English Blog – Page 34 – Project Salad

Steve April 25, 2021

English Blog

April Sunsets

We are now in the West Coast monsoon season so without the vibrant sunsets of the end of last year and the beginning of this one, the sun often instead being hidden behind cloud. When it does make an appearance though, it can still be colourful as seen here.

The image above is from a few days ago with a narrow band of heavy rain falling between the near and far distance and which we then watched advancing towards us until it made landfall.

The image below is from this evening with a patrol boat helping complete my photograph originally set up to capture the catamaran on its evening sail.

Steve

Steve April 25, 2021

English Blog

A walk home

After a hair cut for each of us at Colombo City Centre mall to the right of Rennie in the image above, we today decided to walk home rather than take a taxi or tuk tuk. Not far from the start, on the corner between Sir James Pieris Mawatha and Perahera Mawatha (mawatha being road) is a shabby and decaying concrete building that has never been completed. I understand that it is owned by the nearby Gangaramaya Temple, which would make sense because just like the temple houses a huge collection of old possessions, so does this incomplete structure – including motor vehicles like they have been forgotten in a multi-storey car park. Construction in Colombo is currently at a much-reduced rate (in fact with a majority of sites standing idle) but with the site of this particular building being prime land next to the lake, its days as a shabby eye-sore have to be numbered.

Although in the peak of the day so not very flattering for photography, the walk also gave opportunity to capture the eclectic range of buildings more widely in this part of the city.

Arrival home saw us hot and sweaty and grateful for the air conditioned cool on opening the door to our apartment before heading straight for a shower, but glad we had walked.

Steve

Steve April 21, 2021

English Blog

Back to Pelmadulla

The weekend of 9th to 11th April saw fourteen members of an extended international family descend on the small hotel on the hillside above Pelmadulla where Misa and I had stayed a few weeks prior.

From musical chairs, through Easter egg hunt, to a rock pool picnic – with “waiters” swimming out with hot food and wine! – to the plentiful barbeque, to the two late nights of laughter, we had a lovely time. Even the torrential rain necessitating that the barbeque be under a tarpaulin couldn’t dampen our spirits.

Hopefully the pictures give a flavour of what I describe from finding a huge snail (half the size of my fist) on our arrival, through to Maccy D on arriving back in Colombo.

Steve

: DCIM101GOPRO

Rennie April 21, 2021

English Blog

Back to physical school

Wednesday 21st April 2021

We never thought the day would come and kids would be able to go back to physical school as Covid-19 is still a big issue worldwide. The Sri Lankan government gave permission to open schools on 25th March, but Sinhala & Tamil New Year on 13 and 14th April meant some schools opened only on Monday 19th April.

Our kids were excited, but also nervous at the same time after being home schooled for the last 6 months, having attended physical classrooms in Year 9 for only 3 weeks in the past 13 months.

New shoes for Misa (size 9 vs Steve size 8.5!) and new trousers for him too as he only has 3cm to go to be as tall as Steve!). Emi has new shirts.

Making a lunch box the evening before by themselves and having everything ready too is a must. Getting up at 5.30 to catch the school bus, which picks them up downstairs under the canopy at 6.10, is a killer, but so far they are doing good. No more daily stress with taxies like when they first went to school and they are back home at 15.15, again being dropped off at our apartment block. They go to bed at 20.30 and are asleep by 21.00; no more 23:00 nights.

They are both liking going to school and managing ok with all the rules and regulations, despite a huge change in their daily routine. No testing yet, but temperature checks, masks on all the time, staying in a class bubble and frequent hand sanitizing.

Emilka is loving being at school with her friends and told me she feels confident answering questions in class. Today Misa said: “I can honestly say for the first time in my life, I actually enjoyed my school today!”

There is always a silver lining around each cloud so perhaps the Covid-19 pandemic will teach them to be grateful for the opportunity to be at school and not to take it for granted.

Rennie

Steve April 19, 2021

English Blog

21st Wedding Anniversary

Last year Rennie and I celebrated our 20th anniversary under full curfew as Rennie wrote here at the time. A celebration that was interesting, different and special in lots of ways that we will never forget – but not what anyone would have guessed or in circumstances to be guessed, either.

Coronavirus is still here, and we still have to take care, but for quite some months now we have been lucky to have complete freedom of movement and so be able to celebrate things as we might wish.

For our 21st wedding anniversary last week we both liked the idea of a juicy steak at Uga Residences on Park Street where we had celebrated Valentine’s Day. We had a wonderful evening, but with a few twists that started with Rennie being called to the hospital for the delivery of a baby just a few hours’ before. I ended up going the to restaurant alone with a bag of clean clothes for Rennie and the promise via WhatsApp of “Don’t worry. I won’t stand you up! 🙂 ” just like a first date!

Ten minutes alone at the table for two became, fifteen, then twenty and more. I then heard a voice behind me that I recognised – but it wasn’t my lovely wife. It was our dear Indian friend Mala and her husband Kumar being typically kind and calling in to wish us well on their way to a different restaurant where they had planned to dine. Absolutely lovely – and I had engaging conversation with which to pass the time before Rennie arrived about an hour late but rightfully proud of what she had just been part of.

Farewells bade, we then enjoyed our dinner of slow cooked lamb shank for Rennie and a rare-side-of-medium-rare Rib Eye steak for me; just a hint more than my usual rare since it doesn’t work so well for this cut of beef.

The next surprise was to be a celebratory cake on the house, followed by the biggest one of all that Mala and Kumar had made arrangements to settle the bill before they left. How very, very kind. This is typical of their generosity and thoughtfulness.

Completely different to last year, but once again a very special occasion to remind us of what we are so lucky to have; both in each other and those around us.

Steve

Steve April 18, 2021

English Blog

Pelmadulla Weekend

Preparing to leave home on the Friday evening to spend the weekend of 6th and 7th March with friends from Nepal and Turkey I asked Misa if he would like to join in. The destination was a small hotel on the hillside above Pelmadulla recently built by a Sri Lankan friend of one of the group, and with the prospect of visiting a rockpool and waterfall as well as enjoying a Saturday night barbeque until very late. In other words, the opportunity perfect for an adventure and shared memories as Misa becomes a young adult. He said “Yes”, so after his quickly packing we were on our way, the four of us travelling in the same car.

Arrival in pitch black was gone midnight to find a delicious meal awaiting us, this including a phenomenal clear soup of pumpkin and chilli before we went on to rice and curry. Misa was then showered and in bed whilst the rest of us enjoyed a few G&Ts, a drop of Czech Slivovic and a lot of laughs before heading off to bed. The new day brought a lovely view over the valley and silence bar birdsong before going down to a leisurely breakfast. In the early afternoon we walked the 800 metres through the forest to the waterfall and rockpool where Misa may or may not have enjoyed a drop of Lion lager. Much fun and more laughter before heading back to prepare the barbeque – arriving to the second when the heavens opened in fine style. Absolutely torrential rain which remained until after midnight meant the barbeque was conducted under a tarpaulin but this didn’t dampen the occasion or spoil the smoked long yellow capsicum or the delicious meats of marinaded lamb, chicken, and beef as well as various sausages.

Despite going to bed at about 3am I was wide awake by 6:30am and up at 6:45am – and on drawing the curtains open saw the amazing sight shown in some of the images and this video; put some headphones on and listen to the birds whilst watching the cloud formed by the heat of the sun causing the afternoon and night’s heavy rainfall to evaporate. It changed shape and endured for a couple of hours before it was gone, by when a much quieter gathering than the night before gathered for breakfast.

Before long, we were packed up and four hours later back in Colombo.

Much fun, and I am so happy that Misa came and consequently enjoyed a shared experience.

Steve

Rennie April 13, 2021

English Blog

Misa and his first Covid test

Friday, April 2, 2021

Misa doesn’t go much anywhere or without us, so we don’t know where he could have caught a cold and suffered with the rasping cough that he had for a second day. The only place we thought of was when he went with a neighbour and her children to buy school trousers on Wednesday and was sitting in a closed car with cold air conditioning and the air recirculating.

We were going away for the weekend as part of a group of 14 friends, so we didn’t want to endanger anyone if it happened to be Covid. Misa therefore agreed to be tested.

Why do I make a fuss and a blog post out of it?

Here in Sri Lanka, the PCR tests and the Rapid antigen test are done in a rather brutal way, completely without finesse when because inserting the stent 7 cm into the nasal cavity. It is just rammed home without ceremony and then twirled around. I didn’t even know that the nasal cavity was that long and it felt to me like they were scraping my brain in each of the ten times I have endured the experience.

Before we went to the hospital, Misa researched the internet to learn how they would take it from him, what it looked like, and what to expect from it but unfortunately he could not prepare for what was to come.

Tears welled up (with me always too), and when he composed himself, he announced, “He has poked my weirdly wired brain, maybe he somehow disturbed it and it will connect back to normal!” Well, we laughed.

We were in a hospital where I am known so we had an assistant who was taking care of us and it all went fast and with the results known within 20mins. NEGATIVE.

We could go on our weekend in peace of mind knowing it was not Covid. Unfortunately, Emilka and I got it from him but Steve escaped with just that throaty tickle that is the warning to a cold but without it developing. We drank honey and lemon like there was no tomorrow and all of us are now fine again.

I was very proud of him. He was very sympathetic when he had gone through the experience and felt for me having it before each birth with a woman who calls me to be supporting her in labour. I have eight women on my books to support before July. Eight more potential tests!

Rennie

Rennie April 13, 2021

English Blog

Strange fruit – Soursop

Thursday 1. April 2021

We bought an unusual fruit – SOURSOP.

Green, oval shaped, as big as an adult head and seen everywhere in Sri Lanka on big tall trees. Only now, when I saw and tasted it at a friend’s house today did I take the courage to buy one and use it myself.

It has an interesting taste and feel in the mouth; sweet and slightly slimy and not too much to bite into. Delicious with Greek yoghurt or put into kid’s smoothies. I will try it again despite the worrying notes about potential toxicity.

Rennie

Steve April 8, 2021

English Blog

Red Tuk Tuk

With my camera out for some street photography at Pettah Market, this highly polished and vibrant red tuk tuk came past. Someone\’s pride and joy, it really stood out against the dusty and dirty street and the goings-on of working lives.

Steve

Steve April 8, 2021

English Blog

Sivasubramania Swami Kovil

I’ve wanted to photograph this Hindu temple in Colombo for many years predating living here, and on Sunday evening as we neared home I had the perfect opportunity; soft evening light bright enough to bring out detail but low enough in the sky as not to cast strong shadows.

The photo above is of the temple contrasted against the high-end Altair Tower nearing completion of its construction, and below a wider aspect and some of the details. Yes, it could do with a lick of paint!

Steve

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