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Sri Lanka Weather

10502165_332647836890001_4908670401277549071_nWhile visiting a new country is interesting and exciting, Some things are very obvious and easy to get used to, while there are certain other things… well, you’ll probably never get used to them. (Hint: Rice and Curry. All. The. Time.)
Here’s one that is very typical for ‪SriLanka‬, but can be difficult, confusing, or even flat-out weird to a foreigner.

The Heat

Stepping out of the Bandaranaike International Airport can be compared to walking into a wall: one made of heat and exhaust gas. Walking down the streets of ‪Colombo‬, or anywhere else without a pool or the ocean to cool off in, will make you feel as if you’re a walking-sizzling Fajita. You will eventually realise that taking three showers a day – and sweating it out while you take them – will be your life for as long as you stay in this country. We could very well be living on Mars.
As if that wasn’t enough, on more than one occasion, you will find yourself waking up at the crack of dawn, sweating like a pig and realising that the fan is off due to yet another power outage. And to top it all off, you never know if it’s going to last two minutes or two hours.
Good Luck – Remember its always time for a cold Lion Beer!!!

Massive Festival in Negombo coming soon

2016-07-30 18.15.34It starts on the Sunday 29th July 2018 and will continue until the 6th August.

St.Anne’s church in Palagathura in Negombo is one of the biggest churches in the area. This one is set close to the Dutch Canal on St. Anns Road.

This is an annual event starting the last Sunday in July.

This is a church festival celebrated all over Negombo, where the streets are decorated and lit up at night. The church grounds host a carnival organised by the church youth group and the local community.

The streets are lined with market stalls selling food, sweets, toys, gifts and there is even a 6D mobile cinema, I dont know how you experience 6D!

Families come from miles and mile around to experience the spectacle and to be blessed. On the first Sunday there is a parade through the streets with lots of music and smiling faces.

This is the biggest festival of its kind in Negombo. Take a look at some of last years photos!

2016-07-30 18.10.21 2016-07-30 18.14.42 2016-07-30 18.15.41 2016-07-30 18.18.33 2016-07-30 18.22.16 2016-07-31 00.29.44 2016-07-31 00.29.53 2016-07-31 00.31.05 2016-07-31 00.33.36 2016-07-31 00.34.03 13615357_1127269107330209_370037570940975436_n 13645165_1127269280663525_1700884844291565356_n 13872685_1127269633996823_2409291847795907814_n 13882138_1127268500663603_1394288182778909135_n 13895132_1127187060671747_304289459917379324_n 13906858_1127269213996865_170852571592947335_n

 

 

Rice and curry 24/7

Rice & Curry 24/7

72876_3014559819924_2145431425_nRice & Curry all day every day!! While visiting a new country is interesting and exciting, moving to one, learning to adapt, and understanding the culture can be challenging. Some things are very obvious and easy to get used to, while there are certain other things… well, you’ll probably never get used to them. Here’s one that is very typical for ‪Sri Lanka‬, but can be difficult to a foreigner.

Sri Lankans do love their rice and curry. So much so that they prefer to eat it at every single meal, and if that wasn’t crazy enough, they put enough spices in it to kill a small animal. Jokes aside, Sri Lankan food is exotic, bursting with flavours and overall really good. But let’s face it, eating rice and meat in a spicy gravy for breakfast is never going to feel normal to a Westerner.

Bon Apetite

The Showerhead Next To The Toilet That’s Not Actually For Showering

The Showerhead Next To The Toilet That’s Not Actually For Showering

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Walking into a restroom in Sri Lanka can be a bit confusing for a newcomer. First off, depending on whether you are in a fancy hotel or a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, there might not be any toilet paper.

Instead there’s a scaled-down version of a showerhead next to the toilet. As tempting as it may be, it is definitely not meant for washing your hair.

Correct usage of this contraption will forever be a mystery to foreigners: it’s not exactly something you can walk up to a person and ask, but its the same as a bidet in Europe.

After a while, you will realise that this works just as well as toilet paper. It will just be a little more, uh… wet.

However in all tourist hotels if you prefer toilet paper and there doesn’t appear to be any, just ask.

So the rule of thumb is check beforehand.

Red streets of Sri Lanka

Rambutan2It’s that time of year again  in Sri Lanka where the streets are turned red with many stalls at the side of the road selling the rambutan fruit. In some places it can be such a spectacle!! but what exactly is it?

The Rambutan Fruit

The Rambutan tree grows to about 10 to 20 metres in height. Its alternate leaves are 10 to 30 cm in length and pinnate and have three to eleven leaflets, each with an entire margin about 5 to 15 cm in width and 3 to 10 cm in breadth. Petal-less small flowers which are about 2 1/2 to 5 mm in size are disk-shape and they bloom cluster wise. The shape of the Rambutan fruit is round or oval and it is about three to six cm by three to four cm in dimension.
Rambutan Rambutan_fruit_Sri_Lanka

Rambutan is borne in clusters, and about 10 to 20 Rambutan fruit can be present in a typical cluster. Its leather like skin has pliable thorns. Rambutan fruit is typically red though some are yellow or orange. ‘Rambut’ is a Malay word that means ‘hairs’, hence it gets its name because of the thorn like appearance of its fruits. Its brownish seed is about two to three cm in size and is basally scarred. It is soft and crunchy. Although the raw seeds are poisonous, they may be eaten after cooking.

Open Rambutan fruit by removing one part of its skin. Find the seam across the fruit and pull apart the leathery skin. You can also use the knife, but be careful, only cut through the skin. Then you can hold the fruit with your fingers and enjoy the sweet taste. Rambutan fruit cannot be cooked; it can be eaten raw only.