To all those who read this every day, I apologize for the delay in posting. I am in Colombo so I have been busy taking of things here.
I left Gunfire on Christmas Day as Amal's sister and her children arrived, leaving no room there. I have been hearing so many things about the sister, niece and nephew from Amal and Shanti, all of them bad. However, contrary to my usual instinct, I was keeping an open mind, thinking that there are 2 sides to every story. Well, bugger the open minded approach! If anything, Amal understated things. Even before I met them, this is what happened.
Everyone had been up until 3 in the morning for 2 nights running with airport pickups and then a family party for their uncle's 80th birthday. That is no big deal except for Mahender, the driver. The roads here a treacherous and it is the monsoon season with a lot of flooding and landslips, so he has to be alert. Of course, they all want to get back on Christmas Day as it was Manil's birthday, but Avanti (the sister) phones up at 7 in the morning saying she wants to get going. Amal tells her that Mahender needs more sleep. She has a tantrum, but can't really do anything. Amal and Mahender go to their apartment around 8 to pick them up and they are not ready for an hour. So what was the big deal about leaving at 7?
Finally, they hit the road only to make 6 or 7 stops on the way to buy a bunch of crap. It takes them 5+ hours to get to Kandy. So now, back at Gunfire we have been waiting for them for breakfast and lunch and Manil is diabetic and has to eat regularly.
They arrive around 2pm and it is raining hard. Avanti and the 2 kids (adults really, 26 and 28) refuse to get out of the car in the rain until Mahender moves the other car and pulls in under the Porte Cachere. It all went downhill from there.
I won't go on about this. It could be a script for a soap opera. Anyway, the day I left for Colombo and yesterday, it all blew up. Manil has taken to her bed and won't eat. Amal is afraid she is willing herself to death because she knows she is the only reason he is staying at Gunfire. I love her and Amal, but they all have a touch of the melodramatic about them. It is just that Avanti and the kids are pathological.
The 3 crazies are supposed to have left or a leaving for a party on the coast and Amal is coming to Colombo for an alms giving for an aunt, so Manil will be left alone with the servants at Gunfire, so I will go directly there when I get into Kandy to make sure she is OK. What a drama. You get the bad with the good when you are taken in by strangers. A small price to pay for all they have done for me.
The good news is that I met with my prospective landlords yesterday and we have agreed to a one year rental agreement. We will sign the papers next week and I should be able to take possession by mid-January. I also met with Shanti's daughter's boyfriend whose family has a furniture making factory in Polinaruwa. He is giving me a quote on making all the furniture I need as well getting the appliances, linens, etc. duty free. Amal also has a friend who manages one of the three wheeler dealerships, so I will be able to buy a tuk tuk at a low price. So I am well on my way.
I hope to be more or less settled by the end of January. The only fly in the ointment is that I can't apply for my one year visa until my 3 month one is almost up, which is the end of February and I can't get my stuff shipped until I have a one year visa. I am going to talk to Amal about getting the stuff shipped to him, so I can get it into the country ASAP. I want my stuff and I don't want to be paying storage charges if I can avoid it. So it seems that Heather's prediction at the Calico Cat that I would get done in 2 months what would take others a year to do is coming true.
I went yesterday to do the full fur/claw as the bunch in Kandy did such a bad job. Dinithi (Shanti's daughter) has a lovely salon that could compete with any upscale place in the world. It was decorated by the furniture making boyfriend, so things look good there. So I met Dinithi and Chaytia (Shanti's children). What a marked contrast to Tara and Amar (the crazy niece and nephew). These 2 kids, who are about the same age, are hard working, accomplished, independent and charming.
The claw place was small and cramped and full of acrylic fumes. I sat there for an hour before they told me they had no power and therefore could not do my gel nails. Typical Sri Lankan. Don't say anything rather than give what they think is bad news. Then I made an appointment at what I thought was their other branch at the Galadari Hotel, only to go there to find out the it had closed 2 or 3 months ago. Finally, after a bunch of tuk tuk rides, I went back to the original place where they now had power. In the end, they did a great job, but it costs almost as much as in Canada. I don't know what I will do next month. Sending $500 what with the train and hotel and meals to come to Colombo for fur/claw seems a little excessive, even to me.
Saturday, 29 December 2012
Monday, 24 December 2012
December 24, 2012
Another day of adventure. Here I am sipping on my second beer. I needed it after today.
First thing I go to the apartment only to find that it has not been cleaned. I called up the landlady and gave her a blast. She claimed it had been cleaned. I said if it had, it was not up to my standard. I started to sweep out the place at which my driver was horrified and insisted that he do it. He did a good job, but we couldn't mop as there is not mop and bucket. Shanti says she will go over there while I am in Colombo and clean the place. Am I blessed or what?
Next stop was the bank to change money. I have found a great branch in Peredinya that is never busy, so that was no problem. Next it was the fish market to get some fish for Manil's birthday breakfast tomorrow. That was pandemonium, although the fish was fresh and the place did not smell bad. Canadians would be horrified, but I think it was OK. Then back to the farm shop to pick up what I bought yesterday. Then we went to a pet store to buy birds that Manil to release on her birthday.
On the way we ran into a traffic jam. Traffic jams here give cluster fuck a whole new meaning. I thought that it was a police controlled intersection. That is usually the problem, but today it was a really an accident. A car and bus collided. Needless to say, the car did not come out too well. So everybody gets out of both vehicles and just walks away. There was a policeman on the scene, but who knows what happened. So there I am in the tuk tuk with two white pigeons. I am looking at the tuk tuk in front of me and a chicken pops up. What a hoot!
At the fruit market they wanted SLR80 for the tomatoes. Jayakodi said something to them and suddenly it went down to SLR70. Thank god he is looking out for me.
Now the birds are in my bathroom on the unoperational bidet. I have a picture which I will post as soon as I get my computer on
First thing I go to the apartment only to find that it has not been cleaned. I called up the landlady and gave her a blast. She claimed it had been cleaned. I said if it had, it was not up to my standard. I started to sweep out the place at which my driver was horrified and insisted that he do it. He did a good job, but we couldn't mop as there is not mop and bucket. Shanti says she will go over there while I am in Colombo and clean the place. Am I blessed or what?
Next stop was the bank to change money. I have found a great branch in Peredinya that is never busy, so that was no problem. Next it was the fish market to get some fish for Manil's birthday breakfast tomorrow. That was pandemonium, although the fish was fresh and the place did not smell bad. Canadians would be horrified, but I think it was OK. Then back to the farm shop to pick up what I bought yesterday. Then we went to a pet store to buy birds that Manil to release on her birthday.
On the way we ran into a traffic jam. Traffic jams here give cluster fuck a whole new meaning. I thought that it was a police controlled intersection. That is usually the problem, but today it was a really an accident. A car and bus collided. Needless to say, the car did not come out too well. So everybody gets out of both vehicles and just walks away. There was a policeman on the scene, but who knows what happened. So there I am in the tuk tuk with two white pigeons. I am looking at the tuk tuk in front of me and a chicken pops up. What a hoot!
At the fruit market they wanted SLR80 for the tomatoes. Jayakodi said something to them and suddenly it went down to SLR70. Thank god he is looking out for me.
Now the birds are in my bathroom on the unoperational bidet. I have a picture which I will post as soon as I get my computer on
Sunday, 23 December 2012
December 23, 2012
Lots to report on now. I finally found a place to live. As Amal says, it is a dream house. It is right on the river, although across the street. That is actually better as during the monsoon, the river can get quite high. It is 4 bedrooms with 3 baths and a servant's toilet. The living and dining rooms are a good size and it even has a garden room. It has what we would regard as a kitchen, although here it is called a pantry as well as a kitchen which is in the more traditional Sri Lankan style. There are 3 verandas and a small garden. The house has been beautifully maintained. In fact, the owners are more concerned that I maintain the property than with the rent. It is SLR.30,000/month which is about C$231.
It will not be ready until about mid-January, so in the meantime I have found a furnished apartment for a month which is also great. I picked up the keys today and was going to move in there today, but Amal is down in Colombo and asked me to stay on with his Mother until he gets back on Christmas Day. They have been so kind to me, it is the least I can do.
Christmas will be different this year. It is Manil's (Amal's Mother) birthday, so the whole gang of us are going to the golf club for dinner. I'll have to get myself into a sari for the occasion.
Today I went out on my own with my new tuk tuk man,Jayakodi, for the first time. Considering that he does not speak English and I don't speak Sinhala, we made out quite well. First we went to the food wholesaler to get basic provisions. There are a lot of supermarkets here, but the stuff is more expensive and not at good. Thankfully the place is run by Tamils and they speak good English. After this I can just ring up and order and Jayakodi and bring it. Then it was off to the apartment to pay the rent and sign the rental agreement. Then on to Arpico to get a couple of things that the farm shop did not have. I will take them in there tomorrow and get them to start ordering them for me.
Then there was an advertisement that one of the big electronics dealers was having a sale on Canon printers. I went in there and got a UPS and an all-in-one printer for around $200. Not too bad. Amal needed a whole ream of documents photocopied for some stupid government request. I finally found a photocopy place on the third try where the machine was actually working. They did a great job and it was only about $2 for 50 pages, but the place was like something out of history. Apart from photocopying, they also have a scribe service where they write letters for people. Of course, they do it on computers now, but the idea is still the same. It was interesting to see a letter being produced in Sinhala as well. Picked up the laundry from the dhobi wallah. They do a great job and also charge very little. I may not even have to get a washing machine.
Lastly, we went to the vegetable and fruit market. I felt really proud of myself for having bought my vegetables without being ripped off. Mind you, Shanti had taken me there and introduced me and they seem very reluctant to cross her. They could have padded a little as I was the only foreigner in the place, but Jayakodi was hovering around so that helped as well. He is very protective of me and gives people a blast if he thinks they are taking advantage.
So now I am an official resident of Kandy. On the 27th I am heading down to Colombo to deal with my visa application on the 28th. The only day they are open over the Christmas/New Year period. That night I am scheduled to meet the people who own my dream home at Riverside Garden. They live in Colombo. They want to sign the rental agreement before the end of the year which suits me fine. On the 29th I finally have a hair appointment with Santi's daughter who owns a nice salon. Her boyfriend makes mahogany furniture for export, so we are meeting at the salon so he can give me an idea how much it would cost me to have my furniture made. It is all go from here.
Living here at Gunfire has given me a real insight into the aristocratic lifestyle. Talk about Upstairs/Downstairs. Here it is all over the stairs. The servants' politics is Byzantine. I get the below stairs from Shanti and the above stairs from Amal. Bottom line is don't have more than two servants and even that may be one too many. Here they have 5 full-time live in people and a crew of itinerant workers even down to a dog walker. No wonder it costs a fortune to run this place.
Once I am in the apartment, I will set up my computer and will be able to upload pictures. Until then....
It will not be ready until about mid-January, so in the meantime I have found a furnished apartment for a month which is also great. I picked up the keys today and was going to move in there today, but Amal is down in Colombo and asked me to stay on with his Mother until he gets back on Christmas Day. They have been so kind to me, it is the least I can do.
Christmas will be different this year. It is Manil's (Amal's Mother) birthday, so the whole gang of us are going to the golf club for dinner. I'll have to get myself into a sari for the occasion.
Today I went out on my own with my new tuk tuk man,Jayakodi, for the first time. Considering that he does not speak English and I don't speak Sinhala, we made out quite well. First we went to the food wholesaler to get basic provisions. There are a lot of supermarkets here, but the stuff is more expensive and not at good. Thankfully the place is run by Tamils and they speak good English. After this I can just ring up and order and Jayakodi and bring it. Then it was off to the apartment to pay the rent and sign the rental agreement. Then on to Arpico to get a couple of things that the farm shop did not have. I will take them in there tomorrow and get them to start ordering them for me.
Then there was an advertisement that one of the big electronics dealers was having a sale on Canon printers. I went in there and got a UPS and an all-in-one printer for around $200. Not too bad. Amal needed a whole ream of documents photocopied for some stupid government request. I finally found a photocopy place on the third try where the machine was actually working. They did a great job and it was only about $2 for 50 pages, but the place was like something out of history. Apart from photocopying, they also have a scribe service where they write letters for people. Of course, they do it on computers now, but the idea is still the same. It was interesting to see a letter being produced in Sinhala as well. Picked up the laundry from the dhobi wallah. They do a great job and also charge very little. I may not even have to get a washing machine.
Lastly, we went to the vegetable and fruit market. I felt really proud of myself for having bought my vegetables without being ripped off. Mind you, Shanti had taken me there and introduced me and they seem very reluctant to cross her. They could have padded a little as I was the only foreigner in the place, but Jayakodi was hovering around so that helped as well. He is very protective of me and gives people a blast if he thinks they are taking advantage.
So now I am an official resident of Kandy. On the 27th I am heading down to Colombo to deal with my visa application on the 28th. The only day they are open over the Christmas/New Year period. That night I am scheduled to meet the people who own my dream home at Riverside Garden. They live in Colombo. They want to sign the rental agreement before the end of the year which suits me fine. On the 29th I finally have a hair appointment with Santi's daughter who owns a nice salon. Her boyfriend makes mahogany furniture for export, so we are meeting at the salon so he can give me an idea how much it would cost me to have my furniture made. It is all go from here.
Living here at Gunfire has given me a real insight into the aristocratic lifestyle. Talk about Upstairs/Downstairs. Here it is all over the stairs. The servants' politics is Byzantine. I get the below stairs from Shanti and the above stairs from Amal. Bottom line is don't have more than two servants and even that may be one too many. Here they have 5 full-time live in people and a crew of itinerant workers even down to a dog walker. No wonder it costs a fortune to run this place.
Once I am in the apartment, I will set up my computer and will be able to upload pictures. Until then....
Sunday, 16 December 2012
December 16, 2012
Sitting here in the rain sipping my bed tea. Seems like a good time to blog.
Yesterday was a full day. I think I may have found my house at last. It is located on an old tea estate in the hills above Kandy called Hantana. In typical Sri Lankan style, we go up there only to find that no one has a key to get in the house. It looks good from the outside. The owner is coming up from Colombo today with they key and I should be able to get into it early this afternoon. It would be nice to get settled.
Then it was off to the Kawasaki's for lunch. They are friends of Amal's who have lived here for years. They are both from the States and have lived all over the world. They teach ESL to Burmese refugees primarily and are very involved with the Burmese opposition movement. Interesting people. I think they will become good friends.
Next came an experience I could have done without. Kumara, the butler at Gunfire has contracted dengue fever and is in Kandy General Hospital. Amal wanted to visit him and give him some healing so I went with him. OMG!! The good news is that the ward was relatively clean and did not stink. The bad news is that there are at least 50 beds on the ward and every peson has his whole village visiting at any given time. Heaven only knows how the staff do their work. Kumara alone had me, Amal, Mahendra (Amal's driver), Kumara's wife, some other friend and then 2 Buddhist monks with him.TTYe beds are cramped together so that half of the visitors are on the bed with the patient. Of course, the hospital has not food so that has to be brought in by relatives. Two beds down, some poor guy had tried to commit suicide by drinking pesticide but had survived. Altogether not a pretty scene.
Thankfully, we actually spoke with a doctor. That is something that would never happen in Canada. He is present on the ward at all times. He was pleasant and competent. Kumara seems to be receiving good care and the doctor says he is getting clinically better. His lab tests seem to be improving as well. Today is the last critical day, so hopefully he will be out of the woods within a day or two and will be able to come back to Gunfire to be cared for here.
Then it was off to Arpico to do some shopping. After the hospital, that was surreal. For one thing the place if fully decorated for Christmas and there are Christmas carols blaring over the loudspeakers. Anyway, we got that done. I had a chance to check out the furniture and the linens, both of which are crap. I will be getting my furniture made. Amal said he would take me down to Colombo with the SUV to do my basic supply shopping. I can just get what I want and fill up the truck.
After that it was getting Kumara's lab work done. There are no lab facilities in the hospital. Hospital care is free, but nothing else is. You have to take the sample to the lab yourself and then pick up the results and take them to the doctor. I won't even go into the hygienic state of the labs. I am amazed that every sample does not come back with some sort of pathogen in it.
By the time we got back home it was 1930 and I had been on the go since 1000. We had dinner and then watched Sherlock Holmes. Got to sleep around 0100. Never a dull moment. Thank god Kandy's climate is so mild. You could never do this in Colombo.
The rain has stopped and the sun is starting to come out. Time for a workout. I have been managing to work out almost every day and have lost about 10 pounds. Still have ways to go, but it feels good. Only thing is I need my kurtas taken in already.
Yesterday was a full day. I think I may have found my house at last. It is located on an old tea estate in the hills above Kandy called Hantana. In typical Sri Lankan style, we go up there only to find that no one has a key to get in the house. It looks good from the outside. The owner is coming up from Colombo today with they key and I should be able to get into it early this afternoon. It would be nice to get settled.
Then it was off to the Kawasaki's for lunch. They are friends of Amal's who have lived here for years. They are both from the States and have lived all over the world. They teach ESL to Burmese refugees primarily and are very involved with the Burmese opposition movement. Interesting people. I think they will become good friends.
Next came an experience I could have done without. Kumara, the butler at Gunfire has contracted dengue fever and is in Kandy General Hospital. Amal wanted to visit him and give him some healing so I went with him. OMG!! The good news is that the ward was relatively clean and did not stink. The bad news is that there are at least 50 beds on the ward and every peson has his whole village visiting at any given time. Heaven only knows how the staff do their work. Kumara alone had me, Amal, Mahendra (Amal's driver), Kumara's wife, some other friend and then 2 Buddhist monks with him.TTYe beds are cramped together so that half of the visitors are on the bed with the patient. Of course, the hospital has not food so that has to be brought in by relatives. Two beds down, some poor guy had tried to commit suicide by drinking pesticide but had survived. Altogether not a pretty scene.
Thankfully, we actually spoke with a doctor. That is something that would never happen in Canada. He is present on the ward at all times. He was pleasant and competent. Kumara seems to be receiving good care and the doctor says he is getting clinically better. His lab tests seem to be improving as well. Today is the last critical day, so hopefully he will be out of the woods within a day or two and will be able to come back to Gunfire to be cared for here.
Then it was off to Arpico to do some shopping. After the hospital, that was surreal. For one thing the place if fully decorated for Christmas and there are Christmas carols blaring over the loudspeakers. Anyway, we got that done. I had a chance to check out the furniture and the linens, both of which are crap. I will be getting my furniture made. Amal said he would take me down to Colombo with the SUV to do my basic supply shopping. I can just get what I want and fill up the truck.
After that it was getting Kumara's lab work done. There are no lab facilities in the hospital. Hospital care is free, but nothing else is. You have to take the sample to the lab yourself and then pick up the results and take them to the doctor. I won't even go into the hygienic state of the labs. I am amazed that every sample does not come back with some sort of pathogen in it.
By the time we got back home it was 1930 and I had been on the go since 1000. We had dinner and then watched Sherlock Holmes. Got to sleep around 0100. Never a dull moment. Thank god Kandy's climate is so mild. You could never do this in Colombo.
The rain has stopped and the sun is starting to come out. Time for a workout. I have been managing to work out almost every day and have lost about 10 pounds. Still have ways to go, but it feels good. Only thing is I need my kurtas taken in already.
Friday, 14 December 2012
December 14, 2012
Life goes on here. Still no place to live. I did find a couple of things, but nothing is really speaking to me yet.
I did go and get my nails done yesterday. They are not used to doing gel nails so it took 4.5 hours. I was exhausted by the time I got back. Spa days are supposed to be relaxing. In the end I had to more or less give them a training course. However, including transport it cost half as much as in Canada.
Day before yesterday, Amal and I wend to a seminar at Peridinya University about the paranormal. On the way home, we stopped off for a drink at the Amaya Hills Hotel. It is right on top of one of Kandy's hills with a magnificent pool and a great gym. Last night we went back for dinner with Manil, Amal's mother ostensibly to watch the Geminid Meteor Shower. We had a nice evening out, but did not see the shower. However, when we got back to Gunfire, the heavens put on a show for us. We saw about a dozen or more shooting stars, some of them really big ones. As the night wore on more and more stars appeared. Jupiter was like a bright beacon right above us.
Now I am sitting here having my bed tea with a shawl on as it is a bit cool.
I did go and get my nails done yesterday. They are not used to doing gel nails so it took 4.5 hours. I was exhausted by the time I got back. Spa days are supposed to be relaxing. In the end I had to more or less give them a training course. However, including transport it cost half as much as in Canada.
Day before yesterday, Amal and I wend to a seminar at Peridinya University about the paranormal. On the way home, we stopped off for a drink at the Amaya Hills Hotel. It is right on top of one of Kandy's hills with a magnificent pool and a great gym. Last night we went back for dinner with Manil, Amal's mother ostensibly to watch the Geminid Meteor Shower. We had a nice evening out, but did not see the shower. However, when we got back to Gunfire, the heavens put on a show for us. We saw about a dozen or more shooting stars, some of them really big ones. As the night wore on more and more stars appeared. Jupiter was like a bright beacon right above us.
Now I am sitting here having my bed tea with a shawl on as it is a bit cool.
Tuesday, 11 December 2012
December 11, 2012
A lot has been happening. I think I have found a place to live at least for a couple of months starting December 22 or 23. At least I will be settled for Christmas. It is a 2 bedroom apartment here in Kandy. That makes me feel better. As much as I would like to,I can't stay at Gunfire forever.
Yesterday we went out to the coconut plantation. Amal and his friend Jez want to set up a soap and beauty product production line out there. On the way up and back and over dinner we were just brain storming. They liked some of my thoughts so they have asked me to join them in the project. I am thrilled. It gives me something to do. Amal is, of course, great and Jez is one of the brightest people I have met in a long time. The products will have a coconut base about which I am passionate.
It is funny that the prediction of the tea leaf reader at the Calico Cat that I would continue to be involved in the health industry when I came to Sri Lanka seems to be coming true.
Just now Shanti, Amal's cousin, told me about a room in a house where the lady lives alone that I could have for SLR 10,000. If it is alright I could take it for a couple of months until I find the ideal place to rent. That could take the pressure off for a while. We will take a look at it today.
Yesterday we went out to the coconut plantation. Amal and his friend Jez want to set up a soap and beauty product production line out there. On the way up and back and over dinner we were just brain storming. They liked some of my thoughts so they have asked me to join them in the project. I am thrilled. It gives me something to do. Amal is, of course, great and Jez is one of the brightest people I have met in a long time. The products will have a coconut base about which I am passionate.
It is funny that the prediction of the tea leaf reader at the Calico Cat that I would continue to be involved in the health industry when I came to Sri Lanka seems to be coming true.
Just now Shanti, Amal's cousin, told me about a room in a house where the lady lives alone that I could have for SLR 10,000. If it is alright I could take it for a couple of months until I find the ideal place to rent. That could take the pressure off for a while. We will take a look at it today.
December 6, 2012
I have been in Kandy for more than 1 full day now. I am staying at a house called Gunfire. It may be the most beautiful house in Kandy. I have taken pictures, but can't post them because my computer is not hooked up. My friend Amal and his mother have taken me in as if I were a member of their family. The generosity of spirit of Sri Lankans never ceases to amaze me. I have no doubt that we in Canada would not do the same. I must have some very good karma saved up to have landed in such good circumstances.
There is no news of my friend Nirmala. As far as we know she is still in hospital receiving what we hope is palliative care. As Amal says we will probably learn of her death from an obituary in the paper.
I removed all my things from her place when I came up here and who knows if I will go back.
Kandy is beautiful. The climate is much milder than Colombo. Last night I even had to use a blanket to sleep. The odd time yesterday I even felt that I could use a sweater. Not to worry, though. I am sitting out on the veranda having my bed tea at 0830 with just my light bathrobe on.
Amal's mothers gave me the most amazing gift last night. We talked for 3 hours. She told me the story of how she married her husband and her life with him. It was fascinating to step back into another era of wealth, privilege, caste, Buddhism, custom, but mostly feeling. Sitting with her in her elegant dining room in this most beautiful of houses listening to her, I felt that we were back in the Raj.
The long and the short of it though is that she has had a very sad life. She married at 19. Her marriage was more a merger of two powerful families than anything else and for reasons that I will not go into, any love she may have had for her husband died after only 3 years. For his part, he remained in love with another woman until he died.
I was so touched that she shared her story with me. I am tearing up even now writing this. What a lovely woman. It was so good of her son to bring her back home so she could truly become mistress of Gunfire. It is a role that fits her very well and seemingly makes her a little happier in her last days.
For my part, I looked at 2 places yesterday. The first one was disgusting, although the setting was beautiful. It was overlooking the Kandy river which is dammed to form Kandy reservoir. Amal's cousin also has a house in that area that might be alright with some work, which she is willing to do but isn't available until next year sometime. The second was a townhouse sort of thing owned by the CEO of a finance company that Amal is a director of. It has some real possibilities and the rent is right. The limitation is that it only has one bedroom and it directly overlooks the rugby stadium where they have matches every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from April through July. On the plus side there is a large sports club attached the the rugby grounds which has a good restaurant form which you can order meals to be sent across and a state of the art gym. Something that would not go amiss at the moment.
I am hoping to see a few more places today, but things move at a snails pace around here, so who knows how many I will get to see in the end.
There is no news of my friend Nirmala. As far as we know she is still in hospital receiving what we hope is palliative care. As Amal says we will probably learn of her death from an obituary in the paper.
I removed all my things from her place when I came up here and who knows if I will go back.
Kandy is beautiful. The climate is much milder than Colombo. Last night I even had to use a blanket to sleep. The odd time yesterday I even felt that I could use a sweater. Not to worry, though. I am sitting out on the veranda having my bed tea at 0830 with just my light bathrobe on.
Amal's mothers gave me the most amazing gift last night. We talked for 3 hours. She told me the story of how she married her husband and her life with him. It was fascinating to step back into another era of wealth, privilege, caste, Buddhism, custom, but mostly feeling. Sitting with her in her elegant dining room in this most beautiful of houses listening to her, I felt that we were back in the Raj.
The long and the short of it though is that she has had a very sad life. She married at 19. Her marriage was more a merger of two powerful families than anything else and for reasons that I will not go into, any love she may have had for her husband died after only 3 years. For his part, he remained in love with another woman until he died.
I was so touched that she shared her story with me. I am tearing up even now writing this. What a lovely woman. It was so good of her son to bring her back home so she could truly become mistress of Gunfire. It is a role that fits her very well and seemingly makes her a little happier in her last days.
For my part, I looked at 2 places yesterday. The first one was disgusting, although the setting was beautiful. It was overlooking the Kandy river which is dammed to form Kandy reservoir. Amal's cousin also has a house in that area that might be alright with some work, which she is willing to do but isn't available until next year sometime. The second was a townhouse sort of thing owned by the CEO of a finance company that Amal is a director of. It has some real possibilities and the rent is right. The limitation is that it only has one bedroom and it directly overlooks the rugby stadium where they have matches every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from April through July. On the plus side there is a large sports club attached the the rugby grounds which has a good restaurant form which you can order meals to be sent across and a state of the art gym. Something that would not go amiss at the moment.
I am hoping to see a few more places today, but things move at a snails pace around here, so who knows how many I will get to see in the end.
Monday, 3 December 2012
December 3, 2012 1330
Later today, back at the hotel. I have seen about 5 houses. Dismal. But I guess you have kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince. Going out again at 1430 to look at some more stuff including some I found on-line and some that my new friend Ulla recommended. Let's hope those will be better.
Meanwhile, it is a beautiful day. The ocean is turquoise, the sand is yellow and I am sipping on a beer waiting for my salad and pizza for lunch. Paradise.
Meanwhile, it is a beautiful day. The ocean is turquoise, the sand is yellow and I am sipping on a beer waiting for my salad and pizza for lunch. Paradise.
December 3, 2012
Here I am at the Unawatuna Beach Resort in Galle. Last night we went to a fabulous Italian restaurant where I actually had real boconccini and excellent gnocchi. The setting was exquisite right on the beach. When we got back we sat on the sand wiggling our toes, listening to the waves crash in and watching the stars twinkle overhead. This is truly paradise.
A swim in the beautiful pool in which Amal and I were the only 2 people and then breakfast by the waves started out the day.
Now, I am waiting for my Tuktuk driver to go to see some houses for rent. I think this would be a fine place to live. We will see what is out there.
A swim in the beautiful pool in which Amal and I were the only 2 people and then breakfast by the waves started out the day.
Now, I am waiting for my Tuktuk driver to go to see some houses for rent. I think this would be a fine place to live. We will see what is out there.
Saturday, 1 December 2012
December 1, 2012
Well, I am back on-blog. My latest problem was that I dropped my laptop and buggered up my hard drive. The real problem is that all my pictures, etc. are on it and I need to find someone who can get the information off. In the meantime, I can't stay disconnected, so I am the proud owner of a new 27" iMac with full Mountain Lion capability. I had intended on making this purchase all along as I will use it instead of a TV. Now I just have it sooner than expected.
The situation here at Nirmala's continues to be bad. Today I had to call her General Manager at her work as it seems that the household staff have not been paid and the whole place is in disarray. They keep telling me that she is coming home, but last night she was hospitalized and had to be given oxygen. I don't get how these people can always give you whatever bullshit they think will make you happy. Not the bearers of bad news, ever.
Tomorrow, I am going down to Galle with one of Nirmala's friends (the good looking male) to check out the scene there to see if that is where I want to live. We will see. For sure, I want to get out of here.
The visa situation has been sorted. I will apply for my 1 year visa next week. If for some reason I can't get it in the normal course of events, Devaraj has lined up a cabinet minister to write me a letter.
Progress is being made, although I have to keep reminding myself that things don't move nearly as quickly here as they do in Canada. I can't complain though as I have only been here a week. I have already managed to meet a lot of new friends, including ones that are willing to ferry me all over the place. I have an offer to stay with someone in Kandy as well, so I will be going up there to check it out.
Last night I had drinks with Oliver Perumal who is a Sri Lankan/Canadian who lives in Qualicum Beach. Imagine, someone from home within one week. Life is good!
The situation here at Nirmala's continues to be bad. Today I had to call her General Manager at her work as it seems that the household staff have not been paid and the whole place is in disarray. They keep telling me that she is coming home, but last night she was hospitalized and had to be given oxygen. I don't get how these people can always give you whatever bullshit they think will make you happy. Not the bearers of bad news, ever.
Tomorrow, I am going down to Galle with one of Nirmala's friends (the good looking male) to check out the scene there to see if that is where I want to live. We will see. For sure, I want to get out of here.
The visa situation has been sorted. I will apply for my 1 year visa next week. If for some reason I can't get it in the normal course of events, Devaraj has lined up a cabinet minister to write me a letter.
Progress is being made, although I have to keep reminding myself that things don't move nearly as quickly here as they do in Canada. I can't complain though as I have only been here a week. I have already managed to meet a lot of new friends, including ones that are willing to ferry me all over the place. I have an offer to stay with someone in Kandy as well, so I will be going up there to check it out.
Last night I had drinks with Oliver Perumal who is a Sri Lankan/Canadian who lives in Qualicum Beach. Imagine, someone from home within one week. Life is good!
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