Dinesh
Budget Traveling, Event Photography
Dinesh will choose beach life on any day. He'll pick a budget hostel by the beach, and be on his merry way for a night of cocktailing or chilling out. Plus, he takes his coffee very seriously, so if there's a place that gets his resounding approval, that place is guaranteed to have good coffee.
If there's an event that YAMU attends, you'll definitely find Dinesh among us, with his camera, because he believes that food with people makes the best kind of photos.
Buddhika
Hiking, Diving, Pappa Bars
An avid hiker and a diver, Buddhika doesn't need a long weekend to travel. "Time is now," he believes, and it's actually a good theory. If there's something that we've learnt from this pandemic, it's how short and precious life is, which is all the more reasons why we should enjoy it to the fullest. He's waiting for the country to get back to normalcy, at least to some safe extent, so he can pick up his travel journey where he left off.
He is not that into those fancy bars in town, but he always finds comfort inside a chilled, frothy mugful of beer he grabs from a suburban bar. "Pappa bars" he calls them, which are essentially slightly dodgy bars that sell booze for pocket-friendly prices, along with Lankan staple bites like tempered chickpeas, and welcomes pretty much anyone, without inquiring about their dress code. He terribly misses that too.
Chandana
Booze, Booze, Booze!
Ahh, don't we all? Anyway, now that liquor stores are open, Chandana won't find it hard to get his booze on, but, he'll still miss the bona parties and podi adiyas he used to have with his friends.
Chathu
Reviews, Friday Tipple
It's not just Chathu, all of us in the Editorial miss reviewing restaurants so badly. It's not just the good food, but the experience as a whole – the curious eyes of the staff as we take out our cameras (because our reviews are conducted anonymously without any prior notice), ordering food like we are going to feed a village, even when there are only two of us; there's so much more to it. Anyway, the restaurants are open again, and hopefully, we'll be back to it in no time.
But, Chathu will still miss her Friday tipple with friends, as the bars are still closed.
Mubarak
Cricket Practices, Late Night Shoots
Muba plays for the company cricket team, and he's very dedicated to it. So much so, he has never missed a single practice session (unless he's sick). Now that curfew in Colombo has been lifted, he's eagerly waiting for the practices to recommence, which would take some time, but, he's hopeful.
The late-night shoots at YAMU are not easy. Sometimes it requires waking up at 3.00 AM after sleeping on a small couch at the office. But they involve some good food, which Muba loves.
Hang in their Muba! We're sure that cricket and food miss you as much as you miss them.
Kuganna
Fighting With Dinesh, Food Photography
The drama between Kuganna and Dinesh is one of the major parts of YAMU's daily dose of entertainment. Ever since we started working from home, we've been missing it a lot, and so does Kuganna.
He's a brilliant photographer too, which is why sometimes we drag him with us for reviews. As our reviews are still on hold, he's going to miss food photography for a while as well.
Farill
Playing Badminton, Meeting Friends, Travelling
Farill plays badminton, not only because he wants to keep himself fit, but also because he enjoys it very much. He's counting days until he can get back to it, and also for the opportunity to meet and hang out with his friends. Given that the curfew is lifted, he can easily do the latter, but he has decided to stay home for a little while longer because these are tricky times.
The picture above was taken during his trip to Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. Much like the others in our team, he also misses travelling so much.
Vishvi
Spontaneous Getaways, Giovanni's, Chocolate Treat Cake
One moment I'm in Colombo, and in the next, I'm basking in the glorious sunset somewhere in Kosgoda, or climbing (while whining, I must say) up on a hill; I really miss the opportunity to be spontaneous like that.
I miss my monthly-visits to Giovanni's. I can always opt to get their pizzas delivered, but it's not just pizzas I love about Giovanni's, it's a whole vibe. It's like a house full of friendly people who'd welcome you like it's a place of your own.
And also, I miss cake. Not just any cake, but the Chocolate Treat Cake from The Cake Factory down 5th Lane. Incredibly chocolaty, soft, spongy and moist af, it's pure happiness that takes the form of a triangle-shaped cake.
What do you mostly miss due to this COVID-19 outbreak? Do let us know in the comments.
