Chairman Award

When the idea of taking an assignment in India was first considered in 2004, there was no sense of what form that adventure would take. Equally so there was not an inkling of how the adventure would end. During a visit to Bangalore in February of some senior executives from Jay’s company, BearingPoint, he was informed that he had won the company’s 2007 Chairman Award for his work in Bangalore.

Unlike many company awards that come with a firm handshake and expressions of gratitude, this award, which is bestowed on only one of BearingPoint’s 18,000 employees, comes with a check for $25,000 (minus taxes, of course!). Additionally, Jay and Helen were invited to the company’s annual meeting of Managing Directors in Orlando, Florida to receive the award.

Being recognized for one’s work is always embracing. Our story in Bangalore was indeed unique. The oft-quoted signature line from the nomination was, “If one measures commitment to our client’s success by going the “extra mile,” Jay went 9,000 miles for our DLL client.” In a subsequent conversation with the Chairman, Helen was told selecting this year’s winner was an easy unanimous decision.

Airlines tickets to come the 9,000 mile back home were booked and Orlando hotel reservations made. The award was to be presented early morning on Thursday in general sessions before all the meeting participants. We arrived in time to have some chat time with the company president, Harry You, and chairman, Rod McGeary. Due to scheduling conflicts, the award was re-scheduled to later that day. It was recommended that we enjoy our idle time at Universal studios.

After a rollicking ride at the Revenge of the Mummy, some toe tapping to the Blues Brothers, a monster mash-like Beetlejuice revue, a real hamburger at a fifties café, a spectacular show with Poseidon and a host of other adventurers, we were back at the JW Marriott by 2:30 pm for the award presentation.

During the brief ceremony, Chairman McGeary recognized both Jay and the contributions Helen had made. Due to time constraints Jay was unable to give his acceptance speech. If he had, he would have concluded his list of thanks to the many, many others who made the award possible with:

“Finally, I want to thank my lovely wife, Helen. She left her job and ventured forth. Through everything she has been helpful, encouraging and supportive as we shared our challenges and affections for our new home in India.”

Some things are just not meant to be done alone.

Sri Lanka – Bentota Adventures

On our journey back to Colombo we stopped for an evening stay in the laid back town of Bentota. The Wunderbar Beach Club was our reserved and ideal resting place. The owner-operator was a long-haired twenty-something, appropriately tattooed for his generation and wrapped in a sarong adorned with images of the late reggae icon Bob Marley amid a display of ganja leaves.

The hotel, about 300 yards inland from the long, sandy, debris-free beach, was tucked among coconuts trees . The rooms were spacious and the private verandas were an easy place to relax for a sundowner libation. The second story restaurant / bar was rustic and comfortable. It was surprising, then, to hear in this land of “No worries, Man” the rumble of trains between the hotel and the beach. When the British, those perennial beach-goers (ha!), built the railroad in the late 1800’s, beach front property was a convenient, flat and inexpensive place to lay tracks. Fortunately the beach tranquility was not greatly disrupted by the comings and goings of passenger trains.

There is also sufficient beach tranquility to support hatching grounds for sea turtles. The turtle rescue stations that dot the beachfront are small wire mesh enclosures where baby turtles can securely hatch from their buried sandy nests. Each morning the new hatchlings are collected for later and safer release to the sea. At the Wunderbar there was an educational display of mature sea turtles and a holding tank for the newly hatched.

We took a boat excursion up the Bentota River. The early morning four hour tour in an open boat with our guide was a charming way to see the mangrove-shrouded banks and life in the lagoon basin. As hoped, we spotted the prehistoric-looking and ubiquitous Sri Lankan water monitors. Growing to about six feet, the monitors we encountered were lazing on the opposite bank as we pushed out into the blackish lagoon water.

Further up river, bird life was visible along with the many fishing barriers erected by the locals. One enterprising fisherman supplemented his aquatic income with the aid of a small trained monkey. As we motored up river, our entrepreneur paddled with his 14 inch partner to meet our boat. With practiced ritual, the monkey hopped astride our boat, looked adorable eating a green bean and waited for a few rupees to be handed to him. In an apparent dispute over profit sharing with his partner, our wide-eyed furry entertainer held firmly to the rupees. We assume accounts were amicably settled later.

Further upstream was an unexpected stop at a small house where an elderly woman demonstrated the art of cinnamon harvesting, rope making from coconut husk fibers and palm leaf mat making. Marion and Helen tried their hands at rope making, purchased some processed cinnamon and exchanged thanks.

At the apex of our upriver adventure we stopped at an island Buddhist pagoda. The head monk indicated he had come to this pagoda 40 years earlier as an orphan. By his side stood a bright-eyed twelve year old who would share this same story in his middle-aged years. In our western psyche where time is a progenitor of change, it was instructively challenging to see that some things can idle in harmony with time. More rupees were requested, but our ready cash had been diminished by the unexpected shopping stop.

In Buddhist-like fashion, much of the later part of the day was spent in perfect harmony with time as beach bums.

Sri Lanka – Day Trip Adventures

With the Printers Hotel as home base for two nights we explored the sights along the coastal highway just north of Galle. The first thing that struck us as we traveled the roads with towns 1.3 meters above sea level was that we were traveling where the waters of the 2004 Asian tsunami had raged.

Prosperity appeared to be the order of the day. The road was in excellent shape and filled with vehicles and people. Most shops were well stocked and busy with commerce. In contrast, we could see the many broken shells of concrete buildings that had lined the road prior to the tsunami. Sometimes even the shell of the building was gone and only a concrete slab remained where once meals were cooked and family life was alive. Our driver Joseph, who accompanied relief workers in 2005, spoke to us of the devastation wrought by what now appeared to be a placid sea. We drove about two kilometers inland where Joseph noted the waters had roiled. Rusting railroad rails could be seen twisted about coconut trees. We visited uprighted battered railroad cars that fleeing victims mistook for refuge. Hard to believe that such events took place in this sun-soaked paradise.

Further up the coast we visited the stilt fishermen of Sri Lanka. To be honest, our encounter was less National Geographic and more National Inquirer. Despite our very early morning start, we were unable to find any fishermen perched on their slender pole seats out in the surf. Our driver Joseph inquired with the locals and discovered “no fish today” was the reason. With the aid of a few exchanged rupees, the fishermen donned their fishing garb, waded into the water and proceeded to “fish” as our camera shutters snapped.

After a quick visit to a silk emporium and batik tie dying factory, we visited a local hand looming operation. With steady endeavor using only her hands and feet, a single woman working outside in the shade behind an old shed, fed cotton thread to and fro producing about 2 meters of cloth per day. Paid 100 Sri Lankan rupees ($1.00) per meter of woven cotton, we marveled at her stamina and genteel ways with us. For the privilege of taking her photo, we gave her a day’s wages before departing.

We were soon off to the glass bottom boat ride to view the coral of the near-shore reefs. Unfortunately, due to bleaching actions several years ago compounded by the tsunami, the former brilliant coral was replaced with broken and muted grayish color coral. The water clarity, however, was unparalleled. As we motored about we could see colorful parrot fish and schools of barracuda swimming among the reefs.

In Ambalangoda, known for its carving of ceremonial masks in soft kadura wood, we visited shops where ritual masks of today and yesteryear were on display. There were masks of gods, demons, evil spirits, birds and animals. The carving of abnormally raised eyebrows, bulging eyes, protruding teeth and cheek-bones painted in bright colors no doubt carries significant meaning. For us it was journey though a world of art and the unsolved mystery of that art. More adventure in paradise.

Sri Lanka – A Lot of Galle

From the interior gem mines in Ratnapura, we drove to the southwestern coastal city of Galle (pronounced Gaul). This port city was an important trading center in pre-Christian times, with legend holding that King Solomon’s fleets bartered on its shores. Galle entered European history when storm winds pushed the Portuguese captain Lourenço de Almeida to its coastline in 1505.

The Dutch East India Company displaced the Portuguese in 1640. Dutch energies strengthened the Portuguese fortifications and expanded the town within the fort’s wall. Today the Old Dutch Fort at Galle is a world heritage site, preserving the fusion of old world charm and the pleasant amenities of the 21^st century.

Among those amenities is The Fort Printers hotel. The hotel is an 18^th century building that has been recently restored to an open, airy and inviting accommodation. We typically do not swoon over our travel accommodations, but the Printers was a unique experience with its large open foyer space, 16 foot raw-beamed bedroom ceilings, welcoming ambience and matching service. Over the years the building has been home to the Buddhist Theosophical Society and the Mahinda College. This academic background is reflected in the naming of the five guest rooms. We stayed in History; Rich and Marion in Arts.

After a pleasant breakfast served in the inner open-air courtyard, we set out to explore the winding streets of the fort city. At the Laksana Gem Shop, Helen purchased a stunning six stone blue sapphire ring with a center of small diamond chips. Rich and Marion did some antiquing at the Historical Mansion Art Gallery and the other shops inside the fort. Despite the interesting objects on display, the best goods appear to have been purchased long ago.

A walk along the fort ramparts is a “must” adventure. This 90 minute stroll gave us ample time for viewing the beautiful clear waters that wash against the rocky fort foundations. There were stops at the lighthouse and old clock tower and diversions into the fort interior to the Old Dutch Reform Church and other interesting buildings. One special treat was a ride in the 1945 little Morris Minor perennially parked just outside the front gate of our hotel. With some finesse and flexibility, three of us (Marion – front, Jay & Helen back) squeezed into this British motorcar of a bygone era for an evening driving tour of the old fort city. Adventures are frequently unexpected and come in any size.

Sri Lanka – Land of Gems Mines

After landing late in the night, we spent the evening at the Goldi Sands beach front hotel in Negombo, just north of Colombo. Early the next day, we met our driver Joseph and started our journey to the gem fields in the interior of the island. Our destination was Ratnapura…the gem capital of Sri Lanka.

For centuries Sri Lanka has been providing gems, especially sapphires, to the world. Coming in a variety of colors from yellow, green, white, colorless, pink, orange, brown, and purple, blue is the most popular color. The red variety is a ruby. Sapphires may not be a girl’s best friend, but they are the stuff upon which legends are built.

Sapphires have long been considered powerful talismans protecting owners from sickness and evils. The gem has also been regarded as a symbol of truth and sincerity. It is said that the luster of a sapphire would dim if worn by an unfaithful husband or wife. Ancient Persians believed that the Earth rested on a blue sapphire and its reflection colored the sky.

We had visions of grandeur, therefore, as we headed along the bumpy roads to the gem mines. Somewhere among these hills of Sri Lanka the famed mammoth “Star of India” blue sapphire was pulled from the earth. Our tour of the gem mines in Ratnapura revealed to us not the glamour of the world of sapphires, but rather the hardscrabble realities of the gem business.

Scattered in old unkempt, overgrown fields, the mines appear as they have been since the times of King Solomon. The gem mines are actually “gem pits” about 15 ft square with shafts running 30 ft deep. Aside from the introduction of gasoline engine water pumps, not much as changed in the exploration for gems.

Stooped miners extract and wash mountains of earth for hours each day in muddy waters in search of small gem fragments. Three or four pebble-laden baskets may yield a single small gem. Yet despite the poverty of the miners, there is the potential to find another Star of India in these muddy pits. Guards dutifully slumber nightly in nearby shacks. Fortified with ample stocks of whisky and cigarettes, the guards stand ready to thwart any interloper intent upon washing mountains of muddy earth by moonlight in search of the well-hidden gems.

From the gem mines in the interior of the island, we started another long bumpy ride to the southern coast of Sri Lanka. Our evening’s destination was the Fort Printers Hotel inside the old walled Dutch fort in Galle (pronounced “gaul’). The hotel and the old fort provided a magical adventure…where the stuff of legends comes true.Publish

Sri Lanka – a Five Day Trip

With our friends Rich and Marion, we were off on a five day trip to Sri Lanka. Our knowledge of Sri Lankan culture, history and people was scant. We really did not know what to expect.

Known as Ceylon until 1972, this small island country off the southeast cost of India is officially known as the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. Europeans encountered this island in 1505 when the Portuguese landed. A century and a half later, in 1658, control passed from the Portuguese to the Dutch East India Company. The Dutch had their 150 years of fame until 1796 when the British captured the Dutch colonies. British rule ended in 1948 with the grant of independence. As we traveled about the island we encountered the 21^st century remnants of these European encounters. The most striking remnant was wide use of English in public signage and commerce.

For decades a struggle on this beautiful island has been waged between the 10 million Buddhist - Sinhalese and the 1.4 million Hindu - Tamil populations. Political protests from the Tamil population for a separate independent state of Tamil Eelam have unfortunately been mixed by more violent action from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). In the capital city Colombo, there are ample signs of the security measures imposed around the airport, harbor and government buildings. Fully clad combat soldiers walk the city’s main streets. Also seen were coiled strands of razor barbed wire surrounding buildings with sandbag guard enclosures. Maybe out of ignorance or disbelief that such a vibrant city could be bathed in such violence, we felt safe as we went about our business and saw everyone else doing the same. One obvious demonstration of safety is that cars there stop for pedestrians in the crosswalks, even without a traffic signal!

Helen and Marion, with the assistance of a familiar Indian travel service, Masala Tours, did the planning. The trip was designed to steer as far as way as possible from trouble. Most of the fighting occurs in the north and central regions, so we headed south and hugged the southwestern coast in our circular drive of the country. The itinerary included a short drive to the interior to visit the renowned gem mining area of Ratnapura. While we were there we got a chance to see a gem mine. If you can picture an old Western movie with a miner panning for gold, it looked just like that, only in pits.

We also spent several days of beach walking along the beautiful southern coast. We particularly enjoyed our two days in Galle, where our hotel was located inside the remnants of the old Dutch fort. Galle has retained its historic charm and we enjoyed spending time looking at all the antiques still there. Our last full day was spent in Bentota, where we swam in the ocean and saw baby turtles in an enclosure on the beach that had hatched within the previous 12 hours. The babies are kept safe at a turtle hatchery until their shells are hard enough that they don’t easily fall prey to the many predators in and near the water.

Even though they are close geographically, Sri Lanka is quite different from India. Their intent of living is unlike their Indian neighbors, and it was a pleasant surprise.

Isola Di Cocco

The Poovar Island Ayurvedic Beach Resort of Isola Di Cocco was our home for three days while in Southern India. Isola Di Cocco (Island of Coconuts) is uniquely located in Kerala, providing access to the beaches of the Lakshadweep Sea as well as to Kerela’s backwaters. The grounds of the resort are idyllic. Greenery, fan palms and flowered arbors mingle with a large swimming pool, long sandy beaches and airy restaurant facilities. It was a little bit of paradise right here in India.

The resort is 18 km south of Trivandrum. Unfortunately, during our late evening drive from Kanyakumari, neither we nor our driver had any clue where the resort was located. Signage was sparse and difficult to read on the unlit back roads of Kerala. Tucked behind acres of coconut groves and languid lagoon water, our final approach to the resort on the rural rutted road was a bit harrowing.

The resort caters to westerners. During our stay, German and Italian conversations were frequently overheard. We are not of the “lounging pool side” or “beach bathing” crowd, so we headed off to explore.

We found fishermen chest-deep in the lagoon irrigation water. With smooth, even motions they dipped their nets. Sometimes a small flat fish would be found wiggling in the netting. More often, only leafy water vegetation was pulled from the murky water. Nearby, a young mother sat on the ground with her daughters weaving mats from palm leaves.

Further down the road, men swung heavy hammers to break and shape large stones that were then lifted and fitted into a retaining wall. Just a short distance away another group of men were doing the same thing to build a property line wall. These shaped stones, weighing maybe 80 lbs, were lifted by the helping hands of two men and placed upon the padded heads of waiting women. The women, ramrod straight, would then carry the stone blocks a few yards. With a simple bend at the waist, the stones would be tossed onto the ground on the other side of the string guide lines. Other hands would then move the stones into their final resting place in the wall. The process was repeated again and again.

On our walk back to the resort, we greeted a man walking his cow and goat down the dusty dirt road. Snaps were taken at the front gate with the guard and a passel of autorickshaw drivers waiting for fares from the Germans, Italians and the other pampered guests.

On our last day there we ventured, via boat, onto the sandbar facing the ocean. Fishermen were found straightening their nets after a morning of fishing. Other fishermen in small, log-built boats, were paddling with only slit bamboo poles. A very hard life in paradise.

An Italian man strolling on the beach confirmed, “Bela!” (beautiful!) as he waved his arm at the ocean. He took our picture as the surf rolled onto the sandy shore. Kerala is indeed, as the tourist campaign offers, god’s country.