The day dawned at a wedding at the Hilton of a friend. The décor at the Ballroom with white drapes and fantastic floral displays was stunning. Everything flowed freely and it was time for me to get back at 2am while the party was in full swing.
A 7.30 am pick up and we went to the Gampaha office for kiribath and kavili and to be greeted by the staff in traditional bulath kolay greetings and to meet with well wishes. Then on to the Electorate to be greeted by well wishes who had gathered, starting with pirith for the New Year and after the chanting the pirith nool was tied. Breakfast spread along with many well wishes to be greeted and talked to.
This before leaving for a dana at a Bhavana Madyasthanaya in Wijerama Mawatha in commemoration of FR Senanayake day. I excused myself and went for a christening at a church in Kollupitiya of the baby daughter of a cousin. This was part of a full communion mass.
It was then off to lunch at the home of the Grand Uncle of the baby. Seating for all 80 attending was possible in the Dining and adjacent reception rooms, most being the immediate family and a chance for family photos. This was a chance to meet and greet some who had come from afar for the occasion. The baby had a christening cake also prepared for the occasion in which the 4 generations on the female side of the baby was present. Baby her mom, mom’s mom and grandmother.
After which a quick visit to my Dad’s and then a rest before the Dinner. A chance to catch one’s breath from this hectic days and get ready for another session at the old house which adorns this grand property on Gregory’s Road, one of the few original houses built in the 19th Century.
The place as usual on the first was looking at its best with all the brass polished and the period setting in keeping with the style of the house unchanged for generations. As I am the sole tenant in the tower adjoining, a four-floor, bachelor pad of unique description, it was a cake walk down the steps to the main house.
Many are faces I only meet at the annual event, while some are those I regularly bump into, so it was not altogether unfamiliar. The exhaustion after an exhausting day is telling with my weary self aching for some sleep before the next working day and another round of kiri bath for the first working day back in the office, another annual tradition to start the year with.
You guys seem like the hardest working guys in politics....
ReplyDeleteI don't know where you find the energy to keep up!
Seems to be a lot of eating than working. Typically Sri Lankan! :-)
ReplyDeleteSri Lanka custom is to provide refreshments at each event, so if one has to attend 5 events in a day, one has to be careful in watching one's diet.
ReplyDeleteEven politicians who ask people to come for meetings, and if the meeting continues at lunch time he is expected to provide lunch, otherwise it is bad form.
Yes there is a lot of eating that goes on in the country, and more often than not those in need of sustanance go without and those that are not in need get far too much. What is the solution for that? A practical one please
the practical solution is for someone to show some leadership and make that point and then have a policy of contributing the excess food to a worthy cause. just following the crowd is weak.
ReplyDeleteanon shows you are from another planet. Social custom is always to provide refreshments for visitors even if they are unannounced and strangers.
ReplyDeleteWe should change it gradually by it being more healthy. ie no sugar with the tea and not put nestomalt and call it tea especially when guests visit!
Our charity is for show so saving in food to give to a worthy cause actually backfires on the altruist
Even that can only be followed by a campaign to enlighten people to think that they are killing their guests by kindness by putting sugar!
SeeSkype! Kalpanakaranna!!
ReplyDeleteHere is a practical solution for those who don’t even have a meal a day while you all are feasting with mostly from the hard work of your ancestors…………
ReplyDelete1. Open up soup kitchens around the country
Or
2. Open up food banks.
Have your well to do and those who like to give , bring those items to those 2 locations around the country.
Create a program that will enable each and every kid in every government school to receive a fresh glass of milk daily. Most of your kids in your country do not have good vitamins at home and do not have good nourishment at home – so do it in the school level from kinder garden all the way up to the high school level. You must always have mutltiple ways of resolving a problem when especially they are about the well being of the society. And that is when you can usually resovle the issue completely and not just going half way. Do it now!
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