Sri Lanka media star!
This is a surreal visit. I have not left my hotel since arrival, except in hands of chaperones but I'm being treated like a visiting head of state. The speech today was to 80 odd CEOs and received widespread media coverage, as apparently it did last week in the lead up to the event.
I am now about to be introduced to the association of Sri Lanka company directors - shown off, as it were. All very fabulous and ego-boosting but weird nonetheless.
Second day's presentation over. Photo from day 1 on page 2 of local Financial Times. I spoke for 6 hours straight today - with a break for lunch in the middle but still. Q&A were in writing at the end of each session - apparently that's the cultural trick here. Am now waiting to be collected for dinner and then my reward starts - the 3 day tour of cultural sights begins at 630 tomorrow morning.
Day 1 of tour almost over and I'm sitting watching Sri Lankan dances with 200 other tourists. I have a guide and car all to myself - no mixing with the hoi polloi for me - but this show is clearly part of everyone's package. Highlight of the day was smelling 60-odd elephants at the orphanage. Getting up close and personal - I hand-fed one - while they ate and washed was pretty cool too. They have very human eyes.