Seen and heard

* Opening press conference of the Commonwealth Finance Ministers’ Meeting starts on a sporty note with the Secretary General (SG) expressing concerns about the Lankan cricket team. “As we know, Sri Lanka’s long term decision-making of taking younger and new players into your national cricket team’s first eleven is leaving the rest of us shaking at the crease,” the Australian national said, drawing laughter.

Central Bank Deputy Governor W.A. Wijawardene, Sampath Bank chairman Edgar Gunatunga and Ronnie de Mel, a former Finance Minister in conversation.

* Sarath Amunugama clearly eyeing a better ministerial portfolio says the President has won the confidence and the hearts of the people in the country in the opening remarks at the opening ceremony.

* Chief Secretary to the Treasury, UK and Member of Parliament Stephen Timms attempts greetings in Sinhala and Tamil at the Commonwealth–Sri Lanka Investment Forum, much to the admiration of the locals.

* President Rajapakse receives some thoughtful assistance from the Secretary General (SG) during his speech at the opening ceremony when he had problems speaking. The President barely had time to request for a glass of water when the SG strode down the podium to hand him a glass of water.

* The opening ceremony was charged with anticipation with the hotel staff determined to make it a success. However, there was the case of the ‘running red carpet’. The staff was unable to ‘keep it straight’, and had to stand at the edges to stop it from moving!

* Flamboyant Udaya Nanayakkara (saying “I thought every woman has my number,” when approached by a journalist) is fashionably late at the opening ceremony, strutting in with his signature suaveness.

* The group photograph at the opening ceremony leaves a few amused smiles when a hotel staffer is spotted trapped in between the group, and scrambling to get out.

* Over tea, Amunugama is seen discussing with journalists on ‘how to do financial reporting”, maybe putting his other hat – publisher of the Business Standard and columnist – to good use.