Sri Lankan Sean Penn

A fascinating encounter at Galle Fort with a coconut vendor whose deep, expressive gaze brings to mind the intense, storied characters of actor Sean Penn.
Sri Lanka / Galle Fort / Postcards

The Storied Gaze: A Sri Lankan Sean Penn

By Marky Ramone Go • August 2014

His bicycle with a bunch of coconuts dangling on the side caught my attention from a distance, I zoomed in my camera and the man stared at my direction. He was selling coconut juice to the visitors of Galle fort. His gaze brings forth an appearance of a storied life. I wonder if he fought during the civil war or what hardships has he seen in his life. None of that are excess baggage anymore as he seem to be enjoying the quiet solitude of his current trade. After I saw the image the first thing that comes to my mind was that of actor Sean Penn. Maybe he is the personification of Penn's character in films like "21 Grams", "The Assassination of Richard Nixon" or maybe he is a goofy man after all like Penn in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High". Either way he makes up for an awesome photograph subject.

Coconut vendor at Galle Fort in Sri Lanka
21 Grams or We're No Angels? A local trader with an unforgettable expression
Postcard Series  is a digital throwback to the good ole days of sending postcards to your love ones back home. It consist of a single photograph and a brief narrative of less than 100 words.

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The Author

Marky Ramone Go

Marky Ramone Go is a travel writer and photographer whose work has appeared in major publications including Manila Bulletin, BusinessMirror, The Daily Tribune, and Travel Now. He has been tracing the intersection of heritage and modern nomadism since 2007.

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Marky Ramone Go
Marky Ramone Go
Marky Ramone Go is a travel-junkie, writer and photographer based in the Philippines. Aside from contributing articles to various publications and websites, he narrates his experiences wandering the tropical paradise of the Philippines, the culturally rich regions of South East Asia, Sri Lanka and India.

He is currently tracing the intersection of heritage and modern nomadism across the archipelago.
Manila, Philippines
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