Emi and Sarang
Walking to the office on Thursday afternoon who did I meet striding out the other way on the first day of their school holiday, but Emi and her friend Sarang.
Steve
Christmas Weather Forecast
I\’ve long wanted to take Rennie and the Children to experience the lovely beach and calm, gin clear water at Passikudah on the East cost. Now that we live in Sri Lanka, Christmas brings the perfect opportunity and off we\’ll head on the long drive at 5am on Christmas Eve – Except that I forgot that with the Monsoon season finally having finished on the West coast where we live, it has just commenced on the East.
Lovely resort and relaxing time or not, it looks like plenty of indoor games will be in order!
Steve
Colombo Kollupitiya market
I visited the much talked about historical Kollupitiya market for the first time to by some fresh fish, fruits and veg.
The fruit and vegetables were lovely and fresh and you are able to taste before you buy, which is nice.
The second floor was selling fresh fish of all kinds and despite them trying to keep it cool in ice, it reeked – and there were three cats sleeping on one of the empty stall’s tables!
To my surprise, on the top floor there were several shops full of foreign food and produce and when walking between the aisles with Mr Sheen polish, El Paso tortillas and Ryvita biscuits, I felt like “at home” for moment – even if the Ryvitas were four times the price I am used to paying!
I think I need to bring the kids there too, to experience the same!
Rennie
Break up for Christmas
Wednesday 18th December 2019
As a special treat for the end of school term, we went for a celebratory lunch with our friends to a small quirky cafe/restaurant that we pass everyday en route to and from school, the “Caramel Pumpkin”.
Míša had the “all day breakfast” – polished the lot in no time – and Emi had smoked salmon and cream cheese wrap which she enjoyed too. I risked it with Green Thai chicken curry (with a picture of one chilli next to the description on the menu) and had to take my time as it was super spicy even though the waiter said it was 6 spiciness on the scale 0-10! It was 11 on my scale! I needed a gelatto afterwards.
We walked home and stopped at Odel, one of the most popular department store chains in Sri Lanka, to see their Christmas decorations. I snapped a quick picture of our teenagers by “Santa’s fire place”.
Kids are happy that school is off until 7th January and hoping for unlimited gadget time – though that’s not going to happen! I have already discussed revision time with them during the holiday and they were surprisingly agreeing with me about it. Perhaps this is to do with good reports they received yesterday and the realisation that hard work pays off?
Rennie
Old and New
A night time smartphone picture showing old shops that are otherwise largely demolished for modern towers like the one behind.
Independence Memorial Museum
The Independence Memorial Museum this evening, with the Lotus Tower one and three quarter miles in the distance nicely lit up. A 25 second exposure successfully masked the people who walked across the shot.
Steve
Christmas is coming
Christmas is coming, and with it a surprise packet from Babi Liduška, the children\’s Czech grandma; Christmassy window stickers, much to their delight! The sight of snowflakes, snowmen, woolly mitts, scarves and hats does look a bit incongruous though with a 32 deg C cityscape behind!
Steve
Creative Crumpets
One Amazon Echo Dot as the former for aluminium foil rings
Home-made crumpet mix
Precious mature English cheddar carried out from the UK
One excited daughter
Tasty lunch; far superior to shop-bought crumpets!
Steve
