Sri Lanka Highlighted

the absence for a month or so meant going on vacation. yes to Sri Lanka! this is so I'd reminisce throughout the year...

- It all started with the most amazing dumplings in singapore. thanks shorty!

- the initial gush of hot air and the feeling of being boiled and overflowing in my skinny jeans, right when you exit the flight

- just hanging out with parents, and doing whatever they wanted to, going wherever they wanted to take you - seeing the smiles in their face.. happiness!

- home cooked food

- surprisingly, just the few times of shopping.. and mom swiping the plastic. yay me!

- impressive selection of coffee joints in and around colombo, rather Tea joints in my case. and dude the coffee places amaze the balls out of me.. a coffee was more expensive that a starbucks frap. jeez!

- great lunch and quiet dinner dates with N, K, and S (separately duh!).. catching up on each other's lives.

- many coffee dates with friends.. and feeling rather godey not knowing where the watchamacallit veranda or the mews is..

- meeting B after years.. i will visit you there, i promise!

- random meet ups and interesting conversations with friends, regardless of the place and time... when I felt like i could bitch slap Timing and continents!

- thanks for the beach fix even if it was rather short

- quite interesting revelations by a close friend.. felt much closer after. thank you and i miss you!

- brought me a smile when people still had my phone number even after so many years and knew the call was from me. felt special!

- Another's engagement..

- When bestie came to see me just coz I have the flu, and the many long chats, even if there was nothing to talk.. it just felt good!

- the Acupuncture and ayurveda.. gah the sciatica!

- Night outs with different and random lots.. letting lose on the dance floor, I still got the crazy in me.

- Seeing the expression on her face when I said I don't really drink, and needn't drink to have a good time.. she was speechless, literally! and was she ever glad i didn't drink after the one night we had..

- driving for the first time in colombo, full throttle! exhausting..

- smiles, and the laughter over drinks and appies.. of old, real, genuine friends..

- most of all, I miss Amma~

May be the one time I felt I should move back, for good.  Feel like I'm missing out a lot, especially with family, as the parents get older.

'til next time..

Sciatica-ness

This year I tell you has been the worst when it comes to my health.  I've probably taken more sick days this year than I have in the whole of my life.  quite frustrating if you think about it!

so I had my little vacation, did quite a bit of walking at the site seeing destinations, and to top it off I was behind the wheels all the way through.  I mean that was fine, until I started to get this pain behind my bum, and almost running down my hamstrings, and then all the way through to my toes.  I didn't really care for it at the time, thinking that my skinny legs were just tired of all the walking and driving in the scorching humidity.

I return, and get back to my normal routine, the bum/leg soreness didn't seem to be going away.  A visit and two to the doctor was due at this time, coz I was in major pain in the ass! (literally).  After few very embarassing x-rays to make sure that nothing else is effed up in there, doctor diagnosed that I have Sciatica - i.e. my Sciatic nerve is being compressed for some stupid reason.

Sitting at work aggravates it quite a bit, but I can't not come to work and lie in bed every day either. so i walk around at work lots to relieve the pain. the doctor said this will be temporary in my age, but who knows. I'm worried, and I dont want to live with this annoying pain for the rest of my life.. I'm onto some drug, which is really not helping and i'm contemplating on stopping it.. also more money spent on this physiotherapist girl - at least she's nice and chatty, not the awkward silent type.

I'm also thinking of taking up Yoga.  Many recommend that it might actually help my back problems as well as the Sciatica, which is sort of an extension of the back trouble.

well.. we'll see how that goes.. sigh!

Destination Sensation

while I was away..

in pictures...

titanic moments..

with the fishies

marketplace

from afar

crystal blues - those pictures I saw as a kid were REAL

colors of the beach

say no more

isso - yummo!

another titanic moment...

breakfast table

Everything was surreal.  I just want to go back.. crystal blue waters.. white sandy beaches.. food.. shopping.. and the never ending sea..

Nightmares of Wisdom

So I went to the dentist with a very positive and might I say brave face about two weeks ago.. came out all swollen, bloody, and numb.  Drugged myself out with the antibiotics and painkillers (which made me throw up the next day - and made me switch to regular ibuprofen type thing).  Just when I thought I was healing fine, and getting back to normal - the crazy pains started.  It was i'm telling you, was the mother of all pains. I thought I was going to die with the pain, as a matter of fact I wished I died..

so they figured I have "dry sockets" in both my lower sockets where they took out the stubborn wisdom teeth, and had to put some clove oil type packs.. apparently my stupid clot had disintegrated and gone missing, leaving an empty socket and the naked bone behind with its lonesome self and the deathly nerve..! arghhh the pain!

anyway, a few trips to the dentist, and few pack-re-pack business.. I'm on to some longer lasting dissolving pack right now - still with very bearable pain. Hopefully getting back to my normal self, and eating regular people food, as opposed to Mush.

All packed, and ready to go.. sun, sand, sea, and beaches!

Two week getaway

The trip was might I say Fabulous! especially an escape from the cold winter for two weeks felt like heaven.. but dude was it HOT.. and yeah because i was going from the single digits to the upper twenties within twenty four hours.

anywhoo... was great seeing my family who I haven't seen for over three years, and friends.. whoever's left in sri lanka and the ones visiting for Christmas. I should say, Christmas/new years was a real good time if you wanted to do a reunion or whatever.. all the birds looks to be flying homewards during that time. I was amazed by how many random meet-ups I could fit in with my 'global' friends..

inflation rate in sri lanka has gone to dogs i say! i can't believe how groceries, clothes, transportation, or rather everything has become so bloody expensive. How do people afford to live? When I was planning my trip I thought I would shop my socks off and get great deals, save lots on clothes.. ahh nah! that wasn't the case. the savings weren't by much if at all. people complaint how stuff is so expensive, but odel and the usual shopping places were packed.. i guess it was Christmas! I was just amazed at how cash flew out of my wallet in a matter of couple hours.

what's with everyone running to coffee shops to spend rs.400 for a coffee. So a friend and I planned an evening together and we were too early for dinner.. his sister had recommended one coffee bean, and off we go to "hang out" for couple hours before we went ahead with dinner plans. I paid rs800 (including tax) for two lattes and I swear i can buy two lattes at Starbucks or in another coffee shop in this city for the same price! mind you, the minimum wage here is $8 something an hour. how do people in sri lanka afford all this!?!?! but I mean it's a good thing that there are several 'hang out' places like that in sri lanka that the young-ens could just chill, and don't necessarily have to have a meal with friends..

All in all I had lots of fun. caught up with at least a few. hope to plan another trip this year.. may be!