Nicking at dances

Dances or Balls as they are aptly called are many in Colombo. Whether organised by a corporate, school, club or whoever they are always full.

One thing that the guests, especially the ladies, have learned is not to carry any money or valuables in their handbags or clutches to such an event.  Since when one is bobbing and swinging on the dance floor, handbags fall easy prey to thieves who nick things off them. The nicking is not limited to cash and stuff such as perfumes, make up and lipsticks are also removed.  Invariably it is the service staff who get the blame and hotels have to cope with the numerous complaints they get from guests who have attended these functions. Surprisingly at most times it is not the service staff but other women who nick them. Same goes with the bottles of alcohol on the tables which are aplenty at these dances.  

There are many who happily nick the bottles from the tables. At a recent airline dance, whilst the birthday cake was being cut and all at the table had moved away to join the celebration,  a woman at the table whipped out her large hand bag and scooped in two bottles into it.  In situations like this it is embarrassing to point out what has happened so the people who did spot the nicking kept quiet.

In recent times the service staff in some hotels have decided to report to somebody at the table if they spot other guests nicking bottles off tables. At a recent dance such an action was spotted by a steward who informed the head of the said table.  He actually went out of the ballroom and confronted the guest and got his bottle back.  On returning to the table another steward informed him that the guy’s partner had nicked another bottle and that she had bolted off through the fire escape exit.

What surprises most people is that all these nickers can afford to purchase a bottle and certainly such action cannot be called a prank as they are not teenage kids but grown adults. The sad part is that the innocent service staff get blamed at most times. The solution would be to have a sober watch dog at the table to ensure that nothing is nicked at one’s table whilst at a dance.


Petite butterfly

Birthdays are joyous occasions and most love to celebrate it in various ways. Harshini Nadesan Struys, “petite butterfly” of Colombo, celebrates it annually with a great tea. This year the chosen venue was the much sought after hotel, The Kingsbury.  She celebrated her birthday on the tenth level of the hotel, from where the view of Colombo is most spectacular at sunset.  The Hotel had put on a great show with an amazingly good High Tea. The entire area and tables decorated with pink roses complemented Harshini, who also had worn a delicate pink sari and looked pretty as a picture. The guests certainly did have a great time.  With a DJ belting out music that drowned all conversation, the young and the old enjoyed themselves on the floor dancing to the rhythm of the evening.