Thursday 26th January 2023

I left early this morning to go to The Grand Hotel to try to track down the Human Resources Manager with responsibility for Learning and Development. I got the General Manager's Personal Assistant first of all, and she sat me down with a mug of tea and some jaggery, telling me that the lady I was looking for would be able to meet with me directly after the managers had attended their morning briefing meeting.

Let me tell you about jaggery! It is an absolute delight - not dissimilar to crystallized fudge, but by all accounts, much better for you. Apparently, amongst its many benefits, it helps prevent constipation, detoxes the liver, treats flu-like symptoms, is a blood purifier, boosts immunity, cleanses the body, eases menstrual pain, prevents anaemia, boosts intestinal health, cools the stomach, controls blood pressure, prevents respiratory problems, relieves joint pain, helps with weight loss, and is a good source of energy!

Well, as you can imagine, after a few pieces of jaggery I felt like a new man, and well ready for my meeting with the Human Resources Manager, who turned out to be a lovely lady called Wathsala! I had a lovely discussion with her about how The Grand Hotel could link up with Tea Leaf, as a well-established Non-Government Organisation in this local community, and I shall be returning with Miss Selveraj in due course.

Wathsala is in charge of nearly 400 staff at The Grand Hotel and it was so interesting to talk to her, as it is very unusual for a woman to have reached such a senior position, and she has certainly broken a glass ceiling to be where she is now. Things are gradually changing for women in Sri Lanka, but Wathsala is a bit of a trailblazer, so I genuinely felt very privileged to spend some time with her today.

Today's photos, of course, feature jaggery, and my meeting with Wathsala!







Comments

  1. CharlesJanuary 27, 2023 at 1:29 AM

    Although you have visited The Grand Hotel numerous times, there are still things waiting to surprise you and us! Jaggery sounds like medicinal elixir, whilst Wathsala is clearly a rising star...

    ReplyDelete

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