Thala 2012

A mesmerizing dance performance by Channa upuli at Nelum Pokuna last Saturday was my weekend treat. The programme had the best of dance, music, costumes, performance and venue.

It was a proud moment to discover that this dance troupe had won first place at the Berlin Dance Culture festival 2012 competing with 92 countries. They truly deserve the win.

A few drummers performance was in between the dances were also highly catchy and fun.

The only issue I might have had was it started late as most programmes here do, when it ended at 10 pm, I was sad to leave.

The duo channa and upulis daughter who performed has got the talent. The father daughter dance was just beautiful.

A lot of thought had been taken in the choreography, costumes and jewellery,  you are at one moment trying to take it all in.

The troupe has gone some of the best talent in Sri Lanka and the hardwork and practice put in shows.

view some photos here :

http://www.facebook.com/thaala2012

"Wonder" By R.J. Palacio

 

Wonder by R.J. Palacio, a children’s book but was suggested by the Bookstore Chapters and Verses for Adults. I did wonder for a moment what could be in it, do I have the patience to read a children’s book. ( I was tired of reading to the nine year old who had an attention span of five seconds), curiosity got the better and I picked a copy.

What a fantastic book, which makes so many emotions, and thoughts to run across your mind. You are left with the feeling that you should share this with your child. So I suggested the thirteen year old to read it. The thirteen year old took one look at the back page and said “are you serious it sounds depressive so I can’t read it”.

She watched me take the book out and read it and make notes. It was important for me that some of the little lessons in the book should be incorporated into my life. One week later, I found my 13 year old with her nose deep into the pages. So we finished the book and got into a discussion and an agreement that as far as we could we should choose kind over right.

A quote from Book:

MR. BROWNE'S SEPTEMBER PRECEPT:

WHEN GIVEN THE CHOICE BETWEEN BEING

RIGHT AND BEING KIND, CHOOSE KIND.”

― R.J. Palacio, Wonder

Tags: kindness, precept, righteousness

A Silent retreat at Haputale!

Dh had been praising wonders of this beautiful place he discovered entertaining clients, and we both got the opportunity to travel and stay a night at Haputale. The first thing that strikes you is the beauty of the resort which overlooks mountains and forests. The second thing is the silence, pin drop!

Melheim in the morning!

Melheim resort, Beragala Haputale.
http://www.melheimresort.com/

The service of the place managed by Mr. Dias and his crew is exceptional. The food (me being vegetarian) was divine.

The night we stayed they set out a candlelight dinner in the garden, and it was just one of the best ambience.

When I had thought that their culinary talents were spent for the dinner, they surprised us with a proper Sri Lankan Breakfast.

Melheim At Night!
 

The Bandarawela and Haputale area food are truly yummy, maybe for the climate or that they have some exceptionally good cooks in that area.

Lady In Red/ orange~! Part 1

  Nine year old shouts “ Mummy you have white hair as many as Aachis”

Look at self in the mirror and almost knock the car.

Does hair turn white over night? Must be after all the stress of dealing with the kids, the nanny, the job, and mom and mom in law. Well I will fix it today first thing.

No wonder DH hardly recognizes me, must be reminding of his long lost aunt.

  9.20 am : Now how hard is it to get an appointment on a saturday. They are all taken, I wonder how the other women have plenty of time to go and get themselves fixed.

  10.20 am : Got an appointment and now sitting in salon with the girl checking my hair in wonder. “How long have you not tinted it now? “ She asks with amazement.

“I don’t know three or four months?” I reply. “This is going to take up the whole morning” she huffs and puffs. I try to look apologetic.

What is it with salons and the girls there who make you feel like you are some hopeless case.

  10.30 am : “Brown tint please!” I request. She rolls her eyes and goes about her work.

11.15 am : I am reading the Hi magazine and drinking a glass of water. Well they did offer me tea or coffee , and when I requested some tea they said they had none.

  11.45 am : The hair is washed and being blow dried, I am still starting at the glitterati in the magazine.

  12.00 pm : The girl does a tremendous show and proceeds to show my hair and I scream in horror. I am officially the mascot for clown world. My hair is red with a highlight of Orange.

I am full force crying now, with the salon around me gushing that I look terrific and red is the new black/brown which is actually ORANGE RED.

. “You look amazing!” Says one.

“You look like you lost five Kgs!” Says another.

“You look like you just had a face lift” Says the customer next to me.

I am recovering myself after some ice coffee was put into my hand with loads of compliments thrown in for free.
  I tip the girl 200 bucks for the scene created. Now let me go face the music, maybe I will just live with a hat on my head forever.

Watch your Language!

I went for a parenting seminar on "How to Deal with your preteen without shouting or smacking!"

Desperate times call for some quick measure, the twelve year old is moody and flounces around the house with a long face all day. I know i am suppose to ignore and let her be, but its annoying when she does one of those every morning.

The eight year old is happy and carefree, I daresay he will do the same real soon in the coming years.

I kept getting many flyers and details about the seminar and decided to rush off into it.

The seminar was conducted by a Dr, who was funny and entertaining. She said loads of things we know, but it was amusing to hear them again in a different form.

So i got back and decided to put things into effect, Behavioural charts are a key to disciplining kids. I make an announcement at breakfast that i am putting up a chart with our names and whoever hits, bites, says bad words will get black marks and will not get to watch tv.

"Why are we being an organised family? I don't like it!" announced the twelve year old.

"But, you swear a lot won't you be the one with the most black marks in the chart" asks the Husband.

( i kicked him under the table, and he shouts "two black marks")

"I like it mummy, I like it" screams the eight year old.

Well its been a week now, and I am with the most amount of black marks due to screaming in road rage every morning in a row. Then shouting- idiot idiot during the match, and also randomly saying words.

No Miles to Five Kms!

New Year resolutions, losing weight and the likes I joined a new workout class with a gym buddy. In a moment of madness,my gym buddy suggested we join morning runs with a group. I was not sure about the whole thing but agreed to try it out; worse scenario I could always get an auto home...

I was the kid who never ran in school for some reason. I managed my life being the reserve in races or just skipping the sports meet entirely. So we set off in our morning run, and I took one look at the group and knew it was a mistake. These people looked willing to run for the world. We started off with a light jog and I tried to run back, and there was no friendly auto guy to take me back, there was no one on the road. My gym buddy held my hand and pulled me towards the group, I had no choice but to follow.

I walked, I ran and I had so much of cheering, and motivation by the group. The end of that one hour, the trainer looked at me and said " I honestly did not expect you to manage; but you managed all your timings less than what I predicted every single time. "

I did the hardest thing in my whole life is to put on those shoes and run, the end feeling was of the best high....

Missed Tharoor and Lunchtime Illuminations!

My Main itinerary of attending Galle Lit Festival was to Listen to Sashi Tharoor, and make it I did as it was finishing. So, after running around the fort one hour late and in confusion, I made it only the last ten minutes of his conversation.

Lunchtime Illumination
Watched four short films.
Kerosene - Very beautifully shot, Full credit to the lights and the director. It was a serious but at the same time the taxi driver and some of the characters on it were humorous. (The sub titles did not do justice, if you understood tamil it was funny)

Koothu - Leprosy in a village in the seventies, eighties. Seriously I had no idea that leprosy was there in a village not so long ago. Never heard anyone mention such a case. It was heartbreaking listening to the people affected speak about how they were not allowed to take water from the well, kids not being included to play. The movie ends with the families playing street theater(koothu) to raise awareness.

Third movie- Doctor from England now moved to the North and making artificial limbs. The whole project is being funded privately. The best part of the movie was when the Doctor Says" I am a Buddhist and I feel its my karma to help these people out". It was a small realisation that there are people doing more than their share for the society and we don't even realise or know.
It continues with a Young girl from London who has come for the Nallur Temple festival with her family and spends time in Jaffna.

These short films were done By Kannan Arunasalam. He is brilliant in his work but with that I think comes a bit of an attitude. Later during the day saw that he was rude and impatient with fans who spoke to him out of Halle de Galle. A bit of a stuck up individual. He was interested to answer questions when he was on the stage but very different scenario outside?

Cause the fourth movie by Kathiresu was done on a five thousand rupee budget. He mentioned it many times in his talk. The movie was simple and funny but a tad too long. The slipper thief makes another one become a thief too without knowing that he was the cause. (that was what I understood)

Could have been shorter since how long can you look at the slipper walking around?

The hat out of the bag!

Southern Highway To Galle!

After waiting for so many years to make it for the Literary festival, last friday was offered some day tickets for the day and spontaneously took off to Galle.

Where do I begin.

HighWay
Impressive and a quick, lovely drive. I just love the fact that we can be in Galle in one hour or less. It was scenic but very worried about the environmental disturbance by it. You change a whole plateau to get this new highway going and there is definite disturbance to the terrain, and it will take some time for the environment to adjust.

Not impressed : three dead snakes on the way with their guts out. I am dead scared of the snakes, but seeing them in that state is enough to get you upset for the rest of the trip.

I did not drive, watching the other crazy drivers on the highway.
a. Slow uncle in an old car at a speed of 60 or less
b. The mercs and bmws on a 140 doing swerves
c. Sudden changing of tracks by van drivers cause they think we are on the Dupication road.

Galle :
Happy : I just felt happy entering into galle fort and I think was jumping in joy so much so that people mistook I was looking for a carnival.
Not Happy: The auto drivers making fun of my hat
Jobless auto driver : hahhahha Machan wearing a curtain on the head.
Jobless auto driver 2 : aapo this is what they call fashion
Me : It is fashion, and not a curtain (not to them but to myself! poor me)