Colombo and Bookshops!

What Colombo really needs is a good Bookshop. We have too many coffee shops (where some of the coffee is vile). We have some bookshops. Do we have a really good book shop? Vijitha Yapa has all these books but very cluttered and lay out. Crescat branch is reasonably ok but some kids books u have to sit and find it. Makeens is nice they are kind of getting it right with the layout but we don’t have a Landmark (like from Chennai) or WhSmith (ok asking for too much).

I must say I am very happy with the new set of books that Makeens has got. Most of the books which were not available a year back from all these authors of chicklit is now available for us to read.

The service at the bookshops are also autrocious. They have never heard of most of the authors and cannot be bothered to help out. Sometimes the pronounciation of some of the sales people will make the author cringe if she/ he was to hear it. So thats what we need a good bookshop.

In liberty plaza there is a cute shop filled with books a tiny place where u can get stuff (in front of uthum pathum).....

Can you be friends with your Ex?

A friend calls up and asks advice that her husband’s Ex wants to be friends again with him. (Confused? Yeap join the club?). Story is this Friend (F) and her Husband (FH)have been married for many years now. The FH s ex (FHX) i.e his first girlfriend from school has called him up and wants to be friends with him.

I should write an equation on this. Anyways, F was freaking out since FHX has called up FH saying that she is unhappy in her marriage having lots of problems and that she is very ill and they should be in touch. Red alert there! FH is a decent enough guy to have told F about this, but is not being enthusiastic enough to listen to F and not be friends with FHX. F was losing her marbles and totally freaking out since this was a strong long affair from school onto university.

My personal opinion was you cant be friends with and Ex. Obviously even if u are happily settled now your first love will always be special. Call me old fashioned but there it is. What is your opinion on this? Can we be friends with the Ex?

Prayer, Peace and Problems!

On my way to Kataragama with the Ada Derana giving news on the fall of killinochi. Keeping the kids entertained on a long drive so far is no joke. They drive you nuts and u want to jump off the car, Specially if they decide not to sleep right through the drive. Parents were giving their two cents worth on phone every one hour.

Mum : U know if u stop at three thirty near Udawalave u can see the baby elephants being fed.

Dad : u have to stop and feed the elephants some sugar cane.

Me : (I am very frightened of wild elephants of any sort and I aint doing any of that)

We get to the dam and inquire we had just missed the feeding bit. So off we went. Boy oh boy there were so many of the Elephants hanging out near the fence. Happily munching the grass and huge trees and posing. So we had to stop and kids were getting far too excited and shouting, I was sure that we were going to get chased by them any minute. This went on for quite a bit with no accidents and off we were.

Have not been to the temple for some years now and going there I had this intuition that we were going to be called in and don’t have to wait in the que. I was on a torn and upset mood when I went to the temple and the guys kept telling not to come in to wait till the pooja is over. Then as I knew one guy came and told us to cross in through the rope. So there my intuition was right. We were there right through the pooja and I felt thorought blessed inside the temple.

Went back to the temple next day. Miracles don’t happen twice so had to wait and went in after the poojava. The rice that they give as Prasad is out of this world I must say during afternoon.

My impatience of god setting everything right immediately is not going to work I was to realize when I made it back to Colombo. That’s ok I shall wait for the gods powers to work. DD has been advising so many times to go to kataragama which I have managed to do, so let me wait and see for the wonders to work…….

Jack Tree!

This is the new Thai Restaurant in town. Its down Park Road opposite Cargills. Jack Tree happens to be Mango Trees Sister ( i am sure thats not botanically possible but its a venture by the same people). The prices are like Mango Tree. The Ambience is great.

The food is ok. Then again I am sure they will make a big improvement in days to come. The Red Curry, Pad thai noodles and Rice was very good. The other dishes were ok. I guess any new restaurant will have its starting troubles. I am vegetarian so I wont be doing any justice by commenting about the food in general. I am sure the Non Veg Dishes should be really great...

Try it out as a new treat!

Whats with park road is it the new restaurant street?

Another Year Ends!

The year 2008 was one of the worst years I have dealt with. Simply because I have gone through some of the toughest times of my life in this year. I think it is ending with quite a bang what with a Global crisis in hand which is going to make next year suck. A few good things that I can think of that I have achieved in the year is starting yoga after only talking about it for ages. The astrologer has been on busy schedule looking up my charts too many times this year due to moms pestering

Have been conferencing with the gods far too much and I am sure they are very much in a confused state of mind with my measly day to day problems. For the first time in my life my phone was stolen and I had a visiting Burglar who was trying to burgle my place a many number of times. I need to vent and rant about this year so I can leave it all behind and go for a fresh new start next year.

I have also learnt that worries can keep u sleepless for months and your tear ducts don’t dry out however much you cry (god that sounds so miserable)

So starting it off with a bang hope to visit Katharagama this Friday. More conferencing with the gods and on a religious note. . 31st night is far too over rated (ok I am not going out anywhere and am spending it at home, so shall make that sad comment) The kids are far too scared of the cracker sound and I don’t want to leave them alone. (not bug them but home alone)

Out of this topic, so many of my office colleagues seem to have invested money in Golden key and are panicking so much.

That’s it dear bloggers, Wish you all a Happy and Prosperous New Year!

Hash Deli! #

This new Heavenly Chocolate paradise is down Duplication Road. There are a bunch of small shops after stone and string. There is something called the gadget shop and another restaurant in between these lines of shops is this heavenly deli which give the best chocolate cake in town.

There is the Hash Cake (not the drugged variety), Chocolate fudge cake, mint cake and oreo cake. Its called Hash deli, small place, reasonably priced and friendly staff. The stuff finishes real quick. Try it out all chocoholics !

Christmas at home Last Year!

Last year was a fun filled family event for Christmas. We had a great party with Secret Santa and many other games. While everything was covered for the event there was one hitch. We had no Santa ready, after trying to bribe all possible candidates who turned me down and refused to wear hired smelly Santa costume, I had to just make up an excuse.

The kids were of course bugging me will Santa come and trying to play the cool I have it in control said yes to them. Other cousins just looked at me with the eyebrow up but I thought lets deal with things at that time. Driving back after picking up last minute food I saw an auto with a bunch of guys and a Santa. No second thought there I put my shutters down and asked them if Santa can drop in for five minutes. The guys looked quite shocked and recovered quickly and nodded their heads. So gave my address . Stranger danger business right out into the air and I had invited a bunch of unknown people to entertain seven little kids.

Come seven pm the party was going on and on with no Santa in sight. The cousins were giving some smirky smile like where the hell is he. With a loud horning and beeping the auto arrives with Santa and his friends. Rush out to greet my new friends and oh boy oh boy!. Santa was high and flying along with his bunch of drunken friends and singing Carols off tune loud as ever. The small kids shrieked and screamed and ran inside. Some of the men ran in too. Oh boy oh boy Santa was coming way to close for my liking and I looked at DH and the fury in his eyes.

So he calmly took hold of the situation and politely asked them to leave. But no they wanted to join in the festivities and eat and dance with us. Especially with new friend me. Uhmm I nearly died ( I think have had near death moments far too many). So after a token gift to Santa of some cash they left. DH said nothing to me. I mean the kids screaming “Mummy/ aunty we don’t want Santa” and more weeping was enough to hit home..