SeanD

I donno what's worse...saying you own a "sssssang yong" or a "musso." Along with inferior build quality and a generally bone jarring ride (during which it seems bits of the vehicle might fall off) I would say it offers the worst bang for your particular buck.

Heard over 30 "Permit Model" Evoques sold over a couple of days...

Yes, we had a 1980 GL 1800 for around 20 years (though it was only regularly used for around the first 10 years). Used to be LKR 80k brand new at that time I think. First learned to drive on the thing, but we didn't maintain it that well, unfortunately, so it became a bitch to use towards the end of its stay with us. Can't really remember there being any difference even if it was RWD (but didn't know anything about the subject at the time ) Was sold to someone (from Ratnapura!) who I imagine fixed it up and it is probably chugging along fine. It was fairly close in registration series to that blue car you have posted (it was 11 sri 72 something). It was the original radio that fascinated me the most (think it was an analog AM only radio, with programmable channels and rotary dials). Never managed to get anything much out of it though, as I think most stations had long since switched to FM by the time I was old enough to remember.

Anything but a frikkin rexton...

International standard minimum for (non-motorized) wheelchair ramps is 1:12. Then again, I don't think that's really followed in Sri Lanka as I've seen plenty of buildings that have a ramp that's hard to climb even on foot, just "for the sake of it." 1:12 is probably OK for any vehicle.

Certainly hardly anyone I have seen connects the black lead to an unpainted metal surface...even though it is clearly mentioned in the manuals as well. Haven't seen any sparks or explosions yet though.

Might be the famous "carburettor baas"!

Sorento all the way...

There's a guy called Nihal who works at the National Archives...does this as a side business. I've had a lot of books in similar state fixed up by him and he does an excellent job, including printing new leather covers. Tried searching for his number but couldn't locate it; see if you can obtain it by calling the Archives. Will post it no sooner I locate it myself.

If you're going to Delft then definitely do get on the Navy boat as it takes only about 20 mins...the normal ferry takes almost an hour, and is very unreliable (although I did experience the Navy boat I took breaking down also...). In addition, the Navy maintains a lovely walauwwa type bungalow that they have restored on the island, available for overnight stays with all amneties...just be wary of the weather as storms can creep up with little or no warning and disappear just as fast.

Amazing that as soon as 1938 they had already issued almost 50 thousand licenses? Unless the number wasn't serial.

Well, if you'd like an alternate route I'd suggest you FIND OUT what the condition of the A32 is now. It is the Mannar - Navatkuli road via Pooneryn (http://www.asiantribune.com/files/images/map%20of%20mannar2.jpg) . I went on it about a year back and it was the worst road I've ever travelled on (with some of the saddest sites on either side as well) but I hear the work has been progressing on that and so might be worth looking in to. Once it is complete it will significantly cut down travel time to Jaffna. Even with the condition, I managed to get there much faster than someone who took the A9 at the same time. However, at the time only a 4WD could've made it through most of it (think of 3 to 4 hours on basically a mud track) without at least some internal damage. Not a road to take a car you love; but if it's been fixed, well worth it.

Hey, I had no idea that any US airline, especially one as big as TWA ever flew to Sri Lanka? Do you know around what year this was, and how long the service lasted before they stopped?

Sampath, re. the building I am not sure, I vaguely recall it but will need to ask around and see. Most of that property all originally formed the massive Transworks Square, although it was later disposed of in lots (I believe the Hemas building also stands on some of what was that property), and only about half of the original land is left for the developments that will come up. As for Gaffoor building, the difference in the two photographs is there is now an additional floor that is not there in the older picture The building is said to be built over some tunnels that were used by the Dutch to ferry goods from the harbour area through to the Slave Island area using the Beira Lake (then much larger in extent). The tunnels were either not properly filled (or were left unfilled) and now the building is actually sinking, perhaps due to the additional weight of the added floor. I am told that a part of it at the back had collapsed in the 1980s and it slowly wound up after being condemned, and only a few encroachers (illegal) had moved in and now apparently cannot be evicted. I recall it was closed up for nearly 20 years, having being taken over by the Ports Authority on security grounds, and when I returned to Sri Lanka a couple of years ago I found it painted up and someone with no artistic sense had knocked out all the beautiful woodwork and glass and put a car park after removing the ground floor slab. The basement at that time was completely flooded, with various small fish also in it. I believe you still cannot get rid of the damp in the place, although I avoid going in there. You can see the concrete is badly spalled (fallen off) on the upper floors, leaving the rebar to corrode (fast, as it's so close to the sea) and it is all round a dangerous thing. The car park is supported by some puny steel girders that are no match for the building. It is only a matter of time before the place Caves in (pun intended ). The place anyway has a recent history of dodgy ownership, and I saw it is once again on the market. Perhaps some old timers (including Sylvi) can tell us more.

That's the clearest old photo of the Fort Police station I have seen. At the time this photo was taken, it was known as "Transworks House," then the home of the Public Works Department, sort of like the UDA (all island version) of its day. That's the building that is going to be restored by that Indian property company that is putting up some towers around it (Krrish). By the way, can anyone note an interesting difference in the building shown in the last two pictures? (Gaffoor building, which I see is once again for sale for about a billion rupees, although a condemned building and the interior largely destroyed by a car park that someone put inside it).

Hey Sampath, I too am a big fan of photos of old Colombo, but most of what you posted (other than those from the 70s) are new to me. It's particularly nice to see that Prince Street (now Baron Jayatillake Mw) has barely changed at all, other than for the cars and fashion of course...(most of the others do seem to have changed) even the letters on the cargills building are probably the ones they still have...I have never seen a picture of that road from that particular elevation, pls let me know if you have more of that same road and the adjoining ones...You should upload them all on a third party site and just post a thread with the links

Plenty more information on Rowlands and the family at the Genforum: http://genforum.genealogy.com/srilanka/messages/301.html I see uncle Sylvi too has posted well over 10 years ago There are plenty of interesting posts there for those interested in the subject, and the fates of old corporate ceylon. One Mr. Hugh Karunanayake is particularly knowledgeable and helpful.

For any members interested in the complete history of buses in Sri Lanka, I recommend the book "Sri Lankan Buses past and present" edited by David Corke. It is available at Lake House Bookshop (not sure why the price is indicated so high on the web as I got it much cheaper at the shop) http://www.lakehousebookshop.com/pdesc.php?id=2004 Fascinating piece of work with photographs and descriptions from every era of the country's bus history, from the earliest wooden buses to todays metal monsters. Highly recommended.

Those are pretty broad/generalized statements, which are very far from the truth when it comes to the PhD holders at most of the higher end Govt universities. Note that PhD holders in these universities are the exception rather than the norm; most lecturers are qualified up to MA/Sc or M.Phil. Of those PhDs, I know about 8 personally, and I have no doubt in their ability to get a well tenured position at any upper end US university, while some of them have in fact taken early retirement from world class universities and come back to serve the institutions they feel gave them the leg up they needed. I do not have a grip against a professor with a Stanford PhD who has a salary below 100k asking a raise up to 100k. However, there are other ways of going about fixing the mess that would automatically result in performance based increments rather than token sums raised through 'mass agitation'.

I have one request for Dewasiri, Amila Thero, IUSF and all other FUTA guys. Please leave the students in our universities alone. You are simply making use of these hapless students for your political games. If you don’t find your salaries good enough, please leave the country for good though its unlikely history buffs and political “scientists” we see so often participating in these agitations will find positions in universities elsewhere. IUSF is the bane of our university system. Their last president now a JVP activist was a faculty drop out! What right do such students with dismal academic performance have to speak for other students? These people will do well to remember that their education is paid for by tax payers many of whom could not enter national universities. It would do this country good to kick out these IUSF nutters who enter university and then dabble in politics and admit students even those with less marks but dedicated to their studies nonetheless in their place. Free education may have been feasible and necessary at the time it was introduced and for many years thereafter but in today’s context, the state alone cannot take on the responsibility of funding education. More importantly, people ought to ask why give medical or engineering degrees for free? These graduates are more than capable of contributing back to the education system. Hence, without a delay the government should introduce student loans where students after they graduate pay back for their education. Free education is not the only way where students without financial resources can get the education they deserve. If students cannot find jobs and are unable to pay back their loans, then we should seriously look whether its is worth continuing such degree programs and perhaps let go of staff in such departments and hire faculty for programs where there is greater demand. An across the board increase in salaries of professors at this juncture is an utter waste of public money. Increase in salaries should be consistent and tied to performance and demand. It would only lead to more agitation from other trade unions demanding higher pay disrupting not just education but all services in the country. There is no argument that our politicians are fools but only an even bigger bunch of selfish idiots with nothing better to do would even contemplate disrupting the education of 10,000+ students for 3 months for union action which would not bring about any difference in the system other than some increase in salaries at the end.

Congrats all...btw, whatever happened to Sharkster?

Out of curiousity, how does one cash a cheque drawn on a different bank over the counter?

Yes, it does nowadays due to increased awareness of money laundering and CBSL wanting to wash their hands off the matter. The problem with our banks is that they do not usually inform their staff of a threshold limit on which to begin inquiry as to the source of the inward remittance (i.e.; inquiring about anything below USD 5000 is pointless as you can carry that money in to the country anyway). That's cos there is no decision making going on at any bank. In your case, I'd blame the local financial system rather than the bank itself (although the bank shares some of the blame if they cannot understand the rules).

There you go again...the Sorento is not a 4wd SUV, in fact it is not an SUV at all. The ground clearance is more than fine for daily use and "off the road" type stuff. I agree with you on the Rextons, etc. though. Often wondered if they're coming apart when inside one at about 60kmph.