COLOMBO - Three Sri Lankan men arranged five types of soya sauce on the shelves of a new Chinese supermarket in Astoria mall on R.A. De Mel Mawatha, a busy road lined with upmarket shops and popular eateries in Colombo, while Ms Mary Song Fang jotted down the inventory in Chinese characters in her notebook.
With the help of her local translator-cum-shop manager, Ms Song instructed the staff to display a bottle of golden-brown light soya sauce with bags of jasmine rice in the store front, to attract Chinese regulars and a growing number of Sri Lankan customers.
The 43-year-old woman from Guangzhou, capital city of southern China's Guangdong province, set off alone for Sri Lanka's capital city 10 years ago to expand her family's gems business. But after the Covid-19 pandemic began in 2020, followed by Sri Lanka declaring bankruptcy in 2022, she switched trades, running a hair salon before moving on to sell Chinese groceries.
"Food is always in demand, whoever (is in) government, whatever the season," said Ms Song, whose parents and sister joined her in Colombo in 2023, opening an Asian noodles and boba tea shop next door.
The Chinese family's fortunes mirror Sri Lanka's ties with China. Sri Lanka leaned towards China during the heyday of politician-brothers Mahinda and Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Mr Mahinda Rajapaksa served as president of Sri Lanka from 2005 to 2015, while his younger brother Gotabaya was president from 2019 until his resignation in July 2022.
The Songs came with a wave of Chinese families moving to the South Asian island nation in the last 15 years, as the Sri Lankan government under the Rajapaksas signed deals for dozens of Chinese infrastructure projects in the country.
この記事は The Straits Times の November 03, 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は The Straits Times の November 03, 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
Why tell people? It's nothing to be proud of
Why tell people? It's nothing to be proud of
We are as special as you are
\"I had no one I felt I could trust to talk to. I told myself that this happened because of my decision. So I didn't really contact anyone, I just kept my thoughts to myself.\"
I couldn't understand what was happening
In October 2023, Cherry (not her real name) found herself suddenly losing a lot of weight.
Living with HIV in 2024
While there is still no effective cure, major medical advancements in antiretroviral therapy have made living with the human immunodeficiency virus HIV) much more manageable. While it’s no longer the death sentence it once was, social stigma still exists. The Straits Times speaks to eight people in Singapore living with HIV about what life is like since their diagnosis.
Black Friday: Why our brains love a bargain
This is partly down toa chemical response in our brains, which urges us to buy something when we come across reduced prices.
Bluesky beckons but it's not Twitter's true heir
Amid explosive growth, the app offers a welcome reprieve from Musk's X, but the dream of a universal digital town square? That moment has passed.
It's bananas to regard art as an investment
Enjoy your paintings and sculptures. Just don't expect a return on what you paid for them.
China and Pakistan: Why a sour note has seeped into 'sweeter than honey' ties
Islamabad is in a fix on how to assuage Beijing's growing anger over attacks on Chinese nationals.
Singapore hotel performance slips in post-F1 October
Singapore hotels' performance slipped in October, following highs in September when the Formula One (F1) night race came to town, Singapore Tourism Board (STB) data showed on Nov 29.
S'pore Reits get new leverage caps, tighter disclosure requirements
MAS' move gives investors more protection, encourages Reits to borrow prudently
