Spectacles Update

I forgot to mention that I went back to the optometrist and picked up my glasses. Again they felt a little funny, in that my vision was just a little off. For the record I wear bifocals.

The salesman took a look how they sat on my face then pushed them down just a tad bit on my nose "How do you see now?", wouldn't you know it, it was the difference between night and day.
he made some further adjustments and gave them back to me. Still a tad bit funny but he said it would take awhile for my eyes to get adjusted to them and that seems to be the case.

I got a good deal as well around $158USD for line free, anti-glare bifocals on rimless metal frames. At least a solid $100USD more back home, probably more.

Just in case your wondering they call eyeglasses here spectacles.

American Experience - PBS Series

I am somewhat of a history buff, for no other reason asides the fact that I am somewhat of a history buff. Which is probably why I enjoy the PBS series American Experience. They are like mini history lessons all in 50 minutes. Just finished watching one about the Dust Bowl, very informative.

And as Forrest Gump would say "And that's all I have to say about that"

Which reminds me, have I ever blogged how I was almost an extra in the movie Forrest Gump and how Chris and I will never watch it together as I can point out so many people that I knew and the roles they played as extras in the film?

Guess now that I have mentioned it I will have to blog about it soon!

The Storm in the Cloud

The Negotiation

Every trishaw ride begins with one, negotiate the price with the driver. Now you can be brave and just jump in any old trishaw that comes along, give the driver a destination and deal with the fair when you arrive, but chances are if you're a Westerner that is going to be a hefty fair.

As it stands now we probably pay, make that we do pay too much, probably double what a Sri Lankan pays.

More often than not when you ask how much the driver usually says something to the effect of "No problem, you pay whatever" or "Get in, no problem" everything is no problem.

It's just automatically assumed you're rich if your a Westerner. To make things that much more difficult for us is that if we catch a trishaw outside of our apartment then they know you live in one of the most expensive apartments in Colombo, doesn't help. Works the other way around as well when we try to catch a ride to our apartment.

Funny double whammy as we ate at a restaurant at the Hilton Residences (Hilton Hotel apartments) and grabbed a trishaw back to our apartment. Yeah, try being cheap leaving one of the most expensive apartments in Colombo and going to one of the other expensive apartments in Colombo. Actually wasn't so bad, I started the negotiation off with 150 Rupees, he asked for 250 and we settled for 200 ($1.75), probably 100 if I was Sri Lanka!