Old Dutch Hospital, Fort.

I have started reading the Julie and Julia blog. While looking for it I also came across the rather disconcerting piece of news that Julie cheated on her husband (after the movie deal?) and then wrote another book about that experience. Weird or what? And somehow it just seems like she's exploiting people for money. Maybe she had an affair just so she could write about it. Who knows? Anyway, definitely won't be reading that book.

Life in Colombo is getting increasingly boring on a personal level now that I'm no longer studying and also because H is going crazy working round the clock. I so need a way of using my time constructively! So not the type to enjoy watching the TV the whole day long!

However there have been good changes happening in Colombo. More shops have opened up (Mango's here now, though way more expensive than any other shop here) and the old Dutch Hospital at Fort has been converted to a tourist hotspot of swanky restaurants and small outlets of the popular shops here such Odel and Barefoot. We've eaten at 2 of the joints : Work in Progress and Heladiv and both were good and very tastefully decorated. Many of the old structures are getting a much needed lick of paint as well. Also old colonial buildings are having their walls torn down so that they are more visible to passersby. The expressway to Galle is also operational though we still have not used it.

Changes change everything

So, daughter has learnt many new things this year. She can now:

1. Do multiplication up to 5 (Not yet taught at school)
   
2. Do addition through carrying (Not yet taught at school)
3. Do the back stroke (just about - and yes not taught at school : remind me again why I send her to school?)
4. Read mother tongue moderately well (not taught at school)
5. Count in mother tongue up to 30 (ditto).
6. Eat her dinner on her own (eating basmati rice on own with a spoon is a big deal: it's not simple at all, especially if mixed with gravy (ditto).
   
7. Go to sleep without me in the same room (though we do join her afterwards - her bed is still in our room). (ditto)

These are just some of the things I remember right now. I'm sure there are loads more.

Funnily enough, it is me who feels bad about her progress in many ways (not needing me to go to sleep) even though it is liberating. I'm so sentimental! However, am planning on blogging more regularly since I have more free time at night now.

What does it say about you when you don't like your friends?

Was watching Julie and Julia the other day when I noticed that rather interesting dialogue. This is exactly the way I feel. Or would feel if I had any real friends that is. Ha ha. Yes, I've realised that though I have plenty of this so called species on facebook, in reality I have precious little of them right now.

I think I did have friends till university. Then ofcourse everyone got busy with their lives, getting married, having kids, immigrating, moving. I did all of the above except for immigrating, and still had time for friends. However hardly any one had time for me in general. The problem is also exacerbated because of our moving around from country to country. Naturally it's easiest to make new friends with other expats. However as soon as I become anything near close to them, they up and leave. I have also had the misfortune that anyone who seems remotely interesting seems more interested in housework and ironically hanging around at home so that the maid can do their work, rather than socialising in the mornings when the kids (if they have any) are at school. I have also found it strange that the moms that I know prefer to have play dates with kids rather than meet when the kids are at home (refer back to making the maid work excuse). It seems strange that play dates for kids who are 6 or 7 years old are needed! Don't they get enough play time while they're at school for crying out loud?

Overall, I feel I've been swept aside and forgotten about while everyone is busy dealing with the rat race that is life. I don't really know why I don't feel much of an urge to join the rat race myself. I also feel I'm somewhat a loner in this search for friends. Most people I know are more interested in policing their housemaids, and sticking to their daily routines than meeting up with me.

Don't get me wrong, I've got plenty of people who want to stay in touch, more often than not when they need something. Usually after they have got what they wanted (often a free stay at my house, with me slaving away after them), I'm chewed up and spat out. There are other friends who are always on the invisible mode, again until they need to kill time.

Ofcourse it's entirely my fault that I have given people the message that it's ok to treat me in this fashion. And I've taken steps to reduce the dumb behaviour on my part. Even though it's lonely, it's better not to have many friends than to not like the ones you have.