The Intern Speaks
25 May 2012 2 Comments
in Home, Personal Profiles Tags: 2012, All Smiles, Awareness, Blissfully Beautiful, Blogging, First-timers, Journalism, Soul Searching, Sri Lanka, Work
The past month has been a whirlwind of events. Well sort of. Sure there were times when I didn’t do absolutely anything and there were many times and nights I have spent with people twice my age – don’t get me wrong here, it’s not what you think I can assure you that – but like everything else in my life, I adapted. I enjoyed talking about their mid-life crises and education and correcting the older-adults when they went wrong on topics that I have read more on.
Then there was the internship. We all know what happened to last year’s one 
It was a ball of fun and thank Heavens for The Editor – yes Boss I know you are reading – I worked for some 10-15 days of the 30 day internship.
This time around, I got serious. I worked for 26+ days, my internship diary tells me – guess it added up to the few days I took off while Akki was here – and I did learn a few things. Or a lot. I don’t know.
I learnt the importance of language. Thanks to my running off to India and my extensive use of English, my Sinhala is atrocious. This statement is made based on the fact that I have studied in Sinhala for nearly fourteen-and-a-half years of my life. I learnt that at a place where Sinhala and Tamil are the most familiar, English plays the role it was ideally supposed to: it acts as common ground to those who are not well-versed in the other official language. English neither takes over the existence of everything else, nor does not-knowing the language be a moment of shame. My many moments of shame arose when my Sinhala failed me and my non-speaking-Tamil-Muslim-ness came into being.
I also learnt the joys and the downside to a 9-5.30 job. I loved my time at FT. It was good fun and a heap of work, Sunday-Friday. That’s worse than college. However, over here it was fairly chilled out – rather I was fairly chilled out, not that great for an intern I suppose – and I did have time to do things after work and I had a weekend to call my own. I also did find myself switching off after 4.30 pm – fact – and the zombied look I would scare my folks every morning.
Another, uhm “lesson” that came my way was the futility of education. I have been debating on this topic for the past year and thus contemplating on the necessity of reading for a second degree. For starters, we learnt Vegas! Vegas is so old school and not as cool as FCP! Fine, we all don’t have Macs. But there’s more. The past two semesters boasted of two subjects: Audio and Video Editing and Television Appreciation and Film Studies. Besides the types of shots we learnt for both, I didn’t really find myself “applying” whatever nonsense they taught us. I found myself learning – not re-learning or applying but learning from scratch – new things everyday so much so that I felt a burden to all these lovely people here who were only more than willing to help. Especially the tea folks who knew that I loved my mildly-caffeinated beverage 
Realisation: I am not cut out for television. I don’t really know what I am cut out for actually, but I know that television may not be my thing. I found myself coming in the way of so many people and even a little interview with one bloke would require the service of so many others! In this aspect I found print media way cooler with or without the availability of those lazy photographers.
Of the career choices I see ahead of me however, I did realise that I would like something that is internet-related and sitting in one place with a pc sounds good – minus the fat and other job-related pains I would acquire.
I learnt much about concerns that I would have not read about otherwise. I think my previous posts have been impacted greatly by my readings done here. Those who know me will know for sure not to dare speak of politics, law etc with me. I would not only die of boredom but would have one too many blonde moments to handle. Now, not only could I have a half-knowledge-d discussion about the Constitution and its Amendments, I can also speak of the, this party, that party, tea party business. This place has made me way cooler.
An Evening With the (would-be) Oscar Winner
25 Mar 2012 2 Comments
in Home, Personal Profiles Tags: 2012, All Smiles, First-timers, Individuality, Life in a New Land, Understanding The Opposite Sex, Yindiar, Youth
The evening was a result of weeks, or days of planning, postponing (on my end as expected) and all that jazz. The day finally came for my date with the future Oscar nominee and winner.
He was on time, quite contrary to the “Indian Standard Time” and was also, my first “Indian” date. Don’t get me wrong; I am neither what Carrie Bradshaw calls ‘An international party girl’ nor what Samantha Jones labels, ‘Whore with a fucking passport’. Lol. Oh another first with him being younger than me. But then again, he is my “adopted (little) brother” so I guess that counts.
The evening was pleasant. McDonald’s was the easiest as we couldn’t stress ourselves brainstorming for a place and he had lots to tell me about her. Yes, the date was mainly about her and him checking out some hottie in the ground floor and exchanging intricate and disturbing, (if I may add!) details about students in the same university. Though women are titled gossips, believe me, men could only be twice as agonising and interesting.
The burgers followed doughnuts, picking up dinner for my room-mate and observing grown men share dinner, chat over doughnuts and feel each others backs. I do have my comments on the practices of homosexual activity, but I do put my foot down when it is done in the innocence of a doughnut store or cart or stall or whatever.
The occasional meat eating vegetarian also assured me that it was perfectly normal to practice speeches that one would deliver upon winning a title, Oscar or even when asked to be present at the United Nations General Assembly.
The evening came to an end very pleasantly after having visited the local dairy – Nandini (Lol). The kickass film director slash actor ensured that I got back with time to spare for the horrendous curfew and I in turn ensured that his BB was all he could look at by bringing her in to the picture.
Vikash Tiwari, is indeed, a good date. Ladies, fear not, he’ll look in to only your eyes when you are out with him. I can assure you that
(Due to inconveniences caused by the present internet connection, hyperlinks and images cannot be added. This would be rectified at the earliest.)
One of Those Days
02 Oct 2011 Leave a Comment
in Home, No Expectations Tags: 2011, All Smiles, Blissfully Beautiful, Blogging, Faith, Islam, Mera Sixty-Deka Duith, Pink!, Rejuvenation of the Renaissance, Youth
It’s rare. Those days that make you feel as though there is absolutely no care in the world – in a good way – and feel as though, yes I’m going to say it, “Top of the world!” These days are ones that are of absolute happiness.
My Literature teacher told me that happiness is brought about by the awareness of the consequences of that particular circumstance – if that made sense to anyone who is reading Not that all is going brilliantly for me: I have my exams in a week, the Production is well, – those of you know the story I needn’t say more – I am losing weight at an unfathomable rate, I leave to Goa in twenty-days and Dubai in a few months and I love my family and my best friends too much and the list goes on.
However, it all comes down to the fact that regardless of me knowing that all this is happening, both good and bad, I am still thankful to God – regardless of as to where my faith stands as at now – for what He has given me thus far and for all that He continues to bless me with.
So while the day lasts, it’s time to work – if you feel like it – listen to Katy Perry, dance till your ass refuses to move no more and be grateful for everything and everyone around you.
To Mama, With Love
26 Jul 2011 4 Comments
in Home, Personal Profiles Tags: 2011, All Smiles, Blissfully Beautiful, Blogging, Feminism, Home&Co., Pink!, Sri Lanka, Women, Women In Islam
Dear Mama,
This post has been coming a while, however I was in question as to how it must be framed. Thus I thought, what better and easier way than a letter? It’s not one of those reply-me ones, but rhetorical to a great extent.
As I said, this has been a long time coming. I cannot thank you enough for what you have given me and on the same lines, I cannot but cringe at those moments I always cried for more. Among Akki’s and my friends you were always nicknamed the “coolest”. However to Akki and I, you are beyond being merely “cool”.
Looking back at my twenty-one years, of which I remember around fifteen, more or less, I’ve seen a woman who has risen to a height in terms of her family and now her career. We are indeed proud to be your daughters.
I always think to myself especially at those times when I ask you something and you answer, ‘Would I be able to answer all the questions my daughters ask me?’ The most common response blinks in front of me: Google. However, what’s amazing about Mama and her generation is that they never needed Google. Now I wouldn’t even know how to write my research paper without it. I am a core tech-buff, I agree, whole heartedly. However, the picture of me educating my child on puberty with a reader on my palm, headset on my ear and a constant eye on the laptop laying on top of the coffee table in front of me awaiting that very email, [Heaven forbid what other technological developments would be available fifteen years from now] does not seem too appealing.
Mama, you would not believe how truly grateful I am about you not turning Akki and I into book-worm. Even if you attempted so, I sincerely doubt that we would’ve been any good at it. What you did was very commendable and looking back at it, prudent. Our Mama did not cut off our allowances or give us less food or do something that would be considered a “punishment” if we were to horrible at our exams. One of the reasons we did not do all that bad was because, she had faith in us that we would do our best, and indeed we did, attempted to or at least tried not to fail Being in University now I am glad I do not have the pressure being haloed over me and as a result of which am able to partake in everything my now-weakening flesh and bones allow me to.
Mama, you taught me how to cook. Rather, I observed and learnt to cook looking at you make all those yummy dishes. Dammit. I want beef.
This letter would be incomplete if I don’t add a realistic touch to it and tell you Mama that you need to work on your patience. Yes you do have patience, I agree, having brought up to unruly monkeys like Akki and I all by yourself. However, you don’t have enough patience to teach me to drive nor teach me to read Arabic. LoL.
With that, I would like to say thank you once again. For bringing us in to this world. For raising us to be responsible children. For teaching us that we don’t need a man to get through in life. For finding yourself a charity-buddy, always-friend-in-need and others’-first, me-last man.
All the best in all you do Mama. We will be there with you every step of the way.
Love,
Akki and Nangi
Importance of Being Pink
03 Jul 2011 Leave a Comment
in Home, No Expectations Tags: 2011, All Smiles, Blissfully Beautiful, First-timers, Kill All Boys :), Mera Sixty-Deka Duith, Pink!, Understanding The Opposite Sex, Women, Youth
This post has derived from watching one too many flicks and listening to too many sappy songs. Those very movies that makes you go “Aww” and shed a tear at the end of it all, upon the female protagonist finally being united with her soul mate or the most good looking actor in the story. After which, you lie on your bed and contemplate of what you’ve seen and put yourself in her shoes. In terms of music it is those very songs that start to make more sense to after some boy has succeeded in making you his captive audience.
Being a girl I will blatantly admit that I like watching flicks. They make me happy and yes I do go “aww” – silently – and shed tears, lots of them depending on my hormonal functioning at that moment *LoL*
I like them better when I can relate to it. In other words, when the movie actually depicts my social life or relationship(s). Oh, that is when the actual fun starts. You put yourself in the shoes of the heroine or female protagonist and imagine… let’s not go there.
Once the movie is over, you meet and greet girlfriends who have already watched it and recommend it to those who haven’t. Discuss it over coffee, dinner and skype; in the midst of all this, external storage devices are madly passed between one another during class, malls, slid under doors and through some random boy acting as a messenger. This is followed by downloading theme songs and sending it to one another and the flick gains popularity.
Once in a way when the content becomes very applicable to a real life situation, you try to get that boy of yours to have a look see in to it, and oh! fail miserably. Chances are that if you make them watch it with you, they would only fall asleep.
Boyfriends are important in the am-I-straight check-list. But girlfriends and room mates, flicks, chocolate, pink and a little bit of blonde-ness are more important.
Summer 2011. Merci
11 Jun 2011 10 Comments
in Home, No Expectations Tags: 2011, All Smiles, Blissfully Beautiful, Blogging, First-timers, Home&Co., Life in a New Land, Mera Sixty-Deka Duith, Sri Lanka, Yindiar
The days I thought that would never be. The days I waited for the most for as long as I have known. The days that were indeed the best of my life. My earlier post spoke of the downside of growing up and the disadvantage in us being able to recall what once was. Perhaps, God saw the shadow looming overhead and called for the Light. Thank you God
I repeat, these two months were indeed the best two I’ve ever had. There maybe better months ahead, I do not know, but for the past twenty odd years I’ve been around, these two were indeed great. It’s at times like this that I remind myself as to how much more grateful I should be to God and thank Him for all the wonderful people He has blessed me with. This post would serve as a collective thank you note for all those who made these sixty plus days truly fabulous.
My family – With our new home located far far away from civilisation, I only think it brought us closer and tighter as a family. In this instance I should be thankful to *ahem* Bangalore too, as it instilled in me elements of silence and the ability to observe without jumping the gun which was of use during my stay at home 
Holidays were made brighter in May, when Akki venerated the household with her presence. Cheers, to good times.
Hussain. No, I am not blushing, merely smiling – wide. He makes me excessively happy and I needn’t say more about it. We shall meet soon and I will be happier than a clown.
David. The boy who never learns and the boy who thinks that he is thirty-five. For all those reading, he and I are the same age. Amazing writer and for ladies interested, single *wink* LoL. Apologies for dropping you off by the road the other day.
Nisthar, Uditha, Marianne, Cheranka, Joe, Cassandra, Shezna, layout boys and all other FT jokers. The poster you gave me when I left FT is the first thing I see every morning. My very short work period there brought back a snippet of the memories I longed for.
Vositha. My future lawyer, fellow-tree hugger and *ahem* older best-friend. Would’ve loved to see you more but it’s not the number of times that we met but what made it more worth it is the happiness those meetings engulfed.
Bhagya. The girl who can’t get enough of India and supposedly the daughter who we picked up after work. See you soon in Bangalore.
Malla – Satyajit. The boy who plays with stocks and earns more than an average nineteen year old. Very nice kid, a little spoilt but good soul. Sen-saal may have been a one-timer but I’ll be back.
The ladies from Metho – Afrah, Mayanthi, Tamara and Ruth. Girls, I used the full form only as it would look and sound better. We may have all met only once but we will continue the gossip through Facebook. I don’t see any other purpose for that social networking site anyway. Saashya and Dilshani, we shall see you soon.
Shalini. We didn’t meet each other much, but we saw each other’s new houses and I cannot be happier that you are a workaholic.
A little uncalled for but Coco Veranda. Your tagline is so true, as I did keep going back and it was the only place that I kept on visiting as often. Convenient and very very comfortable – loved it.
Pavani. My bubbly Sri Lankan room-mate in India. We are dependent on each other. Even if we weren’t I wouldn’t love you less. Cheers to free lunch *wink*
Kei. The half-Japanese girl. It was delightful meeting you even though you were asleep post-lunch.
Sumi. I ran in to you at the theatres. However, I’ll be back. We will meet again, soon.
Hilly. The one boy whom I didn’t meet and deeply regret. We will meet, as I don’t have any other chick friend and can’t give that title to anyone else. Await next April and we shall jam, just like old days.
Rukman. My beloved hairdresser. I doubt that you would read this but apologies again for the mistake in the keytag.
For those of whom who know me, yes I did make a list, just so that I don’t leave out anyone. If I did, the post would be edited immediately and you included. Thank you all once more for making my vacation truly memorable and the wait much much more worth it than I thought it to be. I couldn’t have asked for more.
#nowplaying Time of Your Life - Greenday
D for David
19 Apr 2011 2 Comments
in Home, Personal Profiles Tags: 2011, All Smiles, Blogging, First-timers, Home&Co., Individuality, Kill All Boys :), Planner, Understanding The Opposite Sex, Youth
I may have been a journalist for a little over six months, but if written content appeals to me, I call it good writing. Bias, opinionated and very unprofessional as it lacks the required objectivity in journalism but I honestly don’t care. I love myself and believe that my take on things that matter to me are accurate. The first paragraph is self-explanatory of the initial half of the previous sentence *chuckle*
I look forward Lasantha David’s writings not only because he is my friend; I look forward to it because I am able to see his passion for writing and the subject matter visibly whilst reading it. When it comes to being a friend, I am terribly proud of this boy and his book. I wanted to publish two books containing my poetry before I was twenty. I was fifteen when this thought occurred to me – naive, very new to poetry and to reality. I will be twenty-one and have closer upon to seventy poems that are hidden in my closet. But, when I look at Lasantha, “half an IT grad” *chuckle* I am proud of him for having written his first book. I feel like a Mother who is watching her child grow up and pass out of school and university with flying colours. Okay, maybe not all that. It’d be a little creepy if it were so, but the general idea has been established eh?
Another thing about this boy. He is my age, yes will be twenty-one sooner than I would, and Susan, he is mature. As a policy, not only don’t I date but I also refuse, (or maybe it happened unconsciously – which is a very big possibility) to be friends with boys my age. Yes, the clear use of word “boy” in this context was meant to serve its purpose. They are so immature that I can’t help blaming our respective biological functioning. However, since of recent I’ve known two of them, yes a big achievement on my part; and Lasantha is one of them. In fact, he is more mature than guys older than us and no, mention names I shan’t. He was the only soul who kept me sane after my scary treadmill accident. I needed someone to talk to, just blabber with at 7.30am on a Saturday, and this boy was good enough to do so. He didn’t freak out, didn’t insist on flying to India that instant, but he just yapped and played funny YouTube videos of jokers such as myself falling flat on exercise machines #bliss
This boy, often jinxed – as much as I hate to say
that – is truly one of a kind. He’s had a hard journey from the very beginning, and I can’t be more thankful to God for giving me one of the bestest friend’s, ever.
Thank you God and thank you David, for showing me that one’s passion could reach to great heights, without a degree
Love Struck
07 Sep 2010 2 Comments
in Home, No Expectations Tags: 2010, All Smiles, Blissfully Beautiful, Blogging, First-timers, Sensuous, Understanding The Opposite Sex
You left me ‘speechless’ while we were ‘chasing cars’
Love. Infatuation. Love. It is the only thing that would keep you from doing assignments to which you are responsible for on behalf of your entire group. It is the only thing that would make you want to write about it, as it had been nagging you for the past indefinite number of weeks. It is the only thing that would make you want to perform the Herculean task of jumping over those Greco-Roman mountains or some jazz. It’s also the only thing that would stop you from Skyping with your bestie living in the US #oops
At times I wonder if this is what love is in the end. The ability to de-prioritise school or college work and ensure that you write a blog post about the way you feel. I was told by a nice guy and to an extent cynic, that blogging was all about writing about what time you visited the loo, how many meals you had a day so on and so forth. That’s what Twitter is there for, if you ask me. Teehee. I find blogs to be intellectual, enlightening, amusing, thought-provoking and of course absurd too, undoubtedly. But then again, who I am to judge. It’s not as though I am a frequent blogger after all.
Anyhow, my initial content was to be on the subject of a some odd months in long-distance or something of that sort. But, that would really do me justice, as now coming to think of it, I wonder if I loved him all along. True enough I did crush on him for a considerable period of time *blush* before, realisation dawned on me of course. But then, nature and beauty took its course I suppose! Haha
At times, I feel as though it is some sort of an illusion. This whole love-business. Maybe, it’s because I’ve been a cynic for a good deal of my late teens. Not that I am not now. It’s just that, I’ve come in to terms with the boundaries that come with my cynicism. Same goes for my feminism too. Maturity I suppose.
But coming to think of it, it’s something that any individual would feel good about. There is the literary concept of an individual falling in love with another in order to look good in one another’s eyes. True, there is a sense of nihilism affixed to it. However, ‘looking good’ could on the other hand be a substitute for one accepting the other as they are and vice versa.
The thing about him is that, not only does he make me feel good about myself, but also about the world around me. As corny as this may sound, I find him faultless. Note, I said faultless and not flawless. Personally, being flawless is just too plastic. As I sat recalling his virtues, I tried listing out those of which are bad and found my self in a fix.
He has made me accept the world around me, “removed all walls I surrounded myself in”, taught me to trust others and make me a better person all together. I wouldn’t know life without his madness
“And thus invoke us, “You, whom reverend love
Made one another’s hermitage ;
You, to whom love was peace, that now is rage ;
Who did the whole world’s soul contract, and drove
Into the glasses of your eyes ;
So made such mirrors, and such spies,
That they did all to you epitomise—
Countries, towns, courts beg from above
A pattern of your love.”
The Canonization
John Donne (1572- 1631)
Married!
02 Jan 2010 2 Comments
in Home, No Expectations Tags: 2010, All Smiles, Journalism, Planner, Pressure, Work
Upon entering my job I have started to realise its required time commitment. Well, slap me hard for stating the obvious but, I either have a job that takes up so much of my time or I have terrible time management skills.
As for the latter I am quite surprised myself! I thought myself to be somewhat good at it, well for the sake of optimism I feel I’m getting there. Let’s hope the feeling lasts long enough.
The 2010 planner has tonnes of hope and feelings (do not misinterpret that!) in store and would be bubbling with more once the necessary docs and info are passed on.
However still looking at le optimism all I could say that my planning and getting used to comes by soon. Previous experiences of ‘getting used’ to, let’s just say came in too late when things were over and done with!
