Make sure cinemas are air-conditioned. The usual fare is cheap imported naughty films, overlong Hindi films and locally produced films of variable quality.
Newspapers: Newspapers in Sri Lanka broadcast everything other than the news! This is largely because they are State-controlled and the independant newspapers get bashed by the Government. Editors are appointed by the Government. A number of former editors and correspondents now walk with the help of crutches. Officially, there is of course "Freedom of the Press"!
 Don't miss the matrimonial columns of any
newspaper.
Parks: The Galle Face Green is a popular sea front park. It is anything but green. The Vihara Maha Devi Park (formerly Victoria Park) is worth a visit when political rallies are taking place. Don't forget to wear a helmet and a flak jacket. A gas mask is also recommended on days when the local police practice tear gas throwing. Join in the fun and shout "Jayawewa!" or "Bungawewa!" depending on the mood of the crowd. It is considered bad manners to shout "Parippuwa"! Bars and Nightclubs: Find out before hand if a particular establishment is patronised by Members of Parliament or their sons. Warning! Avoid these. Drinks are expensive and watered down except when inspectors from the Excise Department visit. Ask for drinks from the same bottle as served to the inspectors. |
 Tea: There is no doubt that Sri Lanka produces the best tea in the world (e.g. Dilmah Tea and Mlesna Tea). Unfortunately, if you ask for 'Tea' you will get a cup of hot tea with powdered milk and three teaspoonfuls of sugar per cup. You could stand a teaspoon in this! If this is not to your taste ask for 'plain tea' which also comes with three teaspoonfuls of sugar but without the powdered milk concrete.
 Arrack: An amber coloured spirit of variable quality and
strength often watered down in hotels to protect the liver. A slight flavour
and aftertaste of kerosene is normal.
Buth Packets: Sri Lanka is a major producer of buth packets. Invariably cheap, they consist of rice with various types of curries wrapped in thin polythene (Sili-Sili Kola) to form a packet. Warning! The polythene is for wrapping purposes only and is inedible. Look out for large colourful signs advertising buth packet outlets (see pic) or ask a local.
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 Mlesna Tea was named after Saint Anselm who allowed his name to be used backwards!  Mlesna Tea is one of the good quality teas to come from Sri Lanka after the tea plantations were largely nationalised     |
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Free meals are available
at all Government Hospitals and in fact most patients are in hospital
for the free meals. They can't be seriously ill if they can eat! Try this only
in sheer desperation, as hospital food is probably the worst food in the
country. If getting admitted to hospital don't complain of diarrhoea or
vomiting as they will put you on 'No Diet' which is the Sri Lankan
equivalent of 'Nil by mouth'.
If you still want to buy gems in Sri Lanka go to a Government run Gem Corporation outlet. The staff are only there to collect their salaries and so be patient. WARNING: Gems sold on the beach are quartz ('white sapphire') or fragments from a broken bottle of Milk of Magnesia ('blue sapphires'). Broken beer bottle fragments make nice Topaz or Emeralds depending on the colour.
Each religious group wants its own holidays and the full moon day (Poya Day) is also a holiday. Sri Lanka celebrates its own New Year's Day in addition to the more conventional 1st of January. In addition to all these Sri Lanka has public holidays on the following days as well:
All international cricket match days are holidays as well! |
Sinhalese is not a difficult language to master although the alphabet has 250 letters. Most were added to make the language difficult. For instance there are two of the letter L and two of N. There are also two Ñs. Sadistic schoolteachers just, to make life difficult for school children, introduced these in the 1950s. It is perfectly possible to get by without most of the letters in the official alphabet.
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