In this article I wrote about my trials and tribulations with learning the Russian language. Note: I am not gay :)
Monday, February 29, 2016
Sunday, February 28, 2016
Colombo beauties
The most beautiful girls in Colombo can be seen at the cafes in Colombo 7.
Coco Veranda, by far my favourite cafe in the city, seems to be a magnet for Colombo beauties. I'd say that Sri Lankan women look like their Malayali counterparts but with one major difference. The women in Colombo are very well groomed and carry themselves better.
They are also more trusting of and less hostile towards men, than the girls in India. And then there's the beautiful smile. Don't ask why just about everyone seems to have such nice teeth in Sri Lanka :)
Coco Veranda, by far my favourite cafe in the city, seems to be a magnet for Colombo beauties. I'd say that Sri Lankan women look like their Malayali counterparts but with one major difference. The women in Colombo are very well groomed and carry themselves better.
They are also more trusting of and less hostile towards men, than the girls in India. And then there's the beautiful smile. Don't ask why just about everyone seems to have such nice teeth in Sri Lanka :)
Friday, February 26, 2016
The gutted building near the Mount Lavinia beach
A gutted building that is near the beach on Mount Lavinia has been an eyesore for the last 33 years. It was once the Tilly's Beach Hotel, which was owned by a Tamil businessman.
The hotel was a favourite among residents of Colombo as well as German and Russian tourists. Colomboites would enjoy the Sunday Lunch Table Buffet, while many tourists had a mad crush on the handsome head chef, a culinary genius who understood Russian and German besides his native Tamil, Sinhalese and English.
Tilly's was set on fire during the 1983 Colombo genocide of Tamils, which was the handiwork of racist criminal politician Cyril Matthew. The man handed voter's lists to organised mobs, so they could hunt down Tamils. This was the exact same blueprint used in riots in neighbouring India in the 1980s and 90s.
The hotel was evacuated of its staff and occupants before a mob set it on fire.
When I asked a local about the building a few years ago, he told me the story about how the riots in Black July quickly spread to Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia and that the building was one of the first targets of the rioters (basically local criminals backed by the UNP government).
While the police turned a blind eye in many parts of Colombo in those days, W.A. Samarawickrema, Senior Superintendent of the Mount Lavinia Police had his force open fire on the rioters. The police force was overwhelmed by the mob that had the backing of the army. Army officers who were trained in Sandhurst and Dehra Dun lost their sense of discipline and encouraged and assisted the mobs.
The building sits on prime land and many developers have been trying to seize it, but the Sri Lankan government wants to return it either to the owner or his heirs. I have heard many stories about the owner. Some say he was murdered in 1983 and had no surviving family members. Others say he lives in Canada or the UK, and is not keen to set foot in Sri Lanka again.
Maybe it is better that the building stands there as a memorial to one of the most shameful episodes in Sri Lankan history.
Please note:
The events of 1983 in Colombo were shameful and disgusting, but I cannot mention them without writing about by best Sri Lankan friend, a Sinhalese man, who risked his life by taking a Tamil colleague and his mother in his car and then to his home in Nugegoda.
When the mobs came to his house, he lied and said that there were no Tamils there. If they found the mother and son, they would have murdered my friend and his family as well.
The Tamil family went to India as refugees and then moved to Canada. Every month, the mother calls my friend from Canada and talks to him. Such is her gratitude. There were several cases of Sinhalese and Burgher families risking their lives to save their Tamil friends. The Tamil community has picked up the pieces and thrives in Colombo now, and is among the wealthiest in the country.
The hotel was a favourite among residents of Colombo as well as German and Russian tourists. Colomboites would enjoy the Sunday Lunch Table Buffet, while many tourists had a mad crush on the handsome head chef, a culinary genius who understood Russian and German besides his native Tamil, Sinhalese and English.
Tilly's was set on fire during the 1983 Colombo genocide of Tamils, which was the handiwork of racist criminal politician Cyril Matthew. The man handed voter's lists to organised mobs, so they could hunt down Tamils. This was the exact same blueprint used in riots in neighbouring India in the 1980s and 90s.
The hotel was evacuated of its staff and occupants before a mob set it on fire.
When I asked a local about the building a few years ago, he told me the story about how the riots in Black July quickly spread to Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia and that the building was one of the first targets of the rioters (basically local criminals backed by the UNP government).
While the police turned a blind eye in many parts of Colombo in those days, W.A. Samarawickrema, Senior Superintendent of the Mount Lavinia Police had his force open fire on the rioters. The police force was overwhelmed by the mob that had the backing of the army. Army officers who were trained in Sandhurst and Dehra Dun lost their sense of discipline and encouraged and assisted the mobs.
The building sits on prime land and many developers have been trying to seize it, but the Sri Lankan government wants to return it either to the owner or his heirs. I have heard many stories about the owner. Some say he was murdered in 1983 and had no surviving family members. Others say he lives in Canada or the UK, and is not keen to set foot in Sri Lanka again.
Maybe it is better that the building stands there as a memorial to one of the most shameful episodes in Sri Lankan history.
Please note:
The events of 1983 in Colombo were shameful and disgusting, but I cannot mention them without writing about by best Sri Lankan friend, a Sinhalese man, who risked his life by taking a Tamil colleague and his mother in his car and then to his home in Nugegoda.
When the mobs came to his house, he lied and said that there were no Tamils there. If they found the mother and son, they would have murdered my friend and his family as well.
The Tamil family went to India as refugees and then moved to Canada. Every month, the mother calls my friend from Canada and talks to him. Such is her gratitude. There were several cases of Sinhalese and Burgher families risking their lives to save their Tamil friends. The Tamil community has picked up the pieces and thrives in Colombo now, and is among the wealthiest in the country.
The bellies are vanishing in Colombo
An Arjuna Ranatunga-type belly was a common sight in Colombo ten years ago. Many members of that generation did not care much about physical fitness, but oh have the times changed!
One of the main reasons for this change is the fact that several parks have been landscaped across Colombo. My beloved Nugegoda has a wonderful park that is just a 5-minute walk away from the post office. A lagoon flows through the park, which is blessed with an abundance of wildlife from monitor lizards to a variety of birds.
There's also a wonderful and big park coming up off the High Level Road in Pepilyana Road. This is in addition to an enormous park near the Bellanwila Temple, which has a nice bicycle track as well.
I also saw some new parks in the city centre and the Jayawardenepura Kotte area, near the parliament.
People make great use of these parks, as well as the beach on Mount Lavinia. This is an absolutely welcome change in Colombo.
One of the main reasons for this change is the fact that several parks have been landscaped across Colombo. My beloved Nugegoda has a wonderful park that is just a 5-minute walk away from the post office. A lagoon flows through the park, which is blessed with an abundance of wildlife from monitor lizards to a variety of birds.
There's also a wonderful and big park coming up off the High Level Road in Pepilyana Road. This is in addition to an enormous park near the Bellanwila Temple, which has a nice bicycle track as well.
I also saw some new parks in the city centre and the Jayawardenepura Kotte area, near the parliament.
People make great use of these parks, as well as the beach on Mount Lavinia. This is an absolutely welcome change in Colombo.
High tea at the Mount Lavinia Hotel
14 years of travelling to Sri Lanka and I never once went inside the iconic Mount Lavinia hotel. That changed this week, when I had high tea at the oceanside terrace.
The high tea spread (especially the savouries) leaves a lot to be desired, but the hotel obviously charges for the views. The views of the blue ocean, Colombo city and the coves are absolutely stunning. This is probably the best place to have a sundowner in all of Sri Lanka.
It's obvious that the bloody civil war is a thing of the past in Sri Lanka, when one can enter any five star hotel without even passing a metal detector. This is the way hospitality was meant to be before the terrorists ruined it all in many parts of the world.
May peace prevail permanently on this emerald isle!
The high tea spread (especially the savouries) leaves a lot to be desired, but the hotel obviously charges for the views. The views of the blue ocean, Colombo city and the coves are absolutely stunning. This is probably the best place to have a sundowner in all of Sri Lanka.
It's obvious that the bloody civil war is a thing of the past in Sri Lanka, when one can enter any five star hotel without even passing a metal detector. This is the way hospitality was meant to be before the terrorists ruined it all in many parts of the world.
May peace prevail permanently on this emerald isle!
Thursday, February 25, 2016
The advent of cheaper transport options in Colombo
Until a few years ago, the only ways to get around Colombo were really cheap buses or three wheelers that made an art form of ripping people off.
By 2013, most of the autos started using electronic meters and now the only obstacle was knowing the fastest way to get somewhere, as Colombo is circular and not linear like Bombay.
Now, thanks to Uber and an impending flood of radio taxis and other aggregators, it is easy to get around Colombo. In addition to this, plans are on for a modern mass rapid transport system. If this becomes a reality, the Sri Lankan capital moves one step closer to becoming world class.
By 2013, most of the autos started using electronic meters and now the only obstacle was knowing the fastest way to get somewhere, as Colombo is circular and not linear like Bombay.
Now, thanks to Uber and an impending flood of radio taxis and other aggregators, it is easy to get around Colombo. In addition to this, plans are on for a modern mass rapid transport system. If this becomes a reality, the Sri Lankan capital moves one step closer to becoming world class.
Monday, February 22, 2016
Notes from Colombo: Who spoils the image of Indians abroad?
A lot of middle class Indians complain that their working class brethren spoil the image of Indians in foreign countries. From my own personal experiences, it's the rich and upper middle class folk from India who need a behavioural adjustment.
On Saturday, I went to a popular cinema hall to watch the excellent Hindi film Neerja. During the interval, there was a bit of commotion in the hall. A Sri Lankan man stepped on the foot of a woman while walking to his seat.
This lady, who was very light-skinned and spoke with what is called a "covent school" accent, was quite rude with the man and asked him to cross through another row. When he responded to her, she mocked his English and said he "should learn proper English first and then talk." My initial impression was that this was a local Burgher woman.
The Sri Lankan men were there to watch the film and not get into a language argument with that woman.
A couple of minutes later, I heard her telling some others in Hindi to cross through another row. She clearly had a Delhi accent. She then told her friend in Hindi about how little common sense these Sinhalese had!!! I felt like going up to her and asking her to go back to whichever hellhole she came from. The fact that she was mentioning Gurgaon a few times in her conversation with her friend suggested that she was from the National Capital Region.
Then the interval was over and my attention was back on the film.
On Saturday, I went to a popular cinema hall to watch the excellent Hindi film Neerja. During the interval, there was a bit of commotion in the hall. A Sri Lankan man stepped on the foot of a woman while walking to his seat.
This lady, who was very light-skinned and spoke with what is called a "covent school" accent, was quite rude with the man and asked him to cross through another row. When he responded to her, she mocked his English and said he "should learn proper English first and then talk." My initial impression was that this was a local Burgher woman.
The Sri Lankan men were there to watch the film and not get into a language argument with that woman.
A couple of minutes later, I heard her telling some others in Hindi to cross through another row. She clearly had a Delhi accent. She then told her friend in Hindi about how little common sense these Sinhalese had!!! I felt like going up to her and asking her to go back to whichever hellhole she came from. The fact that she was mentioning Gurgaon a few times in her conversation with her friend suggested that she was from the National Capital Region.
Then the interval was over and my attention was back on the film.
A visit to a Buddhist temple on a Full Moon night
There is something purely magical about Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka on a Poya (Full Moon) night. It's the sight of people dressed in white meditating near the Bodhi tree, the smell of incense, the light of oil lamps, and the cool and gentle breeze.
Some seek merit and blessings in this life, others focus on attaining higher levels of consciousness, while people like me just enjoy the enriching cultural experience. My favourite activity is to gently place lotuses in front of the statues of the Buddha.
These traditions were brought to this blessed island from India more than 2,000 years ago. I wonder if the now-vanished Buddhist temples in Kerala had the same aura and ambience as Sri Lankan temples when India was mostly Buddhist.
It's amazing how many times I have come to this island and enjoyed the Buddhist culture and traditions, yet I have never once set foot in Bodh Gaya and some of the other important Buddhist sites in India. What am I waiting for?
Some seek merit and blessings in this life, others focus on attaining higher levels of consciousness, while people like me just enjoy the enriching cultural experience. My favourite activity is to gently place lotuses in front of the statues of the Buddha.
These traditions were brought to this blessed island from India more than 2,000 years ago. I wonder if the now-vanished Buddhist temples in Kerala had the same aura and ambience as Sri Lankan temples when India was mostly Buddhist.
It's amazing how many times I have come to this island and enjoyed the Buddhist culture and traditions, yet I have never once set foot in Bodh Gaya and some of the other important Buddhist sites in India. What am I waiting for?
Sunday, February 21, 2016
Beautifully-restored Galle
Just a few years ago, the decay was visible in the Portuguese and Dutch buildings in the Galle fort. After sunset the fort and the town became as empty as Kandy at 8 pm. Yesterday, I noticed a different energy and a different vibe to the southern Sri Lankan town.
The once-decayed buildings are whitewashed with a fresh coat of paint, the streets have been newly-repaved, classical street lights don the lanes and a series of new and elegant boutiques line the fort. If there's one thing the authorities could do, it's to close some of the streets to vehicular traffic.
No camera could have done justice to the crimson red sunset we saw yesterday, a day where the sun was playing hide and seek and the cool Indian Ocean breeze made us forget that were in a tropical island close to the equator.
The once-decayed buildings are whitewashed with a fresh coat of paint, the streets have been newly-repaved, classical street lights don the lanes and a series of new and elegant boutiques line the fort. If there's one thing the authorities could do, it's to close some of the streets to vehicular traffic.
No camera could have done justice to the crimson red sunset we saw yesterday, a day where the sun was playing hide and seek and the cool Indian Ocean breeze made us forget that were in a tropical island close to the equator.
Saturday, February 20, 2016
The faces of Sri Lanka
People-watching is one of my favourite activities in Colombo. This is a city where I can easily blend in the crowd. Where I can be an outsider who looks like an insider and just calmly observe people with batting an eyelid.
Sri Lankans are very beautiful people and their faces reveal the fact that their ancestors mixed with all visitors (and invaders) to the island. You spot some hardcore Tamil-looking and Bengali-looking people but a vast majority seem to be mixed race and have an interesting set of features. Yesterday while walking through the market of Nugegoda, I spotted many Portuguese faces, some Malay faces, an odd Dutch face and a few Malayali faces (many Keralites migrated here and assimilated with the Sinhalese in the 19th century).
It would be very interesting to map the ancestry of people here.
Sri Lankans are very beautiful people and their faces reveal the fact that their ancestors mixed with all visitors (and invaders) to the island. You spot some hardcore Tamil-looking and Bengali-looking people but a vast majority seem to be mixed race and have an interesting set of features. Yesterday while walking through the market of Nugegoda, I spotted many Portuguese faces, some Malay faces, an odd Dutch face and a few Malayali faces (many Keralites migrated here and assimilated with the Sinhalese in the 19th century).
It would be very interesting to map the ancestry of people here.
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