Steve often talks about his so-called 'nemesis bird', the one species that no matter how hard he looks, he just cannot see - the Indian pitta. He has spent over two years of his life in India and Sri Lanka, and this bird always eludes him. In this trip, one small newly created national park that we stumbled upon is known for having numerous migratory pittas throughout the winter months...and we arrived one week after they left. Poor Steve.
As for me, I seem to have found my nemesis language.
Growing up, I had no trouble learning French. In university, I took German and Spanish classes, and quickly learned to read and understand those languages, and although I can no longer speak them due to lack of practice, I can still read some German and can usually understand or at least get the gist of written Spanish. I also studied Russian and Italian on my own, and can still read a little of the latter. The three times I lived in northern Canada, I learned basic Inuktitut, some Cree, and a little Chipewyan, and had no trouble learning those. Even today, almost twenty years later, I can often read and understand what my Inuit friends are saying in Inuktitut on Facebook, although I have forgotten most of the language for speaking. (Just last month, for example, I was part of a conversation about walrus meat.) When I was in China I learned enough Mandarin in six weeks to be able to go shopping, order in restaurants, ask directions, read maps and street signs, and (most importantly!) find the restrooms. About a year and a half ago I began doing volunteer work for my church, where I answer the questions that people send in to the main church website. I found that my language experience was very useful, as I am able to understand the questions asked in many languages, and using a translation program, am able to respond in French, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Italian and German. More importantly, perhaps, I am usually able to tell when the machine translation is poorly done, meaning that I have to tweak the answer in English so that it makes sense in the other language.
But Sinhala? Boy. This language just does not stick with me. I have tried phrase books. I have tried several 'Learn Sinhalese' textbooks. I have tried just looking up random words in the dictionary to get me started. Even the text that Steve swears by has been of no use to me...I have read and reread and studied chapter one a dozen times, and every time, it's like I have never seen the words before.
It's been most frustrating.
What is weird about the whole thing is that I have daily conversations with our driver, with him speaking Sinhala and me speaking English. I understand at least the gist, and sometimes more than that, of the sermons and lessons at church. Usually I can join in the conversation (again, in English while they speak Sinhala interspersed with a little English) in the weekly women's meeting.
I have managed, however, to learn a (very) few words. Mostly food related, but hey, at this point I'll take whatever I can get!
So I was pleasantly surprised when I went shopping today and had my first real conversation.
It went like this:
Me: Do you have any batteries?
Clerk: Oh. [Yes]
Me: (shows package of lithium batteries) This kind?
Clerk: (gets package and puts it on the counter) Oh.
Me: How much?
Clerk: 750 rupees.
Me: (raises eyebrows) Okay. (points to package) batteriyah ekak tunsiyah [One battery 300]
Clerk: (waggles head in the decidedly South Asian style that indicates agreement)
Me: mama tunay packages [I (need) three packages]
Clerk: 1800 rupees
Me: But 750 times 3 is 2250 rupees.
Clerk: I know. (smiles and winks at me) But you pay 1800 only.
A savings of 450 rupees for trying a few words in Sinhala. I was pretty pleased with myself.
Showing posts with label Sinhalese. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sinhalese. Show all posts
Monday, May 18, 2015
Monday, March 16, 2015
2015 March 16: Global Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka finds itself in a strangely awkward position.
Life for many people is still very much conducted in third world conditions. Little or no indoor plumbing. Low wages. Menial jobs. Small houses with poor planning and little knowledge of basic things we take for granted, such as traps to keep sewer gas out of the house. I passed a cement block home on the main tourist street, Lewis Place, early one morning, that had its door open. There was a small clay oven against the wall outside, an outhouse in the backyard, and only one room in the house. It had a wooden chair against one wall and a pile of blankets in the corner.
Oddly, though, the average family only has two children, not the three to seven children that one would expect in such conditions given the average fertility rates in other similar countries. Family planning is very much in effect here. One woman we know told us that while she and her husband love their children, they will not have more than two because they are very expensive. She didn't mean to raise. She meant in case they get sick and needed medical attention. One trip to the doctor can cost 3000 rupees - 1/7 of the average monthly income. Thankfully, most pharmacies here do not require prescriptions. You show up, tell them what's wrong, and they give you the medication for it at a very reasonable rate. Or, if you are like me, you take a picture of your husband's heat rash and show that to the guy behind the counter, who then gives you the cream your husband needs for 200 rupees ($1.53).
Yet, for others, life is good. Very good. Hotel owners that we know paid $65 000 cash for a luxury car recently - 8.5 million rupees, or 32 years salary for the average worker. The gap between rich and poor is so wide that ordinary people are being shut out of their ordinary neighbourhoods, as land prices are on the rise exponentially in popular areas like Negombo.
Sri Lankans in general are very well-educated. According to wikipedia, "Education in Sri Lanka has a long history that dates back two millennia. The Constitution of Sri Lanka provides for education as a fundamental right. Sri Lanka's population has a literacy rate of 98.1%, higher than that expected for a third world country; it has the highest literacy rate in South Asia and overall, one of the highest literacy rates in Asia. Education plays a major part in the life and culture of the country and dates back to 543 BC." Girls have a slightly higher literacy rate than boys.
This focus on education has led to many Sri Lankans looking for work overseas. The Middle East is a popular option, as is Australia, Malaysia, and France. They are even finding their way to Newfoundland. This is in addition to the many people who left Sri Lanka during the civil war. Many of those who leave are the most educated.
And this has led to many Sri Lankan families becoming truly global citizens. One friend of ours has several children, all of whom live overseas. To visit them, he has traveled to Switzerland, France, Canada, the United States, Australia and Malaysia. Some of his grandchildren he can speak to - they don't know Sinhala, but they do know English. Other grandchildren he cannot speak to without a translator, because they speak French or another language as their mother tongue. But he, like many others who find themselves in similar situations, do not begrudge this one bit. They are happy that their children are happy, their grandchildren are happy, and that they were able to help their children rise to a level of success that would likely not have been possible here.
Even businesses reflect the diverse international community. Drive down any major street in Colombo, the capital city, and there are billboards and signs advertising jobs abroad and language classes in Japanese, Chinese, German, English, and a host of others. Chinese, Japanese, Italian, and Indian restaurants abound, North American chains such as Pizza Hut and KFC and Burger King are easily found. There are even restaurants that serve Swiss and German fare!
Steve receives many compliments on his ability to speak Sinhalese and Tamil. One tuktuk driver actually stopped the vehicle, turned around, and exclaimed "You're Sri Lankan?" when Steve gave him directions one day. Some Tamil fishermen we met on the beach near the hotel we stayed at for the first week we were here often greet me with "Where is your husband, the man who speaks our language?" if I run into them without Steve.
But it's different in Colombo. One tuktuk driver asked Steve why he was bothering to learn Sinhalese since it's not an important language. The answer is simple. Sinhala is an important language. While Old English was just getting started around 550 A.D., Sinhala had already been around for almost a thousand years, with a rich literary history that influenced the development of Buddhism, now with over 300 million followers around the world. While the Western world was floundering in the dark ages, Sri Lanka was famous as the "rice mill of the east" and was trading cinnamon globally.
And so, we come full circle to the awkward situation that Sri Lanka finds itself in, this strange mix of keeping long held traditions and culture alive, while moving forward and working its way out of third world status. This is why the government is pro-Chinese waterfront development, why it is involved in so many infrastructure projects to rebuild roads and town services, and why it is against huge Australian casinos being built here.
Sri Lanka deserves more credit for what it is doing right from the global community. Perhaps then it would not find itself in the strangely awkward position it is in.
Life for many people is still very much conducted in third world conditions. Little or no indoor plumbing. Low wages. Menial jobs. Small houses with poor planning and little knowledge of basic things we take for granted, such as traps to keep sewer gas out of the house. I passed a cement block home on the main tourist street, Lewis Place, early one morning, that had its door open. There was a small clay oven against the wall outside, an outhouse in the backyard, and only one room in the house. It had a wooden chair against one wall and a pile of blankets in the corner.
Oddly, though, the average family only has two children, not the three to seven children that one would expect in such conditions given the average fertility rates in other similar countries. Family planning is very much in effect here. One woman we know told us that while she and her husband love their children, they will not have more than two because they are very expensive. She didn't mean to raise. She meant in case they get sick and needed medical attention. One trip to the doctor can cost 3000 rupees - 1/7 of the average monthly income. Thankfully, most pharmacies here do not require prescriptions. You show up, tell them what's wrong, and they give you the medication for it at a very reasonable rate. Or, if you are like me, you take a picture of your husband's heat rash and show that to the guy behind the counter, who then gives you the cream your husband needs for 200 rupees ($1.53).
Yet, for others, life is good. Very good. Hotel owners that we know paid $65 000 cash for a luxury car recently - 8.5 million rupees, or 32 years salary for the average worker. The gap between rich and poor is so wide that ordinary people are being shut out of their ordinary neighbourhoods, as land prices are on the rise exponentially in popular areas like Negombo.
Sri Lankans in general are very well-educated. According to wikipedia, "Education in Sri Lanka has a long history that dates back two millennia. The Constitution of Sri Lanka provides for education as a fundamental right. Sri Lanka's population has a literacy rate of 98.1%, higher than that expected for a third world country; it has the highest literacy rate in South Asia and overall, one of the highest literacy rates in Asia. Education plays a major part in the life and culture of the country and dates back to 543 BC." Girls have a slightly higher literacy rate than boys.
This focus on education has led to many Sri Lankans looking for work overseas. The Middle East is a popular option, as is Australia, Malaysia, and France. They are even finding their way to Newfoundland. This is in addition to the many people who left Sri Lanka during the civil war. Many of those who leave are the most educated.
And this has led to many Sri Lankan families becoming truly global citizens. One friend of ours has several children, all of whom live overseas. To visit them, he has traveled to Switzerland, France, Canada, the United States, Australia and Malaysia. Some of his grandchildren he can speak to - they don't know Sinhala, but they do know English. Other grandchildren he cannot speak to without a translator, because they speak French or another language as their mother tongue. But he, like many others who find themselves in similar situations, do not begrudge this one bit. They are happy that their children are happy, their grandchildren are happy, and that they were able to help their children rise to a level of success that would likely not have been possible here.
Even businesses reflect the diverse international community. Drive down any major street in Colombo, the capital city, and there are billboards and signs advertising jobs abroad and language classes in Japanese, Chinese, German, English, and a host of others. Chinese, Japanese, Italian, and Indian restaurants abound, North American chains such as Pizza Hut and KFC and Burger King are easily found. There are even restaurants that serve Swiss and German fare!
Steve receives many compliments on his ability to speak Sinhalese and Tamil. One tuktuk driver actually stopped the vehicle, turned around, and exclaimed "You're Sri Lankan?" when Steve gave him directions one day. Some Tamil fishermen we met on the beach near the hotel we stayed at for the first week we were here often greet me with "Where is your husband, the man who speaks our language?" if I run into them without Steve.
But it's different in Colombo. One tuktuk driver asked Steve why he was bothering to learn Sinhalese since it's not an important language. The answer is simple. Sinhala is an important language. While Old English was just getting started around 550 A.D., Sinhala had already been around for almost a thousand years, with a rich literary history that influenced the development of Buddhism, now with over 300 million followers around the world. While the Western world was floundering in the dark ages, Sri Lanka was famous as the "rice mill of the east" and was trading cinnamon globally.
And so, we come full circle to the awkward situation that Sri Lanka finds itself in, this strange mix of keeping long held traditions and culture alive, while moving forward and working its way out of third world status. This is why the government is pro-Chinese waterfront development, why it is involved in so many infrastructure projects to rebuild roads and town services, and why it is against huge Australian casinos being built here.
Sri Lanka deserves more credit for what it is doing right from the global community. Perhaps then it would not find itself in the strangely awkward position it is in.
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
2015 February 24-25: Sarana and Beetroot Curry
In for a penny, in for a pound, as they say. I thought I would try my hand at cooking some authentic Sri Lankan food. It turned out pretty good!
The local tuktuk driver has taken quite a liking to Steve. He thinks he is a 'good man, very very good man' because he speaks Sinhalese so well. So, when I went shopping yesterday he came into the store to help. I picked up an assortment of staples and vegetables, and when he saw me buying Sri Lankan fruit and vegetables instead of Western ones and Sri Lankan fresh herbs, he pointed to a bunch of green leaves and said, "Very good, yes, very good. You will like." So, I bought it.
It was sarana, otherwise known as water cress, and is eaten as a green here, as I discovered on a quick google search. A favourite way to eat it is to make it into a sauce for fish. I don't eat fish, but I made the sauce anyway and served it as a side dish. Technically it should have Maldive fish paste in it, but, as in many Sri Lankan recipes that call for fish paste, I substituted soy sauce instead to make it vegetarian. Elanor cleaned the leaves and chopped the garlic.
Creamy Sarana Sauce
1 Bunch of sarana leaves, washed
50ml thick coconut milk
Pinch of turmeric powder
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tbsp chopped red onions
1 tbsp chopped garlic
10ml oil
Salt to taste
(Serves 4)
The local tuktuk driver has taken quite a liking to Steve. He thinks he is a 'good man, very very good man' because he speaks Sinhalese so well. So, when I went shopping yesterday he came into the store to help. I picked up an assortment of staples and vegetables, and when he saw me buying Sri Lankan fruit and vegetables instead of Western ones and Sri Lankan fresh herbs, he pointed to a bunch of green leaves and said, "Very good, yes, very good. You will like." So, I bought it.
It was sarana, otherwise known as water cress, and is eaten as a green here, as I discovered on a quick google search. A favourite way to eat it is to make it into a sauce for fish. I don't eat fish, but I made the sauce anyway and served it as a side dish. Technically it should have Maldive fish paste in it, but, as in many Sri Lankan recipes that call for fish paste, I substituted soy sauce instead to make it vegetarian. Elanor cleaned the leaves and chopped the garlic.
Creamy Sarana Sauce
1 Bunch of sarana leaves, washed
50ml thick coconut milk
Pinch of turmeric powder
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tbsp chopped red onions
1 tbsp chopped garlic
10ml oil
Salt to taste
(Serves 4)
Clean the sarana and set aside. Fry the onions in oil until translucent, then add garlic, turmeric, and soy sauce. Add the sarana, cover, and cook over medium heat until the sarana starts to wilt. Add the coconut milk and stir gently until milk is boiling and leaves are cooked thoroughly. Add salt to taste.
Beets are a wondrous vegetable. You either love 'em or hate 'em. I happen to love 'em. And I LOVE the beetroot curry that is served everywhere here as a side dish. Most Sri Lankans believe that the stem and leaves are poisonous and exclude them from this dish, but others just chop 'em up and add them, too. Always a fan of beet greens, I have gone the semi-non-traditional route here.
Beetroot Curry
3 large beets peeled and cut into 1 cm cubes, with stems and leaves washed and cut into small pieces
2 tbsp cooking oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 sprig curry leaves, leaves picked
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp sugar
200 ml coconut milk
Cook the onion in the oil until translucent. Add curry leaves and garlic and cook until curry leaves release their fragrance. Add remaining ingredients and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes until beets are tender.
I also reheated some leftover yellow rice I had made (just add turmeric, a few chili flakes, and some salt to your basmati rice as it cooks), by frying some green onions in oil, adding the rice, and then adding enough coconut milk to make it creamy.
And I 'fixed' my dal that I made a few days ago. It tasted okay then, just being lentils boiled until tender with red chili flakes and curry powder, but it tasted even better with the addition of coriander, mustard seeds, turmeric, curry leaves, salt and coconut milk.
And there you have it - a Sri Lankan feast! Made by my own two hands, with just a little help from Elanor.
Sunday, February 15, 2015
Celebrities
Ever wonder what it feels like to be a celebrity? Today, we found out just what that feels like!
Yellow billed babbler
The former Negombo chapel where Steve attended - 12 members the first time he went there in 2000.
Fourteen years ago while studying a dialect of Tamil spoken by the Catholic fishermen of Negombo, Steve attended church here with a very small group of people. He came to love them and they loved him back. Many of them are still friends with him these many years later. And so, today, he anxiously returned to church with these never-forgotten friends, with Elanor and me in tow.
The new Negombo chapel, completed in 2010 - currently housing between 500 and 600 members.
And what a reception it was! There were hugs, there were kisses, there were handshakes, there were pats on the back, there were tears, there were smiles, as word spread throughout the building that Bonta had returned and people came running to greet him. He was given a king's welcome by these wonderful people that he holds so dear.
As the wife of their great friend, I was also warmly welcomed and greeted with the traditional pressing of cheeks, enveloping hugs from the women, and hearty handshakes from the men. One of the men very enthusiastically told me, "You deserve many congratulations for being Steve's wife!" And as I sat in my Sunday School class, I could hear a growing murmur that eventually stopped the lesson until it died down again, as pointing fingers and head nods and whispers of "Bonta's wife! Bonta's wife!" announced my presence to everyone in the room. The excited outpouring of mutual esteem between Steve and his old friends and their families and even the people he had never met but who had heard of him from the others was honestly like nothing I have witnessed before.
I attended Sunday School in Sinhalese, with some explanations of the discussions being provided in English. But, one of my talents is being able to understand, even if only in small and simple ways, what others are saying when they speak in other languages, and this experience was no different. Between the anglicized words found in Sinhala, the scripture references, the study guide, and the brief explanations of what others were saying, I had no trouble following the gist of the lesson after just a few minutes, and then helped an older woman visiting Sri Lanka from Finland to follow the gist of the lesson as well. She, by her own admission, does not speak English very well, but between the sections I was pointing out to her in my English language scriptures, the very simple summaries of what the teacher said, and some pantomime, she was also able to follow the lesson. She and her husband came here to meet a girl whose schooling they have sponsored since she was young. This young woman is about to graduate from university in Europe, and they came to celebrate this tremendous accomplishment with her.
Elanor experienced some culture shock as the day passed by. We told her that we were guests in this country, and that as guests, we needed to make sure that we respect the language, culture, and customs of the people here. Part of this includes her attending her Sunday School (Primary) classes in Sinhala, not English. We want her to learn some Sinhalese while we are here. She is a little anxious about that, but I explained to her that we believe she can do it. After all, her step-sister Amber learned Inuktitut when she and I lived among the Inuit for two years in northern Canada, and there is no reason why she can't do the same here in Sri Lanka.
After church we were treated to lunch by one of Steve's closest friends here at a roadside open air restaurant usually frequented by locals found not far from the chapel. Served family style and all-you-can-eat, we feasted on basmati rice, curried manioc, onion pickle, jackfruit mash, thin noodles with carrots, a grilled mackerel-like fish with spiced gravy, barbecue chicken, and tiny dried fish with coconut shreds. Total cost? 1108 Sri Lankan rupees - about $8.65 total for all four of us.
Sri Lanka is, in many respects, a third-world country. There is a lot of garbage everywhere you look. Mangy dogs roam free. Street vendors and small sidewalk boutiques line every available space in some places. We paid less than a dollar for the same adaptor we could have bought at Walmart back home for $12. Our hotel costs about $35 per night. Yesterday our tuktuk driver spent close to an hour taking us to downtown Negombo so we could buy adaptors, fruit, and anti-histamines for Elanor, and it cost us 600 rupees - $4.70. A beggar came into our church today looking for 10 rupees - 7 cents - to buy rice.
But don't let any of the above fool you. These people are generous and kind and good-hearted. They are modest, well-kept, and dress well - skirts and blouses or dresses or traditional attire for the women, dress shirts and slacks or wraps and well-shined shoes for the men. Even the few locals that we have seen wearing our typical Western leisure clothing look nothing like Westerners do in Western clothing - nothing is dirty, frayed, offensive, immodest, baggy. At the beach last night there were throngs and throngs of people of all ages enjoying the sand, the ocean, the beachside Valentine's Day concert / political rally, with nary a bikini in sight. The only immodestly dressed people we saw were two European men wearing speedos, one American woman wearing a one piece swimsuit that would be considered completely modest back home, and two fisherman who stripped to their underwear and dove into the warm waves to clean away the results of their day's labours before they headed home.
And their spirit is unquenchable. We met a woman at church today with the brightest smile, the most loving eyes, the most welcoming words...and yet her story is one that would have broken most people. She was originally from the south of Sri Lanka, but came to Negombo after the 2004 tsunami as a refugee. For three months she looked for her youngest son, who had been washed out to sea by those terrible waves. For three months this mother never gave up hope. And when she finally began to despair of ever seeing her son again, she found some church members here in Negombo who told her to keep having faith and helped her to look for him. And, beyond all miracles, she found him. She had been a devout Buddhist her entire life, but became a member of our church after experiencing the love and care and compassion and help of the members here. In her words, "For everyone around the world, tsunamis are terrible problems. But for me, our tsunami was a blessing, a wonderful blessing in my life, because it brought me here, where I could be with these good people." A man whom Steve has known for a long time here grew up as the son of the leader of another church here in Sri Lanka. He had been granted a full scholarship to study medicine at one of the best medical schools in India, but gave it all up to be here with these members.
As I heard life story after life story - all told with cheerful faces with no regrets - it struck me that while we were given the royal treatment, these people were the real celebrities. Celebrities inspire awe and humility in us, a desire to want what they have and to be like them. If I can learn to be half as joyful, half as hopeful, half as optimistic as these good people, I will consider myself to be very blessed indeed.
**********************************************
A few more sights from today....
No idea what kind of tree this flower grows on, but each flower lasts for only one day before it falls to the ground with a loud whump that is audible from our balcony three stories above!
Yellow billed babbler
Cattle egrets
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Have Visa, Will Travel
On Wednesday my husband and I went to Washington DC to get our Visas at the Sri Lankan Embassy. We were told that it could be done in an hour, but we didn't really know if that was true.
As we walked down a quiet street lined with embassies and former embassies, it began to sink in that this adventure of ours is not, indeed, a dream. And then we saw it, the saffron, green and maroon of the Lion Flag of Sri Lanka. We walked through the small but well-tended garden passing beautiful reproductions of ancient Sri Lankan statuary, approached the door to the passport and visa office, down a short flight of steps....
And the door was locked.
So, we went back up the stairs, past the beautiful statuary, up another flight of stairs, into a portico, and through the main Embassy entrance, where we were met by the Liaison officer, a young bright-eyed graduate or intern. She came with us back to the door, but also could not open it. Newly appointed to her position, she tried every little doorbell and knocker she could find, and eventually hit the right one. Turns out the door wasn't locked, just stuck! The gentleman who came to our rescue gave a huge smile when Steve spoke to him in Sinhala, one of the two official languages of Sri Lanka.
The liaison was surprised to hear that Steve spoke both official languages - Sinhala and Tamil, and after a brief discussion about the merits of various universities where one could learn them and Steve's Fulbright project, we were invited to attend the Ambassador's Independence Day Party on February 4th. This national celebration commemorates the political independence of Sri Lanka from the British in 1948. There are flag-hoisting ceremonies, dances, parades, performances, a presidential speech, tributes to national heroes, a two-minute period of silence, a show of military might, and religious observances, all designed to promote ideas such as commitment, bravery, confidence, dedication, national unity, patriotism, nationalism, peace, national responsibility and awareness of national history in the minds of people. Unfortunately, we were unable to accept the invitation, but were invited to meet with the Ambassador when we return to give him a report on our trip and Steve's research.
Everyone who passed us expressed happiness and surprise that Steve could speak the language. The woman at the desk told him that his Sinhalese was very good, and promised us that she would have the visas ready in an hour. We were invited to have some Sri Lankan tea (Our answer was " මම තේ බොන්නේ නෑ", roughly pronounced Tay bon ee nay, or "I don't drink tea") and to wait in the sitting area if we liked. After looking at the many wonderful pieces of art in the small but cozy lobby, we sat on the traditional cane furniture. Steve read a Sri Lankan newspaper, in which there was a full-page spread on the use of the English word 'need'. This was lesson 48 in the series, so it was readily apparent that many Sri Lankans are interested in learning English. I read a pamphlet that discussed the seven senses found in Sri Lankan culture - the five that we use (sight, sound, taste, touch, scent) and two others (feel, balance). Feel is concerned with the relation between form and function; balance concerns the wellness of the soul.
After a few moments, the person at the desk came out, and informed us that she did not realize that I was a Canadian, and returned a portion of my Visa fee. I looked at Steve, smiled, and said, "See? It pays to be Canadian!" Since both Sri Lanka and Canada are members of the Commonwealth, we do not pay as much as Americans for the visa.
As we waited, Steve continued to speak Sinhalese to anyone who passed by, including a woman who told him about a Sri Lankan restaurant nearby. A scant thirty-five minutes later our Visas were ready, with an added surprise - the Ambassador had decided to grant them gratis (no charge) because Steve was a Fulbright recipient.
We left to do some other errands, and then later that evening went to the Banana Leaf Restaurant for my first experience with authentic Sri Lankan food. What a feast! We began with Masala Vadai (lentil patties with Sri Lankan spices), Spring Rolls (potato, green onions, and spices covered in a crispy batter), and Vegetable Cutlets (reminiscent of a samosa, but without the wheat wrap on the outside), served with hot sauce and mint chutney. I usually do not care for mint chutney, but this was far and above the best I have eaten. Nor do I usually eat spicy food, but I decided go for the hot sauce anyway, and to my surprise, found that it was delicious and did not upset my stomach at all. But it was HOT! One tiny drop touched the soft palette at the back of my mouth, and instantly the blocked sinuses and ear canals that I have been struggling with for nigh on two months cleared. I could hear again!
Next we had String Hoppers, "a famous Sri Lankan dish made with spaghetti like strings steamed on small cane trays accompanied with kiri hodi (coconut and onion gravy) and coconut sambol." I could have eaten these all day! The coconut gravy was so good that I actually used a spoon to eat the remainder like a soup.
This was followed by Coconut Roti (a sort of unleavened bread made of wheat and coconut flour and served with an onion relish). The piece de resistance was the Vegetable Lampris, a neat little package packed full of goodness: "A special dish created by Dutch who lived in Sri Lanka 600 years ago and it has been remaining since now and became a very special festival meal. Specially cooked saffron rice.... Accompanied with cashew curry, eggplant moju, seeni sambol, ash plantains, boiled egg.... Wrapped in a Banana Leaf and baked."
And what sort of celebratory dinner would it be without dessert? This was another dish I could have eaten all day - Watalappam, a rich pudding made from coconut milk, jaggery, cashews, eggs, spices that was originally from Malaysia.
Just like the door, where we tried and tried and were finally greeted by a nice surprise, our dinner was also a nice surprise for me. I cannot wait to sample more Sri Lankan food, and perhaps learn to make some of the dishes myself.
Have visa, will travel...will eat!
As we walked down a quiet street lined with embassies and former embassies, it began to sink in that this adventure of ours is not, indeed, a dream. And then we saw it, the saffron, green and maroon of the Lion Flag of Sri Lanka. We walked through the small but well-tended garden passing beautiful reproductions of ancient Sri Lankan statuary, approached the door to the passport and visa office, down a short flight of steps....
And the door was locked.
So, we went back up the stairs, past the beautiful statuary, up another flight of stairs, into a portico, and through the main Embassy entrance, where we were met by the Liaison officer, a young bright-eyed graduate or intern. She came with us back to the door, but also could not open it. Newly appointed to her position, she tried every little doorbell and knocker she could find, and eventually hit the right one. Turns out the door wasn't locked, just stuck! The gentleman who came to our rescue gave a huge smile when Steve spoke to him in Sinhala, one of the two official languages of Sri Lanka.
The liaison was surprised to hear that Steve spoke both official languages - Sinhala and Tamil, and after a brief discussion about the merits of various universities where one could learn them and Steve's Fulbright project, we were invited to attend the Ambassador's Independence Day Party on February 4th. This national celebration commemorates the political independence of Sri Lanka from the British in 1948. There are flag-hoisting ceremonies, dances, parades, performances, a presidential speech, tributes to national heroes, a two-minute period of silence, a show of military might, and religious observances, all designed to promote ideas such as commitment, bravery, confidence, dedication, national unity, patriotism, nationalism, peace, national responsibility and awareness of national history in the minds of people. Unfortunately, we were unable to accept the invitation, but were invited to meet with the Ambassador when we return to give him a report on our trip and Steve's research.
Everyone who passed us expressed happiness and surprise that Steve could speak the language. The woman at the desk told him that his Sinhalese was very good, and promised us that she would have the visas ready in an hour. We were invited to have some Sri Lankan tea (Our answer was " මම තේ බොන්නේ නෑ", roughly pronounced Tay bon ee nay, or "I don't drink tea") and to wait in the sitting area if we liked. After looking at the many wonderful pieces of art in the small but cozy lobby, we sat on the traditional cane furniture. Steve read a Sri Lankan newspaper, in which there was a full-page spread on the use of the English word 'need'. This was lesson 48 in the series, so it was readily apparent that many Sri Lankans are interested in learning English. I read a pamphlet that discussed the seven senses found in Sri Lankan culture - the five that we use (sight, sound, taste, touch, scent) and two others (feel, balance). Feel is concerned with the relation between form and function; balance concerns the wellness of the soul.
After a few moments, the person at the desk came out, and informed us that she did not realize that I was a Canadian, and returned a portion of my Visa fee. I looked at Steve, smiled, and said, "See? It pays to be Canadian!" Since both Sri Lanka and Canada are members of the Commonwealth, we do not pay as much as Americans for the visa.
As we waited, Steve continued to speak Sinhalese to anyone who passed by, including a woman who told him about a Sri Lankan restaurant nearby. A scant thirty-five minutes later our Visas were ready, with an added surprise - the Ambassador had decided to grant them gratis (no charge) because Steve was a Fulbright recipient.
We left to do some other errands, and then later that evening went to the Banana Leaf Restaurant for my first experience with authentic Sri Lankan food. What a feast! We began with Masala Vadai (lentil patties with Sri Lankan spices), Spring Rolls (potato, green onions, and spices covered in a crispy batter), and Vegetable Cutlets (reminiscent of a samosa, but without the wheat wrap on the outside), served with hot sauce and mint chutney. I usually do not care for mint chutney, but this was far and above the best I have eaten. Nor do I usually eat spicy food, but I decided go for the hot sauce anyway, and to my surprise, found that it was delicious and did not upset my stomach at all. But it was HOT! One tiny drop touched the soft palette at the back of my mouth, and instantly the blocked sinuses and ear canals that I have been struggling with for nigh on two months cleared. I could hear again!
Next we had String Hoppers, "a famous Sri Lankan dish made with spaghetti like strings steamed on small cane trays accompanied with kiri hodi (coconut and onion gravy) and coconut sambol." I could have eaten these all day! The coconut gravy was so good that I actually used a spoon to eat the remainder like a soup.
This was followed by Coconut Roti (a sort of unleavened bread made of wheat and coconut flour and served with an onion relish). The piece de resistance was the Vegetable Lampris, a neat little package packed full of goodness: "A special dish created by Dutch who lived in Sri Lanka 600 years ago and it has been remaining since now and became a very special festival meal. Specially cooked saffron rice.... Accompanied with cashew curry, eggplant moju, seeni sambol, ash plantains, boiled egg.... Wrapped in a Banana Leaf and baked."
And what sort of celebratory dinner would it be without dessert? This was another dish I could have eaten all day - Watalappam, a rich pudding made from coconut milk, jaggery, cashews, eggs, spices that was originally from Malaysia.
Just like the door, where we tried and tried and were finally greeted by a nice surprise, our dinner was also a nice surprise for me. I cannot wait to sample more Sri Lankan food, and perhaps learn to make some of the dishes myself.
Have visa, will travel...will eat!
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