THINGS YOU DON'T EXPECT TO SEE

Living in a country that is not your native one is bound to throw up moments that are totally unexpected. For example, going to the beach with your children to be greeted by a contingent of airforce personnel, helicopters and high speed navy boats conducting maneuvres on the busy beach in Negombo.

Although they were probably carrying out important training exercises, at times it looked like a bit of fun. It seemed that the pilot was attempting to fly as fast and as low as possible along the water's edge where people were congregating to watch. Added to this was the fact the helicopter was nearly vertical, like you see in the movies.

Generally, you would think that picking coconuts would entail climbing the tree and removing the fruit by hand (or just waiting for it to fall down). In most cases this would be true. However, some trees are up to 15-20m and and even the locals don't attempt to climb these. So they use a long bamboo pole sometimes with a saw attached to knock/cut the coconuts out of their precarious position. This is no problem when the stick is vertical but the problem arises when they travel between plantations and have to transport this stick, which obviously has to be as tall as a coconut tree. Usually they are on foot but occasionally they get around on bikes and it is quite bizzare to see a skinny man on a bike carrying a huge stick.

Elephants in the back of trucks travelling through the countryside - enough said!

How about chipmunks in your house? Sitting in the office, I saw a little movement in the doorway only to look up and see a chipmunk having an explore. I looked to see if anyone else was around to witness this but by the time I had turned back he had disappeared. Hayley, having heard me calling, came in and, as I recounted the story, she suddenly pointed saying,"Yes, we now have a chipmunk in the laundry. No, now he's in the spare room." After some time and considerable excitement on the kids behalf we managed to catch him and release him back to a more appropriate place than our house.