A loving violent family??????

I am sure everyone one has already heard about the case of Nipuna Ramanayake. The boy who was abducted by the son of a police big shot and then tortured and about to be shot before he was found and released.
Much has been written about this incident and I don?t think I can add anymore to the disgust which has been expressed by my fellow netizens. But there is one aspect about this story which really amazes me. Which is, how this boy?s entire family gathered around him and supported him in his vindictive deed.
I heard that when Nipuna was taken to the house of SSP Gunawardene by his son that the son had told the mom that he had brought a present for her. And the mom had not only hammered young Nipuna but also stood on his face and asked him if he can feel her weight?
I was trying to put myself in a similar situation. Firstly I don?t think my dad would have supported me in something like this. And most certainly definitely not my mom. No way! I cannot believe that a lady, a mother could be full of so much violence.
It made me think what kind of background these people would have come from? What a lot of violence this family would have been exposed to for a son and a mother to get together and harm an innocent boy. I am so glad that I did not grow up in a family like this.

Shouldnt what is good for the goose be good for the gander?

Well isn’t that the whole idea of democracy that everyone is equal in the eyes of the law. But I have been seeing many situations where this is not the case. Where certain people are above the law and only us normal people are subject to it. I see this virtually every day when I go to the gym. There is a famous ministers son who comes in various vehicles all unregistered. There is one vehicle which I have seen him using for over a year but still it does not carry the sri lankan registration plates. Well I know politicians are scum and they really don’t have any idea of decency and are supposed to behave in this manner. However today something really surprised me. I was on the way for a meeting down Dutugemunu street when a huge Toyota Land Cruiser without the number plates (only having the CC plates) overtook us and hogged the road. He was going on the wrong side of the road as well. My Driver pointed out to me that this vehicle belonged to one of our leading cricketers. He lives in the same area and he says that this guys is seen driving a number of vehicles using the same registration plates. He also pointed out that this gentleman always drove on the wrong side of the road. Even when the road was chockablock with traffic. What he said really surprised me. He said that a lot of people gave way to him when they realized who he was. For some strange reason this really infuriated me.

Now not only do we have to take shit from politicians but we also have to take shit from cricketers. Does there fame and fortune justify behaving in this manner? I don’t think so.

What really bothers me as how I and all the people around happen to tolerate this kind of nonsense. I know how people are afflicted with road rage during rush hour. I have seen how they toot horns shake fists and generally behave in a bullish fashion to each other. A politicians vehicle has an armed escort and we have to give way and shut up and put up so to speak; if not we could risk injury to life and limb. But a cricketer? How can we let him walk all over us or drive all over us in this instance and still smile and put up with it? Have we been trodden on so much by the powers that be that we have become shivering masses of jelly without a strong bone in us? Sadly I think the answer is yes to all of the above. And what is worse is that I am quite comfortable to sit and watch and grumble without lifting a finger to do anything about it.

Liquor or Living?

Guess the title should have actually read "making a living or drinking liquor? Which would you think is far more important? Well one would think it would be the former than the latter. But sadly that does not seem to be the case with my team members. Not all of them but most of them. It seems like they would sell their mothers for a drink. I am angry and frustrated because my wonderful team had to go out on Sunday night for a home coming and everyone got sloshed beyond belief and was not in a position to put their best effort on Monday morning. While they did make an effort to come on time it was obvious that they were not in the best of form. We were having a presentation on tuesday and I was having a discussion in the evening and I came out to get some work done not a dog was in their seats since everyone has decided to go home sharp on time. If it was anyother time where we had lots of work I would not have minded as much but these days when the entire ad industry is struggling and we are trying very hard to make ends meet I don't expect this kind of behaviour. Ahhh what a shame. Sometimes with friends like these you dont need any enemies.

Shammed Shamed and Scammed

Ahhh there are some days which just start out wrong. Today was one of the. I hope I will not have to say is. I woke up late. Had to drop the Mrs. off at the ladies college vocational institute cos she is conducting some holiday classes for kids. And so had to give my quick cardio session at the gym a miss cos we have monday morning meetings sharp at nine.

Well I was talking to a colleague on my mobile. As I drove out of fifth lane. And Shivers who is there but two constables. I saw them... they saw me. It was a moment out of a movie. Cut to me trying to hide my phone and pretend it was something else. Cut to them putting their hand out trying to stop me. Cut to me giving an incredulous look as if asking is it really me you are stopping. Cut to the cop nodding with an evil grin.

Well i stop the vehicle one walks over to me and asks me for my license. Which I hand over. Then he looks at me expectantly and says you know you have to collect your phone from the courts. This is a non-finable offence. Uggh what can I do. I can be a model citizen and hand over my phone, spend hours in court and also not be able to get work done properly for a couple of days because all my emails and stuff are in it. Or I can be the usual Sri Lankan and decide to try and getaway with it by greasing the palm of the cop. Sadly I chose the latter. And what is really really bad was that I had only a 2000 rupee note in my purse. So grudgingly I pull it out and slide it into the hand of the cop who gives me my Driving license back. I told him this is all I have in my purse hoping that I might get some change. He tells me its OK don't worry about it probably thinking I was handing him a low value note. I would love to see his face when he realises what looked like a twenty is actually something which is 100 times more valuable. Well guess my loss is his gain.

The worst part is I have a hands free kit in my car. It was right next to me. I could have easily hooked it up. And to add insult to injury the speaker on the black berry is quite good and I could have easily spoken using that. Well at least now I will learn a proper lesson. Specially since I have paid for it.

Well it is a busy week ahead for me and I the last thing I should be doing is be seated here typing away at my blog. I am quite surprised that I have uploaded three posts in a period of less than 24 hours. I hope this streak continues and I can keep up the momentum. Bye for now my wide reading public.

Bloody Bustards

I was taking my kids for a party on sunday night. And had the pleasure of avoiding a bus which was coming around a blind corner at high speed on the wrong side of the road. Another few minutes further down the road yet another bus was driving behind me at extremely high speed once more on the wrong side of the road. It tried to overtake me but I generally don't give way to bullies on the road. But the bus swung towards me and my automatic reactions took over and I cut to aside allowing this idiot to over take me.

I was livid.

And as I was driving to my destination memories of all the times buses had messed up my driving experience as well as endangered my life came flooding back. It made me realise that it is buses and trishaws which create or at least contribute to much of the chaos we experience on the road today. I always thought politicians were a form of low life but now people who drive buses join them too.

I don't think one can really expect these guys to behave like civilized people. Hence what I would like to see is some kind of monitoring device attached to the bus itself which would record speeds and driving patterns. This should be monitored by the police and if there are any violations the drivers should be fined.

Ok now having said all this I have one more challenge which is to ensure that Hon Dallas the menace gets to read this blog.

The Witness! Recognition! Acceptance! Validation????

Well its amazing 41 years after I stepped into the world. I have been invited to sign as a witness to a wedding. Well ok this is the second time I have been asked to do it. But it is a first time I accepted the offer and actually doing it. Does this mean someone thinks I am somebody? Does it mean that I have finally made it in my world? Well I am kind of honored and proud that some one thinks highly of me enough to want me to put my signature as a witness on a commitment they are making for life.

But being a witness has its own set of challenges. Specially when you haven’t been one before. Sadly there is no easy reference online or a book called “Witness for Dummies” I wish there was so I could find out if there were certain do’s and don’ts. Are you expected to give a present? And as a witness should it be substantial? Not the usual crap you wrap up nicely and leave at the entrance? Well these were some of the questions which were going through my mind. And worst of all does it mean that I have to wear a suit and wait for a couple of hours? Phew sigh of relief firstly the signing would take place the day before the wedding which means that I did not have to wear a suit. And the only person I could turn to advice was my secretary (well actually the title is not quite correct but I really cant refer to her as my jack of all trades or should I say Jill?) She told me that the witness is expected to give a envelope with a substantial cheque in it. And she rolls her eyelids and says “the witnesses at my wedding did so” And who were they? Well one was Ken Balendra and the other was some Sabaratnam another corporate big wig whose company I cant remember as I type. Uggggh I wish my bank balance was like Mr. Ken Balendra’s. Then I would have made sure I would leave an envelope with a substantial cheque in it. Sadly I am not. Infact I am over my neck in debt thanks to my trusty credit cards who I cant resist taking out of my purse when I should leave them locked in my house. Under security. Well I promptly asked for a second opinion from my chairman. Who said NO you don’t have to do it. Maybe the way I asked he thought I wanted him to say NO. Or worse still maybe he thought I might hit him for a loan for the said substantial sum. Hmmmm not a bad idea maybe I should save it for another occasion.

Well anyway the day came and there I was at the signing. “The Signing” ahhh much more impressive. Like a title from a John Grisham novel.

Well actually the entire event was quite uneventful. Other than a little mini battle of the bosses between the two intended mother in laws. Oh I forgot to mention that the bride and the groom have decided that each of their bosses should be the witness. So each intended mother in law was saying how good their offspring’s boss was. I was wondering if this was going to become some big pissing contest. But thank goodness it sort of fizzled off. And there I was talking nicely to everyone trying be important and social like a proper witness should be. When I saw it….

Yes the other boss had a dreaded envelope with him! Ohhh what a tragedy was going to unfold. Would I be letting my side down? And amazingly the envelope looked quite substantial from the outside. Well at this point of time there was nothing I could do other than grit my teeth and curse those who told me that there was no need for an envelope. Well I text me secretary and say darn the other boss has brought an envelope. She texts me back cheekily and says “I told you so” Ughhhh I can see the look on her face right now in my mind.

Well what is done cannot be undone. I thickly waited through the ceremony and made some noises and tried to divert the attention of everyone present onto something else after the signing so that the focus would not be on the substantial cheque. And I did it. But guess I need to give them one in the near future. If I can find the bucks. Or better yet I will just borrow it from the chairman.

Wooow good to be back

Gosh it has been nearly a year since I posted anything on here. That is a long time. It is not that I did not have anything to say. I did. I just did not have the time or motivation to do it. Lots of things have been going through my mind. And in my life. So here I am after many moons typing words on my screen and feeling a little self conscious even though not many people know of this blog or visit is. This is my private public space. Well sometimes its best to say nothing when you have nothing to say and that is what I am going to do right now. Maybe in a few days I just might delete this blog and move back into my shell.