If there was ever a story that competed for the prize of most amount of idiotic characters it would be Troy. Or the Illiad. Now don't get me wrong, im a greek mythology buff just like you, or unlike you, but you've gotta admit the fact.
And Priam was the biggest fool of them all.
I had forgotten how great a run and a dip in the sea felt like since i left Wadduwa. The last time it was around 11 in the morning. On weekeds i'd run till i couldn't run anymore down the southern stretch of beach. then it was my habit to find a log in front of some still under construction hotel or deserted coconut estate and play the Michaelangelo.
That day i was just gazing at the water and i saw some chap in there waist deep just lounging, and it hit me like a wild coconut; how come i never thought of that before? So there was i, in the water for about half an hour, practically deserted beach, blue sea under a sun in an even bluer sky. Damn, the waves were so cool, the sand...
Ah best memories album, this one belongs in that.
Today it was at Mount beach, around 7pm. it was crowded. but i still spent some time in the water. ah the city aint got nothing on Wadduwa. But i'll tell you about one interesting place on Mount beach; once you pass all the restaurants on the nothern side, and keep going, you come to a deserted area which restaurants and tourists have failed to infiltrate. there are a few slums i think. You keep going and you soon come upto this potrusion of rock.
Its quite wide and there's some sort of building on top of it. and you cant reach it unless the tide is low. its a cool place. to the north you can see the whole shoreline of Colombo, with the lights glittering in the dark, and to the south its mount beach.
parking is a bitch though. a word of advice, its absolutely hopeless driving down beach road past the last turn off on weekend evenings or any other crowded time. You wont be able to find any parking one, and even if you do; two you'll have to bend in five different directions at the same time on the way back.
Once you're done running, you can grab a juice. theres a good place on Galle road somewhere opposite Lion Pub. Affordable and it'd prolly be a safe bet to say that they can and have made a juice out of any fruit in season at the moment. you can even get em with ice cream..
mmm.. ice cream.
Today's post courtesy; The Lingerie Industry; because you know your man deserves it..I guess you have to do a project on it to realize that thong swimwear comes in male versions as well.
Showing posts with label Sri Lanka. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sri Lanka. Show all posts
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
Media Hogwash
Lost. That is what I am. Lost for words, lost in my dreams that render everything else insignificant, there is a despicable atmosphere of over marketed victory in the country. People individually are not the problem. But people collectively are.
The media is equally to blame. The nationalistic commentary on some media is positively vomit inducing. The government has obviously got to be behind it. Such corny fervor would not arise from any human brain other than one hell bent on control and a bullshit whitewash.
The new definitions of ‘race’; that of lovers of the nation and those that hate, are ambiguous and smell to me a like a harbinger of more oppression. Someone once said ‘dissent is the greatest form of patriotism’ and if not the greatest form, it is still a part and parcel of being a good patriot.
The greatest need for a ‘free nation’ is a free media. But the media here are cowed. They bow down to the will of the government; they are too scared to do their duty. There are rules and regulations preventing the broadcasting of certain events. That should actually be unconstitutional, these should actually be condemned, yet nothing is done. The justice system must be incapable of ensuring the rights of a free media movement, so does that mean the problem lies there?
These restrictions, whether spoken or unspoken, covert or otherwise, defy the essential values of the media movement, and therefore the media in the nation sadly does not amount to much.
Better to be deaf, than to have to listen to the hogwash in the media.
The media is equally to blame. The nationalistic commentary on some media is positively vomit inducing. The government has obviously got to be behind it. Such corny fervor would not arise from any human brain other than one hell bent on control and a bullshit whitewash.
The new definitions of ‘race’; that of lovers of the nation and those that hate, are ambiguous and smell to me a like a harbinger of more oppression. Someone once said ‘dissent is the greatest form of patriotism’ and if not the greatest form, it is still a part and parcel of being a good patriot.
The greatest need for a ‘free nation’ is a free media. But the media here are cowed. They bow down to the will of the government; they are too scared to do their duty. There are rules and regulations preventing the broadcasting of certain events. That should actually be unconstitutional, these should actually be condemned, yet nothing is done. The justice system must be incapable of ensuring the rights of a free media movement, so does that mean the problem lies there?
These restrictions, whether spoken or unspoken, covert or otherwise, defy the essential values of the media movement, and therefore the media in the nation sadly does not amount to much.
Better to be deaf, than to have to listen to the hogwash in the media.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Come to Sri Lanka, see our war crimes.
So the EU wants to organize a tribunal thingamajig to investigate civilian deaths not only by the hands of the tigers but also by the hands of the government. Well, here's a thing or two for you to consider Mr. EU bigwig. We never claimed the LTTE posessed nukes, and we never used falsities like that as an excuse to indiscriminately kill people. We never bombed no wedding parties and killed whole families just because we suspected the bride's fifth cousin by marriage to have a nephew who once was possibly in the same building as Osama Bin Laden. Sure we don't have a lot of clout in the international arena, unlike some people, but we are human beings too, and therefore equipped with brains capable of intelligence to a certain degree, and your self righteous hypocrisy and cowardice is painfully obvious, even to us.
Why don't you bring down Bush to the Hague and try him for war crimes instead of letting him peacefully sit in his ranch watching his cows piss into the drying desert sand? Why don't you investigate all the accusations of torture and disappearing tourists instead of trying to poke your nose in places you are not wanted? Why don't you investigate the atrocities on the Gaza strip and the audacity of the Israeli's claim of being able to use precision bombing with the ability to target a single insurgent within one million civillians right before they demolish the UN office in an aerial attack (oops)? Come Mr. EU bigwig, we all know who lubes your ass every night.
But you know what we also know? we know your threats are empty. Oh yes Mr. Bigwig, we know the game you play. Its been played for a long long time and we are familiar with the rules. The first rule is there are no rules. Here's how it goes, you will use your clout to make us submit and you will proceed to own our asses. Yes you will secure the national resources and you will secure an 'open' economy and you will 'integrate us into the global arena'. And thank you very much we will too, 'cos maybe thats exactly what we need. Oh yes, you will try to bribe our leaders and if you cannot reach a compromise, you will roll us in the dirt and call us terrorists and rogues.
But you also know that this is not as easy as it used to be, oh no. You have competition now. And we have Iran on our side, and the Russians. Who aren't exactly on pally terms with you we notice. Also our geographical location puts us in an ideal position to take advantage of the regional economic boom, we only need to hope like hell our leaders will see these opportunities and grab them. Oh yes, we may eventually have to be owned by someone but at least now we've got options.
So come to Sri Lanka, try your luck. Here's the famous hospitable smile also =)
Why don't you bring down Bush to the Hague and try him for war crimes instead of letting him peacefully sit in his ranch watching his cows piss into the drying desert sand? Why don't you investigate all the accusations of torture and disappearing tourists instead of trying to poke your nose in places you are not wanted? Why don't you investigate the atrocities on the Gaza strip and the audacity of the Israeli's claim of being able to use precision bombing with the ability to target a single insurgent within one million civillians right before they demolish the UN office in an aerial attack (oops)? Come Mr. EU bigwig, we all know who lubes your ass every night.
But you know what we also know? we know your threats are empty. Oh yes Mr. Bigwig, we know the game you play. Its been played for a long long time and we are familiar with the rules. The first rule is there are no rules. Here's how it goes, you will use your clout to make us submit and you will proceed to own our asses. Yes you will secure the national resources and you will secure an 'open' economy and you will 'integrate us into the global arena'. And thank you very much we will too, 'cos maybe thats exactly what we need. Oh yes, you will try to bribe our leaders and if you cannot reach a compromise, you will roll us in the dirt and call us terrorists and rogues.
But you also know that this is not as easy as it used to be, oh no. You have competition now. And we have Iran on our side, and the Russians. Who aren't exactly on pally terms with you we notice. Also our geographical location puts us in an ideal position to take advantage of the regional economic boom, we only need to hope like hell our leaders will see these opportunities and grab them. Oh yes, we may eventually have to be owned by someone but at least now we've got options.
So come to Sri Lanka, try your luck. Here's the famous hospitable smile also =)
Friday, May 15, 2009
Defense report
May as well try an excercise to pull off a bit of a mental thread of meaning from my teeming head
As people die we wax lyrical on blogs but do we even try to stop the killing?
People are DYING and all we do is wax lyrical
lyrics so spherical you cant find an edge to grasp a bit of meaning
why write about things when you writing about it is not going to stop it
why not just ignore the deranged war of blood and flesh flying around faster than shrapnel
for writing about it devoids you of reason and accuses you of treason
woe be tide anyone who is against it
the dead are piling and no one who is on either side can stop it
we are in a place where people dying is a natural phenomenon of the ending of a conflict
they are bombed and they are ripped to shreds as propaganda attempts to weakly restore order
we over here are so eager for peace we don't really give a shit, if there is some 'mild' blood loss and disorder
The UN screams but they dont really seem to want to step in, lest they bury the sovereignity of this island
the EELAMIST bastards they just want a ceasefire to regroup, rethink and restore their battling order
the GOVERNMENT of tricksters, they are money twisters and yes im a critic
the morality we lived by is dead and in this carnage we are losing our soul to the devil, the devil, the devil.
the devil.
Nobody cares about the dead
not us not them not the UN, not really.
they are shelled and lost and struck a terrible revenge
for being at the wrong where, during the wrong when
Nobody really cares about stopping the dying
we are all utopians looking for a future of peace and loving
lets cast a grimace upon our healthy face
so that we can eventually have a hope of peace
Lets all go blogging and lets all write about politicking
the paining the gaining of winning
lets all take the topic and lets grind it and and wind it
now i dont mean to be a cynic but in this blood covered landscape, can we find it?
can we find it in a widow's dream?
can we find it in a mothers scream?
can we find it in the eyes of an orphan boy?
can we find it in the mournful songs of the days gone by?
where can we find it?
how can we find it?
what is peace?
where is it?
*yeah a little angst there.. call it a part of that license you're supposed to have when you write, and no offence to anyone writing about the war btw, writing about it is important, you should keep it up. This is mainly about the desperation of the IDPs. When it comes down to it, the situation right now is such that most parties/interest groups involved want it all to somehow finish. The plight of the dying seems to be a secondary concern. These are my sentiments, and i admit to feeling the same myself, which is sort of despicable isnt it?
As people die we wax lyrical on blogs but do we even try to stop the killing?
People are DYING and all we do is wax lyrical
lyrics so spherical you cant find an edge to grasp a bit of meaning
why write about things when you writing about it is not going to stop it
why not just ignore the deranged war of blood and flesh flying around faster than shrapnel
for writing about it devoids you of reason and accuses you of treason
woe be tide anyone who is against it
the dead are piling and no one who is on either side can stop it
we are in a place where people dying is a natural phenomenon of the ending of a conflict
they are bombed and they are ripped to shreds as propaganda attempts to weakly restore order
we over here are so eager for peace we don't really give a shit, if there is some 'mild' blood loss and disorder
The UN screams but they dont really seem to want to step in, lest they bury the sovereignity of this island
the EELAMIST bastards they just want a ceasefire to regroup, rethink and restore their battling order
the GOVERNMENT of tricksters, they are money twisters and yes im a critic
the morality we lived by is dead and in this carnage we are losing our soul to the devil, the devil, the devil.
the devil.
Nobody cares about the dead
not us not them not the UN, not really.
they are shelled and lost and struck a terrible revenge
for being at the wrong where, during the wrong when
Nobody really cares about stopping the dying
we are all utopians looking for a future of peace and loving
lets cast a grimace upon our healthy face
so that we can eventually have a hope of peace
Lets all go blogging and lets all write about politicking
the paining the gaining of winning
lets all take the topic and lets grind it and and wind it
now i dont mean to be a cynic but in this blood covered landscape, can we find it?
can we find it in a widow's dream?
can we find it in a mothers scream?
can we find it in the eyes of an orphan boy?
can we find it in the mournful songs of the days gone by?
where can we find it?
how can we find it?
what is peace?
where is it?
*yeah a little angst there.. call it a part of that license you're supposed to have when you write, and no offence to anyone writing about the war btw, writing about it is important, you should keep it up. This is mainly about the desperation of the IDPs. When it comes down to it, the situation right now is such that most parties/interest groups involved want it all to somehow finish. The plight of the dying seems to be a secondary concern. These are my sentiments, and i admit to feeling the same myself, which is sort of despicable isnt it?
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Remember the Black Tigers
better than you
i am. i will be
seeing black
screaming in this silence
of a world gone quiet
quiet to me.
nothing but revenge
of an ancestral creed
an outlet of hate
an outlet of righteousness
to me. you will be.
the pain i unleash
the same. pain you suffer.
you will do no honour
in dying for the sins
of you and your kind
die my darlings
die. as i.
your torture is an instant
in return for an eternity
of mine.
pain, retribution
washing away in an instant
nothingness awaits
with its warm embrace
i am righteous.
i am. i will be
seeing black
screaming in this silence
of a world gone quiet
quiet to me.
nothing but revenge
of an ancestral creed
an outlet of hate
an outlet of righteousness
to me. you will be.
the pain i unleash
the same. pain you suffer.
you will do no honour
in dying for the sins
of you and your kind
die my darlings
die. as i.
your torture is an instant
in return for an eternity
of mine.
pain, retribution
washing away in an instant
nothingness awaits
with its warm embrace
i am righteous.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Put away those tranquilizers
What? is that a little too garish? i think so. Just hope it doesnt take away any sleep for your sake. Anyways iv been thinking how mad the world has been getting lately, iv always known that March was a month that heralded madness. The Cheshire cat led me a to a tea party when i was dating this chick Alice and that mad goat chap sorta told me about it, right before he stole my girlfriend and i woke up. Hell i was only five and i didnt even know what a girlfriend was, but in all truthfullness i did. i was one of those star struck kids, i remember asking a girl to marry me when i was four, of course she died a few years ago. i see no connection between these two totally unrelated incidents.
So yeah March, insane month isnt it? Nibras Bawa and Passionately Patient both entered the blogosphere in March, and together with a lot of input from the usually dormant and 'proper' individuals in the sphere, created mayhem and carnage and had to be forcibly taken down and put out for their own good and the collective good of the world as decided by the powers that be, and alomost every one else.
The war raged on and progressed further than ever before, killing a lot of people and blind fighting on both sides accompanied by protests from all corners brings us to the end of April slightly out of breath and finally easing up on the bombarding. That five kilometre piece of land probably looks like a tsunami hit it just about when it was getting over a 10.5 richter earthquake or something.
"if you keep your head while everyone else is losing theirs..." or something like that. Something to the affect that you shouldnt 'lose your head in troubled times' sort of like when you're a number 4 batsman watching the middle order crumble and seeing Murali walking in with about 70 or so more runs to get in as many balls. Actually by that time you'd probably have completely given up, unless of course you were Murali himself, whose belief that his closing eyes and blindly swinging 'improvised' cricketing shot actually will get him more than a couple of fluke sixes never ceases to amaze people on the occasions where it actually works.
Its nice to see the calibre of politicians havent changed. We seem to revel in the steriotypical fat , greasy mass appealing buggers with eloquent vocabulary with nothing substantial to show for it over and over again. Fucking cunts.
Theres swine flu going on people so watch out, as Dili, who tweeted someone else's tweet said, it cant be as bad as bird flu because 'pigs cant fly'. Lol right man, at the rate things are going prety soon pigs will fly. Nothing is known of this 'semi pandemic' except it seems to target 'young adults' more than anyone else. A vaccine is due in only about six months according to the docs at WHO so stay away from Mehico hombre.. of you know what is good for you.
We seem to think SL is safe from global shocks, which explains the downright ignorance people show for global news, Most of the arrack parties and blog discussions focus on local aspects. Is that only cos there is so much more going on here and people dont really have the time to look outside or is it cos the universe is always a flexible thing and will always contract to contain only the particular area of space that you want it to. Which will explain the amount of people walking around with dazed expressions looking at the stars circling their heads a foot away.
Ok im out. Nice insanity people. Lets see what May brings.
*ok that header's off. a little too much insanity there..
So yeah March, insane month isnt it? Nibras Bawa and Passionately Patient both entered the blogosphere in March, and together with a lot of input from the usually dormant and 'proper' individuals in the sphere, created mayhem and carnage and had to be forcibly taken down and put out for their own good and the collective good of the world as decided by the powers that be, and alomost every one else.
The war raged on and progressed further than ever before, killing a lot of people and blind fighting on both sides accompanied by protests from all corners brings us to the end of April slightly out of breath and finally easing up on the bombarding. That five kilometre piece of land probably looks like a tsunami hit it just about when it was getting over a 10.5 richter earthquake or something.
"if you keep your head while everyone else is losing theirs..." or something like that. Something to the affect that you shouldnt 'lose your head in troubled times' sort of like when you're a number 4 batsman watching the middle order crumble and seeing Murali walking in with about 70 or so more runs to get in as many balls. Actually by that time you'd probably have completely given up, unless of course you were Murali himself, whose belief that his closing eyes and blindly swinging 'improvised' cricketing shot actually will get him more than a couple of fluke sixes never ceases to amaze people on the occasions where it actually works.
Its nice to see the calibre of politicians havent changed. We seem to revel in the steriotypical fat , greasy mass appealing buggers with eloquent vocabulary with nothing substantial to show for it over and over again. Fucking cunts.
Theres swine flu going on people so watch out, as Dili, who tweeted someone else's tweet said, it cant be as bad as bird flu because 'pigs cant fly'. Lol right man, at the rate things are going prety soon pigs will fly. Nothing is known of this 'semi pandemic' except it seems to target 'young adults' more than anyone else. A vaccine is due in only about six months according to the docs at WHO so stay away from Mehico hombre.. of you know what is good for you.
We seem to think SL is safe from global shocks, which explains the downright ignorance people show for global news, Most of the arrack parties and blog discussions focus on local aspects. Is that only cos there is so much more going on here and people dont really have the time to look outside or is it cos the universe is always a flexible thing and will always contract to contain only the particular area of space that you want it to. Which will explain the amount of people walking around with dazed expressions looking at the stars circling their heads a foot away.
Ok im out. Nice insanity people. Lets see what May brings.
*ok that header's off. a little too much insanity there..
Monday, April 27, 2009
Putting the 'Dirty' In Politics
Casting the vote in Trincomalee courtesy getty images
David Cameron promises to- Shame overpaid civil servants, with a "people's right to know" scheme
- publish all items of public spending over £25,000 on a website
- publish all public sector salaries over £150,000
Whatever may be said about Western conspiracies and underhanded government and well-organized 'crime' dsguised in socially presentable front operations (like banking policy, begger thy neighbor trade policies, international interventionism etc.) their daily operational politics are decidedly less bloody than ours.
A lot of people getting seats in the provincial councils this time around are known criminals. Rape, murder, drugs, coercion, robbery it's all in a days work for them. As a matter of fact, it is almost hard for you to get anywhere close to politically successful in Colombo if you do not have substantial amounts of gangsta clout. Same goes for any other parts of the country.
So why do we sit and take this shit? Every single time over and over again, we see the same types of openly corrupt people enter into what should be one of the most sacred institutions of our nation, the government. Safe to say we are a nation governed by crooks then and yes you can stop laughing now, i am aware of the absurdity of calling something as sacriligious as the SL government 'sacred'.
People's attitudes play a big role. There is a general consensus that corruption 'cannot be stopped' and therefore the people don't mind leaders who are corrupt as long as they contribute 'at least as much as they steal' to the economy's development. I find this lax attitude to dishonesty rather distubing actually. By accepting corruption as 'normal' we are deeming it acceptable.
This should tell us a thing or two about the people's morals. Maybe we are more or less a whole nation of crooks then, always looking for a sly way to make a buck. Maybe we can't really blame fate for the type of leaders we get.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Guminda
Arr Guminda woke up amongst his favourite cuddly pillows. There was Smokey and Pokey and Cherry. He sighed and burrowed himself deeper in-between the covers. This was life.
The provincial council votes would be coming in by now, Chief Minister here i come!
He stretched himself luxuriously
'SOMEY!? where was that butt less moron of a butler?
'Somey!!' dammit, this is what happens when you hire people from your mother's village, damn political obligations, Guminda thought. The twerp doesn't even speak proper English! Doesn't even know what the word 'butler' means even! he felt weighted down by the unfairness of it all.
He looked around his penthouse flat; the place seemed lonely these days. He found his thoughts being dragged to earlier times, happier times.
He missed her, when the nights were lonely. He missed her high pitched voice which always reminded him of his favourite movie, Bride of Chucky. He missed her baby eyes, which could always convince him that she was younger than she appeared, much younger, the way he liked it. But most of all he missed her boobs, those soft cuddly boxing fit boobs, those perky ripe apples of Shakespearean praiseworthiness except that he didn’t know any Shakespeare, he didn't read much really. It wasn’t really required in his particular line of work.
He found himself imagining her lying on the bed right next to him; he found himself imagining what he'd do to her. Oh how he'd crush those boobs between his massive hands. He loved the way they would come out in red welts after they had sex from where his numerous rings would cut into her flesh. He loved the way she squealed when he'd enter her and pound her missionary style letting her breasts bounce around like two demolition balls crashing around against each other in utter chaos. Sometimes, when they were really going at it and his hips were moving back and forth at a quarter of the speed of light, they would move so fast that all he'd see was a blur of motion.
He sighed. It was the boobs really, he'd thought he'd loved the girl, but he'd only really ever loved the boobs. At least, the only emotional attachment he could connect to her centred heavily on her chest area.
He sighed again and tut tutted. Fuck that, chicks with good boobs are a dime a dozen. Of course, now that he was Chief Minister, he could have all the pussy he wanted. He tried to cheer himself up, tried to shrug his shoulders and force that famous Guminda grin that made old ladies swoon in motherly euphoria and kids cry in anticipation of being eaten alive. But he still felt bugged.
Was it possible to fall in love with a pair of boobs? He wondered. He made a mental note to ask Somey about it.
Right, now for the affairs of the state. He thought about his campaign. He was rather proud of it actually. He kind of enjoyed campaigning, he was a born poser and no matter what they say about actual practicing politics, there was nothing like an exciting campaign to really make a guy feel like he's doing something important you know? He'd felt on top of the world these past few weeks. He'd just loved the attention.
Was there anyone who could even come close to his magnafacious brilliance! Ow! He was the only real man in the whole electorate. What was a leader if he didn’t have a body the people could be proud of? What was a leader if he looked as if he could not even defend himself in a fistfight? Arr G was all male, he was the man for the job. He was the silver stammering nimrod, he was batahira sulange yotha balakaaya, he was the bee’s knees and the cat’s meow he was in short the greatest political icon to ever enter the political arena in the world! Yes that’s right! Soon the world would see that a Sri Lankan president could be just as iconic as an American one, he would even show Obama a thing or two about style, he would...
Oops. He’d just thought 'president' hadn't he? Must watch himself. The incumbent doesn't like ambition. And that goddamn brother of his looks like he practices black magic anyway, what if he read his mind or something? No, it was too early. He must keep his ambitions to himself for now. He must wait.
He sniggered maniacally. There was a side to Guminda that the press did not quite see. And he meant to keep it that way.
Arr G sighed, again. Oh well, a city awaited his benevolence. There was no doubt in his mind that he'd sweep the polls clean. He knew he was the dopest most illest gangsta pollsta to ever hit this sunny island and that limping simple wackass ex cricket bat cleaner didnt stand a chance against his awesomeness. He'd even had a song written about himself hadn’t he? He’d been so innovative and just simply marketed himself beyond the competition. The competition wasn't even in his league. In fact there was no competition. There was only him.
He hadn't even bothered to switch on the television. To him, victory was a foregone conclusion.
Ah! now for some tea.
Somey?
Grrr.. thats it, that cross eyed bugger was going back to his village
SOMEY? hukannathuwa mata thei ekak geneng!! (quit fuckin'around and bring me some tea) he yelled.
Sometimes you just gotta make mofockers understand you dig?
The provincial council votes would be coming in by now, Chief Minister here i come!
He stretched himself luxuriously
'SOMEY!? where was that butt less moron of a butler?
'Somey!!' dammit, this is what happens when you hire people from your mother's village, damn political obligations, Guminda thought. The twerp doesn't even speak proper English! Doesn't even know what the word 'butler' means even! he felt weighted down by the unfairness of it all.
He looked around his penthouse flat; the place seemed lonely these days. He found his thoughts being dragged to earlier times, happier times.
He missed her, when the nights were lonely. He missed her high pitched voice which always reminded him of his favourite movie, Bride of Chucky. He missed her baby eyes, which could always convince him that she was younger than she appeared, much younger, the way he liked it. But most of all he missed her boobs, those soft cuddly boxing fit boobs, those perky ripe apples of Shakespearean praiseworthiness except that he didn’t know any Shakespeare, he didn't read much really. It wasn’t really required in his particular line of work.
He found himself imagining her lying on the bed right next to him; he found himself imagining what he'd do to her. Oh how he'd crush those boobs between his massive hands. He loved the way they would come out in red welts after they had sex from where his numerous rings would cut into her flesh. He loved the way she squealed when he'd enter her and pound her missionary style letting her breasts bounce around like two demolition balls crashing around against each other in utter chaos. Sometimes, when they were really going at it and his hips were moving back and forth at a quarter of the speed of light, they would move so fast that all he'd see was a blur of motion.
He sighed. It was the boobs really, he'd thought he'd loved the girl, but he'd only really ever loved the boobs. At least, the only emotional attachment he could connect to her centred heavily on her chest area.
He sighed again and tut tutted. Fuck that, chicks with good boobs are a dime a dozen. Of course, now that he was Chief Minister, he could have all the pussy he wanted. He tried to cheer himself up, tried to shrug his shoulders and force that famous Guminda grin that made old ladies swoon in motherly euphoria and kids cry in anticipation of being eaten alive. But he still felt bugged.
Was it possible to fall in love with a pair of boobs? He wondered. He made a mental note to ask Somey about it.
Right, now for the affairs of the state. He thought about his campaign. He was rather proud of it actually. He kind of enjoyed campaigning, he was a born poser and no matter what they say about actual practicing politics, there was nothing like an exciting campaign to really make a guy feel like he's doing something important you know? He'd felt on top of the world these past few weeks. He'd just loved the attention.
Was there anyone who could even come close to his magnafacious brilliance! Ow! He was the only real man in the whole electorate. What was a leader if he didn’t have a body the people could be proud of? What was a leader if he looked as if he could not even defend himself in a fistfight? Arr G was all male, he was the man for the job. He was the silver stammering nimrod, he was batahira sulange yotha balakaaya, he was the bee’s knees and the cat’s meow he was in short the greatest political icon to ever enter the political arena in the world! Yes that’s right! Soon the world would see that a Sri Lankan president could be just as iconic as an American one, he would even show Obama a thing or two about style, he would...
Oops. He’d just thought 'president' hadn't he? Must watch himself. The incumbent doesn't like ambition. And that goddamn brother of his looks like he practices black magic anyway, what if he read his mind or something? No, it was too early. He must keep his ambitions to himself for now. He must wait.
He sniggered maniacally. There was a side to Guminda that the press did not quite see. And he meant to keep it that way.
Arr G sighed, again. Oh well, a city awaited his benevolence. There was no doubt in his mind that he'd sweep the polls clean. He knew he was the dopest most illest gangsta pollsta to ever hit this sunny island and that limping simple wackass ex cricket bat cleaner didnt stand a chance against his awesomeness. He'd even had a song written about himself hadn’t he? He’d been so innovative and just simply marketed himself beyond the competition. The competition wasn't even in his league. In fact there was no competition. There was only him.
He hadn't even bothered to switch on the television. To him, victory was a foregone conclusion.
Ah! now for some tea.
Somey?
Grrr.. thats it, that cross eyed bugger was going back to his village
SOMEY? hukannathuwa mata thei ekak geneng!! (quit fuckin'around and bring me some tea) he yelled.
Sometimes you just gotta make mofockers understand you dig?
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Please, Do not vote this 25th.
Do not vote this 25th.
If you absolutely have to, vote for an opposition party.
Why?
Well it’s because of a few simple reasons. The government is powerful enough as it is, some may say even too powerful. They have already swept away any credible opposition and clamped down on freedom of expression. This administration has not been overally better in terms of morality or fairness than any other administration that we have had in this country since the times of JR.
The government "is itching to declare success ahead of an important regional election on April 25th" - The Economist, and we know it is true. Concrete victory in the war before the elections would doubtless ensure them a landslide victory. And this is where we have to remember what happened the last time a government in Sri Lanka won an election like that;
JRs administration had so much power that they simply swept aside any opposition and the much derided 'Executive Presidency' was initiated. This measure has had a lot of opposition over time but could not be brought down because of the fact that it was written in the constitution by a government that the public voted in with an overwhelming majority. And every single president who came into power after him has always gained office through promises to abolish this scourge on the political system but have always avoided doing so, why? Simply because it favours those in power. It allows them to virtually do whatever they wish. Imagine a man unaccountable to the law itself? And is deemed so by nothing less that the law itself? if a person with no political awareness whatsoever heard about this he would say this man would turn out to be the biggest criminal in the whole nation. And reality has shown us that it is far from untrue. Crime becomes effectively written into law, for crimes conducted by one who cannot be held accountable for them are essentially allowed. This was nothing less than a desecration of justice.
JR also abolished the prevalent system of voting. that of smaller 'seat' based voting where citizens voted in candidates who they genuinely felt would serve them in some way and did not vote in candidates who they felt did not do anything worthwhile during their time period in office. Candidates catering to a smaller demographic were thus forced to include some measure of integrity into their activities and were to an extent answerable to the public of their individual seats if they were not.
This system was expanded and people were made to vote for candidates on a district level and on a provincial level. Creating disconnect between the candidates and contestants and leaving their voting decision susceptible to campaigning and promotions rather than their actual personal knowledge of the person being elected. This also pushed out smaller, less financially able candidates due to the vast resources required for a district wide campaign effectively ensuring that only the existing members of parliament through their amassed wealth, and rich individuals with political connections could enter into the fray with a hope of winning. It created barriers for smaller more idealistically motivated candidates to enter the political arena. So not only did they make it impossible for people to vote in individuals who they thought could do some genuine work, as in people they knew more closely, they also effectively made it impossible for such people to contest in the first place, ensuring a cycle of similar minded individuals continuously maintaining control of the political power of the country.
The impacts of JRs administration were vast and many, and not long after he came into power, the country was plunged into chaos and a quarter century of devastating violence befell us.
Now, i understand that people will be grateful to Mahida's government if he wins the war, regardless of the humanitarian atrocities that it enacted during its course. But the same gratefulness and overwhelming support that was extended to JR, if it is extended to Mahinda as well, would end up being abused and used for more consolidation of undemocratic power, more restrictions of the freedoms that we still enjoy.
If you are a blind eyed freak who thinks that the current government is the best thing since heaven, i would not be able to reason with you, because you are disillusioned, and hypnotized. But if you are a rational individual capable of looking at events objectively please, i beg of you think of the balance of power. Don’t let your emotions get the better of you. Make sure that even if you want the government to have a majority, do not let them have too much of a majority because power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts more than anything else.
IF you want them to take power let them, current public sentiment may well achieve that. But take no part of it yourself, or you will be blamed for God knows what comes our way afterwards. Voting is power, you are effectively handing it over, thinking of your own preference is not enough, and you need to understand the macro picture. So if you want to vote, vote, but vote for the opposition at least. And ensure that those who are in power do not get too drunk with it.
If you absolutely have to, vote for an opposition party.
Why?
Well it’s because of a few simple reasons. The government is powerful enough as it is, some may say even too powerful. They have already swept away any credible opposition and clamped down on freedom of expression. This administration has not been overally better in terms of morality or fairness than any other administration that we have had in this country since the times of JR.
The government "is itching to declare success ahead of an important regional election on April 25th" - The Economist, and we know it is true. Concrete victory in the war before the elections would doubtless ensure them a landslide victory. And this is where we have to remember what happened the last time a government in Sri Lanka won an election like that;
JRs administration had so much power that they simply swept aside any opposition and the much derided 'Executive Presidency' was initiated. This measure has had a lot of opposition over time but could not be brought down because of the fact that it was written in the constitution by a government that the public voted in with an overwhelming majority. And every single president who came into power after him has always gained office through promises to abolish this scourge on the political system but have always avoided doing so, why? Simply because it favours those in power. It allows them to virtually do whatever they wish. Imagine a man unaccountable to the law itself? And is deemed so by nothing less that the law itself? if a person with no political awareness whatsoever heard about this he would say this man would turn out to be the biggest criminal in the whole nation. And reality has shown us that it is far from untrue. Crime becomes effectively written into law, for crimes conducted by one who cannot be held accountable for them are essentially allowed. This was nothing less than a desecration of justice.
JR also abolished the prevalent system of voting. that of smaller 'seat' based voting where citizens voted in candidates who they genuinely felt would serve them in some way and did not vote in candidates who they felt did not do anything worthwhile during their time period in office. Candidates catering to a smaller demographic were thus forced to include some measure of integrity into their activities and were to an extent answerable to the public of their individual seats if they were not.
This system was expanded and people were made to vote for candidates on a district level and on a provincial level. Creating disconnect between the candidates and contestants and leaving their voting decision susceptible to campaigning and promotions rather than their actual personal knowledge of the person being elected. This also pushed out smaller, less financially able candidates due to the vast resources required for a district wide campaign effectively ensuring that only the existing members of parliament through their amassed wealth, and rich individuals with political connections could enter into the fray with a hope of winning. It created barriers for smaller more idealistically motivated candidates to enter the political arena. So not only did they make it impossible for people to vote in individuals who they thought could do some genuine work, as in people they knew more closely, they also effectively made it impossible for such people to contest in the first place, ensuring a cycle of similar minded individuals continuously maintaining control of the political power of the country.
The impacts of JRs administration were vast and many, and not long after he came into power, the country was plunged into chaos and a quarter century of devastating violence befell us.
Now, i understand that people will be grateful to Mahida's government if he wins the war, regardless of the humanitarian atrocities that it enacted during its course. But the same gratefulness and overwhelming support that was extended to JR, if it is extended to Mahinda as well, would end up being abused and used for more consolidation of undemocratic power, more restrictions of the freedoms that we still enjoy.
If you are a blind eyed freak who thinks that the current government is the best thing since heaven, i would not be able to reason with you, because you are disillusioned, and hypnotized. But if you are a rational individual capable of looking at events objectively please, i beg of you think of the balance of power. Don’t let your emotions get the better of you. Make sure that even if you want the government to have a majority, do not let them have too much of a majority because power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts more than anything else.
IF you want them to take power let them, current public sentiment may well achieve that. But take no part of it yourself, or you will be blamed for God knows what comes our way afterwards. Voting is power, you are effectively handing it over, thinking of your own preference is not enough, and you need to understand the macro picture. So if you want to vote, vote, but vote for the opposition at least. And ensure that those who are in power do not get too drunk with it.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
War Tourism
'(Viet)namtank' : Ron Gluckman
The End wrote about war porn here. There has been enough growth in demand for war related merchandise that hawkers are selling VCDs of war footage on buses. Complete with background music and i'm guessing, a strong 'patriotic' flavor.And now the war 'is almost over', hell its been 'almost over' for several months now but in the classic Sri Lankan way the war also is dilly dallying away and taking its own cool time to end.
If people are eager enough to gobble up war merchandise or war porn, i think a decent case can be made for the emergence of a new niche in the tourism industry. Why not war tourism?
The idea first came to me after reading one of Cerno's many google earth posts depicting sunken warships off the coast of Jaffna, and i thought hey, someone could really make a buck organizing diving trips down there when the war ends..
But It's not exactly an original concept. War tourism has also got a Wiki entry. The definition seems to vary from referring to tourists stuck in warzones to the more commonly accepted one of actual touring to conflict zones. Whereas there has been no proof that the practice is officially happening in live conflict zones and no tourists have been interviewed who have visited a conflict zone for the purpose of tourism, we are not talking about a conflict zone here, we are talking about a conflict free zone, a-post conflict zone if you will.
I don't think there is a location like Sri Lanka so well placed to take advantage of this in the whole world. Not at least since Vietnam, although admittedly theirs was a high profile war with plenty of eager Americans willing to pay good money to come see how their tax money was spent, and World War 2, which continues to be the number one attraction for war tourists worldwide.
Assuming the war finishes, we'll be fresh out of conflict. If somewhat of a whitewash victory is attained, the security up there will be a bit more conducive to tourist presence. This will give us an opportunity to target a whole new demographic, the young adventure seeking high spender, instead of the usual retirees that we see coming over.
Jungle treks to LTTE bunkers, tours through battlefields, LTTE occupied villages, sea tiger bases, airstrips, off roading and crash courses in guerilla warfare are only some of the things we could offer. But it has to materialize through concerted efforts through both the private sector and government. Economic support must be given to the niche if it is to prosper. You or me can't just take off to Jaffna on a bike and expect to have the experience of a war tourist, the whole thing will need to be designed and offered as packaged holidays with substantial investment by the players in the local market.
And they must act. The government must be looking at avenues of economic exploitation of the North Eastern provinces if it is seriously expecting to win the war soon, and in a Ballardian world, why not try and be a little innovative and dynamic for a change? adopt a slightly more edgy image; that of the paradise with a touch of the dangerous? Adopt a stance of mercantilism in our business strategies, make the end of the war become a launching pad for an industrial revolution so to speak.
I know it may seem rather morbid to talk about this when there are so many people dying. But most of this war was about profits anyway, and the same people who filled their pockets are sitting around in powerful places harping about patriotism. why not let the people who truly suffered benefit from the war now? And give a boost to the freshly liberated North-Eastern economy?
Monday, April 20, 2009
Coming Home to Eelam
The last bund of the LTTE in Pudumantalan has been broken down and the army claims to have rescued 5000 civilians. I live near the Rathmalana airport and sometimes have a chat with the Air Force guys guarding the top of our road. According to them, there are still a lot of troops dying, and they're not dying through enemy fire, only through mines, and they bring them via Rathmalana obviously, including the civilians who are injured.
I saw this video of this kid, would've been 16 years old, right leg ripped off above the knee, left leg by the hip, genitals gone in a flash of shrapnel, screaming his head off while his father sits by him in a shocked trance and his mother screams. There is a nurse trying to cover up his wounds but he's struggling and screaming too hard, shreds of flesh flailing from his torn limbs.
Is this what they are fighting for? The cowards, forsaking the lives of 'their own people' for a cause which they claim to be fighting for them, why would a force such as the LTTE, who claim to have the best interests of the Tamil people at heart, do this? And why would the Diaspora whose support they've relied on for so long, still support their activities knowing the carnage this is inflicting on their own people?
It's become a dirty fight, and it seems that it is almost at the end. Even the UN now claims that it is the rebels who are not letting the civilians be rescued, and coming from the normally despised or lauded (depending on which side you were on) 'peacenik' side's big cheese, it is a significant thing. Not that UN really has the truck or the credibility anymore to comment on 'humanitarian' crises, considering the tremendous hits it has taken to its credibility over the years, but its probably the closest thing we have to an unbiased coalition of an international organization.
The Tamil Diaspora is desperate. They don't know what to do or where to turn. They've supported the LTTE for so long that their psyche is unable to change their stance into one of acceptance of a possibility of a united Sri Lanka. It would be like turning traitor.
The Sri Lankan people should stop seeing the Tamil Diaspora as the enemy, or the germ of the LTTE would spread in their eyes to encompass every single Tamil living abroad. These people were oppressed, hate was bred within them, and the government and the rest of Sri Lanka were not completely innocent of crimes. Somewhere within the madness and delusion and terror and chaos there really was an original Tamil cause and everyone has to accept that.
EELAM is right here, but it’s called Sri Lanka, and people of different races live here together. ‘Come home’ is what the government and all of us need to say to them. Win them back, prove to them we’ve changed, prove beyond doubt that this country is a place where everyone can live in harmony in reality, not just in a speech of a politician or in the frames of a propagandist TV commercial.
Admittedly this may be easier said than done, but is needed to avoid an exacerbation of a fresh wave of violence/Eelamist extremism from abroad. Changes and compromises may need to be made. But isn't lasting peace worth all that? Society is too rigid.
Update: President says more than 35k civillians rescued and the 'complete defeat' of the LTTE imminent.
I saw this video of this kid, would've been 16 years old, right leg ripped off above the knee, left leg by the hip, genitals gone in a flash of shrapnel, screaming his head off while his father sits by him in a shocked trance and his mother screams. There is a nurse trying to cover up his wounds but he's struggling and screaming too hard, shreds of flesh flailing from his torn limbs.
Is this what they are fighting for? The cowards, forsaking the lives of 'their own people' for a cause which they claim to be fighting for them, why would a force such as the LTTE, who claim to have the best interests of the Tamil people at heart, do this? And why would the Diaspora whose support they've relied on for so long, still support their activities knowing the carnage this is inflicting on their own people?
It's become a dirty fight, and it seems that it is almost at the end. Even the UN now claims that it is the rebels who are not letting the civilians be rescued, and coming from the normally despised or lauded (depending on which side you were on) 'peacenik' side's big cheese, it is a significant thing. Not that UN really has the truck or the credibility anymore to comment on 'humanitarian' crises, considering the tremendous hits it has taken to its credibility over the years, but its probably the closest thing we have to an unbiased coalition of an international organization.
The Tamil Diaspora is desperate. They don't know what to do or where to turn. They've supported the LTTE for so long that their psyche is unable to change their stance into one of acceptance of a possibility of a united Sri Lanka. It would be like turning traitor.
The Sri Lankan people should stop seeing the Tamil Diaspora as the enemy, or the germ of the LTTE would spread in their eyes to encompass every single Tamil living abroad. These people were oppressed, hate was bred within them, and the government and the rest of Sri Lanka were not completely innocent of crimes. Somewhere within the madness and delusion and terror and chaos there really was an original Tamil cause and everyone has to accept that.
EELAM is right here, but it’s called Sri Lanka, and people of different races live here together. ‘Come home’ is what the government and all of us need to say to them. Win them back, prove to them we’ve changed, prove beyond doubt that this country is a place where everyone can live in harmony in reality, not just in a speech of a politician or in the frames of a propagandist TV commercial.
Admittedly this may be easier said than done, but is needed to avoid an exacerbation of a fresh wave of violence/Eelamist extremism from abroad. Changes and compromises may need to be made. But isn't lasting peace worth all that? Society is too rigid.
Update: President says more than 35k civillians rescued and the 'complete defeat' of the LTTE imminent.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
So how was your weekend?
I discovered this 80's metal MP3 at the most unlikeliest of places; in a 13 year old kids' PS2 and movie collection. There i am going through 'white chicks', 'wrong turn', 'grand turismo', 'tekken' etc etc trying to find something worthwhile to watch and find 'Best of 80's Rock Albums', and im like woah, whos is this? its apparently the kids'dads. i can take it he won't mind.
Jason X then beats me at wrestling. I'm Batista and he's John Cena. I dont stand a chance, once he has me on the ground i cant get up till he stops hitting me. And he doesnt stop hitting me. I beat him at NFS undercover. that ought to show him who to mess with.
I was at Kurunegala on Friday and Saturday, my friend's dad owns a coconut plantation there. We're walking along, me and my friend, in the evening checking out the paddy plantation and going to a place he tells me is awesome to look at, when a really drunk chap assails us. He is in the middle of cursing loudly in very colorful language at no one in particular (standard village drunkard behavior) when he notices us.
Did i mention he was drunk? He reeks as he tells us about coconut thieves and 'dishonest folk' and how my friends dad's very employees are stealing money from under his nose etc and launches an elaborate campaign to try and grab a job, obviously under the misconception that we could get him a job. he alternatively calls me 'mahatthaya' (sir), 'machang' (buddy), 'putha' (son), he takes us to his little clay hut and makes his wife bring us tea, he shows us pictures of his sons who are at the army and the police, he claims to have immediate access to grenades and other heavy weaponry and tries to convince us to disguise ourselves and come with him to hide and catch the thieves when they come out.
He's a royal pain in the ass. He is insistent on taking my number so that he can 'call me when the thieves get there' and i manage to avoid giving it to him at his house. We then try to get away and he follows us home. We try to part ways and he extends his hand for me to write my number on it, i say i dont have a pen and he throws a fit, says he will come right to our doorstep and all that. We are rescued by the estate manager, who by then has got to wondering where we were and come to have a look. Mr. Paranoid-delusional-drunk is meek as a mouse.
On Monday i took of to Negombo. Mainly cos there were a few relatives over and some family obligations awaited me on the next day as well. Not that I specifically avoid family gigs, just that this didnt especially require my presence and i wanted to squeeze in as much as i could in terms of chill time this long weekend.
Went with two friends and we ask the tuk tuk driver 'does he know a cheap place'? he takes us to the sleaziest joint in Negombo the 'Rooms Victoria Lodge' or something like that and we get one room with a double bed and a juddering AC. We go out to 'hit the town' and the town is pretty much dead. We have an excellent meal at the 'King Coconut' where they make some really great pizza and then go back to the room after walking around a bit cos they are not serving beer or anything and my friends wanted a sip.
Next morning, we contemplate going to one of the hotels for a day package since the town itself seems to be asleep today, and decide to hit Browns Beach after breakfast. So me and MP mosey on down Beach Road to 'dolce vida' which MP (who frequents Negombo on bored weekends) tells me is an excellent place to chill. But they are closed along with all the other places where anyone can expect a decent morning meal and we are ultimately rescued from a delirium of hunger by the hospitality of Mr Alfred Cruz who runs a second hand bookshop a few hundred meters past Browns Beach. He has qite an interesting collection. I buy 'The Hobbit' and 'The Last Continent (Pratchett)' and MP gets 'Digital Fortress'.
Browns Beach as MP puts it 'looks like an old people's home for German tourists' but it is not exactly totally devoid of eye-candy either. So we mostly relax by the pool and read and jump in for a swim and check out the few ladies who pass us by (some even smile back). We enjoy the buffet although the food is not all that great. Im home in the early evening after a couple of nice cool AC bus rides reading a book and hit the sack later only to be tortured by mosquitoes all night long.
Today feels like a Monday, except that Saturday is only two days away. Need to find something to do this weekend. How was yours? And obata haa obey pawle samata kiriyen paniyen uthurana sarusaravath subooma suba nawa wasarak weva! e-mail me the meal vouchers, it'll be easier for you :D
Jason X then beats me at wrestling. I'm Batista and he's John Cena. I dont stand a chance, once he has me on the ground i cant get up till he stops hitting me. And he doesnt stop hitting me. I beat him at NFS undercover. that ought to show him who to mess with.
I was at Kurunegala on Friday and Saturday, my friend's dad owns a coconut plantation there. We're walking along, me and my friend, in the evening checking out the paddy plantation and going to a place he tells me is awesome to look at, when a really drunk chap assails us. He is in the middle of cursing loudly in very colorful language at no one in particular (standard village drunkard behavior) when he notices us.
Did i mention he was drunk? He reeks as he tells us about coconut thieves and 'dishonest folk' and how my friends dad's very employees are stealing money from under his nose etc and launches an elaborate campaign to try and grab a job, obviously under the misconception that we could get him a job. he alternatively calls me 'mahatthaya' (sir), 'machang' (buddy), 'putha' (son), he takes us to his little clay hut and makes his wife bring us tea, he shows us pictures of his sons who are at the army and the police, he claims to have immediate access to grenades and other heavy weaponry and tries to convince us to disguise ourselves and come with him to hide and catch the thieves when they come out.
He's a royal pain in the ass. He is insistent on taking my number so that he can 'call me when the thieves get there' and i manage to avoid giving it to him at his house. We then try to get away and he follows us home. We try to part ways and he extends his hand for me to write my number on it, i say i dont have a pen and he throws a fit, says he will come right to our doorstep and all that. We are rescued by the estate manager, who by then has got to wondering where we were and come to have a look. Mr. Paranoid-delusional-drunk is meek as a mouse.
On Monday i took of to Negombo. Mainly cos there were a few relatives over and some family obligations awaited me on the next day as well. Not that I specifically avoid family gigs, just that this didnt especially require my presence and i wanted to squeeze in as much as i could in terms of chill time this long weekend.
Went with two friends and we ask the tuk tuk driver 'does he know a cheap place'? he takes us to the sleaziest joint in Negombo the 'Rooms Victoria Lodge' or something like that and we get one room with a double bed and a juddering AC. We go out to 'hit the town' and the town is pretty much dead. We have an excellent meal at the 'King Coconut' where they make some really great pizza and then go back to the room after walking around a bit cos they are not serving beer or anything and my friends wanted a sip.
Next morning, we contemplate going to one of the hotels for a day package since the town itself seems to be asleep today, and decide to hit Browns Beach after breakfast. So me and MP mosey on down Beach Road to 'dolce vida' which MP (who frequents Negombo on bored weekends) tells me is an excellent place to chill. But they are closed along with all the other places where anyone can expect a decent morning meal and we are ultimately rescued from a delirium of hunger by the hospitality of Mr Alfred Cruz who runs a second hand bookshop a few hundred meters past Browns Beach. He has qite an interesting collection. I buy 'The Hobbit' and 'The Last Continent (Pratchett)' and MP gets 'Digital Fortress'.
Browns Beach as MP puts it 'looks like an old people's home for German tourists' but it is not exactly totally devoid of eye-candy either. So we mostly relax by the pool and read and jump in for a swim and check out the few ladies who pass us by (some even smile back). We enjoy the buffet although the food is not all that great. Im home in the early evening after a couple of nice cool AC bus rides reading a book and hit the sack later only to be tortured by mosquitoes all night long.
Today feels like a Monday, except that Saturday is only two days away. Need to find something to do this weekend. How was yours? And obata haa obey pawle samata kiriyen paniyen uthurana sarusaravath subooma suba nawa wasarak weva! e-mail me the meal vouchers, it'll be easier for you :D
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Should Nibras Bawa be burnt at the stake?
I’m sitting here and cannot start off my day without releasing some verbal nonsensicalities. And im thinking what to write. There are several things circulating in the background like birds flying round and round a forest clearing but i can’t seem to pick off just one of them to kill and eat. (Oh im sorry, were you expecting me to let it sit on my shoulder and sing?).
Judging by the general trends of posts on the blogosphere, there is a lot of animosity towards a certain Mr. Nibras Bawa. Who from day one, built his brand like a Hindi movie builds up the brand of Amir Khan, or Rajni Kanth or whoever its main male lead is. Showing off his power, wealth, education etc etc etc. But so what? different strokes get different people's rocks off. And if he wasnt lying then good for him. If he was then what did i care? there were probably hundreds of liars in the blogosphere.
Then he went and pulled a fast one. A fast Juan. Slap bang revealing a few details about Mr. RD in his blog. But I have my doubts as to how he got the data. Im thinking he first got his name through flickr/facebook etc. Then just Googled it to find his company and website. You can do it yourself if you wanted to. Getting someone's IP and server is just a matter of being a little crafty with your Google analytics account, its even easier of you've got word press. Not exactly MI6 spy shit if you ask me.
All his information on Deecee was probably taken from careful study of her blog posts. Anyone who reads her blog would have told you the same. And according to DQ, he got it wrong about who wrote that comment as well.
But what of this whole scandal? Should Mr. Bawa be burned at the ceremonial stake? But why should he? I think he mirrored some of the hypocrisy and fear in the blogosphere in general. And i cant help looking at the guy with some form of scientific awe because he seems quite so open about it. Doesn't give a shit about niceties and doesn't care if his opinions are greeted by looks down the nose at his writing style.
And I also think that stunts like what he pulled are regular happenings in the real world. I hardly think it's illegal. And hardly something for Mr. RD to worry about, which im gald to see he's not. Kottu and its little sub-social groups of isolated bloggers are sheltered environments. Other blogospheres in the rest of the world are crazy ass places. And how can you expect shit like Nibras Bawa's to compare against major fraud and cyber crimes in a place and time where blogging is almost a professional thing with millions of readers and almost the same amount of blogs? Its a jungle out there and i’ve not explored it much although i’m sufficiently aware of it to realize what idyllic environs we seem to be enjoying here at kottu.
So being the cargo cult we are, you and me get our testicles magnetized to our anuses and block our intestines to release a shitstorm at the first indication of some chap entering our village with a gun. And we can't call it unfair simply cos we choose to fight with catapults can we? Ethics after all are subjective things, bent by all of us now and then (like when we use annonymous comments, insulting or otherwise) but whenever anyone steps out of the norm and tries to be too cocky there is a monsoon of negativity directed against them.
I’m liking all this though, call me an arsehole if you like. Rock on people.
Judging by the general trends of posts on the blogosphere, there is a lot of animosity towards a certain Mr. Nibras Bawa. Who from day one, built his brand like a Hindi movie builds up the brand of Amir Khan, or Rajni Kanth or whoever its main male lead is. Showing off his power, wealth, education etc etc etc. But so what? different strokes get different people's rocks off. And if he wasnt lying then good for him. If he was then what did i care? there were probably hundreds of liars in the blogosphere.
Then he went and pulled a fast one. A fast Juan. Slap bang revealing a few details about Mr. RD in his blog. But I have my doubts as to how he got the data. Im thinking he first got his name through flickr/facebook etc. Then just Googled it to find his company and website. You can do it yourself if you wanted to. Getting someone's IP and server is just a matter of being a little crafty with your Google analytics account, its even easier of you've got word press. Not exactly MI6 spy shit if you ask me.
All his information on Deecee was probably taken from careful study of her blog posts. Anyone who reads her blog would have told you the same. And according to DQ, he got it wrong about who wrote that comment as well.
But what of this whole scandal? Should Mr. Bawa be burned at the ceremonial stake? But why should he? I think he mirrored some of the hypocrisy and fear in the blogosphere in general. And i cant help looking at the guy with some form of scientific awe because he seems quite so open about it. Doesn't give a shit about niceties and doesn't care if his opinions are greeted by looks down the nose at his writing style.
And I also think that stunts like what he pulled are regular happenings in the real world. I hardly think it's illegal. And hardly something for Mr. RD to worry about, which im gald to see he's not. Kottu and its little sub-social groups of isolated bloggers are sheltered environments. Other blogospheres in the rest of the world are crazy ass places. And how can you expect shit like Nibras Bawa's to compare against major fraud and cyber crimes in a place and time where blogging is almost a professional thing with millions of readers and almost the same amount of blogs? Its a jungle out there and i’ve not explored it much although i’m sufficiently aware of it to realize what idyllic environs we seem to be enjoying here at kottu.
So being the cargo cult we are, you and me get our testicles magnetized to our anuses and block our intestines to release a shitstorm at the first indication of some chap entering our village with a gun. And we can't call it unfair simply cos we choose to fight with catapults can we? Ethics after all are subjective things, bent by all of us now and then (like when we use annonymous comments, insulting or otherwise) but whenever anyone steps out of the norm and tries to be too cocky there is a monsoon of negativity directed against them.
I’m liking all this though, call me an arsehole if you like. Rock on people.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Racism, Social Divides and Broken English
Am i idling? Now that is a strange question, for what is idling? is it doing nothing? but if it is doing nothing then you're technically still doing something, so you not doing nothing. So I’m not idling. That’s good, cos if i was idling i'd have to start feeling a little guilty.
The question of racism in Sri Lanka is an interesting one. There are the utopians who believe that racial prejudice is dead, i was one of them not so long ago and there are those who firmly belive that nothing has changed since the 80s.
Mahinda Rajapakse was a supporter of the nationalist uprising of the 80s, he is also a Southerner and relied heavily during the past years on the hardcore southern vote (a term from which you will deduce what you will). The voting scandal where the Tamils in the North and East were prevented from voting didn’t help his 'equality credentials' much either. But any underground agreement with the LTTE would have obviously backfired on the latter considering the current onslaught they are at the receiving end of, unless its all a cover up.
I am not calling Mahinda a racist, but i have doubts as to the integrity of the current philosophy of nationalism that is spread around, chiefly because of its slightly condescending and patronizing tone towards the minorities. And the strong Sinhalese tradition strain apparent in government war propaganda.
Question is, what are we doing really, to prevent the series of events that culminated in the war from happening again? Are we as a nation really looking at the social, legal, economical, political and other macro and micro environmental factors that contributed to the ethnic conflict that blasted into a full scale war in the mid eighties? Is there a think tank for this? a think tank that is taken seriously by the government and the people in power?
Is racism a symptom of inequality where the deprived masses turn upon the minority community closest to them in hate to channel the anger at being deprived of basic needs and opportunities (as pseudorandom said)? In which case political manipulation should be blamed for turning the people against each other. That wouldn’t be too surprising since the political class of SL has always been consistent of elitist wealth accumulators. That would also explain the total lack of effort at taking the racism issue seriously and the molly-coddling of the people's emotions.
Also, English, one word which speaks volumes. English is encouraged on the surface but nothing has ever been done to promote it in a big way, like promoting English as the language for all educational purposes etc. English knowledge will help bring the masses onto a global platform and get them out of the narrowed frame of mind they seem to be in. It will help them interact with a globalized world more easily and in short they will be more knowledgeable, savvy and aware for it. A common tongue will unite people from different backgrounds a little bit more due to the breakdown of the lingo barrier. It will also improve our competitiveness economically in a global scale. So why is this not happening?
One explanation is that we are a backward population and like to cling to traditions for as long as possible. A squirrel living in a tree for as long as it can, even after its been cut down and the wood is rotting. Another explanation is control. A knowledgeable and empowered people will mean a savvier voter base, which means that a few things will change in the political arena of the future. So maybe the power structure itself is resisting change?
Branding came up as a possible solution. But how much can branding and marketing alone do to promote change in beliefs (i.e. racial differences and prejudices) without some tangible change happening? Actions speak louder than words and branding and media promotions are mere words without action to evidence their validity.
So what do we do? I’m pretty much convinced that if we do nothing and this war does finish, another 'ethnic conflict' will not be too far away, mainly because the root causes have not been addressed and there is still seething anger amongst the people. So while doing nothing may still be doing something, it doesn’t help anyone, and ultimately all of us, who have a responsibility to ensure we do what we can, will be guilty.
The question of racism in Sri Lanka is an interesting one. There are the utopians who believe that racial prejudice is dead, i was one of them not so long ago and there are those who firmly belive that nothing has changed since the 80s.
Mahinda Rajapakse was a supporter of the nationalist uprising of the 80s, he is also a Southerner and relied heavily during the past years on the hardcore southern vote (a term from which you will deduce what you will). The voting scandal where the Tamils in the North and East were prevented from voting didn’t help his 'equality credentials' much either. But any underground agreement with the LTTE would have obviously backfired on the latter considering the current onslaught they are at the receiving end of, unless its all a cover up.
I am not calling Mahinda a racist, but i have doubts as to the integrity of the current philosophy of nationalism that is spread around, chiefly because of its slightly condescending and patronizing tone towards the minorities. And the strong Sinhalese tradition strain apparent in government war propaganda.
Question is, what are we doing really, to prevent the series of events that culminated in the war from happening again? Are we as a nation really looking at the social, legal, economical, political and other macro and micro environmental factors that contributed to the ethnic conflict that blasted into a full scale war in the mid eighties? Is there a think tank for this? a think tank that is taken seriously by the government and the people in power?
Is racism a symptom of inequality where the deprived masses turn upon the minority community closest to them in hate to channel the anger at being deprived of basic needs and opportunities (as pseudorandom said)? In which case political manipulation should be blamed for turning the people against each other. That wouldn’t be too surprising since the political class of SL has always been consistent of elitist wealth accumulators. That would also explain the total lack of effort at taking the racism issue seriously and the molly-coddling of the people's emotions.
Also, English, one word which speaks volumes. English is encouraged on the surface but nothing has ever been done to promote it in a big way, like promoting English as the language for all educational purposes etc. English knowledge will help bring the masses onto a global platform and get them out of the narrowed frame of mind they seem to be in. It will help them interact with a globalized world more easily and in short they will be more knowledgeable, savvy and aware for it. A common tongue will unite people from different backgrounds a little bit more due to the breakdown of the lingo barrier. It will also improve our competitiveness economically in a global scale. So why is this not happening?
One explanation is that we are a backward population and like to cling to traditions for as long as possible. A squirrel living in a tree for as long as it can, even after its been cut down and the wood is rotting. Another explanation is control. A knowledgeable and empowered people will mean a savvier voter base, which means that a few things will change in the political arena of the future. So maybe the power structure itself is resisting change?
Branding came up as a possible solution. But how much can branding and marketing alone do to promote change in beliefs (i.e. racial differences and prejudices) without some tangible change happening? Actions speak louder than words and branding and media promotions are mere words without action to evidence their validity.
So what do we do? I’m pretty much convinced that if we do nothing and this war does finish, another 'ethnic conflict' will not be too far away, mainly because the root causes have not been addressed and there is still seething anger amongst the people. So while doing nothing may still be doing something, it doesn’t help anyone, and ultimately all of us, who have a responsibility to ensure we do what we can, will be guilty.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Weekend Blues
What can a decent fun loving guy with a bit of free time on his hands do on the weekend in this city man? There is nothing. Clubbing bores me, the music is too loud and crappy, and I’m not too into drinking. I don’t like the high. Movies keep showing for months at a time and only in two or so cinemas at that and the movies showing right now are hopeless. (And in case you're hoping to go see Australia, which i hear is coming to MC, don’t bother; utter waste of time)
We are an entertainment starved population. We can go to the beach, we can hang out at MC, we can hangout at excel world or we can get together with a few friends and throw a 'session' as they are called.
There was a time in my teens, when i used to spend ages simply wandering around with a couple friends on Saturdays in MC doing nothing. Walking into shops, checking out the latest CD's, playing a coupla songs, annoying the guy in the shop who thinks we're gonna buy it, making up some excuse as to why we can’t buy it, and walking out again and repeating the process somewhere else. Classes were at Shakti Institute, opposite Bamba flats, after classes we'd make a beeline for the Dosa shop, whack some Indian junk food, barely manage to pay the bill, and walk to MC.
MC however, does not seem all that appealing to me anymore. Excel world is dried up, and the last time i went there was in broad daylight on a weekday to take some surreptitious pictures of a competitor set up. Met up with a few friends at the Keg another day, that place was packed to the rooftop.
Call me a stoner, but there seems to be nothing better to do in this city. Its dried up and discarded like...or maybe it’s ‘cause im just naturally bored with everything by default these days, feeling very dispassionate. Or maybe everyone else is out there having fun and no one has told me where the REAL party is happening, the bastards!
We are an entertainment starved population. We can go to the beach, we can hang out at MC, we can hangout at excel world or we can get together with a few friends and throw a 'session' as they are called.
There was a time in my teens, when i used to spend ages simply wandering around with a couple friends on Saturdays in MC doing nothing. Walking into shops, checking out the latest CD's, playing a coupla songs, annoying the guy in the shop who thinks we're gonna buy it, making up some excuse as to why we can’t buy it, and walking out again and repeating the process somewhere else. Classes were at Shakti Institute, opposite Bamba flats, after classes we'd make a beeline for the Dosa shop, whack some Indian junk food, barely manage to pay the bill, and walk to MC.
MC however, does not seem all that appealing to me anymore. Excel world is dried up, and the last time i went there was in broad daylight on a weekday to take some surreptitious pictures of a competitor set up. Met up with a few friends at the Keg another day, that place was packed to the rooftop.
Call me a stoner, but there seems to be nothing better to do in this city. Its dried up and discarded like...or maybe it’s ‘cause im just naturally bored with everything by default these days, feeling very dispassionate. Or maybe everyone else is out there having fun and no one has told me where the REAL party is happening, the bastards!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Sinhalese or Sri Lankan
Sometimes, there seems to be this unspoken sense of superiority within people. Their eyes are telling you to fuck off back to your country. As a matter of fact, somebody did tell me to go back to my country and I asked him what the hell my country was, if it wasn't Sri Lanka.
He tells me to go back to Arabia, in the trading boats that my grandfathers came down in. Well, i tell him, my grandfathers may have come down from the sands of Arabia but my grandmothers were probably from around these parts.
Sinhalese blood? What blood is Sinhalese? And what is Sinhalese blood? Aren't we all Sinhalese in that case? I'm sure I’ve got some of this so called Sinhalese blood inside me.
Sometimes i laugh at those i perceive to be stupid, but i try not to because stupidity often disguises genuine ignorance. But when people say things like 'if you don’t know Sinhalese you don’t deserve to be living in this country' and 'you should go back to your country', is when i really know that here, finally! Is stupido ignoramo-ceylonis, a not-so-elusive Sri Lankan indigenous species.
And we aren't just Indians. Cos if we are Indians then where is our funny accent? (No offense to Indians, i merely jest Russell Peter-esque firmly acknowledging that Sri Lankans have their own funny accent), If we are Indians then where is our dynamic work ethic? (cos let’s face it, we are a pretty relaxed bunch, which i am not complaining about btw)
Our blood is very much unique to the world, Vijaya's posse mixed in with the indigenous people, the resulting mish mash mixed in with a host of other people, Arabs, Colonists, Tamils etc and now if you cut us up and put us through a zillion mass spectrometers you'd probably be hard pressed to find something too different. Although people of different races do look and act a bit different mainly due to cultural backgrounds, a lot have amalgamated too much for our identities to be easily guessed if we were all naked and trussed up in front of a concentration camp.
There was a discussion on one of David Blacker's posts and Acromantula casually comments (on the harassment that Tamils face at check points);
'Frankly Tamils brought this upon themselves.. (the whole racial profiling thing).. well some Tamils at least…instead of going after lost privileges since independence they should hv started integrating in to the Sri Lankan society (notice i used da word Sri Lankan)'
And as DB points out to him, what exactly IS this “Sri Lankan society”? Tamils are part of Sri Lankan society, so what do they have to integrate into? What Tamils are NOT a part of is Sinhalese society. It’s like telling an African-American to integrate into American society.
Are we a country of bigots? I am not saying that the Sinhalese in particular are bigots. Not at all. The majority populations of most countries are probably bigots, and so probably are minorities for that matter. Then is this simply a part of human nature? A result of an act of conforming to a strong identity that excludes the possibility of equality being bestowed upon somebody ‘different’ merging with the difficulties that emerge from having to live with and accept such people in mainstream society?
I say mainstream but how many of our cities and suburbs are truly cosmopolitan? An extreme case would be Kiribathgoda, where you'd be hard pressed to find a Muslim business operation due to there being a mafia like control where only 'Sinhalese' owned businesses are allowed.
That is not to say however, that there aren’t any towns where people of all races exist peacefully, in fact all (or most) the towns I’ve lived in my short life were peaceful places and I am glad to say this. But i think we have a long way to go and i think where it all needs to start is at the grassroots, we need to start educating our young.
I find that, in the case of a bigot, or a person not open to accepting a 'different' person, exposure and chances to form a bond or a friendship with a person from another race have been minimum. I went to a school where there were people from diverse backgrounds and when you're a kid you're not really aware of the concept of race so much. You play hide and seek and cricket and join the interact club and fight and scream and tussle and get punished together and see each other humiliated and share a few laughs over the years, by the time you leave school, chances of you being a bigot (even a closeted one) are remote.
That is not to say that where you school determines who you turn out to be, your whole life from your parents, family, neighbourhood and the nature of the times you live in probably play a heavy role in that. But my point is, for a country to be united, its people should genuinely accept each other, and what better way for me to accept and understand Sinhalese, Tamil or Burgher people than to have a strong friendship with one of them?
Policy should change to accommodate this. Screening of students in schools should be stopped. This de facto racial segregation sends a powerful negative signal and must be eradicated. Language policy needs to be re-looked at. There is only so much people themselves can do. The government has to look into this seriously. It has to prevent racial differences from being exploited for political gain (which has happened and is happening in abundance) and people should genuinely be allowed to integrate, and a new culture allowed to emerge.
He tells me to go back to Arabia, in the trading boats that my grandfathers came down in. Well, i tell him, my grandfathers may have come down from the sands of Arabia but my grandmothers were probably from around these parts.
Sinhalese blood? What blood is Sinhalese? And what is Sinhalese blood? Aren't we all Sinhalese in that case? I'm sure I’ve got some of this so called Sinhalese blood inside me.
Sometimes i laugh at those i perceive to be stupid, but i try not to because stupidity often disguises genuine ignorance. But when people say things like 'if you don’t know Sinhalese you don’t deserve to be living in this country' and 'you should go back to your country', is when i really know that here, finally! Is stupido ignoramo-ceylonis, a not-so-elusive Sri Lankan indigenous species.
And we aren't just Indians. Cos if we are Indians then where is our funny accent? (No offense to Indians, i merely jest Russell Peter-esque firmly acknowledging that Sri Lankans have their own funny accent), If we are Indians then where is our dynamic work ethic? (cos let’s face it, we are a pretty relaxed bunch, which i am not complaining about btw)
Our blood is very much unique to the world, Vijaya's posse mixed in with the indigenous people, the resulting mish mash mixed in with a host of other people, Arabs, Colonists, Tamils etc and now if you cut us up and put us through a zillion mass spectrometers you'd probably be hard pressed to find something too different. Although people of different races do look and act a bit different mainly due to cultural backgrounds, a lot have amalgamated too much for our identities to be easily guessed if we were all naked and trussed up in front of a concentration camp.
There was a discussion on one of David Blacker's posts and Acromantula casually comments (on the harassment that Tamils face at check points);
'Frankly Tamils brought this upon themselves.. (the whole racial profiling thing).. well some Tamils at least…instead of going after lost privileges since independence they should hv started integrating in to the Sri Lankan society (notice i used da word Sri Lankan)'
And as DB points out to him, what exactly IS this “Sri Lankan society”? Tamils are part of Sri Lankan society, so what do they have to integrate into? What Tamils are NOT a part of is Sinhalese society. It’s like telling an African-American to integrate into American society.
Are we a country of bigots? I am not saying that the Sinhalese in particular are bigots. Not at all. The majority populations of most countries are probably bigots, and so probably are minorities for that matter. Then is this simply a part of human nature? A result of an act of conforming to a strong identity that excludes the possibility of equality being bestowed upon somebody ‘different’ merging with the difficulties that emerge from having to live with and accept such people in mainstream society?
I say mainstream but how many of our cities and suburbs are truly cosmopolitan? An extreme case would be Kiribathgoda, where you'd be hard pressed to find a Muslim business operation due to there being a mafia like control where only 'Sinhalese' owned businesses are allowed.
That is not to say however, that there aren’t any towns where people of all races exist peacefully, in fact all (or most) the towns I’ve lived in my short life were peaceful places and I am glad to say this. But i think we have a long way to go and i think where it all needs to start is at the grassroots, we need to start educating our young.
I find that, in the case of a bigot, or a person not open to accepting a 'different' person, exposure and chances to form a bond or a friendship with a person from another race have been minimum. I went to a school where there were people from diverse backgrounds and when you're a kid you're not really aware of the concept of race so much. You play hide and seek and cricket and join the interact club and fight and scream and tussle and get punished together and see each other humiliated and share a few laughs over the years, by the time you leave school, chances of you being a bigot (even a closeted one) are remote.
That is not to say that where you school determines who you turn out to be, your whole life from your parents, family, neighbourhood and the nature of the times you live in probably play a heavy role in that. But my point is, for a country to be united, its people should genuinely accept each other, and what better way for me to accept and understand Sinhalese, Tamil or Burgher people than to have a strong friendship with one of them?
Policy should change to accommodate this. Screening of students in schools should be stopped. This de facto racial segregation sends a powerful negative signal and must be eradicated. Language policy needs to be re-looked at. There is only so much people themselves can do. The government has to look into this seriously. It has to prevent racial differences from being exploited for political gain (which has happened and is happening in abundance) and people should genuinely be allowed to integrate, and a new culture allowed to emerge.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Big Matches Island Style
I have long been confused with this particular aspect of Sri Lankan adolescent/post adolescent annual rituals. During Big Match season we generally tend to see an uprising of sorts from boys school all over screaming in enraged defiance at their opposition and at the world in general for no particular reason other than that two school teams will be playing a cricket match a week or two later.
Most of them wouldn't even know any of the players in a team but will usually have a rough grasp of which team is favored to win since this is an important factor in determining the level of defiance in your roar and levels of virtual testosterone in air humping movements made on top of moving pickup trucks.
The whole deal as a matter of fact, is nothing about the cricket. the big Match is just a chance for some legitimate skullduggery, some legitimate jumping into girls schools and some license to feel like alpha males for a little while at least. Everyone's a little tolerant of these things come big match season yeah? Principles are in a boys-will-be-boys mood, the girls are coy, the teachers wear grim faces yet undergo tremendous stress to keep amused smiles from breaking out. Pedestrians are annoyed, yet secretly wish they could prance around without a care just like the objects of their annoyance.
And they All contribute, knowing full well that the money goes to nothing more than an alcohol, papare band, and smoking material fund that will probably contribute next to nothing to whatever cause they claim to be collecting it for, and that claim usually goes something like 'for the big match', which is very vague and that’s the way everybody likes it. see no evil and the rest of it.
And the girls. I think the number of girls at big matches would outnumber the boys if there weren't already so many boys inside the place already. It's like they actually enjoy being amidst a rowdy bunch of hooting males drinking and smoking everything drinkable and smokable regardless of legality and screaming and fighting and pushing and taking their shirts off at a moments notice. The attention factor must draw them to it. Because i suppose there is nothing more gratifying for a woman than to be ogled at by a hundred guys at the same time. Which is roughly the proportion of males to females at most big matches. And the alcohol and intoxicant content would ensure that pretty soon any woman seen on the grounds would have her own fair share of oglement. We're very politically correct that way.
Not that I've done a statistical analysis of these things, I've never been trucking or jumped into a girl’s school mainly 'cos the school i went to didn’t have an operational big match. But crazy rumors and stories circulated telling of a of a big match that once existed which was abolished due to some chap 'from the other school' dying, as in being stabbed to death, of course, our guys say we did the killing. Versions may differ. There is a bit of an ugly side to the whole thing, sure. But isn't there an ugly side to everything?
The chap sitting next to me sums it up best, big matches are not really about the cricket, once you leave school they are mostly about catching up with your old mates and having a slice of that carefree life you used to enjoy. Not really about enraged fans screaming for a win and more about a bunch of males with a rowdy license meeting for a good old booze up and a smoke up and a screaming fest with constant ogling action thrown in. It's the atmosphere. The cricket is only what holds it all together.
Most of them wouldn't even know any of the players in a team but will usually have a rough grasp of which team is favored to win since this is an important factor in determining the level of defiance in your roar and levels of virtual testosterone in air humping movements made on top of moving pickup trucks.
The whole deal as a matter of fact, is nothing about the cricket. the big Match is just a chance for some legitimate skullduggery, some legitimate jumping into girls schools and some license to feel like alpha males for a little while at least. Everyone's a little tolerant of these things come big match season yeah? Principles are in a boys-will-be-boys mood, the girls are coy, the teachers wear grim faces yet undergo tremendous stress to keep amused smiles from breaking out. Pedestrians are annoyed, yet secretly wish they could prance around without a care just like the objects of their annoyance.
And they All contribute, knowing full well that the money goes to nothing more than an alcohol, papare band, and smoking material fund that will probably contribute next to nothing to whatever cause they claim to be collecting it for, and that claim usually goes something like 'for the big match', which is very vague and that’s the way everybody likes it. see no evil and the rest of it.
And the girls. I think the number of girls at big matches would outnumber the boys if there weren't already so many boys inside the place already. It's like they actually enjoy being amidst a rowdy bunch of hooting males drinking and smoking everything drinkable and smokable regardless of legality and screaming and fighting and pushing and taking their shirts off at a moments notice. The attention factor must draw them to it. Because i suppose there is nothing more gratifying for a woman than to be ogled at by a hundred guys at the same time. Which is roughly the proportion of males to females at most big matches. And the alcohol and intoxicant content would ensure that pretty soon any woman seen on the grounds would have her own fair share of oglement. We're very politically correct that way.
Not that I've done a statistical analysis of these things, I've never been trucking or jumped into a girl’s school mainly 'cos the school i went to didn’t have an operational big match. But crazy rumors and stories circulated telling of a of a big match that once existed which was abolished due to some chap 'from the other school' dying, as in being stabbed to death, of course, our guys say we did the killing. Versions may differ. There is a bit of an ugly side to the whole thing, sure. But isn't there an ugly side to everything?
The chap sitting next to me sums it up best, big matches are not really about the cricket, once you leave school they are mostly about catching up with your old mates and having a slice of that carefree life you used to enjoy. Not really about enraged fans screaming for a win and more about a bunch of males with a rowdy license meeting for a good old booze up and a smoke up and a screaming fest with constant ogling action thrown in. It's the atmosphere. The cricket is only what holds it all together.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
The Truth
As they always say, is far stranger. Yesterday's sexual frustration was an amalgamation of many things put together i think. And i cannot say what for sure because i myself am not completely aware of exactly what goes on in my own mind most of the time.
Does that make me crazy? or just slightly less presumptuous?
Damn. can you believe that the lights and the AC in my office have just gone bust? have any of us got any actual idea as to how much we depend on infrastructure?
Like for example, i was dreaming the other day how nice it'd be to live in the period of the Middle Ages (or is it the Dark Ages) with all the modern amenities like vehicles and cell phones and computers and the internet for e.g. Then you could run around op/impressing the peasants and destroying the knights and slaying the dragons with kisses to rescue the golden haired princesses with RPGs. That is to say, kill the dragons with the mortars and kiss the princesses after you rescue them.
But then how long will your Defenders last without petrol? and how long will your cell phone or computer work without batteries? How can you maneuver the tough mountains on top of which the dragon lies without proper roads? Indeed how would you make a call or access the internet without proper network infrastructure?
In fact without roads, telecom networks, data networks, fixed water supplies, maintenance infrastructure such as garbage disposal, road cleanups, repair crews, trade infrastructure such as supermarkets, grocery stores, petti kadeys, trade organizations. trade agreements, financial infrastructure such as banks, insurance, finance, investment, public infrastructure like education and health, manufacturing infrastructure for a host of specialized products to meet the needs of all the other types of infrastructure mentioned above, transport infrastructure such as airports, train stations, busses, petrol sheds etc and a whole host of other things we'd effectively be lost. Plunged into chaos.
We'd be in constant darkness, with no way to get about, no way to talk to your relative living 5 kilometers away, we'll live a hand to mouth existence until the remnants of public works slowly disappear and then we'd effectively be in the jungle.
That's scary. Governments and the 'collective whole' suddenly make some sense when you think of things that way, which is all the more reason a little more thought should be given to how things are run around the place. Will you vote this April?
Does that make me crazy? or just slightly less presumptuous?
Damn. can you believe that the lights and the AC in my office have just gone bust? have any of us got any actual idea as to how much we depend on infrastructure?
Like for example, i was dreaming the other day how nice it'd be to live in the period of the Middle Ages (or is it the Dark Ages) with all the modern amenities like vehicles and cell phones and computers and the internet for e.g. Then you could run around op/impressing the peasants and destroying the knights and slaying the dragons with kisses to rescue the golden haired princesses with RPGs. That is to say, kill the dragons with the mortars and kiss the princesses after you rescue them.
But then how long will your Defenders last without petrol? and how long will your cell phone or computer work without batteries? How can you maneuver the tough mountains on top of which the dragon lies without proper roads? Indeed how would you make a call or access the internet without proper network infrastructure?
In fact without roads, telecom networks, data networks, fixed water supplies, maintenance infrastructure such as garbage disposal, road cleanups, repair crews, trade infrastructure such as supermarkets, grocery stores, petti kadeys, trade organizations. trade agreements, financial infrastructure such as banks, insurance, finance, investment, public infrastructure like education and health, manufacturing infrastructure for a host of specialized products to meet the needs of all the other types of infrastructure mentioned above, transport infrastructure such as airports, train stations, busses, petrol sheds etc and a whole host of other things we'd effectively be lost. Plunged into chaos.
We'd be in constant darkness, with no way to get about, no way to talk to your relative living 5 kilometers away, we'll live a hand to mouth existence until the remnants of public works slowly disappear and then we'd effectively be in the jungle.
That's scary. Governments and the 'collective whole' suddenly make some sense when you think of things that way, which is all the more reason a little more thought should be given to how things are run around the place. Will you vote this April?
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Dining with Terrorists
Heres something that Realskullzero pointed me in the direction of. It's a video from AlJazeera taking in the 3 decades or so from the Southern JVP uprisings and the current 'terrorist' situation. Why 'terrorist' was in inverted commas was because the video clearly indicates Mahinda Rajapakse's sympathies with the Southern Sinahlese Nationalist uprising or the JVP uprising, which he now denies and says that the only thing he was sympathizing with was their feeling towards how the government quelled the rebellion and not their actual cause. But a young and radical looking Mahinda clearly talks about India's invasionary tendencies and how they are trying to 'take over this country' and how we could soon become 'a part of India' (unless that was a result of an editing trick where he was actually referring to what the JVP's sentiments about it were).
But in Sri Lanka today, his own government is accused of terrorist acts just like the then UNP govenment was accused of. What i realized on a personal note was just how much i didnt really know about the political history of Sri Lanka, the devil is in the details they say. Those in power will always exploit and push their own ideology forward not caring about the same ideologies and the need to be heard of others, it is the imperfect nature of the inherent power struture. And at the end of the day what is 'terrorism' in the first place? is it just a distinction between two sides? Where the ones challenging the existing status quo are branded so?
He seems anti establishment in terms of bowing down to the existing world order; to the pressures of the West and other external interests. But we all have seen how the West fights its own brand of 'terrorism' (which leaves whole lot to be said there). Fight fire with fire? And if so, you really can't make a distinction between the two can you? Government and terrorist? What then do we call them? Insurgents? Freedom fighters? I guess it depends on which side your sympathies lie on. Words build perceptions and unfortunately or otherwise, or perhaps as a simple characteristic of archaic (?) human nature, perceptions are everything.
If the embed has problems, you can view the vid here.
But in Sri Lanka today, his own government is accused of terrorist acts just like the then UNP govenment was accused of. What i realized on a personal note was just how much i didnt really know about the political history of Sri Lanka, the devil is in the details they say. Those in power will always exploit and push their own ideology forward not caring about the same ideologies and the need to be heard of others, it is the imperfect nature of the inherent power struture. And at the end of the day what is 'terrorism' in the first place? is it just a distinction between two sides? Where the ones challenging the existing status quo are branded so?
He seems anti establishment in terms of bowing down to the existing world order; to the pressures of the West and other external interests. But we all have seen how the West fights its own brand of 'terrorism' (which leaves whole lot to be said there). Fight fire with fire? And if so, you really can't make a distinction between the two can you? Government and terrorist? What then do we call them? Insurgents? Freedom fighters? I guess it depends on which side your sympathies lie on. Words build perceptions and unfortunately or otherwise, or perhaps as a simple characteristic of archaic (?) human nature, perceptions are everything.
If the embed has problems, you can view the vid here.
Friday, March 13, 2009
the rise of the Lankans
We didnt drift away to die like they wanted us to,
Stupid little islanders!
Trading coconuts and fish, they thought.
They cast us aside like a used condom.
They left our bones in the open like an eaten fish.
They were here to take over; to use and abuse.
Yet we did not fail!
We stood up against their onslaught and we protected that which was their main target,
Our pride.
We as Lankans stood forth and faced a common enemy,
We made them stand up and take notice
Of the pride that some little speck of an island's inhabitants could have..
And we were glorious in our victory!
Watching them recede like a wave recedes from the shore..
Yet we were still gripped in that energy of hate
And having no way to expend that energy,
We turned upon ourselves.
This was lying around in my other blog. Thanks to Fallen for telling me he liked it. Made me think of putting it out here..
Stupid little islanders!
Trading coconuts and fish, they thought.
They cast us aside like a used condom.
They left our bones in the open like an eaten fish.
They were here to take over; to use and abuse.
Yet we did not fail!
We stood up against their onslaught and we protected that which was their main target,
Our pride.
We as Lankans stood forth and faced a common enemy,
We made them stand up and take notice
Of the pride that some little speck of an island's inhabitants could have..
And we were glorious in our victory!
Watching them recede like a wave recedes from the shore..
Yet we were still gripped in that energy of hate
And having no way to expend that energy,
We turned upon ourselves.
This was lying around in my other blog. Thanks to Fallen for telling me he liked it. Made me think of putting it out here..
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