January 5, 2012

Finally, I get to post this.  I started writing on January 3, but my dongle crapped out.  What do you expect from something that is called a dongle.  What a silly name.

Spent 2 days cooped up on the apartment.  Getting cabin fever.

Went out today.  Had to re-dong my dongle, get some food and try to find salt.  Yes, you read correctly, salt.  You would think that this being an island in the middle of the Indian Ocean, there would be an overabundance of sea salt.  Wrongo rhino breath.  The Sri Lankan government, in their infinite wisdom has decreed that all salt has to iodized.  They used to sell sea salt in blocks, but you can't get it anymore.  So, I am saltless.  I even tried an ayurvedic chemist in the hopes that they would know about the health properties of sea salt, but no luck.

Here are some pictures of my apartment.  My driver and I gave it a good clean today.  I can't believe how dusty this place is.  I swept before Jayakodi came.  He then mopped and dried the floors.  Then he swept again and got a whole bunch more dust.  Where does all this stuff come from?  Especially when it is muggy on account of the monsoon.  I think that there are dust demons residing on this island.

Looking out from the entrance. 

Dining room

Living room

Kitchen which includes a washing machine

Bathroom.  Unusual to have a shower enclosure.  Usually, it is open so that the whole bathroom gets wet.

2nd bedroom/laundry drying area/storage room/servant's room.  The Sir Lankan version of a dryer is to hang things on a laundry rack and put it under a high speed fan.  Works pretty well.

My bedroom.  The mosquito net is my addition.  Actually, there are hardly any mosquitos here, but you can never be too safe.  I have discovered that if you close the windows before dusk and don't open them again until after dawn, you stay relatively mosquito free.  This is a technique they have not yet learned at Gunfire.  I was being devoured there.

Up until now, I have been on my own in the apartment apart from the occassional cockroach, centipede, and a whole army of ants with whom I share space.  I have turned into a regular Buddhist.  Instead of killing things, I liberate them.  All except the mosquitos, of course.

Off today to sign my lease agreement.  I get possession on January 7, but likely won't move in until January 21.  Have a slight problem of not having any furniture.  I am going over to the house today with Niroshan and Dinithi to see what furniture the house can actually hold.

I am excited.  Time to settle down.  Tired of roaming around.

Gotta go.  Have to liberate a centipede.