Greetings from Auckland

It has been more than 12 years since I last saw Sushani in Sri Lanka.  We were on our way to Australia (in 1998) and had stopped off in Colombo for a holiday.  We had a few reunions both at my parents house and at the house of another mutual friend (Sureshnie) who still lives in Sri Lanka. 

Sush and I both worked at the International Irrigation Management Institute in Kandy, which is how we met.  Sush, moved back to Colombo, shortly after I started working there, but she was friends with the group of people I hung out with at IIMI and so we got to know each other over time.  I moved into her room in the house I shared with Sureshnie and Sush would visit occasionally at the weekends for reunions with her friends.  We have kept in touch over the years via the internet and she followed my journey this year and invited me to visit her in Auckland, on my way home to Sydney.

As I walk into the visitors lounge, I wonder whether I will recognise her after all these years, but she hasn’t changed a bit!  She comes to pick me up at the airport with her son in the early hours of Tuesday morning and we greet each other warmly. 

Auckland had been experiencing a bit of severe weather in the lead up to my visit but as promised, I have brought the sunshine with me.  After a nice cup of coffee and brekkie, we settle down for a chat and reminisce about the years since we last caught up.  Sush has 2 grown up children now who I meet for the first time.  Her mom is also visiting her and her brother drops by to say hello.  I am reminded of my own mom and my Sri Lankan culture as they all extend a warm welcome and I get more than just a taste of true Sri Lankan hospitality.  

We spend 3 wonderful days together.  We drive around Auckland and visit its beautiful parks, look outs and museums.  I enjoy great food from buriyani and curries to roti and waffles!  We go on long walks and sit under the trees for a bit of time out, laughter, chats and extended picnic lunches packed with great care. 

I am lucky enough to have 3 beautiful days of warm sunshine and we spend most of our time outdoors.  I enjoy getting to know Sush’s children, now grown up and on the brink of starting their own lives.  Anik, her daughter is going to Uni and we sit around the table discussing everything from ‘personality types’ to the latest movies we have seen. 

On my last day we go on a road trip to Thames.  It is a pretty town with cute shops and book stores to browse and we picnic by the waterside for lunch.   

I am at the tail end of my trip and catching up with friends and spending a few lazy days together is just what I need.  My three days draws to an end and I say goodbye and thank you to my wonderful hosts by throwing them a mini BBQ in true Aussie fashion.  At the last minute we find out we are out of gas and decide to cook the food indoors!  We sit around the dining table for hours chatting, eating and laughing.  I discover that Ajith (Sush’s brother), went to school around the same time as my cousins and in true Sri Lankan fashion, discover we have more mutual friends than do Sush and I who have been friends for years!   

The next morning, Sush and I get on a flight to Wellington.  We are off to spend time with Radhini, another very dear mutual friend of ours from our days at IIMI.

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”  Oliver Wendell Holmes