My All Time Favourite Poem

Rudyard Kipling was definitely a man ahead of his time as this poem is more than fitting for our generation and of those to come. This poem is full of ideals we should all aspire to live by; I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I do.

“IF” by Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same:.
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build’em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings,
And never breathe a word about your loss:
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much:
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

My 2012 In Point Form

January

• Weddings Galore

February

• Workplan, budgeting, expenditure batches, encumbrances and the ERP.

March

• I believe in fate – was reacquainted with someone I never thought I’d meet again.

April

• Took a leap of faith and traveled with a handsome, blue-eyed Dutchman to Delhi & Agra. Got robbed in Delhi at the Lotus Temple but saw the Taj Mahal in Agra + met a lovely couple on the bus and that made it all the more worthwhile.

• Sneha and Jerry’s Wedding – firsthand experience of God bringing two people together.

• The Pinto’s – the first people I met when I got to Bangalore in 2002; love them and it is so wonderful to see the kids I used to babysit, Dhruv & Diya all grown up now.

• Won the Staff Association elections and got elected onto the Executive Committee.

May

• Traveled to Geneva on work and got to hang out with Nutty & Mark.

• Visited my former boss in Brussels and my favourite Dutch couple in Amsterdam; still in love with Amsterdam – can never get enough of the place.

June

• Joined the Terrific Thirties Club & started a blog.

July

• Took part in Who Wants To Be A Millionaire – won Rs. 10,000 and made a lifelong friend who is a ‘Good Man’.

August

• Sudu and Soul Sister got married.

September

• Chubba Bolé arrived (Dhevanke Nathaniel Joseph) and turned our lives upside down; we will never be the same again – he is absolutely gorgeous.

• T20 World Cup Mayhem and I met Chris Gayle, Allan Donald & Richie Richardson.

October

• Bought my first ever gym membership – never give up, never back down!

• Regional Management Meeting in Bangkok – 10 days of business & pleasure; I am truly blessed as I really do work with some wonderful people. Did some sightseeing for the first time in the city and had a gastronomical adventure thanks to Junior.

November
2,000+ hits on my blog from 50 countries.

December

• Completed the 5 KM Cancer Run in 37 minutes – I shall finish it in 30 minutes next year!
• Shiny’s Solo Art Exhibition – so proud of her!

• Bidding farewell to my boss of 6+ years; definitely the most generous person I have ever met; he will always have a special place in my heart!

Lessons Learnt:

1) I can’t prevent friends from making mistakes – they need to make their own mistakes and learn from them; I can only be there for them to help pick up the pieces.

2) Friends will fail to live upto our expectations of them but don’t be disappointed; it is human nature – accept it, forgive and move on.

3) Good Men do exist and I am very lucky to have a few of them in my life.

4) Everyone is flawed in some way or another; I have learnt to accept each person in their entirety; flaws and all but this is an on-going process.

5) Health is wealth – look after yourself physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.

6) Surround yourself with people who love you and value your company; live life on your own terms and live it to the fullest.

7) Make time for yourself and take time to relax and reflect – it really helps to put things in perspective.

Wishing you all a fantastic 2013 filled with happiness, contentment, good health & time well spent with family and friends.

In the words of St. Augustine “the world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page” therefore I hope you travel and expand your horizons because traveling is the only thing that keeps me sane and grounded.

Three New Discoveries At Coco Veranda

Orange Mint Frappé:
A delicious blend of orange and mint with just the right amount of ice; a refreshingly tangy beverage to revitalize you over the weekend.

Couscous with Mutton:
This is new and not yet on their menu but has been available for the past two weeks as they announced it via facebook and twitter. I shared this with the BRAT on Saturday night and it was unbelievably tasty. The mutton was cooked to perfection and the couscous went very well with the mutton curry. We would have liked a bit more gravy though as we ate quarter of the couscous plain. You must try this dish out and in fact while we were ordering dessert after our meal I bumped into one of Dad’s friends who was wondering what to have for dinner and I recommended it to him – after he had his meal he came up to me and thanked me for the recommendation as said it really hit the spot; he also said that it was tasty and he loved it! So you now have three people vouching for the deliciousness of this dish and three people who would totally recommend this dish to you!

Coffee Meringue Torte:
I discovered this little piece of heavenly goodness last week and decided to share another piece with the BRAT and we both enjoyed every bite of it. The BRAT even said that the meringue was the lightest she had ever tasted and we both thought that it wasn’t sugary compared to all the other meringue based desserts we’ve sampled before.

So the next time you’re at Coco Veranda do have atleast one of the above if not all of the above – two thumbs up and you will not be disappointed. Coco Veranda is located at No. 32 Ward Place Colombo 07 and at Crescat Boulevard.

Sugar – Bistro and Wine Bar

SS has been dying to go out for dinner & drinks for a couple of weeks now and somehow we had not managed to do that so a few of us received an SMS from her saying Friday night Sugar Bar. I responded with an emphatic YES and marked it in my calendar & proceeded to explain to her that it wasn’t a bar in the conventional sense but that it was a bistro and wine bar. She was keen to try it out either way as BFF and I had been there only a few weeks ago for a snack and a glass of wine and we were in love with the Bruschetta which we’ve recommended to quite a few of our friends including SS.

SS, Sudu and I got to the restaurant at 8.30pm and BFF had managed to get us the best table inside with a view. We proceeded to browse through the drinks menu but I knew exactly what I wanted to have as the last time I was there I had an absolutely divine glass of Reserve Des Lyse d’Anjou Rosé priced at Rs. 650 per glass. SS ordered a dry Martini which was Rs. 500 and Sudu settled for a beer shandy ( Lion Lager Rs. 250 + Soft Drink Rs. 100) BFF was sipping a Mojito (Rs. 400) when I got there and she finished it and ordered another one but instead of the traditional recipe she opted for a Passion & Ginger Mojito also priced at Rs. 400. We had just placed our orders when Toots and C walked in – perfect timing!

It’s important to note that from the moment we got to the restaurant & were seated we had a waiter on hand who was extremely attentive throughout the meal and we never really had to motion to him to refill drinks, bring menus or clear dishes during the meal.

Our drinks arrived in under five minutes and they were as delicious as the menu described them.

C ordered a soup as a starter – roasted pumpkin soup with garlic chips. Modestly priced at Rs. 200 and accompanied by brown bread and butter. He said the soup was quite nice but he couldn’t see the garlic chips or really taste them.

All the other food arrived a few minutes later. Toots had the Asparagus crepes and it looked quite delicious; she said it was great but she didn’t like the yellow sauce that was served with it as it was pure egg yolk. Priced at Rs. 700 the dish was well presented,  the crepes were perfectly done and it is a good option for vegetarians;  maybe I should try it next time as I love Asparagus.

BFF opted for the penne in a creamy Gorgonzola with broccoli and mushrooms (Rs. 400) & the BBQ pork spare ribs (Rs. 300). I had a few bites off her pasta and it was absolutely delicious. The Gorgonzola had just the right amount of sourness that complimented the mushrooms, garlic and broccoli. We were both shocked at how reasonably priced it was. The spare ribs were extremely tasty and the sauce was out of this world.

I opted for the jerk spiced oven roasted leg of chicken – I have to say that I was a bit disappointed with my dish as the chicken didn’t have a real flavour apart from the fact that it was roasted with pepper, salt and chili powder. The vegetables were slightly over boiled and weren’t crunchy and for a main the portion was quite small (Rs. 700).

Both C & Sudu ordered the Crispy Chicken Baguette as mains and both of them said it wasn’t so great and there was nothing crispy about the chicken and I seem to have forgotten to snap a picture of their meal.

Only three of us had dessert! C & Toots shared the Pineapple fritters which was served with honey & a scoop of vanilla ice-cream (Rs. 250) while BFF & I opted for a pot of gooey chocolatey goodness infused with a hint of orange (Rs. 360).

I had it cold while BFF wanted it warmed – the best part of the meal for me was dessert; it was everything and more plus the flavour and texture was very close to that of the famed gallery café chocolate fondant at less than half the price.

The grand total for the night was Rs. 9,965 inclusive of service charges & taxes. We had 1 starter, 7 mains, 4 desserts, 2 glasses of wine, 3 cocktails, a beer, 1 fruit juice and 2 soft drinks amongst the 6 of us which works out to about Rs. 1,500 per person (+) or (-) a little bit depending on what you order. Very reasonable in my book considering the amount of items we ordered.

We were at Sugar till closing time and realized that we had spent a good three plus hours over dinner, drinks and dessert. I actually loved the place as it was warm, cozy & the lighting was perfect – not too bright and not too dark! The staff were friendly & courteous and we felt very welcome at the restaurant and I will definitely go back there as it was good value for money and the overall dining experience was very pleasant.

This is a lovely place for people who have varied taste in both food and alcohol as there are a lot of options and they have also given special consideration to vegetarians when selecting the menu.

My overall rating of the place is as follows:

Food: 8/10

Cocktails: 9/10

Selection of Wine: 10/10

Portion Size: 8/10

Value for Money: 10/10

Ambiance: 9/10

Service: 10/10

Cleanliness: 9/10

Would I recommend the place to my family and friends? YES – definitely. A much needed value addition to the Colombo restaurant scene; we need more places like this where you can feel like you’re going out for a meal but be comfortable as if it were your own house or that of a friends.

Located at the Lobby Level of the Crescat Boulevard Shopping Complex you really should go have a meal or do drinks and dessert there – you will not be disappointed.

Coco Citrine – Cafe, Bar, Restaurant

Since both BFF and I live in the jungle according to some of our mutual friends we decided to meet for dinner on a weekday night, somewhere that was central to so we choose to try out Coco Citrine as both of us had never actually eaten there. We’d been there before for a quick snack or to grab a coffee.

I got there first and was greeted at the door by an extremely friendly foreigner who welcomed me to the restaurant. I sat for a while by myself waiting for BFF to show up as she’s usually late when depending on her parents for transport.

Once she arrived we had a look at the wine list and with the help of a very young, enthusiastic and obliging waiter we decided to have some wine. I settled for a glass of White Chilean (can’t remember the name) which was Rs. 450 per glass while BFF opted for the Whyndham Estate Shiraz which was Rs. 500 per glass.

We also ordered a portion of bruschetta and a chicken and mushroom soup as BFF wanted something to warm her up. The starters arrived in about 20 mins and this is what it looked like.

We felt that the bruschetta could have been served on thinner slices of bread and toasted more however the overall taste was quite nice and it was Rs. 320 for a portion.

The chicken and mushroom soup was absolutely divine – a well balanced flavour of mushroom & soup with a slight hint of smokiness and chicken stock. We absolutely loved it! It was Rs. 400 and was served with a fresh warm bun and butter.

We relaxed and chatted while waiting for our food but the gap between entrée’s and mains was a good 40 minutes and we were ravenous by the time the food reached our table.

For mains I ordered the Mutton Kebabs which was serviced with pita bread, salad, fries & tzatziki. BFF ordered the Jumbo Chicken Souvlaki which was also served with the same accompaniments as mine.

I loved the Mutton Kebabs – it looked mouth watering on arrival and I wasn’t disappointed. The tzatziki complimented the rest of the platter and my only problem with the dish was that it was too big and I was stuffed after devouring two out of the three kebabs. The mutton was so tasty and I got hints of garlic, onions and herbs which I’d never tasted before in a kebab. Total value for money as this was priced at Rs. 870 and was extremely filling and satisfying.

BFF was shocked at the size of her dish as we really weren’t expecting such big plates of food; had we known they were going to be so large we might have actually shared a main. I had a bite off her Souvlaki and I loved it – the capsicum and onion had absorbed the flavours of the chicken and it was grilled to perfection which was according to me the best souvlaki ever and this too was modestly priced at Rs. 800.

We didn’t have room for dessert as we were so full – I even got them to pack the remaining kebab on my plate along with the pita bread and salald and took it home for my Mom as right through the meal I though to myself that she would have loved to get away and have a meal here because most of the food on the menu was extremely healthy and she is completely into health food!

We had to wait a good 10 minutes for the bill as there was only one person waiting tables and the poor guy was absolutely flat out. I was pleasantly surprised when we got the bill as it worked out to just Rs. 2,000 per person which included 2 glasses of wine, 2 starters, 2 mains & taxes – very reasonable in my book.

My overall rating of the place is as follows:

Food: 9/10

Portion Size: 10/10

Value for Money: 9/10

Ambiance: 8/10

Service: 7/10 (because there was a 40 minute lag between starters and mains)

Cleanliness: 8/10

Would I recommend the place to my friends and family? YES! We had an excellent meal and the ambiance in the little courtyard at the back was quite nice because we have only a few places in the city where you can dine al fresco and not get bitten by mosquitoes.

Do go and check out the place if you’re in the area.

The address is: No. 80 Pannipitiya Road, Battaramulla – Sri Lanka.

The Best Lebanese Ever – Layalina, Geneva – Switzerland

I was in Geneva for a week in May 2012 to attend a meeting and out of the 6 nights that we were there we had dinner at Layalina 5 times. You’d think I’m crazy but after you take a look at the pictures below you will know why we were so addicted to the place and though it was a bit pricey I think it was Francs well spent!

NB: All these pictures weren’t taken in a single sitting!!!

Falafel – crispy and tasty & that was the first time I’d ever eaten falafel.

Baba Ganoush – delicious aubergine goodness blended with garlic & olive oil; aubergines never tasted this good!

Salsa – middle eastern version of tomato salsa with garlic & capsicum; it had a nice zing to it.

Tabbouleh – I have an aversion to green leaves but I actually loved the combination of the parsley & mint flavours which complimented the rest of the food.

Lamb Kibbeh – delicious minced lamb flavoured with onions and then fried in a delicious batter; we finished this dish quite early in our meal because everybody wanted more and more of it. I honestly could have only eaten the Kibbeh with  the Salsa and been content!

Olives – in my opinion olives go well with any meal!

Jawaneh – grilled chicken wings with lemon & garlic; heaven in your mouth would be an understatement to describe this dish. We ordered this every single time we went to the restaurant.

Garlic Sausage with Mayo – SLURP! It was absolutely mouthwatering-ly tasty…

Lamp Chops Mezze Platter – I had this one night as I wanted to have a mix of everything and I wanted my lamb chops so the restaurant obliged by giving me lamb chops with a bit of everything. It was out of this world and it only cost 35 Swiss Francs; I was quite pleased with myself for asking for this but should have asked for it before as this was the last meal I had here.

Home Made Pistachio Ice-Cream – I must admit that I don’t like Pistachio and I’ve never had Pistachio ice-cream till this experience. The ice-cream was soft, flavourful and not too sweet; just the way I like it.

On average we spent a good 40 Francs a night on dinner which we were told by the locals was quite a lot to pay for dinner but I have to tell you that it was truly worth every Franc we paid.

Here is my overall rating of the restaurant:

Food: 10/10

Portion Size: 10/10

Value for Money: 8/10

Ambiance: 8/10

Service: 9/10

Cleanliness: 9/10

If you’re ever in Geneva it’s an absolute must; trust me you won’t be disappointed. The address is: 121 Rue de Lausanne, Geneva.

Café Japan, Colombo – Sri Lanka

So Wish and I were craving sushi a couple of months ago and we decided to try Café Japan as I’d honestly never heard of it till she said that we must go there and try out the food as she had gone there a few years ago with a friend and said it was superb.

We took a little while to find the place as it is located on 10^th Lane which is off Schoefield Place and the numbering system is just bonkers.

I found the place to be extremely homely and inviting – as if you’re going over to your Japanese Grandma’s house for lunch. The tables were long and spacious & there was an entire hallway full of Japanese comics. We were the only Sri Lankans in the restaurant at the time and it seemed like it was Daddy’s day out with the kids as five out of the eight tables had only Dad’s with their kids – I guess they were giving the Mom’s a break on a Sunday afternoon.

We had to wait a while before we could place our order as there was only one person waiting on tables and all 8 tables at the restaurant were occupied. We started off with green tea – the kind of green tea that I’ve only found in Japanese restaurants.

The food arrived a good fifty minutes after we placed our order but Wish and I were more than happy to chat and people watch while we waiting for our food. I ordered from the set lunch menu while Wish ordered from the a la carte menu. We kicked off our meal with this delicious and simple salad which had a really tasty dressing which consisted of egg yolk, olive oil and lemon.

For mains I had the Sashimi and Ebi Tempura set meal which was served with sticky rice & a miso soup. Wish had the Chicken Katsu Don. We ate hungrily as it was close to 2pm and we were ravenous.

My Ebi Tempura was delightful & they also had batter fried some curry leaves which gave the tempura a Sri Lankan touch. The chunks of white and red tuna were tasty but definitely the smallest chunks of raw fish I’ve ever had at a Japanese Restaurant but the fish was extremely fresh and it was of good quality – would have really liked to have more Sashimi in the portion. The Katsu Don was very well flavoured and the chicken was crispy and went well with the steamed egg – Wish loved it and so did I from the tiny bites I had off her dish. The miso soup was yummy but it didn’t have actual pieces of tofu which I was expecting as I’ve never had miso soup minus the tofu before.

Dessert was included in my meal and I had to choose between the ice-cream and the fruit platter but because they delayed with our meal they said that both of us would get dessert and that we would both get the ice-cream and the fruit platter which I thought was a very nice gesture as most restaurants in Colombo hardly ever give you anything on the house even when there have been delays in getting the orders out or even when they’ve mixed up orders so they scored some brownie points with me!

We paid Rs. 1,600 each for lunch which I thought was reasonable however the portions were quite small.

Here is my overall rating of the restaurant:

Food: 9/10

Portion Size: 6/10

Value for Money: 7/10

Ambiance: 9/10

Service: 8/10

Cleanliness: 10/10

I would recommend that you try Café Japan when you have time for a nice leisurely lunch or dinner and it is a nice venue to take someone you haven’t seen in a while for a meal as you will have plenty of time to talk and catch up while you wait to be fed!