Thursday Last and Today

 

So last week was a whirlwind of work and fun, Thursday, last (I love saying that) was a poya holiday, so my friends and I decided to posh it out by going to a tea house, or rather a tea lounge, so we ended up at the Dutch Hospital in Fort, don’t let the name fool you, its not really a hospital now, rather a very beautiful area to hang around, you’ll find quaint restaurants, tea shops, shops and place to just hang around.

Its like you literally walk into an area where the past and the present are an ecletic mix, with the older buildings in the Dutch Fort area and across the road the World Trade Center, all metal and urbanized right infront of it.

So we ended up there early waiting for the rest of the gang to show up and ended up moving onto the dilmah t-lounge, since it was a poya we had to call ahead and see if it was open, and yes it was (thankfully) we had hoped to go to the museum unfortunately it was closed.

Anyway the tea lounge was fantastic, the service excellent and the tea menu was to die for.

And after we headed over to the Galle face, walking, sniggering at the numerous couples under  umbrellas and salivating over the not so healthy stuff being sold here and there.

So after we caught a cab and headed for the colombo book fair, just let me say this was a mother loving RUSH, so many books and stalls no way to buy them all (oh the woes of a book lover).

So I managed to find a few books and run, but unfortunately not getting a way to say good bye to my friends proper like because of the crowds.

So that’s what happened last Thursday, this thursday has gone to the bloody dogs, I’m bored as a librarian in a boiler room, and I’m itching to write some thing, I originally planned to write more in this post but, I just cant find the motivation, and guess what –_– its shark week for me again…grr..

Till next time

ever the bored and frustrated,

M

Seriously this week

Why isnt this week moving faster Imma tad pissed off

Responsibilities of a ‘proper’ Sri Lankan and more about the gossip grapevine

 

While my weekend was quite enjoyable, hanging out with old buds and new. After I came back, I felt like something was missing, like something uncomfortable lodged between two ribs on my side. I have yet to figure out what it is.

I’m at work today, no specific lectures for me, but work around here is getting tedious, lots of documentation, I’m not too much of a fan, but at least its something I can do to alleviate my boredom –_– . I’ve been applying here and there trying to see if I can get another by the time my contract here is finished. While it is pleasant enough working here, I must have said this lot of times before, that I am so very jobless and bored most of the time. I’d prefer a job with a bit more action, and a bit more cushioning on my purse wouldn’t hurt either.

This brings me to the topic of Responsibility and Obligations and the horror of having a sri lankan extended family, I believe that everybody has their own responsibilities to themselves and to their family and all that jazz, but there is a difference between helping someone out and living off them.

In a country like sri lanka, if you are sri lankan you would know that there are many people, not only your family, your relatives, that means all of them, your father cousins and uncles and aunts and your mothers side of things, its all a giant jumble, and not to mention your neighbours, your parents friends, your friends parents, the guy who you buy reloads from, to the guy who sells kanda at the top of the road know what you are doing. That means they are all watching to see your rise to greatness or your dramtic fall, which they will whisper talk to each other over a cup of tea and marie biscuit, it might go something like this:

Next door neighbour (at kanda shop) : Ahh give me one kanda, aney did you know that the older girl or Mr So-and-so, just got her degree, must have money ahh.

Kanda Guy : Ah yes, I see that missy all the time waiting for the bus early in the morning.

Neighbour : Yes, but I don’t think the younger one is good at all, always playing with the animals and listening to music

……………………………

Kanda Guy : Machan, have you heard, So-and-so’s loku daughter is now a big shot engineer lu, money neh

Reload fellow : Ah really, the girl who take the bus XXX right? yes yes, she takes reloads from here

Kanda Guy : Atleast the older one is good, the younger one is supposed to be useless it seems.

Reload fellow : Ah really, how do you know?

KG : You don’t need to know that, I am very close to that family. I guess now all she has to do is get married then

…………………………….

Reload Guy (to aunt who uses same shop) : Ah Mrs P, I heard your niece has gotten good results

Aunt : Ahh yes, she has got first class you see, top of the batch (90% of siri lankans exaggerate if you didn’t know)

RG : So is she getting married soon?

Aunt : Why would you say that?

RG : A friend of the family told something like that, I was just wondering

Aunt : Ahh really, well as far as I know, she isnt.

……………………………………

Aunt (on phone to grandmother/brother in UK) : I heard the elder girl was getting married now that she has done he first class

Grandmother: WHAT!!! I wasn’t told, did she even have a boyfriend, this is what happens to the new generation, they forget us as soon as they get higher in life.

Aunt : I know aney, even when I live close, they didn’t even call me and tell, I had to here from a shop boy

…………………………….

So on and on and it will go and by the time you will here of it, you’d have done a Phd, engaged to a rich fellow, having the wedding in the Cinnamon Grand.

This is how your gossip circles will happen most of the time, not that this exact thing has happened personally, its just I have had experience observing such behavior from the family members and neighbours I have known.

With this will come people who will be all, ahh they are rich and educated, why don’t we go ask some money from them, listen you idiots, BEING EDUCATED DOESN’T MEAN WE’RE FILTHY RICH, our parents earned that money the hard way, just because we have enough for a degree doesn’t mean we get high paying jobs at once or that we are swimming in money, or every time we close our drawers we hear *cha-ching* , and if you fail to deliver you are automatically, the evil rich, selfish bastards who don’t deserve your consideration, then you’ll go from an engaged, doctorate earned older daughter, to the fast girl who spent all her parents money on useless private universities.

This is the way the kokis crumbles over here. I get frustrated, I know the good thing is helping people but with some, it ends up with them living off you.

Responsibilities in Sri Lanka, are like a sticky fly trap, once you get caught you cannot leave, you are the subject of gossip and interest, that’s why, in my opinion its best to migrate at some point in your young life to work abroad and enjoy life, come back for marriage and or if you get a good deal take the people who matter back out there. I love Sri Lanka, there is no place on earth I would exchange for my lovely country but sometimes, even patriots can be fed up of all the BS they have to deal with on a daily basis.

Well, I’ll be off for now,

Till next time,

M.

The English language and why I am not so against at the (past) occupation of Sri Lanka

 

The English language, I was thinking earlier this week, is a bit of the pariah tongue, it’s a mix and mash of everything out together and nothing remotely original, sometimes no means yes and yes means no, and sometimes questions are statements when they really are not.

So I genuinely like the English language but it’s a bit of a bastard tongue, I have no problems with it, maybe at one point there was an original language. But then the invaders and defenders and then the conquerors and the conquered all became part of the early British or pre-British empire, which means it was influenced by the Anglo-Saxons, Germanic and Latin languages. Until it has become what it was today.

It is quite interesting to know the history of the language and how it became what it is, or what the basic language from all was, until it was further influenced after the British empire went on conquering and trading with the other countries and then developed certain words that were integrated into it, though some of the root words from old English remain most are now warped or developed according to the time and the use.

What brought my contemplation, who knows, I've been known to pursue strange interests as they strike my fancy, nothing in particular to be sure.

Perhaps because of the history of Sri Lanka, we have a history of occupation by different countries, and how they may have affected us and them alike. The Portuguese, the Dutch and the British had a hand in all that.

So many people would be a tad bitter for the white man who may have come and taken over our lands, all that. I am..strangely enough, not so bitter about the whole thing.

For one, while our little country was in some parts advanced (the magnificent architecture and kingdom building) it was also an Island , that is both the best and the worst part, because while the isolation would have made the country grow and develop, it would still be far behind, if we didn’t have outside influence, maybe I’m a bit of a novice when explaining this, so I will try my best.

Sri Lanka does have a caste system, though it is very much forgotten by the younger generations and not much thought given, these were referred to as Kula. These had more power during the feudal years when the different kingdoms were still in strength, in present times, it is the older generation or the more traditional crowd, mostly from the central province (Kandy and such) and the southern provinces who give a lot of thought to it, I don’t know much about the Northern provinces though I wish I did, as the Kingdom of Jaffna was once a power onto itself, and the eastern provinces too. A list of castes can be found here.

And I have a slight hunch that should we have been allowed to flourish alone and without outside influence that these caste systems might have gotten a tad bit out of hand and the country made more like India and its hopelessness and inability to develop die to its adherence to the caste system and being unable to break free from the rote.

So the invaders did good as well as bad, with their incursions, we learned much, more culture, knowledge, literature, technology, many would say this might also have stunted our growth, but you see Sri Lanka of old wasn’t really a sea-faring exploration happy people, they were content like they are now, maybe its just me, but I would say that Lankans are very much a very relaxed people, who don’t usually go out looking for adventure, except a select few. The furthest we may have gone would be India, Bangladesh, Malaysia/Singapore, etc.…the more closer countries. The trade route helped of course, affectionately termed The Monsoon Marketplace by John Green in one of his crash course episodes.

This is why I’m not very much against the whole thing, there are pros and cons of the whole she-bang, but I’m a glass half-full kind of person, so this is what I think of the whole.

Not that I think that Sri Lankan is useless, my country is a gold mine of culture and marvelous things if you know what you are searching for, we have several literary geniuses, architects, engineers, doctors and all that, I was merely stating, as I will say again..and opinion, my opinion.

Its an interesting topic to be sure, now I feel like I should read up on it more.

I’d like it if my readers left me a comment or their own ideas about their views, its always nice to know what everyone else thinks too.

Till Next Time,

M

IS it done, really? is it?

So I find myself free for the lack of a better word, maybe jobless, but I cant quite say that either, I do have a job, yet it leaves me with a clear schedule most of the time.

I finished my finals, all is done, and there is one presentation then all clear, well as long as I don’t have any resit, Blessed Moon, may I not have any resits, though I am not 100% confident in my first class marks, I know I have a damn good chance of passing.

Its been a melancholy couple of days, I need to find a better paying, better working job, and now that my degree is over I might have way more chances. Sometimes I wonder how people survive, with only saturdays and sundays free, I know I really miss all the free time I had before.

Now I have a crap load of books, anime and movies to catch up on, and not to mention the tv shows.

One of my oldest friends have come down from the UK, so was chatting with him and discovered, how much and how little we had changed. September seems to be the month for meet ups, I’ve got plans for this weekend and the next.

For some reason I feel like I lost something these days, I find myself wondering my room, or back tracking thinking, I know I forgot something, way too many times, I’m going to chalk it up to my mojo. Its all been used up with these past weeks of deadlines, exams and droughts of inspiration. SO I’ve got to build it up. Get some coffee or tea or just get some sun.

I need to go now,

so goodbye for now

M

Ode to the pretty boy in the red shorts

 

It was this wednesday as I got on the 101 bus, a bunch of guys (possibly schooling, I don’t know, they all look very made, with tight shirts and nice shoulders, I saw this one guy in little red shirts, they were not short enough to be short shorts, or long enough to come to the knee, and tight across him bottom, which made my inner girl, purrr, so I need to write this down, you’ll find out why.

When I saw you first you were laughing with your friends,

Snickering and smiling.

School holidays at end.

From the corner of my eye I peeked at your form.

Tight black T-shirt, and those devilish red shorts.

When you got on the bus, I praised my luck.

I really, really, really.

wanted to see your butt.

And so I sidled my sight down,

as you reached up to the railing, your T-shirt slid up.

It was all I could do, to shut my groan up.

Young nubile boys, how you make me blush,

Wide shoulders, nice posteriors and those Adams apple

I just want a touch.

Yet it wasn’t meant to be,

As my bus stop came up.

I choked out excuse me.

And I got the hell out.

Yet you remain in my thoughts,

My sylph in red,

So to you I write this,

Please get out of my head.

I must study for my finals, yet you weave naughty thoughts,

Now shoo you handsome devil,

Red shorts and all.

~M

Self impose Hiatus and control

 

So the last few weeks, I put most everything on hold, movies, anime (well except SnK), new music, books (YES, IT IS TORTURE). With the ultimate goal of studying my bottom off, so far, its working to a certain extent. So I won’t put up a long post today, you can expect a long one next week or so, I am still completing my Gagra story, for anyone who even reads it, you can find the chapters so far on the right side of the blog.

And this is September so I have a lot of things planned, I just hope it does stay on plan, free time ahead and after this Fridays exam and a viva on Sunday I am home free from any studies, WOOHOO. And I can start job hunting, while the current post is okay, I need something with a bit more action and actual work, September will have me baking (oh sweet sugar cakes the things I could make), hanging out with friends, watching a back log of anime and tv series, art-ing, sleeping, and generally sitting in front of my laptop with a cup of tea  :3, I am also going to the Logos Book-ship , yes book ship, it’s a ship with books. Haven't decided when though, and the book fair.

So much to do so little time.

So I leave you with this, Happy september and may the odds be ever in your favour.

M

P.S. Have some art I scribbled yesterday