Comments for Chuls Bits & Pics

Comment on Kuvenies, Sheilas and a P.S. to that Gender Gap by Delores Boyer

Delores Boyer — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:20:04 +0000

From my experience living in SL I would have to agree with Pala when discussing the non-professional jobs for females. The professional women I came in contact with had the freedom to chose their careers and make choices in their personal life much like those in the U.S. and Europe.
So there lots of room for closing the gender gap.

Comment on Kuvenies, Sheilas and a P.S. to that Gender Gap by chuls

chuls — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 05:10:08 +0000

Thanks Dilshani for setting the record straight. Aravinda — couldn’t agree with you more but then I was minding my own business and reading a book on the beach in Hikkaduwa when this dude from Arachchikande turned up. …he did have a full head of hair then. … rest is history Lol :0))

Comment on Kuvenies, Sheilas and a P.S. to that Gender Gap by Aravinda

Aravinda — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 04:30:15 +0000

Kuveni was just sitting there minding her own business when this random guy with half a head of hair shows up…
Why she even bothered with such an obvious loser is beyond me!!

Comment on Kuvenies, Sheilas and a P.S. to that Gender Gap by Dilshani Samaraweera

Dilshani Samaraweera — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 04:19:38 +0000

ON BASTARDS

vijaya was a rotter all right.

But the sinhalese are NOT bastards – the buddhist establishment goes to a lot of trouble to establish this.

this is also the official reason given for throwing out kuveni — because she did not have the caste credentials acceptable to Indian royalty.

so the sinhalese ( at least the royal vijayan line) come from the ‘ technically’ correct marriage between vijaya and a princess from madurai.

the proper royal lineage and caste were matched to make sure the new line, in the new land (sri lanka), was perfectly legit.

the buddhist establishment maintains, for good measure, that indian princesses, were given to each and every one of vijaya’s followers as well – so no loopholes there

kuveni’s illegitimate children from vijaya became jungle dwellers

to this day, the sinhalese retain this distinction in lineage.

on the branding of bastards though – even today, if the birth certificate does not have a fathers name the child is branded as a bastard because they check the birth certificate for various official purposes – including putting a child into school. in sri lankan it is also very common for people to ask you ‘who is your father’ and ‘what does he do?’

so, yes, there is a lot to change for gender equality

Comment on Kuvenies, Sheilas and a P.S. to that Gender Gap by chuls

chuls — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:47:43 +0000

Yes, one more to add to the list that Sri Lanka has to resolve.

A bastard according to the Oxford dictionary is an unathorized hybrid. Unauthorized by society then and by law now? Then Vijaya’s father Sinhabahu was too. But then “royal blood” or ova and sperm more precisely even diluted seems not to have had problems.

History they say was written by men (some say Buddhist priests who were the scribes) while women were in the kitchen with their “handimita (the length of a spoon handle) brains” )

Comment on Kuvenies, Sheilas and a P.S. to that Gender Gap by Pala

Pala — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 23:47:23 +0000

So according to you or the history books you have read “Vijaya apparently saw this beauty weaving and was mesmerized by her. (Incidentally, Vijaya, the Son of King Sinhabahu was banished from India as a problematic prodigal son).

Kuveni was in turn supposed to have been “tamed” by the prodigal Vijaya, and they had ruled the country as partners.”. So, are we Sinhalese bastards born out of wed lock? There is an interesting point for SL to resolve in the 21st century = If the woman does not marry the father her children are branded bastards. No longer in Oz.

Comment on Pitstop in Puttalam by Kirigalpoththa

Kirigalpoththa — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:54:28 +0000

very interesting travel account!

Comment on Encounter with Gotukola Kids by Victor Melder

Victor Melder — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:00:31 +0000

You have made me realise once again how “poor” we are and how “rich” they are.
This is the rural Sri Lanka of my time and also of my dreams, may our visions help it continue to be so.
Ayubown
Victor

Comment on e-Swabhimani awards: giving life to digital creativity in Sri Lanka by somasiri devendra

somasiri devendra — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 07:46:01 +0000

I hope ICTA is sending the good news round the world. These young whiz-kids make me “Proud to be Sri Lankan”.

In any case, I am sending this round to our expat friends so that they know what to expects from this country in the near future. All credit to Tissa Vitharana (please, Chulie, note that his name is spelt with a”V” and not a “W”!)

Comment on Encounter with Gotukola Kids by somasiri devendra

somasiri devendra — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 07:34:27 +0000

Chulie, you’ve done it again! That girl is such a beauty – not merely because I have a 6-year old grand-daughter, and am besotted by smiley little girls like this. But you made a good and, importantly, a “necessary” story out of the “interview”. Reminds me of the days I used to be a Recruiting Officer, and of my conversations with the street person whose friend I became (in my story “Home”). May those kids realize their dreams.