They followed in the footsteps of the famous Chinese traveller Fa-hsien, coming overland to India and crossing over to Sri Lanka. Whereas Fa-hsien sailed via Sri Lanka back to China after spending two years here and collecting Buddhist books in the fifth century, the Chinese who came in the 20th century never went home.
For, they made Sri Lanka their home away from home and now nearly 75 years later most of the early migrants in the 1930s have been buried here.
I met Tishani Doshi between sessions of the Galle Literary Festival, in the impromptu café area outside the Festival’s main venue. We sat on a rug under the trees and raced through our conversation, both anxious to hear Vikram Seth who would be speaking shortly. Out of a corner of my eye I could see men I knew hovering around our interview, hoping I would introduce them to this beautiful Indian woman.
With apologies to Baroness Orczy who wrote the above lines in her popular series ‘The Scarlet Pimpernel’ set during the time of the French Revolution about an anonymous hero who daringly rescued aristocrats from the guillotine, The Sunday Times too went on a different quest.
“Please refrain from eating the squirrels as they are pets.” I blinked as my tired brain misinterpreted a sign on the top of the television in my bedroom at the Jetwing hotel in Negombo, The Beach.
They followed in the footsteps of the famous Chinese traveller Fa-hsien, coming overland to India and crossing over to Sri Lanka. Whereas Fa-hsien sailed via Sri Lanka back to China after spending two years here and collecting Buddhist books in the fifth century, the Chinese who came in the 20th century never went home.
For, they made Sri Lanka their home away from home and now nearly 75 years later most of the early migrants in the 1930s have been buried here.
I met Tishani Doshi between sessions of the Galle Literary Festival, in the impromptu café area outside the Festival’s main venue. We sat on a rug under the trees and raced through our conversation, both anxious to hear Vikram Seth who would be speaking shortly. Out of a corner of my eye I could see men I knew hovering around our interview, hoping I would introduce them to this beautiful Indian woman.
With apologies to Baroness Orczy who wrote the above lines in her popular series ‘The Scarlet Pimpernel’ set during the time of the French Revolution about an anonymous hero who daringly rescued aristocrats from the guillotine, The Sunday Times too went on a different quest.
“Please refrain from eating the squirrels as they are pets.” I blinked as my tired brain misinterpreted a sign on the top of the television in my bedroom at the Jetwing hotel in Negombo, The Beach.