Colombo - Part 4

It's been a while since my update and I couldn't help feeling that my Colombo stories are beginning to sound rather stale. With this new work assignment that has just come in, I hardly have time for anything else but go “spaced”. I hope to explain what I am doing someday. As for now, things are still in the development stage and I am not to reveal any info on what I am currently working on. Once our contract with the client is signed, like always we have to abide to the NDAs - lips are tied till project completion.

Now back to my corat coret Colombo. I am still at Day 1 of our visit….bila lah nak habis cerita ni??? When I was there I learned that Colombo is divided into 15 numbered areas for the purposes of postal services. So, adakah nak cerita sampai Part 15?? Harus Desert Rose pengsan nak follow penceritaan bersiri ni coz it no where matches the Korean soap series yang boleh membuatkan jiwa kacau, bengkak-bengkak mata leleh and usage of excessive klenex.

Anyway, I believe I stopped at the museum in my last posting. The Sri Lanka National Museum had a good collection of items during the ruling of the Portuguese, Dutch and the English. In many ways, there are similar stories of how the island received these three great explorers. Search for spice and more land got the East India Company to set sail all the way to Goa, Ceylon and Malacca later. (This little I know lah…more detailed, have to check in the old Tawarikh text; history was never my favourite subject.)

Abe was very much absorbed in what he learned in the museum. Me…?? Well, I was busy making friends with the museum's tall, dark and kinda good looking assistants. There was one guy who came to me and asked if I was from Malaysia. I said yes, and he reverted by saying, “Malaysia bagus.” Errr…okay, if you must say so.

Apparently he had worked in a steel factory in Klang many years back. He spoke some words in BM and told me he really liked working in Malaysia. Money was good, food was easy, good roads etc etc. Okay lah…I get your point. By then, Abe was giving funny looks at me…. Ohhh tak suka ke I dok peramah sangat?? Tak tau la pulak.....M.E.N…….

It was a nice day to walk around actually, not too hot plus it was very breezy. I must have been so admiring the courtyard of the museum that I didn’t realize I had dropped my travel notes – a very important document as it listed out the names and addresses of places we intended to go to. Most importantly, the list had names of shopping places which I had earlier searched on the Internet. Pucat…pucat….kejap!! How to shop if names of shops and where to head to pun tak tau. Red alert…red alert!!!

Abdul Rahman our pre-booked tuk-tuk driver was already waiting for us. I told Abe, I got to go find my notes. I was pretty sure I had dropped it somewhere in the museum courtyard. Dia kata, “Gi lah cari…good luck lah….” Duh….tak kesian kat I pun….bayangkan all the hopes to shop gone!! But never mind, if there is a will there is always a way kan (sambil pujuk diri masa tu and quickly strategizing plan B).

So…off I went to look for my folded notes and I was very, very sure I had dropped it when we were looking at Queen Victoria’s statue located close to the museum gardens. Tapi….so jauh to walk lorrr….dah lah letih and nak jalan lagi??? Ohhh…demi “N” ku gagahkan jua…..

Luck was really on my side. Wanna know where I found it? On a wheel borough used by museum gardeners for collecting litter. It was put nicely on the cart and it was the only supposedly litter the workers had picked up. Happy, happy, happy when I found it and there was colour back on my face!! And I actually didn’t have to walk that far into the gardens, fuhhh…thank you God kerana memahami hasrat yang tersirat di hati terhadap “N”.

The gardens across the museum complex.....provided good shade for those who want to take slow stroll.

Blossoming in the museum gardens...beautiful....

Standing tall statue of Queen Victoria. We have seen a similar one of her in Kolkata during our visit couple of years back.

Abe asked if I wanted to stop for local ice cream. Uhhh...ada berani ka?? With my 3rd hand stomach, I bet I'd be running to the loo minutes after the ice. I'll pass...tak sanggup sakit perut while traveling.

By the entrance of Viharamahadevi Park, Colombo's largest and most elegant and attractive green space, you'd find local artists exhibiting their work.

We just couldn't keep our eyes off this beautiful work by Naomi (pic) on pole fishing. Managed to get it for a steal and hati melonjak-lonjak gumbira :)