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Hilton and halal
The barb on the menu card of Colombo Hilton's much publicised Chinese restaurant said it all. Tea-houses became fashionable in the Southern Province of China during the Song Dynasty AD 960-1279, it said, was catering to the leisurely patrons of the arts of the time. Tea drinking was an art accompanied by the dainty nibbling of appetisers. It added: The Chinese phrase for appetiser is Dim Sum," literally meaning "dot the heart." These special bite size Cantonese snacks are served from mid-morning through to lunch time."

That was perhaps why the big boss of a leading Asian business conglomerate in Sri Lanka took his Muslim friend, a professional, to the Emperor's Wok, Hilton's Chinese cuisine outlet. The finely bound menu card had colour photographs of the varieties of Dim Sum available. Having told a stewardess that his guest only ate halal food and not pork, he ordered the dishes.

As clearly set out in the Menu Card, this was what they were: Steamed Crab Meat "siu mai," Baked Spring Onion Puffs with Sesame, Deep Fried Spring rolls, Shrimp Balls stuffed with Crab Meat sticks and Steam Black Mushroom stuffed with Minced Shrimp. Nowhere in the Menu Card was any mention made that these items were made from pork products or included pork.

It is only when the food arrived did the guests discover something was wrong. A passing kitchen assistant was called in. What he said would give the shivers to halal food lovers. The Shrimp Balls stuffed with Crab Meat was fried in Pork fat. The baked Spring Onion puffs with sesame was stuffed with pork. It was too late. By then, a part of the meal had been partaken by the Muslim guest.

The big boss was furious not only because his Muslim guest was misled. He had earlier brought other Muslim guests and they had unwittingly consumed all what was ordered.

A reddened big boss complained to the restaurant official that he had also seen several Muslim guests eating the same food when he came there earlier. He identified them as Muslims only because they wore long robes and sported beards. "You all are creating a serious problem," he exhorted before walking out with the menu card without paying the bill for the partly eaten food.

The post script to the event came a few days later. The General Manager of the Hotel, an expatriate, had not been told of the incident. He was furious and summoned a conference to sort out the problem. As the big boss later remarked, if a Middle Eastern dignitary was to stay at Hilton and was forced to eat the same food, hell would have broken loose. But that is Colombo Hilton nowadays.

Getting set
Sri Lanka Army's 51 Division in the North has reported to Army Headquarters that Tiger guerrillas in the Nagerkovil area were clearing the obstacle belt ahead of the defence lines.

This week troops had observed six guerrilla female cadres in civil clothes, just 20 metres ahead of the defence lines. One armed female cadre had provided security cover while another seven male cadres were observing Security Forces positions along the defence lines. Is this part of the preparations.

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