I did my Aids Test. Have You?

First time in my life I have done an Aids test yesterday - I was tested negative. I just wanted to do that because I used to simply ignore those sorts of things assuming I'm too better to catch Aids or any sort of things in that manner. But as I'm getting older I realize I'm not any better or any less than any other human in the world and I'm venerable to anything.

I used to be ignorant about those sorts of things because of typical religious influence in Sri Lanka. Like I said in an earlier post, Sri Lanka is a Christian country and I was heavily influenced by Christian views. First they said Aids is a result of homosexuality. Then my Christian-Buddhist monks told me Aids is a result of Adultery and sexual misconduct. Society adopts those views very fast and so do I. But in reality the religion have nothing to do with my health. I have seen Aids infected people whom never had any sort of sex - homosexual or straight in that manner. They are children.

There is no class or religious deference when it comes to health. Anyone can catch anything. I have seen in Sri Lanka even doctors look down upon Aids patients. I can not recall her name, but I remember there was a senior lady doctor once catch Aids in a hospital accident and her staff even refuse to talk to her afterward. I think that type of ignorance come from religious influence and they do far more damage to us than Aids.

Don't give a shit what Pope or the Christian-Buddhist monks tell you - they don't know about sex and neither they should. Be free. Go ahead and have sex - enjoy your life - just make sure to wear a condom. There is higher chance of getting killed by a car accident than Aids. But we don't stop driving cars (left or right hand driving) but we wear seatbelts.

If you have not done Aids test - go ahead do that too - not because of the possibility of catching Aids - but it will make you realize you are venerable to anything like any other human in this world. So you won't be ignorant like how I used to be.

02 December, 2006

Media and I

After all today's 'radio talk', I thought of looking back into my life and see the roll media played in it.

I can not exactly say what the first radio program I liked. But I remember when I was little I loved Amaradewa sing (or rather chant) a Buddhist poem* at end of the transmission of 'Ruhunu Sawaya' (Sothern Chanel). I guess that is my very first love with radio. I didn't knew the meaning of it then - but that was simply sound divine. I still love that small poem.

I had old "made in Sri Lanka" Unic AM Radio. There was a children program at 4pm - I can not remember the name of it - all I can remember that is a program hosted by a lady. I loved it. Then there was Sunday Buddhist Jathaka Story - I like that same way I liked fairy tales. They both still look similar to me - even now. I didn't like any of 'none-children' programs when I was a kid. I didn't found any tastes in it. That is why I still won't buy the argument adult contents can damage children. Children are not simply interest in Adult content. Their have different taste buds. Anyway as I get older I started to develop interest in electronic side of the dam thing and I bused it.

I loved newspapers more than Radio. The first newspaper I can remember is 'MeePeni' (Bee Honey). I don't have very much memories of it. Afterward I switch to Mihira and Vijaya. 'Mal Mama' - a story of a man with a flower on top his nose was the first page I read. That bugger tries all sort of different ways to take that flower out without success, a brilliant children's story.

As I grow old I switch to Vidusara. I have couple of other memories also attached with this newspaper or rather to that time period, the song 'Tarzan Boy', JVP era and STF camp next to my school. Vidusara was my first peek to outside world. After long successful run, Vidusara turn in to junk. I stop reading newspapers altogether after that. Now I read newspapers only if an beautiful airhostess hand it over it me.

Before I broke the AM radio I found more interest in TV. There was Astro Boy, Smurfs, Knight Rider, Tarzan and most of all Titus Thotawatha's series. I'm belonging the generation who grow up with Thotawatha's programs. That man made me happy more than chocolate. I can still recall his black and white photo of lovely face with a smile.

Next FM come to town. I remember City FM. But I'm a fan TNL Radio. Those guys won international excellence award. Right now time to time I listen to Gold FM and other oldies when I'm driving but I never listen to any of Sinhala Radio stations because I find nonstop female yapping on radio very irritating and most of content are tasteless.

Like most of you, I also was push to listen to Sinahala radio in private buses. I found them as unpleasant as the nonstop screaming and scolding of the conductor. Couple of times I have request conductor to low the radio down - they respond to that positively - I thank them with a smile.

Unofficially I hold record for broadcasting first Sinhala filthy words on air. We broadcast school radio station on FM103. We was manage to get powerful transmitter from SLBC than what they usually offer to schools. After couple of weeks of sleepless nights we got perfect soundproof studio and the setup. One night the DJ - my friend - fall asleep behind the mic. I got so mad and scold the bugger with utter filthy words. Mic was on. It broadcast from Colombo to Awissawella. Good old school days.

Right now I'm lucky enough to access all different type of media from all over the world. I can even blog rubbish. I can record cable TV in my media center PC and download from any where in the world. In that case Sri Lankan Media freedom or quality doesn't play a big roll in my life anymore. But Sri Lankan media helped me when the time I did not had the luxury I have today. I'm grateful for it.
 

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* Sabba Papassa Akaranam, Kusalassa Upa Sampadha, Sachittha Pariyo Dapanam, Eatham Buddhanusasanam.." (Keep away from all evil, Cultivate good, Purify ones mind, that is the advice of all Buddhas.)
 

11 November, 2006

Top 10 (Worst) Reason to Marry

All my friends and girlfriends(?!) are getting married. Looking at them and their marriages, I tried to figure out why we should really get married for. Do we have to? Do we need a contract to secure our romance?
Then I realize marriage can add extra bond to shining romance. It is one of the best results of romance. So why not?

Again looking at my friend's marriages, fights, divorces and suicide attempts, I realized how unpleasant it can be if it goes wrong. Divorce is not the worst thing can happen to a marriage, mind you. It is live inside a broken marriage for rest of your life. I have not tasted the bitterns of it - but I have seen the faces of my friends who tasted it. That was not pretty.

Here are my top 10 worst reasons to get married (in Sri Lanka). This is not for Girls by the way. Because girls have total deferent set of reasons I don't want to address here (or any where else).

10. School Sweetheart.
Your friends tag alone with you in school uniform to see her after school. All your friends know her. All her girlfriends know you too. When you met your friends, they ask you about her first. 'yo. maan.. How is she doing?' 'When you going to get married?' common questions. They all treat you as you are already married.
Just because all your friends treat you as a married couple you don't have to marry her. Your marriage is more important than your social identity.

9. Horoscope Match
Horoscope reading is not a good reason to tie the knot. Think your marriage is a big giant ship (with lot of children screaming and breaking things in it) & think horoscope as the weather report. A ship can crash in good weather or bad weather. And no weather report can make perfect predication. Your 'sailing skills' are more impotent in this case.

8. Matchmaker. Matchmaker. Find me a match.
That can be a professional matchmaker, Sunday news paper 'brides available' section, a neighbor, a friend's wife, a relative or even a website. Without a doubt this is the easiest way to find a girl in SL. We have more 'bride and groom' advertisements on Sunday paper than 'Toyota for sale'. Matchmakers tend to exaggerate good stuff and hide the bad stuff. It is quite possible to find something you don't want to hear after it is too late.
It does not matter how you found her, you have to decide your future. Don't keep any space to blame on matchmaker afterward.

7. She about to finish higher education.
Soon she will be a professional and independent woman. You don't want to take any risk. Arrange the engagement in her next vacation home and plan to get married as soon as she finishes her graduate. Not a very bad idea, if your relationship is an investment. But marriage is not the stock market or method to secure your relationship.

6. She is pretty
She is the universally accepted girlfriend. Guys may kill each other for her. But it does not matter how 'right' she is for everyone else - she have to be right for you. Unfortunately beauty can not keep a marriage live. If she is pretty, take it only as a bonus - a good bonus.

5. Her parents want you to marry her
When they do, they want it fast. They may come up with reasons like 'She is getting older', 'She have younger sisters', 'she only have one parent' or 'we likes you a lot'.
Then they may ask you to meet her at her home, join the family trip, watch the house when they gone...

Reality is - you are the one getting married. It is your life. Marry the person you want to be with - not others want you to be with.

4. Your parents want you to marry her
She is the daughter your mother didn't had. Your mom even complains her about you. Your parents brag about future daughter-in-law with your relatives.
But unless you are Raymond, your marriage is not your parent's enterprise. Do what is best for you.

3. It is the correct time
Your friends are getting married. Older siblings are married. Younger siblings are waiting for your marriage. You higher education finish. You have a good job, a good car. What is next step? Marriage?
Life is not a logically categorized process. Marriage is not a part of a sequence.
If you thinks your relationship is in correct time - if it is solid and secure - then you are ready to go.

2. No Escape
She put up with you for long time. She rejected all the proposals - doctors, top executives and even a guy lives abroad came to SL for get married and go back before vacation ends. So you want pay her back by marriage for all the sacrifices.
You can not pay off by marriage if you are not honestly ready to take her as your soul mate. If she is your soul mate you don't have to pay off.  (Those sacrifices she did ~ that is not only for you by the way.) You don't have to be sad because she lost all the good proposals. Girls never lose proposals. Her parents will find another one soon. Payback with your life is not a smart move.

1. Show me the Money!
We don't get chance to choose a rich father. But we get chance to choose a rich father-in-law. An opportunity of a lifetime!
But a wife can bring more happiness to a person's life than money can. Even though one should not ashamed of prospective wealth it is not a good idea to take decision base of on it (Ok.. Ok.. if you Jewish, you can). Look for what she can bring to your life, not what her father can.

If we are in the wrong marriage, we guys in Sri Lanka always can leave the misery to the female - and live our life. But still, it is better not to marry at all than marry the wrong person for wrong reasons and spend endless nights in the bar getting drunk with mates.

03 November, 2006

Internet and Me

I never seen people excited about browsers like this month. It was Netscape Navigator the first browser I used. I got my first internet connection form Sys-Tec. Eudora was the first email application, ICQ was the first IM application, and 'Corel Web Designer' was the first web page design application. 14.4 modem with third-party DUN application to dial in - took half an hour to configure and 5 minute to download a picture. The first site I surfed in was rick.com. As soon as Susil (from sys-tec) left, I went to sex.com. A whole new world started form that day.

Right now I spend around 12 hours a day on the net. I don't have zillion bookmarks to porn sites any more. Only bookmark left in that category is darlina.com (don't click on it - it is porn.)

I used to spend around 10,000 Rs a month or more on my phone bill + dialup internet bill. Right now I Spend 27,000 Rs ($270) for 64kbps dedicated connection in Sri Lankan and $30 (3000Rs) on 30mbps connection in NY. Cost of Internet has not changed significantly outside Colombo for last 10 years. TRC should stone to death for it.

Internet is a great place to find girls - Pretty girls too. I can not say anything about internet without thinking about certain beautiful people I met online who have changed my life. I have my bitter and sweet experience there. Browsers have nothing to do with that.

Internet is not a luxury to me any more like how it used to be. Matter of fact finding time to stay out of internet is a privilege. But I keep on finding so much valuable things and valuable people online; I can not voluntarily do that - not yet. In that case I start my day with cup of coffee and usual walk through Blogs.

In my internet life time, Netscape is the first best thing happened to Internet. But after IE came out I was eager to see the death of Netscape. There was a time period every web site had an image at the bottom saying 'Best Viewed with Browser x'. It was a nightmare for web developers. Have you ever a seen a country struggling to deal with two official languages at the same time and no matter how hard they struggle it never works perfect? That is how it was for developing a web site to work with both browsers. I hope that will not happen with IE and Firefox.

VOIP is another internet wonder. Remain illegal to general public in Sri Lanka till this day. dialpad.com rock the net with free calls. That is what brings down 250+Rs a min SLT IDD charges to 22 Rs. At last till 2004, you could have make couple of millions a day with an illegal VOIP root in SL. All you needed was proper political connection, TRC protection (could buy it for around 25c a minute depending on your volume), good hardware and E1 line(s). That was the only major business with possibility of recovering the investment in one day and makes million(s) profit next day.

At this age, Flash is the real competitor of browsers. Flash keep on offering new opportunities while IE was sleeping like a giant. youtube.com came out as soon as flash introduced flash video - sold for $1.65 billions in less than 2 years. After flash video, it came up with Flex - competitor for Ajax. None of new browsers could create new invention opportunities like Flash does - they even fail to offer anything new for Ajax, but they make themselves user-friendlier and healthier. We need strong browsers - no doubt about it. But that is about it.

Flex/Ajax will replace exciting web applications and desktop applications very soon. (Google spreadsheet, Office Live Beta is good experiments going on in this area right now). This is the current technology to create new dot com wealth. Look for it. Browsers have nothing to do with that.

By the way, we Sri Lankan have no significant advantage from none of above. In Sri Lanka internet limited to upper and urban middle class only. It is not because Sri Lankan are not interested in Internet or because it is expensive but because TRC have no interested in next generation.

28 October, 2006