Tsunami anniversary

Today is the second anniversary of the south Asian tsunami that struck on December 26th 2004. I remember vividly the moment I heard about it. Being alone at home with my family away on vacation I was filled with horror when I saw the pictures on TV. Initial news reports said over 150 dead, and I remember thinking “oh my God”. At that moment I didn’t know about the extent of the damage or what a tsunami even was.

My friends were to come over to my house that day, being ideal with no adults around. A day of fun turned out to be a day filled with horror as it became increasingly clear what had happened. My friends and I just sat there, alternating between CNN and BBC. We tried frantically to get in touch with two of our teachers who we knew lived in coastal areas, hoping that they were ok. All in all, it turned out to be a day I will not forget.

As the days went by, the extent of the damage and loss of life emerged. I watched the outpouring of grief and continued to hear inspiring stories of survival for weeks. Estimations are that over 120,000 people died in the greatest natural disaster of the world.

"Mommy, this Santa is fake"

I accompanied my cousin to a bowling alley the other day where the cub scouts were having an outing. In no time Santa came along and all the kids got excited as they lined up to take pictures with Santa. After some time, one of the kids came running up to her mom, highly excited and told her "mommy, this Santa is fake". Her mom said "how do you know?" and the kid replied "his belly is fake". My heart went out to her, she sounded so disappointed.

The mom on the other hand was in a fix. The look on a her face conveyed that she was lost about what to do. Obviously, she wanted a couple more years to go by before she had to help her daughter confront the fact that Santa is fake. She recovered pretty quickly and replied "maybe it's Santa's helper". Her daughter seemed happy with that explanation and went of to continue her game of bowling. Whew!

The thing is, I always knew that Santa was fake. Santa, or Christmas for that matter isn't a big deal back home. There are the people who celebrate it, but its a very small minority. Since Ive been here, I have had to answer questions like "does Santa come to Sri Lanka too?" and "what did Santa give you for Christmas last year?" and I have no answers. I don't want to burst the bubble and tell them the whole thing is fake. At least, not yet.

Ever since I knew I was coming here to study, I have been preparing for it. Never did I think though that little things like Santa would create such confusion. I have been completely unprepared for moments like this, and though they pass soon enough, they remind me that it is not only in the classroom that I have things to learn.

Rosie trumps "The Donald"

Talk about entertainment! Home for the holidays, bored with nothing to do, I'm channel surfing. Given that there are over 500 channels, this can be a exhausting task. I happen to stop at on E, expecting to see another absurd story about the Lohan - Spears - Hilton thingy (I have no idea what its called). I was in for a treat. On comes a clip of Rosie O Donnell's tirade about "the Donald's" role in the Miss USA issue.

A M A Z I N G!! She was mocking him left right and center! Pure entertainment is what it was. I couldn't stop laughing. The moment when she flicks her hair over her head to imitate Trump was simply priceless!

Of course, "the Donald", being the obnoxious, self obsessed, egocentric guy that he is, reacts to Rosie in typical Donald style. He is going to sue her "fat ass". This guy epitomises arrogance in my mind and what ever action he takes, we all know will be a result of what the ratings for his show look like. Rosie gave him a real "thumping" and I saw a day I never thought I would see: some one put "the Donald" in his place.

The reflecting has begun

December 16th, and the reflecting has already begun. Best of this or that, the worst of this or that, reflecting on the year gone by. The best of music this year, the best of movies this year, the worst celebrity moments, the best moments in sports, the best gadgets released, the best cars. The list goes on.

One thing in particular that I have been looking forward to the past couple of years is Time's Person of the Year. At the end of every year, Time Magazine names the person they think had the most influence, good or bad in events in the world. Last year it was Bill and Melinda Gates and Bono, in 2004 it was George W Bush, in 2003 it was the American soldier. The Person of the Year 2006 according to Time is YOU. I agree with Time's decision entirely. This has been the year of the individual, more so than previous years have been.

The sub heading to the article reads "Yes, you. You control the Information Age. Welcome to your world". The article explains that the growth of the web has not only changed the world, but changed the way the world changes. It notes that the individual has been empowered, citing examples like youtube and myspace. All this made possible courtesy the new World Wibe Web version 2.0.

Thomas Friedman must be overjoyed that his prediction in his book "The Lexus and the Olive Tree" is coming true. I am.

By the numbers

I came across some staggering figures the other day. According to technorati.com, there are 100,000 new blogs created every day! They also estimate that 1.3 million posts are added daily. Wow!

Once upon a time, I would have blogged to join an elite group of a few hundred bloggers. Today, I'm posting this so as not to be left out.

Too much money syndrome?

I'm beginning to think that there is such a thing as too much money syndrome. The symptom: planning to build a permanent base on the moon for long-term human settlement off the planet. This is NASA's latest plan. Apparently they have gone so far as to make plans for recycling human and manufactured waste, regenerate the outpost's air and water and establish lunar agriculture to provide both food and oxygen for residents.

If I could meet any of the geniuses making these plans, here is what I would tell them: time to come back down to Earth. If you have time and money to come up with plans to solve problems of the world that aren't even problems yet, how about focusing on the ones that are real problems? I'm referring to Darfur, Sudan. I'm referring to HIV/AIDS, to Afghanistan that is struggling to curb it poppy production, to the melting ice caps in the Arctic, to the depleting fuel reserves and search for alternative fuels, to the millions who don't get three meals a day or ever go to school. How about focusing on those who don't have access to clean drinking water or have to walk miles to get a bucketful? How about giving houses to the survivors of the South Asian Tsunami or hurricane Katrina?

I mean really, there is no shortage of problems here on Earth that are actual problems. Ask anybody from Oprah Winfrey to Bono to Bill Gates to Wangari Mathai to Mohammed Yunus to Shirin Ebadi to Al Gore. If they aren't your kind of people, ask Brangelina. Any of them will tell you that there is a better place to put your money and focus your time than attempting to make life on the moon possible. For some, even life on Earth is still not possible.

Cheney's Dilemma

The best news I have heard in some time: Vice President Dick's lesbian daughter is pregnant. I couldn't believe my ears when I heard this on CNN last night. I was so excited, I couldn't stop smiling at the thought. Forget the slap across the face the Baker Hamilton commission is giving Bush, forget the President's approval rating, forget that Cheney's sidekick in spreading neo conservative bullshit - that man fondly known as Rummy was fired, and most of all, forget that the Democrats now have control of the House and the Senate. If there ever was a dilemma for Cheney, it is that his lesbian daughter and her long time lesbian partner are expecting a baby! Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard wall.

The Associated press reported that "Conservative leaders voiced dismay Wednesday at news that Mary Cheney, the lesbian daughter of Dick Cheney, is pregnant, while a gay-rights group said the vice president faces "a lifetime of sleepless nights" for serving in an administration that has opposed recognition of same-sex couples".

In the same report, there was also this: "Grandfather Cheney will no doubt face a lifetime of sleepless nights as he reflects on the irreparable harm he and his administration have done to the millions of American gay and lesbian parents and their children."

All I have to say is this: kudos to Mary!

You know, its true. Nothing hits as hard as when it hits close to home, or in this case, at home. Michael Moore's book "Stupid White Men" comes to mind. I recall the part where he asks God to bestow republicans with gay children, sickness that can be cured only through stem cell research and for them to be shot by an unlicensed gun owner (among other things). I thought that to be a little extreme, but it seems to be working. Cheney's stand on the whole gay rights issue seems to be changing.

I'm not for gay marriage or any of that, but I'm all for people living their lives as they see fit without the government telling them how to live it. Mary's child I think is somehow helping out in that aspect.

Totally random

Ive not really had "absolutely homesick and just want to go back home" moments since I've got here, and I'm grateful for that. Being in another country can be very difficult and I know some of my friends have had that moment more than once. I have had moments of remembering something or the other from home and missing it, but they have been mild moments of homesickness if it can even be called that. I just call it moments of reminiscence. One moment comes to mind. I was in English, bored as usual and remembered a random moment I had with a cousin back home and started smiling. I don't know if any one noticed that I was smiling, but I guess they would have put it of as a "Sri Lankan thing" because the topic of discussion was nothing to smile about.

Yes, I miss the food (kottu, appa) and friends and family sometimes, but every one in college does. It doesn't really qualify in my mind as a desperately homesick moment. Tonight though, I had one. I was in the library, studying for a final and had some biscuits to munch on so that I would stay awake. I was doing good, covering a lot of work, when I bit into something with a distinct ginger flavor. Suddenly I was reminded about one of my aunts back home who I am extremely fond of and was desperate to talk to her. I don't know whether it was the ginger biscuit that triggered this, or it was random coincidence, but I rushed back to my dorm to call her, hoping that my calling card still had credit. I knew it would be early morning back home, but I didn't care.

Yes, my card had credit (don't know what i would have done if it didn't) and yes I woke her. I was relieved when she answered the phone. We chatted for a few minutes until my credit ran out. I was content when I put down the phone. The feeling that had initiated the call passed just as abruptly as it had hit me. I don't know what it would be categorized as, but that to me was a "absolutely homesick and just want to go back home" moment.

Memo here, memo there, memo, memo everywhere

I'm finding it extremely curious that these memos are starting to turn up. The one by Steven Hadley isn't at all surprising. It follows the administration trademark of blaming mistakes on anyone but the one responsible. It cant blame the lack of any sense of normalcy in Iraq (or whatever they are calling it this week) on Clinton. So the Iraqi Prime minister is responsible for this one. Never mind the fact that the prime minister is trying to bring together three factions that have never seen eye to eye on anything. Then again, this was not considered in pre war plans, so I don't expect it to be considered in any postwar plans. Apparently, Mr. Bush didn't even know about the Sunni's, Shia's and Kurds that make up Iraq until they started their resistance.

Its not like the administration is loosening up on the ignorance. Just after the elections, when Nancy Pelosi was slated to be the next speaker, I heard an administration official rant on about Nancy Bin Pelosi and her liberal agenda on TV. Bin is for sons and literally means "son of". Therefore, its Osama "son of" Laden. In the case of Nancy Pelosi, it would be "binte" which means "daughter of" and hence, Nancy Binte Pelosi. It is this kind of ignorance about a culture, region, language and country that continues to make plans for the future of Iraq.

While we are on the topic of naming things correctly, here's a thought: lets call Iraq what it is - a civil war. I come from a country that has a civil war older than I am, and I assure you, Iraq is a civil war. Making up new names for old things seems to be another trademark of Bush. "Passionate Conservatism" any one?

Back to the memo's, and this peculiar newly leaked one authored by Rumsfeld. All we hear for months is "no change in direction" and "stay the course". Then out comes this memo which goes against all that rhetoric. It is causing consternation all around. I frankly don't know what to make of it. Is this administration making an exerted effort to look stupid and clueless? If a change in course was being considered, why not come out and say it? It might have saved the Republicans the loss of the Senate and some seats in the House. If this apparent shift in thinking was hidden to keep the President from having to admit mistakes, its OK. I for one don't need him to admit it anymore cause every one knows his current strategy is a mistake. We don't need Bush to tell us so. What we do need, and desperately so is to stop the loss of life.

Vote and bitch about things

Around the time of the midterm elections last month, I was speaking to a friend about the issues in the election and how they mattered to the young people in America. I was talking about Mark Foley, the deficit, the national debt, depletion of social security funds and the rest. He was unaware of all the issues and seemed surprised to hear some of the things I was saying. When I urged him to go vote and make his voice heard, he was carefree about it and just shrugged his shoulders saying that he wasn't registered and that he didn't even know that these were the issues and that no one was telling him about it and that he will vote when he is older. When I pointed out that all these issues were being covered in the news, he responded "I don't watch the news".

This kind of apathy about issues of the day seems prevalent on campus. Some people didn't even know that it was the day of the election. An election that the entire world was watching. At which point are you old enough? How can you expect to know what the issues are when you make it a point to stay uninformed? By the time you think you are old enough to vote, the damage might already be done.

Only one person responded positively when I asked her if she voted. My reaction was to show surprise and her response was "hey, the way I see it, I cant bitch about things if I don't vote".

I don't think Americans around my age realize how lucky they are to be able to go vote and make it count for something. Many countries still are unable to hold free and fair elections, mine being one of them. It pains me to see people throwing their vote away.

If for nothing else, vote so that you can bitch about things.

Red

World AIDS day is about generating hope about the fight against AIDS. However, all that I'm hearing today is bad news and scary predictions about the search for a cure. Africa we all know is struggling but so is South Asia and very surprisingly, some parts of America. This is a truly global war that more and more people are teaming up to fight, but not soon enough.

Now, Bono and Bobby Shriver have come up with Red. It is a new idea and a truly good one at that. The best part is that every one of us can now be a part of the global fight against AIDS. The Independent (a newspaper in the United Kingdom), Motorola, myspace and youtube are part of Red, with more corporations slated to join in.

This post is me playing my small role in this war by drawing your attention to the Red campaign. I strongly urge you to check out their website.

Sign of progress

One of the things we did in my English class this semester was watch American History X and write a reactionary essay about it. American History X is a movie about a neo Nazi American who realizes his mistakes and tries to prevent his brother from going down the same path as him. The movie was disturbing, to put it mildly. I found some of the things that were said revolting and some scenes too explicit. However, the story was good and the leads, Edward Norton and Edward Furlong play their parts brilliantly.

I watched this in a mixed class with people from different races. We watched it together, a movie about race relations, about how blacks were ones treated in America and even had a discussion about it afterwards. To me, this was a sign of how much America has progressed since the movement of Martin Luther King.

My country is in the midst of an ethnic conflict and my hope is that one day Sri Lankans would be able to sit together and watch a movie about horrors perpetrated during the war and have a civil discussion about it, just like we did that day.

Privacy? What privacy?

Ive been working on a paper on Internet privacy for one of my classes. What Ive found is that there is no such thing as Internet privacy. Frankly, that shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone and it wasn't a surprise to me either. What was a surprise though was the extent to which Internet privacy is lacking. By lacking I mean close to non existent.

There are companies not only tracking, but gathering information about us. We are being watched, our search habits tracked and then being attacked by companies wanting to sell their products. A marketing technique that is being used more and more. Juvenile convicts who can legally request the courts to purge their records after some time are finding that people have got hold of their records and are selling it for profit, effectively negating the purpose behind purging their records.

It gets worse. Yahoo has already handed over search records to the government and Google has been requested to do so too. Uncle Sam is watching emails for specific words and listening in on phone calls. This invasion of privacy and the lack of legislation to stop it has evolved into microtargetting, and there seems to be no end in sight.

The potential this has to get blown out of control (if it already isn't) is huge. Anonymity of bloggers could be blown, individuals living non mainstream lifestyles could be exposed to discrimination, and what happens to the freedom of speech that is such a big part of America?

The extent of this invasion of privacy is scary and the only thing giving me comfort is the lobbyists who are working with government representatives to do something about it. I'm finding that the land of the free is not that free after all. Some one is always watching, and some one always knows.

"So, hows it been so far?"

"Hows it been so far?" This is a question I'm asked every time some one learns that I'm an international student. One word: super awesome (to use an American expression). Yes, that's two words cause its been that great.

I came here not knowing what to expect. Being Islamic (as Americans call it) and looking it, I was nervous to say the least. However, that was unnecessary. Every one I have met has been so great. I went to the bank the other day, and the lady was so helpful. When she found out that I was an international student, she took me through the whole procedure of how things are done and how the system works and different aspects of my account. No, I'm not stupid. Just like I would go pick a pillow back home and be done with it in seconds (refer posting: "Discoveries abound"), having a bank account just isn't a big deal. I don't need to have an account back home to have a life.

Everyone here is so open minded and not at all judgemental. My first semester is coming to an end and I haven't had one incident of discrimination of any sort. I have met the nicest people and continue to do so. They respect differences and ask questions. Ive met southerners (no they are not slow) and northerners (no they are not snobbish) and all kinds of people who are stereotyped to be one way or another. The only thing I know about all of them is that they are all nice. I have no other word for it.

I'm looking forward to my next semester......

Discoveries abound

I have been discovering things ever since I got here. When I went shopping for my dorm room, I discovered that there was more than one type of pillow. I had to choose between a pillow for people who sleep on their stomachs, sides, on their back, back and sides and so on. I stood there and pondered which pillow would best suit me, whereas back home I would have just bought the first pillow that came to my hand, as there wouldn't have been such a wide choice. Ive already blogged about the Disney channel, Adult Swim, Family Man and South Park. There have also been people like Bill Maher and Bill O Riley. The fact that it is possible for these two men who are complete opposites on the political spectrum to have their own shows is one of the things that I like about America. I have also discovered You Tube and the reliance of this country on credit cards, and that you cannot park your car in an empty car park outside a bank at night but with a permit, you can ride a horse carriage down the street. Oh, and i will not forget anytime soon the first time my cousin saw my handkerchief and asked me what it was because, as I discovered, they don't use handkerchiefs in America. Then there was the first time I went looking for my dorm room and climbed up to what I thought was the third floor, but turned out to be the fourth floor because in America the first floor is what I previously knew as the ground floor. That story really cracked some people up.

One of the more interesting things I have discovered is Helicopter parents. Not so much the concept, but the term. The concept is somewhat familiar, though back home I rarely encountered it. When I got here, I encountered so much of it, that I mentioned it to some one who drew my attention to the term Helicopter parents. So I looked it up, and found two articles (among many) that gave me an insight: Helicopter parents' lead to spoiled, unhappy children and What Are The Latest Accessories College Students Are Bringing To School? Their Parents!

I was told that helicopter parenting was a serious problem faced by college administrators and that increasingly children are being sheltered from the "real world". I thought this was incredulous and was finding it hard to believe. It struck home the other day though, when time.com quoted President H W Bush as saying: "My son is an honest man" in defence of his son at a leadership conference in the UAE. Apparently, the current president was facing "harsh criticism".

Helicopter parents in college I can understand, but this is the President of the most powerful country in the world! The leader of the "free world"! But when President Bush faces the "real world", we find pop hovering above him, and as usual, coming to his rescue. I wonder whether it will work this time though. This time the mess is too big even for Senior and his pals to clean up. That is not to say that they aren't trying. There is a lot being made of the fact that the old guard is back at the White House, trying to fix the mess that is Iraq.

I have heard President Bush talk about his legacy and how history will judge him. He still has two years, but it increasingly looks like history will judge his legacy to be the creation of a right royal pickle in Iraq. A mess left for some one else to clean up.

The magic of Disney

I was at a friends apartment the other day, doing some laundry. To while away the time, I turned on the TV and flipped the channels until I found something I might like. The channel I happened to stop at was the Disney channel which was airing back to back episodes of The Suite Life of Zach and Cody. I normally would not watch the Disney channel, but it was either this or some movie on Lifetime that I really wasn't in the mood for.

The two main characters had changed since I last remembered watching them. They had grown and gotten new hairstyles and the humor had branched out a little, but the show was fundamentally the same. As I watched, I realized that this was the first time since i had arrived on campus that I was watching something that didn't have any foul language or contain any racist or sexist remarks. This to me was a big deal.

Since I have got here, I have discovered Adult Swim and shows like Family Guy and South Park. I remember vividly the first time I watched South Park. I was utterly disgusted and turned of the TV after about ten minutes.

Family Guy on the other hand I can watch, though it still gets unbearable sometimes. Anyway, I know now which channel I can switch to when it all gets too much. This to me is the magic of Disney.

There is a word for people like you

I just read an article about a new ceasefire that has been put in place in the Palestinian territory. The Palestinians have agreed to stop attacks on Israeli targets and Israel has agreed to withdraw its forces and stop its incursions into Palestinian territory. I wonder if this is just another chapter in the long saga of Israeli occupation and Palestinian Intifada. History compels me to think so and my reaction is to scoff at this - another lame duck attempt at "peace".

These attempts will not carry any weight unless the U.S puts its full weight behind efforts to resolve this problem and makes a genuine attempt, rather than be one sided in its policy and put a stamp of approval on everything the Israeli's do.

The Palestinians on the other hand must lay down arms. Armed struggle does not work. I site the Mahatma and Nelson Mandela, both of who insisted on peaceful protest, and ultimately were heard. The Palestinians would do good to take a page out of their book.

The catalyst for change though will be other nations in the Middle East. I am referring to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait and other nations considered to be "moderate". I think its pathetic that the populations in these countries rush to the streets to protest, burn effigies and issue death threats over a cartoon in some paper about Prophet Mohammad (SA) or what His Holiness Pope Benedict said in a speech, but do not seem to care about continued loss of life in Palestine and Israel.

Here is my view: the cartoon or the Pope's comments are not killing any one. Your reaction to them is. Further, your reaction is reinforcing the wide perception that Islam is a violent religion. I feel angry when I hear of another incursion into Palestine or another suicide attack in Israel. I feel angry when I see the attitude of the U.S or the inaction of the U.N and the spineless rulers in Middle Eastern countries towards this conflict. What angers me the most though is watching you fall over yourselves to protest nonsensical things that are not even a big deal until you make them a big deal; while you do nothing to resolve a conflict that seems to have no end in sight - a conflict that has caused and continues to cause the most damage to Islam's image.

Here in America they have a word for people like you: Pussies.

Thanksgiving - My First

Yesterday was Thanksgiving, my first since Ive been in America. As the day approached, the excitement around me got palpable. I had no idea what all the excitement was about, I mean after all, its just another meal right?

I was excited too, not about thanksgiving, but the long break. I hadn't had a significant break since I got here and coming from a country which loves holidays, I am used to having quite a few. So the day finally arrived and I was to join the PM's and RA's who hadn't gone home for the holidays.

I was impressed by the amount of preparation that went into this meal. I had never heard of much of what was being prepared, let alone eaten it. We watched the Macy's Parade (which I think is an absurd waste of money) while people trickled in. The atmosphere was very relaxed and I was enjoying myself. When the table was laid, we settled down to the meal.

During the meal, I couldn't help realizing that I have done this before. Not Thanksgiving; but friends and family sitting down for a meal in a relaxed way, enjoying each others company and not discussing this professor or that class or running of to finish a paper or make it in time to a lecture. Thanksgiving really has no significance to me in the sense of celebrating the new harvest or the war with the Native Indians. However, coming from a large family and tight knit community, we have many gatherings of this sort, and that's one of the things I have missed since Ive been here. So Ive decided that the significance of Thanksgiving for me will be just that - a gathering to put a brakes on life to celebrate each others company over a meal.

“An Inconvenient Truth”

The U.S had its midterm elections recently, and there were many issues brought up during the election that I would like to comment on, but in this post, I want to focus on an issue that wasn't an issue at all – Global Warming. There is ample evidence that shows a direct correlation between the emission of greenhouse gases and global warming. The bottom line is that if the level of emission is not reduced, the world is heading for serious trouble.

President Bush has consistently resisted pressure to do something about the greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. He has refused to sign the Kyoto Protocol and failed to support any initiatives aimed at reducing the emission of greenhouse gases. To the contrary, he supports drilling for oil in Alaska which would drastically affect the reserve.

All this comes from a self proclaimed man of God who is said to let his religious views influence the decisions he makes. This is a president that did more than any other president to get Evangelicals to vote for him, promising to uphold family values, promote religion and work to ban gay marriage because it is morally wrong.

My view is that a man of God who does nothing to protect the environment created by God is no man of God. Not only does he fail to protect the environment, but he actively partakes in its destruction! I don't think it is in any way moral! How can it be? Is it protecting family values when you don't look after the beauty created by God so that your children can appreciate it? How is this morally acceptable by any standards? Gay marriage is morally wrong because God meant marriage to be between a man and a woman only, but destructing the natural ecosystems created by God so that animals are able to sustain themselves is OK? Doesn't it bother anyone that fresh air is increasingly in the decline and that God didn't mean it to be this way, just like he didn't mean for people of the same sex to get married.

The first thing I think a man of God should be doing is protecting the environment, and the Democrats seem to be doing this better than Mr. Bush ever has. Mind you, the Democrats, according to Mr. Bush, have no moral values.

Does any one else see the irony, or is this just a different view?

Altman who?

I logged on to msn.com today and right there is a headline that says "Altman dies". So I'm thinking, "who is this guy?." I find out that he was a director who, among other movies, directed the movie MASH. I announce this to the people around me and they go "oh no".

In the mean time, i find out that the Nepalese government and rebels have finally signed a peace deal after about six months of ceasefire, which they called for after overthrowing the monarch, who sacked the government after members of his family were killed in a bloodbath inside the royal palace. No one seems to know about this and nor do they care.

So i I blog about it, and celebrate on my own that another terrorist war has ended with a peace deal while people here mourn the death of Robert Altman. No disrespect to Mr. Altman whatsoever and may he rest in peace, but is no one else celebrating the peace deal?

I guess its just a different view.

Opening thoughts

So here I am, taking in everything happening around me. I am trying to at least, to the best of my ability. There is so much to take in, I'm struggling. I have all these thoughts about these things, random and unrelated to each other but important to me none the less. I wanna put my thoughts in order, talk to someone about them. I want to do something with these thoughts and hence this blog.

Here, is Jacksonville, Florida. I am at university, majoring in Political Science. Some people call it politics but i don't like that, you know, cause Political Science just sounds smarter. I am a Sri Lankan, plain and simple. A Sri Lankan in a foreign country with different views of things and a different way of looking at things and perceiving them. That explains why i choose to call my blog "A Different View".

I don't know what I will blog about. I guess Ill take it as it comes. What I do know though, is that it is my blog and I will blog for me and me only. There will be random comments on various things and whatever else i feel like blogging about.

I'm looking at it as a journey. Lets see where this takes me....

uboy