Newsletter aus Sri Lanka von Royston Ellis

[Premasiri]

TROPICAL TOPICS, 1 July 2012.
Greetings to readers around the world to this latest tropical topics report.

Made in Sri Lanka
Coconut milk is an essential ingredient in a lot of Sri Lankan recipes and is traditionally made from the scrapings of coconut soaked in water. Mercifully for the harassed cook, “instant” coconut milk is available as a powder manufactured in Sri Lanka by Renuka Agri Foods (www.renukagroup.com), a company that has its roots in The Cargo Despatch Company founded in Ceylon in 1866.
On the packet there is this note: “Renuka is a truly Sri Lankan brand…when you purchase this ‘Renuka’ product you demonstrate your true patriotism. ‘Renuka’ helps create employment, save foreign exchange and cut down on wastage of coconuts.” The ingredients are listed as “coconut kernel extract, maize based maltodextrin, milk based sodium caseinate, tri sodium, phosphate.” In spite of those chemical words, it smells delicious when mixed with water and adds an essential creamy body to fragrant curries.

This 300g packet cost Rs255 [£ 1.24; US$ 1.96) and came with a bonus packet of local red rice together with a recipe for Kiribath (milk rice) served for breakfast and on auspicious occasions. To make it you need a third (100g) of the packet of coconut milk, 450g of red or white raw rice, a litre of warm water and salt to taste.
The recipe on the packet, courtesy of Renuka, reads: “Wash, drain and add rice to a cooking vessel. Dissolve 30g of Renuka coconut milk powder in 700ml of lukewarm water (for thin coconut milk) with a pinch of salt and add to rice. Cook for 15 minutes until the rice turns soft. Mix well and add another 50g of Renuka coconut milk powder dissolved in 100ml of lukewarm water (for thick milk) to already boiled rice. Cook in low fire for 10 minutes and sprinkle 20g of Renuka coconut milk powder and mix well. Transfer kiribath to a plate. Cut and serve while it’s warm.”



You’ll probably need a siesta after eating this, as it’s very filling!

Classics
What can be seen, serendipitously of course, while driving through the countryside of Sri Lanka, is another reason why living here never fails to be amazing. In the village of Tumbatenna in the hill country between the 160 and 170km posts on the A4 linking Colombo with the east coast, I gasped at the sight of this Austin A35 parked outside a village house.



It’s proud owner assured me it is still in running condition. This four door saloon, still painted 1950s grey, is one if the few remaining anywhere of 129,245 made in Britain between 1956 and 1959 by the Austin Motor Company. Although it is similar in appearance to its predecessor, the A30, it has a larger rear window than that popular car.

Also from the 1950s, and spotted in the neighbouring village of Haldumulla, was this version of the traditional pillar-box, made in the Government Foundry. It bears the George VI cipher and is still in use, having escaped being replaced by one of those modern metal boxes resembling rubbish bins.

Sea Line
On a recent trip south, I popped into Sea Line on the esplanade at Galle, with a view of the bay. I’ve no idea if the curious name is a misspelling of Sea Lion but the restaurant is worth a visit for its comfortable combination of eating spaces (dine inside by the cash counter with locals, on the veranda with a sea view, or in the shady garden for more exclusivity).

Servers in white shirts and black trousers are jolly, if in the right mood, and quickly bring drinks that are low priced in today’s Sri Lanka (a bottle of Chilean wine cost Rs1,700 [£ 8.29; $ 13.07] while local Lemon Gin cost Rs 300 [£ 1.46; $ 2.30] for two! Vegetable fried rice was worth it at Rs280 [£1.36; $ 2.15] but I splurged on fiery and devilled boneless Australian mutton (shown here) for Rs1,320 [£ 6.43; $ 10.15]. Actually that seems a bit expensive (and was it really Australian?) as did the chicken curry at Rs420 a portion. All prices include government taxes with 10 per cent added as service charge.

Author’s Note
My apologies to readers who don’t always receive this newsletter at the same time every weekend. I compile notes for the newsletter during the week, write it on Friday and then send it to Andrew (www.webwizard-lk.com) to design. He submits it to the distributor (www.wordpress.com) on Saturday so whether you receive it on time is beyond my control. BTW, in case you’re wondering, any product or place I mention in this newsletter is here because it appeals to me, not because I have been paid to advertise it.

Collectable
From a Canario friend of mine when I lived in Las Palmas, Canary Islands, (1963-1966), now known as Tino (we used to call him “Beethoven”), comes this message:

Hi Royston,
Don't know if you'll take this as a compliment or what. Who knows how King Tut feels about being a collectable classic... but how about you?
Follow this link and you'll see what I mean:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beat-Scene-plates-Square-Books/dp/B000X7XXKO/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1340661693&sr=1-2
Actually I have just noticed the farewell signature at the end of Tropical Topics: "Beat regards". Once a beatnik always a beatnik, init?

Well the new version of that book is much cheaper than the original now on sale at £ 55.99, but just as collectable. Click on:
http://musicmentor0.tripod.com/book_big_beat_scene.html.
Until next week,
Beat regards

auch von mir die besten Grüsse für die Restwoche

Premasiri

 

[Premasiri]

TROPICAL TOPICS, Sunday 8 July 2012.
Greetings to readers of this weekly newsletter, with the accent on food this week.

Made in Sri Lanka

Quails eggs have always appealed to me, especially boiled and sprinkled with chopped anchovy as a starter, and so when a friend gave me four quails a few years ago, I immediately had a wooden coop constructed for them. They settled in well and soon began to lay. Unfortunately snakes began to take an interest in them and so eventually I gave up being a keeper of quails.

Instead I now buy Pickled Quail Eggs whenever I am lucky enough to find them on sale at speciality supermarkets here. The ones shown above were bottled by M K P M F Fernando of Moratuwa. A jar containing a minimum of 23 eggs pickled in vinegar, salt, water with seasoning added, costs Rs300 [£ 1.46; US$ 2.22). Great to nibble with those sundowner cocktails.

Beans
By chance, in one of my favourite vegetable markets (actually at Haputale) when I was searching for baby carrots, I found some green beans, looking like plump mange tout. I bought them without knowing how to cook them, although the chap selling them – who said they were grown locally in a hillside vegetable patch -- advised peeling the “string” off the sides. One kilogramme cost Rs160 [78p; US$ 1.23].



Luckily the next day I met a chef, Jayantha Ekanayake, whom I first met over 20 years ago at St Andrew’s Hotel in Nuwara Eliya, when he was pioneering dishes such as soups flavoured with high grown tea. Jayantha, after a career travelling the world as a chef, has now become the culinary consultant at Mount Field Cottages at Halpe.

Jayantha told me the beans are called locally avara and this variety is a member of the winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus) family; they are cholesterol and fat free and rich in protein and vitamin A. He advised cleaning, slicing them, and blanching them in hot water for a few minutes before sautéing them lightly in extra virgin olive oil with chopped garlic, onions and tomato with a sprinkling of salt and pepper. I had them that way the next day as a side dish accompanying a gluten-free beef and bacon meat loaf: delicious!



Jayantha insisted that I photograph the fruit platter he whipped up (with dollops of ice cream and curd) to conclude a deliciously fragrant Mount Field Cottage rice and curry lunch.



Burgled
I came back from dinner one evening last week to find, in our absence leaving the cottage securely (or so we thought) locked up, that it had been burgled. The thieves were bold, coming in the evening and forcing entry with crowbars through a ground floor bolted wooden window shutter. They smashed the wooden bars to make a hole big enough to climb through. It seems they headed straight for my bedroom where they ransacked my dressing table and found my rings hidden in a drawer.

Of course, it was silly of me not having a safe. But it was only afterwards that a jeweller friend told me the best ring (a 19[SUP]th[/SUP] century chunky gold band with three large diamonds totalling 6.5 carats) was worth several million rupees. My mother’s diamond studded wedding ring and a signet ring with seal were also taken. The burglars helped themselves to a flask of Grey Flannel perfume, and bottles of Cointreau and Martini (that’ll make a curious cocktails). Then before they left through the back door they dived into the staff room and broke open Ramesh’s locked cupboard and stole his new laptop.

The police were very thorough. The same night, within an hour, three officers came to inspect the property and the next morning the officer-in-charge of the local police station himself came to the cottage and conducted the investigation. He was followed by a pair of plainclothes officers who took photographs and dusted for fingerprints, watched by a team of SOCOS - as they were labelled on their yellow waistcoats – Scene Of the Crime Officers.



My jeweller friend was horrified at the theft, fearing the antique ring would be melted down. The financial value of the items had never occurred to me; the ring – an heirloom given to me by a lady friend many years ago – was such a beautiful, impressive piece, I wore it only on special occasions.


Hotel reviewing
I was puzzled recently to receive an irate email from a gentleman who said that he and his wife had stayed many times in the best hotels in the Wadduwa area and he was surprised that I, as the author of The Bradt Guide to Sri Lanka, had “got it so wrong.” He criticised me for writing at length and in praise of The Reef in Wadduwa while omitting completely to mention “Property B.”

Naturally I was worried that The Reef (www.reefvilla.com; a bedroom shown here) might, perhaps, have slipped in standard since I reviewed it. Moreover, in the Guide I don’t cover every single hotel and guesthouse in the country since the book is a not a directory but an appraisal of properties that I personally have stayed in and feel worth recommending to visitors, according to different budgets.
I did some research to see how I could, indeed, have “got it so wrong.” Lo and behold, I discover that the criticism was sent to my publisher by the owner of the unmentioned “Property B” himself. What an odd marketing ploy!
The Bradt Guide to Sri Lanka is available through http://www.bradtguides.com/Book/552/Sri-Lanka.html

Sunny regards
Royston

auch von mir sonnige Grüsse

Premasiri

 

[Premasiri]

TROPICAL TOPICS, Sunday 15 July 2012.
Greetings to friends and readers near and far to this week’s report from Sri Lanka.
Burglary
“Thank you” to the many readers who took the time and trouble to express concern over the recent burglary at my home. It seems that I, being ever fashionable, was caught up in the trend for robberies that is plaguing this area. The police have arrested a gang of robbers and the alleged local Fagin but there is no evidence so far that those miscreants have loot from my cottage.
Made In Sri Lanka
Regular readers will know I am a lover of cheese (I wonder what the word is for a cheese aficionado?) so I was thrilled to come across one made in Sri Lanka that I have not seen before. Franco Grana Goat Cheese was packed in a polythene sachet and had been grated, but the shavings were stuck together in bite sized morsels.





The label described the ingredients as 100% goat milk, salt, and natural rennet enzymes. It is made by Angampitiya Farm whose office address (in very small print) is 24 Cemetery Road, Kudapaduwa, Negombo. The 100g sachet cost Rs293.50 [£ 1.43; US$ 2.25]. I wish I’d bought more as, when I tasted it, I realised it has a distinctive nutty flavour and a satisfying finish - and I scoffed this sample as soon as I’d photographed it.




Maskeliya
Maskeliya is a tea country town that thousands of people visit but seldom take any notice of, as they breeze through. The town straddles three major tea plantations and is equidistant (at 19km) between Hatton (for the railway station) and Adam’s Peak. Adam’s Peak is the mountain revered by followers of Sri Lanka’s main religions (Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity and Islam) that draws pilgrims to climb to its summit (2,223m, 7,359ft above sea level) during the December to April climbing season.





Intent on reaching the mountain to make the climb through the night to reach the peak for a view of a peerless dawn (as well as to worship) tourists, both domestic and foreign, miss Maskeliya’s attractions. Its appeal is that it retains links with the past, with old stores, such as a haberdashery and a pawn centre, side by side with mobile phone outlets.
In one such store I spotted this safe with its King George V crest although it was manufactured in India. The owner proudly told me it has two locks. It’s another example of the extraordinary things to be found when one takes time to probe around in little known Sri Lanka.

Circulation
Andrew, my web wizard (or monster as he is sometimes known) advises readers that if for some reason you don’t receive this weekly newsletter when it’s due, the easy solution is to read it on www.roystonellis.com/blog. You can re-subscribe there too in case your name has slipped off the Word Press cyber circulation list.
Fishy
Many years ago when I was ordering lunch at the Polonnaruwa Resthouse beside the huge lake, like an inland sea, and requested fish, the steward apologised saying that they only had “Lake Fish.” I tried it and was immediately hooked.
So it was a great surprise to discover a resort (the Green Valley Holiday Resort) at Haldummulla that is actually proud to specialise in “lake fish” -- in this case fresh and unfrozen from the Handapanagala Wewa (reservoir or lake). The chef prepares it in several different ways, all of which I was privileged to try one evening recently.
We started with lake fish soup, vaguely Chinese influenced but with meaty slithers of fish floating in it. The fish, I am told, is like a carp (of the Cyprinidae family), and has a rich, filling flavour.





Next came lake fish, filleted and bread cumbed and rolled in balls, ideal as a nibble with a drink.





Even better, unbelievably, were the lake fish bones that were deep fried and crispy. The garnish in this picture is a whole, sliced cucumber.





We concluded the fishy feast with whole baked fish with a slab of grilled cabbage to accompany it. If ever you get offered lake fish in Sri Lanka, don’t request the ubiquitous seer or mullet, but just try it!



Singlish
I often frown when I read inexact English in newspapers in Sri Lanka (such as “reputed banker” for “reputable banker”) but I have learned to accept that certain words have been used here incorrectly for so long, they have acquired a validity at odds with their real meaning. They have become Singlish.
However, recently I have noticed a new trend in the English newspapers here: articles in such convoluted English, the intended meaning is lost. I’m not sure if cyber gobbledegook is responsible, or just inefficient teaching (or learning) resulting in ambitious people using incomprehensible phrases.
Here’s an example from an article on hotel safety in last week’s Sunday Times (of Sri Lanka): “Even the visitors with casual and dicey attitudes – once greeted in – becomes a wellbeing responsibility of the venue – and thus, ought to be integrated in the floor specific safety planning and guest interfacing. The precautionary spectrum extending to behavioural safety, functional safety, utility safety, layout safety and structural design safety, etc formulates a few on the vital listing.”
That’s not Singlish; it’s arrogant waffle.

Warm wishes
Royston

auch von mir warme Grüsse bei nur 18° Premasiri

 

[Biggi]

Hallo Paula,

immer wieder interessant, was Royston vom täglichen Leben zu berichten hat. Danke für das Einstellen!

L.G., Biggi

 

[Premasiri]

Hallo Biggi,

bitte gern geschehen. Finde es auch jedesmal sehr intressant, sowieso wenn man diesen sympathischen Mann noch kennt...

LG Premasiri

 

[Premasiri]

TROPICAL TOPICS, Sunday 22 July 2012. Warm wishes to my readers around the world from lovely Sri Lanka. Made in Sri Lanka It’s significant that the staple diet of Sri Lankans is called Rice & Curry, not Curry & Rice, as that’s what it is: mounds of rice with a few spicy and flavourful curries of vegetable and meat/fowl/fish. Since rice is suitable for a gluten free diet I have been eating, and enjoying, more of it than I did when I used to eat bread and pasta. Thus I was pleased to find this “Red Basmathi Gourmet Rice” on the shelves of Keells’ supermarket at the Crescat shopping mall in Colombo. The packet states it is “ grown in our own farms processed using Satake technology.” This turns out to mean that a Satake polishing machine was used to produce rice that is better in appearance, quality and storability, as ordinary?machines damage the surface of milled rice. The packet also says it has “low GI (54)” which, I discovered thanks to Google, is good because carbohydrates with a low GI (55 or less) don't make our blood glucose levels rise very high for very long. They provide sustained energy. And to add to the wholesome quality of the rice (which cost Rs170 [£ 0.82p; US$ 1.30 for a kilo], one can feel good at eating it as it is produced by CIC Agri Produce Export (Pvt) Ltd [wwwcicagri.com], the only seed to shelf agriculture company in Sri Lanka with “a strong commitment to enhance farmer incomes, improving the rural economy and contributing towards the development of agriculture in Sri Lanka with a view of transforming the island towards nutritious and healthy nation.” Cooking Class If you happen to live near Colombo’s Battaramulla suburb, pop along this morning to Coco Citrine (80 Pannipitiya Road; tel: 0776 548886; open all day, every day) where Greek chef Nikos is giving “an interactive culinary masterclass” starting at 11am, costing Rs1,000, with lunch. Dishes being demonstrated are Risotto Marinara and Penne a la Santorini. By chance I dropped into Coco Citrine (at the urging of its biggest fan, British resident Russell Bowden) last week and discovered a café, restaurant & bar delightfully unique in Sri Lanka – just like a Mediterranean sidewalk café. There is a veranda overlooking the garden where the Greek owner, Viko Marinakis, urges guests to sit and linger for as long as they like over a cup of coffee. Inside is a bright and colourful restaurant with bottles prominent on the shelves behind the service counter; in the back garden there is another veranda and a shaded garden with romantic arbours. Andonis Sikalias, from Athens, is the manager. The menu veers towards Italian style dishes at lovely low prices and there is also a thrilling, filling Moussaka, seen here. I’m looking forward to going to a Greek cooking class there if we can persuade Viko, Andonis and chef Nikos to host one. Service Charge Visitors, and even residents, in Sri Lanka find it puzzling to grapple with the pluses on a restaurant bill. Ten per cent as service charge has long been the accepted practice here. I usually calculate half of that and press cash for that amount into the server’s hand – to make sure he, and not the management, get it. On top of that, except where the price is declared as Nett, various taxes add at least another 16% to the bill. I was intrigued when I visited the old Rest House at Tangalle, in the deep south of Sri Lanka, to find a typewritten letter dated 7 March 1950 displayed in a dusty frame, written to the Rest House Keeper by the private secretary to the Governor General (Viscount Soulbury). “I enclose a cheque for Rs35 in settlement of the attached account for Rs28. H.E. would be glad if you would divide the balance Rs7 amongst yourself and your staff as you think best. Lunch for H.E. & Party on 20 inst.” Even though that lunch would cost about 1,000 times as much now, 62 years later, HE the GG was very generous with his tip of 20%. Tangalle The Tangalle Rest House is on the site of a bungalow originally built in 1774, according to the foundation stone set into its steps and resisting attempts to conceal it with red paint. In spite of the pretty veranda view through fences to the colourful fishing harbour, the Rest House is a bit creaky in service. Accommodation is available in a bleak block next to the police compound and behind the gaol, but overlooking a sandy beach. Tangalle once had a reputation as a picturesque easy-going town of old walauwas (villas) but that has gone as the villas crumble and are replaced by concrete block buildings. Traffic lurches noisily through the town on the A2 road to the developing district of Hambantota, site of a new port and, soon to come, Sri Lanka’s second international airport. Beat Cocktails Luckily for me, I was invited to stay, not in the rest house block but at Ranna212, a resort recently opened on an otherwise deserted beach some 13km east of Tangalle. I had to review the resort for a traveller’s website. (Well, someone has to do it!) After an exhausting day (hah!) inspecting the property, I staggered into the resort’s open air, over-pond Tonic Bar where frogs were serenading guests over sundowners. I was puzzled when I opened the cocktail list to find it was dedicate to The Big Beat. I asked for another cocktail list and it had the same cover. “What does this mean?” I demanded of my host, Pushpitha Udawatte, the resort’s Operations Manager. I wondered whether by chance I had discovered that my book had been turned into a cocktail bar brand. Perhaps I could licence the franchise! Then the penny dropped. Pushpitha had done his research and decided to create a couple of cocktail lists to make me feel at home. That’s great marketing. The book, in case you haven’t bought it yet, is available from: http://musicmentor0.tripod.com/book_big_beat_scene.html. Beat regards Royston Ellis Liebe Grüsse an alle User Premasiri ​

 

[Biggi]

Hallo Premasiri,

und wieder mal herzlichen Dank für das Einstellen. Der Roydton findet aber auch immer wieder echte Schmankerl auf der Insel.
Bevor wir das nächste Mal reisen, muss ich hier nochmal durchstöbern. Da waren schon sehr viele interessante Tips.

L.G., Biggi

 

[Premasiri]

TROPICAL TOPICS, Sunday 29 July, 2012.



Welcome to readers around the world to this week’s topics about life in the tropics.


Made In Sri Lanka

Last week I featured the rice of Sri Lanka’s traditional dish of rice and curry, so this week here is a curry. OK, I have cheated as it is not cooked in a clay pot over a cinnamon wood fire (the ultimate!) but heated up on my gas stove in a non-stick saucepan.





It looks good enough to eat and, of course, it was, even though it came from a tin, in this case a locally produced Keells’ product: Beef Curry, labelled “Heat and Eat.” I checked the ingredients carefully to see if gluten was involved and it’s probably not since Red Rice Flour is used instead of wheat flour.






The other ingredients are given as Beef (VL65), Mixed Spices, Iodized Salt, Flavour Enhancer MSG (E621). The tin of 425g net weight cost Rs285 [£ 1.39; US$ 2.19] – and it makes a very satisfying breakfast served with rice flour egg hoppers (see Newsletter Nos 11 & 33).


Beekeeper Wanted

I’ve had a swarm of bees buzzing around the garden during the week and now they have settled in a menacing, heaving mass hanging off the branch of an araliya tree, (frangipani or temple tree). Although they’re far enough away from the cottage not to disturb us, I am wondering what to do? Obviously a beekeeper is needed to relocate the bees somewhere safe (for us as well as them.)






Alistair Smith, CBE.
Dr Edward Alistair Smith CBE died in hospital in Colombo on Wednesday 25 July, from a heart attack, age 73. Professor Smith, or Alistair as he was fondly known by his many friends around the world, had retired from Aberdeen University to live in Sri Lanka on the government’s “Dream Home” scheme of residential visas for retirees. He rented a cottage near mine, in Bentota, furnished it with his treasures and tried to adjust to a quieter life after a robust one travelling the world promoting the educational opportunities at Aberdeen University.





Not only did Alistair help hundreds of young people from Sri Lanka and India and other countries to change their lives through advanced education, he was also incredibly generous with his time and money in assisting anyone who asked for his help. At one time he was Chairman of the Conservative Party of Scotland and counted many British and Sri Lankan politicians among his friends, and protégés.
He will be missed by many people who have reason to be grateful to him, as well as by his friends here who enjoyed his stimulating company, forthright opinions, camaraderie – and warm hospitality.


Ministry of Crab
It sounds a jocular name for a restaurant but it’s very cheek has attracted the attention that its food and service deserve. Opened only a few months ago at the old Dutch Hospital restaurant, bar and gift shop complex in Colombo, it is already being acclaimed for serving the best crab dishes not just in Colombo, but also in the whole of Asia. In other words, it’s a restaurant that’s earned it’s laurels and intends to keep them.





With two of the partners behind the venture being the former and present Sri Lanka cricket captains, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene and the third partner being the renowned Sri Lankan/Japanese restaurateur, Darshan Munidasa, eating out in Sri Lanka has taken on serious dimensions. Munidasa explains that the two cricketers have not just lent their names to the Ministry of Crab restaurant, they are actual “Crabinet” ministers, taking an active part in it.





The restaurant concentrates on crab creations (with pepper, chilli, butter, garlic or curry) with the price based on size, ranging from Rs1,800 [£ 9; US$ 13.85] to Rs4,900 [£ 24.50; $37.69]. Prawn dishes and Mahela’s own favourite, Chicken Curry Rice (served with Japanese sticky rice, pol sambol and fried egg) at Rs880 [£ 4.40; $6.76] are also available. Veuve Clicquot is the house champagne and there is short list, presented enticingly in an empty bottle, of good wines.





The crab is fresh, succulent and absolutely amazing, cooked with kitchen-ground local seasoning, nothing imported. With superb, unobtrusive service to back it up and a novel ambience dedicated to sincere crustacean appreciation, The Ministry of Crab provides one of Sri Lanka’s best gourmet experiences. And a chance to cool out in the courtyard afterwards, as I am doing here with ebullient host Darshan Munidasa.






Newsletter
Apologies in advance to subscribers and regular readers if the distribution of this newsletter goes a bit haywire during the next few weeks. We are not preoccupied with watching the Olympics on television but are trying to adjust how this newsletter is created each week. (Don’t ask; it’s too technical for me!)


Fan Mail
From Vicky, whom I don’t know but who found my website on the Internet, I have received this email: “Hello: I just wanted to say I'm reading your book, an original copy, that came from my grandmother's house, and I'm finding it fascinating. Glad you still write. The book I have has been signed to my aunt from ‘Johnny Tempest,’ so I googled him, thinking he sounded like exactly the kind of person you described; quite tragically, he was. It's a sad story and apt that he should have signed this book. Thanks for the book.”


Beat regards,

Royston Ellis.

R.I.P Mister Alister he was a very frindly men...wenn ich in meinem federal Englisch mit ihm gesprochen habe er hat geduldig zugehört und bei den Antworten langsam gesprochen das ich ihn ja verstanden habe...

LG Premasiri

 

[Premasiri]

TROPICAL TOPICS, Sunday 5 August 2012 While welcoming readers to the latest edition of this weekly newsletter from Sri Lanka, I apologise for the late distribution of last week’s newsletter. Made in Sri Lanka In Newsletter No. 52 in April 2011, I stated, “Taste curd (either plain or with local treacle – the natural sweet sap from the kitul palm tree) — and yoghurt will forever seem insipid.” Now here comes a drink made with yoghurt that I hadn’t seen before. Called Little Lanka Yoghurt Milk Drink, it comes from a company based in Ginimelagaha, Galle and costs Rs50 [.24p; .38c] for a 200ml bottle. The ingredients are listed as Fresh Milk, Sugar, Gelatin and Vanilla. Insipid beside curd? Well, it’s far too (artificially?) sweet for my taste, but obviously a tropical booster for flagging energy in the Sri Lanka sun. Curd, on the other hand, is a real rural ‘pick me up’ without any of the fancy seasoning (vanilla?) sophisticated urban dwellers seem to crave from their supermarket purchases. Since traditionally curd is made from buffalo milk settled in a clay pot that has been rinsed with buffalo urine, which acts as the starter that curdles the milk, it’s strong stuff. Perhaps best eaten without knowing how it might have been made. Alistair Smith CBE The funeral of my friend and neighbour (and registered British resident in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka for which I am the Warden appointed by the British High Commission), Alistair Smith, attracted a motley selection of his friends from varied walks of life. Alistair, born in Aberdeen in 1939, spent his student days in Sweden before joining Aberdeen University’s Geography Department and eventually progressing to being a travelling promoter for the University. He was keen on politics and campaigned for the Sri Lanka born, British citizen, Nirj Deva, helping him win his seat in the House of Commons in 1983. It was Nirj who introduced Alistair to Sri Lanka in the 1980s, which is when I first met him. By coincidence, Nirj Deva (now a Member of the European Parliament) was in Sri Lanka at the weekend and attended the funeral where he spoke about Alistair’s friendship with Margaret Thatcher. The British High Commissioner, HE John Rankin (left in this photo with Nirj Deva in the centre), who had taught at Aberdeen University although not at the same time as Alistair, also attended and revealed how Alistair had offered to help him with advice when he first arrived in Colombo. Prominent government personalities were present, as well as a Catholic priest, Father Hashendra, who recalled many challenging arguments about religion that he had with Alistair, a non-believer. Alistair had requested no religious ceremony so instead we listened to his friends, including villagers, express their appreciation for Alistair’s life. At 3pm on Saturday 28 July he was cremated as the mourners walked around the crematorium and bid him farewell. Church with a View This is not Alistair’s last resting place, although several British pioneers (including some from Aberdeen, the home town of many 19[SUP]th[/SUP] century tea planters) are buried – or commemorated – at Christ Church, Warleigh, off the road linking the hill country town of Hatton with Maskeliya. In the mid-left side of the above photo can be seen the Castlereagh Reservoir that helps make the view so memorable. The church was built in 1878 and remains somewhat defiantly representing the solid traditions and manners of a time when Britain held sway in the then Ceylon. One 20[SUP]th[/SUP] century planter, Michael Turnbull (1921-1997), was so taken with the place that when he died in Britain, his ashes were flown to Sri Lanka to be interred in the church where, as a planter, he had worshipped. The church still has services in English twice a month for its 15 remaining regular churchgoers. Update Thank you to the many readers who have enquired about progress in apprehending the burglar who stole valuable rings from my dressing table drawer, Ramesh’s new laptop from his locked locker in the staff quarters, and a couple of bottles from my baby cradle bar. No trace yet of the thieves or the rings and laptop and the police are puzzled. Many theories are being bandied around, so I hope there’s a breakthrough (not another break in) eventually. And the bees buzzing around in last week’s newsletter? They have gone – as mysteriously as they arrived. Meanwhile, I am still working on a way to make the production and distribution of this newsletter more reliable so, again, my apologies if this week’s edition is late in arriving. Pop anniversary This week, on Wednesday 8 August, I shall listen to a song by the Beatles, Polythene Pam and will recall the night, 49 years ago, I shared with John Lennon and Stephanie, my girl friend at the time, in Guernsey in 1963. John stated in a 1980 Playboy interview: “Polythene Pam was me remembering a little event with a woman in Jersey [actually Guernsey] and a man who was England’s answer to Allen Ginsberg, who gave us our first exposure…” Steve Turner’s 1994 book A Hard Day’s Write has the full story. I was reminded about this when I received from Sri Lankan British resident Steven Davies this link: http://www.fincharie.com/beatles%20pages/Concert%20Dates/8thAugust1963.htm For more about the fun days of Britain’s early pop music and musicians, a new edition of my book The Big Beat Scene (written in 1961) is still available from http://musicmentor0.tripod.com/book_big_beat_scene.html. Beat regards Royston LG Premasiri ​

 

[Biggi]

Halle Premasiri,

wieder ein top Bericht. Ich habe auch gerade im Beitrag vom 23.7. nochmal nachgelesen. Dort erwähnt Royston das ranna212 nahe Tangalle. Den Chef haben wir im letzten Urlaub in Colombo kennengelernt und er lud uns direkt ein. Es waren aber leider unsere letzten Tage in SL und zu stressig, nochmal in den Süden zu fahren. Die Preise dort sind wohl gesalzen, aber wie man hier lesen kann, lohnt es sich doch, mal dort vorbeizuschauen.
L.G., Biggi

 

[Premasiri]

TROPICAL TOPICS, Sunday 12 August 2012.
Made In Sri Lanka
The captain of a cruise ship on which I used to lecture about Sri Lanka when she came to the Indian Ocean every winter, told me that on Sundays he likes to start the day with a full English breakfast: fried eggs and bacon, black pudding, sausages, tomatoes, mushrooms, baked beans and, I shudder to think, even fried bread.

As regular readers know I like the Sri Lanka breakfast of something spicy and, since the bacon usually available here is both watery and tasteless, bacon and eggs never featured on my breakfast menu. Until I discovered Back Bacon Slices, manufactured, packed and distributed by Auslanka (Private) Ltd of Kurunegala. Marketed as an Aussies Food product, it is produced with Australian influence. (There’s more information on http://klikkbygg.no/.)



These bacon rashers didn’t vaporise or shrivel when gently fried, but retained their size, plumpness and the rich pork flavour of a real, well-fed pig. The ingredients on the package were listed as pork, salt, sugar, nitrate (E250) and Permitted Preservatives, and the 250g packet cost Rs450 [£ 2.25; US$ 3.46]. Simply delicious with a breadfruit curry side dish.

Wayside Café
The tantalising smell of garlic frying and other cooking has begun to drift around the cottage every day just before meal times. It whets my appetite as I wonder what Kumara is preparing in the kitchen. Actually, to my disappointment, I discover every day that the delicious aromas come not from our kitchen but from the local restaurant that has just opened across the road.

It is a real wayside café with glass display cabinet packed with fried fish-stuffed Chinese rolls and various pastries, and a glass cubicle where a roti maker tosses his rice-flour pancakes. At meal times it offers a beautifully presented buffet that must rank as one of the cheapest in Sri Lanka with breakfast buffet from Rs110 [.55p; .84c]. The lunch I photographed consisted of white and red rice, tempered capsicums, beetroot curry, cabbage and coconut salad, lentil curry, papadums, and fish or chicken curry. The chicken version cost Rs180 [.90p; US$ 1.38]; the fish Rs140 [.70p; $1.07].



This wonderful enterprise has been started by a young man called Sanka who previously ran a wedding and party-catering outfit from his home, so he has all the equipment, as well as the cooking skills, to run what is rapidly becoming a very popular restaurant. Kumara, Ramesh, and our friend Loga from Haputale have all eaten there and pronounced the food as being “very tasty.”



For Sinhala readers, here is the restaurant’s sign with all the delicious dishes it claims to serve. It’s on the seaside of the Galle Road, near the Gonagala/Kaikawala Road junction at Induruwa between the 67 & 68km markers. Open from 7am to 11pm.

2[SUP]nd[/SUP] Generation Wedding
Podi was my first houseboy when I settled in Bentota. He spoke no English but we managed to communicate. Since he couldn’t read the labels on the bottles in my bar, I asked him how he knew which was Arrack and which was Whisky. He smiled sweetly and demonstrated that he did it by taste! Here is Podi at my old cottage in Bentota in January 1982.




I went to his wedding when he married Gita (on the right of the photo below) and last week I was privileged to be invited to the wedding of their eldest son, Suresh, to Marisa, a journalism student from Germany. They make a fine couple and it was fun to celebrate with them and to wish them the very best of married life together, knowing I had given Suresh’s father a start in life (and in learning English as well as acquiring a taste for whisky.)



Self-Catering

When I settled in Sri Lanka I was puzzled why there was plenty of low-cost guesthouse accommodation, but absolutely no self-catering apartments to be rented. I didn’t realise it at the time, but it was probably because there were also no supermarkets; shopping had to be done at village grocery shacks (called “boutiques”), at the weekly fair where travelling vendors hawked vegetables, or from fishermen on the beach or, for meat, from amateur wayside butchers. Bottled mineral water was imported and laundry was done by the well or riverside.

Obviously the time wasn’t right for self-catering apartments for tourists. Now it is, and a friend of mine, Nishan Fernando, has not only opened an independent supermarket importing items beloved by foreigners from source, but has also built self-catering apartments on top of his store.




Amazingly affordable (from $50 a day) the Thumbelina Apartments, beautifully situated overlooking the Bentota River, are ideal for a holiday of a few days or for a longer stay, for solo travellers, couples, or families. Close to the bus and train station at Aluthgama and on the access road to the Southern Expressway, they have quick access to the banks, post office and shops.



There are six river-view luxury studio apartments and each one has a double bed, A/C, a kitchenette, with fridge, cooking facilities, kettle, crockery and cutlery. There is also a settee and dining table and chairs made out of grained coconut timber, a television and free WiFi. In the en-suite bathroom there is a power-shower with hot water, a hair dryer and bathroom amenities.



The Pier 88 Nebula Garden Restaurant and Bar is in the garden below the apartments for riverside dining and drinking. There’s a lot to do and see within easy reach of the apartments including river cruises, fishing expeditions, water sports, village tours, and swimming from the Bentota Beach.



If you stay there (nebula@dialogsl.net) don’t forget to invite me for a drink!

Sunny regards
Royston Ellis

Royston when i am next year on January by Siri we can meet us to Nebula Garden for a Drink...

Your Premasiri

 

[Premasiri]

TROPICAL TOPICS, Sunday 19 August 2012.
Greetings from Sri Lanka, a land of ever changing weather this week.
Made In Sri Lanka






Pure Ceylon Tea is surely Sri Lanka’s most famous export and there are so many producers I could feature a different one every newsletter. The honour goes this time to Mackwoods Labookellie Tea, packets of which a friend brought me last week from the company’s tea factory located by the road from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya.



The tea shown here is Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings (BOPF), so called because the dried and fired, young leaves of tea bushes have been broken and crushed into small pieces; the largest pieces are called Orange Pekoe (OP), the smallest Dust. BOPF is the ideal tea to use in the teapot when you want to make tea to be served with milk and sugar. Because the pieces are small you get more tea into the teaspoon and that produces the stronger brew. If you drink tea without milk and sugar, you need OP.

Mackwoods, founded in 1841, is one of the oldest agency houses still in existence in Sri Lanka although tea itself wasn’t produced until 1867 when the pioneer James Taylor made tea on his plantation at Loolecondera, near Kandy. At the Mackwoods Factory, visitors are welcome to see the production of tea and also to sample it in the teashop where various kinds of loose-leaf tea are on sale.




It’s also possible to stay in the Labookellie bungalow, which is sumptuously furnished, as it would have been in the days of colonial planters, although in this case a painting of Queen Elizabeth has replaced one of Queen Victoria. Remarkable, too, is the bathroom with a view from the bathtub of the tea growing hills surrounding it.



Mackwoods tea is available in England, at Harrods and good groceries elsewhere. As a footnote, the company is connected with the current Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Great Britain, HE Dr Chris Nonis.

Colonial Art
If you missed the lecture on the artistic journey of the Russian Émigré painter Alexander Dimitrievich Sofronoff given by Shevanthie Goonesekera at the Sri Lanka High Commission in London in May (newsletter 106), there is a chance to hear it at the Russian Cultural Centre in Colombo on Friday 24[SUP]th[/SUP] August at 3.30pm



Why should that be of interest to friends (and fans) of Sri Lanka? Because Sofronoff lived in the then Ceylon from 1936 painting, and consequently influencing, many local artists. Shevanthie, who has traced over 100 of Sofronoff’s distinctive paintings, will also talk about his life in Ceylon, his employment as décor artiste at the Galle Face Hotel, the successful exhibitions held at the hotel, and his close connection to the British community in Ceylon.

Ebayed


I’ve just bought another cardboard postal tube through eBay. At least, that’s what it seems like, as the cost of postage and packing to have a map sent to me by airmail from the UK, was higher than the actual map it contained. But I’m happy with my eBay auction experience especially since I managed to beat all other bidders at the last minute.



My prize is not the original 1542 map on which this 1992 reproduction is based, but nevertheless it is fascinating. Jean Rotz produced this beautifully designed chart in Dieppe as part of his Boke of Idrography, a stunning portolan presented to Henry VIII, (portolan is a historical term for a book of sailing directions.)

The directions on this chart would have confused ancient mariners, since two islands bear accepted names for Sri Lanka. The one in approximately the correct location (although it straddles the Equator) is called Taprobana (and has an illustration of a ghostly elephant), while another to the southeast is called Zeilon, also an ancient name for Ceylon.



This chart has long been an object of speculation and controversy, says a note on the back, with “the large land mass to the south of Sumatra at the top of the map being seen by some scholars as one of the earliest visual records of Portuguese contacts with Australia.” A hundred years later, medieval cartographers had got it sorted out, as shall be seen in next week’s newsletter.

A Rainy Day in Paradise




Strange weather in Sri Lanka these days. In the morning it is blisteringly hot where I live on the west coast, and then it turns gloomy and the garden is pelted with driving rain, as seen here. Then on other days, the rain comes in the morning and the sun in the evening, for some spectacular sunsets.

Another Royston Ellis!
Yes, Google has found another one. He is actually David Royston Ellis, 49, and lives in Kirkham, England. According to the Lancashire Evening News he has just been gaoled for stealing television screens from the warehouse where he worked and selling them on eBay.



You don’t have to go to eBay to buy the eBook of my collected poems, but it’s a steal at £ 2.99. Just log on to www.roystonellis.com/shop and click on Add to Cart and pay with your credit card through PayPal, and you can immediately download my eBook. It’s “an incredible collection of poems, a testimony of the times and lifestyle of 50 years ago, that resonates even today, chronicling the underworld of beatniks, jazz, rock ‘n’ roll and teenage rebels at the dawn of the Swinging Sixties.” With an introduction by Jimmy Page.

Beat regards
Royston Ellis

wünsche allen Usern des SLB eine gute Woche

LG Premasiri

 

[Premasiri]

TROPICAL TOPICS, Sunday 26 August 2012. Greetings to readers around the world to this week’s round up of tropical topics. Made in Sri Lanka I never knew (until I confirmed it through Google) that Dragon Fruit is grown in Sri Lanka – and now it has begun to appear on supermarket shelves. Apparently, like the rubber tree, it is an import from South America. The plant is actually a type of cactus, and the fruit in Sri Lanka is a glorious scarlet colour with leafy tufts. Dragon Fruit grows in Sri Lanka It doesn’t have prickles like kiwi fruit, whose taste/texture it resembles, and is much larger. Fortunately, it is low in calories and offers numerous nutrients, including Vitamin C, phosphorus, calcium, plus fibre and antioxidants. I sayfortunately because the taste, concealed within the brilliantly coloured leathery skin, is disappointing: a vague sweetness, nothing dynamic, so one wonders what’s the point in eating it. Dragon fruit wedges Nevertheless, it’s a pretty addition to a fruit platter, with the globe quartered so the fruit can be eaten with a spoon. This one (based on a price of Rs411.50 per kg) cost Rs213.98 [£ 1.06; US$ 1.64] Ceylon My trophy this week purchased on eBay is a reproduction of a 1618 map of Asia by William Blaeu. A beautifully designed ‘carte a figures’ first published in Amsterdam, this was incorporated unchanged into the magnificent Blaeu atlases of the next 50 years (says a note on the reverse.) Reproduction of 1618 Blaeu map of Asia The detail is amazing and requires a magnifying glass to read. However, Sri Lanka is in the right place (below India and north of the Equator, not on it as in last week’s map) and is here named Zeylan. There are two vignettes that are intriguing. One is of Candy, which is depicted as well laid out and fortified. “Candy” detail from 1618 Blaeu map of Asia The other depicts natives of “Invani.” If any reader knows what that means, I hope to hear from you. Since both the man and the woman are bare chested and each wearing a cloth, I wonder if they could be from Zeylan – perhaps from the Wanni district, called the heartland of Sri Lanka on www.wanni.org. “Invani” detail from 1618 Blaeu map of Asia Located Regular readers will know that I am the Warden for the British High Commission responsible for being in touch with Britons who stay in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka for more than 30 days. It sounds onerous but in reality, although there are probably hundreds of British residents (whether full or part time) in the south, only a handful – not even enough for a jolly garden party – have registered. The British Foreign Office has introduced an online scheme, called LOCATE (www.fco.gov.uk/travel, click on LOCATE), to make it easier for long-stay visitors in any country to register. Why do that? “So you can be more easily contacted in the event of a crisis,” according to this leaflet. Leaflet promoting LOCATE Registration expires after a year which results in even fewer registered Britons every year as they forget to renew or find going through the process every year too tiresome. That’s what happened to me and I am ashamed to say that it took me 25 minutes to re-register because of the cyber slippery complexity of the form. Heath Robinson If a contemporary Heath Robinson, the early 20[SUP]th[/SUP] century British cartoonist, were to visit Sri Lanka, he would find lots of inspiration for ingeniously designed contraptions. In Pettah, Colombo’s bazaar area, a kind of daytime equivalent of Bangkok’s evening street market of Patpong (with the emphasis on pong), Pettah bustles with porters ferrying goods on trolleys between delirious traffic. Porter with trolley in Pettah’s traffic There is also this knife grinder at work on a machine that is pure Heath Robinson. With his bare right foot, the knife grinder peddles a wooden shaft that is connected by a metal strut with another shaft. This goes up and down as the operator peddles and thus rotates a bicycle wheel spinning in a wooden frame. Each spin drives a chain linked to the grinding wheel which spins in response, while the operator swiftly sharpens the knife. Knife grinder at work in Pettah. Colombo. I was a bit careless in taking this photo because as I stepped backwards a man stepped forwards with a knife to be sharpened, and collided with my backside. Luckily neither of us was harmed! Pavlova I don’t have a sweet tooth and generally eschew desserts. However, I could not resist asking for a spare spoon so I could dip into my guest’s dessert, this scrumptious confection: Pavlova, as featured on the menu of Colombo’s world famous Cricket Club Café. Pavlova dessert at Colombo’s Cricket Club Café The cream stuffed meringue comes with a choice of two fruits, in this case papaya and passion fruit. Not only did it taste as good as it looks, the added pleasure was the price, just Rs295 [£1.44; US$ 2.25]. Word of Mouth We are told that word of mouth is the best promotion for something. So I was impressed when a friend sent me a link (www.dailymotion.com/.../xsssnb_travel-book-review-maldives...) with someone reviewing one of my books by speaking about it. The book is my Bradt Travel Guide to the Maldives. Of more interest to readers of this newsletter, however, would be my Bradt Guide to Sri Lanka, available direct from: http://www.bradtguides.com/Book/552/Sri-Lanka.html Warm regards, Royston Es grüsst Euch alle herzlich Premasiri ​

 

[Premasiri]

Tropical Topics, Sunday 2 September, 2012
Welcome to this week’s tropical topics from Sri Lanka.
Made in Sri Lanka
Regular readers know of my enthusiasm for the spicy, wake-up call of a true Sri Lankan breakfast. One of the key ingredients is seeni sambol, a relish made with onions fried with chilli powder and other spices and a little sugar. We sometimes make it at home although it usually turns out a bit too fierce thanks to the cook’s generosity with the chilli. There’s a video (click on [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Hjg3oTSJvc[/URL]) on how it can be done.

Spicy products from Sri Lanka ​

Many companies produce Seeni Sambol in Sri Lanka and market it in jars. One of the best is produced for export with the brand name Larich by Pan Am Foods Ltd of 79/6 Alexandra Place, Colombo. There is an outlet for the many local products that Larich makes at the Majestic City shopping mall in Colombo, and that’s where I bought the seeni sambol shown here, alongside some other satisfying Larich products.

Seeni Sambol by Larich ​

The label lists the ingredients as “onions, yellowfin tuna (Maldive fish chips), sesam [sic] oil, tamarind, suger [sic], cinnamon, cardamom, curry leaves, cloves, rampe. This 300g jar cost Rs 315 [£ 1.53; US$ 2.42]. As well as being a perfect breakfast relish, seeni sambol makes a hearty stuffing in freshly baked buns that can be found at good wayside pastry shops throughout Sri Lanka.

Rooms in Sri Lanka

Room signs are everywhere in Sri Lanka ​

From my email box:
Hi,
Love!!! your book on Sri Lanka for Bradt...I am having an awful time with hotels not e-mailing me back about reservations...don't they like independent travellers?...I even tried the big hotel’s websites …no answers!!! any suggestions. (Marlene).
Dear Marlene:
I am sorry to hear of your experience about not getting email replies from hotels here. That's not unusual. Many hotels hold rooms until the last minute to fulfill their obligations with their overseas booking agents and don’t let them to Independent Travellers in advance. However as an Independent Traveller you are liberated! You can come to Sri Lanka and book into the hotels you like as you go, without prior reservations. There is plenty of accommodation throughout the country and you will see "Rooms available" signs everywhere. (Royston)
Upside Down
In Newsletter 123 I showed a map of Asia by Jean Rotz dated 1544 and wondered why there were two islands with Sri Lanka's ancient names of Taprobane and Zeylan. I noticed, too, that Taprobane was located off the southwest coast of India instead of the southeast, and straddling the Equator.

What I didn’t notice was that the world was upside down. On this map issued in a book of charts for King Henry VIII, the compass arrow for north doesn’t point upwards, but downwards: thus south is north and north is south. By turning the map upside down, so north is upwards, as on modern, conventional maps, the island of Zeylan is correctly placed off the southwestern tip of India.

Rotz map flipped so north is upwards ​

Having solved that puzzle, here’s another one. How come Sri Lanka was known as Taprobane when that honour should really go to Sumatra?
Eagle-eyed Samit Roychoudhury, compiler of The Great Indian Railway Atlas (available at http://www.indianrailstuff.com) and a contributor to an edition of my 1990s hit book, India By Rail, was quick to dash my fantasy in last week’s newsletter. He pointed out that what I read as “Invani” on the 1618 Blaeu map of Asia and assumed to refer to natives of the Wanni, is in fact “Iavani”. That means it refers to the people of Iava (Java).

Early 17th century natives of Java ​

They still look lovely, anyway.

Sri Lanka By Rail
Last Sunday, at the end of a brief visit to Galle, I decided to return home by train instead of waiting for a lift in a friend’s car. Nice idea, but I wasn’t ready for the fact that so many other people had the same thought and, since the train, number 8039, had originated further along the coast at Matara, all seats were taken. Not surprising since the 2nd class fare for the 60km journey from Galle to Bentota, cost only Rs100 (£ .48p US .76 cents ).

Train interior, Galle to Bentota ​

I stood by the door where the breeze was cool and I had a superb view of the beach and the coast. Although the journey was 15 minutes longer than the advertised 54 minutes, it passed quickly. More comfortable, perhaps, would have been the newer, sleeker trains that operate at commuter peak times (northward in the morning, southwards in the evening). Here’s one passing my cottage.

Commuter train on Sri Lanka’s western coast railway line ​

The times of all trains running in Sri Lanka can be found on this link:
http://www.gic.gov.lk/gic/index.php?option=com_findnearest&task=train

However, it only gives start to destination times without indicating where and when the train stops en route. Perhaps the best, if you have time, are the slow passenger trains that stop at every station yielding glimpses into the rural back yards of Sri Lanka as they dawdle along.
Retired Steam Locomotive

At Fort Railway station, in the courtyard by the back exit, off Platform 10, is this magnificent old steam loco permanently parked under a battered galvanise tin canopy. It has changed colours over the years (in 1994 when I wrote my Bradt book, Sri Lanka By Rail, it was “painted black and maroon with some yellow strips, a cheerful sight for commuters.”

Hunslet 4-6-0 class, built 1908, at Colombo Fort Railway station ​

Now it’s still a jolly reminder of times and rail travel of the past although it is painted black and grey with red trimmings and a light blue interior for the driver’s cabin.This well-preserved iron lady was built in the UK by Hunslet in 1908, 4-6-0 class, number 135.
Rail guide
For more information about travelling around Sri Lanka by train, my Bradt Guide to Sri Lanka tells how to do it today. It’s available through
[url]http://www.bradtguides.com/Book/552/Sri-Lanka.html[/URL]

​

Good training!
Royston

LG Premasiri

 

[Premasiri]

TROPICAL TOPICS Sunday, 9 September 2012
Greetings from Sri Lanka where the island is enjoying every possible climate on the same day – heavenly blue skies and super sunshine in the hills, and pelting rain and gloom on the west coast!
Made in Sri Lanka

Water delivery to Horizon Cottage ​

It’s better not to drink tap water in Sri Lanka; it may be potable but someone not brought up on it may well bring it up. At home we have regular deliveries of locally bottled mineral water. The source is a dug well in the Hanthana Mountain Range. The water has been processed by “running through a filtration process and by exposure to ultra violet treatment to eliminate bacterial and viral organisms.”
A 1,500 ml bottle costs Rs70 [34p; 53c]. Above Pradeep is delivering a 19.5 litre container for our water cooler. It’s ideal water for drinking chilled, and for using to make ice cubes.
Table
Nosing around Galle railway station recently, I wondered into the Gents Waiting Room, not a lavatory but a rest room for Gentleman. (There is a separate one for Ladies.) The only piece of furniture in it was this enormous table, probably very old and extremely valuable, on which travelling male passengers could sleep on mats, not eat.

Table in Gents Waiting Room, Galle Railway Station, Sri Lanka ​

First day at school

Tiny Tots International Montessori School, Aluthgama, Sri Lanka ​

Tuesday 4 September was the start of the new school term in Sri Lanka and became the first day at school for Sasindu, the three-year-old son of Kumara who looks after me and my cottage, and his wife Kanchana. Sasindu has just been enrolled in the Montessori School run very efficiently in the nearby town of Aluthgama.
Sasindu was apprehensive and to add to his confusion, it was pouring with rain when he arrived.

First day at Montessori School, Aluthgama) ​

A teacher took him in hand immediately and took him to the playroom where he was to start his first day. He was intrigued at first, then had a screaming session when he realised Kanchana was not with him, until the teacher distracted him and he settled down. When he got home, his grandmother asked him if he wanted to go back the next day and he said, “Yes.” Then she asked him what he had learned in his first day. “Crying,” he said.
The school is an English medium one, which will help Sasindu become bilingual in Sinhala and English, and costs Rs6,000 [£ 29.26; $ 46.15] a term.

Sasindu at Montessori School, Aluthgama ​

Knife Grinding
From an old friend, Tino, whom I knew 47 years ago when I lived in Las Palmas, Canary Islands, comes this comment, and photographs.
“Your image of the grinder brought me some memories. Don't know if you remember, we used to have in Spain the travelling grinder (el afilador). He used to blow a special sort of whistle to announce his presence while wheeling a contraption based on the same principle as the one in Sri Lanka, except this one of course could be wheeled around on its big cart wheel when not busy sharpening. Funny how, just as in nature, man seems to find similar solutions for similar tasks no matter where and under which circumstances.

Old time knife grinder, Spain ​

Sadly this clever contraption has now been replaced in Spain by the motorised sort: using motor scooters with the grinding stone being driven via a belt from the engine or back wheel. Clever, but not as traditional and pollution free as the original.

Knife grinder, Spain ​

Take your pick
When I went into the Riverside Inn just outside Bandarawela last week, I tried to walk through to the garden bar. “Oh no,” said the steward, “that’s too crowded; why not sit in our restaurant.”
Since the restaurant was over-furnished, under-staffed, had no atmosphere and smelt of MSG, I declined. I asked again why I couldn’t go to the bar at the back which, I knew from a previous visit, was a good place for a drink even if one had to walk past caged, barking dogs and through laundry strung across a ragged lawn to get to it.
It’s an open sided bar with a granite stone counter and surly staff. When they understood that I, as an apparent tourist, wasn’t going to complain, it was suddenly all smiles. It’s the kind of place I love; where Sri Lankans enjoy a noisy drink. My opinion of the place improved even more when I ordered, and was quickly served with, a plate of Devilled Beef (that’s chunks of fried beef served with leeks, onions, capsicums and chilli sauce).

Devilled beef & bamboo skewers, Bandarawela ​

I was amazed at the refinement of having handmade bamboo skewers, instead of imported toothpicks or forks, with which to eat it. Ideal for the olives in a Dry Martini.

Bandarawela-made bamboo skewers ​

The beef was not only delicious, it was also tender - and cheap at Rs300 [£ 1.46; US$ 2.30]. Much better than a similar sized portion of Devilled Beef I had at the Ratnapura Resthouse the next day which was tough and tasteless and cost Rs750.
Skin tax

Weblink Cyber Café , Haputale ​

“Foreigners,” said my friend Loga who runs the Weblink Communication Cyber Café in Haputale and is a trekking guide and masseur, “often get charged an unofficial skin tax.”
Loga is an enterprising man. He sells items for tourists (“no skin tax”) in his tiny shop as well as a variety of different teas and herbal oils.

A corner of Loga's shop, Haputale ​

Silver Tips is renowned as one of the most exclusive teas produced in Sri Lanka and usually costs a lot. Loga has found a novel way of packing it – in pepper pots. These jolly souvenirs cost just Rs250 [£ 1.21; $ 1.92] each.

Silver Tip tea packed in pepper pots ​

Guide book
For more on Sri Lanka and the places to go that tourists might not find by themselves, see my Bradt Guide to Sri Lanka, available through http:// www.bradtguides.com/Book/552/Sri-Lanka.html
Beat regards
Royston Ellis

wünsche allen Usern eine wunderschöne Herbstwoche Premasiri

 

[Biggi]

Hallo Premasiri,

das sind wieder interessante Berichte und Tips von Royston. Sein humoriger Schreibstil macht zudem auch Spass.
Danke für`s Einstellen und liebe Grüsse in den Süden,
Biggi

 

[Premasiri]

TROPICAL TOPICS, Sunday 16 September 2012.
Welcome to this week’s round up of good things Sri Lankan.
Sinhala
At a small dinner party last week, I was momentarily nonplussed to be asked to take my seat at the table when I saw that all the name cards were written in Sinhala. I kept it as a souvenir because it seems such a beautiful depiction of my name.

“Royston” in Sinhala) ​

Unfortunately, although I have lived in Sri Lanka for 33 years, I have never managed to master Sinhala. I gave up trying years ago, reasoning that since English (along with Sinhala and Tamil) is one of the languages of the country I did at least speak that!

Nature Notes
There was a sudden bang on my garret window the other morning. I looked up but there was no one (not even a monkey) there. Then I looked out and saw this stunning - and stunned - bird on the roof, having flown into the glass pane. I have identified it as a sunbird, but am I correct?

Sunbird, Sri Lanka ​

First Day Covers
First Day Covers (FDCs)featuring a new issue of postage stamps, with the date neatly franked on the envelope, are prized by many philatelists, especially if they are authentic, actually posted envelopes. Other collectors, however, specialise in pristine covers, either of a theme or a country. Since there is a demand, there is also an industry supplying that demand, which means that many of today’s postage stamps resemble jam jar labels produced for the market rather than for letter writers.

On Tuesday I was invited to a cocktail party at the Galle Face Hotel in Colombo by the hotel’s dynamic chairman, Sanjeev Gardiner “in celebration of the issuance of four new postage stamps by the Government of Sri Lanka featuring four selected Heritage Buildings, one of which is the Prestigious Galle Face Hotel – Sri Lanka’s Heritage in Hospitality.” Hardly an invitation to refuse.

Galle Face Hotel invitation ​

It takes me at least two hours to drive to Colombo because, although it is only 68km, the traffic (and the standard of driving) is chaotic, so I venture to Colombo as little as possible. The party made it worthwhile. It was an extraordinary lavish affair, evidence of the Galle Face Hotel (dating from 1864, Sri Lanka’s oldest purpose built hotel) returning to eminence as the foremost address for visitors to Colombo.

Held in the ornate ballroom it was attended by Colombo’s fashionable set and a galaxy of bureaucrats, including the dashing Minister of Posts, the Hon Jeevan Kumaranatunga, and his Secretary, Hemasiri Fernando who, 25 years ago, created the Viceroy Special steam engine tours of Sri Lanka.

Dancers from Channa Upuli Creative Arts Foundation ​

The event included speeches, energetic dance performances by vivacious dancers from the Channa Upuli Performing Arts Foundation and, of course, the franking of the first day cover, which attracted a scrum of photographers, feting the FDC like a star.

Covering the issuing of the First Day Cover, 11 September 2012, commemorating four Colombo heritage buildings. ​

Unfortunately, I never saw the actual stamps, nor the cover, as all of them were snapped up by eager guests before I could get one, but I was proud to have witnessed the event.

Jetwing Lagoon Hotel

From the oldest hotel to the newest. This photograph, believe it or not, is of the newest hotel to open in Sri Lanka, the Jetwing Lagoon. Why am I being facetious? Because it reminds me too much of a 1970s suburban housing estate. The fact that there is a 100m-long swimming pool in the cup of the U-shaped layout of buildings doesn’t change my view, especially because of the vast amount of gnarled concrete flagstones that make walking hazardous. How would a wheelchair guest fare?

Jetwing Lagoon Hotel, pool garden and rooms) ​

The retro concept is not so odd, after all, as the original Blue Lagoon, Talahena, opened in 1965, was one of the first hotels specifically built for modern day tourists visiting Sri Lanka. It is across the lagoon from the international airport, and drew its guests then from passengers in transit by propeller planes from England to Australia.

Its design by the Sri Lankan architect, Geoffrey Bawa (1918-2003), conforms to his tradition of what I've heard described as "underground car park architecture" (because of the very low ceilings and angular columns for public areas). In fairness, Bawa’s simple lines are loved by Asian guests even if they seem unduly harsh - and reminiscent of austerity - to Brits of a certain age like me.

Jetwing Lagoon Hotel, Bawa garden bedroom ​

The hotel had mixed fortunes and sank into disuse in the 1990s until taken over by the enterprising Sri Lankan Jetwing hotel company that ambitiously revived it and re-opened it earlier this year. The hotel has retained many Bawa features, evident in the bedrooms, practically furnished with chunky wooden shelves and cupboards, but with gimmicky, open-sided bathrooms with a door of glass, stand alone bathtub, and no door to the shower or toilet.

Jetwing Lagoon Hotel, bathroom ​

Another feature that is typical of Bawa-inspired hotels is the discomfort of seating in the bar, and the lack of bottles on display, as though public drinking and conviviality were to be discouraged. In the restaurant (with low ceiling), my enjoyment of a brightly presented lunch of pan-roasted sea bass (Rs1,725; £ 8.42; US$ 13.26) with an inspired accompaniment of local asparagus and roasted garlic floating in virgin coconut oil, was unfortunately sabotaged by burnt sweet potato chips.

Jetwing Lagoon Hotel, pan-roasted sea bass ​

Figures
Andrew, the web monster behind the design and circulation of this newsletter every week, reports that in August we had 367,891 readers, which means an average of 91,972 readers each weekly issue. A poignant contrast to the readership of the reprint (with update) of my 1961 book The Big Beat Scene which seems to be averaging a sale of three copies a month, according to the latest royalty figures.

You can read it for yourself by buying from amazon.co.uk or direct from Music Mentor, the brave publisher, on http://musicmentor0.tripod.com/book_big_beat_scene.htlm.


Beat regards
Royston Ellis

Biggi, vielen Dank für Deine immer netten Kommentare...

Premasiri

 

[Premasiri]

TROPICAL TOPICS, Sunday 23 September 2012.
Once again, dear readers, my weekly round up of tropical topics from Sri Lanka.
Made in Sri Lanka
As I understand it, garlic doesn’t actually grow in Sri Lanka (the majority of garlic is grown in China) but it is eaten here in vast quantities both as sliced pieces in curries of all sorts, and even as a curry itself, as in this photo.

Curried garlic ​

In the hill country, deep fried whole garlic is a favourite snack, perhaps because it helps tame chilly evenings. I don’t know what it does for romance.

Deep fried garlic bulbs ​

Alzheimer’s in Sri Lanka
Next Saturday, 29th September 2012, the Annual Memory Walk kicks off from the Angsana Spa Garden of Colombo’s Cinnamon Grand Hotel at 8.00 am. This 5 km Memory Walk is the flagship fundraising event of the Lanka Alzheimer’s Foundation (www.alzlanka.org).

The Walk enables hundreds of people to step out and support those with dementia and their family carers, and bring awareness to the community.
This year it is more meaningful and special as the Foundation celebrates its First Anniversary of opening the Centre at Maradana, built with money raised through years of fundraising.

Alzheimer’s Centre, Maradana ​

The Centre offers facilities including Day Care Activities, Counselling and Memory Clinics conducted by doctors, and public lectures held in the Centre’s airy auditorium. Since the Lanka Alzheimer’s Foundation depends solely on public support, if you can’t attend the walk, you might like to take part in its finale, which is the Grand Raffle where the ultimate prize is a ticket courtesy of Qatar Airways for a return flight to London.

Books of raffle tickets (at Rs500 for 10) are available by sending a crossed cheque made out to Lanka Alzheimer's Foundation at 110, Ketawalamulla Lane, Maradana, Sri Lanka.

Which reminds me of this subtle cartoon (Hal?) showing Arthur C Clarke for which I contributed Clarke’s words and the US cartoonist, Richard Kolkman, did the drawings in 2003.

Arthur C Clarke cartoon ​

Bar Basics
A lady I met in the casino recently told me that I am too accustomed to fine dining, hence my displeasure at less than the best. But as regular readers know I enjoy local snacks as much as any gourmet meal. I like to judge a restaurant according to what it pretends to be.

Aluthgama beer bar exterior ​

Thus the beer bar known as Machang (a term of affection for a male friend or colleague, actually meaning ‘brother-in-law’) in Aluthgama, has gone to the top of my list for an enjoyable lunch break. The beer, brewed by Sri Lanka’s venerable Lion Brewery, is 8.8 degrees proof and a mug of 300m draught costs Rs100 (.48p; .76c), or a tower (3 lts) ten times that. Called “Strong,” it definitely, absolutely, certainly, head-spinningly is.

Service with a smile at the beer bar, Aluthgama. ​

The bar itself has a modern architectural, industrial influence since the walls are of unadorned cement and the high roof is supported by exposed girders and has a ceiling of sun-absorbing, silver sheeting. Garden benches in the back are concrete frames.

Aluthgama’s Machang bar interior ​

The bar, however, has comfortable, and chunky, wooden stools and individual tables, while there are seats and tables upstairs. Smoking is allowed.

Aluthgama beer bar counter and open kitchen ​

I was fascinated to see that the kitchen is actually behind the bar counter where a chef in uniform tosses meat in woks to produce devilled beef (Rs450; £2.19; $ 3.46) and other bites. I recently tried the bar’s speciality, black pepper pork curry with manioc (Rs350; £ 1.70; $ 2.69) and rate it among the best bar snacks I have ever had, perfect with all that beer.

Black pepper pork curry & manioc ​

What an honour?
Yet again, I have been singled out for an honour. This time I could receive no less than “The Cambridge Certificate” for “Outstanding Personal Achievement.” The writer of the letter offering me the Certificate states confidently, “I know that you have been honoured by many organisations … but I can assure you Mr Ellis that this new award will stand out from the others as one of high importance and value.”

No it won’t! Not when it costs UK£ 425 [SLRs 87,125; US$ 680].

Register

LOCATE leaflet ​

As the British High Commission (BHC) Consular Warden for the Galle District, I was summoned together with a score of other wardens, to the BHC in Colombo for a briefing last Monday. There we wardens discovered that although there are many British residents in Sri Lanka, very few of them actually register with the BHC. Those who do, usually neglect to renew their registration every year, which has to be done if they are to remain on the register. (Go to www.fco.gov.uk/travel and click on LOCATE or send me an email for the necessary form.)

All British citizens staying in Sri Lanka for more than a month (even if only on holiday) are advised to register. Why? So that contact can be made in the event of an emergency. A warden is supposed to act as the liaison between the BHC and registered Brits. If I get enough registrants from the Galle district perhaps we could organise a garden party!
ICC World Twenty20 Cricket 2012.
Sri Lanka is in the throes of the ICC World Twenty20 Cricket Tournament; matches of only 20 overs a side between 12 countries being played at three major grounds, at Sooriyawewa in the rural wilds inland from Hambantota, at the Pallekele stadium outside Kandy, and the stadium at Khettarama in Colombo.

As help for the many foreign cricket fans visiting Colombo, I was asked to write an article for the espncricinfo website on how to get around the country. It’s on http://www.espncricinfo.com/travel/content/story/577210.html?city=hambantota

For more information, there is my Bradt book Guide to Sri Lanka available through [url]http://www.bradtguides.com/Book/552/Sri-Lanka.html[/URL]

Bradt Guide to Sri Lanka ​

Cheers, machang!
Royston

Wish you all a very nice week
LG Premasiri

 

[Claudia]

Knoblauchcurry - ich stelle mir gerade vor, wie es in meiner Küche riechen würde

Diese transportabeln Bierzapfanlagen sind praktisch. In der Mitte des Bieres ist ein
röhrenförmiger Behälter, in den man Eiswürfel einfüllt. So bleibt das Bier schön kalt.

Danke für den neuen NL, ist doch immer wieder interessant!!!

 

[Premasiri]

TROPICAL TOPICS, Sunday 30 September, 2012.
Made in Sri Lanka
This week, we’re talking Sri Lankan spices.

Pre-ground spices on sale in the village market ​

For centuries, Sri Lanka has been known for its spices, which is what stirred the imperial powers to invade, hunting Cinnamon, Pepper, Betel, Clove, Cocoa, Ginger, Lemongrass, Nutmeg and Mace, Vanilla and Cardamom. There is even a Spice Council with a stimulating website (www.srilankanspices.com), pungent with information about the vegetable substances used for flavouring.

In Sri Lanka’s village markets, ground spices are available in bulk but keen cooks will grind their own with a mortar and pestle. Tourists often make the mistake (thanks to guides who get a commission) of buying “fresh” spices in roadside spice gardens at huge expense, instead of (as local cooks do) looking in corner shops and supermarkets for the unground, properly packed local brand-name spice products.

an ancient mortar and pestle in Colombo’s National Museum ​

In celebration of spices, the grandly named 7[SUP]th[/SUP] World Spice Food Festival starts here next Thursday, 4 October. International chefs will be participating by offering spicy cuisines from Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Middle East, Mongolia, Pakistan, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Hawker Street style food stalls run by the city’s five-star hotels will be held on the Board Walk at Battaramulla from 5 to 7 October. Hot stuff!

First Day Cover
In newsletter 127, I lamented being unable to obtain a First Day Cover (FDC)
of the issue of stamps showing four of Colombo’s colonial buildings, due to popular demand for the FDCs at the joyous launching function held at the venerable Galle Face Hotel.

Colonial Buildings First Day Cover, 11 September 2012 ​

Thanks to the thoughtfulness of Hemasiri Fernando, who is Secretary to the Ministry of Posts & Telecommunications, I have now received, through the post, the superb presentation folder prepared for the occasion. As well as the FDC, the folder contains two souvenir sheets, each with two stamps of Rs15 (£ .07p; US$ .12c) in value.

Two souvenir sheets of Colombo’s Colonial Buildings stamp issue. ​

Inside the FDC (envelope) I found a leaflet giving details of the stamps (designer: Vasantha Perera; size: 60mm x 30mm; horizontal; offset lithography, 4 process colours, 102gsm security printing paper; printed 50 stamps per sheet; perforations: 14x13 ½; stamps printed: 1,000,000 x 4). The design is very attractive and adds to the value of the FDCs as a collectible item.

The leaflet also gives details of the buildings, from which I learned that the Galle Face Hotel, built in 1864 “conceived and incorporated by three British businessmen” was “designed and built to British colonial architecture.” The other buildings in the series are not as old.

National Museum, Colombo, at dusk. Photo by Gemunu Amarasinghe. ​

The Colombo National Museum was purpose built by government in 1877 at a cost of Rs119,993.93 (240% over budget; sounds familiar?). The splendid Town Hall with its Capitol-style dome was completed in 1928, while the Old Parliament (now the Presidential Secretariat), built in Iconic style, was declared open in 1930.

Vintage Car Owners’ Club
In newsletter 110, 27 May 2012, I mentioned a rally being held by the Vintage Car Owners’ Club (www.vintagecarownersclub.lk), and now comes news of another one. It’s being held next Sunday, 7 October, starting from Colombo’s Independence Square at 14.00hrs and proceeding to the Galle Face Centre Road.
It’s billed as a “Drive for Elders & Children” and the parade will do two rounds on Galle Face Centre Road and then enter the Taj Samudra Hotel where elders and children will be treated to a tea party, entertainment and gifts. In Sri Lanka a vintage car is one with a registration number preceded with a letter of the alphabet from A to Z.

Vintage Standard 9 once owned by Prince Phillip. ​

This 1935 Standard 9 (Number X8468) only just qualifies as vintage as the registration system was changed in the 1930s for a system that used a pair of letters from the country’s then name of Ceylon, in the order CE CL CN EY EL and finally EN. This Standard was bought from its original owner in 1940 by a young Prince Phillip, then a midshipman stationed in Colombo, at a cost of £12 (seven times his weekly pay). The late Chairman of the Galle Face Hotel, Cyril Gardiner, acquired it in 1956 and it is now garaged on a marble floor in the hotel’s museum.
Kurumba Maldives Ruby Anniversary
Wednesday 3 October marks the Ruby Anniversary of Kurumba, the first (in every sense) resort in the Maldives. It opened with 30 rustic-built cabanas on 3 October 1972, thereby bringing organised tourism - and prodigious wealth and development – to islands that UN experts had declared would never be able to sustain a tourism industry. It was a significant moment in transforming a country, achieved because of the vision and enterprise of a handful of determined young men concentrating on business, not politics.

Kurumba beach room ​

I was honoured to be asked to write The Kurumba Story and this coffee table book is to be launched at the 40[SUP]th[/SUP] Anniversary Gala Dinner to which I have been invited. The invitation states “Dress Code: Resort Formal” which is a code I haven’t seen before. I resorted to Google and discovered that in the USA it seems to be equivalent to what invitations here describe as “Elegant Casual.”

However, I was thinking white tuxedo and black (or even ruby) bowtie and I shall take heart from this advice found on the Internet: “Remember that it is better to be over dressed than under dressed at an affair where a dress code is even suggested.”

The Kurumba Story dust jacket ​

More on events at Kurumba next week

Sunny regards
Royston