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The Journey Begins

Appears in
Hidden Kitchens of Sri Lanka
Hidden Kitchens of Sri Lanka

By Bree Hutchins

Published 2013

  • About

I am heading down a narrow sandy path in Valvettithurai on the Jaffna Peninsula. It’s late January 2012, the sun is blistering hot and not a breath of wind is coming off the Indian Ocean. The colourful wooden fishing boats and sunburnt palmyra palms are completely still. My companions — another photographer and a film crew — struggle in the heat, but our Sri Lankan guide doesn’t seem to notice the sweat that streams down his back.

I’ve been in Sri Lanka for a month, documenting the work of the MJF Charitable Foundation, which was established in 1962 by Merrill J Fernando, the founder of Dilmah. In two weeks I’m due to fly home to Sydney, but I’m not ready to leave. It’s not just that this tiny tropical island is stunningly beautiful and barely touched by tourism, it’s also the people I have met; I am captivated by them. They have endured so much through three decades of civil war and the devastating 2004 tsunami, yet they possess a resilience, determination and positivity that I find awe inspiring. They don’t just welcome strangers with a smile, they invite them into their homes to share a meal or a cup of tea with their families. Their hospitality is genuine and heartfelt. And ... they are incredible cooks.

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