Kasun Pathirage

From the opening pages of Cooking in the Wrong Century by Austrian novelist, playwright, and visual artist Teresa Präauer, both the scene and the table are set—the oven preheated, an undressed salad in the fridge, and jazz playing in the background. At this apartment in a European city, newly occupied and stacked with unpacked boxes, dinner guests are expected shortly. The setting is one many readers will be familiar with, from literature and life.

“Dear Kasun, Life must have whimsy to survive. Best not to take yourself too seriously!” That was the response I received when I emailed Madame Helga asking if she was available for an interview. I had heard much about Helga’s Folly (a self-described “anti-hotel” in Kandy, Sri Lanka) and its proprietor, Helga Desilva Blow Perera (a rigmarole of a name, by her own admission). Previous visitors had likened the place to Cruella’s manor or the Deetz House from Beetlejuice.

In response to the 2008 financial crisis that reduced consumer confidence and real wages and resulted in a sustained economic recession, there has been a surge in the number of policy and academic papers exploring potential macroprudential policies. Most of these papers focus on the welfare of “borrowers” and “savers” and relate, predominantly, to the housing market.