Rain in Colombo

Yes, friends, so much world, so little time has landed in the beautiful island nation of Sri Lanka, in its capital city, Colombo. As I draft these words, it’s 7:15 on Sunday evening, and my first day in Colombo is winding down. These entries will all be about my weeklong vacation in Malaysia, not about Colombo yet. (No, these towers are NOT in Colombo.) I haven’t had the energy to bring out my camera: 1) I’ve got work to do here, and 2) I thought, considering how busy I’m about to be, I might do well to let y’all know how the vacation went and that I’m here and whole before I start documenting the streets and scenes of Colombo.
That said, I’ll provide a few small items of interest. First: Colombo is 12-1/2 hours ahead of San Francisco. Meaning no disrespect whatsoever to my hosts in my new (for now) home of Sri Lanka, nor to any of the fine people in Delhi which apparently also enjoys this magical time zone, but HELLO?! Half-hour time zones? Not a good idea. Too confusing. I recommend an international commission to ban such ideas in the future.
A further note, from the jaunt I took around my neighborhood in between rain storms this afternoon: I am a short walk away from the Ministry of Coconut Development’s Agency for Coconut Development. This is true. Photos in front of the agency point out the many things that can be done with coconut fibers, wood and other parts you never even knew a coconut had. Coconuts, one suspects, are a prime product of this fine nation. More later, my friends!