Nisadas

Moving on from my previous post, I was going to blog about something that crossed my mind while typing it last night. However, it seems Morquendi has beaten me to it on Nittewa.

My point being – what defines your identity?

I spoke to some friends of mine. Apparently, whatever the scholars say, most average people seem to equate identity with name, ethnicity, nationality or religion in most cases. And it would seem that many people will pass judgement on others based on these labels… a practice that has been carried forward throughout human history.

He hath disgraced me, and hindered me half a million; laughed at my losses, mocked at my pains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies; and what’s his reason? I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison us, do we not die?

– Shylock, from Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice

The labels we give to distinguish ourselves have hardly ever been used for a good purpose. But what bothers me is how these archaic labels still exist in our global village. Why is it that even at a time when we are so clearly able to see that the biggest differences among us are figments, we continue to revel in these labels, directing hate and passing judgement on those we feel are different from us?

Maybe a few hundreds of years ago, when travel between nations was rare and multi-cultural towns were exclusively sea-ports or trading posts, the labels had more meaning than they have today.

How do you define someone’s ethnicity today? DNA testing – or do you take their word for it? Does following a particular religion mean you have the right to put down the followers of another religion?

What about the people who are born into a race or religion they don’t like? Are these matters of personal choice or social custom?

What if you were born abroad, in a country different from that of your parents’ home – but were brought up in a totally different country? What would be your nationality?

Personally, I’m proud to be Sri Lankan. I’m proud of what my ancestors achieved in the past.

But I will not be defined by society’s whims or the ruins of my ancestors. Frankly, I’d rather just be me. I will define who I am by my actions. I’m thankful to my friends, who by being themselves and constantly challenging my beliefs, help me maintain my individuality. Maybe I’m being an idealist, but I would rather be an idealist seeker of the truth than a hypocrite defined by the company he keeps.

It’s election time. Time to make promises, shake hands, pay people to throng at your speeches and wave majestically. It is a time for many things. Perhaps even a totally irrelevant and irreverant post on something that came to mind (these kind of thoughts occur very often, but very few are ever published). Before reading the rest of this post, please ensure that you’ve got a sense of humour and most importantly, an open mind – I can be very confusing sometimes, which can be a good opportunity to laugh at me. If you lack the two – I hope that you have free will. This entails being able to understand that No, I Don’t Need To Read The Rest Of This Stupid Post And Get All Hot And Bothered About It. If you find yourself lacking in all three departments – please don’t read any further. If you’re still reading this, you’re implicitly agreeing that you posess the first two qualities yadda yadda yadda yadda…

So anyway. I watched Ms Nisha Pillai on BBC speak to Lord Naseby of the British-Sri Lanka Parliamentary Group with regard to the issue of the EU travel ban on the Tamil Tigers. It was quite interesting to watch the conversation and the reactions of the two individuals concerned.

However, for details and discussion on matters re: LTTE, GOSL and the “ethnic” conflict in Sri Lanka – might as well check Mephistopheles or Nittewa. Nothing on those lines here. Sorry, Politics is a subject that I refrain from discussing (specifically) or debating in public – as someone once said, “It’s like wrestling a pig – not only do you end up getting dirty, but the pig actually enjoys it”.

Rather, much in line with the strange ways that my mind works – watching that little tete a tete cultivated a (rather weird) vision of the future. A glimpse of the world as it soon could (will?) be.

A quick trip to the Wikipedia (don’t we all love that site) will show just how many separatist movements are at work in the world today. I will not discuss the validity or the idealogy behind these movements.

Rather, I will say this – today, more than ever before in the history of mankind, we are living in greater proximity to each other. Something of a global village. If not physically, then virtually. Advances in technology such as the Internet and satellite broadcasts have brought cultures diverse and different in contact with each other. People who only 20 years ago would have led lives that hardly strayed beyond the borders of their little hamlet in the border villages in Sri Lanka may now watch various american television shows on their solar powered TVs. What does Siripala make of “Sex and the City”? (Okay, so its a dumb example – please provide a better one)

So in this modern Babylon where races, religions and cultures are continuously confronting each other, I see people getting increasingly anxious about their individual identity. This is followed by perceived or (sadly) actual social/political/economic disadvantages that tend to frustrate people and cause problems. Hmmm….

Sure – I’m unique – but so’s everyone else. Oh dear, I’m feeling a little – just a little – bit insecure now. How come those other people are getting a better deal than I am?

So lets all gang up depending on what our most common factor is. Let’s get Tribal. After all, the Tribe knows whats best for its members. Or rather, the head of the Tribe knows what is best.

So lets assume the Tribes are set up. These will be split along the usual lines of race first. Perhaps religion can be a secondary distinction. Caste, Social status, Job satisfaction, Sports involvement and voluntary services provided can be used as filters afterwards. Being of mixed racial background can be a hindrance. Best to go with the secondary distinctions then.

So what does that give us? Hypoythetically, we’d have The Sinhala Bauddha Govi Madhyama Panthika Rekiya Wirahitha Upadhidharee Pakshaya (translated: The Sinhala Buddhist Govi-caste Middle-class unemployed-graduate party) could be set up, where it would find itself in polar opposition to the Sinhala Bauddha Govi Madhyama Panthika Rekiyalabhi Upadhidharee Pakshaya (as before, but employed-graduates), on the grounds that employment was given out by central government on a purely arbitrary basis that discriminated them.

But why stop there? Let’s get geographical. We can get these various groups to agitate (first peacefully, then violently – subject to actual weaponry and training available) against whatever central government is around, asking for a separate state. This would enable the different parties to pursue their various agendas independently.

But where do we draw the line? Is the setting up of separate states the solution to problems brought about by globalisation? Where do we draw the line and say that separatism by the Horton Place Progressive Front, the Mirihana People’s Alliance or the Melbourne Idama Liberation Kangaroos are people with serious issues as opposed to other separatist movements?

The planet we live on is like an island in an ocean of stars. Until there are viable alternatives (like the proposed colonies on the moon and Mars), there’s little we can do. The world population has been growing at what seems to be a dangerously unsustainable rate. This leaves all of us with increasingly less land to live on, much less die on. Are we to keep splitting it up into tinier and tineir pieces?

Do we really need to go back on millennia of evolution, technological and social progress to relive the ways of our ancestors and their tribal feuds (“My grandfather offed your grandfather 100 years ago, so the fact that your father offed my father is no reason for you to claim ownership of this piece of land”)?
If we keep splitting up the land we have based on the various labels we give ourselves – what will be left of us as humanity?

Have we as humanity grown up? Or do we still dwell in our little individual wells, admiring the sky above and ignoring the world around us?

Who watches the Watchmen? Well, in this case, it’d be Commander Sam Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch. I’ve just finished reading Terry Pratchett’s latest book, Thud! – and remain steadfast in admiration of the gentleman’s work.

Ever since I picked up Maskerade at the British Council one fine day so long ago, I’ve been hooked. The wordplay, the satire – everything about the Discworld is so wonderfully presented – playing on so many themes from our very own world (Roundworld as it’s known in the Science of Discworld books – which also proved to be just as interesting as the novels) – that its insightful in a hilarious kinda way. Certainly, it’s testament to my interest in the series that my Angel With A Pitchfork deemed it suitable to present me with a copy of Interesting Times – my favourite of the series (under serious threat from Nightwatch – hint. hint.) – on a very special occasion.

Of course, it pays to know a real life Havelock-Vetinari-in-the-making, who gets his hands on the latest books; it certainly helped me have the satisfaction of having read ALL the books in the Discworld series, albeit always one later than him.

Of all the characters in the books, Patrician Vetinari is the coolest, most savvy; Granny Weatherwax the most commanding and canny; Rincewind the one I used to most identify with . But there’s just something about Sam Vimes. The way he has risen, grown from strength to strength throughout the series appeals to me. His strong sense of Truth and Justice, coupled with his street-smarts make him a character strong enough to arrest the highest authority in the city, yet he is totally outsmarted by his aristocratic wife, Sybil.

I might even emulate the chap – there are so many good qualities about him. But then again, someone who seeks to emulate fictional characters has serious issues, more of that later.

From Quantum Physics to Common Sense, Pratchett’s books have taken a satirical view of the world that we live in, engulfing various fantasy (i.e. Witches, Dwarves, Trolls, Elves, Gnomes, Gnolls etc) characters in his fictional Discworld multiverse in situations that mirror most events and issues in our own world. The witticisms and puns, the inside jokes cover a wide spectrum, colouring a multiverse that has not simply grasped, but pretty much arrested the imaginations of thousands of fellow readers around the world.

In Thud!, the issue of extremism is something that strikes me as being a main theme. How those who maintain traditions use that as a weapon to browbeat the more progressive of their species is a subject that I have been (unfortunately) closely acquainted with in the real world. So it’s a helluva lotta fun seeing how it all ends in Thud!, which is already saying too much – but hopefully not too much to ruin the ending.

Thud! -the book- is certainly made more interesting due to the fact that it’s been preceded by more than three years by Thud! -the game. It’s apparently something like chess, but there’s precious little said about the actual specifics. It’s been a long time since I played chess, or any other board game for that matter, but I hope that when I do so in the future, at least one instance will be when I play Thud!.

’nuff said. Here are some links that you might be interested in:

• Terry Pratchett Books
• Details on the book at Amazon.com
• The L-Space Web, a fantastic resource that includes the The Annotated Pratchett File 9.0 which is a work of art in its own right.
• Info on Terry Pratchett at Wikipedia
• Pratchett’s story behind the game
• A gallery of photos of the game, at BoardGameGeek.com

Monday night:

Brilliant. My PC crashed again. GRUB stops working and there’s no way to access anything. Or is there?

Something’s wrong with my hard disk. I’m not very sure what exactly. But that’s besides the point – I want it working again. Soon. Please.

BeatrIX to the rescue. Yes, I have MEPIS and the Ubuntu LiveCD with me as well – which I’ll use for the actual recovery work – but when it comes to a speedy bootup with a no-frills approach to getting back to work, I prefer the small and simple BeatrIX.

Some meddling around with the command line and I’ve gotten root access and the access to all my data. Phew. It’s all there. Maybe I’ll get it backed up at office and format the HDD.

Wednesday night:
Everything’s back to normal. Or, as normal as a fresh installation of my operating system can be.

Due to its simplicity and elegance, not to mention the fact that it kept me online during a Hard-disk-less time, my copy of BeatrIX gets its place amongst my most favourite CDs.

Sometime back, I wrote on obscurity. While doing so, I also mentioned something which sittingnut later explained was known as the GoogleBomb effect.

Via Digg, I found a response from Google on this matter at the Google Blog, which I thought is worth reading.

While you’re at it, there’s another interesting link to an AJAX powered dictionary here (Also via Digg).

I dropped by at the International Book Fair at the BMICH on Tuesday. So had another couple of thousand people. Which got me to thinking – in this day and age – are books still in fashion?

Why read a book? Rather – why go out and actually pay money for one? After all, we can find loads of books off Project Gutenberg and various other sources. Adobe Acrobat versions of many books are easily available for download off the net.

Most of us have got a TV and/or computer. This gives us many options – cable, VCD, DVD and the internet to name a few – as sources of entertainment. This could be why many people today are said to not read as often. But the strange thing is – many people still do. I’d venture that the stuff they read is off good ol’ paper.

Case in point – the few films that I’ve watched that are based on books I’ve read (or vice versa). Jurassic Park – the film – was groundbreaking stuff in terms of special effects etc etc, but IMHO not anywhere close to being as good as the story in the book. So many people I know would agree – with respect to the differences between the book and the film.

Then there are the books based on the film. Reading Terry Brooks’ novelisation of Star Wars Episode I:The Phantom Menace was a great relief (being something of a fan of the original episodes), not having enjoyed the film at all.

Perhaps it’s because of the way in which the written word can take us from place to place – from the sweeping tableau of the general scenery to right behind the eyes of the characters – their thoughts, their feelings, their inner demons.

I’d doubt there’s anything more personal about such an experience. The glimpses into the thoughts of other people – fictitious or otherwise – certainly broadens one’s perspective. Perhaps the greatest film directors (Coppola?) can push the most talented actors to achieve something close to this effect – but I don’t think it’s ever as effective as the written word.

Given the advances in transferring books online – why would anyone want to regress and read off paper pages when they can read online? You have search functions, annotation features (in most programs) and other fancy things that “hardcopy” books don’t have. Why would Ivap want to print the ebooks he downloaded, to read?

Maybe it’s because you can’t curl up somewhere with a warm mug of [preferred beverage] with your laptop. Or rather, even if you could, you’d rather not. While I’ve enjoyed reading Wodehouse on the PC (via Gutenberg), there’s nothing to compare with reading from a book. The actual feel of the pages, the freedom to sit comfortably without the radiation of a computer screen – I like that.

It seems that until Electronic Paper becomes good enough, good old books will still be in fashion.

Some more photos from yesterday…

During a rare and painfully brief moment when the roads cleared, I was able to glimpse an enterprising citizen who’d found some alternate means of transport.

For the benefit of people who don’t read Sinhala, this bus is from Sigiriya. That’s a very long way from Colombo.

For a large number of people, getting home was not going to be a pleasant ride:

Come to think of it, horses and ponies are quite fun to ride. Wonder how much they cost? With the rise in oil prices, I’m sure there are many cost benefits to be considered…

I just might check with the authorities if riding animals is street-legal…

4.00pm

The roads seem to be blocked. Seriously – for 177 travelers anyway.

I knew something was up when the road leading to Independence square was decorated with blue. Suspicions were confirmed when Pat came over and informed us that the roads were to be closed at 2.00pm because of a meeting.

Went out at around 1.00pm to get some lunch and noticed all the school vans full of kids, heading home. Judging by the speed at which the Horton Place road packed up, it would seem that almost everyone is intent on getting home soon. Spoke to a policeman who said things will clear up by around 4.00pm.

This part of Colombo seems to be emptying.

In terms of numbers, I suppose they are being replaced by the people coming into Colombo from various districts – ergo the buses with little blue ribbons and blue banners. There was even one (ribbon-less) bus from Dambulla. Don’t see much of those around Town Hall.

Notice the direction the vehicles are headed. What is normally a two way road is now very much one way…

Judging from the fact that this guy in the Pajero is headed the other way and followed by more traffic, looks like the whole “One Way” and traffic situ is due to drivers with a weird sense of direction more than anything else.

I hope that a long walk will not be part of my “getting home” procedure today.

UPDATE
In case you haven’t figured it out – the Sri Lanka Freedom Party is having a big shindig in connection with its 54th anniversary.

The effect on those of us who stayed on, refusing to let some political rally disrupt our work schedule? Travel home would be a life threatening experience if we took the bus.

Prabhath and I took the 177, with the objective of heading for Kollupitiya. No such luck. Just after passing Barista’s the bus takes a turn and into a by road – close to the Japanese embassy. We’re stuck there for some time, causing most of the people – who’re headed for Kollupitiya or somewhere else along the 177 route to get off disgruntled.

The 177 heads on through previously uncharted territory through Thummulla to Bamabalapitiya junction – one passenger insisting to the others that they can get to Galle road, while the conducter is distraught at all these people getting certainly more mileage than what they’ve paid for.

There were buses from Paathadumbara, Halawatha (Chilaw), Matara, Galle, Gampaha and various other outstations along the way to Bamba. All parked by the side of the roads and empty. Meanwhile, there were large crowds of people at bus halts waiting to catch buses, whilst the buses plying the other routes were simply overflowing. I’m not always very up to date on the news, but I think the railway strike must still be on and causing even more inconvenience to commuters everywhere.

Once we got to Bamba, the crowd at the bus halt stretched from the crossing opposite Unity Plaza right up to the other end (where Ceylinco Savings Bank used to be). A veritable sea of people. The overflowing buses, leaning so dangerously that the people hanging from the exits(entrances? doors?) have to bend their knees to avoid touching the tarmac with their toes, told us implicitly that we’d be around for a long time.

Occassionally there would be state buses passing by, mostly empty and “Samurdhi” stickers on the windscreen. The few people discouraged anyone trying to get in, but it seemed some people – possibly those living further down south – talked their way in for a ride.

The ubiquitous three wheelers were all taken on the way towards Galle. So we crossed the road, walked towards Banana Leaf and managed to find an empty one. Convinced the chap to take the Marine Drive and take us home. Got a pretty good deal too.

A quick look at Kottu reveals some pics (of what looks like higher resolution than my camera phone) up on Flickr featuring some of the buses I’ve mentioned. If I’ve got my facts right, they’re from Indi’s flickr photostream, so I’m sure he’ll have something to say – after all, his trip home (in the direction opposite to mine) couldn’t possibly have been a jolly ride.

Anyway, on the way home we had a small chat with the Three Wheeler driver. The dude is from Peliyagoda and had come to Colombo on some other business. It seems his last visit to Colombo was also punctuated by inconvenience, thanks to the “Jana Bala Meheyuma”. He sarcastically pointed out how the very people committed to serving the general public are so committed to causing inconvenience.

But his most insightful remark was made while passing another sea of people stranded at the Dehiwala bus halt: “Oya genapu lakshayen manapa lebunata duk windina aya laksha dhahayake manapa nethi wenawa”. Loosely translated, this would mean something on the lines of “For the hundred thousand votes they earn from bringing people in, they’ll lose a million votes from people who’ve had to suffer because of it”. Hyperbole to some extent, but struck a chord nevertheless.

I’ve never been a fan of politics or politicians…

The gentle caress of the sea breeze, the glint of sunlight upon dew-topped leaves in the morning, the cacophony of birds, the kaleidescope of colour in the flowers… it’s little wonder that artists throughout the ages have depicted Nature with a distinctly maternal theme.

So human beings take all this for granted, thinking that every day will be all sugar and sweetness.

Yet when we stand upon the beach and feel the waves gently lapping our feet, we become acutely aware of the simmering power of the ocean. And then there are those terrible days when we find out just what nature can do.

Nature has once again shown its awesome potential as a destructive force. If the tsunami that devastated much of the coastal areas in Sri Lanka, Thailand and Indonesia wasn’t enough indication of what it can do, then the hurricane that’s devastated New Orleans certainly is.

While I am shocked by the destruction caused by natural events, I am shocked even more by the events that have unfolded due to human intervention – the sniper attack on rescuers at the hospital, the armed gangs looting etc. Despite seeing and hearing of incidents of this nature in the past, the effect is hardly diminished. I have always been cynical of human nature and these incidents just go on to affirm that view, especially with regard to the scammers who are trying to make a quick buck off this calamity.

Indi and Ivap have details on the US response to this calamity and various questions that have been asked on its implementation. Judging by the the relief activities carried out here in Sri Lanka by American personnel during the post-tsunami period, we can only hope that those so strongly affected by the hurricane will receive similar relief – soon.

The latest developments on this story unfold on CNN and BBC.

The ravages of nature are the most powerful message that we, collectively as humanity, are still fallible and have much further to go. Amongst the angels who heed the call of their conscience to help the helpless – irrespective of differences of geography, ethnicity, religion or whatever other distinction – there still walk demons.

UPDATE: If you’re looking for the official site for Samanala Thatu, please visit http://filmslanka.com

My favourite movies are generally on the lines of “Lion of the Desert” starring Anthony Quinn, “Patriot”, “Braveheart”, “The Lord of the Rings”, “Last Samurai” – you get the picture. Breathtaking scenery, cavalry charges, flag waving, suicidal warriors – the works.

On Thursday evening, I had the opportunity (thanks to Thiva) to attend a film with a much more personal look – “Samanala Thatu” (“Butterfly Wings”) is now on at the Savoy.

I’m not by any definition of the term, a film critic. I’m certainly not qualified to be one. I fell asleep – twice- in an attempt to watch Titanic and have watched hardly any Sri Lankan movies.
Therefore, this post cannot (and certainly should not) be construed as a review.

But basically – Samanala Thatu is, IMHO, a good movie. It doesn’t necessarily preach about any topic in particular, although there seemed to be a focus on children’s rights.

What struck me the most, however, was the manner in which the life of the less-privileged of urban Sri Lanka was portrayed. Everyday concerns were clearly displayed and the camera hid nothing of the stark reality that so many people today sadly face in our island home.

Having read Prabhath’s wonderful post on being a Third World Designer the theme of this movie was even more relevant.

A fascinating point that was also brought up was the role played by Child Protection Agencies(CPA). Throughout the movie, the plight of street children was clearly presented, with many ways in which they are exploited by those around them. The CPAs however, it would seem have the best of intentions, but not the best of methods to implement them, in the movie. I don’t have much of an idea on how they work in real life, so no comment on that either.

But enough of all the meandering statements. Samanala Thatu is a really good movie – I enjoyed watching it and appreciated the insights into scenes of life that we could so easily ignore.