Just Like Your Father

She had fever. Her skin felt like it was made of pins that pricked her veins.

In an attempt to shake this pain off, she stumbled in to the bathroom and opened the shower. Drops of water fell on her body and scorched her skin and she felt the water sizzling like oil on a frying pan.

The cold water engulfed the electric feeling in her skin and she winced as the pins started to come alive. God! Why!? Why me?! It’s like they were trying to tell all the secrets in her skin.

She was falling ill these days. So vulnerable. She hated it. The sick kid, who always took pills and never did sports. The sun was her enemy and the moon was her friend.

Now as a woman grown up, her mother wasn't always around to molly-coddle her when she whines. Back then, whenever she had fever, her mother used to dip a strip of cloth in eau de cologne and place it on her forehead. It’s used to cool her forehead and calm her mind, the body yet ablaze.

Her skin always felt warm her mothers says. Whenever she takes hold of her mothers’ hands to aid her steps she would shake her hand off. It’s so warm! Just like your fathers she says.

Just like your fathers.

That’s not the first time she said that. Once, she saw her mother engrossed in cooking, chopping carrots with all that love, patience, care and self-control. She felt the warmth spread as she realized how much she loves her mother and how much she meant to her.

In one spontaneous move she places her left arm around her mothers’ waist, who was still deeply concentrating on cutting neat pieces of carrot. She jerked in surprise at her touch and turned her face right, wide-eyed in surprise as if she didn't recognized who it was.

God! You hand felt just like your fathers. As she pulls her hand out of that semi-embrace. In another spontaneous move she put her hand yet again around her mothers waist and slowly swayed to some old tune playing on TV.

In few minutes she was done chopping carrots and piled it on to an empty saucer.
In a haste to transfer the saucer from the kitchen top to the cooker, she drops it. Few pieces of carrots scatters around the kitchen floor and the dog scurry around eating them.

It was a signal. And she got it. It’s as if to say I want the kitchen for myself, so please leave. She turns around and grabs a Choco Pie from the top shelf and leaves the kitchen as the ambiance inside it changed.

She went into the living room and took her favorite seat beside the lampshade and propped her legs up on the chair. She took out one of her fathers books "End to Suffering" by Pankaj Mishra. She started reading while taking occasional bites off the Choco Pie and taking occasional peeks outside the window and around the house just to see if everything was alright.

Just like her father.

The mess at Welikada Prison- the over crowded

Welikada prison and other prisons across the country. End result? read this!



The new checking of visitors to the prison, the prisoners and the officials who work in the prison comes as a new directive, to curb the increasingly unwarranted/illegal contacts the prisoners seem to have with the outside world.

At meeting held with the minister of justice, Milinda Moragoda, the secretary of defence, Gotabhaya Rajapaksha, inspector general of police, Victor Perera and senior officials, attorney general Mohan Peiris P.C, Commissioner General of police, Maj. Gen. V. R Silva and Government analyst, T.R.N.M. Liyanarchchi the decision was taken to implement this new programme.

“There are 3 aspects to this new process, the visitors to the prison would be checked by the police, the prisoners would be checked by the army, police or the air force on their return from courts and the prison officials themselves would be checked in the presence of others”, said General Silva.

This has been put as a pilot project to protect the public and to take a burden off the prison officials. Although it has been implemented only for a few days the officials have found 20 mobile phones and 47 sims during their search, which would be given to the CID for investigation if needed.

The programme has been implemented in Welikada and Magazine prisons currently. The prisons in the country are currently facing a crisis of over crowding due to many reasons.

“There are prisoners also because they can’t find someone to release them on personal bail and because they can’t pay the bail’, said General Silva. While there is also another small percentage of prisoners who are not released due the delay in the government analysts’ reports.

Government Analysts, T.R.N.M Liyanarchchi says that it is due to a lack of staff. They have however requested the Ministry of Justice and Law reforms to overcome the situation and are assured that the vacancies will soon be filled.

There are currently 31,635 prisoners in the country’s prisons, 15,000 of whom are remand suspects in jail. Many as 60 percent of them have been arrested for drug related offences. Many of the cases are from the Magistrates’ court. When the correct documents and reports are not given on time the suspects would be further remanded until they are received or until the next date the case is to be heard.

Prisons such as Welikada have been built only to accommodate 1,700 prisoners, but today it houses close to 6,000 prisoners.

They are bailed out depending on the progress of the case. “The judicial procedures are lengthy and sometimes the reports from both the government analyst and the police are not provided on time”, said General Silva.
By Nabeela Hussain, Amreen Ameen and Melanie Bamunusinghe

Astrologer -Unpublished

We wrote this article on Chandrasiri Bandaranaiyaka, the astrologer who predicted against the government. It was to go Sunday (duh!) but then on Saturday night the lucky bloke was aquitted. Can you beleive it?


“An astrologer getting arrested was indeed an insult to us”, stated Astrologer, Nandinimal Hettithanthri. He said that the problem was that Chandrasiri Bandara hadn’t predicted according to the planets. Whatever he foresaw, he turned the statement around when stating it. He also believes that, if Bandara has predicted it wrong, he should be given the due punishment by the government.

Chandrasiri Bandara was arrested under the Prevention of terrorism Act, for predicting that the Opposition Leader will come in to power on September, 9. He was arrested since such predictions are considered as threat to the President.

Several astrologers in the country gave their conflicting views on the situation. Astrologer, Piyasena Rathuvitharana is of the opinion that all astrologers should be fair in what they predict. “They should not use what they predict for political purposes, however it has been predicted that there will be some political events in the future, such as elections’, he further said.

Media spokesman for the Police, Ranjith Gunasekara said that there have been no more reports regarding this case and that the astrologer is yet being questioned.

Astrologer Jayalath Kumar who predicted that the war would be over before the September, 10 also commented saying that, astrologers should be careful when predicting a persons future because it affects them mentally.

They further added that, we don’t control the planets. The planets control us; therefore Chandrasiri couldn’t have been politically biased in his predicting. They also said that, predicting is a part of freedom of speech, but astrologers have to be careful of about their statements especially when predicting about people. Unlike when predicting natural disasters like floods, landslides and earthquakes, predicting on people can be controversial.

On another note, an astrologer made strong predictions about President Mahinda Rajapakse. They said his horoscope shows that he is very powerful and that he would be a world renouned leader, one that cannot be easily brought down. It is further predicted that anyone competing against him at an election would have no chance of winning, with the public at his side and with the end of war.

There has not been any astrologer arrested in the history of Sri Lanka since the times of the kings. However the arrest of Astrologer Chandrasiri Bandara can now be added to it.

By Melanie Bamunusinghe and Nabeela Hussain

Even the dog knows...

The wall marking our house has a lettuce through which the little kids from the neighbouring houses call and pet my dog, Diego. He is very popular among the streets' inhabitants and also among the ever present stray dog population. He is most famous for his penetratingly loud barks. So much so it is often considered a nuisance. Unless in a scenario like this when I actually think that a dogs' bark may mean something.


I woke up yet again to find Diego barking at something through the lettuce. He was halted at the doorstep, as he dared not get closer to the wall. I steeped to his level and squinted trying spot anything peculiar outside.When I couldn't find anything remotely exciting, my mother said "He is been barking at the Poster of Kuruwitage pasted on the gate across". And yes he was! point blank barking at Mahinda Kuruwitage!


The most direct explanation for this, as told to me by a friend, is that dogs expect faces to move all the time. A poster is a non-moving picture of a face, a concept a dog cannot grasp. He expects the face in the poster to move as he has seen mine, my parents and pretty much every other human faces move.

But there is always a double meaning (isn't there always?). The irony is that my dog is barking at a politician. He is been influenced by the human race(guilty as charged) or he seem to understand that all these politicians are just talk and no work. Genuineness of politicians cannot be judged by the reaction of a dog, but I couldn't ignore the reality of it.

As I watched Diego barking I thought 'What if dog ruled the country?'. Then again MP's bark like dogs at the parliament, it would hardly be different. I recently told male friend of mine that men are like dogs and I remember him going completely berserk on that remark. Let me enhance that remark to you. Its insulting for a dog to be compared with men, because I think its easier to work with a dog than it is with a guy. And dogs seem to understand your requirements and feeling than most humans we've met.

So tell Diego barks again...Woof!

War- Vengeance? Truth?

Amos Roberts did a report from Sri Lanka about the 25 year old war against the Tigers that had seen thousands killed and how an estimated 150,000 civilians are trapped in the middle of this brutal conflict.

As Roberts reports, no independent journalists are allowed near the war zone and those who dare criticize the government or the military are either detained or murdered by shadowy forces.The clip below was posted on YouTube on the 15th March, as shown in an Australian TV channel.

As stated in the clip itself, the interviews seemed to have been staged. Opposing to this segment, a video of an IDP (internally displaced people) camp shows otherwise, questioning the credibility of the video above. The IDP's are kept in these camps for over a year. Are they imprisoned? Are they happy with the conditions? What will become of them?
The clip below was taken when the camp at Visuamadu was attacked. The scenarios are contrastingly different.

While one clip shows the IDP's well looked after , another shows them hiding in sand holes dug to the ground at the camps. Roberts mentioned that journalist are not allowed near the war zone, it seems that the handful that were allowed haven't done a good job reporting, considering the fact that now we are faced with two contradictory sets of evidence witnessed. Again I ask what are we to believe ? Or more like What is happening?

If the war was in Colombo instead of in Jaffna, then we would be living their life wouldn't we? For all we know, the situation can change as such, never know what will happen next, so isn't it least bit essetial for us to see what happening ?

Are Bloggers Cynical?

Are they?

Looking back at my last two blog entrees and re-reading them, I realized it sounds so whiny.Is it me or is it a part of the 'Blog Culture' to be pessimistic at times?

So surfing through few blogs, I came to the conclusion that I'm not the first to be a pessimistic blogger and it's not bad being one either. Being what they are or being what I am, very querulous as you see, makes people think "Oh yeah...". Opening readers to a different point of view, an angle to which they were previously blind to.

Bloggers are like Journalists, they should be able to strike a balance between negative and positive. Can't be too heavy to one side. Sometimes it's not the bloggers who are cynical, but the blog annotators(like this). The blogger writes a genuine piece, which the annotators fiest on like a flock of crows fighting over a piece of cheese! (pardon me for my imagination...).Such as:


Maybe this trend is what Sri Lankan bloggers are making. Blogging + Sri Lankaness combined results the best of our circuit of local bloggers and annotators. So possible for a nation of grumbling happy-g0-lucky people.

Blog annotators are bloggers themselves. So its all connected, Sri lankans-Bloggers-Blog Annotators, like Bermuda Triangle.And Bermuda Triangle is what bloggers are I think, because we never know who they really are or what happens to them ,because we dont know them. So there is nothing wrong being a Bermuda or being cynical, because its what blogging is all about. Being what you are and writing what you think. =)

Err.. So what is your name?

How come visiting lecturers don't introduce themselves first thing at a lecture ?

So we are going to this lecture, and we wonder who this guy is, what's his name. But instead of having answers to these questions we hear a detail description of his lifetime of achievements, leaving us yet pondering..err sir, so whats your name? (fault at our part- we don't ask him either, which we should do the next time)

There are two ways in which we come to musing over this Million Dollar( Rupees in SL) question.

1. Five minutes in to the lecture, we realize that its dead boring. Nine in the morning, a small neutral voice, with no expressions, speaking away. An excellent combination for us to doze off! So we are like Who Is This Boring Guy?! My friend turns to me, saying "Kill me! this lecture is beyond boring!

2. The type that screams 'Wake Up!' with their lively facial expressions, voluminous voice and Energized hand movements. He tell us an interesting story, gets us thinking that the lecture is worth listening to. Then we speculate, Gosh! Who Is This Guy? He rocks! Naive and pessimistic as we are, we come into the Auditorium dreading the thought of enduring a 3 hour sermon. Only a spirited lecturer can erase those ideas.

But I'm not talking about that. This Blog is about lecturers not introducing themselves, lively or not. Half the time we leave without knowing their names. Or luckily we see there names in the slid show or in handouts(which we don't get half the time). Some write their name and contact number on the white board before they leave( Hello!? Its essential that we know the name at the beginning! It completes the picture and makes it easier to listen to someone with a name!)

It disturbing to hear them mumble their names and for us to walk out at the end of it all, knowing the entire CV of Mr.Mumble's (Mrs or Ms.) instead of their name.

I wrote this while at a lecture, conducted by an accomplished middle aged man, who mumbled his name and droned for 3 hours monotonously about, god know what. "Kill me", my friend says again as we both wonder for the umpteenth time who this guy is, trying not to drown ourselves in this grey sunshine.....

P.S- Any Blogger/Lecturer's (or who are in the prospect of becoming a lecturer) reading this,( not many I know) please keep in mind to say your names properly even if you hate it.Thank You.

Jumbory and Jaffna =)

A disturbing fact, as always calls our attention. This was one such scenario. Between the insistence by my dad and a reluctance from my part, I was tagged along to the annual Jumbory (all schools get together and camp on the same grounds), held at Nalanda College (for you information I have never being there and I never wanted to either). As I walked through the school grounds I still was reluctant, for I was sure it was bound to get boring.

But just like on thousand other previous occasions parents prove you wrong. Once I got my camera out everything else started to look brighter (I know it sounds like a line from a cheesy love scene). My GRUDGE against the human race, for bringing me here, dissolved. The hustle and the bustle of camp preparations (350 scouts to be exact), the echoing chatter of the outpour of eager parents, scout uniforms, all seemed appealing.

As my mother dragged me to the far corners of the ground where camps are built, I saw the detail in to which they have gone to create their domain. Unfortunately everyone stank (as boys usually do, scout boys especially now), so I had a slim chance getting close to them enough to have a civilized conversation. Despite that, I wondered around tent to tent, to see my mother dearest deep in conversation with some senior scouts from Kalmune and Jaffna.

The interesting fact though wasn't them, but the inquisitive boys who came following us thereafter, asking "what did you ask them?" We were bit taken aback like "who the hell are you to ask us that? Nevertheless mother replied calmly. Soon we were having a full blown conversation. Funny though I should call it so, considering the fact that the boys had limited knowledge of English and we, having a below limited knowledge of Tamil.

The beautiful fact was the energy that reflected in their eyes, the eagerness was overwhelming.
They were using all three languages to communicate with us. Something’s they said though was thoroughly disappointing. Three boys, Dushyanthan, Darshan and Creedy (Cool name huh?), painted a picture about the conditions in Jaffna better than all the local newspapers put together. The SL Army considers all Tamils as LTTE, thus treating them brutally so. These boys, Creedy especially seen people being shot at for no credible reason. I, being 19, am yet to witness that. Dushyanthan said "No offense, but most Sinhalese thinks that all Tamils are LTTE, the SLA abuses us with that mind set".

He recalled a scenario once, when he and his friend going home late after Festival, they were stopped by a army soldier. He asked for the NIC, Dushyanthan showed, but when asked for the school ID, he didn’t have. Slap! The friend didn’t have the NIC so -SLAP!
Do they deserve this? But there's more, anyone seen out on the road past six o' clock, is pointed the gun and threatened to go home. This only boils the anger within people even more.

I wonder if our privileged citizens residing in Colombo have dealt with such situations, if they have, well then it’s definitely a handful. I remember at a recent gathering someone said she felt that her privacy is violated when the police pry through her belongings at check points. They open her lipstick. Fine lipstick! These guys have guns pointed at them. It left her drained and disappointed to even feel the Independence Day spirit, they don’t have independence. More than to her, she feels for other people who have to endure this treatment.
What are we complaining about?!!

Up north their actions are stifled and controlled, we complain that we feel caged, suppressed. To them our life is sweet sweet freedom. Dushyanthan wishes to live in Colombo no matter what. The drive he has to get out of his rut was sounded from his expressions. Between the broken English and broken Tamil, I found out that despite the atrocities of war, their parents wish to live in Jaffna, and that Diaspora wish to return to their homeland. They wish that north will be reinstated and people could live there like we do in Colombo.

The parting with them was marked with the words they chorused "Hope we meet again". I hope so because I want to see how their life has changed for the better.

They say, I Write

What I read or hear, Straight comes here.

1. Straight out, no beating around the bush,typical you. Though unlike Mohini,who lurks around bushes. (a spontaneous line, wrote it on Mohini's blog)
   
   
2. KISS-Keep It Short and Sweet ( On top of MILF and TIT?)
   
   
3. Please stay out of trouble. People are generally idiots, and it doesn't pay to be recklessly mean to them and tell them to stick it where the sun don't shine. That's my job. So don't fight... (my wild imagination got the worst of it for " stick it")
   
   
4. Fire Ram, Hare ram,Send him home to his farm, Cos that Poofter lost his charm(this is Poofter's line, I love the rhyme, it got me crying..with laughter!)

5. Wimal Weerawansa gets Mwah! from Umma And war against the media continues (this is two different headings put together, the meaning completely changed..twisted!)
   

Poofter..Who else!

Thirteen Things about Poofter

1. "Crows there, it's like in World War Two, pooping everywhere above our heads.We have to dodge them and run with our buckets!"

2. "You eat Poori with Chapathi no?"

3. Hid under the table on Friday night during the air raid, scared that the little ghost boy from Grudge will consume him!

4. Jerkface is sitting on Ramzi's Ding Dong

5. Jerkface is sitting on Ding Dong's ping pong!

6. Is a Momma, still pending, triplets coming up( currently satisfying his endless cravings)

7. -Puree Poori Marie Curie-
   
   
8. Has a hot brother...

9. Has the same phone as I

10. Is a Poofter!

11. Screaming his head off while watching Grudge and simultaneously juggling rolls of paper( in fear) while watching it.

12. Fed up of "Slumdog",yet watching it, enduring the verbal pressure by SomeOne

13. Triplets dead, screaming had a negative effect..sad sad situation, but relieving to know that men are not going to have babies!
    

Why do we Write Essays?!

We write essays because someone told us to as an assignment, to meet deadlines, to get paid for, for passion, to put ideas in to writing, to empty the mind, to word a mind boggling thought, to prove a point, argue, appeal, advocate- the list never ends and add to that I don’t know all the occasions that a person may pick up a pen and write something or type letters on a key board. Isn’t it that we are always writing something? I believe that vast majority of the world population does some kind of writing at least every 24 hours. Write an email or text message, sign a check, and write on walls, writing could be done anytime, anywhere. I will make a note here, when I said writing on walls, world as evolved such that there are two kinds – the tangible walls in buildings and around them, where people take great pleasure scribbling on; two the walls on Facebook accounts where people do something similar to the former.

Exception for illiterate people, but even them if they pick up a stick and streak a picture on the sand, I will consider that as an attempt to write. This is because writing is a way of expression; you read a sentence from which you get an idea, a concept, a story, a point of view, information. Well I don’t think this list is going to end either. I find it ironic that there are illiterate people or even a literacy rate, because the 195 countries in the world have created approximately 6912 living languages. So does this imply that there is a population that couldn’t learn at least one of these 6912? Isn’t it humiliating that out of 6912 most people know only one or two? And we, who had been using one language all our lives still haven’t, mastered the style of it?

Here is an interesting fact. Papua New Guinea has the highest linguistic diversity, having approximately 830 for 5.4 million people, which is about one language for every 6500 residents. I hope that everyone is literate there, at least. It is reported that there are238 languages in United States, of which 162 are still living. We can see why the US hasn’t declared English as its official language. It would set of rallies and protests big enough to make the headlines.

Writing is the second source of communication besides speaking, except for the mute or deaf where the priority differs. So if some kind of biological or chemical manipulation mutes a population the only source of communication will be writing. I don’t necessarily hope that will happen, but it will provoke people to write more often. As for me I blab on paper as much as I blab when I meet people. I realize that typing a text message of 30 words is much an essay as writing an essay of 600 words. No one set limits to it, so somewhere in this world a person typing a text apologizing for his absence, is actually writing an essay. If it was me typing the text I could never stop because once I start writing I can go on and on and on.