Better New Year, T vs. H, and other quirky announcements

Cassandra flopped down on her favourite sofa satiated with kavun, kokis and athiraha. She missed her treacle filled coils of ulundu – unduvel – which are elegant, smallish and slightly crunchy total delights; a specialty of the Kandy region. They are basically pani walalu, but unique in their smaller coils and taste; different from jalabi and those which you can buy at the Avan Hala below the Ambepussa Rest house, named hotel or resort or whatever now.

Cassandra remembers in the dim distant past how she used to sit beside her youngest aunt, a wizard of a cook and sweet maker, to turn out the unduvel, be it for Aluth Avurudhu, a dane or a celebration of some family event. Punchi Punchi Amma would sit on a colomba (as we named the low small benches) by the sizzling oil pan on a hearth on the ground, and squeeze out the mixture from a muslin bag with a hole of the correct dimension at its extremity. She skillfully twirled her hands guiding the emerging undu mixture to coil in the oil. My great task, seated beside her, was to soak the cooked coils which she dropped into the muttiya of kitul treacle. An angry hiss ensued but the contrast of heat between coil and treacle made the latter creep into the spaces of the coils. Thus, the delight when biting into an unduvel

Excuse the diversion of a cooking lesson in this column usually loaded with acidity if not venom. The benign ennui of Avurudu is still with Cass, purring like a cat who got the cream.

Now for the comments. The mood of sanguinity is still with Cass. That word is loaded with meaning including hopefulness, optimism, joy and other glad feelings. Justified feeling since all of those who spoke into TV mikes from markets, shops, bus halts, railway stations, said it was a good new year. Shopping was brisk as it always is at the eleventh hour. To Cass the most striking was that transport was made available – plenty of CTB buses and extra trains on main lines, or so it was said. But my domestic helper arrived just now from Gampaha and said she found it difficult: no trains and the one she got into was delayed. So that’s vision/promises against reality.

Celebration for all to see

Cass for one was glad she was spared seeing a huge table groaning and creaking under its load of avurudu kema at Carlton House down South or Medamulana and family get-together caught on TV cameras for all to see. That is past and thankfully gone—hopefully not to return.

Glad and grateful President Dissanayake has eschewed all such nonsense. But Cassandra would prefer it if he did not engage in electioneering. She well knows he is a magnet and his promises are accepted. But he should remain a statesman and not get involved in the hustings. As president he should stay clear of election meetings, etc. The PM can mix with the people and promote NPP candidates but not so the Prez.

Latest on Trump

Trump is now marching with his cutting sword on universities starting with the oldest and most prestigious. He has called for Harvard University to lose a valuable tax break. Hours later, his administration announced it is freezing more than $2 bn in federal funds for this elite institution. Also demanded is that Harvard changes its hiring, admissions and teaching practices which will help fight anti-Semitism on campus. These demands were rejected by Harvard and it was the first university to do so, accusing the White House of trying to control its community. Hands off universities!

The latest was heard on BBC news on Wednesday 16. A fluff of a blonde White House press secretary by name of Karoline Leavett announces that President Trump expects Harvard University to apologise to him about the continuing tolerance of anti-Semitism by the university. And that little blonde fluff adds “And they should.” Didn’t Cass guffaw, but bitterly. That’s T vs H.

Now, Trump seems to be against education. It happens. When a person has been deprived of something, has not been able to have it, he wants to ban it. With no academic qualifications, backed by another such who is the richest in America and applauded by bootlickers. Trump creates crises like a mad bull in a China shop, with most hate for the nationality and country of the owner of the shop.

Daily woes arise with Trump’s pronouncements. A video clip sent by a nephew a minute ago on Wednesday 16 evening, deals with the latest move of the Prez of the US. He has ordered extra vigilance in issuing visas for entry to the US to job seekers, students, visitors and tourists to seven Asian Countries with India first and Sri Lanka third, Malaysia and others following. Words fail Cassandra to express the fact that all this will boomerang on America. Trump cannot go on like this.

from The Island https://ift.tt/H48BbuL