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ROYSTON REPORTS, Number 271 Sunday 6 September 2015
Gathering of Gourmets I was privileged to be invited to the opening of Colombo’s newest restaurant last week, The Grande Gourmet at Nirj’s (39A Horton Place, Colombo 7; reservations 077-3527978, Mr Sheriff;http://nirjs.com). This is not just a restaurant but the latest in a lifetime of amazing achievements by Nirj Deva, the Sri Lankan born former Member of the UK parliament and, since 1999, a Member of the European Parliament. He is also the adviser on International Affairs to the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Welcome to Nirj’s
Mr Wickremesinghe was guest of honour at the restaurant’s opening, which was also attended by diplomats, politicians, gourmets and friends of Nirj, of whom I am proud to be one. The restaurant is on the ground floor and lavishly furnished and decorated in traditional plush style with chandeliers and gold framed prints of old Ceylon. The first floor is in colourful contrast, a cocktail and club lounge with a glitzy environment encouraging jolly good fun.
Lavish style
Nirj aims to transfer Colombo’s mundane restaurant scene with Grande Gourmet, so I am looking forward to lunching there soon. He said adamantly: “No rice and curry in this restaurant!” If the menu we sampled at the opening is any guide, the city’s bon vivants and gourmet tourists are in for a splendid treat.
A soup for Connoisseurs
The menu, as printed, was: Amuse Bouche Panko pan frit handella sur Tobasco tarter Hors D’oeuvres Salad de Crabe sur guacamole, laneth et le Roquefort Saumon infusé, le Safran kingfish braise Entrée I Epinards et Ricotta Tortellini et Glace a’l’Orange Magret de Canard EntréeII Safran Bouillabaise La Menthe et Citron Sorbet Les Plats Principeaux Gigotin de Poulet sur Morel et Shitake Crème Desserts Fruits frais exotiques, grande crepes Marnier cuit gateau au fromage En fin Thé et Café
Glad rags. Get your glad rags on And join me, hon! We’ll have some fun When the clock strikes one.
Join us for dinner
The words of Bill Haley’s hit sing Rock Around The Clock came to mind when I read that the dress code for the 100[SUP]th[/SUP] anniversary celebrations of the Association of British Residents (ABR) is: “Evening wear: purple/black/gold.” The dinner is being held in the magnificent Regency Room of the Mount Lavinia Hotel from 7pm on Saturday 19September, 2015. Tickets are Rs5,000 (Rs3,000 for members) and reservations should be made through the ABR Treasurer: gerrycowdell@gmail.com The ABR began in 1915 following discussions by several prominent British and European planters who were worried about protecting British interests in the island then, just 100 years after the country officially became part of the British Empire. Informal meetings on plantation bungalow verandahs in the hill country in 1915 eventually became official with the founding The European Association of Ceylon. In time it became known as The British European Association of Ceylon until 1981 when it adopted its present name. I don’t know the reason for the colour code (instead of red, white & blue?). I plan to wear black tuxedo trousers, a purple shirt and a gold bow tie. I’ve already been booked for the first dance. We’re gonna rock around the clock tonight We’re gonna rock rock rock ’til the broad day light.
Fighting Dementia How often have you opened the fridge door and wondered why? Couldn’t remember where you put your spectacles? Had the name of an old friend on the tip of you tongue? That may not mean Dementia is approaching but it could act as a spur to help those in Sri Lanka suffering from Alzheimer’s. It’s not just a disease of Western civilisation and exists even in a tropical paradise like Sri Lanka. September is globally recognised as Alzheimer’s Awareness Month with World Alzheimer’s Day falling on Monday 21 September. The Lanka Alzheimer’s Foundation (LAF) has organised a number of activities this month focusing on the themes ‘Fighting Dementia Together’ and creating ‘Dementia Friendly Communities’. Next time you forget something small, remember others less fortunate and send a donation to the Lanka Alzheimer’s Foundation, 110 Ketawalamulla Lane, Colombo 10.
Don’t tell anyone but actually I forget lots of things
South not north. Thanks to alert readers who pointed out my silly mistake last week. I think I must have been misguided by the price those barf bags sold for! As one reader said: “Ratmalana north of Colombo? It was, course, the Colombo military airfield in the war and, in those days, there was a hump in the middle of the runway so from either end you could not see the other end. This led to some exciting near-misses, but also a collision between two aircraft simultaneously taking off from opposite ends in still wind conditions. I can’t remember the consequences but I think one of the aircraft staggered into the air!”
Card slot (From 50 years ago. Issued by British grocers Seymour Mead & Co Ltd) No. 24. A GOOD CUP OF TEA
“When the tea which was plucked from the bushes in Ceylon finally arrives in your home – make the best of it! Such a lot of care has been taken all the way along to keep it fresh and aromatic, and to preserve its fine flavour: and now it is up to you to make a cup of tea you will enjoy. Follow the Five Golden Rules:
1.Buy good Ceylon tea.
2.Use freshly-drawn, freshly boiling water.
3.Heat the pot.
4.Take teapot to kettle, not kettle to pot.
5.Brew for five minutes.”
This is the last in this series of cards from the Ceylon of the 1950s. Next Sunday, I will start a new series featuring each week an unusual collectable item relating to Sri Lanka’s heritage.
Clock tower query. From a reader in the UK comes this comment: “I spotted that nice postcard of the Colombo Clock Tower and it reminded me to email you a photo my Dad took in 1943.
Clock tower
“Do you have any thoughts on which direction this shot was taken from please?” I’d be pleased to hear from any reader who can answer that query.
This week’s book As a contrast to Sri Lanka, delve back into the history of rock and roll with my book The Big Beat Scene(ISBN 978956267917) available through all the amazons. My publisher reckons it should be essential reading for university courses on pop music.
Beat regards Royston
Wünsche allen viel Vergnügen beim lesen und eine super Woche LG Premasiri
Das Restaurant Nirj`s hört sich gut an. Ich habe es mal auf meine Liste gesetzt.
Vielleicht ergibt sich in meinem nächsten Urlaub die Gelegenheit, dort einzukehren.
Wieder einmal ein sehr interressanter Newsletter! Danke, Premasiri!
ROYSTON REPORTS, Number 272 Sunday 13 September, 2015.
Welcome to this week’s newsletter – and to those who manage to attend the dinner at Mount Lavinia Hotel next Saturday.
Pillar boxes A pillar box (in the UK) is a large cylindrical public post box – a letter box – that excites the nostalgic for what it represents: the way we used to communicate with others by letter. Now we send emails and therefore seldom experience the act of faith of popping a letter into the maw of a red-painted, street side receptacle knowing that it will somehow arrive at its destination. Roadside iron pillar boxes, painted red with the royal cipher engraved on its trunk, were introduced to Sri Lanka in 1905. A grand collection of pillar boxes used in the country during the reigns of British monarchs is on display at the National Postal Museum, housed in the Ministry of Posts (310 D R Wijeywardene Mawatha, Colombo 10).
It’s still possible to discover the occasional colonial pillar box in towns and villages in Sri Lanka although some are locally made from cement in a rough hexagonal shape and not as attractive as the imported round metal ones. After independence in 1948, the royal monogram on pillar boxes was replaced by the insignia of Sri Lanka.
The museum also has smaller letter boxes on display.
I remember a wooden letter box like this in the old GPO building, opposite President’s House, near the Clock Tower, that finally closed for business in 2000.
Wooden letter box
Its modern equivalent, photographed at my local post office in Induruwa last week, doesn’t quite inspire the same trust.
Dish of the week I have written before about the Wright & Co coffee house in Marine Drive Colombo (enter coffee in the search box on my website http://roystonellis.com/blog/ to see old newsletters.) Stuck in Colombo between meetings last week, I went there for lunch. My favourite table is in the room downstairs where I can see people coming and going (most customers seem to prefer upstairs). I love the aroma of coffee that lingers there since this is the source of the home grown blend of hill country epicurean coffee known as Ruby Harvest. (The production chamber is on the premises.) A 250g packet of ground espresso coffee costs Rs1,280 [£ 6.00; $ 9.22].
No, it’s not dessert
The place serves wine now so I enjoyed a glass of fine Australian chardonnay (Rs800 [£ 3.76; $ 5.77]) with this week’s great dish: oven-roasted Barramundi Fillet, chick pea masala and onion raita at Rs1,200 [£ 5.64; $ 8.66]. Since the prices include the tiresome tax as well as service charge, it was reasonable. And the masala was superbly spicy; I picked out several slivers of cinnamon, cloves and cardamom pods as evidence of authenticity.
Collecting Sri Lanka As regular readers know, I enjoy collecting items associated with Sri Lanka’s heritage; my idea being to corral them before they are trashed and a bit of the past is lost. Fortunately, in Sri Lanka there is an awareness of the importance of preserving artefacts due to the trend for building elegant boutique hotels. Such developers seek Kandyan, Portuguese, Dutch and British antiques to use as decorative items to give personality to their properties. The secret of successful collecting is to specialise. I have started to look for oddities that are associated with Ceylon, Sri Lanka’s former colonial name. As Ceylon officially does not exist and mementoes of it are no longer manufactured, this adds to the rarity and appeal of an item. I also learn more about this country with every item I find. In future newsletters, I hope to feature a Ceylon Collectable I have acquired or discovered.
This pennant comes from HMS Ceylon, a crown colony class light cruiser of the British Royal Navy. The ship was launched in 1942 and arrived in Trincomalee to join the 4[SUP]th[/SUP] Cruiser Squadron in December 1943. She saw service in the Atlantic and Pacific theatres during the Second World War. After duty at the surrender by the Japanese of Malaya, in September 1945, she left Trincomalee and returned to the UK,
HMS Ceylon
In 1960 HMS Ceylon became part of the navy of Peru and was named Coronel Bolognesi, so this pennant must be over 55 years old; a fine collectable item with close connections to Sri Lanka. The official heraldic data is stated as: “Badge: On a Field White, on a mount green between two groves of palm trees proper an elephant affronte also proper.” The ship’s motto was Depugnare superbos: ‘To fight the proud’. The ship was scrapped in Taiwan in 1985.
Elephant Card From Michael who runs the iconic Slightly Chilled bar/restaurant in Kandy, I have received this information. I pass it on without comment as it’s the first time I’ve heard about it. “There is a Brit who has just moved here and set up a business called The Elephant Card - basically you buy this card for Rs1000 [£ 4.70; $ 7.22] and you can get many deals on hotel accommodation and discount on drinks and food in certain places. It is valid for one month. He is also doing a yearly one for expats.” More on http://www.elephantcard.lk
Speech! Don’t forget to come to the Centenary Dinner of the Association of British Residents (guests welcome at Rs5,000 each, tickets through the ABR Treasurer: gerrycowdell@gmail.com) at the majestic Mount Lavinia Hotel on Saturday 19 September, under the patronage of the British High Commissioner, H E James Dauris. I’ve been invited to give a speech, but don’t let that put you off!
This week’s read Last week the illustration of my 1960s pop music revelations The Big Beat Scene, didn’t make it to the newsletter, so here it is (with author). ISBN 9780956267917 from all the amazons and good booksellers.
Queen Victoria ROYSTON REPORTS, Number 273Sunday 20 September 2015
Welcome to today’s newsletter with focus on food, yet again, and the story of Colombo’s majestic statue.CowpeasMy latest forage in the supermarket yielded an attractively labelled jar containing “Baked Cowpea Beans.”I picked it up thoughtfully and read the label: “Blackeyed Peas in Natural BBQ Tomato Sauce.” I was about to return it to the shelf when I saw that is a “product of Sri Lanka with local ingredients.” It proclaimed itself (in lazy American English) to be “99% fat free; high fiber source of protein, NO added preservatives, flavors, MSG, colors; and NO Animal Fat or Alchole [sic]”
Local baked beans
Hmmm. Since I like baked beans (yes we can get Heinz here) occasionally, and the price was Rs290 [£ 1.34; US$ 2.07] for the jar of 375g gross weight, I dropped it into the shopping trolley. The company’s website (www.smartfoods.lk) doesn’t seem to be working but this and sister bean products are produced by Star Global Foods.The taste test? An enjoyable fruity (50% is a tomato blend of puree, water, sugar, cornflour, salt, spices, soy sauce, onion and garlic; the rest blackeyed peas) flavour. The beans seem a bit overwhelmed by the sauce which is actually quite sweet. A small dollop would complement bacon or even cuttle fish cooked in garlic butter…Dish of the weekWhen the Kaema Sutra restaurant opened in the upmarket Arcade shopping and restaurant complex converted out of government offices near Independence Square, I wasn’t keen to go. Billed as offering “contemporary Sri Lankan cuisine” (its name means Art of Food) I heard from Sri Lankans that it seemed designed for tourists prepared to pay for refined local cuisine that wouldn’t scorch their sensitive palates.Having lived in Sri Lanka for 35 years, when I go to an upmarket restaurant here I want to try good international fare, not what we have at home everyday. But I was enticed to visit by an advertisement for the restaurant’s Kaema Pettiya, Sri Lankan food served in Bento box – that’s an open lacquered Japanese lunch box with sections for different items. The price of Rs900 [£ 4.17; $ 6.43] inclusive of the usual addition of government taxes and service charge, seemed remarkable.
Fine value bento box
And when I actually had the Kaema Pettiya it was a revelation. Sure, it is his take on rice and curry by the owner, culinary genius Dharshan Munidasa, but it was sublime where it is usually just satisfying. The box meal consisted of chicken salad with curry mayo sauce (crunchy iceberg lettuce and delicious dressing), black polos curry (jack fruit with kick and not wishy-washy as usual) creamy dhal, suduru samba yellow rice (modest, but just enough) topped with six scrumptious freshwater prawns and “a la minute lunu miris” (chilli relish) and mallum (greens & shredded coconut).
I sat facing the kitchen so I could see what was going on; it’s like a tiered stage with chefs in black aprons and black caps moving around with calm confidence. The stewards were a bit slapdash (it’s always the way). Black seems to be the colour scheme with black half table cloths on glass tops, and even a black ceiling. To add to my joy, the excellent margarita was only Rs700 [£ 3.24; $ 5.00] tax and service charge included. Highly recommended!
Collectable Sri Lanka: Queen VictoriaA statue of Queen Victoria (weighing 13 tons and 21 feet high) is not convenient for collecting but, nevertheless, it is part of Sri Lanka’s heritage.I was moved by the occasion of Queen Elizabeth II becoming Britain’s longest reigning monarch, surpassing Queen Victoria’s 63 years, to seek out Sri Lanka’s grand statue of Queen Victoria. Its story began with the celebration of her diamond jubilee in 1897 when the Ceylon Legislative Council was caught up in the fervour. It commissioned George Edward Wade, a British sculptor renowned for his statues of royalty and politicians, to create a statue of the Queen.The statue, made from a single block of Italian Carrara marble, arrived in Colombo in 1902, and was mounted on a square pedestal of grey granite with an octagonal base in front of the passenger jetty of Colombo Harbour opposite the Grand Oriental Hotel. After 13 years towering over arriving passengers reminding them that Ceylon was British, the statue was moved to Gordon Gardens, now part of the President’s House compound. The statue remained there for 91 years until it was carted away to a remote site in the grounds of the National Museum.
Sculpted from a single block of marble
For a while, the fate of the statue was in doubt but it was rescued from ignominy, and given a good scrub, in 2013 in time for the Commonwealth Heads of Government summit in Colombo. It now stands at the museum’s gates overlooking the prominent thoroughfare of Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha (formerly Green Path), a majestic and imposing link with the past.Woodstock ColomboFrom a reader in Colombo comes this information: “I have been a follower of your weekly newsletter for ages…I admin a FB Page dedicated to the swinging 60s – which remain a repository and interactive centre for all things 1960s countercultural–one of the most important times in world history-art, music, politics and beyond. You may access the Swinging ‘60s FB Page on this link:https://www.facebook.com/groups/srilankaswinging60s/
“Attaching herewith a poster of an event due to take place in Colombo on Saturday 26September, 2015 - celebrating and honouring the iconic Woodstock Festival of 1969. All artists billed to appear will be covering the songs originally performed at Woodstock ’69.”This week’s book.The Maldives Adventure is my swashbuckling story of the rebellion against the Portuguese occupation of the Maldives in the 16[SUP]th[/SUP]century. Lots of action and intrigue. A Kicks Books available from all the amazons: ISBN 9781940157948
Claudia, vielen Dank für das drehen der Bilder....das ist das Alternativprogramm von unserer Reiseleitung.....wird aber sicher auch schön....wäre gerne nach Prag gefahren....es sollte nicht sein...die Natur ist mächtiger als wir....
Welcome to this week’s potpourri with Sri Lankan connections.
Bravo ABR
Last Saturday I attended the dinner and dance at the Mount Lavinia Hotel commemorating the 100[SUP]th[/SUP]anniversary of the founding of the Association of British Residents. The association began informally in 1915, a momentous year for the British in the then Ceylon as there were riots and the independence movement began. Coincidentally, 2015 is actually the 200[SUP]th[/SUP] anniversary of British occupation of the entire island, but few have recalled that.
The dinner was graced with the presence of Their Excellencies, James Dauris and Laura Davies, the British High Commissioner and the Deputy High Commissioner. It was an opportunity for the British Residents (over 150 of them were there) to meet the new HC and to hear his witty address. I also gave a speech –before dinner, when guests (and myself) were still alert.
Glamorous guests
Towards the end of the evening a raffle was held (a book of 10 tickets cost Rs1,000 [£ 4.66; US$ 7.11]) with 15 great prizes, the first being a return economy class air ticket to London with Qatar Airways. I bought two books but as the tickets were drawn and 13 prizes were won, I gave up hope. Then suddenly my number was called and I had won the second prize: a stay of two nights for two people on half board at The Whispering Palms Hotel (http://www.whisperingpalms.com)
Since that’s one of my favourite hotels (see Newsletters 222, 238 & 243) and I often go there as it’s very close to where I live, I thought someone else should have a chance to enjoy it, so I declined the prize and it was raffled again.
with (another) Averil, Sir Ian & Gordon
It was a splendid, very sociable and pleasant evening, so hats off to President Averil Nathanielsz and her hard working committee for bringing so many interesting and dynamic Brits together.
ConTENTment
Stay in a tent? I’m too old to go camping, I said when a friend suggested I spend a night at The Yala Adventure, a lakeside wilderness retreat near Tissamaharama in Sri Lanka’s deep south. When he told me the hotel arranges activities like abseiling (down its water tower), toddy tightrope walking, archery, air rifle shooing, lake kayaking and trekking, I didn’t want to go. But I am so glad I did.
Air conditioned tent
The tent was luxurious with air-conditioning (which I quickly turned off and opened the flaps to let in the breeze), huge (200 square feet), with a solid teak king-size bed with thick mattress, and with a real bathroom with a hot & cold water rain shower in a glass cubicle with a granite floor, and a cleverly-designed vanity desk.
Tents for beginners
Of course, I worried about creepy crawlies at night but there were none and I slept well. It was wonderful to wake up in the morning to the gentle patter of rain on canvas and to listen to the birds’ dawn chorus. As well as being able to watch for the 165 species of birds to be found in the vicinity, I was enchanted by a stroll through the private butterfly garden where I glimpsed a flash of electric blue of a startled, mewling peacock, and butterflies galore. The owner of the three-acre site has purposefully planted the right flowers, plants and trees to create a habitat to attract butterflies.
Entrance to the butterfly garden
The concept of this gentle wilderness retreat is to offer more than just a place to overnight before bouncing around the Yala National Park in a jeep to spy on elephants and leopards. There are lots of activities, including a visit to a farmer’s mud & thatch kitchen for herbal tea and jaggery (palm treacle fudge).
Farmer’s kitchen
Herbal tea & jaggery
A bonus was the food: real Sri Lanka country curries made with organic vegetables (which I chose myself for dinner from the garden in front of the open-sided thatched restaurant) and freshly caught lake fish. Western dishes are available too. There are conventional hotel rooms with TV and WiFi, but I was more than content in my tent! (http://www.theyalaadventure.lk)
Reception & restaurant by the vegetable garden
Collectable Sri Lanka: Twins
The privileged lifestyle of the colonials resident in Ceylon in the early 20[SUP]th[/SUP] century is vividly captured in the cover of this book, The Twins in Ceylon and More About The Twins in Ceylon published in 1911. It is especially collectable because it was written by Bella Sidney Woolf (1877-1960), the sister of Leonard Woolf (1880-1969) whom she came to Ceylon to visit in 1907, when he was a junior civil servant in Kandy. (He went on to become Assistant Government Agent in Hambantota and the husband of Virginia Woolf and author of The Village in the Jungle set in Ceylon).
The various stories of “the twins” in Ceylon became very popular when published in England. Bella married Robert Heath Lock, the assistant director of the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens, in 1910. She was also the author of the first pocket guide to this country, How To See Ceylon, published in 1914
Cricket in Galle
The West Indies Cricket Team is visiting Sri Lanka next month and the First Test Match versus Sri Lanka will take place at the Galle International Cricket Stadium from Wednesday 14 to Sunday 18 October. As a former member of the Windward Islands Cricket Board of Control and Founder President of the Dominica Cricket Association (as well as being a former member of the MCC), I am looking forward to attending at least one day’s play – even if only to watch the match from the ramparts of Galle Fort.
This week’s book
It’s time to mention again my novel, set in beatnik London & shady Las Palmas in the 1960s, called The Rush At The End as this week’s raunchy read; published by Kicks Books of New York (ISBN 9781940157931) and available through all the amazons. I hope you enjoy it.
ROYSTON REPORTS, Number 275 Sunday 4 October 2015.
Greetings to readers old and new with this week’s look at the fun side of life in Sri Lanka
Mallung Passion During my visit to The Yala Adventure wilderness retreat (see last week’s newsletter) I had mallung made with passion fruit leaves. It’s a salad-style side dish of semi stir-fried shredded green leaves and grated coconut with compatible spices and lime juice (mallung can also mean a mixture). I’d never had mallungmade with passion fruit leaves before and can recommend it for its wholesome flavour – although whether it made me more passionate, who knows…?
Passionfruit leaf mallung
Tuk tuk coupé From a Sri Lankan reader in Canada comes this comment on the tuk tuks (three-wheelers) being assembled for sale here. “Just a thought on the new local tuk tuk. If they can make the roof retract or fold (manually of course) like the old convertible cars (remember the Bug Fiat?) it would make a great big boy’s toy. Would be lovely to putter around one of those in the hill country with all those mountain vistas above your head. What do you think of this idea?” I think it’s a marvellous idea, and easily achievable by making the standard frame leverable backwards and being able to unfasten the canopy. Geoffrey Bawa thought of it first as can be seen from this photograph of him and Michael Ondaatje in the garden of Lunuganga in the 1990s. (From Bawa, the Sri Lanka Gardens by David Robson & Dominic Sansoni.)
Tuk tuk coupe
Sri Lanka Collectables: Boy Scout Fete Programme In 1908 Robert Baden-Powell’s book Scouting For Boys inspired the creation of the Boy Scout Movement. It took only four years for The Ceylon Boy Scouts Association to be founded, with Chief Scout being the Governor General.
Ceylon’s first boy scouts
There were branches throughout the country and scouting became a strong influence on the lives of young men, both local and European born.
Programme cover
This unique and very collectable item is a copy of the 32-page programme for a fund-raising fete held in Colombo on 4 & 5 October 1940. It contains the reproduction of a handwritten letter by the then Chief Scout, Governor Sir Andrew Caldecott, written from Queen’s Cottage, Nuwara Eliya.
Chief Scout’s letter, 1940
There is a fascinating list of reasons why a youth should become a Boy Scout including “Scouting will make a man of your boy” accompanied by a sketch of two lads enthusiastically shaking hands with the caption: A scout is a brother to all.
The Sri Lanka Scouts Association (girls have been admitted since 2006) is still very active with HQ in Colombo and a website: http://www.srilankascouts.lk
Clock Tower/Lighthouse The request from a reader wanting to know from which direction a 1943 photograph was taken (see No. 271), brought this comment from a reader in London: “I know nothing of Colombo. Yet the length of the shadows suggests this was taken either shortly after dawn or, I suggest more likely, in the late afternoon when the sun is beginning to set in the west. Hence the photo is likely to have been taken from the south, looking north.”
Evening shadows…
Her detective work was absolutely correct as a local correspondent said that the photo was taken from what is now the Kingsbury Hotel area looking inland from the sea.
Pillar Boxes I was delighted to receive from a reader who saw my piece on the Colombo Postal Museum this photograph of pillar boxes on parade at the British Postal museum.
British Pillar Box Museum
Writing Fellowship Regular readers will recall that I was asked to be Chairman of the Judging Panel for the third time for the Templeberg Residential Writing Fellowship. This rather grand sounding award is for a month’s full board residency (with return airfare and stipend) for an Australian writer at the Templeberg Villa in Galle. The fellowship is a philanthropic initiative of the Australian based owners of Templeberg, Christopher Shields and Brent Carey. Templeberg is a villa guesthouse in an idyllic woodland setting, perfect for a writer to retreat and get on with work.
Inspiring writer’s cottage at Templeberg
From a shortlist of 10 (out of scores of entries) Dion Teasdale from Melbourne was selected this year. He plans to use his time in Sri Lanka to research and develop his second novel, ‘The Remarkable Return of Mister Ranatunga.’ I noted in my judgement that he was my choice as he has come up with an interesting theme to research and write while he is in Sri Lanka – and he has experience of a similar milieu. It also sounds like a story that would make a good read. Another judge commented: “He was my preferred candidate as I found his project showed a high degree of development and professionalism. I could also see very clearly how the research he plans to carry out during the residency would benefit this project. His writing career so far also shows serious commitment and results.” His proposed novel is set between Darwin, the Gold Coast, Colombo, Galle and surrounding areas of Sri Lanka’s Southern Province. It will tell the story of a Sri Lankan/Australian family across three generations. “The fellowship will give me the opportunity to observe, experience and research first?hand some of the key settings of the novel, and give me the time and space to write,” Teasdale said. I’m looking forward to meeting the writer later this year and, of course, to reading the book.
This week’s read
Writers need sponsorship because no longer do publishers pay huge advances in response to an idea enabling the aspiring author can support himself while he writes. My novel, Sweet Ebony set in Kenya in the 1970s was commissioned by a publisher (40 years ago) and I spent several months in Kenya researching it. Thanks to Kicks Books of New York, it is now available in paperback or kindle through all the amazons. ISBN 97819400157078. It’s an intriguing tale of four women in search of the “F word” – fulfilment.
Beat regards Royston
Sorry für das späte posten des Newsletters, bin erst am Sonntag von der Flusskreuzfahrt retour gekommen...gestern war ich nie am Laptop....LG Premasiri
ROYSTON REPORTS, Number 276 Sunday 11 October 2015.
Welcome to my latest report from Sri Lanka with food, wine, fashion and trekking topics.
Milk Turtle Milk turtle, that’s what a villager called this tortoise crossing my lawn one evening recently. “Because it has a soft shell.” He picked it up and offered to cook it, an offer I hastily declined. I made him put it down and after a few minutes, it scuttled away into the undergrowth.
Visiting tortoise
I think this is actually an Indian flapshell turtle (Lissemys punctate) aluibba in Sinhala. It is a softshell turtle with a low domed shell frequently found in the plains and mid-hills of Sri Lanka. It’s active by day and by night, feeding at dusk.
Home cooking A nice surprise I discovered on my latest safari to the local supermarket was small tins of curry sauce produced by the popular local spice manufacturer, Ma’s Tropical Food Processing. (http://www.mashappylife.lk). I bought a tin of Organic Green Curry Sauce (200ml at Rs330 [£ 1.53; US$ 2.35]) to try the three-step quick green curry recipe on the label. “1. Heat oil in pan; 2. Sauté half an onion sliced; 3. Add 100g of prepared vegetable and stir fry with the curry sauce.”
Curry sauce
According to the label the sauce contains “coconut milk, spices and herbs (Coriander, Basil, Lemon grass, Cumin, Galangal, Ginger, Chilli, Garlic, Cardamom, Cinnamon), Sugar, Salt, Virgin coconut oil, Rice, Guar gum, Lime leaves, Natural vinegar.”
Curried broccoli
I got a chance to try it when Kumara was on leave and I had to cook lunch myself. I bought a succulent looking broccoli (150g at Rs150 [£ 0.69p; $ 1.07]) grown in the hill country and blanched florets of it in boiling water (with a little sea salt and a quill of cinnamon) for a couple of minutes. I saved the water for stock and let the florets stand in cold water, then patted them dry and plunged them into a wok containing sautéed onions, garlic and coriander seeds. Then I added 150ml of the green curry sauce and a dash of chilli paste. A quick stir and I transformed (thanks to Ma’s sauce) broccoli into a fast, lusty dish instead of insipid pap.
Knuckles trekking I was astonished to receive an invitation to join a trek in the Knuckles Mountains, near Kandy, described as “a refreshingly untamed area of rugged peaks and isolated cloud forests, harbouring a variety of flora and fauna, some of which cannot be found anywhere else in the world. It is one of the last wilderness areas of Sri Lanka – a must-see for adventurous travellers.” Since it sounded more exhausting than refreshing for a gentleman of a certain age, I declined, even though “guests’ baggage is carried between campsites, allowing them to trek 12-16 km per day with just a day pack.” Phew!
Trekking
This adventure is organised on a regular basis by Moonstone Expeditions founded in 2013 by ex-British Army Officer and Sri Lanka resident, Iain Mackay. Billed as “an adventure activity provider specialising in trekking and cycling in Sri Lanka” the outfit offers trips of three to six days duration all-inclusive with accommodation in homestays and fixed campsites. Highlights include spectacular mountain scenery, secluded temples overlooking rice paddies, tea plantations, traditional villages, and fields of cinnamon, rubber, cashew nuts and bananas. Guests can expect to see wildlife ranging from monkeys and mongooses to monitor lizards and peacocks. Prices begin at £325 per person for a three-day cycle trip (full board, including bike hire and support vehicle) and £399 per person for a four-day trek (full board, including airport transfers).www.moonstone-expeditions.com
Oenology My study of wines is glugging-based, often after viewing the wine through a rose-tinted glass. Even though (or perhaps because) I am an erstwhile beat poet, I don’t aspire to emulate the flowery descriptions wine connoiseurs love. I have long suspected wine writers themselves have trouble what to say, so I was delighted to see one writer (Jonathan Ray in The Spectator) describing a wine thus: “There are all the gooseberry, tropical fruit, nettle and cat’s pee elements that one expects from a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, but with an additional underlying richness that one doesn’t often get.” Cat’s pee? And he was trying to flog it at £ 12.95 (Rs 2,790; $ 19.88) a bottle!
Sri Lanka Collectables: Tea Pins This week’s collectable is both attractive and unusual. Attractive because of its pure and evocative Victorian design and unusual because of its function: a hat or button hole pin. The instructions on the reverse state: “Pin this into your button hole or your hat, or use it as a book mark, or give it to a child and Pin Your Faith on High Caste Ceylon Tea, as Fragrant as the Flowers in May.”
Sweeter than wine!
High Caste Tea? I guess they’d have to change that name now. It sold recently for £ 6.37 (Rs 1,373; $9.78).
Sarious A recent posting on Trip Advisor asked: “Hi all, I am getting married next April in Bentota. My question is; is it acceptable to wear a saree? I’m early 50′s and only 5,1″ so don’t want to be either a source of amusement or worse, course offence to locals. Thoughts anyone?”
Sari dressing
To which someone replied: “Perfectly acceptable, BUT arrange a good bridesmaid/assistant locally. Putting on a saree properly can’t be done by the bearing person herself, you need an experienced assistant!” I added: “Wonderful idea! Ask whoever is arranging the wedding to make sure you are dressed professionally in your sari. Practise wearing it beforehand so you get used to the graceful flow. But what’s the nationality of the groom? If he is Sri Lankan he will advise you correctly. If he is not Sri Lankan then he perhaps could be dressed in a smart sarong and tunic?”
Best book This week’s best book is the latest edition (Bradt/Speaking Tiger) of my guide to Sir Lanka (ISBN: 9789385288104) from good bookshops and all the amazons.
My latest guide to Sri Lanka
Best regards Royston
den nächsten Newsletter werde ich in Sri Lanka einstellen...aber nur wen das nicht stimmt...'' Welcome to my latest report from Sri Lanka with food, wine, fashion and trekking topics.''
LG Premasiri
über den Satz war ich ebend auch erschrocken. Das wäre zu schade und ich hoffe, er meint damit, dass er mal kurz Urlaub macht von der Insel. Auch bei dem RF schreibt er "My latest guide." anstatt newest...
Hab ganz lieben Dank für`s Einstellen, die "Foodecke" hat es mir ja bisher immer besonders angetan.
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Welcome to Nirj’s
Lavish style
A soup for Connoisseurs
Join us for dinner
Don’t tell anyone but actually I forget lots of things
Clock tower
und liebe Grüsse in den Süden, Biggi
und liebe Grüsse, Biggi
Auch bei dem RF schreibt er "My latest guide." anstatt newest...
