Monday, February 18, 2008

The Rain, A Tree and a three-wheeler

Went to Keels on Saturday evening in the pouring rain. When trying to pull out the car noticed the security guy giving instructions to the car in front to go the other way. Duplication Road is a one way and was getting annoyed that Silly Security guy does not know anything. Get to the cashier and think that I am being really smart and tell him “security guy is new is it, why is he trying to be a panditha (know it all)”. Cashier just had this funny look said nothing nor smiled. By this point anyone with common sense would have realized something is wrong.

I tried to turn the car and saw this huge tree fallen on middle of Duplication road and covering the whole road from left to right. In between the branches of the huge tree I could see a three-wheeler smashed. I just stood there for a few minutes and the car behind gave an annoyed tooting.
I think at that moment the cold chill that spread through my heart was more of fear like oh god what if it had been me. There were cops around and quickly asked the security guy if the driver was ok. He said he jumped out. The way the auto looked I don’t know how he managed to do that, I hope he did. Took a detour and saw another tree fallen near duplication road. The wrath of nature can be so fierce and have disastrous consequences. I have been so bothered by the whole episode..

Friday, February 15, 2008

“Keeping Up with the Jayatungas”

The last few years associating with one circle of friends has caused me to re-assess my values of things that are important. Comparisons of house, cars, mobile and clothes resulting in massive revenue for automobile industry and trading industries in general have been profitable (although inflation is going up!). A part of the women have been seen competing with each other and do the same thing. I got caught up in this slightly and was busy shopping like there is no tomorrow.

Getting a bit mad about materialistic things were ok but the others were getting out of hand with the same hair cuts same salons same everything.( can you believe that five women I know have the same hair cut ditto) I think I reached the point of seeing light when one day we had a conversation which goes like this.

F 1 : What are you doing to your house blah blah blah

F2 ; I am getting this light blah blah

More blahs were exchanged and I was happily lost in dream world when they realized that I was zoned out and pounced on me

F 1 So you are at a rented place santhoshi, not thinking of getting your own place

Me: Well I can’t really afford to buy my own place so we live for rented

(The Two Fs completely ignore what I said)

F 2: I think you know it’s important for us to have our own houses, I think Tamils don’t like to have their own houses.

I said nothing kept quite.

The two friends are not of the same religion and are very good friends who are educated. I don’t think the conversation was meant to be on racially motivated either they just believe that Tamils for some strange reason don’t want to live in own houses.

It’s just that now that the situation here is so bad, that every little thing which is said out of people’s unawareness bother me. The people who were having conversation did not really care about what the other person was doing they were only doing a comparative analysis of who had the better stuff.

IF I said this out aloud at that point, I would have been immediately branded as a jealous cow. Having my own place has not been a priority to me anyways (but then again I should not have been posting this if it was not that a big deal, damn I am confused now!)

(F does not stand for any fowl language)

Saturday, February 9, 2008

Going for a Walk!

Since starting off on my New Year resolution of keeping fit, decided to go for a walk down Independence Square in the morning. I had conveniently forgotten that there is something going on at BMICH and most roads are closed. Anyways get to Independence Square at six thirty there is very few people walking and very less women, like there was a ninety percent drop in the number of people who usual do walk (have gone walking here long long ago).

Was just driving around and around the area and got stopped to be checked (surely must have looked suspicious, well I was trying to see if it was ok to walk). Anyways the square is full of stray dogs and I am very scared of stray animals (even if it’s a cat). They started barking at me and that totally put me off trying to walk there. So got back home with nothing done (seems to be the usual case these days).

Went down marine drive to check if walking is possible there, it was also quite deserted and there are some stray dogs there as well. The thing with these animals is they bark at you if u look at them (I think they see the fear in my eyes or something). So now the walking business in the City of Colombo is dropped temporarily until there is more of a crowd of walkers gathered at any point (my excuse is genuine and not some disguise owing to laziness or so I say!).