We decided to meet as a family in David and Rashme’s brand new extended home in London for Christmas. Far from Bangalore and nasty, jealous siblings. Andrew and family flying in from Tennessee and us from India. We came in on Sri Lankan as that was the best deal our travel agent got us earlier, since we booked three months in advance.

Having flown Sri Lankan ten years ago, we did not know what we were in for and were pleasantly surprised. The ‘planes were spanking clean and looked new. The movie screens were perfect after the non performing ones we were used to in BA which we took because they were direct flights.

Steve and I sat and watched 3 films each, all the way to Colombo and then onwards to London. Pretty good movies too -- The Judge being one that really made one think about a senior citizen and harassment. It just depends on interpretation. How the case is interpreted, so a perfectly innocent person can be criminally blamed for a deed which has not been committed by him or her. And ofcourse the clout that one wields.

The flight had excellent meals for all including diabetics. That was a good sign for me a diabetic as I normally have to starve as the food is definitely not diabetic friendly. I remember the last flight I took out from London on BA, they gave me two idlis with a horrible sambhar for breakfast. I just did not dare touch it and very calmly was told, that if I did not eat it I could not get anything else. Basically to starve.

Here on Air Lanka I got a double egg omlette with cheese, a portion of grilled tomatoes and mushroom and a large low fat sugar free yogurt plus a large portion of delicious papaya cubes. All perfect for a diabetic. Very happily I settled down to my meal with freshly crushed orange juice with no added sugar.At last I had an airline that knew a diabetics needs and obviously used a dietician, to draw up it’s meals. The regular meals for the rest of the family was greeted with happy smiles as they were all delicious.

The blankets were freshly washed and covering myself in one I did catch a couple of forty winks before they came around with landing cards. For the first time I did not have the complete lading address and that bothered me cause I wondered if we would have to call family to get the right address.
Lucky for us we went up as a family and the camera taking our pictures was acting up so she did not bother with checking the cards, just stamping our five year visas. We like taking the long visas cause it means we can go whenever we please and when the kids call instead of booking only once tickets and visas are done.

We were not too keen on a trip in the winter to London cause Arctic blasts were predicted, but the weather was wonderful when we got out, not balmy like Bangalore, but with a nice nip in the air, just enough for my leather coat, cap and neck warmer and gloves only late in the evening.

I love the UK, not for anything,in particular but I enjoy coming to live in my sons beautiful new home which he has built and extended with a lot of love.