saturday reds - 15/12/2007
how long? how long? ( as the eagles say. check out their new album. good karaoke stuff.)
...anybay....
how's things? yeah. yeah. i know. at this age they do tend to be that swing-low-sweet-chariot thingy. but such is life. sri lanka, is much the same. a pack of muppets in parliament as well without any of the humor. yesterday for instance the country was all agog with the possibility of the ruling party losing the budget debate. anura bandaranayke, the old miss piggy that he is, dramatically crossed over to the opposition and then found himself on the losing side of a 114 - 67 score line. no doubt, the previous evening saw the international banks involved with a rash of activity as money moved. the few days before, some tamil politicians had their family members abducted by unknown persons. eventually, it was a non event as the government won handsomely. late evening with the noise of crackers going off, it must felt like a new years morn. and, perhaps, it was for us as well.
a few weeks ago, the supreme court ruled that permanent check points were an infringement of personal liberty. in a fit of pique, the government has dismantled all the check points in the city. this means that every cat and a pipe bomb is probably roaming around and waiting to blow me up. we do not get much news of what is happening up in the north but people ( i mean all communities and races) are continuing to die. not that many in colombo care. the situation today is no different to what was 20 years ago. we have not moved forward towards a solution, even an inch. the politicians and the arms dealers have of course gotten seriously rich. i mean to say, a VVVIP's son ( a teenager) is supposed to have bought a Rs. 750 million (USD 7 point 5 million) house in colombo. 'nuff said. we are happy eating cake.
...anybay....
how's things? yeah. yeah. i know. at this age they do tend to be that swing-low-sweet-chariot thingy. but such is life. sri lanka, is much the same. a pack of muppets in parliament as well without any of the humor. yesterday for instance the country was all agog with the possibility of the ruling party losing the budget debate. anura bandaranayke, the old miss piggy that he is, dramatically crossed over to the opposition and then found himself on the losing side of a 114 - 67 score line. no doubt, the previous evening saw the international banks involved with a rash of activity as money moved. the few days before, some tamil politicians had their family members abducted by unknown persons. eventually, it was a non event as the government won handsomely. late evening with the noise of crackers going off, it must felt like a new years morn. and, perhaps, it was for us as well.
a few weeks ago, the supreme court ruled that permanent check points were an infringement of personal liberty. in a fit of pique, the government has dismantled all the check points in the city. this means that every cat and a pipe bomb is probably roaming around and waiting to blow me up. we do not get much news of what is happening up in the north but people ( i mean all communities and races) are continuing to die. not that many in colombo care. the situation today is no different to what was 20 years ago. we have not moved forward towards a solution, even an inch. the politicians and the arms dealers have of course gotten seriously rich. i mean to say, a VVVIP's son ( a teenager) is supposed to have bought a Rs. 750 million (USD 7 point 5 million) house in colombo. 'nuff said. we are happy eating cake.
in galle, a few weeks ago, the city was bustling with activity as usual. it hasn't grown much but has just become more crowded. the cricket stadium is being reconstructed and the area in front of the old gray fort is a hive of activity. some tsunami camps are still there. the sea at this time of the year looks like blue green glass and the yellow beaches gave the scene a painted, still, look. people were going about their business of living however limited that might mean. in sri lanka, over the years, we have learnt to make do with small measures.
it rainy and cold in colombo these days. lots of christmas songs and carols on the radio. there is peace and goodwill, it seems, in radioland. houses are being painted and furniture varnished. shops are crowded. there is gold and silver tinsel all over the place. heaps of silver stars piled on the ground by vendors selling all kinds of multihued shirts and blouses. two millennia ago a child was said to have been born in a manager.
merry christmas to all of you and your families and a peaceful new year.
posted by the scribe at 11:43 AM
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