Serendipity

I arrived early this Thursday morning in Sri Lanka after a 13 hour long haul on Qatar Airways from Manchester. Not so bad, as at one point the best option seemed flying on Etihad Airways - where Man City sponsorship links would have made things way too uncomfortable.

Am here speculatively to be briefed on a possible development project that I also need to work out how (or if) it might work logistically.

In the meantime, this is the view from my bedroom window in the Galadari, with the splendour of the old Galle Face Hotel in the distance. Just after I took this shot, a ceremonial elephant and a brass band wandered by, before two army helicopters landed. I must get a proper camera with a telephoto one day.

Takes me back to being here in '92 when MrsB and I came to live for a few months, for the birth of J. My visits all seem to be based on babies as the very last time I was here was after step-daughter Ipthi gave birth of grandson Kai in 2008.

He lives in Maldives these days, but for this trip at least, my suitcase has come stocked by MrsB with sweets, Spiderman suits and Superman t-shirts for my two other grandsons Zahu and Kaif (this time, step-son Jibreel), now at school here, but who I have still not had chance to meet. This is soon to change, so should be fun.

I also have packed chocolates for neice Aisha who is training to be a doctor here (the maternity unit of course), and a bottle of 21 year old Glenlivet for a very old Sri Lankan friend called Mark, who I have not seen in some years.

By far the finest and most knowledgable whisky drinkers on earth I have found the average Sri Lankan to be, but Mark is 78 now, so I really hope he still likes a wee dram.