Ah... foresight?

I rememeber reading the news, reading the books, reading and reading and feeling this fear about what is going on in this world?! Thus, in May 2008, I wrote the following post:

http://ramblingsmind.blogspot.com/2008/05/2008-year-of-crisis.html

It went by and large unnoticed, as would this, but reading back I feel that (ever so modestly) I was right. It did have to stop. We had to re-assess our priorities as nations and economies. I did not expect it to be as strong as the response that actually did occur however why did no-one in a place far higher and more powerful than I, not notice this?

I speak of 'experts' forecasting the price of oil to hit $200 a barrel by end of 2008? It barely hit $50! So are they really 'experts'? Half the great books out there are right now redundant. The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman - the world isn't flat. It is very much rounded, especially when self-interest gets in the way. China killed the Coke-Hyuiyuan deal not because globalisation is such a profound force, but because self interest overpowers all that.

The Buy American policy that may be present in the newly passed legislation this year? Again, far away from globalisation as it can get. We are all retreating into our respective shells and protectionism is the new word of the day. So the books will be written about that.

We consumed and we consumed. There was no lack of supply for oil yet the price rose and rose until boom! it crashed. We took loans out, we used credit cards, we bought a car, we bought a house, we bought another car, we bought clothes, we dined at fancy restaurants, we became obese, we bought more clothes, we incurred credit card debt, we bought that LCD tv - yes, we consumed and consumed. Now, we don't have a job, we can't pay our debt, our home is under foreclosure and we are pretty much stuffed! At least we won't die of malnutrition whilst that walk to the dole office makes us burn the 80 kgs of extra fat we had accumulated.

I mean really?!, as a people, is this what we are proud of? There's a fundamental flaw in this system and that is greed. We want more, we find ways to make more money, to buy more things and that is never enough. Till this fundamental cornerstone of our being changes, there will be many expansions and contractions of our economies. For once again, the belts that are now being tightened, will beg to be loosened. 

 

A Small Note to Remember a Great Man

Tissa Abeyesekera, a leading artiste in Sri Lanka passed away today after being admitted for surgery to Colombo General Hospital this week. 

Words fail me. I have known of him since I was young. I have met him many a times at dinners and lunches. I have answered the phone when he had phoned to speak to my parents. Thus I don't write of him as an ardent fan. But merely as someone I had the priviledge to know. 

He will be greatly missed by his closest friends. His voice will remain etched in our hearts as we hear repeatedly the countless documentaries for which he has done the voice over. That authoratitive voice, injecting into the listener the gravity of any situation. 

His movies will work as a memory of his brilliance. His creativity. 

It is a great loss to us. That we are no longer able to hear one more word uttered in that magnificent voice or listen to a story formulated by that genius of a mind.

May he rest in peace. 

Reprise from the Land of the Lonely

I have removed myself from the blog aggregator 'Kottu'. As great as being a part of the Kottu community was, the current situation in Sri Lanka and the lack of anonymity associated with being part of a Sri Lankan community stifled my ability to speak freely of my life. Thus the focus on more public matters such as politics in my recent posts. However, even politics is shifty business in Sri Lanka therefore, the removal of my registration at Kottu has now enabled me to be more open, less censored about my views. Be it on any subject ranging from life to love to politics to credit crisis.

As I read the entries in my blog over the past three years, I feel a sense of accomplishment and pride. I have been through a number of experiences and documenting them on this blog as was my purpose when I first started blogging, has made them all the more precious. I am able to relive those times in my life and appreciate my current life more as well as understand that what doesn't kill you, really does make you stronger.

For approximately the past two years, I have been happy. I have not been lonely. I have been alone but not lonely. That is a significant achievement for someone like me, who has had loneliness as their friend continuously since she was 18. I owe thanks to my boyfriend for this great feat. Living out of a suitcase since I turned 21 , moving from job to job, wrong relationship to wrong relationship, city to city had been exhausting. But since I have been with him, life has been one continuous smooth moment. 

The worst of times does not feel as bad as they would have had I been alone. Staying home and not speaking to a single soul all day still does not feel as bad when you know someone out there will enquire about you and make sure you communicate with them. Someone who loves you no matter how terrible your moodswings, your anger, your temper tantrums are is a blessing that perhaps I am not worthy of. I am grateful for each moment I have spent with him and I will continue to be grateful. 

This has been said by others before, but this is the one time that I truly mean it, if I had to do it all over again just to meet you... I'd not hesitate once.