Two Dinners!

It was the last dinner in Colombo and they served Western! ARRRRGH. Why. I was sorely missing spices and thought I could have them before leaving the country.

Scooped itty bitty stuff from the buffet line onto the plate. Vegetables would be good. It was the official Closing Dinner of the work week and I had to stay for a bit. Ate hurriedly, bade farewell to the delegates and sprinted across to Raja Bojun for something authentic.

The Dances

We were treated to a extravaganza of Sri Lankan dances by the students from the university. They presented the whole gamut of dance forms and traditions in the country. There were 15 items for the evening.

Loved all the colors that swirled around. The rhythm and beats were so different from what I was familiar with. It was quite a visual and sensory treat. I watched the dances quite intently, ignoring the buffet line behind. (I fully intended to sneak out after anyway.)

PotatO PoTAto

Despite me not being a breakfast person, I do have a nibble in the mornings on trips where the schedules are uncertain. That's when I actually need the energy to run around.

Love potatoes. Can't be happier to see the breakfast selections. There're options of rice and curry too. Noah. Not for my breakfast. Too heavy. I've been having hash browns and potato salad like... every day in Sri Lanka, with awesome chillies. :D

PS: Ooh, there're a number of very entertaining potato poems floating around.

Reflections Of A Country

For a country so torn and impoverished by civil war over nationalist sentiments and ethnic conflict, it seems so tolerant of the different religions existing within. My two previous trips were focused on the pleasures of diving and then the urgency of tsunami aid relief. There was no breathing space or time to analyze any deeper political issues.

Since the start of 2008, the government and the LTTE have renewed hostilities. The government is steadily gaining ground. This trip, driving through Colombo, Negombo and Kandy, what struck me most is the frequent dotting of chapels, mosques and temples side by side upon the landscape. 

The factsheet stated: Buddhists 69.1%, Muslims 7.6%, Hindus 7.1%, Christians 6.2%. In big towns and small villages, there are Madrasahs, Christian and Buddhist schools. I see parents picking their children up from the schools in the evening. I see villages living in poverty but relative harmony. I see Sinhalese and Tamil individuals who become spouses and couples; friends and families that have been intertwined into a common Sri Lankan national identity.

I'm seeing religious tolerance in this country. Yet, it's ironic that the beautiful country is divided by ethnic politics and nationlistic sentiments. I think I'm too optimistic in thinking that a 2004 disaster of apocalyptic proportions would pull its people together. It didn't. I'm very interested in the social and political diversity of the country. The shared colonial history and diversity of its people are similar to Singapore. Yet a fine line of its principles of governance separates us from the status of a developing nation with 15.7% of its population living below poverty line.

Made time to speak with my local counterparts on their culture, the people's thoughts and political direction. I wanted to understand a little bit more about this country than an interested tourist. Came away with a slightly deeper understanding of the country's internal dynamics and the stoic resolution of its people to try to focus on the people, however hard.

National pride versus national peace. It's never easy.

Gemidiriya

And there I was, contemplating the taste of Fiji bottled water versus Volvic. There are millions in this world who don't even have a tenth of the luxury we enjoy.

I hope Gemidiriya provides some form of stability in the very basic form of filtered piped water to the villages.

A Morning Stroll

Despite the numerous warnings about 'keeping safe' in Colombo, I don't think it is too dangerous to go out alone. No more so than any other city. There is no way I'm going to leave the city without a stroll along the beachfront.

The long stretch of road leading to the government offices has been cordoned off. No entry to cars without special permits. Likewise, tourists are not encouraged to linger along the stretch of road. I did just that.

Minutes before dawn, I slipped away from the now-stirring hotel to the solitude of the beach. There weren't many people on the beach. I was just revelling in the peaceful sounds of the morning. Flung off the slippers. I ran along and did three cartwheels and a back flip on the beach. Wieeeeeeeeeeeeee! The police officers eyed me suspiciously. Those on horseback rode nearer. But they didn't approach to stop me. Happy now, I re-traced my steps back to the hotel, unmolested and not arrested. (",)

Imp At Work

In contrast to the colorful saris, my entire suitcase contains only black and grey. The colors are so practical. I shudder when I see myself in work clothes. So boring hor. Dowdy even.

Also, I'm in pumps with chunky heels, not stilettos. I need the height, but the shoes have to be comfortable enough to be worn all day. Whatever, they fit the tone of all the events I have to attend. 

Many people do change into a conservative evening dress of sorts for the evening events. I don't bother. I'll just be in the black/blue/grey dress worn in the day, but jazzed up with a statement necklace. 

The Sari

It's funny how in multi-racial Singapore, surrounded by Indian friends, I never learnt how to wear the sari. Majority of the women in Sri Lanka wear the traditional sari everywhere. Even to work and high-powered meetings. Only a minority in the outskirts and children wear 'western' clothes and suits.

There're so many mind-boggling styles of draping that I'm not sure I can even get 2 basic ones. I can't even twist my hair into a stylish bun very well. I'm definitely not equipped to deal with the intricacies of wearing a sari. And wrestle with 6 metres of pure fabric to fold it into a decent shape. Think of my poor arm muscles. Can you imagine how one would wash the entire length of a sari?

I think saris are really beautiful. Very feminine, very elegant. The fabrics are jewel-hued, rich and very cheerful. For now, I'm quite content to admire them from afar.

Heading To Paradise Road

During work trips, I've definitely cultivated a bad habit of sneaking away from the colleagues. Realized that when most people don't share my interests nor inclinations, it's best that I don't announce my plans after-hours. It won't do me any good. There's this image of me in spectacles and black suits that I don't intend to shatter.

This is meant to be a serious work trip. So I wasn't about to go partying with the rest of the delegation. There were a couple of people I didn't mind hanging out with. But I couldn't do that without strange stories surfacing back home. While I enjoy good food and ambience, I'm not a foodie. Hate that label. Wanted to try the roast lamb and polenta at The Gallery Cafe, Paradise Road. So what did I do? I went off alone lor.

All I needed was the iPod and a book for some company.

On My Own

When the company isn't particularly fun, it's very nice to slip away on my own. Unlike SOME PEOPLE, at least, I'm not going to be all indecisive about paying 1500 rupees (S$20.922) for a two-hour chauffeured trip to two venues in the hotel's Nissan Sunny.

If there's one thing that irks me, it's sweating the small stuff on trips. S$21 isn't a big deal. If it means that I'm being kertok-ed and the guy's going to get some extra money for the week, so be it. I really don't want to take 10 minutes to do a SWOT to decide whether to pay or not. It's just S$21, for Pete's sake! If I'm off alone, at least I don't have to put up with another's indecisiveness. I really don't need to babysit someone else whose idea of merriment is a world different from mine.

When the evening's programme ended, I sidled to Barefoot alone for some wine, spaghetti bolognaise and grilled fish. By the way, the driver charged me only 900 rupees for the one-hour return trip. Grinned and gave him USD20. That was an absolutely satisfying evening.

And The Elephants Went Out To Play

We went out to Pinnawala to see cute baby elephants. Bit of a trek to get there. Bumpy ride, but nothing unexpected. In the middle of hectic meetings, a day-out is always welcomed.

The baby elephants were super adorable! *SQUEAL* Nope, I didn't try to get near any one. Didn't dare to stress them out. These elephants were used to human presence, but I wasn't sure how enthusiastic they would be to have this crazy human run after them and try to catch them for a photo.

Then we walked over to the other side to see the not-so-friendly adults. Nothing cute about adult elephants. They're just...there lor, moving around logs, but not working. Chilling out on a cloudy day.

When the adults strolled down to the river for their bath, the mahouts wanted us to follow in their wake. HAHAHHA. NO WAY. I know what's going to happen. I was so NOT going to follow the elephants. They piss and poo at will every 10 minutes! What would that make my path?! Eiooow.

So Near Yet So Far

Twiddling thumbs in one of those presentations that didn't seem to go anywhere, I looked out of the window. I had this urge to rip off the suit, sprint to the beach and jump into the surf.

If I can avoid being detained by the ever-vigilant security, of course.

Play Time!!!

These two half-grown pups walked by rather nonchalantly. They were soooooooooooooo cute! Couldn't resist scratching their ears. I was on an early morning walk before any meetings of the day commenced. I decided to play catch with them.

So the piece of wood was thrown and off the pups went. After a couple of minutes, I started running further. The pups (and I) were totally having fun in the morning sun. But the security detail that accompanied us daily wasn't so thrilled. They chased after me. To their credit, they didn't yell. They politely requested, "Madam, please go back closer to the hotel." Boo. Spoilsport. But I did as told.

The pups trotted after me. They waited patiently, tails wagging as I found wheat crackers in my bag and gave it to them to nibble on. The pups made my day. Heh.

Sitting Through The Meetings

It's quite amazing how pearls and spectacles add on three years to the face. The aging effect perhaps. Whatever. At times, I welcome it.

Each time I attend meetings overseas, I do need to make every effort look older. My counterparts or my co-delegates are invariably a good  decade older than I am. There's something about the age versus people's expectations of one's experience and credibility. If I couldn't quite pull off looking the part, then I would have to at least dress the part. Dunno. Dowdy maybe, but definitely conservatively. Dark colors make one's vibes feel more solemn anyway. 

I also make a conscious effort to listen more than talk. We've been briefed that this should be our position at many meetings. It's good advice. I'm not particularly trained in the analytical data of this Meeting. But I could gauge the appropriate uses of the data and to that end, I need to put forth the opinions of my organization. I couldn't let certain motions pass without comment. 

I Hate Mozzies

It was lurking! I didn't kill it though. Left it alone.

But I smacked a couple of its cousins when they landed on my arm.

Spices

Not getting lucky in the curry department. The local food I've been having are very mild in flavor and spices. Very strange. Wondered if the hosts thought we guests couldn't do spices. Most of our meals have been Western. There's been so much of western food choices till I avoid it.

Don't want another crap pasta or coleslaw. I just want a simple dhaal and briyani or something. They have it on the buffet line. But it's disappointingly bland. Bad food. They seem to really like cashew and pea curry here. I've had it thrice in a row already. Thank goodness the side dishes and sambal are still pungently tongue-numbing.

By The Beach

The thing about the legacy from the British is- the architecture. There will always be a hotel like that in each of its crown colonies. In this part of the world, we have Raffles Hotel, the lovely E & O and this one.

The next time I'm in Colombo, I'm going to stay at the Galle Face Hotel, Regency wing. I'm very fond of the E & O. I always stay there when I'm in Penang. Tonight, when I roamed around Galle Face Hotel, I thought it had the exact vibe of the E & O.

It's going to be tough to catch a sunset this week while sipping a single malt. Anyway, I'm not here for the alcohol tonight. It was great to have dinner by the beach, listen to the sound of surf and feel some sense of joy in knowing that the ocean is out there in the dark. I'm certainly not going to offend anyone by drinking in public. It's a religious public holiday (Full Moon Poya Day). So they don't serve alcohol in public.

(I'm not desperate enough to drink Black Label out of the fridge in the room yet! ;p)

Random Chats

There was this rather cute guy who crashed my table at the restaurant. Was with a colleague having a nice evening when he came over. We were invited to join him on his night out to the drinking holes in town. My male colleague was suitably tickled. If I'm not here for work and I'm in a party mood, I might just take up the offer.

Nearly died laughing when he guy actually dared to open his mouth to invite us to his suite for a look. I wasn't dressed to kill. I definitely didn't look hawt because it had been a really long day. He wouldn't lack pretty female travellers to dig his claws deep in this country. He must have been completely drunk. I is.not flattered.

Dude, if I'm here on vacation, I'd have gotten the exact suite. I'm really not too curious. I'm as savvy a traveller as you are. As far as suites across the world go, only the ones in New York and Dubai really really impressed me.

He knew something about single malts. He said he lived in Scotland for a bit. Well, he brought up Glenmorangie. BUT he liked Macallan! So I promptly lost interest. While he rambled and entertained my male dining companion, I thumbed through his terribly interesting Lonely Planet Sri Lanka.

I'm at least five years older than he is. I play this game better than he ever will! Dude, you've got guts. But you also have alot of growing up to do. Thanks for an amusing 30 minutes though.

What's Your Definition Of "Cocktail Hour"?

I hate it when people state "Cocktails" and define the duration "19:30 - 21:30hrs".

My problem is with the time. It's a not-here-not-there window. It screws up my dinner timetable especially when I'm running on Singapore time at 2.5hrs ahead. Like tonight when I truly want rice and dhaal. Obviously there aren't because the event is labelled "Cocktails"! Instead, my stomach has to settle for quiche, samosas and vardai. Great use of spices. I like the lamb kebab with mint coulis.

Sure, the spread of finger food is very generous. Eat 5 pieces of anything and one can be pretty full. But I'm not satisfied. The palate isn't willing to sleep. It still wants pilaf and curry-something. I'd very much prefer the Arabic style of dinner where one gets to eat all night.

Anyway, my point is, at work functions ah, please hor, cocktails = canapes or hors d'ouvres = 18:30 - 20:00hrs. Don't be too inventive.

Hello, I'm Mouse And I'm Going Places

Snucked off to BAREFOOT. I loved the shop and gallery set in a huge compound with a garden cafe. Saw cute stuff. Bought cute things.

Spotted pretty linen. Bought pretty linen covers for the cushions and table-everything. Those would be shipped back to the girlfriends at home and everywhere else the FaerieFolk are. For Christmas. See, Christmas shopping unexpectedly sorted out in a heartbeat.

Saw breathtaking photography books about the country. Flipped through all. I spend money spend money spend money in another country.