Coconut and spice and all things rice

That's what Sri Lankan cuisine is made from. It's lovely. And I think pretty good for you as there's lots of fish and vegetables as well as rice and meat. The sauces are delicious and don't use ghee. They've also got hoppers for breakfast. With curry. For those of you who can't live on fabulous fresh fruit and just squeezed juices alone.

Wikipedia, as always, is pretty good on an overview of Sri Lankan food but the best thing is to just point and try or, if I get really lucky and you come and visit, get Brayen to help you shop and teach you how to cook!

What happens when you're away

I was away in Sri Lanka for 9 wonderful days. I was online for most of these (until the kitten didn't kill the computer) but on returning to the "real world" today, I'm flummoxed by almost every headline. For example, there's flooding in the hosepipe ban areas in the UK, the PM of Pakistan has been jailed for 30 seconds and a scorned lover fed a hamster to a dog.

Weird.

And the whole of Dubai is under fog.

I think I prefer the "squirrels" running across the roof, not knowing how to cook a whole fish and waking up to this. 

Back in Dubai

I hadn't really realised, until I got to the airport, how very grubby I was. My white shirt wasn't, my hair wasn't "done" and I certainly haven't had any make up on since leaving Dubai. This might explain, although it certainly doesn't excuse, the appalling attitude of one of the FlyDubai cabin crew.

FlyDubai, Emirates, AirArabia and I'm sure others all fly directly to Sri Lanka. I may decide to try somebody other than FlyDubai next time. Whilst I'm making up my mind I'll write a stinker of a complaint form. Who knows - they might actually read it!

It's ok being back although I struggle to believe that I really wear heels most days.

Going Home

I'm going home tonight. It's Wednesday today and I've been here since Saturday. I really can't think when I was last this happy. The previous owner and family have turned up, as agreed, for a few more weeks and I'm trying to explain the inexplicable absence of the kitten. Nothing I've said has stopped the remorseless questioning. We've arranged for a taxi to the airport, I've set an alarm; let's see what happens next. 

My neighbours gave me a fish

Yesterday morning I was sitting in the garden trying to puzzle out what the big, blue containers my neighbours were working on were for. We got to "chatting" (my Sinhalese isn't very good yet although I can pretty much count to 10) and I asked if I could go around their side. I was desperate to get a good nose around the house and grounds as well as interested in saying hello. They seemed to understand and be happy enough so I wandered around, with some trepidation.

One of the local kids pointed me in the right direction for the gate and I walked past a very nice house with immaculate gardens. As we got closer to the lagoon the garden became a little more wild with coconut trees and a lot of fishing equipment around. The old man came to greet me and show me the way. I stayed to smoke a cigarette and get to understand that the old man lived there. The other three were a father and two sons in their late teens/early twenties. We smiled and nodded and tried to communicate. Eventually I excused myself and went home, after inspecting the chickens with the old man's wife, to my terrace where I watched the men continue their work.

In the afternoon they came back from work and I from Columbo. They called me over to the fence and handed me a whole, big fish that they had just caught. This is lovely but, of course, difficult as I don't know whether to offer to pay or not, how much to offer if I should and how to communicate any of this. I decided to try to pay, once, and made the universal gesture with raised eyebrows. They shook their head and smiled and so I thanked them again and left.

Now I had a fish but no ability to gut it or cook it. So I called Brayen and offered him a fish. He picked it up, brought it home, cooked it, shared it with his family and brought me some to eat. It was delicious. The plan now is to explain to the fishermen that I'd love to buy fish, prawns, crab etc. off them, that I'm going to learn the words so I can do that and that I must be allowed to pay.

I can't wait to come back and have a kitchen in place and learn how to cook the food here.

In the meantime, I think I've worked out what the blue containers are for but, as with most things here right now, I'm probably wrong. 

An apple teaches about bananas

Owning a mac in Sri Lanka is not easy. People look at it and then touch it. It is apparent they don't know what it is or why it doesn't just take the same cable as their PC. And they touch it. My computer. This is not good as I love my computer.

So imagine how I felt it when it stopped working. It seemed that the battery was, for some inexplicable reason, failing to accept power. But the bloody kitten had eaten the cord so I hoped that it was just that.

I spent a day trying to work out what to do. I got various kind souls involved and we confirmed that it was not possible to get this fixed in Negombo. A trip to Colombo was afoot. Brayen was going into town to pick up some tea and offered to drive me the hour's journey and I, of course, accepted.

We chatted all the way into town and I learned a lot about fruit trees. Did you know it takes 18 months to get bananas from a tree? I haven't checked but you can probably find out if it's true here. If it is, that's  ok with me as I intend to be here for a while! Brayen looked completely shocked that I wouldn't be able to recognise a mango tree and then confessed that his wife hadn't realised you could eat them - just thought they came in juice form!

We sped along the streets to Unity Plaza where there was, to be honest, only a very forlorn hope of help as, on the phone, they had asked to see the power cord before confirming they had one. Suddenly I spotted the iconic sign and shouted "Mac! Stop!". Brayen responded immediately and 20 minutes later I was in a very trendy, white office with annoying music. The techy guy and I had an at times somewhat frank conversation - Sri Lankans aren't great at making decisions or commitments and I am. Finally I realised that my choice was either to buy a new Mac there or wait and do it in Dubai as it was going to take at least a week to fix whatever weird logic board problem there is. We negotiated in a friendly if convoluted way and I am now the proud owner of the latest MacBook Air.

I don't like the new computer because it's not exactly the same as the last one so I have to learn things. It has also been very expensive indeed. Especially in a month where I've just bought a property but it feels pretty good to know that when I'm here I can get things done. A computer repair shop and super fast broadband so I can work; fishermen giving me fish so I can eat; a 100 metre pool ten minutes away by boat or road so I can swim if the lagoon doesn't appeal;  the sound of birds and yoga in the morning to keep me happy. And the chance to learn a bit more about the beautiful world around me. I'm happy. But I'll be glad when the kitten is gone. 

What goes on in Negombo? Fishing

According to wikipedia,


Negombo (Sinhala: මීගමුව [ˈmiːɡamuʋə]; Tamil: நீர்கொழும்பு [nir koɭumbu]) is a city of about 121,933, approximately 37 km north of Colombo, in Sri Lanka. It is located at the mouth of the Negombo Lagoon, about 7 km from the Bandaranaike International Airport. Negombo has a moderateport, and its economy is mainly based on tourism and its centuries-old fishing industry, though it also produces cinnamon,^[1] ceramics, and brass ware.


This place is all about the fishing. Especially for those too poor, old or for some other reason unable to work directly in tourism. The fish is great and the boats are picturesque. I'm sure that many of those who fish for a living love it. But there's no doubt that it's getting harder. And these people are not prepared to make the most of the tourists who are coming, in increasing numbers, to the city. I think that sustainable tourism, where everyone benefits, is possible and I want to get involved in that now I'm a resident. More to come on that I hope.


There is other stuff here too. Lots of fun things to do but that's for another post.

Animals

Apparently it's pretty much obligatory to get a dog here. It's part of security and I'm going to get one.

However, I don't really trust animals - they can't be reasoned with and, therefore, I find them scary. For God's sake, I spent last night being bullied by a kitten.

There is a doberman here right now. Maybe. I'm not good with dogs and it might be a Big Dane. It's big though. Very big. And, had I known I would be left alone with it, I would have freaked out. It has been lovely and even sits when I tell it to. Pretty useless as a guard dog given that it ignored all the people who turned up at the gate yesterday (including insurance sales men) and barked at phantoms that weren't there later in the evening. At least it hasn't eaten me. Or trapped me in the house.

I'm going to get a dog. Martin, the real estate guy, also is involved in a couple of charities that rehouse abandoned pets and neuter those on the street. Dogs and cats without owners are a scourge and I'm really looking forward to being a tiny part of his efforts.

He's suggesting a labrador type thing and this, combined with the tortoise Shiny (the old owner) is leaving and the ducks I intend to buy should make things fun. I am resisting, so far, the temptation to buy a goat. And, of course, there will be no kittens.

The Weather

And the weather! It's lovely. There is lots of it too. A couple of nights ago there was a storm loud enough to be quite wonderful. Lots of rain too.

I live in Dubai and come from Europe. So to come somewhere with sun that doesn't destroy and rain that makes things green without making it cold or miserable is fabulous. The storms are part of the entertainment. Although now I'm a home owner they are also part of the worry! Hmm, better get insurance fast.

If you're interested in the climate here you can see a great over view here.

I have tried to get insurance but so far nobody seems to want to sell it to me. No response from any of the firms I've contacted. Get in touch if you can help!

Drink!

I'm Irish. I live in the Middle East.  I have conflicted views about alcohol now.

The first thing I did when I moved in was go to Arpico - the big local supermarket. I didn't want to. I wanted to support local small business but my hosts recommended it and now I have a loyalty card which makes me feel settled.

I needed to go because some friends were coming and so, of course, I needed to have booze to offer them. It felt very strange to just be able to do this by getting in a tuk tuk and spending money. I liked it.

The local booze is arrack. You can find out all about it here but, essentially, it is fermented from coconuts and ranges from "quite nice" to "gut rot". As you go around the various waterways you occasionally come across deserted, illegal arrack stills. I imagine the product from these is not twice distilled like the stuff I drank with coke last night.

If you'd like to come and stay here, the housekeeper (as I write I'm hoping Kamala) will buy or take you to buy whatever booze you'd like. You pay store prices and drink as though at home.

Where am I?

Google maps is amazing. I can finally start to understand how this place works (need a map!) and I am circled in the photo above. Just click on it to make it bigger.

Alternatively you can see it on google maps here.

I've discovered the way to get here is to tell people Pitipana (PEE ti pana) church (also known as St. Mary's - lots of Roman Catholics in Negombo as well as Hindus and Muslims).

Barramundi is about 5 minutes from there. About a kilometre, as the crow flies, from the fish market. Approximately 10 minutes from Beach Road with bars, shops, restaurants and, of course, the beach. And about the same from the town of Negombo with supermarkets, banks, paint shops and all the stuff I'm going to have to buy for the place. And about 20 minutes from the airport. Hurrah!

Previously on Sri Lanka retreat...

I've started a new blog because I can't work out how to get into the old one. You can, however, find it here.  It explains how I got here and has photos of the place as it looks like today.

It's the 22nd of April 2012 so almost 6 months after I started the previous blog and I've bought the place! I always wanted to and hoped to do so earlier but a number of things conspired against it. The amazing work of Martin Fullerton, a real estate guy who truly worked hard for his money on this deal, is entirely responsible for ensuring that I am, as I write this, sitting on MY terrace looking out on the changing colours of the lagoon water and smiling. The lawyer, Miss Chandani, has also been fantastic.

Last night was my first night here. The previous owners have a few weeks to get themselves organised before they move out but have gone to Kandy for a few days to allow me to enjoy the place before going back to Dubai in 4 days. Apart from their doberman and the kitten, the fishermen on the lagoon and some friends who came by yesterday it's just me here. And it's gorgeous. I am being a little bullied by the kitten who seems to think that sitting on my head is ok but I'm fighting back.

Last night was wonderful. As dusk approached there was a pink tint to the air. In the real dark lights from the boats showed men out fishing and their radio and chat drifted across the lagoon to mix with the wind chimes that may eventually drive me crazy but are charming now. I think I'm going to like it here.