Another Twist in The Tale

CEYLON
As Valerie has said on previous pages, she saw this position for a chef instructor in their hotel
school in Colombo, Ceylon, way back in 1967 and now Sri Lanka.
I had to go to the Ceylon High Commission in Knightsbridge, London, for an interview which I
thought I would never get anyway and after a 3 hour interview the position seemed to good
to be true, why?...
I believe, if I remember, I was paid £225 a month, tax free, sterling and it was my
responsibility to change it through exchange control and send it to England as I was paid in
rupees which was then converted into my English bank into sterling, by the way that was tax
free which really attracted me to accept the position, but as I soon found out when I was
working there, everybody were duckers and divers, the Sinhalese were as you will see later.
When I arrived in Ceylon I soon found out that you never converted your sterling through a
bank account you went to the local market and looked for a good conversion deal which was
being offered to you on the black market. You handed over your sterling then you got rupees
in return which was approximately double the value of sterling, so I would live well, I kept
approximately 50% of the rupees to live on and the rest I sent in sterling to my English bank
account!!!
When I arrived home and explained to Valerie about the position I was being offered we had
a big decision to make, should we take it or carry on as we are now, my decision was to take
it why?...
I had always been a sun worshiper, love the open air and sun and all it seemed to do in Selsey
is rain, rain, rain, and the cash till which fluctuated greatly because of the season as it was
more of a holiday destination, although many houses were being built for local people.
Valerie was excellent she backed me to the hilt and said lets go for it and of course both our
parents were absolutely astounded, e.g. where is my daughter being taken to by this peculiar
old man of hers!!
I travelled first on a VC10 to Colombo and my plan was for Valerie to follow me once I'd sussed
out what my actual job in Colombo would entail as the Ceylon government guaranteed me
free hotel accommodation with all food etc until I had sorted out my accommodation and
costs I would be responsible for.
In retrospect, I should have said to the Ceylon high commission I will not take the position
unless you provide free accommodation etc. etc. for my 2 year contract at the hotel school. I
was still naive in those days but I kicked myself that I never tried it on anyway but that’s life I
suppose!!
50