A New New Year

A very New and Happy Year! I think that my friend and colleague P's great smile conveys the best message for 2009!


I was somewhat surprised a few days ago when I learned that January 1st is not a public holiday in Sri Lanka. OK, as a Scot I was totally astounded. The first clue was an email inviting all staff based in Colombo for "Breakfast on Thursday, 1st Jan 2009 at 10.00 a.m. in order to usher in the new year". (Coming to the office on a holiday in itself was not totally new to me - in Nepal everyone comes into the office at Desain on one of the key puja days). However, I then discovered that not only are we invited for the New Year breakfast, but also that in Sri Lanka it is more than not a holiday - it is decidedly auspicious to come to work on 1st January. It augers well for the coming year. (In Scotland, unless you are in a profession where this is a working day, you would have at least 1 and 2 January as holidays for traditional first footing, and meeting friends, family and neighbours. You would actively avoid having to work on 1st January.)

I had two choices - take a day's leave in lieu of working 10 days solid (including Christmas Day) or coming into work and experiencing this rather different approach to New Year. Being a curious old git, there was not much choice, and when you factor in the free brekkie there really is only one path to follow.

So at midnight I was alone (solitary but not lonely) listening to the cacophony of fireworks in every direction, punctuated with church bells and doing a small puja, sipping (believe it or not) green tea. (I am determined to set the tone for the year - focused, healthy, spiritual, creative and comfortable with my own company while hubby J is also working).

This morning I looked out some nice bright clothes and set off for the office. There was a feast set out waiting for us in the library/resource area and colleagues milling around greeting each other.

After the traditional speech from our acting director, we were invited to tuck in to the traditional New Year food - milk rice, spicy pickles, sweet fried sweets and fruits.

What a wonderful start to the New Year - welcoming in a new era with colleagues in the sunshine with tasty food.

A very Happy and New New Year indeed!

Looking ahead and reflecting back

2008 has been an immensely tough year, yet an exciting year, a year of loss and near loss amidst gain and renewal, a year where I have pushed myself beyond my limits.

I am at the brink of 2009 with a host of promises and resolutions (aren't we all at this time, every year?!) However, this year sees a certain milestone birthday, which gives even more impetus to make certain changes.

So just to get us off on the right foot, here is a refreshed image of that feisty old blue gecko!

With warm wishes that 2009 will bring peace, happiness and accord.

Many meanings

.........and marketing in Mongolia

.............and how about this for a classic advertisement hoarding, which I spotted when we were living in Mongolia.

Yes, it really does boast "Meeting your every blasting need".

So far that wins the prize for the most obscure advertisement I have ever seen!

Marketing

Isn't it funny how some things become amusing with just the slightest change of spelling or expression? I always smile when I pass a chemist nearby which has the proud display "Super Drugs". Totally different to Superdrug in what it conveys!

I think my favourite though, is the advertising hoard for a car repair workshop which proudly tempts custom with its sign "New and used body parts here".

Thanks, but no thanks - I reckon I will pass on all of the above!

Edible and not so edible surprises!

How ironic - lack of posting on the blog is related not to a dearth of things to talk about, but due to too many things to talk about and not enough time to write about them! So thought I would just try and jot down some short and sweet observations for the time being.

I am always interested in the variety of different fruits and vegetables available here, and usually have no idea how to prepare most of them. So I thought I would be adventurous the other day when I was shopping in Arpico (one of the supermarket chains here) and stocked up on a number of interesting vegetables which are in season at the moment. I spied a small pumpkin and thought I would be really brave and make a pumpkin soup or curry, which would go beautifully with some peppers and other seasonal veg. So far so good.

That evening I got to work, peeling and chopping and left the pumpkin till last. The peppers and onions were all chopped and ready and another pot was hosting a medley of fresh beetroot, cabbage and onions. I sliced into the fresh pumpkin flesh and opened it ready to chop. But instead of the orangey flesh I was expecting, I was greeted with white flesh and large seeds! I stared at the mutant pumpkin in horror - and discovered that it was a large, round relative of the cucumber, masquerading as a pumpkin! It was wearing the same colour of skin as a pumpkin it was the same kind of size and shape and even sitting in the same spot in the veggie counter - and worst of all, totally unsuitable for soup!

That was surprise number one - the inedible one.

After a re-think and development of a fresh plan (including relegation of cucumber to the fridge), I set to work on the rest of the dishes. Remembering the wonderful flavours of Russian Borsch (beetroot soup) from my time in Belarus and Russia, I had the idea of preparing something a bit different. A creative concoction developed, which featured a hint of chilli, a handful of cumin seeds, garlic and some of hubby's spices. A brilliant purple mix developed and a rather interesting aroma. With some trepidation, I tasted it, anticipating another disaster, and I was highly surprised to find that beetroot and cabbage curry is really tasty, even if you can see it in the dark!

And that was surprise number two! It was particularly yummy with beaten rice and eaten in South Asian style (with the hand) and results in matching purple fingers!

Multi tasking

I left home the other morning to go to work, and looking up at the sky and seeing some clouds, I decided not to take my umbrella as the sun was not too bright. Umbrellas are essential here to provide shade from the sun when you are walking. However, halfway to work, the heavens opened and a torrential downpour started to drench anyone and anything out in the open - especially me, with no umbrella. That is when I realised that I have been in South Asia for a long time. Really, a Scot has no excuse - I should know better, that the first function of an umbrella is for keeping you dry when it is raining, not for keeping the sun off you. I wonder how that approach would go down in Glasgow?? "Oh now mind and take your umbrella, I think it's gonnie be sunny the day". Somehow I don't think so!

That was one of a number of rather dramatic rainstorms these days. I have seen it called "inter monsoonal monsoon." I think that is the same as the "pre monsoon incessant rain" which I frequently saw reported in the newspapers in Nepal. What often makes the rainstorms dramatic here in Sri Lanka, is the bright sunshine through the torrential rains, giving strange light and shadows. Now how would that go down in Glasgow? Er - it's sunny and it's raining? Now that really is multi tasking!