Kingsbury Hotel, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Saturday 2/8/14
Still nothing more from Philippine Airlines, but this afternoon I met with a Sri Lankan Lions Club member who is a past president of the International Lions Club organization. He helped confirm my meeting with the Sri Lanka Council for the Blind on Monday morning, and said he would call Hong Kong Lions Club members to ask for help for me during my two-night stay in Hong Kong on my way home.
I am feeling better about staying on my own in Hong Kong. Mr. Amarasuriya is the kind of extraordinarily competent person who makes things happen, and I am totally confident that if there is help for me in Hong Kong, he'll round it up. The Lions really are a wonderful organization.
Meanwhile Mayu and I got out for a bit of shopping and lunch out with her brother Prabhu, soaked up some more poolside sun, and planned our wedding crashing expedition tomorrow.
We're not really crashing it, just "discreetly checking in on the fringes," Mayu says, so I can see what an Indian wedding is like. It's in Negombo, about an hour away, at an exclusive resort right on the beach. Prabhu is staying there and going to the wedding, so we're going to hire a driver for the day, spend some time on the beach in the early afternoon, and then hang out at the resort, have dinner there, and peek in on events.
Memorable food experiences today: biryani, which Mayu describes as kind of like an Indian version of paella. The meat is cooked tandoori-style and then served with rice and a thick sauce or gravy. "Biryani is comfort food," Prabhu said, "curry is not." Mayu said it's the rice that makes it comfort food.
The other good food experience is fresh lime soda. It's just cold club soda with fresh-squeezed limes in it, sweetened with a sugar cane syrup. I like to get the syrup on the side because I like only a little sweetness to it. It's one of the most refreshing drinks I've ever tastes, and I am going to make it at home. It's way better than 7-Up or Sprite or any other lemon-lime soda on the US market.
And a new dessert: ras malai, which is cheese that is kneaded and then soaked in a syrup and milk. It's more comfort food than biryani, for sure.
Saturday 2/8/14
Still nothing more from Philippine Airlines, but this afternoon I met with a Sri Lankan Lions Club member who is a past president of the International Lions Club organization. He helped confirm my meeting with the Sri Lanka Council for the Blind on Monday morning, and said he would call Hong Kong Lions Club members to ask for help for me during my two-night stay in Hong Kong on my way home.
I am feeling better about staying on my own in Hong Kong. Mr. Amarasuriya is the kind of extraordinarily competent person who makes things happen, and I am totally confident that if there is help for me in Hong Kong, he'll round it up. The Lions really are a wonderful organization.
Meanwhile Mayu and I got out for a bit of shopping and lunch out with her brother Prabhu, soaked up some more poolside sun, and planned our wedding crashing expedition tomorrow.
We're not really crashing it, just "discreetly checking in on the fringes," Mayu says, so I can see what an Indian wedding is like. It's in Negombo, about an hour away, at an exclusive resort right on the beach. Prabhu is staying there and going to the wedding, so we're going to hire a driver for the day, spend some time on the beach in the early afternoon, and then hang out at the resort, have dinner there, and peek in on events.
Memorable food experiences today: biryani, which Mayu describes as kind of like an Indian version of paella. The meat is cooked tandoori-style and then served with rice and a thick sauce or gravy. "Biryani is comfort food," Prabhu said, "curry is not." Mayu said it's the rice that makes it comfort food.
The other good food experience is fresh lime soda. It's just cold club soda with fresh-squeezed limes in it, sweetened with a sugar cane syrup. I like to get the syrup on the side because I like only a little sweetness to it. It's one of the most refreshing drinks I've ever tastes, and I am going to make it at home. It's way better than 7-Up or Sprite or any other lemon-lime soda on the US market.
And a new dessert: ras malai, which is cheese that is kneaded and then soaked in a syrup and milk. It's more comfort food than biryani, for sure.