Colombo Oh Colombo!

Alhamdulillah, I consider myself very lucky! While I am not earning the pay that many would hope to earn, I earn the fringe benefits that come along with this employment....every onece in a while I get to travel! And this time it was the Axiata Group Legal Advisers' Meeting, that was hosted by our counterpart Dialog Telekom in Colombo. I will not bore you with the details about the conference, enough to say that the Dialog community is so hospitable, warm, and I wouldn't if they came to KL, we could provide the same to them. And, the knowledge gain from the conference were immense and would be put to good use in my current KPI!

But most of all, I would not have imagined that Colombo had so much to offer.....this place is a food paradise...yes, it was spicy and curry...y, but the food was lovely and different. Yes, I love curry and have them at home every week, but having them here daily did not overdose me at all. I only had to pacify my stomach due to the gas from the beans and grains that I took....otherwise, I would have slurped all the kuah!

And, the seafood, my ......they are prepared in various styles! One will not tire having them at all!

Here are some offering that I managed to capture in the last two days, my schedule was very packed, and we only got to go around the city last nite! Enjoy.....

Transit in Singapore....

My companion....some wisdom material!

Some seafood dinner after we tucked our bags on the night we arrived.

Breakfast Day 1...Aloo paratha, sambar (akin to our dhal which had brinjal and kacang munggai), and tofu curry! 

Lunach Day 1, Rice cooked with onion and ghee, Fish Curry, Cauliflower in Spices, Brinjal and Tomato cooked in Sri Lankan spices and black pepper (woooo....pedas pedas!) and Mango Chutney (bought a bottle to bring home!) 

Banana Parfait...banana sauteed in butter, butterscotch sauce and cream......if not for the sugar and calories...hmmmmm....

Sago pudding, Date Pudding, Coconut and Semolina Pudding and Fruit Compote. 

A cultural show during the company dinner at Mount Lavinia Hotel!

A medley of Seafood prepared in various ways for main course.

Breakfast Day 2 ....Red String Hoppers (macam Putu Mayam), Plain Paratha, Cennai Dhal, Toamto and Onion Curry, and Sambar.

My own Fruit Compote! Prunes, Pineapple, Papaya, Rambutan in Berry Yoghurt!

This was all that i had for lunch on Day 2.....Grilled Brinjal Soup!

After the close of the Conference, at around 6 pm we embarked on the hunt for fabrics....ahhhhh....there were so many to choose and purchase at a fraction of the price back in KL! And these were saree materials....next would be cotton and voiles!

I have a weakness for paisley desing and this colours! Bought these in a few colours for people who are dear to me!

Extended shopping hour just for us!

The "climb"....in search of the material, he he!

After that, we headed back to the hotel for some yummy seafood....Sri Lankan Crab Curry...that is a must and apprently the hotel is the place for one!

Prawn cooked in garlic and black pepper.

Ze Crab in Ze Sri Lankan Spices....it was green as we didn't think we could handle the fiery hot red curry....and this one was dabomb!!!

Vegetable Curry...pedas tapi sangat sedap!

Nutcracker...the tool in aid for our quest with the Crab!

The trip and all....if only hubby is here....I went back to my room last night to find this on my pillow and a box containing two truffles.....bliss.....life's little pleasures!

Friendship and My First Cupcake Class

Afer much pestering and promises and postponements, I had agreed to hold a Cupcake 101 class for these lovely ladies! It was supposed to be held much earlier, but so many events had taken place....in fact I think so many things happened the last six months! Good or bad, happiness or sadness...my life is enriched!

And with these friends....life has never been better!

I met these girls through the course of my working in my present employment....Aini "Finance" was my colleague who took care of Corporate Financing, Siti was Aini's colleague, Aini "Tax"took care of the tax and duties portion, Razlyn was a vendor, Maria, Razlyn's childhood friend! And, through the path of of working life, we came across each other and remain good friends! Both Ainis had retired and are full time moms now!

Since my maid had not arrived to lend assistance, we decided to hold the class at Aini "Finance's" house. And, the session...it was more of a get together and to encourage each other who had not attempted any baking or cooking , to do just that! But, I must say, after this session, it will be profiteroles and pie classes! And, this is also the beginning of my many many other classes!

We shared four recipes and I showed how to do some basic cake decorations....and some of the results were these! Think what was interesting were not the results and who had the nicest decorations....but it was the fun, laughter and stronger bond that we had with each other! That is something that no money can buy!

From left, Aini "Tax", Maria, Razlyn, Aini "Finance" and Siti....I must admit I want an "island" like this in my kitchen...makes me baking and cooking more and more!

I will sign off for now, I am writing from my hotel room in Colombo...some time difference is making me wide awake, even though I slept at 1 this morning! Thank God for this trip, thus allowing me some quiet time for myself and allowing me to spare some time with you fellow bloggers!