My husband used to plead with me to get him back to Sri Lanka, but there was just no way," said Joan Bartholemeusz, heartbroken widow of chauffeur Ronald Frederick Bartholemeusz as she recalled the sadness and loneliness that engulfed this Sri Lankan who lived in Saudi Arabia just so that his family could live better here.

Mortgage the house

"One day, just about two weeks before he passed away, he asked me to somehow send him the money to get back. It was about Rs.150,000 that he wanted me to send to him. Mortgage the house and send me the money, he once suggested," recalled Joan.

But with their house half-built, and many financial commitments suffocating them, it was common sense that stopped Joan.

"If I knew that he was going to die, then I would have somehow got him down. He used to be miserable over there. He once told me that he had to work so hard and cook his own meals. Sometimes while he was cooking he was called to drive the vehicle. He had to share his room with workers from other countries," said Joan.

This is how drivers live

Working hard had not been a problem to Ronald Bartholemeusz but the loneliness and the inability to cook and have his meals on time had all taken their toll on him. "He used to be so worried and so unhappy. Once he had told the employer about the living conditions and had received the reply: "this is how drivers live."

It is not that Ronald Frederick Bartholemeusz had never been abroad. Having worked in Kuwait, Bahrain and Dubai, he was self-confident in his work in the Middle East. Having begun his career at Hayleys as an apprentice, Bartholemeusz decided to go overseas just so that they could build their house. But despite having worked in Saudi Arabia together with his wife Joan, their house at 538/3B Talangama North, Talangama remains half built. The block stones and new construction was the result of the hard work of this couple who always wanted to give a better life to their children.

With two children and five grandchildren, there were many commitments.

"The cost of living is so high and we wanted to leave something behind for our children. My son works in a hotel and I hated the thought of being a burden to him as hotels are not doing very well these days," said Joan who lived with her son and his family.

Though Joan had remained overseas working she had to come back as her husband was not feeling well.

To work as a chauffeur

But around May Joan had received a telephone call from a lady with very high connections requesting her to send her husband back to Saudi so that he could work as a chauffeur.

But the working conditions and the attitude of the people around him had only served to bring misery to this man away from his home and loved ones.

"He was worried and he was anxious to get back," recalled Joan. And on that morning of October 15, at 5.15 a.m. (local time) he had telephoned his wife. "He requested me to take a nice photograph and send a copy to him." He had also told her that the work hours were too long  and that he wanted to come back somehow.

Lost consciousness

And about one hour later at 6.15 a.m., Joan had received a telephone call from her husband's employer telling her abruptly in not-so-perfect English: "Your husband dead."

What Joan did not know was that living in misery and stress had cost Ronald his life. He had stopped the car at a signal light when the heart attack gripped his very being.  And that is how he left Saudi -with a last breath.

"I lost consciousness for about two hours. I could not believe that my husband whose voice I heard one hour ago was no more," remembered Joan.

That was not the end of Joan's heartache. Her employers had told her that it was not possible to send the remains of her husband back to Sri Lanka.

Contrary to employment contract

"This was contrary to the employment contract which we signed stating that "In the event of death of the employee, the employer shall immediately notify the embassy/consulate and he shall pay the cost of transportation of the employee's remains together with the deceased's personal belongings to Sri Lanka. The employer shall not dispose of the remains of the employee in any manner without the prior approval of the embassy/consulate."

"We have no money," Joan was told by the employer. Desperate to get the remains of her husband, Joan had tried to borrow the money - about Rs.250,000 to send to Saudi. And it was at this time that  a friend in Saudi had loaned the money so that they could pay his family back in Sri Lanka. And borrowing money at an exorbitant rate of interest, Joan Bartholemeusz sent the money to Saudi. The funeral cost the family over Rs.500,000.

Came back in a Coffin

"Let not what happened to us happen to anyone else. My father worked hard. He went overseas to give us a better life. Is this the way the rich treat the poor? If this can happen to a man in death then what can happen to him in life? Death is the ultimate sadness, but our feelings were never considered, we almost lost the chance of having our father's remains sent home. We would have had to live a lifetime of anguish wondering whatever happened to him," explained son Jeremy. Life is sad. Ronald Bartholemeusz who wanted to come to Sri Lanka, did come back, but in a coffin. "Is this how rich people look after the poor?" asks his family who now find themselves not only in financial difficulty but in a greater unhappiness of living without Ronald.

 The Norwegian Em- bassy, in collabora-tion with The Con-cert Institute, Nor-way, and the Aru Sri Art Theatre, Sri Lanka, presented Traditions Meet, a concert that combined the musical traditions of Norway and Sri Lanka. The concert was held at the Hindu Cultural Centre in Kandy on November 13 and Ananda College, Colombo on November 14.

Traditions Meet was an amazing meeting of folk music, classical and contemporary traditions from the two countries featured - with artists such as saxophonists, guitarists, violinists, flautists, drummers and singers, bringing together string and wind music, Sri Lankan folk dance and drums.

Music has long been a universal language that cuts across barriers of language, region, ethnicity and religion, uniting divided communities and reconnecting fragmented societies, since it speaks directly to people's hearts and appeals to their emotions.

Norwegian Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Tore Hattrem confirms this. "By initiating a programme for musical collaboration between Sri Lanka and Norway, we hope progressively to contribute to more interaction and understanding between people."

As a first step in this direction, Norway plans to have a music cooperation with Sri Lanka, to facilitate the transfer of music knowledge and competency development within music education between the two countries. This will be accomplished through seminars, workshops and several exchange-programmes for teachers as well as students, and universities in the south, west, north and east will be invited to participate.

An important pillar of the project will be documentation of the rich Sri Lankan heritage of ethnic music and dance expressions in danger of being forgotten and lost forever, and their storage in a manner that makes them accessible to society.

The funding was supported through the Royal Norwegian Embassy and implemented through collaboration between Concerts Norway and local partners in Sri Lanka.

The Traditions Meet concert opened with an item by Norwegian trio Seven Winds -  Becaye Aw, guitar, Rolf-Erik Nystrom, saxophone and singer Unni Lovlid. After their performance Becaye Aw and Rolf-Erik joined Sri Lankan musicians in an intercultural performance titled Traditions Meet. Among the Sri Lankan artists were Ravibandu Vidyapathy, Sri Lankan drums, Priyantha Dassanayaka, flute, Ruwan Weerasekara, violin and Ratnam Ratnadurai, traditional drums and rhythm effects.

V. Jambunathan, Mrithangam player, Saranga Abeysinghe and Jithendra Vidyapathy, Kandyan drummers and dancers, K.P.R.Ravi Shankar South Indian thavil player, Darshana Mallawarachchi and Nupathi Nilambara, drummers, also performed at the concert.

Mathra, a popular folklore group, also performed. Mathra was directed by Saman Panapitiya, singer, composer and senior lecturer in ethnomusicology at the University of Visual and Performing Arts. Folk singers Indika Upamali and T.S.Murugesh also starred in the show. The Aru Sri Art Theatre presented an innovative and extremely creative Tamil folk dance group who were skilled in various dance styles - classical, folk and contemporary.

This year marks the 100th anniversary for Norwegian poet Olav H. Hauge. The Norwegian music performed was inspired by his literary work. The music was composed by Becaye, Rolf-Erik and Unni, who are visiting Sri Lanka as part of their international tour in autumn 2008.

The concert in Kandy included two extra items, a Tamil folk dance by the Central Province Hindu Association presented by Vyjayanthimala Selvaratnam, and Teemus Peiris of the Kandy Music Society who did a saxophone and vocal performance that represented Kandyan song and music.

A Sound Engineering Workshop was also conducted with Norwegian collaboration, by Ingar Hunskaar in Kandy at the Hindu Cultural Centre on November 13 and at Ananda College Colombo on November 14. Ingar Hunskaar is a sound engineer based in Oslo, Norway who travelled to Sri Lanka with the trio. He is also a producer and musician, who has mastered and recorded many Norwegian records.

Another concert will be held in early December when Norwegian jazz band the Hot Club de NorvŠge will visit Sri Lanka and will hold a performance as well as a workshop in Colombo. ÿBoth concerts are funded by the Royal Norwegian Embassy.

More information could be obtained from Aru Sri Art Theatre on 0777-314425.

Unique Africa

We are a hybrid nation used to many flavours of music and dance but hardly do we get to taste the African flavour in all its glory on home soil.

To most of us who enjoy the pulsating African beat, the exotic clothes and a cuisine so different, there is a rare event happening at the Cinnamon Grand on November 30.

Aimed at fostering business and cultural ties between South Africa and Sri Lanka, the event will feature one of the finest South African bands, specially flown from Johannesburg for the event.

The group, Peace Cultural Group was formed in 2004 as a symbol and to appreciate South Africa's political past which was characterised by violence and a struggle to overcome apartheid.

After a decade of democracy and political tolerance, the group feels that South Africa has indeed taken its place in the sun which led them to call their popular group 'Peace.'

According to members of the band, besides offering world-class entertainment through African music, they feel that the rhythms they create do reflect South Africa's diversity.

But it is not just about music, but also about a complete African experience. The band will include acts that would be classical displays of the country's heritage taking the gathering through various stages in South Africa's socio-political make up.

The Peace Cultural Group consists of 16 members with representation across gender, age and language. Significantly, 70% of the group's membership hails from the country's rural underprivileged communities.

The group performs across different genres of both song and dance also incorporating opera extracts rearranged according to the present times, style and history. And the jewel in the crown in this group is founder member and convenor Themba Mkhwani, a musician par excellence who is one of South Africa's treasured cultural symbols.

This is the group's very first opportunity to entertain people overseas as they beckon one and all to the Cinnamon Grand on November 30 at 7.30 pm to share their heritage, song and dance.

Organisers claim the event will be representative of Africa's many facets and pledge to transport the entire audience to the African continent for a few hours.

There will be not just lots of pulsating African beats but also colourful African clothes and spicy food around.

The third annual African Night is organised by the Africa- Sri Lanka Friendship Association together with the Embassy of South Africa in a bid to foster business and cultural ties between the two nations. (DH)

JCI World Congress

The 2008 JCI World Congress was held in New Delhi, In-dia from November 4 to November 9  with the participation of over 3500 delegates from 120 countries. Past JCI World President Isfahani Sameen attended the World Congress with his family. Isfahani served as a Member of the Nominations Committee interviewing all the candidates seeking JCI office for 2009 and was also the chairman of the judging panel for the World Speaking Competition. Jun Sup Shin from Jaycees Korea was elected as the 2009 JCI president. Picture shows President Elect Jun Sup Shin with 1989 JCI President Isfahani Sameen and his children.

An exotic glimpse into nature in Sri Lanka

Luxshmanan Nadaraja's collection of photographs titled The Nature Of Sri Lanka provides a rare and exotic glimpse of the island nation. A stunning collection of Sri Lankan wildlife packed in over 300 pages, this includes colour photographs as well as black and white.

Printed in Singapore, the book also features eminent writers and conservationists including Dr. Tsu De Zylva, Shirley Perera, Dr. Sriyanie Miththapala, Dr. Arjuna Parakrama, Dr. Shyamala Ratnayeke, Thilaka Martin Wijesinghe, Arjuna Nadaraja, Richard Simon and Arittha Wikramanayake.

The book will be out on stands from December 5. To book your own copy  contact Jumana or Jayanti on 2861738 or email wildlight@sltnet.lk.

Daniel Foley at the British Council Kandy

O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?' - Shakespeare's most famous quote has echoed around auditoriums and schools all over the world but rarely with rolling 'r's and the type of gestures more often seen by an angry restaurant customer who has been waiting for his dinner for over an hour.

Such was one of the many scenes played out by Daniel Foley in his free performance Shakespeare's Kings And Clowns at a packed house of over 170 people at the British Council in Kandy.

Daniel Foley is a well known Shakespearian specialist who has performed in over 64 countries worldwide.

In his Kandy performance Daniel brought alive all areas of Shakespearian drama, from the tragic and macabre to the comic and historic, with scenes from Romeo And Juliet, Macbeth', Hamlet, The Tempest, amongst others, with significant aplomb and the willing participation of members of the audience, who took on cameo roles as he explored the breadth of the great bard's work.

Other highlights of the show included impersonations of Marlon Brando and John Wayne taking on Shakespearian roles and an insight into some of the techniques used in hand and sword fighting on the stage.  

Daniel also shared his knowledge of Elizabethan theatre with the audience and tested their knowledge through an interactive quiz, which included a 'name that play' test and questions on the different characters and scenes of Shakespearian drama.

So, back to the question at the beginning of this article, where is Romeo? Well, the answer's really quite simple, he's where's he's always been, on the gondolas in Venice, in the pubs in London, on the cruise boats of the Nile and in the Salsa halls of Buenos Aires.

All the world's his stage and briefly, on November 14, at a fun-filled and interactive performance, he shared that stage with an appreciative audience at the British Council in Kandy.

The many miracles of Bhagawan Sathya Sai Baba

We leaned towards Bhagavan or Swami (as Bhagavan is affectionately called) in 1981 seeking solace, to put it in my wife's words, 'to save us from further calamity.' Our minds were fraught with distress when my daughter, just 10 years old, was subject to what I deemed was a needless operation.

We therefore in 1981 attended weekly bajan pooja for Bhagavan at a centre at Ratmalana, few doors away from where we then lived.

It was while venerating the  Bhagavan at this centre that I was rid of two ailments which I did not know existed within me.

Severe pain in my crown

Late one evening, one day in November, 1981, I felt uneasy. I had a sleepy feeling and went to bed earlier than usual. I may have fallen asleep immediately.

Much later in the night I experienced a severe pain on the crown of my head. The spot that hurt me  was very tender. With the tips of my fingers I could push in to the scalp. There appeared to be no hardness of the skull.

It scared me. I looked for my wife. I soon realised I was in another room lying on my son's bed. I hurried towards Swami's picture hanging in the hall, dipped my fingers in the pot of holy ash and rubbed the ash on the spot that hurt.

The pain instantly disappeared and the spot hardened. I returned to bed greatly relieved.

The following morning I felt quite normal. No uneasy feeling but when I rinsed my mouth a hard object fell into my mouth. I spat it out. It was floating in the water, a brown clay marble like object with red, white and brown lines running all over it, like a woolen thread ball.

On explaining this to my doctor later in the day he conjectured it could be a mass forming inside my head. I did suffer from an acute pain in the head for a long period in the past and doctor surmised this to be the reason. As time passed this could have grown in size leading to much discomfort.

In my teenage years my brother and I suffered from that wretched ailment - catarrh for several years. In 1998 my brother underwent surgery for removal of a brain tumour. I believe that in 1981 Bhagavan saved me from such a discomfort. I never  experienced a headache of that nature after that.

 Strangely for many years thereafter at times when I breathed I felt the fragrance of jasmine pervade my senses. This phenomenon lasted till 1992.

In 1981, arrangements were being made for Bhagavan to visit Sri Lanka in his physical form.

Coughed out blood

It was during this time that I faced  another strange happening. Returning home from office one evening I coughed out blood and a few days later I again coughed out blood. With it an object, like a rusted pin came to my mouth. I pressed it on my palm and it broke in two. I then recalled that way back in 1979 a fish bone got stuck in my throat. Although I thought it had passed down it had apparently got embedded in the left-side of the throat and remained there for such a long period of time.

The two incidents left in me a strong impression that we are being blessed by attending weekly bajans.

 January 31, 1996 was a fatal day in Sri Lanka. A lorry laden with explosives slammed in to the Central Bank building, setting the building ablaze and bringing down several floors.

That morning I was to go to the Central Bank to convey a message from Professor Haraldsson to a mutual friend working there. When this friend and I meet, we were in the habit of conversing seated in the foyer on the ground floor of the North Tower. The explosion left this foyer in ashes and all those who were in it perished.

Red ants

The 9 a.m. bus I took that morning from Kadawatha did not leave as scheduled. Idling seated in it I operated my mobile phone. I was surprised when red ants came out of the phone as I pressed the keys. I blew them away and dialed again and more ants emerged. The bus had by now left for Fort.

This variety of red ants scare me. They nimble through delicate rubber and plastic components. I was compelled to change my plans for that day.

I got off the bus at the next town, Kiribathgoda, and took a bus plying via Dematagoda and Borella to the agent's office at Baudhaloka Mawatha, Bambalapitiya.

Bomb explosion

The technicians there opened the rear of the phone and found no trace of ants. However they undertook to service it for me. As I took a seat in the office a loud explosion rented the air. The doors and windows of the office rattled. A bomb had exploded somewhere. We soon learned that it had happened in  Fort, eight kilometres away.

Time calculations indicated that had I not changed  plans I would have been at the bank building or its vicinity at that moment. Had my mobile phone just gone out of order I would have still proceeded to Fort first and then to the agent's office. I was blessed with Swami's grace that morning. He knew my mind and my fear for that variety of ants to be the only way to scare me off from proceeding to Fort that day.

In 1982 I was assigned to work in Galle. My family and I together with the Amendra family started the Galle bajan centre at the Amendra home. I am glad the centre is still running to good purpose. During my stay in Galle I also initiated several service projects for the needy. "Service to man is service to god," Bhagavan says.

Translating into Sinhala

In 1989 while residing in Kandy I decided to translate in to Sinhala a book written by Professor Haraldsson. He, a professor of psychiatry,  together with another scientist was nominated by the American Society of Psychical Research to investigate the psychic phenomena associated with Sathya Sai Baba. Their main task was to investigate the genuinety of the numerous materialisations of gold icons, rings, necklaces etc. and fruits, often out of season, which Swami materialises with the wave of his hand.

Bhagavan had no reason to allow himself to be investigated using the odd scientific instruments he was shown. But he very courteously allowed them to closely watch him and also to meet old and new devotees and others close to him in his young days.

The two scientists followed Swami for over eight years commencing 1974, often staying with him for months at a time on the many visits they made.

In 2001 when I met the professor, who had by now put into print his investigation, I asked him what he now thinks of Swami. "Baba has very strong powers. How does he do that?" he asked me. After such extensive research the professor has still not found the answer.

Swami in his 21st year in 1947 said; "Whoever you are. However much you try, no one can comprehend my glory."

When I under took to translate this book in 1989,  it was a daunting task, which however, I completed within a period of one and a half years.

I would awake as early as 3 - 3.30 am, and work till 10.30 pm daily with short breaks and an evening walk. Kandy had cold nights. On some occasions I decide to sleep till dawn and I dream I am translating the book. Then I jump off the bed. One such occasion I felt a tap on my knee. I awoke to find the face of Swami bending over me.

Unexplainable

I requested a young lady,  whom I met on official duties,  to transcribe my rough draft copies which she very obligingly did, chapter by chapter. On one occasion she had left about one third of the foolscap sheet blank. I rechecked the draft to see what was omitted but it was not so. The continuation followed at the beginning of the next sheet.

Then why the blank space?

I cross checked the original English version and noted that I had not translated a paragraph.

How could you explain this phenomenon?

These happenings are indicative of Bhagavan monitoring the work and being constantly around me. Such is Bhagavan's omnipresence.

In my first dharshan in 1990 in Brindhavan under the huge banyan tree, Swami gave me a broad smile as if he had met a known face. The series of events I describe throughout this article are indicative of the divine acquaintance I and my family were privileged to enjoy.         

On the same dharshan that day as Swami was passing me I felt a wave of current run down my spine which lasted till he passed me. Swami says "I give you my energy." The aura about Swami, pink in colour extends far and wide which touches his devotees.

Jai Sai Ram.

- Terence Amarasekara

The essence of Baba's teachings

There is only one religion.The religion of love. There is only one caste. The caste of humanity. There is only one language. The language of the heart. There is only one god. He is omnipresent.

These words of Bhagawan Sathya Sai Baba convey the crux of his message to us. It is this universal message, which portrays love, for there is no path to god except through love, which is expansion, inclusion and mutualisation. The individual has to be universalised, expanded into Vishvaswarupa.

Bhagawan propagates true love that expects no rewards; he wants love that transcends the boundaries of caste, class, race, language or religion.

Let us see the vision of God in the radiant smile of the needy, the sick, the hungry, the naked and the homeless. That is his message. At this hour of distress, when this planet Earth is a precarious place to live, Bhagawan Baba, our lord, has come to redeem us, to give us hope and solace.

What is significant of Bhagawan Sathya Sai Baba is that people of all faiths, of all climes, of all castes, of all classes, of all age groups rally under one umbrella and say their own respective prayers in unison. There is unity in diversity.

According to Swami, all different forms of worship of God are products of human imagination. He questions whether we can put all pervasive God in a small temple, hold a small light to God who is in all beings. He wants his devotees to move further and feel that they are divine themselves. He stresses that inner feeling is essential. He firmly believes the goodness of I, which alone shall mitigate all the misery in the world and that all are embodiments of love. He preaches that love and service is the human religion.

Swami believes that right values can be inculcated in youths through sports. Let us recall a cricket ecounter years ago. Sunil Gavaskar was the organiser. Sachin Tendulkar and Arjuna Ranatunga were the captains. The World XI team comprised four Sri Lankan players - Arjuna Ranatunga, Aravinda de Silva, Sanath Jayasuriya and Sanjeeva Ranatunga; four Pakistani players - Abdul Qadir, Shahid Afridi, Wasim Akram and Saeed Anwar. Two players came from Bangladesh, and one from England. Representing India was the national XI. It was cricket for love and was called Sri Sathya Sai Unity Cup. Swami says "Life is a game, play it."

To say Sai Baba is a cult is a misnomer. It is a mistaken belief. It is not a cult because Swami demands devotion to his teachings. It is not a cult because Sathya Sai Organisation believes in quality not quantity. It is not a cult because study of all religions and Baba's teachings are encouraged. It is not a cult because it encourages the followers to transform themselves through selfless service to their fellow men.

It is not a cult because Baba advises; "Continue your worship of your chosen god along the lines already familiar to you." Finally, it is not a cult because Sai Baba's five human values - Truth, Love, Peace, Right Conduct and Non-Violence are found in any religion.

The regular performance of Paduka Pooja at Sri Sathya Sai Baba Centre in Colombo is a significant form of worship, for the divine feet signifies the underlying unity of all religions. It calls for the installation of his lotus feet in our hearts. It, really, means complete surrender at his feet.

The 83rd birthday of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba falls on November 23. The celebration of the completion of 1000 full moon days of the divine incarnations is a unique and auspicious event.

- V.  Varathasuntharam

Gobinath's in pain

Ill health and misfortune strike without warning and when Vijayakumar Gobinath, a hale and hearty 27 year old found that no longer could he move there was only one thing that this young man could do - that was to cry his heart out, alone.

For his job was the only source of income for Gobinath - innocent and helpless, scared of the outside world and of the poverty that loomed large in the horizon.

And today he lies in bed, his fistula spreading across his legs, to his back and his midriff and the region below. He has no money for medication, no money for food and no place to live in.

It is a hard life for a 27 year old, but there is nothing that Gobinath can do.

A letter by Professor K.I. Deen, MD MSFRCS certifies examination under anaesthesia and curettage of anal fistula track and calls for a review within two weeks. For Gobinath, who does not have the means to find his daily meals, finding money for transport and treatment are twin problems that ails him together with the unbearable pain that his condition brings.

This plea is for help - to help young Gobinath, once an employee of a mercantile firm, to stand up. Living confined to bed, at 105, Paramananda Vihara Mawatha, Colombo 13 sans medical help, food and a source of income Gobinath appeals to the public in his helplessness, to ease the physical pain and the mental torture that he goes through each day.

Oriflame, good looks and MD Per Gunnarsson

The hot list

Today whilst browsing, I came across the 'five hottest look-ing women' this week. Of course, Angelina Jolie/Pitt was featured, along with Nicole Kidman. I sadly concluded that I would never look 'hot.' Not unless I fall really ill for a very long time, I'm stranded on a desert island with no food or else I have a device that locks up my mouth when I have had just the sufficient quantity of food to survive.

I mean, here am I, after a really super dinner of hot, hot hoppers, a moderately hot meat curry and even hotter katta sambol. So, even though I'm full of hot stuff, it won't make me hot. Sad, but true. All those hot chicks have never had a hopper meal tucked under their belts. Little portions of healthy food, that would be more like it. Poor deprived thingies, they don't know what they have missed!

Healthy eating

In a more serious vein, the emphasis is on healthy eating, as is shown by the listed current "hot" foods. Locally grown produce, organic produce and organic wine are shown to be popular buys. Another interesting new hot trend in the food department is the presence of ethnic fusion cuisine.

Europeans who would not tolerate anything spicy and hot in earlier times are now becoming more adventurous. Hot food can be nice! So, blends of Eastern and Western cuisine are made use of, to produce the currently popular fusion food. The best of both worlds, as it were. Asian entre salads and appetizers are being served often. Now they're talking!

Personally, I do enjoy a dash of extra-hot Tabasco or some Wasabi to clear up my sinuses. You can actually feel it exploding out of your skull! We Sri Lankans do enjoy to cry as we eat, our eyes watering and noses running, as we relish our spicy food, the hotter the better.

But I am hot, the heat is stifling. Then again, think of those who had to flee from forest fires today. And it is rather nicer to be warm than cold, isn't it? Due to the high electricity rates, we can't use the air conditioner as frequently as we would like to. So we slowly broil, getting rather hot under the collar, but the sultry nights really don't allow us to have a good rest. Lighter garments don't help much, the army of mosquitoes are just waiting to swoop down and attack like the fighter jets in the war.

Hottest wines

So, in the wine department, the hottest selling are bottles of champagne, and that would include the magnum and jeroboam size as well. How come there is a scarcity of these items in our bar at home? Some people need to be enlightened! Apparently, rose wine is in, in, IN!

The Mojito is listed as one of the hottest cocktails, made famous after the Bond movie. And hot on the heels of that is the Show Stopper, made from gin, sage leaves and ruby red grapefruit juice. Sounds yummy! I must definitely try that one out. As the social butterfly Paris Hilton would drawl, "It's haaaat!"

One of the favourite party games when we were young was a version of the treasure hunt. There were no clues to be followed, instead someone would keep chanting you were hot, hotter, getting hotter, red hot! etc. as you came close to the place where the hidden article was. So everyone would crowd in the 'hot' area, hoping to be the lucky finder of the treasure. One of the most common verses in our autograph books would be,

"Drink hot coffee,

 Drink hot tea,

 Burn your lips,

And think of me."

We also had a man who came on a bicycle selling bread, cakes and rolls to our doorstep, and he would say invitingly, "Madam, buy some hot and loverly bread!" It actually was hot, lovely and crusty as the bakery was just a few yards down the road.

Just today, the hottest celebrity news is that one of the failed contestants of the popular TV show American Idol has committed suicide in front of Paula Abdul's house. She had even changed her name to Paula - she was such an ardent fan. She did sound weird at the auditions. And the female stalker of one of my favourite actresses, Sandra Bullock has been placed under probation for three years. She had been found on at least five occasions on Bullock's premises. Sad, isn't it? But this is what you have to expect when you are too hot!

- Honky Tonk Woman