Bassa Contemplates..

Well, i’m not going to be witty or cheeky today… [i’ve tried to be, in my past postings… if you haven’t realized… ].. Todays story starts off like this.. Almost an year ago I applied for my driving license..

I took all the necessary steps… like joined a "learners", drove the shitty van, got verbally abused by the "instructor" everytime i did something right.. got beaten everytime I got something wrong.. All this after paying the bugger a lump sum for his "services"!

Went to the exam, and I passed. Mind you, I did feel bad when I saw the "instructor" pass something ever so discreetly to the "examiner". It was so discreet, It was soooooo noticable…

Anyways, I set off home happy and contended. Not that I couldn’t drive. I already had valid driving licences in 2 other countries… but if there’s one thing I understood about Sri Lanka, it is that it’s not like any other country.

Proof of the licence was a huge piece of paper, thrice in length than in width. Hey Where’s the small card? "Oh that takes time… it’ll come by post" says my "instructor" … So I end up sighing… and oh well .. this is Sri Lanka.

So month after month passes by… no card.. So after eight months I ring up the "instructor" and ask him about it. He says.. " It takes TIME!" afraid he’ll spank me over the phone, I quickly subdue my other questions and place the phone.

Now, the huge paper is nearing its expiry. (valid for only 12 months) Still no card… So I decide its time to go to the RMV.. which i dearly regret now…

Oh the procedure just to enter the gates was so …  dunnno… kinda kinky….. But then its Sri Lanka..

I was told to go to Room 80. Spent 10 minutes trying to find the room. As usual no signboards. So there were 2 queues. People jam packed, and looking like a miniature stampede. So eni mini miini mo… and I select a queue…

Takes me 20 minutes to reach the counter… which was actually a window, with the lower glass removed. The guy takes my licence and says.. you haven’t got your details filled in…. go stand in the other counter!

Oh the misery… So I stand, in the other counter … It takes one hour! Once reaching the counter I realized what was special about it.. There was a guy with a computer near it. He would check your details and write some reference no. on a piece of paper and then you had the glorious opportunity of having to stand again in the previous queue!

However I was spared that extra glory, as it seems that my licence was in the mail…  

 Forgive me for being blunt, but isn’t it the height of paradoxes to take one year to make a plastic card? In this modern day, where "nano technology" is setting in especially in Sri Lanka.. How come information crawls slower than turtles?

I guess the saying "ae ae bunis walata, ae ae kehelkang".. meaning special bananas for special buns, still applies. 

This is fairly a straight forward word. Believe it or not, we all have targets… from the day we are born, to the day we die. When you have children, not only do you set yourself more targets, you set your children a few of them too. They grow up harbouring them.. Its the only way to survive. Strangely, its almost a synonym for “hope” nowadays.

So you get used to setting targets in your life. In some you succeed, in some you don’t… The more you succeed, the more you feel confident. But there comes a moment in life when all of your existence was in some way directed towards one target. Accomplishment of which, would have led to a greater peace…. but due to some inert karma which set off in the wrong direction, things get out of hand and you no longer have full control. You at the mercy of someone or several others. No longer does the sun shine as bright, nor the music sound tempting… life turns into a drag.

Well, this is how I feel. Being a foreign qualified doctor here in Sri Lanka, i’m stuck in a virtual no mans land. The reason being, a simple examination process being withheld. All foreign qualified doctors have to face a set of exams to be able to practice. Fair enough. What if, these exams just aren’t held… Failing these exams was my worst fear… But I stand corrected.

Due to some other medical professionals attempting to face the same exam, the authorities concerned have “frozen” these exams. So no exams… no registration as a practioner… so no job…

You calm yourself… you try other things… but for the first time in life you haven’t been able to accomplish a target.. just because there was no way to face it. Slowly it turns life into a drag…

Its another day… life is particularly not interesting at the moment. In words, I would phrase it as “passing life by in a state of Dimentia”, but that actually is not the case…. just feels like it …

This happens to me almost every year, when nothing seems to be of interest, or of any worth. Responsibilities aren’t so important, and I’m in search for a quick way to get high…. Weird? Don’t worry, I do have some sanity left… I think so at least…

So with everybody running crazy with the local elections, guess what my attitude is…. well, never saw any point in these dumb elections anyway…. the holes in my road are proof to that…. I mean how hard can it be to put tar on a road…. not that you have to do it again the next day…. but its utterly useless. As I already know where the holes are on my road, I manage to meander by…. Thank God holes don’t change places at night…. but the then there’s the dog poo…. sigh… sigh… ain’t life interesting in SL…

I always found the slogan of the SL Tourist Board so very true… “A Land like no other”… Oh how very true… if it wasn’t for the dog poo…

Been seeing the latest Iraj and Co. videos on tv. Well Macho Kudos!!!

You certainly have the eye for style and music. (or ear maybe..) The whole gang seems integrated. I’ve seen several videos and i downloaded more from www.irajonline.com More than your music itself, its the concept I like. They way you mix traditions on screen. Not many have done this, and many are afraid.. So Kudos again for you ….

PS. I really like the idea of Our songs reaching out to other countries. I had an Indian friend who absolutely went crazy for “Ahankara Nagare” remixed video.

Its been a while for me since my patriotic feelings have been rekindled, but today being the 58th independance day, I watched the celebrations at Galle Face.

I lived in different parts of the Globe, and life has its fair share of troubles no matter where you live. However, living on home ground always had its advantages…. At least I thought so.

That’s until I really settled down here. All my patriotism was quickly tucked away into hiding. Be a wolf, when your among wolves, my common sense urged me. Its hard to be brave in Sri Lanka. All the commitments to keep up with are endless. The struggle is there, but only to pass time by endlessly working to earn a living, to make your dreams come true, to make that miracle happen.

Is this all? I wanted something more. My aspirations of being a proud Sri Lankan were so utterly disappointing.

Why are people so robotic these days. Why doesn’t anyone think freely. Almost everybody is a closed system. Work, Earn, Feed.
Like a bunch of robots reporting to duty. At the end of the day, you just get oiled and go home. Once in a while you get a notice to download the latest instructions.

However todays parade was uplifting. Quite well organised, it showed off the valour and integrity of many a Sri Lankan. Their hidden pride leaping to their faces.

Of all human organs the eyes are the most prominent in showing feelings. You can twist your mouth in many ways, but only the eyes convey the message. This built in encoder/decoder of feelings was much alight with a fire I rarely see among the daily broods that pass me by.

Such a scene is great if seen often, but when witnessed once in a long time, it does cloud the eyes with tears.

I’m Proud to be Sri Lankan. With all the Pride and valour in my heart, I wish for Sri lanka to be great. No need for us to be a super power. All I wish for is Sri Lanka to emerge from its position, to remain a land of virtue, a land of integrity.

May long lasting Peace, Harmony and Prosperity reign in our land.

Picture taken form the online edition of Daily news

I work at place where I’m confused emotionally. I see many serving the common good, but trapped in worlds of their own, unable to break free. Cornered by fate and pushed forward to survive, they are masters in their fields. Their diversity is their stronghold, their simpleness their humility
Amidst such a crowd, I’m rendered helpless, as I am to sympathize, rejoice and live as they do. One most intriguing character is ******. Simple, charm, innocently flirtatious, and knowledgeable, she stands out from the crowd. She has a great ability to catch the hearts of people and twiddle with their feelings… especially mine.
Though completely ignorant of my world, ignorant of my delights, she is very concentrated on the one love of her life… medicine. Fate has been hard on her, and never has love blinded her. She acts according to her rationale, never crossing the borders. She intuitively feels danger and avoids it. Completely ignorant to the vibrations of others, she lives in her own cave, haunted by the fearful echoes at night. A dreamer at heart, scared to make a mistake, she ventures through life enjoying her latest victory of finishing med school.
Her principle is simple. Just pass through the miseries of life, and not to indulge in them. Brave to take on any challenge, she is firm and of strong character.

Her far sighted knowledge makes me admire her. Her complete ignorance of the world and it’s partialities angers me. Her serenity evokes respect in me. Her bluntness dismays me. Her open heartedness dissolves me. Her rebelliousness frightens me.

Rebellious at heart, only her rationale and kind heartedness overpowers it. This is her saving. Searching for all the answers in life, she looks to find a person who she can look up to. Someone she can adore, someone she can worship. The search is on….

Resting after a gruesome oncall… trying to find something to occupy my mind, instead of my aching legs..
Perhaps i’ll find something new in my sisters room.. and yes… a Sri lankan cd… Called CharlesMark.. Hmmm heard one of their songs… new style, but one guy sang in such a low pitch… it made me burst…

Nontheless I found myself listening to the cd a couple of minutes later, automatically switching to the 2nd track. Amazingly the digital mastering was good… and the content not bad…. So So guess it goes to show… Don’t judge a cd by its first song.

These guys have emphasized on a style of their own… and their main ambition behind their music is to be harmonious, which I think many artists lack today.

Honestly speaking I felt the 2nd Track could be the Theme of Lion King if it was made in SL.

On the whole… great cd. check it out at Maharaja Entertainment

So its back to my aching legs
Bassa Out

Well, it’s only fair that I introduce myself….
“Bassa” is a Sri Lankan word meaning “Owl”… Don’t worry, I didn’t appoint it to myself.. It’s my friends to blame. It’s common for Sri Lankan teens and youths to create “card names” for each other. It’s all based on the fact that Every joke has a truth in it
So who else can see your short-comings or talents than your nearest friends? This “card name” appointing business is not a craze, but more of the traditional thing for us. We barely use our real names… so i figure it’s cool.

Anyway, I’m Sri Lankan, (as you’ve already guessed), and proud to be one. I lived more than two thirds of my life abroad. Now I’m settled in Sri Lanka.

Speaking of which, has it’s own pluses and minuses. It’s taken me a good deal of patience and nerves to deal with. “A land like no Other” as Sri Lanka is often termed, seemed to be ironically TRUE.

By Profession, I’m a medic. Yes, i’m the person you run to with your kid or your cough and colds. This field was even harder to master, but left with few choices, it’s upto you to make your own miracle happen.

By abilities, I fare well in many fields. I love the world of computers. I’m an amatuer electronist. I play the Guitar. I’m a netizen from 1998. I’m crazy about Networks and the INTERNET. I can cook. Oh yes, and I’m a philosopher at heart. I also smoke. I am fluent in Russian. I want to learn Tamil. I’m Ok in Sinhala.

So that’s me in a nutshell..