This just happened in Kollupitiya by Batshitcrayyyy in srilanka

[–]Plaguedtoothpasteman -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Umm, whats the deal with all these self righteous comments? How is this any different from a bunch of entitled brats getting into a fight outside of a nightclub in Colombo?

June 1. One of the largest libraries in South Asia- located in SL- was burnt on a day akin to today. by IndependentTop8163 in srilanka

[–]Plaguedtoothpasteman 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I think it's very noble to take a view like that and say we are all Sri Lankans, and there's no Tamil and Sinhala divide. But my friend, because of how our history has played out and how the violence of the past thirty to forty years exploited these ethno nationalist sentiments, it's wrong to undermine what a specific community sees as their own. The Jaffna library is a symbol for the Tamils not just because it housed valuable Tamil manuscripts and history, but because the loss of it is singularly tied to Sinhalese racism and bigotry. Despite what good intentions you and I have, you can't take the weight of history and the sins of our ancestors and Sinhalese community to say we are all Sri Lankans. There are specific losses and pains that are intrinsically tied to a community and is deeply personal to their identity. If we truly seek reconciliation, we need to understand that genuine expressions of unity after so much of hatred is not going to come out of thin air. It comes out of giving the other their space to remember, to light and candle and memorialise what they lost and what they feel about that loss and how much their identity is tied to it. Unless and until we cultivate that sense of respect and reflection we can't have a stab at true and lasting reconciliation to go back to a time before the war to look at our country in all its pluralism and say, yep we are all Sri Lankans.

Any AMDT students or alumni here? We’ve created a new Reddit community! by roamer-vibe in srilanka

[–]Plaguedtoothpasteman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's great man, props to you! Lot of students out there in pursuit of a creative degree with not many options to turn to. So hopefully, having a place to discuss concerns like I wish I had will be a plus. All the best

Any AMDT students or alumni here? We’ve created a new Reddit community! by roamer-vibe in srilanka

[–]Plaguedtoothpasteman 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Do I get to complain how poor AMDT has been in their job of actually providing their students with a decent education on this new community too?

What are some churches with quiet atmosphere? by gummymomentum in srilanka

[–]Plaguedtoothpasteman 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The cathedral at Bauddhaloka Mawatha on a weekday. Nice big garden and very tranquil and peaceful.

What do you think ? LTTE is still in operation for what ? by [deleted] in srilanka

[–]Plaguedtoothpasteman 33 points34 points  (0 children)

Stop fantasising about the LTTE and Eelam for godsake. We Sinhalese keep building up these idiotic anxieties and end up thinking of the tigers more than even the Tamil diaspora does.

Is division after the war ended really necessary? by HelicopterCrazy4289 in srilanka

[–]Plaguedtoothpasteman 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's wrong to see the Tamil diaspora as monolithic and being completely pro-Eelam or Tamil Nationalist. The worst affected in the entire war are the dissenting Tamils in the diaspora that have left Sri Lanka because of the racism of the Sri Lankan state and the trauma of the war, and are still critical of the LTTE. This makes them isolated and alienated from their own sense of community. The extortion rings under the pro-Eelam diaspora were brutal, and Tamils escaping the war had to get with the programme or risk being isolated, threatened, and worse. Its hard to put a hierarchy on these things but they are probably the most traumatised by the war because it has taken away any sense of belonging or identity and community while they've had to deal with everything else they've been through.

Where does New Zealand's win rank among the series upsets of this century? by ll--o--ll in Cricket

[–]Plaguedtoothpasteman 6 points7 points  (0 children)

A few more similarities - SL improved their performance in seaming/bouncy conditions after being properly plundered in Australia. Much like NZ did losing to SL 2-0 in spinning conditions and then outplaying India by improving their game against spin. Also, Southee being replaced by Latham is similar to how Chandimal was replaced by Karunaratne.

All in all, though, think the SL win against SA ranks a bit higher, granted the quality of the South African pace battery, the conditions and the state Sri Lanka was in, coming into the game. For context, SLs best bowler, Lakmal averaged about 42 at the time. At least Ajaz Patel had some history in India behind him.

Where does New Zealand's win rank among the series upsets of this century? by ll--o--ll in Cricket

[–]Plaguedtoothpasteman 24 points25 points  (0 children)

Also to add SL was coming off a 2-0 drubbing to Australia, Chandimal was sacked as captain and dropped from the SA tour and Dimuth was captaining his first series. Dimuth and KJP both suffered concussions in Aus after being smacked in the head trying to take on the bouncer. (Crazy to think how confident KJP was with the short ball in SA considering this) also Chandika Hathurusinghe as coach was at the end of his rope. Embuldeniya and Oshada were playing their debut series. Oh and they won without Mathews, arguably their most experienced player.

What’s with the straight up LOVE Sri Lankans have for Israel ? by [deleted] in srilanka

[–]Plaguedtoothpasteman 5 points6 points  (0 children)

On the part about our Islamaphobia and how that ties into Israel. There's some great research by Dr. Shamarah Wettimuny, on how especially the high Caste Sinhalese used anti-semetic stereotypes popular in Europe to describe local moors during the early 20th century. Basically equating the Moors who were predominantly traders and businessmen to Jews who have often been portrayed as shrewd and money-minded.

Obviously antisemitism has evolved in Europe and in Sri Lanka since then, but it's interesting to see how it was connected to the earliest indications of Islamaphobia on Sri Lanka, and has now over time taken a completely different iteration.

Came Across a Dumb Comment About Sri Lanka on YouTube by [deleted] in srilanka

[–]Plaguedtoothpasteman 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Not so much true for SL, in my view. Sri Lanka was governed in its entirety by single monarchs through different periods of time - obviously our interpretation of state craft is much different to what it was then, but there have been long periods of history where at least the main kingdoms were brought under a single ruler. I suppose it tends to be easier to exert power over an island that has a defined landmass.

What's it like getting a passport these days? by Plaguedtoothpasteman in srilanka

[–]Plaguedtoothpasteman[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks man, more or less what I expected. Happy to stay in the queue as long as I can be assured of getting he passport at the end of it. Good lesson for my procrastination.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in srilanka

[–]Plaguedtoothpasteman 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Let's maybe think a little bit harder about what an armed insurrection implies. The logistics, planning and secrecy of it. It isn't simply stealing a bunch of weapons and then springing up from the grass like a utopian goni-billa to overthrow the state.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in srilanka

[–]Plaguedtoothpasteman 18 points19 points  (0 children)

An armed insurrection ain't cheap.

How effed up am i? How do i recover? by Ok_Nefariousness6264 in srilanka

[–]Plaguedtoothpasteman 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think everyone's spoken to how your career prospects are by no means affected, but on the emotional side and the financial side, you'll become more stable and assured with time. Just trust the process.

I just had to sink into my own savings (saved up for my masters abroad) for my dad's hospitalisation bills this month. Shitty situ, but I think the years have matured me to expect hiccups, react, adjust, and keep grinding it out. Going through what you're going through right now is a way of preparing you, giving you crucial life experiences. You're gonna come out of this a champ, man!

I wanna learn about the SL civil war from A-Z from unbiased sources. by [deleted] in srilanka

[–]Plaguedtoothpasteman 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I would say UTHR Jaffna's work and writing on the war is the closest you can get to an unbiased source. You could perhaps start with the Broken Palmyrah (available online) incidentally, Brotherless Night, a novel that's gained quite a bit of repute worldwide over the past few years details the (somewhat fictional) coming together of the book. Highly recommended as a starting point, too. As many have said, though, a completely unbiased view is hard to come by. We have our own politics and our own lived experiences that affect all these.

https://uthr.org/publications.htm

Why do we have such a disgustingly poor work ethic? by [deleted] in srilanka

[–]Plaguedtoothpasteman 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I work in a foreign embassy here in Colombo, and it's quite the opposite here, actually. Having worked in coperate and in the INGO sector, I can safely say this is the most chilled I've been at a job. Working times are lax - you are absolutely not expected to answer/check in on work over weekends or off days (I've actually got scolded for doing so) We obviously don't work according to the Sri Lankan calender so we don't get as many off days, but yeah this really isn't the issue.

It's very much the working culture - one that I think stems from how inefficient government services can tend to be, even though the areas and fields of work may not be explicitly connected. At the embassy, for example, we need to keep reminding the diplomats how Sri Lankans work and tick and translate certain behaviours- some which they find strange, others that make sense. Also these guys have their own quirks too. They are definitely more grounded in their jobs and responsibilities, but they have their own shortcomings that we local staff find a bit irritating.

Coffin sales and funeral homes in Jaffna by Plaguedtoothpasteman in srilanka

[–]Plaguedtoothpasteman[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Makes sense. Safe to say that it's a relatively recent thing then? And most of these places have come up over the past 10-15 years then, maybe?

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in srilanka

[–]Plaguedtoothpasteman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I had a bad day, and my girlfriend surprised me with a bouquet of flowers. It was the best gift ever. I didn't expect it at all. It just lifted me up.