
CROWD: Whoa! | 0:10:17 | 0:10:20 | |
He's taken me to see a... | 0:10:20 | 0:10:23 | |
I don't know how to describe it, really. | 0:10:23 | 0:10:26 | |
It's snake man. | 0:10:26 | 0:10:28 | |
Apparently he's possessed by a snake god and then blesses people... | 0:10:28 | 0:10:32 | |
HE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE | 0:10:32 | 0:10:34 | |
..and they, like, give him their problems and stuff | 0:10:34 | 0:10:37 | |
and he sort of solves them. | 0:10:37 | 0:10:38 | |
Yeah, he's saying, "Is it true that you have some body pain | 0:10:46 | 0:10:51 | |
"and you can feel some pain and that, | 0:10:51 | 0:10:54 | |
"you know, is that true?" | 0:10:54 | 0:10:56 | |
Yeah, sometimes, yeah. | 0:10:56 | 0:10:58 | |
Yeah. | 0:10:58 | 0:11:00 | |
And you went in there trying to cure your eye defect. | 0:11:00 | 0:11:04 | |
I never said eye defect. | 0:11:08 | 0:11:11 | |
You feel pressure, actually, because, like... But there's | 0:11:11 | 0:11:14 | |
part of me thinking, "What if this guy can solve anything?" | 0:11:14 | 0:11:17 | |
And then you start thinking, "What if I asked for the wrong thing?" | 0:11:17 | 0:11:21 | |
Then I started thinking, | 0:11:21 | 0:11:22 | |
"I don't really want my lazy eye gone, it doesn't really bother me." | 0:11:22 | 0:11:25 | |
If anything, it'll make merchandising easier in the future. | 0:11:25 | 0:11:29 | |
I imagine that it would be easy for people to watch that guy | 0:11:32 | 0:11:36 | |
and think it's so ridiculous that | 0:11:36 | 0:11:37 | |
he's pretending to be something that he's not. | 0:11:37 | 0:11:40 | |
Even if he was... Let's hypothesise that he is a fake | 0:11:40 | 0:11:42 | |
and he's just putting it on, he's making people feel better. | 0:11:42 | 0:11:45 | |
It's no different to what people in the West do. | 0:11:45 | 0:11:47 | |
You know, Iggy Azalea, for example, | 0:11:47 | 0:11:50 | |
is she doing anything different to the snake dude? | 0:11:50 | 0:11:52 | |
I would argue not. | 0:11:52 | 0:11:54 | |
She's an Australian white woman, who every so often, | 0:11:54 | 0:11:57 | |
when she's in a recording studio, gets possessed by a black woman | 0:11:57 | 0:12:01 | |
from the south and starts talking like that. | 0:12:01 | 0:12:04 | |
You know, is that any different? I don't think it is. | 0:12:04 | 0:12:07 | |
How you feeling this morning, mate? | 0:12:21 | 0:12:23 | |
-How do I feel? -Yeah. | 0:12:23 | 0:12:24 | |
Like shit, mate. Stir-fried shit. | 0:12:24 | 0:12:26 | |
I feel dreadful. | 0:12:26 | 0:12:28 | |
Like, really dreadful. | 0:12:28 | 0:12:30 | |
To the point where... | 0:12:30 | 0:12:32 | |
You know, I know I moan a lot, I'm fully aware of that, | 0:12:32 | 0:12:34 | |
but this, actually, I don't know if I can actually do it. | 0:12:34 | 0:12:37 | |
-You need to make this pilgrimage? -Yeah. Pada Yatra. | 0:12:41 | 0:12:44 | |
-What is it? -It's a spiritual thing. | 0:12:44 | 0:12:46 | |
People start walking for a long distance, | 0:12:46 | 0:12:49 | |
but I want you to do that as well. | 0:12:49 | 0:12:51 | |
How long's it last? | 0:12:51 | 0:12:53 | |
Depends on how fast these people walk, | 0:12:53 | 0:12:55 | |
but it might last so many days. | 0:12:55 | 0:12:58 | |
Like, how many days? | 0:12:58 | 0:12:59 | |
Sometimes a month, two months, darling. | 0:12:59 | 0:13:01 | |
Two months?! | 0:13:01 | 0:13:03 | |
Depends on how far the temple is. | 0:13:03 | 0:13:05 | |
What is this? What is going on here? | 0:13:13 | 0:13:14 | |
-Yeah, you have to carry that. -Why? | 0:13:14 | 0:13:16 | |
Because it's part of the, you know, the ceremony. | 0:13:16 | 0:13:18 | |
What is in there? Is this tradition, 7 Up? | 0:13:18 | 0:13:20 | |
Yeah. Use that bottle. I think it's water. | 0:13:20 | 0:13:23 | |
So we're going to walk to Kataragama from here... | 0:13:23 | 0:13:26 | |
-How far is it? -200km, that's all. | 0:13:26 | 0:13:29 | |
I just don't understand how you swung it | 0:13:30 | 0:13:31 | |
so that you get the spear and I'm carrying a bag of coconuts and... | 0:13:31 | 0:13:34 | |
I was just... Because maybe because I'm old, then. | 0:13:34 | 0:13:36 | |
Don't come to me for water, by the way. | 0:13:36 | 0:13:39 | |
You just nourish yourself with that spear. | 0:13:39 | 0:13:41 | |
If you get thirsty, let's see how that works out for you. | 0:13:41 | 0:13:44 | |
Well, by the way, that's not for you to drink either. | 0:13:44 | 0:13:47 | |
-What?! -Yeah. | 0:13:47 | 0:13:49 | |
Let's go. | 0:13:49 | 0:13:51 | |
This isn't for me to drink? | 0:13:53 | 0:13:54 | |
You can't drink that, because we are taking you to the temple, | 0:13:54 | 0:13:57 | |
to Kataragama all the way, | 0:13:57 | 0:13:59 | |
and then that will be part of the offering. | 0:13:59 | 0:14:01 | |
So why do people do this pilgrimage? | 0:14:03 | 0:14:05 | |
It's a... I mean, like, why you become vegan? | 0:14:05 | 0:14:08 | |
Why you are a vegetarian? | 0:14:08 | 0:14:10 | |
Tell me the reason, then I will... | 0:14:10 | 0:14:12 | |
I'll be able to answer your question. | 0:14:12 | 0:14:13 | |
The answer is not going to be because I like walking long distances... | 0:14:13 | 0:14:16 | |
It's nothing to do with walking. Why you become a vegan? | 0:14:16 | 0:14:20 | |
Cos I don't want to eat animals. | 0:14:20 | 0:14:22 | |
So maybe those people who does it, they have got reason. | 0:14:22 | 0:14:25 | |
Everyone have a different reason. | 0:14:25 | 0:14:27 | |
-That's not an explanation. -It is an explanation, dear! | 0:14:27 | 0:14:29 | |
Ah. | 0:14:33 | 0:14:34 | |
How you feeling, Rom? | 0:14:36 | 0:14:38 | |
I don't feel good, mate. | 0:14:38 | 0:14:39 | |
This road is burning my feet and this thing's so heavy on my head. | 0:14:39 | 0:14:44 | |
It's just insanity. | 0:14:44 | 0:14:46 | |
Jesus. Argh. | 0:14:46 | 0:14:48 | |
I don't know how bloody Leatherfoot is doing it. | 0:14:50 | 0:14:53 | |
Mate, I can't do this, seriously. I mean, this is so hot. | 0:14:53 | 0:14:57 | |
The road is melting. | 0:14:57 | 0:14:59 | |
We'll try and walk on the side. | 0:14:59 | 0:15:01 | |
My feet look like a Freddy Krueger. | 0:15:01 | 0:15:04 | |
Er, I don't see it. | 0:15:04 | 0:15:06 | |
One other thing is, I think my knee's, like, gone a bit. | 0:15:06 | 0:15:09 | |
Already? | 0:15:09 | 0:15:11 | |
Don't you remember yesterday, when we were at the snake guy? | 0:15:11 | 0:15:13 | |
-And he said, "Do you have some body pains?" -Yeah. | 0:15:13 | 0:15:16 | |
-And I said, "Sometimes"? -Yeah. | 0:15:16 | 0:15:18 | |
Now is one of those times. | 0:15:18 | 0:15:19 | |
My knee's starting to hurt a little bit. Just a little bit. | 0:15:19 | 0:15:22 | |
Yeah? Let's see how we go. | 0:15:22 | 0:15:23 | |
OK, thanks. Hello. | 0:15:23 | 0:15:25 | |
All right. | 0:15:25 | 0:15:27 | |
All right, coming, coming. | 0:15:27 | 0:15:29 | |
Oh, man. | 0:15:32 | 0:15:34 | |
Ow! | 0:15:41 | 0:15:42 | |
Can I stop? I need to stop. | 0:15:46 | 0:15:48 | |
Sorry. | 0:15:48 | 0:15:49 | |
Listen, Rags, we've done quite a long way, haven't we? | 0:15:54 | 0:15:57 | |
Yeah. 3km. | 0:15:57 | 0:15:58 | |
-Yeah. -I've got a bad leg injury. | 0:15:58 | 0:16:00 | |
-OK? -Yeah. | 0:16:00 | 0:16:01 | |
-And it's getting worse. -Yeah. | 0:16:01 | 0:16:03 | |
-My feet have got blisters. -Yeah. | 0:16:03 | 0:16:05 | |
I'm just going to show you something. | 0:16:05 | 0:16:07 | |
Oh, come on. | 0:16:08 | 0:16:10 | |
We are going to Kataragama, mate, not to a bloody poolside bar. | 0:16:10 | 0:16:13 | |
Do you know where that is? Do you know where that is? | 0:16:13 | 0:16:15 | |
-No. -Kataragama. | 0:16:15 | 0:16:17 | |
I've booked it for tonight. | 0:16:17 | 0:16:19 | |
And you don't care about those people in front? | 0:16:19 | 0:16:21 | |
I don't... It's not that I don't care about those people, | 0:16:21 | 0:16:24 | |
but we're slowing them down. | 0:16:24 | 0:16:25 | |
We get in the van, head to Kataragama, we're there early. | 0:16:25 | 0:16:28 | |
Yeah. | 0:16:28 | 0:16:29 | |
We go and do another cultural thing, | 0:16:29 | 0:16:31 | |
whatever your choice is, plus we stay at that hotel. | 0:16:31 | 0:16:34 | |
-Mmm. I understand. -Aren't you in pain? | 0:16:34 | 0:16:37 | |
-Yeah, I am in pain too. -See? | 0:16:37 | 0:16:38 | |
But my feet are in blisters but... | 0:16:38 | 0:16:40 | |
Yeah, exactly. The truth is, them not having us | 0:16:40 | 0:16:43 | |
is a better thing for them. | 0:16:43 | 0:16:44 | |
It's a better thing for them, it's a better thing for us. | 0:16:44 | 0:16:47 | |
It's great. | 0:16:47 | 0:16:49 | |
Hi, Mum, it's Rom. Just calling to check in, really. | 0:17:12 | 0:17:17 | |
I'm doing a pilgrimage. | 0:17:17 | 0:17:18 | |
It's quite hard, my feet are burning and stuff, | 0:17:18 | 0:17:20 | |
but I'm sort of struggling on. | 0:17:20 | 0:17:22 | |
Rags is... I think he's... To be honest with you, I think | 0:17:22 | 0:17:25 | |
he's struggling a bit cos he keeps moaning about his leg | 0:17:25 | 0:17:27 | |
or whatever, so I think he wants to sort of, like, pull out of it | 0:17:27 | 0:17:32 | |
or whatever or just sort of quit early. | 0:17:32 | 0:17:34 | |
It might be just out of respect for him that we...drop out of it. | 0:17:38 | 0:17:43 | |
I'm trying to sort of just gee his spirits up really, | 0:17:43 | 0:17:46 | |
so I'll let you know how it goes. | 0:17:46 | 0:17:48 | |
All right, Mum, love you. I hope you're proud of me. | 0:17:48 | 0:17:50 | |
Thank you, bye. | 0:17:50 | 0:17:52 | |
My uncle, he sort of thinks that, you know, | 0:18:03 | 0:18:06 | |
part of my journey to becoming a better Sri Lankan is to get | 0:18:06 | 0:18:09 | |
more au fait and comfortable with wildlife and nature. | 0:18:09 | 0:18:11 | |
I have painted myself into a corner by saying that I would do whatever | 0:18:11 | 0:18:15 | |
he suggested I do in exchange for going to the luxury hotel. | 0:18:15 | 0:18:19 | |
-Hello. -Hi, Romesh. | 0:18:19 | 0:18:21 | |
-Are you Anslem? -Yeah. | 0:18:21 | 0:18:22 | |
So he's arranged for me to meet this guy, Anslem, who's | 0:18:22 | 0:18:25 | |
apparently like a nature expert, and in particular crocodiles and I | 0:18:25 | 0:18:30 | |
think snakes and all sorts of shit, whatever you sort of get out here. | 0:18:30 | 0:18:33 | |
-We have two species of crocodile in the country... -Right. | 0:18:33 | 0:18:36 | |
..the saltwater and the freshwater. Freshwater is called muggers. | 0:18:36 | 0:18:40 | |
And are muggers dangerous? | 0:18:40 | 0:18:42 | |
Yeah. I mean, they attack humans. | 0:18:42 | 0:18:45 | |
So shouldn't we get in a vehicle? Where's your car? | 0:18:45 | 0:18:48 | |
We'll be walking. | 0:18:48 | 0:18:49 | |
Are there any snakes around here? | 0:18:55 | 0:18:56 | |
Yeah, we got a lot of snakes. | 0:18:56 | 0:18:58 | |
We have one of the highest incidents of snake-bite deaths in the world. | 0:18:58 | 0:19:02 | |
Are there any round here? | 0:19:03 | 0:19:06 | |
Yeah, there are, but I have a very sharp eye for them | 0:19:06 | 0:19:10 | |
and that's why I always carry a snake stick. | 0:19:10 | 0:19:13 | |
Anslem, he's a very nice guy, sort of looks like Papa Smurf. | 0:19:13 | 0:19:18 | |
Whoa, whoa, whoa! Are you OK? | 0:19:18 | 0:19:20 | |
We went into one area where he thought there might be crocodiles. | 0:19:20 | 0:19:23 | |
First thing he does, falls flat on his arse. | 0:19:23 | 0:19:25 | |
-Are you all right? -Yep. Can you give me a hand? | 0:19:25 | 0:19:27 | |
Yep. Oh, yeah. | 0:19:27 | 0:19:29 | |
That's the guide, right? I mean, I helped him up. | 0:19:29 | 0:19:31 | |
If we were being chased by a crocodile and he fell | 0:19:31 | 0:19:33 | |
over like that - "See you later, Anslem." I'm out of there, mate. | 0:19:33 | 0:19:37 | |
Are we safe here? | 0:19:37 | 0:19:39 | |
You're hesitating. | 0:19:41 | 0:19:42 | |
I think I am safe. | 0:19:42 | 0:19:44 | |
YOU? I'm talking about both of us. | 0:19:44 | 0:19:47 | |
-Are there actually crocodiles in this water? -Yeah. | 0:19:47 | 0:19:50 | |
What is going on now? | 0:19:50 | 0:19:52 | |
We are going to call him. | 0:19:52 | 0:19:54 | |
-CALL him? -Yeah. | 0:19:54 | 0:19:55 | |
I'm out of here, mate. Are you throwing chicken in the water? | 0:19:55 | 0:19:58 | |
Yeah. | 0:19:58 | 0:19:59 | |
If people don't know that there's crocodiles here, it just | 0:19:59 | 0:20:02 | |
looks like some nutters are throwing chicken in the river. | 0:20:02 | 0:20:04 | |
Well, I haven't actually seen a crocodile. | 0:20:04 | 0:20:06 | |
It's exciting if there are actually crocodiles here. | 0:20:06 | 0:20:09 | |
-Anything? -Nothing. | 0:20:09 | 0:20:11 | |
'I'm not saying it's a con.' | 0:20:11 | 0:20:13 | |
What I'm saying is, I'm starting to get suspicious | 0:20:13 | 0:20:16 | |
and I'm starting to wonder if Rags just wanted me | 0:20:16 | 0:20:18 | |
out of the hotel for the day. | 0:20:18 | 0:20:20 | |
Right. | 0:20:26 | 0:20:27 | |
-So you're going to hang chicken from the branch? -Yeah. | 0:20:29 | 0:20:32 | |
-Has that worked before? -Yeah. | 0:20:32 | 0:20:34 | |
-So do we just wait now, yeah? -Yeah. | 0:20:34 | 0:20:36 | |
'They're so calm about the fact this won't work | 0:20:40 | 0:20:44 | |
'that they're having a bath downstream of it.' | 0:20:44 | 0:20:46 | |
Look there at the mugger. Mugger, mugger, mugger! | 0:20:47 | 0:20:50 | |
-Mugger, mugger. -(Oi, look, look, look!) | 0:20:50 | 0:20:53 | |
Holy shit! | 0:20:53 | 0:20:54 | |
(He's gone, he's gone, he's gone.) | 0:20:57 | 0:20:59 | |
Admittedly, at the end of it, | 0:21:10 | 0:21:12 | |
yeah, he was for real. | 0:21:12 | 0:21:15 | |
He did know crocodiles. | 0:21:15 | 0:21:16 | |
The thing with the crocodiles is, you sort of see the crocodile | 0:21:20 | 0:21:23 | |
and it's very exciting, but then you think, | 0:21:23 | 0:21:27 | |
"Is it going to do anything else?" | 0:21:27 | 0:21:30 | |
(It's not moving.) | 0:21:30 | 0:21:33 | |
You know, it's quite a sad sight, | 0:21:33 | 0:21:35 | |
just seeing the crocodile sitting there, | 0:21:35 | 0:21:37 | |
then hearing the splash, splash, splash | 0:21:37 | 0:21:38 | |
of a half-eaten chicken bone dipping in and out of the water. | 0:21:38 | 0:21:42 | |
(Do you think he's still coming? | 0:21:43 | 0:21:45 | |
(Cos I think he might have gone.) | 0:21:45 | 0:21:47 | |
How long do you have to be dipping that in before you start thinking, | 0:21:52 | 0:21:55 | |
"Do you know what? I think maybe we should have got lamb"? | 0:21:55 | 0:21:59 | |
-(Are we going? -Yeah, we'll go.) | 0:21:59 | 0:22:02 | |
TWIGS SNAP, ROMESH GASPS | 0:22:02 | 0:22:03 | |
-Ah, Rom, you're back. -Yeah. | 0:22:05 | 0:22:07 | |
How did it go, mate? | 0:22:07 | 0:22:09 | |
We basically spent three hours with some chicken on a string, | 0:22:09 | 0:22:12 | |
trying to fish for crocodiles. | 0:22:12 | 0:22:14 | |
But did you have a good time, though, Rom? | 0:22:14 | 0:22:17 | |
Yeah, I felt at one with nature, so thank you. | 0:22:17 | 0:22:19 | |
-OK, cool. -Well, anyway, goodnight. -OK. Goodnight, Rom. | 0:22:19 | 0:22:24 | |
Hey, take your hand off! | 0:22:24 | 0:22:26 | |
It's the actual big deal, big thing. | 0:22:34 | 0:22:36 | |
We're here at Kataragama, so I'm just going to take photos of me, | 0:22:36 | 0:22:39 | |
like, Usain Bolting it across the finishing line, | 0:22:39 | 0:22:41 | |
like we've done the pilgrimage or whatever, do you know what I mean? | 0:22:41 | 0:22:44 | |
So I can send the photos to my mum. | 0:22:44 | 0:22:46 | |
Yes! We've done it. | 0:22:46 | 0:22:48 | |
Whoo! Whoo! | 0:22:48 | 0:22:50 | |
Wow! | 0:22:51 | 0:22:52 | |
Oh, man! | 0:22:55 | 0:22:57 | |
-Can you feel it? -Yes. -Can you feel the buzz? -I can, yes. | 0:22:57 | 0:23:00 | |
Oh, man. Whoo! | 0:23:00 | 0:23:02 | |
We did it, toughed it out. | 0:23:06 | 0:23:08 | |
He had a few knee problems, but we still struggled through, man, | 0:23:08 | 0:23:10 | |
do you know what I mean? And we did it. | 0:23:10 | 0:23:12 | |
-Whoo! -Well done. -Whoo! I need to calm down, man. | 0:23:12 | 0:23:14 | |
I'm just like, "Wow, I did it." | 0:23:14 | 0:23:16 | |
I feel like I could do it again, mate, do you know what I mean? Whoo! | 0:23:16 | 0:23:19 | |
-I don't understand why you're doing this bit. -Huh? | 0:23:19 | 0:23:21 | |
Your mum is going to know you haven't done it, | 0:23:21 | 0:23:23 | |
because it's going to be on television. | 0:23:23 | 0:23:25 | |
I really want you to go to Kataragama. | 0:23:31 | 0:23:33 | |
I never had the opportunity to go. | 0:23:33 | 0:23:36 | |
What exactly is Kataragama? | 0:23:36 | 0:23:38 | |
It's a very, very holy temple. | 0:23:38 | 0:23:41 | |
If somebody's ill, they will say, | 0:23:41 | 0:23:43 | |
"If I get better, I'll walk to your temple." | 0:23:43 | 0:23:46 | |
Some of them, they're burning fire | 0:23:46 | 0:23:49 | |
and they will walk on it... | 0:23:49 | 0:23:51 | |
with bare foot. Another thing is, you will see other people, | 0:23:51 | 0:23:55 | |
they put some...like a needle through their cheeks | 0:23:55 | 0:24:00 | |
and it'll come out of the other side. | 0:24:00 | 0:24:03 | |
-And they'll carry the kavadi... -Yeah. | 0:24:03 | 0:24:05 | |
..and dance like that, for the holy music and things. | 0:24:05 | 0:24:10 | |
I'm just a bit nervous about getting involved in any of the displays. | 0:24:10 | 0:24:14 | |
Romi, it's how you feel, darling. I am not forcing you. | 0:24:14 | 0:24:18 | |
-But I will be happy if you do one of the things, yeah. -That is... OK. | 0:24:18 | 0:24:22 | |
If I stab myself through the face, | 0:24:22 | 0:24:23 | |
would that make you happy? Is that what you're saying? | 0:24:23 | 0:24:26 | |
It won't make me happy. | 0:24:26 | 0:24:27 | |
-Cos if I sent you a photo...? -Yeah. | 0:24:27 | 0:24:29 | |
I don't think it's a funny thing to do. | 0:24:31 | 0:24:33 | |
It's a holy thing. You mustn't do this. No. | 0:24:33 | 0:24:36 | |
-But if I just was serious? -Yeah, serious, yeah. | 0:24:36 | 0:24:38 | |
-Yeah, OK. -OK? | 0:24:38 | 0:24:40 | |
CHANTING | 0:24:41 | 0:24:44 | |
-Is it, like, party time, or what? -Yeah, it is. | 0:24:44 | 0:24:46 | |
So what is going on here, Rags? | 0:24:47 | 0:24:49 | |
We are here to do the ceremonial activities. | 0:24:49 | 0:24:52 | |
We have to do the ceremony properly because your mum asked me | 0:24:52 | 0:24:55 | |
-to take you on a 200k walk, you know what I mean? -Yeah, yeah. | 0:24:55 | 0:24:58 | |
Yeah? I failed on that, as your uncle. | 0:24:58 | 0:25:01 | |
She's not going to like it, but this time, | 0:25:01 | 0:25:03 | |
at least let's do everything right. That's all I ask you, man. | 0:25:03 | 0:25:06 | |
-She doesn't need to know that we failed, does she? -That's right. | 0:25:06 | 0:25:09 | |
-We did the celebration. -But can we do this properly? -OK, fine. -OK? | 0:25:09 | 0:25:12 | |
Everything I'll ask of you, or what you are supposed to do, | 0:25:12 | 0:25:15 | |
-we're going to have to do. -But you're not going to put me | 0:25:15 | 0:25:17 | |
-in any danger, are you? -No, no, no. | 0:25:17 | 0:25:19 | |
I wouldn't do that to you. You're my nephew, mate. | 0:25:19 | 0:25:21 | |
TRADITIONAL MUSIC PLAYS | 0:25:21 | 0:25:25 | |
-So they're going to actually put these through. -Put what through? | 0:25:25 | 0:25:28 | |
Get, you know...the spear thing, because it's just a sacrifice you do | 0:25:28 | 0:25:32 | |
for the gods here, so nothing's going to happen. | 0:25:32 | 0:25:35 | |
-They're going to put that through... -It's going through the cheek. | 0:25:35 | 0:25:37 | |
-Through his cheeks? -Yeah. -Yeah. -OK. | 0:25:37 | 0:25:39 | |
TRADITIONAL MUSIC PLAYS | 0:25:39 | 0:25:43 | |
You OK? | 0:25:46 | 0:25:47 | |
You OK? | 0:25:52 | 0:25:54 | |
How are you feeling? | 0:25:59 | 0:26:01 | |
I'm really... Genuinely, like, I really feel sick. | 0:26:01 | 0:26:05 | |
MUSIC QUICKENS | 0:26:05 | 0:26:07 | |
-Romesh? -Yeah? -You come specially for this festival... -Yeah. | 0:26:16 | 0:26:19 | |
-..to see this and... -Yeah. | 0:26:19 | 0:26:21 | |
..so part of the deal is that you also get this done, right? | 0:26:21 | 0:26:24 | |
So are you ready for that? | 0:26:27 | 0:26:29 | |
-No, I can't. -No, it doesn't hurt. -I can't, I can't. -Come on, Rom. | 0:26:31 | 0:26:34 | |
So what are you going to do? | 0:26:34 | 0:26:35 | |
-What do you mean? -You've got to get something done, right? | 0:26:35 | 0:26:38 | |
-Like what? -What do you want? Do you want it through here? | 0:26:38 | 0:26:41 | |
-What? -Or through your back with a hook? | 0:26:41 | 0:26:43 | |
-I don't want to do any of it. -Well, just do a pierce through here. | 0:26:43 | 0:26:47 | |
-Not with that. -So it's like... Yeah, yeah. | 0:26:47 | 0:26:49 | |
I can't do that. | 0:26:49 | 0:26:51 | |
No, I can't. I can't. | 0:26:51 | 0:26:52 | |
-You know what? -What? | 0:26:54 | 0:26:56 | |
It doesn't look like you're going to do anything, is it? | 0:26:56 | 0:26:59 | |
-OK, fine, fine. -OK, right, let's go. | 0:26:59 | 0:27:01 | |
MAN SHOUTS, MUSIC STARTS | 0:27:01 | 0:27:02 | |
MUSIC STOPS | 0:27:05 | 0:27:07 | |
CROWD GASPS | 0:27:07 | 0:27:08 | |
MUSIC STARTS | 0:27:11 | 0:27:13 | |
Good on you. | 0:27:15 | 0:27:16 | |
'I was loving it.' | 0:27:33 | 0:27:34 | |
It's wicked! I, like, got into it. | 0:27:34 | 0:27:36 | |
How would you sum up your spiritual journey, then? | 0:27:42 | 0:27:44 | |
Going to see my family and everything was amazing. | 0:27:44 | 0:27:46 | |
The pilgrimage and the whole idea of sacrifice | 0:27:46 | 0:27:49 | |
I didn't sort of understand. | 0:27:49 | 0:27:50 | |
But, doing that, when they put it through the ear | 0:27:50 | 0:27:53 | |
and then I joined in with the dance, | 0:27:53 | 0:27:54 | |
you actually feel, like, a bit of euphoria. | 0:27:54 | 0:27:57 | |
'Admittedly, this doesn't look that impressive | 0:28:01 | 0:28:03 | |
'and also it's a bigger health and safety hazard, | 0:28:03 | 0:28:06 | |
'because you've got a loose spear in your ear. | 0:28:06 | 0:28:08 | |
'Whereas at least if you go through the mouth, | 0:28:08 | 0:28:11 | |
'it's secure, do you know what I mean?' | 0:28:11 | 0:28:13 | |
What would your mum say? | 0:28:13 | 0:28:14 | |
She'd say, "Why didn't you put it through your face?" | 0:28:14 | 0:28:18 | |
-THEY LAUGH -'Mothers want their sons' | 0:28:18 | 0:28:20 | |
to be healthy... | 0:28:20 | 0:28:21 | |
Go, go, go, go. | 0:28:21 | 0:28:23 | |
..and fit enough to fight with anybody. | 0:28:23 | 0:28:25 | |
Oh! | 0:28:25 | 0:28:26 | |
I don't want you filming around my arsehole, I don't want you in the | 0:28:26 | 0:28:28 | |
vicinity of my arsehole, I don't even want you thinking about my arsehole. | 0:28:28 | 0:28:32 |