Such are their ways

The school cadets had gathered for one of their most important events - the award of the Herman Loos Trophy for the best cadet platoon.

They were on the parade field with their starched uniforms and shining shoes when the news came that the chief guest would be late.

The reason - He was driving towards the venue when his other half found that the saree she was wearing was not good enough. So she returned home to change. All that took one and half hours.

The cadets, in true military tradition, waited. When the ceremonies began late, there were more surprises for them. The chief guest awarded a prize to his other half. That was for the support she had extended to the cause of cadetting.

Such are the ways of chief guests now.

Not a suicide cadre

A young girl was standing at a bus stop in the gem city of Kahawatte last week when she was splashed with burnt engine oil by an admirer whose advances she had rejected.

The girl rushed to the police station all covered in oil and when she approach the premises, the policemen on duty fled fearing she was an LTTE female suicide cadre.

The girl had to shout out that she was not a suicide cadre but a victim of a scorned admirer and had come to give a statement. It was only after then that her statement was recorded.

Eat it

The quality of food served at the staff canteen of Parliament has become a matter of concern to those who have to have their meals there.

Policemen as well as personal staff of MPs too get their meals there and the complaint oft heard is that the food is unfit for consumption given its poor standard of preparation.

With no outside food allowed in due to security reasons, all they can do is eat and bear up.