Showing posts with label society. Show all posts
Showing posts with label society. Show all posts

Friday, 7 February 2014

Coming back all bloody

It has been quite a bloody while since I wrote to everyone.

 

Well so far, I got myself a job. 2 weeks  +and going good, I like it here, the crowd is nice and the work, somewhat okay in my realm of shit-to-okay grading.

So far this seems good and I’ve started writing again, looks like im sort of back on track. So I don’t have much time but I want to make a repost of a note I did on my facebook titled itches #2 : On women

Also yeah Usual Disclaimer : My opinion, If you dont like, does it look like I care?

"I don’t want to sound like a feminist"

I hate that line, does it make you afraid to voice your opinion without the jeering and ridicule.

Usually I stay quiet about things, but sometimes it gets too far up there.

It’s strange that women nowadays have to be judged by the way they walk, they talk, the things they enjoy doing, the clothes they wear and the people they choose to associate with.

One thing I came across personally, and it annoys the stuffing out of me, "Oh so you are a mechanical engineer? Why did you choose that field? Isn’t it hard? " 

Buster! I chose it because I wanted to, I do not need to justify my choices to anyone other that myself. 

It’s not only for me, no matter what a woman does, there are so many out there to question and doubt for you...

Oh a civil engineer, are you sure? You will be on the field a lot? Oh a lawyer? What criminal law, won’t you be with all those murderers and rapists? Oh a doctor? Won’t you have little time for your family? Oh a political activist? That is a not a suitable field, isn’t it dangerous and troublesome? Oh a fashion designer? Are there even jobs here?

Well listen for a moment, read this words and realize

The WOMAN, she is not your ideal, she is HERS

SHE is not the damsel in distress; SHE is the DRAGONESS with her claws and breathes of fire

SHE is not the flower in the garden; SHE is the tallest tree with the DEEPEST roots

The WOMAN is not a poem in a book, a verse in a song; SHE is a SAGA and a BALLAD

This is not a note for the men, this one is for the ladies, realize that you are so much more than "their" doubts and their hopes for you.

YOU are not a marriage prospect, you are not a victim, and you are not responsible for the lusts of the ones that want to harm you or disrespect.

You are a woman, a luscious embodiment of life, you can love everyone and all, you are the reason the world exists, and you make more of us and more of them.

You are YOU. 

Whether you decide to work in a shop, a skyscraper, a cubicle, and Operation Theater or a site. Whether you wear long clothes or short. Whether you chose to have a family or work harder.

It is your choice. 

Our society has shamed women; they try to make us ashamed of being women. 

Fight. For you

Understand. For your future

Educate. For the ignorance

Found on tumblr :

Imagine this: Instead of waiting in her tower, Rapunzel slices off her long, golden hair with a carving knife, and then uses it to climb down to freedom.

Just as she’s about to take the poison apple, Snow White sees the familiar wicked glow in the old lady’s eyes, and slashes the evil queen’s throat with a pair of sewing scissors. Cinderella refuses everything but the glass slippers from her fairy godmother, crushes her stepmother’s windpipe under her heel, and the Prince falls madly in love with the mysterious girl who dons rags and blood-stained slippers.

Imagine this: Persephone goes adventuring with weapons hidden under her dress. Persephone climbs into the gaping chasm. Or, Persephone uses her hands to carve a hole down to hell. In none of these versions is Persephone’s body violated unless she asks Hades to hold her down with his horse-whips. Not once does she hold out on eating the pomegranate, instead biting into it eagerly and relishing the juice running down her chin, staining it red.In some of the stories, Hades never appears and Persephone rules the underworld with a crown of her own making.In all of them, it is widely known that the name Persephone means Bringer of Destruction.

Imagine this:Red Riding Hood marches from her grandmother’s house with a bloody wolf pelt. Medusa rights the wrongs that have been done to her.Eurydice breaks every muscle in her arms climbing out of the land of the dead.

Imagine this:Girls are allowed to think dark thoughts, and be dark things.

Imagine this:Instead of the dragon, it’s the princess with claws and fiery breathwho smashes her way from the confines of her castle and swallows men whole.

"

— 'Reinventing Rescuing,'

till next time

 

M

Monday, 16 September 2013

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.

Friday, 2 August 2013

Commercializing Hate

I don't usually write quite seriously or on a topic of certain sensitive matter , if one could call it that.


Hate has become quite the fad nowadays, and surprisingly its catching. I was under the impression that the current generation was far more open minded and accepting of the whole view and not the keyhole view on important topics. The emergence of the hate groups, which are unbelievably racist and controversial have proved me wrong over and over again, and what astounds me is that the main supporters are not the older generation waiting to pull out their old grievances but the younger generation who have yet to see the impact that this might have a a mending nation.
For nearly thirty years our country was nearly torn into pieces by a war which at the last few years of its existence was a bloody massacre on both sides, the reasons unclear and now that it has finally been put down, why are people still so bloodthirsty for another war that could tear and bring down the tentative relationships between the people of our country.


While I may not be on top of each an every update of the various situations in the country, I sure do understand the basic gist of the whole she-bang. When One accuses, the other retaliates, this becomes a dangerous tennis game where one group will end up getting beaten up by the other and then the second group responds likewise, then after all the bloodshed and mayhem, what exactly will be left behind, other than strange brown stains in the middle of the road, a bad taste in society’s mouth and a dark spot in everyone’s mind. What I am trying to say is that while a party may say something that may be against your views and insulting, sometimes retaliating is not the answer, while we must always be up to the task of defending our honour and beliefs, the understanding of where the line is drawn and where it should not be crossed must be imprinted on everyone. While the saying ‘An eye for an eye’ could be used, it is also taken horribly out of context, because ‘An eye for an eye, will leave the whole world blind.’ And merely turning the other cheek will not work.

I may say this and try to explain why, from all you might hear the words, but who will listen, thus is how the wheel turns. There is invariably that part of our being, of our very makeup that will not listen that wishes to rebel and to fight till the end, even the most pacifistic person has a stubborn streak.

Human nature will not change, now or in the near future, for we are creatures of war and of survival, the large portions of our history are recorded through wars, the survival of wars or the events leading up to wars, though the past can not be changed and the future in indeterminable, we can at least try to reign ourselves in, and maybe be able to survive a few thousand years more without wiping ourselves out.

What particularly made me want to write this piece was that when wars end, people are left in a state of ‘jetlag’, a hangover of sorts, so like any other addict suffering withdrawal, there is an underlying need for strife, one man proposes a war-like cause and the others grab on to it like drowning men and go along with it.

With todays media, these are still being wide spread, with the social media sites such as facebook, twitter, blogger , these causes are being advertised, people are shamed for going against the directives and rules of this one group. What does this accomplish but more problems, maybe its just me, a girl behind a keyboard, maybe I’m not worth listening or even reading this post, but the thing is, there are people who look and people who see, people who talk, and people who say, people who hear and people who listen, what I am saying is , try to find which one you are, and where you fit into the whole cake mix.

With that said, I must leave,

farewell readers, M