The story of a Faluda

Colombo,needless to say, is sometimes the surface of the sun.Scorching hot and all you long for is something cold and sweet.I had never been a fan of faluda, never really tried one either but now that I have discovered the lure of that ghastly pink concoction,there's no turning back.But I wanted more from this drink-something more than just the unearthly mix of tastes and textures,I wanted a story to entertain me as well.What can I say, sometimes a girl needs a meal and a show.So here's the story of the humble Faluda; as much as I could dig up without actually travelling to its supposed place of origin.

But before that-one distinction-in Sri Lanka you can find two varieties of faluda:the Bombay Faluda and the Sri Lankan Faluda.The difference being the lack of or inclusion of certain ingredients,with the basic mix of milk,rose water and basil seeds/tapioca ( cassata) being the constant.The "fancier" (and in my opinion tastier) Bombay Faluda includes an assortment of jellies,cashews,more colorful flavors and of course more of that ice cream.The one in the picture is the Sri Lankan Faluda-humbler and somewhat lighter on the calories.

It seems that all sources (including the ever reliable Wiki) agree on one fact-that faluda or falooda was introduced to India from Iran via the Parsi community that settled in India during the Muhgal period.It is believed to derive from the Persian drink/dessert Faloodeh.One of the interesting facts about the drink is that the original version is supposed to have included vermicelli made either of wheat or arrowroot.Although the "stringy/crunchy" texture is maintained in the Sri Lankan versions through the use of basil seeds.tukmaria seeds or what is called "cassata".It is the Iranian connection through its diaspora in India that is saluted through the celebrated Bombay Faluda. The drink was possibly brought to Sri Lanka through the small Parsi community who make it their home and then ( as in most cases) adopted and then adapted to suit the tastes and needs of the people. For example,the vermicelli was substituted with the "cassata".Other than this minor change, the falooda/faloodeh has somehow resisted major changes,even with centuries,generations of travel and change,it has stayed loyal to its beginnings.

The humble ( or not so humble) Faluda is a testament to the endurance of travel and migration-the very fact that I can now enjoy a Persian dessert brought to India during the Mughal period,which had then traveled yet another cultural distance to Sri Lanka to finally find its own place among a diverse community of people.

Leaving terra firma

Colombo has always danced a calculated tango (if there's such a way to dance the tango) with the new and the old. A city which has seen a lot of violence and destruction; in some ways it is still in the process of recovering from the trauma it had experienced over the last three decades.This view across the Beira lake stands testament to the face of a city attempting to gain its place in the world. One look at the skyline of the city, you know change is about. Everyday new condominium/apartment buildings spring up "mushroom fast", adding to the skyline. It seems that Colombo is facing skyward and leaving behind good old terra firma- nothing wrong in itself.

The fear is that in this rush to fill up the skyline,what's on the ground may be left behind,lagging and neglected.The Beira lake and the area surrounding it is one example.Stinking like a sewer the lake is miraculously able to sustain animal life-mainly the migrating Pelicans,Storks and a few brave Comorants...and to the credit of the municipal council there were no large piles of shameful garbage on the promenade around the lake. But, there were moments when the wind blew in from the sea in just the right direction,that the stink of this teeming city was brought right home to my nostrils. Nothing new-Colombo stinks (literally and figuratively sometimes) but there's always those moments when you can actually smell the sea-that salty,mineral smell which reminds you of that great body of water just behind the buildings on Galle road and a step behind the railway track.

The old and the new,jostle and struggle in Colombo-like the seemamalakaya on the lake with its Buddha statues and just across ( over the pelicans,the storks and the cormorants) the city rising,waking up from a slumber...

Another city, another day...

From its history as a hub of the Atlantic slave trade,to its reputation as one of the toughest cities in the US, Baltimore has a charm that is all its own.A city near the ocean has a quality that cannot be found in those landlocked places.Without much effort it becomes a place of multiplicity, through necessity and sometimes by its own choice, with the smell and feel of the ocean never too far away. Its not a picture perfect city- not even its fancy tourist areas;there's always a sense of something hiding just beneath the surface of the glass veneer of the Inner Harbour area with its posh restaurants and stylish people.

Since its premier in 2002, the acclaimed TV show "The Wire" presented a view of the city that revealed not only what's behind the shiny veneer but also a testament to the power of popular culture in transforming the very soul of a city.The debilitating drug wars between East Baltimore and West Baltimore gangs and the moral,ethical implications of the actions of those who are in authority provide the backdrop for the stories of the individuals you meet.Forget the show's claim to fame, it is simply a good story told with skill and dedication.It's power to draw in an audience, even if you don't necessarily favour the dubious characters is enough testament to its genius.Thus, the show has transformed the city into one that has become a part of popular culture- an icon almost. It's a city of tough lives,tough people and tough love.

But what of the real city? The one that continues to live,even after the show ended in 2008...the city where the sign of the Domino sugar factory dominates the view from the posh restaurants on the water's edge,the city where ships,yachts,boats come and go everyday,the city where the Inner Harbour area caters to a different kind of traveler,a more superficial one....

It makes you wonder,if the "real" city even exists and if what is seen on TV IS reality.Does the city and its people define itself or is it simply defined by the production and direction of media.Where does reality end and fiction begin? In Baltimore,sometimes you are not so sure...

Its a dogs life...

They say its a "dog eat dog world" that we live in, and if that is so it's definitely a dogs life for those inhabitants of Colombo ( quadruped and biped) who struggle day in day out to find a bit of space to call their own.For those of us who are pedestrians and commute daily to work using public transportation, it sometimes is literally a struggle to walk on the sidewalk; and the fact that the sidewalk itself if riddled with potholes,broken paving blocks,garbage and other undesirable objects adds to the adventure of negotiating the busy streets of the city.But what about the quadruped inhabitants of this microcosm.

The question of stray dogs in the city and what to do with them has become one of those perennial questions that you can never really find an answer.Although there have been groups of individuals who have petitioned against the inhuman treatment of these animals by municipal authorities,little has been done to actually do something practical about situation.So,they multiply and spread across the city,creating their own packs/gangs,feeding on the refuse that we throw out and jostle for space with us.In many ways they have learnt to co-habit with their fellow human companions;those of us who are invisible unless they come and tug at our guilty consciences from time to time.

I feel that they are the true inhabitants of Colombo-those who are invisible.If you care to look into their eyes (both human and animal) as you walk by pretending not to see them,you might just glimpse not just their proverbial humanity but the soul of the city itself-the harshness and the cruelty that is so much a part of our everyday existence.

It truly is a dogs life,for all of us.

Colombo,Colombo

I'm back in the land of kings and citizens ( to borrow from a good friend),the pearl of the Indian Ocean and not forgetting "the small miracle".It's good to be back in Sri Lanka (not that I've been away for too long) but after two years I feel I have returned to a different country.For instance when I left in 2008,the country was still in the midst of a "bloody civil war" and living in Colombo was the equivalent of carrying a ticking time bomb in your back pack,you'd never know when it would go boom on you and you would go splat! As a loyal user of the public transportation services of the nation,the threat and more importantly suspicion among fellow passengers was a cause for concern.Now it seems that Sri Lankans are simply happy with shoving,pushing and grabbing their fellow passengers in public transportation and are traveling around Colombo in relative complacency. Hurray for that!

Maybe it's time to explore Colombo again. Enjoy the sense of security and business-as-usual feeling that seems to permeate the city and see the city with fresh eyes.With an eye for the bizzare,the ridiculous,the poignant,the hilarious and of course the cruel,its time to pay homage to the nation's capital.Let's begin.