As written for Khaleejesque:
Images courtesy of Dinidu De Alwis:
Sir Arthur C. Clarke once very famously declared: “The island of Sri Lanka is a small universe; it contains as many variations of culture, scenery and climate as some countries a dozen times its size.”
The wise man couldn’t have phrased it better.
Sanskrit for sacred island, not many people know that before the name Sri Lanka was coined, the country had many a title before the one it holds now; Ceylon when under the reign of the Portuguese, and Taprobane to the Ancient Greeks. But most beautiful, and probably the one that holds most true was the name appointed by the Arabs of yore: Serendib; derived from the word serendipity.
Cradled by the Indian Ocean and located right under the Indian Sub-continent, this tiny Island is often referred to as ‘The Pearl of The Indian Ocean.’ But don’t judge an Island by its size.
This ‘little’ emerald isle stakes claim to a history spanning centuries, and has many a tale to tell; of ancient battles and overthrown monarchs, to the Portuguese, Dutch and British invasions, and the recent civil war. Before the onset of the bloody civil war that held the island captive for more than 2 decades, and the tragic onslaught of the 2001 tsunami, Sri Lanka was once on par with the world’s top Travel and Honeymoon destinations. And now with the war declared over, and the tsunami just a bad memory, the once wary tourists are finding it safe to visit again.
And why wouldn’t they?
Almost synonymous with seductive beaches and it’s seemingly endless expanse of tea plantations, Sri Lanka is ideal for that easy, yet pocket-friendly escape. The climate is comfortably temperate, and although Sinhala and Tamil are the official languages of the nation, English is widely spoken in the city and most tourist hot-spots. The currency (the Sri Lankan Rupee) is fairly easy to comprehend, and with regards to accommodation, tourists can either choose to set up camp in the hotel industry’s big-names (Hilton, Galadari, etc.), or the many ‘Boutique hotels’ and ‘Eco-lodges’ located across the island.
THE PLACES:
Colombo: The city of Colombo might resemble any other South-Asian city at first glance, but on closer observation one will notice the easy infusion of cultures representing the island in the Capital itself. Amongst the busy streets of school-going children clad in white, and the street side vendors exhibiting their wares, you will find the representation of cultural variation in the food you eat and traces of history in the monuments of ancient architecture hidden amongst the modern-day edifices. The majority of the 20 million strong population are Buddhists; but in addition to the prevalence of eggshell-white Temples and frequent sighting of larger-than-life-sized effigies of Buddha, a steady presence of Kovils, Mosques and Churches reflect the country’s accommodation of religious diversity.
Anuradhapura: A few hour’s drive from Colombo, this ancient city was once the capital of the island, and is the cultural hub of the country. The impressive ruins and intricately carved moonstones, remind us of the architectural marvels that once stood, and the massive stone-carved statues of the Buddha are enough to satisfy every culture-buff’s quest for heritage.
Sigiriya: This ‘Fortress in The Sky’ is an amazing geological rock formation that stands 200m tall, rewarding all it’s climbers with an exhibition of ancient paintings en route to the top, and a spectacular view of the surrounding plains.
Kandy: The next most-populated city after Colombo, Kandy is known for the temple that hosts the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha. The same tooth relic that is paraded around the city every year (around July-August), with a pageantry-like fanfare in what is called the Esala Perahara. Most tourists co-ordinate their trip so as to catch this annual parade, with even the locals lining up, not wanting to miss out on the march of glamorized elephants, fire-breathers and Kandyan dancers.
The National Parks: For that true Safari experience, the Yala National Park boats the largest population of leopards in Asia, and a chance to catch some of Sri Lanka’s 92 mammals in their natural habitat. The Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage gives tourists an opportunity to ‘adopt an elephant’ and watch these tusked creatures bathing, eating, and even dancing!
THE FOOD:
The culture-buff’s fix can be satisfied (even satiated) with just the smorgasbord of food the country has to offer.
Start your day with some traditional Sri Lankan Kirribath; unsweetened rice cakes often spiced-up with a local concoction called Lunumiris.
For lunch, make sure you order yourself a packet of Lamprais (pronounced lump-rice). Of Dutch origin, this midday meal comprises of a portion of stock-cooked rice and it’s curry accompaniments wrapped for function and flavour in a banana leaf.
Satisfy that mid-day sweet craving with some Wattalapan; a jaggery and egg-based pudding of Malay origin.
Ask for Kotthu-roti for dinner; a flavourful (and spicy) medley of vegetables, meat and of course roti.
MUST DO:
- Book a window seat: And on your flight over, make sure to take a peek out just before landing. The expanse of green is breath-taking, and gives you that teasing taste of what your trip has in store.
- Take a ride in a Tuk-Tuk: These three-wheeled rickshaws might seem precarious, but whizzing around the streets of Colombo in one these multi-hued taxis is an adventure on it’s own.
- Drink some Thambili: No trip to Sri Lanka is complete without a drink of coconut water straight out of the King Coconut; the fruit of those towering trees flanking the island is enough to quench the thirst of any weary traveler.
- Visit a tea plantation: Make time in your travel schedule to visit one of the many tea plantations that contribute to the county’s main export produce. On having finally understood the process involved in the making of your daily cuppa, don’t forget to sit down and savour a cup of Sri Lanka’s finest!
- Speak to the locals: Your hotel/tour operator might have your agenda all planned out, but nothing beats the insight of good old street knowledge on places to eat and visit. The locals are friendly, and you might just be surprised at what you almost missed out on.
So sure, the name of your tour guide might be a tad hard on the tongue, and the local food might be spicier that what you’re used to, but on that flight out of the Island you’re guaranteed to look out that window and commit that view (and trip) to memory.
Was it the drive through the hill plantations, or the lure of the beaches that gave you that lasting impression? It could’ve been that heady rush of staring into the eyes of a magnificent Tusker. Or maybe it was the endearing smile of the mango-vendor on the pavement.
You’ll want to come back and find out.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
TEDxDubai - An Idea Worth Spreading
As written for UAE Community Blog:
Not many events (let alone free media events), make the cut, here in Dubai. And by ‘cut’ I metaphorically refer to that fine, slice of meat; perfectly extracted, excluding everything unnecessary to produce a prime, well-done steak.
The purpose of TEDxDubai was to do justice to the concept of TEDx (an abbreviation for Technology, Entertainment and Design; the ‘x’ representing an ‘independently organized event’), a non-profit convention that started out in California, with the intention of hosting ‘forward thinkers,’ all connected by the common goal of spreading the power of positive thinking.
What TEDxDubai aimed to achieve was to bring together like-minded individuals from the emirates under one roof, and bounce off ideas that would otherwise seem unfeasible.
Delegates entered the event location with high expectations, but frankly, expecting the worst. As is the norm with most conferences / events / concerts here in ‘Dubayy,’ a parking predicament was expected, lousy customer service was anticipated, and a disappointed lot of speakers was prophesized.
But boy, were we pleasantly surprised.
Parking was plentiful, the volunteers were always on deck, the catering was delectable, and the line-up of speakers was nothing short of mind-blowing.
So obviously, the atmosphere was proportionately abuzz with intellectual conversation of TED-happy delegates.
What does it take to pull off this successful an event? The organizers obviously knew what they were doing when they set down the guidelines:
(a) Remove the price tag: Your delegate badge had to be ‘earned’ by filling out an application form on the TEDxDubai website; one that never asked for your nationality and social standing, preferring instead to deem you worthy depending on what you thought was an ‘idea worth spreading.’
(b) No black market sales: Since your invite to the event was non-transferable, and valid photo identification had to be presented on entry, not a soul even attempted to sell their tickets; even if they wanted to (which is hardly conceivable).
(c) First-come, first-serve seating: Self explanatory. The earlier you arrived, the better view you got. And if I recall right, the 1,000 seats of DMC’s Palladium were almost completely filled up before the session even began.
(d) Come-as-you-like mentality: No stated dress-code, meant that you were free to wear whatever it was that kept you comfy throughout the day. Presence of flats amongst the ladies and flowered shirts amongst the men were proof enough.
(e) Enlist speakers not on the basis of their job title, but on the principle of the vision / message they have to relay: Speakers varied in nationality (Emarati to Indian), age group (13-40), and subject matter (biophotonics to comic book characters); each speaker more inspirational than the next.
Bruno Guissani, European TED director, inaugurated the event introducing the audience to the concept of TED, and the many projects that have launched as a result.
Leo Laporte advocated the benefits of new media vs. old, while Paul Bennett stressed on the importance of ‘moving beyond scale and into substance.’
The Al Awadhi brothers of the contemporary Shawarma store Wild Peeta, and Mohammed Saeed Harib of Freej fame, all highlighted the significance of having faith in your dreams, and running it through.
13-year old Dubai Abdulla Abuhoul, took the stage as living proof that it was not age that mattered, but instead the drive to succeed, while Dr. Naif Al Mutawa, creator of THE99, planted humour into his talk with the same ease with which he glided us through the creation of the region’s first internationally-renowned comic strip.
Masarat Daud shared with us the vision and success of her 8 day Academy, emphasizing on the need for ‘education that functions,’ while Samar S. Jodha drove us to tears with striking visuals from the Indian village of Phenang, and his message of ‘finding the larger cause in your art.’
Bashar Atiyat brought to our attention the need for breaking stereotypes, while Jamil Abu-Wardeh had the audience in splits with his witty take on the importance of comedy in the region.
Mohammad Gawdat addressed the crowd on the internet’s role in non-manufactured information, and Ian Gilbert achieved his goal of making our brains hurt while underlining the necessity of promoting ‘independent thinking’ in today’s classrooms.
Jiochi Ito advised us to ‘invest in our failures in order to achieve that Google’ while Abed Ayyad brought in the science factor to the conference, delving into the ‘magic’ of Biophotonics.
Khulood Al Attiyat spoke of her innovation to bring back a Renaissance in Dubai, and Qais Sedki talked us through achieving every goal on ‘life’s table of contents.’
Ernst van der Poll helped us comprehend the importance of bringing today’s youth to explore nature in order to better understand it’s value in the circle of life, while Thomas Lundgren walked onto the stage barefoot, and stressed on the gravity of true happiness; stating that ‘without passion, nothing extraordinary in this world can be achieved.’
When the final speaker left the stage, and it was time for the organizer’s curtain call, the entire Palladium rose for a much-deserved standing ovation in honour of the Mad Men behind the scenes; Giorgio Ungania and James Piecowye. Mad because they took up the challenge of putting together a world-class act, purely because they felt it was their duty to make sure the Emirates was not deprived of such a phenomenon.
We, the delegates walked out an inspired lot; now reassured that we’re capable of achieving whatever it is we aspire for, provided we’ve got the passion to back that dream. ‘If they can do it, so can we!’
It just goes to show that it’s not the monuments we erect that put us on the map, but projects like these that put us on par with the rest of the world. Here’s hoping that the success of a humble event such as this will motivate our GCC counterparts into bringing the TED experience into their region.
And I’m quite certain I’m not speaking for myself here when I say, I was actually quite disappointed. Disappointed that the much-awaited TEDxDubai had actually come to an end.
Turns out the best things do come for free after all.
For more information on what you missed out on, visit: www.tedxdubai.com
For more inspiration, visit the main TED site: www.ted.com
Not many events (let alone free media events), make the cut, here in Dubai. And by ‘cut’ I metaphorically refer to that fine, slice of meat; perfectly extracted, excluding everything unnecessary to produce a prime, well-done steak.
The purpose of TEDxDubai was to do justice to the concept of TEDx (an abbreviation for Technology, Entertainment and Design; the ‘x’ representing an ‘independently organized event’), a non-profit convention that started out in California, with the intention of hosting ‘forward thinkers,’ all connected by the common goal of spreading the power of positive thinking.
What TEDxDubai aimed to achieve was to bring together like-minded individuals from the emirates under one roof, and bounce off ideas that would otherwise seem unfeasible.
Delegates entered the event location with high expectations, but frankly, expecting the worst. As is the norm with most conferences / events / concerts here in ‘Dubayy,’ a parking predicament was expected, lousy customer service was anticipated, and a disappointed lot of speakers was prophesized.
But boy, were we pleasantly surprised.
Parking was plentiful, the volunteers were always on deck, the catering was delectable, and the line-up of speakers was nothing short of mind-blowing.
So obviously, the atmosphere was proportionately abuzz with intellectual conversation of TED-happy delegates.
What does it take to pull off this successful an event? The organizers obviously knew what they were doing when they set down the guidelines:
(a) Remove the price tag: Your delegate badge had to be ‘earned’ by filling out an application form on the TEDxDubai website; one that never asked for your nationality and social standing, preferring instead to deem you worthy depending on what you thought was an ‘idea worth spreading.’
(b) No black market sales: Since your invite to the event was non-transferable, and valid photo identification had to be presented on entry, not a soul even attempted to sell their tickets; even if they wanted to (which is hardly conceivable).
(c) First-come, first-serve seating: Self explanatory. The earlier you arrived, the better view you got. And if I recall right, the 1,000 seats of DMC’s Palladium were almost completely filled up before the session even began.
(d) Come-as-you-like mentality: No stated dress-code, meant that you were free to wear whatever it was that kept you comfy throughout the day. Presence of flats amongst the ladies and flowered shirts amongst the men were proof enough.
(e) Enlist speakers not on the basis of their job title, but on the principle of the vision / message they have to relay: Speakers varied in nationality (Emarati to Indian), age group (13-40), and subject matter (biophotonics to comic book characters); each speaker more inspirational than the next.
Bruno Guissani, European TED director, inaugurated the event introducing the audience to the concept of TED, and the many projects that have launched as a result.
Leo Laporte advocated the benefits of new media vs. old, while Paul Bennett stressed on the importance of ‘moving beyond scale and into substance.’
The Al Awadhi brothers of the contemporary Shawarma store Wild Peeta, and Mohammed Saeed Harib of Freej fame, all highlighted the significance of having faith in your dreams, and running it through.
13-year old Dubai Abdulla Abuhoul, took the stage as living proof that it was not age that mattered, but instead the drive to succeed, while Dr. Naif Al Mutawa, creator of THE99, planted humour into his talk with the same ease with which he glided us through the creation of the region’s first internationally-renowned comic strip.
Masarat Daud shared with us the vision and success of her 8 day Academy, emphasizing on the need for ‘education that functions,’ while Samar S. Jodha drove us to tears with striking visuals from the Indian village of Phenang, and his message of ‘finding the larger cause in your art.’
Bashar Atiyat brought to our attention the need for breaking stereotypes, while Jamil Abu-Wardeh had the audience in splits with his witty take on the importance of comedy in the region.
Mohammad Gawdat addressed the crowd on the internet’s role in non-manufactured information, and Ian Gilbert achieved his goal of making our brains hurt while underlining the necessity of promoting ‘independent thinking’ in today’s classrooms.
Jiochi Ito advised us to ‘invest in our failures in order to achieve that Google’ while Abed Ayyad brought in the science factor to the conference, delving into the ‘magic’ of Biophotonics.
Khulood Al Attiyat spoke of her innovation to bring back a Renaissance in Dubai, and Qais Sedki talked us through achieving every goal on ‘life’s table of contents.’
Ernst van der Poll helped us comprehend the importance of bringing today’s youth to explore nature in order to better understand it’s value in the circle of life, while Thomas Lundgren walked onto the stage barefoot, and stressed on the gravity of true happiness; stating that ‘without passion, nothing extraordinary in this world can be achieved.’
When the final speaker left the stage, and it was time for the organizer’s curtain call, the entire Palladium rose for a much-deserved standing ovation in honour of the Mad Men behind the scenes; Giorgio Ungania and James Piecowye. Mad because they took up the challenge of putting together a world-class act, purely because they felt it was their duty to make sure the Emirates was not deprived of such a phenomenon.
We, the delegates walked out an inspired lot; now reassured that we’re capable of achieving whatever it is we aspire for, provided we’ve got the passion to back that dream. ‘If they can do it, so can we!’
It just goes to show that it’s not the monuments we erect that put us on the map, but projects like these that put us on par with the rest of the world. Here’s hoping that the success of a humble event such as this will motivate our GCC counterparts into bringing the TED experience into their region.
And I’m quite certain I’m not speaking for myself here when I say, I was actually quite disappointed. Disappointed that the much-awaited TEDxDubai had actually come to an end.
Turns out the best things do come for free after all.
For more information on what you missed out on, visit: www.tedxdubai.com
For more inspiration, visit the main TED site: www.ted.com
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