Gettin' outta Dodgy!

Gosh I guess I shouldn't be so hard on Sri Lanka but it's hard sometimes.  It really is an emotional roller coaster.  For example; yesterday.  I went to pay my Dialog bill at the new kiosk after having learned that the guy who sits behind the desk and window won't accept my payment anymore.  Okay, fine, but I went to it only to find out that a) they won't let you touch the machine, b) the machine doesn't make change so "is it okay that we round it up?" and c) a guy stands there beside it with a bag of cash to give exact change?!  Is that not a direct duplication of a "service" already provided?  Anyone seen "Brazil".  So that's kind of stupid.

I left to pay my other internet bill at Sri Lankan Tel, yes, I pay 2.  They use the "old" method except you have to write all the info on your receipt.  Seemed positively refreshing after Dialog.  

One the way home I decided to cut through Slave Island.  (You may have read of my trips there previously.)  Once, steps into the neighbourhood, I was re-jazzed about how special Sri Lanka is.  There were women in full burka, muslim boys on the way home from school taunting each other to say "hello" to me and then running away when I responded! Crowds of tuktuk drivers standing around smoking watching one guy do all the work on the vehicles, chickens running around, wash draped on every surface to dry before the rains set in.  It's so vibrant and the people so friendly.  It's vanishing as the area is being squeezed to death by luxury hotel/residential developments.  Progress really is a 2-edged sword.

So tonight, the boys and I board the first of 3 flights to get to Vancouver.  It's a lot easier now than when they were little.  However certain parties think that on a 2 hour layover they will just "pop into Bangkok or Tokyo".  "Yeah, and monkeys will fly out of my ass."* 

The flights are just part of it.  After one night in beautiful Richmond (again "I'll just pop into Vancouver") we return to the airport to catch the bus down to Seattle where we'll stay until Monday the 16th.  We then fly out to Calgary.  So in reality, I'm on the road for awhile.

Looked at what I'm going to do in Bellevue.  I plan to visit with my old school, perhaps rejoin the "Soccer Mom Blonde Streak Nation" and thrift.  There is just one bus to take to the ground zero of thrift stores in Bellevue.  On the outer edges are the Children's Hospital followed by the American Cancer Society.  Next, is the weird one next to Fred Meyers. Oh yeah, pitstop Fred Meyers for a decent bathroom and coffee.  Then onto the nerve center of the thrift vortex, the Bellevue Goodwill (cue heavenly host)!  Yeah Macklemore, watch me bust some tags!

Catch you later.  


*Wayne's World.  

GALL-E*

I'd add Sri Lankan tumbleweeds, if I knew how!

I should've known how the day of the Pola was going to go by my lunch order.  I found a funky little cafe on Pedlar Street and ordered a sandwich and juice before going to the market.  After about 15 minutes of banging and clanging about in the kitchen, the rather flustered looking chef/waiter/tech guy/bus boy came out and asked if I wanted peanut butter on my chicken club sandwich!  I have to admit a big "double u - tee- eff " look came over my face as I contemplated this option!  Lunch was gross. Oh yeah, my camera died too.

So after that debacle, I hauled all my stuff over to the market square.  It's just outside the lovely old law courts in Galle.  There are huge banyan trees providing shelter and clean public toilets nearby.  I was placed next to the end near a bank...wow that'll drive people my way!  It turned out to be quite a fun place to be as all the people at the bank were young and genki.  

It was quite busy for the first 2 hours and I chatted with a few people.  There is a small expat community in Galle.  They came over and looked and I even sold 2 belts!  I was surprised by that.  Then dead calm...nobody.  As it turns out this is low season in Galle and there was nary a tourist in town.  In fact, the hotel owner told me that this is the time of year most hotels shut down for renos, etc.  Comedy and life, eh?

So as it is in Sri Lanka, there is always a cricket game going on somewhere.  On the other part of the square, some kids were playing.  Soon all the bank people had drifted over and a quite raccous game got going!  Honestly, there was nothing to do but chat with the other vendors.  I met an artist, a couple of musicians, some lacemakers.  In retrospect, I really came away with a lot from the experience, not cash but definitely a different kind of experience.  The people I yoga'd for the Good Market very kindly came down to check me out!  They are a funky couple from Hikkaduwa and have a cute little lodge/studio there.  I had to laugh as they really loved my hippo cash can!  In fact, I think more people liked it than my yoga stuff!

All in all, I was a little bummed but it was fun and I'm proud of the leap I took.  The drive down and back was great.  I often forget how cool it is that I'm driving myself around Sri friggin' Lanka!  Of course, I missed having companionship for dinner but I was so tired at the end of the day that I just ate and left.

The monsoon is upon us and the weather is gloomy and wet.  You know it's different when N finds 29 degrees cool!  It's actually good weather for sewing and I have always admired these napkins from Paradise Road.  The Sinhalese and Tamil alphabets are so interesting and graphically pleasing that I knew I had to do something with them.  So I pulled out my old Chinese Temple Guard bag as my inspiration and template and this is what I created yesterday.  Ta dah!

Sinhalese Alphabet bag.

Faux Marrimeko lining.

Now I have to make a Tamil alphabet cosmetic bag to go with! I have to be careful as it's easy to venture into CIDA WOMAN** land with handmade stuff.  In fact, G has started to call me "Etsy Johnson".  It's actually not a bad name, tee hee.

So I am now turning my focus towards home for the summer.   I will write soon.

* apologies to Disney

**a woman of a "certain age" who wears all drapey ethnic clothing and jewelry.  May also own a few feral cats.

Vesak/Hikkaduwa Day trippin'

This week has been a bit nuts in terms of the locals.  It's Vesak, the day of the Buddha's birth, enlightenment and passing (I hope I have that correct).  So to celebrate everyone has put up these quite incredible lanterns.  They also give out free food and there are choirs praising the Buddha.  Out near the kids' school they built these amazing floats of animals that were on the nearby canal.  We live near Lake Beira which is where one of the biggest Buddhist temples is, so I knew we were in for a treat (you can read that any way you want).  I apologize for the quality of the night shots.  My little camera is useless!

The lanterns in our lobby.

Around Lake Beira.

One of the lantern entries...completely made of bamboo skewers!

Coming home from yoga on Thursday night I got caught in the thick of things and Galle Road was partially closed so I got to go on a driving tour of the festival.  It was actually quite neat to see everyone, their faces lit by the lanterns and excitement.  The municipality puts up these octagonally shaped lanterns and these big "Wheels of Karma" deals.  Then, there are contest to build lanterns which venerate the Buddha and tell his life story.  So while sitting in traffic I got to see a lot of them.  There were also tonnes of people crammed into lorries, who were quite gobsmacked by it all.  Because of the Buddha it's also a dry festival so the atmosphere was very family oriented and good spirits prevailed.  Lemme tellya they prevailed well into the night as well!  The Sri Lankans have their own version of a vuvuzela...nice.  It's so melodic, especially at 2:45 a.m..

So what with all these holidays the kids were home Wednesday and Thursday and then the weekend!  Argh! Too much family time!  So I begged, nay, beseeched G to come down to Hikkaduwa with me for the day.  I don't think he was all that keen at first but once you hit the open road with a few good tunes, things change.  I read somewhere that it is essential for humans to get out of the urban jungle and see green in all it's shades every once in awhile, gives our primate brain a woody. 

G and Captain Jacqueline Sparrow.

Gratuitous Yoga on the beach shot.

I am definitely staying here next time...would that look hilarious on your next VISA bill?

Anyway it was so relaxing.  Hikkaduwa is an old surf town and has a really great laid back vibe.  An added bonus was that there was no one there.  We had a tasty grilled fish lunch and went for a walk on the beach.  It's an absolutely amazing waterfront.  We are so lucky to be an 1 1/2 hr drive from all this.  People work their whole lives for what we get to see everyday.  Believe me, we do feel lucky.

To compound this good fortune, Galle is just down the road and we were "in need" of a sweet.  So we arrived and parked.  I went into Souk 58 and was a bit bummed in that there was another banana shirt.  How can that be?  What if I run into it at a one of my fancy outings to Food City or Arpico?  Fashion Faux Pas or what?!  So I consoled myself with a lovely piece of cake while G had a fruit salad.  I, then coerced him into going to "Dairy King" for home-made ginger ice cream.  It's amazing.  There are big chunks of hot ginger at the bottom..yum!  Of course eating this looking out over the Indian ocean with your sweetheart is also pretty amazing.

G at "Dairy King", Galle.

So I returned, refreshed and ready for the next little while.  It's going to be a bit of a whirlwind as we get ready to come home.  I'm also going to try to do the Galle Market on June 1.  Busy, busy, busy!

The week that was...

It's weird, how living here you walk around Sunday thinking, "Well I've got a long dull week ahead."  Then suddenly, WHAMMO!  It's Friday and you wonder where the time went! Must be a symptom of ageing.

So let's review shall we? 

Monday was good.  Whilst not particularly busy I had time to show the ladies at The Om Space my stuff.  They were totally lovely about it and treated me professionally...which of course threw me for a loop!  Serena even mentioned orders of eye bags for class as well as giving me some display space in the shop!  Well that just set my menopausal heart afllutter.  It's amazing what stress, even good stress does to your system when you're like this.

Tuesday I knew that I had talked about things entirely too much and therefore had no stock for the yard sale on Wednesday (I'm more of a conceptualist!)  So I blew off the International Expats meeting to stay home and crank sh*t out.  What was an added bonus was that I was listening to CBC and Stewart Maclean and Jian Gomeshi were on.  It was a bacchanalia of CanCon!* 

Wednesday was the day of the Yard Sale at school.  I knew that this wasn't the best venue for me, but I wanted to get out and try things.  So off I went. It turned out to be mostly children's toys but a few people stopped by who were interested in yoga.  I had to laugh to myself at all the pitying looks I was getting as the tables on either side of me were reaping in thousands of rupees.  They were beating off customers with a stick, made of LEGOs!    Ha!  My products had no PVC or BHAs.  My yoga items will not cause your son's breasts to develop prematurely! Take that!   I'M NOT BITTER...NO!  The organizer of the event took pity on me and bought one eye bag.  That's almost worse than none.  Oh well.  I learned a lot!

So what's the meat in this sandwich?  

1. Have fun.  This is not the NASDAQ...it's a yard sale.  
2. I have to edit my display a bit more.
3. Learning to engage with people more easily (story of my life!)
4. Different photos, it's obvious to me what the props are used for but not to all.
5. Project more confidence in the product as I really do believe in props and I am proud of my work.
6. Perhaps cover the eye bags with a thin film as people were handling them and hands are grotty.  You know a display bag maybe.
7. Next time have the "Yoga Doodles" ready. What are Yoga Doodles?  Well it's my avatar doing poses for kids to colour.  Basically free colouring pages with my email address on it. 

Tables were small so had to "edit" carefully!

Thursday Jo took me to a bling bling store here in Colombo.  It had every type of sequin, bead, etc..  Almost too much. I got quite excited and bought some stuff I'm not really sure I need (since when has that been a problem?) I am going to teach myself how to do that Indian mirror embroidery. I want to exaggerate it for my yoga mat bags. It's something I like to do, take a handicraft style and try to put a twist on it. We had fun in the store and then there was a lunch at Min Han afterwards.  It's the Chinese hole in the wall that's pretty decent.  The decor is the best though, Chinese Communist party bistro circa
1983.  

Friday I filled in for Sabina at Om Space.  I taught my first restorative yoga class and quite enjoyed it.  The group was older and I was worried that I'd break them but they seemed to enjoy the class and watching other people chill wasn't as dull as I thought it might be. 

Saturday I got to be yoga'd and it was great.  I'm always glad when I go.  We had 2 evening events to go to but unfortunately we couldn't find the first one, which was a gathering of my night-time yoga class.  I was quite bummed about that as everyone is really nice and you hardly ever get a chance to speak with people after class.  The second event was a birthday party for a newly arrived American family.  They are wonderful hosts and very cordial.  We owe them a couple of dinners...yikes.

Sunday I am sitting in the CoffeeBean after dropping Greg off at golf thinking, "Well I've got a long dull week ahead."

Have a good one people!

*Canadian Content

"Just another Manic Friday..."*

Can't believe what has transpired in just one year.  I looked in the cupboard at my fav coffee cup only to realize it was only 12 months ago I was in New York!  Now here I am in Colombo, Sri Lanka.  It's a weird world!

"What are You lookin' at?" (To be read in your best Travis Bickle voice) 

I've also just decided to go for it vis-a-vis selling my yoga stuff.  There is a yard sale at the school next week and while it might not be the perfect venue, it's good experience.  Plus the table is FREE! So last night I got some people in my yoga class to model the eye bags. 

Is that not hilarious, but restful at the same time?

 I am super happy with how they turned out! I also want to use the pictures as instructions.  Lots of people don't know about props and how they can deepen your practice.  In fact, I've been toying with the name "Yoga Prop-aganda"  as the title for the booth.  it's not perfect but it's getting there.  Besides everyone is asking me what my "business" is called so, "there people...YOGA PROP-AGANDA.  You happy now?!!"  (That's wee bit cranky!)

Gratuitous cute son shot! He's such a good guy!

I've got pants to sell, more rice bags, some mat bags, and maybe some belts (if I can get off my duff).  I went with the tubular mat bag style as it is easier to produce and I can highlight more of my design work on the bag.  I've got a very strong graphic going and I'm really pleased with it.

Speaking of strong graphic, I am helping out the International Expats with making their Xmas stuff (yeah, I love working with felt in the tropics!) and I was reminded of the story my mom told about going to her quilting class and everyone had done all these beautiful muted tone quilts.  When she unfurled her "Hobbema Quilt"**,  there was an audible gasp, then a palpable silence fell over the room!  Well, it was the same with my Christmas Tree bottle covers.  The other ladies had done these gorgeous, more traditional colours and designs with beading etc., and there was mine, LOUD & Proud!

Don't worry, I've since added a star.

Now I'm on to Snowmen bottle covers.  I guess being the only Canadian in this group I am the expert on all things snow!  Of course, the only snowman that comes to mind is the giant snowman my older brother once made that was anatomically correct and quite tumescent (hey..it was cold) But I digress.

I was a bit of a bear this morning and after dropping off G, I was going to stop at Ronnie Mac's for an insipid coffee but decided against it and came home.  So what should I discover to my great surprise?  The little store downstairs has brought in a barrista and goodies from Pan Pan, the local bakery.  Whoo hoo!  It was a pretty decent latte that got me over the hump!  I have included this picture just because it made me laugh.

When models and vegetables mate.

Have a good weekend!

* The Bangles

**Hobbema is a reservation in Alberta and the Aboriginal people there use loads of wild colours in their dance costumes.

Busy week: buns and protests

Whoo hoo! Everyone is back to school and work!  No Easter Monday for us but I made cinnamon buns for the first time yesterday as my concession to the holiday.  They look awesome, if I do say so myself!

Raw, bare buns!

Unfortunately I took a longer shower than I needed and the buns bronzed a bit more than I wanted! However, a drizzle of glaze makes up for any tardy behavior on my part. 

Take that Cinnabons!

So I've joined Fashion Revolution Day and #insideout.  On Thursday we will wear our clothing with the labels out so that we think about where our garments came from.  It is to get others to think about the issue and commemorates those who died in Rana Plaza. 

Sri Lanka is especially interesting to be in now because they have a very large garment industry.  However the business is not totally unregulated and as desperate as Bangladesh.   Yet the rag trade is a fickle mistress.  If things become too good for the worker, the business will piss off somewhere else leaving a lot of people bereft. In this day and age things can be equitable.  Pay more for a better t-shirt that not only looks good, it IS good.

"Who made your shirt?"  Think about it.

Okay, end of "boring preachy part"*  I figured out how to Tweet my photo to Fashion Revolution Day and I got a few responses.  I've been reTweeted, favorited, and picked up one follower!  It's great! I have no idea what it all means.  It's nice though that what I did resonated with some.  It just proves that being true to yourself is the way to go. 

*(Props to Greg Proops) 

Singapore

I am just sitting here in the airport with M quite excited to be going somewhere.  You'd think with all my experience living overseas I'd realize how NB it is to "get outta Dodge" every once in a while!  But the more I learn, the less I know.  Then add to that menopause brain and you've got a complete shell of a woman making life altering decisions!  Sheesh!  I'd compare this to pregnancy brain but at least with PB (no..not peanut butter 'tho that's not a bad comparison) once it's over there is a 99% chance you would regain most of your faculties..not so now.  This is it.  The end...le fin...termina..it's curtains..

Anyway, Singapore was as wonderful and dull as it ever was.  I marveled at the lack of horns being honked..cars stopping when you cross the street..streets!  Ah, I'm in a bad way about Sri Lanka right now so I'm not being fair.

Our room was ..um..very efficient!

Our first meal!

Okay, what I did enjoy?  Well a flood of memories came back as both N and M were little gaffers here.  M was less than impressed when I showed him the hospital where he was born.  He was more impressed by the first MacDonald's I took him to!  We also stopped at our old apartment to say "hi" to Masoud, who is the doorman there.  He remembered us and was surprised that 13 1/2 years have passed!  I also hit up a few of the old second hand stores but my heart wasn't in it.

The day M went to hang with his friend, I went to the museums.  I was curious about the Red Dot Design Museum.  I gather it's a design award and the museum houses the winners.  It was interesting, if a little sparse.  Of course, having taken the museum studies course I look at exhibits a bit differently  Kinda fun to think how I would of staged it. 

No mistaking the Red Dot Design Museum!

My favorite exhibit was the Tupperware exhibit (no, this has nothing to do with my "Clic Clak" obsession).  I thought it was delightfully presented.  Looking through various design books from around the world was fun.  

That's a lot of "burping"going on!

After that I wandered over to Maxwell Food Court for a drink, then down Ann Siang Hill.  When I came out I was delighted to see that I was at our favorite Ipoh Hor Fun (it's not what you think it is!) restaurant.  It's a slow braised beef (maybe!) noodle soup.  It's quite delicious.  

Ipoh Hor Fun!

I hopped the MRT and went over to the National Museum.  It's housed in a very grand building with a modern extension.  I was after the "Living Galleries".  The Food one was good.  There were quite a few beautiful tiffins and kopitiam cups.  I winced when I realized that those old Fraser and Neeve glasses I was so casual with were actual collector pieces..sheesh!  Imagine... using them for drinking!?  

The various Kopitiam (coffeshop) cups.

But the gallery I was after was the fashion gallery.  It was for some inexplicable reason housed in a very dark gallery with lots of dead space.  Now I know that in the tropics it is hard to preserve textiles but I think a lot more could have been done about the politics surrounding the changes, I mean come on, riots, nationhood, Lee Kwan Yew, the whole sixties ethos!  Also, more homage could've been paid to the humble tailor shop.  

Chinese pjs and Cheongsam, one sexy, one not so...

Some western dresses & in the back you can see a paper "soup can" dress.

A nice way to create drama in a hall.

At the fashion exhibit at the Wing Luck Museum in Seattle they had a much more interactive display.  I think giant paper doll cutouts that you could put yourself behind even would have been good.  How about the local (Malay/Chinese) singers at the time and their style?How about the most iconic woman of all, the Singapore girl? I passed by the Movie and Wayang section and in retrospect should have gone.  They had a more modern exhibit in the extension of the building but again how it related to everything..dunno.  It's a hard space to work with, to be sure.  Now if I were the designer...

Like I said, we zoomed around on the MRT and while I was going way underground at Dhoby Ghat I looked up and saw this!  It must be kind of freaky to be the guy cleaning the pond and looking down 'cuz it was kind of freaky looking up!

M and I also enjoyed some of the inhouse entertainment our hotel had to offer.  I enjoyed a documentary called "Menstruation Man".  It's not all what you might think and the guy who is the subject is an amazing man helping the poor women of India.  They don't have access to affordable pads nor in some cases do they even know they exist.  The women are shy and don't hang their laundered rags (!) in the sun to dry so they re-use unsanitary cloths.  This, as you can imagine, can have a devastating effect on their personal health and can even affect their unborn children.  Suffering great derision and through trial and error, he has developed a process and a machine so that impoverished women can manufacture their own pads.  They are improving their health and creating employment for those who otherwise might remain in misery.  It is very inspiring!

Not so erudite was the Tamil movie we enjoyed.  The gods were playing with the lives of 4 men and giving them all sorts of tests in order that they maybe returned to their normal lives.  It was a hoot!  Especially the fact that the gods watched everything on an IMac!  

Finally even though this isn't a food blog I had to show you the amazing tofu fah disappearing act!

Now you see it...

Now you don't!