Sunday 27 April 2008

The next chapter

Finally, finally, finally I have arrived!

It's been a long haul, and a long silence but after weeks of preparation and waiting I have now taken up the next stage my life and work. I stepped off the plane in Colombo in the early hours of Saturday morning just over a week ago, and into my new job and home within hours. And within hours I had bumped into a former friend and colleague from Nepal which was a real bonus.

The context will be very different here, but will have similarities to India and Nepal. In terms of settling here, the city is green and the area I live and work is really pleasant. The climate is a good 10 degrees cooler and a lot less humid than in Chennai. India is also experiencing a real heatwave at the moment, so the cooler temperature is really welcome. However, it is still warm and sticky so the walk to work does mean that I arrive very warm and sticky!

First impressions of Sri Lanka?
  • The traffic is slower, there is less of it and it is much easier to cross the road then in Chennai!
  • Less fruit available for sale on the street.
  • A whole aisle in the supermarket devoted to car cleaning - dashboard cleaner, bumper cleaner, upholstery cleaner and cleaner for every conceivable part of the car.
  • the tri-shaw or auto driver has the same marketing approach as in India - screeching to a halt across the road, and stopping in front of you, with a shriek of "TAXI MADAM?"

a few impressions for starters, as I am settling in and getting into the new life here.