Paul Topping

I had the opportunity to revisit Bolgoda after four years and all the amazing experiences of my previous times on the lake came back. My host Riato Zryd pushed the American swamp boat through the over grown green weed as the aluminum boat skimmed the surface driven by a high performance Harley Davison surface drive engine. The owner avoids the fishermen’s nets and prawn farms but packs some speed. I have never had such a full tour of the lake, with many rivers flowing into it. An aerial view of the lake looks like the outline of Fred Flintstone on a broom stick.

Bolgoda is presumed by some to be the largest natural lake on the island with some 374 sq. kilometers, situated 19 kilometers south of Colombo. Its water, coming from the many rivers is partly fresh but becomes more brackish and can be as deep as 50 feet in a few places, though most of the lake is shallower. It has mangroves and the dreaded weed ‘Diya Habala’, which asphyxiates the lake’s natural fauna and flora including mangroves. The British are blamed for this weed which is said to have been imported from abroad and used in rivers and estuaries during World War Two as a way to confuse potential aerial invaders. From 1624 to 1798 the Dutch used the lake and its tributaries to transport goods. The British during their occupation used it as a playground for boating and hunting.

The Ceylon Yacht Club was established there in 1936 and today has a stunning building in a great location, which is sadly totally underutilized. I did publish an article about my experience at the Yacht club which I finally joined, having been black balled twice by one member of the club but now a friend, a reflection of living on a small island. I had bought a sailing boat called the “Tit Willow” from Paul Bishop In 2006. The wooden boat was built in the early 1960s and won many victories with its owner, David Blackler (who died recently), at its helm. Not being a member back then, I took the boat to Kalpitiya to sail it at our lagoon location. Once I gained my membership the boat was brought back and refurbished at the Yacht Club. It was then relaunched at a Pimms party by the lake and launched a new race with a cup, called the “Tit Willow very Challenged Cup”, which was unofficially a creation of my sailing buddy Collin. The concept being Tit Willow was allowed to win by other sailors holding back before the winning post.

There are crocs in the lake and unintentionally I took the boat on to a rock mound where a croc was basking in the sun. The captain of the boat politely but firmly told the crew to hop off and give the boat a push. Colin, the only crew member was not amused and made some derogatory remark about the captains skill, me being the captain. I have sailed a number of times on the lake since, but not enough.

Know when to take the lead and when to make difficult decisions

The Whinging Pome’s Random Rule No 234

This latest foray on the lake reminds me how much I just love the peace and the tranquility of the lake as well as the beauty, bird life and the fauna and flora. Looking forward to getting out on the water regularly in 2022.

Wine descriptions & wine aroma wheel – an aid to the wine tasters.

To sit in this tavern where American patriots secretly met centuries ago, where some of the British/ American peace negotiations took place, where George Washington had an office, puts you at a key location at the start of a great nation, the USA.

Fraunces Tavern, on the corner of Pearl and Broad Street, The Financial area of New York is said to be the oldest tavern/bar in New York. Earlier, it was called the Queens head, a government building and an office. It has had numerous fires and rebuilds and was cannon-balled by the British and bombed in 1975 where four people died and fifty were injured. A Puerto Rican organization stated they did the bombing in retaliation for an American attack on their people.

We head over to the pub that is listed as having live music but are told on arrival that it only takes place on Saturdays. There are multiple rooms in the place, and each one has a themed colour. I try to go upstairs where there is a famous dining area, where one assumes some of the decisions on the revolution against the British took place. The friendly bar tenders response to my question “do you have Guinness or Irish beer?” Not that I assumed that I was in an Irish pub but America has over 31.1 million people who believe they are of Irish origin. He then told me the pub did import an Irish beer directly so I had one or two of what they call “pints”. For an Englishman “a pint is a pint”, which is 568ml but in the USA a pint is 433ml.

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For Jezzabel it has to be red wine, so I order a glass. It arrives and its a big glass. I find New York expensive when going out for a meal and or a drink. When in fact, in many cases when you get the wine or the food the portions or glasses are larger than those I’ve been used to. As we sit in a typical U-shaped wooden booth its clear that this is a busy pub with so much laughter and bar chat with traditional friendly bar staff.

Whilst old pubs are quite common in England and Scotland and there are many that can trace their origins back to the thirteen hundreds, I’m just fascinated about the history of the Fraunces, named after one of its many owners, Samuel Fraunces, of West Indies origin.

My next visit to the pub is on a Saturday and I’m looking forward to the live music. As I step in, there is a crowd but no real music, certainly not a live band. I ask the bar man about the Saturday music night and he informs that the band has not turned up.

The Whinging Pome Random Rule 230: “if you want good pub music you cannot beat the English pubs north of Newark on Trent”

I’m planning on going back to the tavern but not to hear any real music just wallow in the history.

Five of us set off on the underground from the financial part of Manhattan to Harlem, upper Manhattan on the straight-line tube ride to 110th street Cathedral Parkway. I’m not sure what your thoughts would be on contemplating your first trip to Harlem but mine turn out to be in a mega time warp. Firstly, I would not consider visiting without someone who knew the area and who could act as my bodyguard. I assume it’s a high-crime area, with a major poverty issue. Since I started listening to soul and blues music, I have always assumed Harlem was a key driver of black-inspired music, another reason why I wanted to visit this city.

After a short walk from the tube station, we climb through an affluent-looking area, trying to find how we enter the largest cathedral in the USA, that of the church of Saint John the Divine built in 1899. It’s a towering building with big but bland spaces. There is a 5$ entry fee and straight away I notice that in this massive area there are no seats. On the sidewalls, there are interesting tributes, eg to firefighters who died in the 1960s. There are also mini-inner chapels and some strange art, a string of modern figures on one of the massive eaves, one tomb and lots of nooks and crannies and memorials and plaques to people. Ironically this Cathedral has not been finished and it’s a strange mix of mainly modern interior and historic exterior.

We walk through the grounds of Columbia University, founded in 1754 under a charter from King George of England. This University is rated third in the USA but has double the faculties of Harvard they say it can host over 33000 students annually in some great buildings across 299 acres. Many students dream of getting scholarships that will lead to amazing career opportunities across a large range of professions. I’m sure I could spend hours here given a guide or perhaps someone linked to the university.

The history of the area goes back to the Manhattans, the native tribe that lived in the area. Upper Manhattan then became a Dutch village in the mid-1660s, and then the British took over, who tried to name the place Lancaster. I always think of those towns and cities back in the UK when I travel around the countries of the previous British Empire and see places like York, Newark, Reading, etc. The area became an elegant place to live. The Jewish then became a big influence followed by the Italians. This area has gone from boom to bust in cycles. In the early 1900s, only ten percent of the local population were black. By 1920 the black community started increasing, so the whites started to move out. By the 1930’s the black African community represented seventy percent of the population. Today it’s less than fifty percent.

We come down the hill to the center of Harlem. This is one of the most densely populated areas in Manhattan. The tower blocks are high and close to each other. There is a hustle on the streets, with vendors and the odd beggar. People are going about their business. I sense I am in a different world to the hilltop I’ve just come from. Trying to track down the first goal, our friend and guide Faraz asks a few people for directions. Most of them are so helpful and willing to direct us, perhaps it’s an American trait. We reach the Apollo Theatre on 125th street with its origins in the 1930s, it was previously the old Savoy ballroom. This part of Harlem had speakeasies, taverns, bars, lounge cafes, etc. There were jazz joints and cabarets, even during prohibition. The Cotton Club was here, and Duke Ellington would be playing, later Ella Fitzgerald and Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklyn. All the black greats would play at the Apollo and even some whites have been proud to be on the stage. Outside of the theatre today the pavement has its hall of fame with numerous artists who have played at the location. Their names are recorded on brass plaques on the pavement. There is a lookalike overweight Elvis with a guitar strutting up and down the pavement outside.

The music scene was so big, it’s not like it used to be but interestingly music venues are decreasing and church numbers are growing. There are now over 400 churches in the area. Time has permitted me to visit only one.

The next stop is the food stop. There are said to be two important not-to-be-missed food options in Harlem – the Red Rooster and Sylvias. We are recommended to try the Red Rooster first, named after a 1920s speakeasy joint in Harlem this is a cluttered restaurant with loads of memorabilia and funky artwork. Great cuisine celebrating the roots of America and the diverse culinary traditions of the neighbourhood. It’s the first time I’ve had spicy chicken and grits. As we want to see how the number two place stacks up, we go to Sylvias. They are not so welcoming; they say they are short of staff and the place is a bit dark and traditional.

I come away from Harlem realizing that my view decades ago of a place I had never visited had changed and was very different. The music scene in Harlem today is in a mild renaissance period with jazz and traditional music. Now the soul has gone, so have the blues gone for Harlem?

The history of the kiss goes back to 1500 BC, Sanskrit evidence has been found that shows Vedas of an India/ Hindu background had indulged in kissing. So, on this kissing day here are four famous kisses.

1. According to Matthew and Mark’s religious gospels, Judas Iscariot, a most trusted disciple kissed Jesus whilst in the garden of Gethsemane. This was a betrayal as it identified Jesus, who was then arrested. This was named the kiss of betrayal.

2. At the end of world war two, an unknown sailor grabbed an unknown lady in the street and gave her a big hug and a kiss. A photo was taken and it was featured in LIFE magazine in 1945. It became the most famous photo of the post-WW2 era…ecstasy kiss.

Fair use, Link

3. William Shatner, who is now 90 years of age kissed Michelle Nichols in the 1968 Star-trek series and it became a landmark first interracial kiss. A passionate kiss.

By Source, Fair use, Link

4. The old Soviet Union days the country head would often indulge in the socialist fraternal kiss with high-powered politicians and country heads. President Jimmy Carter did kiss President Brezhnev. When I was in Berlin I took the picture below which was a cartoon on the Berlin Wall. Above the Trabant car notice the two men kissing.….duty calls.

You could be looking at over 5000 stars, but there are 100 million stars just in the Milky Way and 13.7 billion in the Universe. So how likely is it that there will be another life form out there and what are the chances they will likely be more advanced than us on earth? Since 218 BC, inhabitants of our world have been spotting unidentified flying objects. This, therefore, has not been a USA specific phenomenon. There have been sightings in Switzerland, Korea, Mexico, Japan, UK and other locations. Having had some 43 serious sightings in America since 1947, many by senior pilots, there are those who say the Americans already have evidence stored in Area 51, a USA airbase 83 miles from Las Vegas. “Groom Lake“ as it is nicknamed, has been storing the debris of downed aircraft and some say UFOs since the 2nd world war. Has all the activity, sightings and interviews of those who have seen UFOs been humbugged or not disclosed, as the American people may panic and start shooting at anything above their heads? The Pentagon in 2021 said, “they were now taking UFO sightings seriously“. I actually watched an authenticated video clip of a senior military official stating that he had seen the bodies, [not as we know them Jim] of alien beings.

Aliens, we are told have been making contact with us. E.g. in 2003 a strong signal was discovered from an area of space from which we can’t even detect a planet, but we had no way of communicating back. One book on the subject of Aliens is Alien Agendas on Kindle, and the documentary “Ancient Aliens” is also quite informative.

So get out there one clear night, ensure there is little light pollution and then lay on your back, send messages to other planets but don’t wake up with a policeman’s torch shining at you, as you get arrested for naked moon worshipping.

I’m not someone who enjoys club or league football. In fact, I’ve only been to one football match in my life, about thirty plus years ago in England. I stood on a slope watching the match whilst supporters around me and further up got pissed and pissed and they were so loud. I vowed then that I would never go to watch another football match. I compare this to Rugby then and now and enjoy the banter, the supporters, spectators and general atmosphere.

Fast forward a few decades and I have watched the sport on TV, events like the World Cup, European Championships etc. Whilst in the middle of a lockdown in Sri Lanka, and when most of the world is recovering from the impact of COVID, there are two international football tournaments taking place in Europe [UEFA] and South America [the Copa America]. I’ve become addicted to watching the games and with two big championships running at the same time, there have never been so many amazing games to watch. At a country level, the quality of the football is just stunning. We all have favourites, e.g. some of us will support the underdogs, that’s no longer the Swiss.

For some of us, e.g. me as a Brit, we could never support the French [who were hotly tipped to win] The Scots, Welsh and Irish against mainland European teams will always get my support.

I have had so many nights watching and in many cases, to 3 am in the morning. Good to watch the tactics of the teams especially if they lose their first match. E.g., Russia lost to Finland, what a shock! On the second match, the Russians changed their tactics and some players but have now exited the competition. France vs Germany, what a match! With some of the highest-paid footballers and some of the best talent on show. England has never won an opening match since the 1958 start of the competition and are jinxed but win their first match. The games are being held in the best stadiums in Europe and the Americas. No more standing on the grassy knoll looking down at the game.

So not only did we start with 24 teams in the UEFA CUP in Europe playing but there is at the same time the COPA AMERICA competition with 10 teams battling for the supreme accolade of winning. The South American tournament started in 1916. Think about watching the Brazilians playing, they are the current champions whilst Uruguay have been the most successful over the years.

So, get your popcorn, beer, early breakfast or whatever and feast on the best! You’re going to get hooked on football as the European games are knockout matches with some of the 16 teams still doing battle.

Portugal, the winners of the last European tournament are already heading home as are this times favourites, France. I watched Germany and England battle last night. The result, England two, Germany one. Well done to a fantastic English team. It’s coming home.

The outstanding game for all Brits of a certain age was when we played the Germans at Wembley. England won the World Cup 4-2 in 1966. England unusually wearing red shirts.  

Football is about nothing if not unfounded optimism.

A recent survey established that there are 70 million more men than women in India and China. Never before in human history does there appear to be this massive imbalance. Of the 70 million, the total number of Men under their twenties is 50 million. Government policies and cultures in these countries have resulted in a significant drop in females in China and India. This imbalance will not change in India and China for the next fifty years. Globally there are 5% more males born than females but this percentage increases every year.

Given that Sri Lanka is getting closer to China on many fronts we are already seeing an influx of Chinese to Sri Lanka, though the Chinese have been on the island since the 5th century. Sri Lanka, because of its geographical location being close to India has seen Indians visiting and in some cases staying on the island from 600 BC.

There are many negative aspects to this growing male imbalance in China and India. Loneliness, depression, increased crime, unemployment amongst many young men is becoming an issue. Whilst human trafficking, including the trafficking of brides, to sexual harassment of women and schoolgirls are all on the increase. Unemployed young men are forced into the cities for jobs or to stay at home to do more household work and chores that were typically done by females.

When I first came to Sri Lanka as a single man I recall that whenever I went up to a Sri Lankan lady to ask her to dance, a relative would pop up to check my intentions. That was 20 years ago but I was quite amazed at how shy and protected Sri Lankan women were in those days. Now we are all more multi-cultural and relaxed.

Should parents be so relaxed, going forward? Given we already have a big influx of single men from China and India now living in Sri Lanka? There is a chance that your grandchildren could be Chilankan, but will they care or will you care? Knowing a few first-generation ChiLankans they tend to be more hard-working and balanced than the average Sinhalese person. From my 20 years of working in India and Sri Lanka, my experience is that Indians work harder and are more self-motivated than the average Sri Lankan.

So as my father said to me when I was about to get married for the fourth time, “well you have tried three English women, maybe a Sri Lankan will come up trumps”
He was absolutely correct.