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Social Profile
Food & Drink: Standard foods are spicy and it is advised to approach curries with caution. There are many vegetables, fruits, meats and seafoods. Continental, Chinese, Indian and Japanese menus are available in Colombo. A speciality is basic curry, made with coconut milk, sliced onion, green chilli, aromatic spices such as cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and saffron and aromatic leaves. Hoppers is a cross between a muffin and a crumpet with a wafer-crisp edge, served with a fresh egg soft-baked on top. Stringhoppers are steamed circlets of rice flour, a little more delicate than noodles or spaghetti. Jaggery is a fudge made from the crystallised sap of the kitul palm. The durian fruit is considered a great delicacy.
Tea is the national drink and thought to be amongst the best in the world. Toddy, the sap of the palm tree, is a popular local drink; fermented, it becomes arrack which, it should be noted, comes in varying degrees of strength. Alcohol cannot be sold on poya holidays (which occur each lunar month on the day of the full moon).
Nightlife: Some Colombo hotels have supper clubs with music for dancing. There are theatres in Colombo, cinemas showing films from the USA, ballet, concerts and theatre productions.
Shopping: Special purchases include handicrafts and curios of silver, brass, bone, ceramics, wood and terracotta. Also cane baskets, straw hats, reed and coir mats and tea. Batik fabric, lace and lacquerware are also popular. Some of the masks, which are used in dance-dramas, in processions and on festival days, can be bought by tourists. The ‘18-disease’ mask shows a demon in possession of a victim; he is surrounded by 18 faces – each of which cures a specific ailment. Versions produced for the tourist market are often of a high standard. Sri Lanka is also rich in gems. Fabrics include batiks, cottons, rayons, silks and fine lace. Shopping hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1730, Sat 0900-1300.
Special Events: For further information and exact dates, contact the Sri Lanka Tourist Board (see Contact Addresses section). The following list is a selection of events taking place in Sri Lanka annually:
Jan Duruthu Perahera Festival (commemorating a visit of the Buddha to Sri Lanka), Kelaniya; Thai Pongal (traditional Hindu festival where thanksgiving prayers are offered to the deities, and milk rice is boiled at dawn in the direction of the rising sun); Navam Perahera Festival (colourful street procession with nearly 100 elephants and ‘low country’ dancers), Colombo. Feb 4 Independence Commemoration Day. Apr 13-14 Sinhala and Hindu New Year. May 7 Wesak Festival (commemorates the Birth, Enlightenment and Death of the Buddha). Jul/Aug Kataragama Festival, Tissamaharama; Esala Perahera Festival, Kandy. Nov 14 Deepavali Festival. Dec Sanghamitta Day.
Social Conventions: Shaking hands is the normal form of greeting. It is customary to be offered tea when visiting and it is considered impolite to refuse. Punctuality is appreciated. A small token of appreciation, such as a souvenir from home or company, is always welcomed. Informal, Western dress is suitable. Visitors should be decently clothed when visiting any place of worship, and shoes and hats must be removed. Jackets and ties are not required by men in the evenings except for formal functions when lightweight suits should be worn. Tipping: Most hotels include a service charge of ten per cent. Extra tipping is optional.
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