"Omm Pah Pah...omm pah pah, everyone knows!"*

Wow!  It seems like forever since I last wrote even though I've been thinking about the blog everyday.  You see I'm trying to get an expat bloggers groups going.  I want to write with a community of people who have interesting experiences to share.  I also want to know how other expats view life abroad. Since I instigated this thing,  I gave them a challenge to "find their voice" They have to write a 300 word draft everyday (subject doesn't matter), then decide which one represents their truest voice.  The plan is then to discuss this next time and move on to another subject, ie.. photos/video.  Topics are supposed to be organically generated, but for the first little while I think there should be some structure.

Aren't they gorgeous?  Dancers at the festival.

This weekend I got to see Sri Lanka through German eyes!  It was the 60th anniversary of German/Sri Lankan Friendship and there was a street festival celebrating it.  Who knew?  There was the usual collection of pretty darn awesome cars and obviously a growing local taste for luxury vehicles judging by the line ups around the Audis and Porsches. (Cripes, there is even a Lamborghini dealership in town.  Which is pretty vulgar when you think of what that amount of money could do here.)

It's the perfect Bug colour and not modified!  

There were also friendship groups from the various Universities around the country and the girls looked so cute decked out in dirndls and the like.  I can't imagine it was fun to wear white tights in this heat.  I got quite few great shots of the colour and pageantry that went along with the festival.

 They had stilt walkers, puppets and these way cool giant Sri Lankan and German characters.  I got video of them somewhere!

What's a street fair without food!  We went with visions of Teutonic wursts and bretzels dancing in our heads and weren't disappointed.  Although I am not a big fan of the rather rude looking weisswurst, I was happy to try them.  The pastries were good and G happily bought a loaf of 2 tonne bread.  There was heaps of beer but my stomach is still a little queasy after a bout of "mystery disease" this weekend.

I'm usually a Maclaren girl but I'm willing to compromise for German/Sri Lankan relations.

I included this picture because not only are they a beautiful, happy couple, you can see how Sri Lankan women tie their sarees.  If you notice around her waist is a pleated, peplum type fold.  This is unique to here.  People also wear the classic Indian style with the drape over the front of the body.  I have yet to see though the Gujarati-style where the drape comes over the shoulder from the back.  Interesting tidbit:  all female government workers must wear saree.










*Thanks to "Oliver" for the lyrics.

Galle...Redux

I'm not too sure that I'm using "redux" properly but I like the sound of it!  Besides this is a post about returning to the scene of the crime.

Hanging out on the SLR

Background:  Last weekend the whole family " loaded up the truck and we moved to Galle/Unawatuna. Beaches, pools, lots of pretty Russian chicks." (sung to the tune of "The Beverly Hillbillies!")

G did an awesome job of driving down.  It took 40 minutes to get out of the city and 40 on the highway (and a very nice one by the way).  We pulled in about noon and got to our hotel, Thrapoban. Immediately, we all felt at peace, the boys had wifi and we had separate, and certainly not equal rooms!  In a nutshell we had a blast.  Mika, G and I spent hours tumbling in the surf.  I'm still finding sand in my netherlands (and I don't mean Holland!).  

One day we took two tuktuks ( say that 3x fast!) into Galle Fort.  It is an old Portuguese/Dutch fort that managed to survive the tsunami intact due to it's ancient block walls.  The rest of the town outside the walls was not so fortunate (refer to Youtube for the footage).  Like any good disaster the carpetbaggers came to town in the aftermath and snapped up the best properties.  They have turned them into funky cafes and fantastic boutique hotels.  It has a bit of a Potemkin feel to it unlike Penang or Melaka, where people still actually live and work, but it's lovely none the less.

G drove us back up on Monday, dodging trucks, busses and mothers picking up their kids at school only to arrive home and realize that we left our phones, chargers and dirty laundry down in Unawatuna.  "Please insert your favorite expletive here!"  Obviously it was my fault! (ha!) So I begrudgingly volunteered to go back and get our crap.  At first I was PO'd, then I realized what a golden opportunity to get my groove back!  Woo hoo!  So Thursday morning, I got my act together and went to Colombo Fort station at 7:00 for the 8:30 train to Galle.  I forked out my rupee 160 for 2nd class and entered into the unknown!  Okay, a bit early, but I'd rather be there and have the lay of the land versus frantically trying to suss it out at the last moment.  

A bit deserted at 7:15 a.m.

I got to my platform and was relieved to see a couple of foreigners whom I assumed were going to the same place.  I asked one guy and he said he was Galle bound as well.  I stood next to him and we both resisted the urging by very "helpful" people to get on each train that went by.  Gawd I don't know where they were trying to send us but it sure wasn't Galle!  

Anyway, managed to get on and get a seat.  I figured out pretty quickly that you want to be on the sea side going down and the town side coming back, if you're doing a turnaround trip.  You can't believe the good feeling of being on your own in a foreign country, going somewhere on local transportation, no phone (though someone has a vague idea where you might be), a little bit of cash and some local knowledge.  I felt so awesome, just like the old days!

Behold the hideous treatment of foreigners in this country!!

So I got down there around noon and managed to shake off all the friendly guys I met on the train.  It really wasn't a problem after they found out I was married!  I actually enjoyed chatted, which is something I don't often do!

I hied myself out to the hotel to retrieve our stuff and got a nugie from the "is she or isn't she pregnant" receptionist!  So having accomplished what I needed to do, I decided a spa treatment was in order so I went to The Sanctuary.  "Oh my Lord" was it awesome and the young, virile masseuse was not too bad either.  It is truly amazing how at first,  you're a bit freaked because it's a guy and then once he starts it's like "okay, please feel free to do whatever you want! But he doesn't want to do anything that he's not paid for because you're a fat old foreigner!"  Life is cruel! 

A view of our apartment from the tracks!

So afterwards made it back to the station for the 2:45 to Colombo.  Everyone had appeared to get the memo that you catch the train a bit further up the tracks so by the time it rolled into Platform 1 all the seats were taken!  So much for my 160 rupee investment in a second class seat!  So I had to stand for the entire ride up on the sunny side of the train.  Everyone wanted me to see the beautiful ocean and being Canadian I couldn't say "it's lovely but my retinas are being burnt to a crisp.  May I sit down please?" But this too, turned out to be a fun blessing as I got to hang out the train and chat with some people.  I felt so "subcontinent!"

Anyway after 3hours standing, the ride was begining to wear on me and I was hoping that the train would stop at "Slave Island", the closest stop to home.  No such luck.  It actually stopped a little bit beyond there and if I had had any cajones I would've jumped off the train and walked home.  But people live right up to the tracks so I wouldv'e jumped into someones's living room.  Could you imagine that at the end of the day having a large, sweaty foreigner come flying through your shanty wall?  (I do like the imagery though!).  So I got home, showered and got in yet another form of conveyance and headed out to a Wine and Cheese at the HOM's place.  It was fun and I felt quite exhilarated by my bravado.  What was also nice was that G was so proud of me and kept telling everyone, "not everyone would've gone local just to get the phones!"  So I felt vindicated by and for myself.   G was just the icing on the cake.  It was really fun and I look forward to going further afield.  Life is good.

Medical Adventures in Sri Lanka

I knew it was coming on Friday.  It was that tickle in the back of the throat, the zero energy I felt.  However, I thought I can easily rise above this...I NEVER GET SICK!  But last night proved me wrong.  I ended up on the couch trying to sleep upright so I wouldn't cough or feel that anxiety I get when my nose is plugged.  Let's just say that G did not awake to a pretty sight on the sofa this morning.

So two options; 1) wallowing in self pity or 2) hie myself to the appropriate medical facilities.  I was going to go to this recommended doctor but when I got thinking about it, I'd first have to go to the ATM, get a taxi, see her, then go to a pharmacy and then head back.  Argh! Too much work so I decided I'd go to the hospital.  I must say it was a rather grim journey as the taxi went past the eye hospital and the orthopedic centre.  It was like that scene in "Jesus Christ Superstar" when all the beggars come out to see Jesus (not that I'm comparing myself to the Big Guy).

Nothing sticks out more like a sore thumb than a fifty year westerner in Sri Lankan hospital lobby.  I was promptly directed to the admitting desk. OMG, they couldn't have been nicer, especially after I paid!  It was 300 rupees (120rp - $1) to be admitted.  I was thinking to myself I've had tuk tuk rides more expensive than this!  The attending physician was heavily pregnant with her first child.  She acted surprised when I told her my age and mentioned that she was used to westerners being much spottier and wrinklier at that age!  It made me laugh!  She prescribed a bunch of stuff (yuck... I hate medicine) that set me back a whopping 457 rupees!  I hadn't even needed to go to the bank!

After less than 1 hour, I was back out on the mean streets of Colombo.  By this time I was starting to flag and needed a drink.  Fortunately there was a BreadTalk near the hospital. It is part of a chain of bakeries.   Sufficiently fortified, I decided to walk over to Union Place.  G had mentioned that there was a nicer Keel's Supermarket there.  I didn't get that far, I stopped at Arpico instead.  It's an okay place and I enjoyed a rather leisurely stroll up and down the various aisles.  Their meat looked a lot better than the demoralizing partially frozen crap at our local Keel's so I picked some up.  

On my return I managed to hook up with the nicest tuk tuk driver who had excellent English. So the moral of my story is, is that you can have a most excellent adventure even on a sh*#y day!

Profiles in Courage

A man in flip flops tied to the scaffold...

Me, getting highlights in Sri Lanka..that's COURAGE!

It was my Friday walkabout and my destination was the museum.  It was actually a pleasant day to be walking.  The weather is kind of weird...lots of rain.  Fortunately I've got my spiffy HBC umbrella (thanks Sue!), my black Converse tied on, camera at the ready.  I've discovered a back way of getting to the area, not much traffic and quite scenic.  The first municipal building I came upon was the library.  It's kind of a hideous, cool 60's designed building, it reminds me of Simon Frasier University

A rather grand entrance.

Not exactly a Diego Rivera but kind of neat.  It has that 60's optimism and spirit.

Do you know how hard it is to photograph school girls surreptitiously?  Wait... that didn't come out right!

Queen Vicky obviously not amused...at the gate to the Museum.

Side view of the museum complex.

I sort of had a hunch of what I was getting into when I decided to see the museum.  Yet I had to go.  It was worse than I thought.  The museum itself is a huge complex in a bad state of repair.  The exhibition halls are just a few and the rest of the building just sits.   I can just imagine how much it costs to maintain it.  The exhibits were very poorly lit and the signage vague, to say the least.  The problem is, is that there is not much you can do with old stones, they're just not that dynamic! The painting gallery was somewhat more interesting but again, very static.  This problem is certainly not unique to this museum.  The one bright spot was the new Textile Gallery.  It opened a couple of months ago.  Yet there was no real interpretation about how certain textiles were incorporated into daily life (other than clothes).  They could have teamed up with someone like Barbara Sansoni who is a textile juggernaut in this part of the world to highlight where Sri Lankan textiles are going.  There even could've have been a segment on the huge textile/clothing industry here.  Maybe the problem is, is that there is too much referencing the past!  

How is this guard supposed to chase me if I pinch something?

I really needed a coffee afterwards and I saw this facility on my way...

What?!  Do we do something different than the locals?

"If you've seen Juan's Car Wash, you've seen..."

One of G's favorite puns.

Thursday was the day of the dreaded bus tour.  You know I'm not a big joiner but I decided that this posting was going to be different.  I wanted to see if I had any social skills left. I'm beginning to suspect that maybe G chooses not to invoke his skills anymore and if we want a social life (that's not golf) it's up to me!

So the PTA had a coffee morning and then a city tour laid on. There was a really good turnout (30?) and even 3 men!  Everyone was super friendly and soon I had met a few people.  One lady came up to me and commented that she recognized me from behind...she had been at the Wednesday yoga class!  Not my best angle but she seemed really lively and fun.

The first stop on the tour was the Kollupitiya Market.  I soon realized that I had already been to most of these places so I was free to walk around and snap photos.  Believe me, the market photographs cleaner than it is!  Then we headed over to a gem shop where absolutely nothing interested me but I chatted with a lady who is a member of the International Expats Association.  Their sign up meeting is on Tuesday. I'll see if anyone else from the CDN group is interested in going.  Since a lot of expats live in the Iceland I imagine that I'll get to meet more of my neighbours there at the meeting than at the building!

The colours are amazing but you wonder how sustainably these were fished.

Gawd I love grotty old signs!

Some of the friendly faces at the market!

This doesn't do the colours justice!

Again, fantastic signs.

The "money shot" from our Sunday walk.

What's a posting without an LOL cat?

"Oh, the places you go!"*

You have 2 choices when you arrive at a post, you can sit around until someone calls you or you can get off your ass, get out and see the things you want to see.  Guess which one I chose?

Little bit of background.  I read about this famous Sri Lankan architect called Geoffery Bawa.  There's even a city walk about him.  However, I'm too cheap and too stubborn to pay for that so I decided I'd set out on my own.  I don't think any of the buildings that follow are his but they are cool nonetheless and when my internet gets back up to speed I will track his stuff down.

First thing out this morning, along the promenade I saw a very wizened old guy trying to extract a kite from a lamp post with a long stick and a metal hook.  I could not bear to stand there and watch Mother Nature take her course.  I half expected upon my return to come across a smoldering old sarong and a few tuffs of hair!

The old Cargill's...the Costco of Colombo!

So into the Fort area I went. I found myself at Cargill's.  It's an old grocery store chain.  There are still many around but this was the flagship store and still might be the HQ, if I'm not mistaken.  I heard rumours that it is going to be renovated into a luxury hotel like a lot of the old P and O hotels  around Asia but for now it remains open with a KFC and a few meager groceries for sale.  The inside is fantastic in it neglect.

 The floors are wooden and there are these beautiful empty art deco style display cabinets around.

 There are stairwells leading nowhere but you can hear the ghosts of sandaled feet beating their way up and down the treads.  In the center of the building are the elevators to the corporate office.  It is hard to tell but I think that might be old Queen Vicky between the two panels.

The fire alarm is a hoot!

Outside the signage is brilliant but unfortunately my photography isn't!  The one sign I couldn't quite get was for their optical department and it advertised that they could make motor goggles!

 So after all this exhausting, investigative work, I decided to go to the Grand Oriental Hotel for tea.  They had a sign for a tiffan bakery but the doorman assured me the view was better from the 4th floor restaurant.  Wow! he wasn't kidding.

I love a man in uniform!

Total cost: $1.75.

The restaurant overlooks the port of Colombo and while waiting for my tea and toast (veddy proper...don't you know?)   The toast was cold and the butter hard...so British!  I could watch container ships be docked in preparation for unloading.  It was fascinating and surprisingly quick.  I guess "time is money."

Took 15 minutes and 3 tugs to dock and unload.

Snapped a few more building photos on my way back.  I was determined to find Manning Market.  Don't really know why or than why the heck not?  It was starting to open up when I arrived but really it is nothing more than a bunch of board shorts and Bob Marley t-shirt kiosks.  It was also kind of weird because I was the only woman around.  I didn't feel threatened but I didn't want to stay and chat either.  I am always dressed conservatively in these places but the hassles never stop.  Fortunately though if I do get hassled people piss off after a while.  You just smile and wag your head and say "no".

On a side note, I have kind of felt like Judas betraying Christ these last couple of days.  You see it is one of the few places in the world where Canadians aren't that popular.  They are nice to us individually but they do not like our stance vis a vis the LTTE etc..  So quite often when I am out, I say I came from the US, (which technically is not a lie) but now I tell them I am from whichever place pops into my head.  Already this morning I have been American, Dutch and German.  Gawd, no wonder I'm so tired!

*apologies to Dr.Suess!

Spa Day to Slave Island

Perhaps the most daunting thing abroad is finding a good hairdresser.  Here in Colombo all the women have long hair tied back into ponytails or buns.  Even if I had enough hair to wear that style I wouldn't!  So I took the plunge and went into this very trendy salon.  Of course the receptionist couldn't have cared less that I was there and kind of shrugged her shoulders and pointed out a chair to me.  Fortunately it was at the station of this really nice young guy, Ravi.  I told him flat out what I didn't want and he sent me off to the shampoo guy.  "Oh my lord", was the shampoo guy awesome.  He 'pooed my hair for fifteen minutes!!! "Wah!  So goood!" Ravi gave me a great cut and then 'cuz I was all relaxed and happy I went for the 1/2 hour hot oil/head massage.  At first I was all," I don't deserve this", but by the end of it I was like, "this is my birthright goddamn it!"  


G and I have been getting out and about town.  The boys are loathe to go walking so it's kind of fun to poke around with him like old times.  One of the more interesting and slightly intimidating areas of Colombo is known as "Slave Island".  Originally I guess it was a marshaling point for the various slave traders who have come through but now it is a more muslim area and extremely old and cool. Unfortunately there is still a lot of tension between the various religious groups here and people were a bit more guarded than I expected or maybe they were so surprised to us that they were caught off guard!  All the buildings are cheek by jowl and a crazy mix of businesses and homes.

"Snack anyone?"

This is the station for the train that runs by our place several times a day.  When I think about it we've got so many noisy things going by, trains, buses, mosques blaring, that I don't even notice them any more...dunno if that's a good sign or not! So this is where we'd be leaving from if we took the train down to Galle.  I believe it goes along the same route as the one that was devastated by tsunami.  Gosh that nearly 10 years ago.

 People obviously aren't afraid of colour!  These were but a few of the interesting buildings there.

This was part of wall surrounding some sort of community center.  Each panel had some sort of message painted on it, ie., religious tolerance, education.  This one however, was quite interesting because it's highlighting prevention of dengue fever.  Check out the mozzies in the shrouds approaching the patient!  Kind of creepy/cool.  On a side note; someone at the High Comm has already contracted dengue!  So it's not just the poorer neighbourhoods.  Well I'm off now to try and resolve our internet problem.  I can barely download anything!  Our speed is soooo slow I'm forced to come to the mall, drink coffee, write and veg!  Sheesh!  First world problem!