12/31/05

475/3A Thimbirigasyaya Rd
Colombo 05 Sri Lanka

I think I mentioned that Ron gave me a book on the birds of Sri Lanka and some binoculars for Christmas. Yesterday I finally took time and sat out on the wall in our roof top garden in the early evening and identified my first SL bird. What a thrill! I've never done birding before but thought it would be fun here with tropical birds. The bird was a red vented bulbul. Ha! Yesterday evening it was actually cool outside (72 degress). I can't remember it being that cool before. We slept with our bedroom balcony doors open(we have screen doors that protect us from mosquitoes). It was the second time we didn't use AC since we have been here. But we were awaken at 1:00 by a very loud party two blocks away. We could see the party house from our bedroom and I can't imagine how loud the music was at the house because it was so loud at our house, two blocks away. Those folks will be deaf when they are my age! So we closed our doors and turned on the AC.

Geeta, our housekeeper, is a godsend. She cleans, irons and cooks. I willnever bethe same! No wonder expats never want to come home. Geeta's meals are incredible Sri Lankan delights. She stayed late for the party we had and did all the clean up. She helped get the food on the table. At Christmas the tradition here is to give the people who provide services for you (postman, newspaperman, housekeepr, etc) money. I gave Geeta a month's salary and the next time she came she brought me a beautiful bouquet! She is fifty-six years old and has a very sweet spirit.

We are enjoying having CNN, BBC and HBO. It is difficult to get much news from home but this is better than the newspaper that rarely has any news from home.

Our party after work for staff Ron works with at the Asia Foundation was fun. One point of interest: the women will only drink soft drinks at parties because they don't want to be thought of as loose women. No comment.

Another thing we have noticed is Sri Lankans don't get in lines at counters whether it is the post office or retail counter.They all just elbow there way in, sort of the same way they drive. No kiddin'.