New Dutch Hospital
Photo by Dominic Sansoni, because my camera is bricked.
I went for the opening of Ministry Of Crab on Friday, which also happened to be the day they opened the new Dutch Hospital shopping complex. Built across from the World Trade Center, it’s a beautiful courtyard and cobblestone space with food (MinCrab, Harpo’s, Hilton, Heladiv Tea), shopping (ODEL, Barefoot, Colombo Jewelry) and a pub. It’s pretty damn good for Colombo.
I walked into the Ministry Of Crab as Gotabhaya Rajapaksa was walking out. Kumar Sangakkara, a co-owner, was greeting people and countless cricketers new and old were there. I actually didn’t have any food thing, having gone wandering when some things were served. The Dutch Hospital complex opens out onto a courtyard of cobblestones and chairs. The city rises above you. There are shops and restaurants all around and a second courtyard further in where be Barefoot and the pub.
Walking out back, you can see Colombo Fort, leading up to the clock tower that was the sign of a bomb blast, and it looks like its developing. Colombo and Sri Lanka in general are changing very fast. You can see it before your eyes, I see new shops, new buildings, new businesses, even new roads. Just came up from Matara and it’s amazing how much has changed. Matara has a bigger Arpico and generally better architecture than Colombo, and it’s only begun to grow.
Cruising up on the new Southern Expressway you’re struck by how empty it is, and all the potential it contains. Like once there are highways like this around the country, how it really will be like one city, the City of Lanka, inshallah.
With Fort, also, the richness of architecture and natural beauty have long been neglected, sadly and obviously slow. Now life is starting to creep back into the city’s heart and it’s quite exciting to see. As I walked out I saw Harry Jayawardena talking on the phone, but I could just as easily imagine tourists hanging out or students grabbing a coffee.
Today on the 
Janith has updated 
This is highly dubious. Miss Travel is a travel/social networking site that connects ‘Generous’ and ‘Attractive’ travelers. To, like, travel together, I guess. It all seems a bit like arranged prostitution and trafficking. This is part of a broader online trend to connect rich men to younger, attractive women. Sites like 
Sri Lankan domestics never say anything, they just stop coming. My maid just stopped coming and when I finally pressed her she said I needed to get a washing machine. I was hoping to ride this one out, but I’ve run out of underwear and I have no choice. I finally caved and bought a washing machine, from 
chikkey, such blatant name dropping
If it makes you feel better, I didn’t know anybody and snuck out to eat patties out of a paper bag.
alls good :) haha
i shall now retire from being a troll and get a job
Interesting.. From your description it sounds great, although the name Dutch Hospital shopping complex sounds a little weird. Great location too. Would like to see more pics though.
Great, Nice to see new places to hang out. I also like Low key chill out place, Lighhouse gallery run by the Navy in Fort. Good food, ambience and great service. Food and Liqour Prices are reasonable too.
Oh my God, a ministry of Crab? what a name!
Ministry of Crab! Three of you opposition MPs! Why not change your colours? Think of the new possibilities! Minister of Crab, Deputy Minister of Crab and the Supervisory MP for Ministry of Crab! SLAS officers … why not apply for the Secretary post of the Ministry of Crab? Or are all these posts reserved for crabs?
[...] Dutch Hospital complex and Colombo Night Races were just the start of the redevelopment of Colombo central. The fish [...]
[...] and crumbling, shuttered buildings”. Only now are we seeing redevelopment – the Dutch Hospital Shopping Complex, the Colombo Night Races – and this is only because the war ended and terrorism stopped. Now [...]