Jumbo Peanuts

One of my farmer friends a few doors away planted some jumbo peanuts and I got a few Kilos to eat and to keep to grow at the right time of year. He obtained 135 rupees a kilo for them after drying with the shell. We cooked them by frying in a pan with sand not oil, this ensures an even temperature without the shell burning. Once sufficiently heated we de shell it and voila the scrumptous peanuts no money can buy. See the plate I gobbled down a few days ago. I have never tasted better peanuts!!

This is my single largest source of income

Selling King Coconuts is my largest revenue source at the moment. I brought 700 King Coconuts today to Colombo and the Golf Club bought 300 the balance are sold like in the photo which shows Amila setting some bunches at the shop opposite the Colombo University Campus on Reid Avenue earlier today, Saturday the 10th.

Another angle of the kitchen lit with a generator

Reality

Hope this says it all a couple of photos of the dinner at the kitchen opening with those who helped build it many of them vlunteers!!!
one photo is from one end of the table and the other from the other end. The tall green plastic glass is mine with king coconut water, the real glasses are the others who were served beer! We worked it out we can seat 13 comfortably at the table including me at the head.

Anticipation

My old kitchen

I go tomorrow to my place in Polonnaruwa after a whole day of selling in Colombo. We leave usually around 9pm arriving in Polonnaruwa about 2am if we have a rain free run. As you may know we have been cooking out in the open on wood fires for want of a kitchen. I have finally built a kitchen where we can actually cook without getting wet and where we even have a sink with running water. In fact I have gone from no kitchen to having the largest kitchen in the neighborhood, and with plumbing to boot. Of course the shramadana from the neighbours in pooling their resources helped maybe because they are expecting this to be the village kitchen!! not just mine! Yes I still don't have electricity but that is for the future!

It was built at lower cost than most kitchens in the neighborhood as it is built with a coconut cadjan roof and devoid of walls, open on all sides with the roof being held up by pillars made of plastic piping filled with concrete. I will post photos of the new facility when I get back, as I expect to be there till Friday night.

Hey you avid readers!!!! interact will you!!!!

From the various chats I have with people, I am beginning to discover that the circle of people reading my blog is widening and I am pleased with their reaction as many find some of the snippets interesting to read. However very few are willing to make the odd comment either for fear of offending me or worried that someone else reading their comments will think them an ace durrrrr!!!

Don't worry you lovely people all over the world give me some inspiration and if you are worried at being found out just leave them as anonymous comments. That is better than no comment.

While I seem to have an interesting life it is the hardest job I have ever had to endure like being on a treadmill working all the hours that God gives, not even to put food on my table, but to put food on every body else's table. Some encouragement will be nice.

Give the French a cheer

My friend Morgan, had her christening for her son Fragan a little while ago today at the St Lucia's cathedral officiated by a French priest Fr Dion a fairly elderly man. There were in attendence both Morgan's parents and her husband Amory's sister and family. Sri Lankans still accounted for at least 50% of the 40 or so gathered at the church. Tamzyn your absence was felt and I stood in for you!!!

It is interesting to note that she got her wish to live in Sri Lanka as her husband has developed a new business in buying and exporting organic foods to supermarkets and stores in France.

I have been invited later today to have dinner with them at the Galle Face Hotel, but I cannot drive my pick up(Tata Cab) as it is considered a lorry and a security threat, I have to find alternative means of transport leaving the pick up outside the zone. Who said even an evening out in Colombo for a farmer from the outskirts is easy to attend!!!