Reality television, dominating the tube right now, is about the real antics of real people. It also feature people getting insulted, humbled or even humiliated. These shows are cheap to produce as they are profitable . It is popular among viewers because they are voyeurs . This erases the boundaries between the public and the private. Reality shows can still genuinely surprise . As, they are about real behaviour in real environments. It is a great storytelling . This is because, there are ideas that grab us in some fundamental place. Ironically , these programmes are unreal. However , key moments may not be scripted, but they are obviously staged. Reality shows is an unscripted drama like sport. Soon, producers will be forced to add more bells and whistles and gimmicks. If not , this turns off both viewers and advertisers.
(135 words )
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Summary
Reality television, dominating the tube right now, is about the real antics of real people in a real environment. It also shows people getting insulted, humbled or even humiliated. However, the irony or misnomer is that reality shows are clearly unreal like an unscripted drama and it is more like sports. Reality shows are cheap to produce but it is very popular among viewers as people are voyeurs. Thus, it erases the boundaries between the public & private and can still be genuinely surprised. Reality shows are not only famous for its great and new way of telling a story but also for its ideas that grab us in some fundamental place. Reality shows are profitable as they will always have a place on television. Nevertheless, it prospects are dim as producers will soon run out of ideas and viewers will get bored eventually. Thus, this ruins the reputation of network and it faces competition from other forms of programming networks.
(151 words)
(151 words)
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Summary on Coffee
According to legend, an Ethiopian goatherd skipped around after eating coffee cherries when he saw his goats doing the same after eating the cherries. Coffee was a simple food and beverage for African tribesmen. However now, it is sold in large quantities worldwide and one of the top in value in trade. Furthermore, all coffee exporting countries depend on coffee as the main income. Many people depend on it for their living and drink coffee a lot. A frost killed almost half of Brazil’s coffee trees which changed the prices drastically.The frost hit Brazil again. Every tree lost result in no income for a three to five years. Furthermore,the income loss is huge considering 15 million trees were lost in Brazil. Thus, it had to stop the export of coffee .Importers bought it in bulk as they were afraid of the shortage. Prices increased and farmers has to plant more.Therefore, coffee was in abundant and the prices fell. Farmers began substituting coffee for other crops.Both producers and consumers decided to limit production to what the market can absorb.They also have to reserve and sell at an agreeable price.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
draft 6
The fighting and bombing had started. At first the war had been distant and mysterious. Tiny silver airplanes, like fishes in the sky, would fly over them before disappearing horizon. Then the bombing had come closer, so close that the bombs shook beneath Surrendran bare feet. He remembered happier times, when he was two or three years old. Sri Lanka was a peaceful and prosperous place then, the tea plantations where the harvests plentiful. At weddings and on temple feast days, he had sat curled in his mother, Vaishnavi’s warm lap nibbling at some rice and sweets, and watching the familiar faces of his father, Jaynesh and brother, Vicknesh dancing by the light of a kerosene lamp in the temple courtyard.
However now, the whole situation was drastic and reversed where even thinking of it sent, a cold sweat down Surrendran’s neck. Surrendran’s father, Jaynesh had vast plans for his family to live in a affluent vicinity even though he was a worker working at the tea plantations after Sri Lanka gained its independence from the British in 1948. Therefore, he aspire to apply citizenship so that his family and him could enjoy elite civil liberties such as education, jobs, housing and voting. Therefore after thinking over several times, he cross the threshold to the kitchen. He wanted to acquaint with his wife, Vaishnavi to mull over her scrutiny.
“ Vaishnavi…” , he exclaimed boisterously .
“ Over here!”, she screeched.
“ I got a something to tell you…”, holding the breath for a second and continued “ …I am going to apply for the citizenship so that everyone here could enjoy the privileges.”
She hesitated for a moment , “ What is wrong of what we are living in right now ?”
“It is nothing wrong with we are living in, but I want a better future for our kids ” , he was thwarted as he forethought that Vaishnavi would be blissful over his decision.
“ If that would give our children a better future I’ll support you then…”, as before she could finish off the sentence she scrutinize her eyes on the wall and beckoned that she was tardily for work at the tea plantations.
On the other hand , Jaynesh was hectically applying for the citizenship. However , he was not granted citizenship as according to Ceylon Citizenship Act of 1948 is only granted to those who either born in Sri Lanka or whose forefathers who were born there. Furthermore, he was retrenched just because he could not speak sinhala. Therefore, Jaynesh was not eligible for the citizenship and he was seething with rant and rave as he was now in a demoralizing circumstances where he is stateless. Besides, his dreams were all utterly wiped out.
Vaishnavi tried calming down Jaynesh as he paces up and down in downright aggravation. The subsequent day when surrendran was walking home to school, he saw ramparts were being wrecked in blood with Tamil phrases such as ‘Our contributions are worth more than your citizenship and then why are we all singled out?’ and ‘Why are our federations are being taken away from us?’. However, Surrendran neither knew what Sinhalese was nor their bigotry till, that week when the ‘Sinhala Only’ policy was established. Thus, the National Language was changed from English to sinhala. This beget in Surrendran having a rigid moment in time speaking sinhala language instead of English.
Late one morning, shortly after Jaynesh had returned from the tea plantations, they heard the sounds of gunfire and bombing in the distance. At first, surrendran did not notice them, until vicknesh lifted his head and listened. Nearby, Vaishnavi had stopped dicing the vegetables in the kitchen and was also listening.
“What is it?” surrendran called to her from the thatched shelter.
“Hush!” , his mother replied erratically.
Surrendran stayed very still and listened, too. The sound was so faint that he thought it might be noise produced from the tea plantation’s machinery. However, then the dull thuds grew louder and lasted longer.
“Bombs,” Jaynesh said quietly. “ The Sri Lankan Army, Sinhalese peasants and Buddhist monks has come to occupy our tea plantation lands.”
It was the quiet, tired way he said it that scared surrendran. As if he had known all along it would had happen, and that he could not do anything about it. Surrendran looked at his mother, whose eyes were wide with fear.
“What can we do?” Vaishnavi asked Jaynesh .
“Start packing,” he said.
Within minutes, they were on the moves. They had stashed whatever they could in the cart. Just then everything exploded. The blast threw surrendran out of balance. He crashed into the an empty pot, sending it spinning through the air. A shell had landed nearby , ripping apart the thatching of the kitchen roof and setting it on fire. Pieces of thatching collapsed onto the matted bamboo sides of the kitchen underneath. Within seconds , the whole shed was in flames. There were screams everywhere. Outside the compound, people started churning, swirling torrent. Like a river bursting it’s banks people fled in every direction, scattering and running into the adjoining fields .Surrendran’s one thought was to find his family. Then he saw his family laying far apart and thrown. Blood oozed out from their bodies and they lay motionless on the ground.
That sudden punch of pain like rock slamming into his stomach. Surrendran and other kids were brought to refugee camps and taught how to use weapons. Even though the Tamil tigers had been wiped out entirely, but how about the young civilians who had taken weapons in their hands?
However now, the whole situation was drastic and reversed where even thinking of it sent, a cold sweat down Surrendran’s neck. Surrendran’s father, Jaynesh had vast plans for his family to live in a affluent vicinity even though he was a worker working at the tea plantations after Sri Lanka gained its independence from the British in 1948. Therefore, he aspire to apply citizenship so that his family and him could enjoy elite civil liberties such as education, jobs, housing and voting. Therefore after thinking over several times, he cross the threshold to the kitchen. He wanted to acquaint with his wife, Vaishnavi to mull over her scrutiny.
“ Vaishnavi…” , he exclaimed boisterously .
“ Over here!”, she screeched.
“ I got a something to tell you…”, holding the breath for a second and continued “ …I am going to apply for the citizenship so that everyone here could enjoy the privileges.”
She hesitated for a moment , “ What is wrong of what we are living in right now ?”
“It is nothing wrong with we are living in, but I want a better future for our kids ” , he was thwarted as he forethought that Vaishnavi would be blissful over his decision.
“ If that would give our children a better future I’ll support you then…”, as before she could finish off the sentence she scrutinize her eyes on the wall and beckoned that she was tardily for work at the tea plantations.
On the other hand , Jaynesh was hectically applying for the citizenship. However , he was not granted citizenship as according to Ceylon Citizenship Act of 1948 is only granted to those who either born in Sri Lanka or whose forefathers who were born there. Furthermore, he was retrenched just because he could not speak sinhala. Therefore, Jaynesh was not eligible for the citizenship and he was seething with rant and rave as he was now in a demoralizing circumstances where he is stateless. Besides, his dreams were all utterly wiped out.
Vaishnavi tried calming down Jaynesh as he paces up and down in downright aggravation. The subsequent day when surrendran was walking home to school, he saw ramparts were being wrecked in blood with Tamil phrases such as ‘Our contributions are worth more than your citizenship and then why are we all singled out?’ and ‘Why are our federations are being taken away from us?’. However, Surrendran neither knew what Sinhalese was nor their bigotry till, that week when the ‘Sinhala Only’ policy was established. Thus, the National Language was changed from English to sinhala. This beget in Surrendran having a rigid moment in time speaking sinhala language instead of English.
Late one morning, shortly after Jaynesh had returned from the tea plantations, they heard the sounds of gunfire and bombing in the distance. At first, surrendran did not notice them, until vicknesh lifted his head and listened. Nearby, Vaishnavi had stopped dicing the vegetables in the kitchen and was also listening.
“What is it?” surrendran called to her from the thatched shelter.
“Hush!” , his mother replied erratically.
Surrendran stayed very still and listened, too. The sound was so faint that he thought it might be noise produced from the tea plantation’s machinery. However, then the dull thuds grew louder and lasted longer.
“Bombs,” Jaynesh said quietly. “ The Sri Lankan Army, Sinhalese peasants and Buddhist monks has come to occupy our tea plantation lands.”
It was the quiet, tired way he said it that scared surrendran. As if he had known all along it would had happen, and that he could not do anything about it. Surrendran looked at his mother, whose eyes were wide with fear.
“What can we do?” Vaishnavi asked Jaynesh .
“Start packing,” he said.
Within minutes, they were on the moves. They had stashed whatever they could in the cart. Just then everything exploded. The blast threw surrendran out of balance. He crashed into the an empty pot, sending it spinning through the air. A shell had landed nearby , ripping apart the thatching of the kitchen roof and setting it on fire. Pieces of thatching collapsed onto the matted bamboo sides of the kitchen underneath. Within seconds , the whole shed was in flames. There were screams everywhere. Outside the compound, people started churning, swirling torrent. Like a river bursting it’s banks people fled in every direction, scattering and running into the adjoining fields .Surrendran’s one thought was to find his family. Then he saw his family laying far apart and thrown. Blood oozed out from their bodies and they lay motionless on the ground.
That sudden punch of pain like rock slamming into his stomach. Surrendran and other kids were brought to refugee camps and taught how to use weapons. Even though the Tamil tigers had been wiped out entirely, but how about the young civilians who had taken weapons in their hands?
Draft 5
The fighting and bombing had started. At first the war had been distant and mysterious. Tiny silver airplanes, like fishes in the sky, would fly over them before disappearing horizon. Then the bombing had come closer, so close that the bombs shook beneath Surrendran bare feet. He remembered happier times, when he was two or three years old. Sri Lanka was a peaceful and prosperous place then, the tea plantations where the harvests plentiful. At weddings and on temple feast days, he had sat curled in his mother, Vaishnavi’s warm lap nibbling at some rice and sweets, and watching the familiar faces of his father, Jaynesh and brother, Vicknesh dancing by the light of a kerosene lamp in the temple courtyard.
However now, the whole situation was drastic and reversed where even thinking of it sent, a cold sweat down Surrendran’s neck. Surrendran’s father, Jaynesh had vast plans for his family to live in a affluent vicinity even though he was a worker working at the tea plantations after Sri Lanka gained its independence from the British in 1948. Therefore, he aspire to apply citizenship so that his family and him could enjoy elite civil liberties such as education, jobs, housing and voting. Therefore after thinking over several times, he cross the threshold to the kitchen. He wanted to acquaint with his wife, Vaishnavi to mull over her scrutiny.
“ Vaishnavi…” , he exclaimed boisterously .
“ Over here!”, she screeched.
“ I got a something to tell you…”, holding the breath for a second and continued “ …I am going to apply for the citizenship so that everyone here could enjoy the privileges.”
She hesitated for a moment , “ What is wrong of what we are living in right now ?”
“It is nothing wrong with we are living in, but I want a better future for our kids ” , he was thwarted as he forethought that Vaishnavi would be blissful over his decision.
“ If that would give our children a better future I’ll support you then…”, as before she could finish off the sentence she scrutinize her eyes on the wall and beckoned that she was tardily for work at the tea plantations.
On the other hand , Jaynesh was hectically applying for the citizenship. However , he was not granted citizenship as according to Ceylon Citizenship Act of 1948 is only granted to those who either born in Sri Lanka or whose forefathers who were born there. Furthermore, he was retrenched just because he could not speak sinhala. Therefore, Jaynesh was not eligible for the citizenship and he was seething with rant and rave as he was now in a demoralizing circumstances where he is stateless. Besides, his dreams were all utterly wiped out.
Vaishnavi tried calming down Jaynesh as he paces up and down in downright aggravation. The subsequent day when surrendran was walking home to school, he saw ramparts were being wrecked in blood with Tamil phrases such as ‘Our contributions are worth more than your citizenship and then why are we all singled out?’ and ‘Why are our federations are being taken away from us?’. However, Surrendran neither knew what Sinhalese was nor their bigotry till, that week when the ‘Sinhala Only’ policy was established. Thus, the National Language was changed from English to sinhala. This beget in Surrendran having a rigid moment in time speaking sinhala language instead of English.
Late one morning, shortly after Jaynesh had retuned from the tea plantations, they heard the sounds of gunfire and bombing in the distance. At first, surrendran did not notice them, until vicknesh lifted his head and listened. Nearby, Vaishnavi had stopped dicing the vegetables in the kitchen and was also listening.
“What is it?” surrendran called to her from the thatched shelter.
“Hush!” , his mother replied erratically.
Surrendran stayed very still and listened, too. The sound was so faint that he thought it might be noise produced from the tea plantation’s machinery. However, then the dull thuds grew louder and lasted longer.
“Bombs,” Jaynesh said quietly. “ The Sri Lankan Army, Sinhalese peasants and Buddhist monks has come to occupy our tea plantation lands.”
It was the quiet, tired way he said it that scared surrendran. As if he had known all along it would had happen, and that he could not do anything about it. Surrendran looked at his mother, whose eyes were wide with fear.
“What can we do?” Vaishnavi asked Jaynesh .
“Start packing,” he said.
Within minutes, they were on the moves. They had stashed whatever they could in the cart. Just then everything exploded. The blast threw surrendran out of balance. He crashed into the an empty pot, sending it spinning through the air. A shell had landed nearby , ripping apart the thatching of the kitchen roof and setting it on fire. Pieces of thatching collapsed onto the matted bamboo sides of the kitchen underneath. Within seconds , the whole shed was in flames. There were screams everywhere. Outside the compound, people started churning, swirling torrent. Like a river bursting it’s banks people fled in every direction, scattering and running into the adjoining fields .Surrendran’s one thought was to find his family. Then he saw his family laying far apart and thrown. Blood oozed out from their bodies and they lay motionless on the ground.
That sudden punch of pain like rock slamming into his stomach. Surrendran and other kids were brought to refugee camps and taught how to use weapons. Even though the Tamil tigers had been wiped out entirely, but how about the young civilians who had taken weapons in their hands?
However now, the whole situation was drastic and reversed where even thinking of it sent, a cold sweat down Surrendran’s neck. Surrendran’s father, Jaynesh had vast plans for his family to live in a affluent vicinity even though he was a worker working at the tea plantations after Sri Lanka gained its independence from the British in 1948. Therefore, he aspire to apply citizenship so that his family and him could enjoy elite civil liberties such as education, jobs, housing and voting. Therefore after thinking over several times, he cross the threshold to the kitchen. He wanted to acquaint with his wife, Vaishnavi to mull over her scrutiny.
“ Vaishnavi…” , he exclaimed boisterously .
“ Over here!”, she screeched.
“ I got a something to tell you…”, holding the breath for a second and continued “ …I am going to apply for the citizenship so that everyone here could enjoy the privileges.”
She hesitated for a moment , “ What is wrong of what we are living in right now ?”
“It is nothing wrong with we are living in, but I want a better future for our kids ” , he was thwarted as he forethought that Vaishnavi would be blissful over his decision.
“ If that would give our children a better future I’ll support you then…”, as before she could finish off the sentence she scrutinize her eyes on the wall and beckoned that she was tardily for work at the tea plantations.
On the other hand , Jaynesh was hectically applying for the citizenship. However , he was not granted citizenship as according to Ceylon Citizenship Act of 1948 is only granted to those who either born in Sri Lanka or whose forefathers who were born there. Furthermore, he was retrenched just because he could not speak sinhala. Therefore, Jaynesh was not eligible for the citizenship and he was seething with rant and rave as he was now in a demoralizing circumstances where he is stateless. Besides, his dreams were all utterly wiped out.
Vaishnavi tried calming down Jaynesh as he paces up and down in downright aggravation. The subsequent day when surrendran was walking home to school, he saw ramparts were being wrecked in blood with Tamil phrases such as ‘Our contributions are worth more than your citizenship and then why are we all singled out?’ and ‘Why are our federations are being taken away from us?’. However, Surrendran neither knew what Sinhalese was nor their bigotry till, that week when the ‘Sinhala Only’ policy was established. Thus, the National Language was changed from English to sinhala. This beget in Surrendran having a rigid moment in time speaking sinhala language instead of English.
Late one morning, shortly after Jaynesh had retuned from the tea plantations, they heard the sounds of gunfire and bombing in the distance. At first, surrendran did not notice them, until vicknesh lifted his head and listened. Nearby, Vaishnavi had stopped dicing the vegetables in the kitchen and was also listening.
“What is it?” surrendran called to her from the thatched shelter.
“Hush!” , his mother replied erratically.
Surrendran stayed very still and listened, too. The sound was so faint that he thought it might be noise produced from the tea plantation’s machinery. However, then the dull thuds grew louder and lasted longer.
“Bombs,” Jaynesh said quietly. “ The Sri Lankan Army, Sinhalese peasants and Buddhist monks has come to occupy our tea plantation lands.”
It was the quiet, tired way he said it that scared surrendran. As if he had known all along it would had happen, and that he could not do anything about it. Surrendran looked at his mother, whose eyes were wide with fear.
“What can we do?” Vaishnavi asked Jaynesh .
“Start packing,” he said.
Within minutes, they were on the moves. They had stashed whatever they could in the cart. Just then everything exploded. The blast threw surrendran out of balance. He crashed into the an empty pot, sending it spinning through the air. A shell had landed nearby , ripping apart the thatching of the kitchen roof and setting it on fire. Pieces of thatching collapsed onto the matted bamboo sides of the kitchen underneath. Within seconds , the whole shed was in flames. There were screams everywhere. Outside the compound, people started churning, swirling torrent. Like a river bursting it’s banks people fled in every direction, scattering and running into the adjoining fields .Surrendran’s one thought was to find his family. Then he saw his family laying far apart and thrown. Blood oozed out from their bodies and they lay motionless on the ground.
That sudden punch of pain like rock slamming into his stomach. Surrendran and other kids were brought to refugee camps and taught how to use weapons. Even though the Tamil tigers had been wiped out entirely, but how about the young civilians who had taken weapons in their hands?
Saturday, August 1, 2009
The Singapore Flyer
The Singapore Flyer is one of Singapore's tourist attraction. It has attracted people from all over the world and locals. Tourist do not hesitate to pay hundreds of dollars just to visit the Singapore Flyer. The Singapore Flyer is one the largest "wheel" with a magnificent feat. However, there was this incident which Singapore was taken aback by. On 23 December 2008, news reports say that it had broken down twice before, and this makes me wonder whether complacency has kicked in. Ever since then, I have developed a fear for the flyer.
My parents had wanted me to join them to visit the flyer but I obliged in going there. Even thinking of going there sent a chill down my spine. After I heard that the school was bringing us on a learning journey to The Singapore flyer, I really did not want to go. I only agreed to because my friends persuaded me to go along with them. All I expected from the flyer journey is for the journey to be smooth sailing.
The day arrived and I was quivering. We reached the Singapore Flyer. The magnificient facade caught my eyes. The entrance was filled with catrosphany of chong boonities laughter and chatterings. I was praying hard that everything will go well. My friends and I were assigned to different groups. We were assigned to different capsules of the flyer. I was assigned into capsule B3. My group members were Wendy, Kamilah and Ting Mei. We were going to board the capsule. I was shaking so hard. I managed to calm down and board the capsule
Looking down from the capsule, I could get a bird-eye view of Singapore's landmarks. Some of it includeed the Floating Stadium which is where every year National Parade held. Furthermore, the F1 race track which has been used to host the grand prix race. Another landmark that I saw was The Merlion. The Merlion was derived from a combination of a lion and a fish. It is Singapore's national symbol.
The whole journey on the "wheel" took approximately thirty minutes. After we got down from the capsule, I was still starstrucked from what I had seen. The Singapore Flyer turned out to be the most remarkable trip for me. I would have regreted my decision if I had not gone for the learning journey. I would definately recommend others to make a trip to the Singapore Flyer as it will definately turn out to be the most exciting trip for anyone.
My parents had wanted me to join them to visit the flyer but I obliged in going there. Even thinking of going there sent a chill down my spine. After I heard that the school was bringing us on a learning journey to The Singapore flyer, I really did not want to go. I only agreed to because my friends persuaded me to go along with them. All I expected from the flyer journey is for the journey to be smooth sailing.
The day arrived and I was quivering. We reached the Singapore Flyer. The magnificient facade caught my eyes. The entrance was filled with catrosphany of chong boonities laughter and chatterings. I was praying hard that everything will go well. My friends and I were assigned to different groups. We were assigned to different capsules of the flyer. I was assigned into capsule B3. My group members were Wendy, Kamilah and Ting Mei. We were going to board the capsule. I was shaking so hard. I managed to calm down and board the capsule
Looking down from the capsule, I could get a bird-eye view of Singapore's landmarks. Some of it includeed the Floating Stadium which is where every year National Parade held. Furthermore, the F1 race track which has been used to host the grand prix race. Another landmark that I saw was The Merlion. The Merlion was derived from a combination of a lion and a fish. It is Singapore's national symbol.
The whole journey on the "wheel" took approximately thirty minutes. After we got down from the capsule, I was still starstrucked from what I had seen. The Singapore Flyer turned out to be the most remarkable trip for me. I would have regreted my decision if I had not gone for the learning journey. I would definately recommend others to make a trip to the Singapore Flyer as it will definately turn out to be the most exciting trip for anyone.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Draft 4
The fighting and bombing had started. At first the war had been distant and mysterious. Tiny silver airplanes, like fishes in the sky, would fly over them before disappearing horizon. Then the bombing had come closer, so close that the bombs shook beneath Surrendran bare feet. He remembered happier times, when he was two or three years old. Sri Lanka was a peaceful and prosperous place then, the tea plantations where the harvests plentiful. At weddings and on temple feast days, he had sat curled in his mother, Vaishnavi’s warm lap nibbling at some rice and sweets, and watching the familiar faces of his father, Jaynesh and brother, Vicknesh dancing by the light of a kerosene lamp in the temple courtyard.
However now, the whole situation was drastic and reversed where even thinking of it sent, a cold sweat down Surrendran’s neck. Surrendran’s father, Jaynesh had vast plans for his family to live in a affluent vicinity even though he was a worker working at the tea plantations after Sri Lanka gained its independence from the British in 1948. Therefore, he aspire to apply citizenship so that his family and him could enjoy elite civil liberties such as education, jobs, housing and voting. Therefore after thinking over several times, he cross the threshold to the kitchen. He wanted to acquaint with his wife, Vaishnavi to mull over her scrutiny.
“ Vaishnavi…” , he exclaimed boisterously .
“ Over here!”, she screeched.
“ I got a something to tell you…”, holding the breath for a second and continued “ …I am going to apply for the citizenship so that everyone here could enjoy the privileges.”
She hesitated for a moment , “ What is wrong of what we are living in right now ?”
“It is nothing wrong with we are living in, but I want a better future for our kids ” , he was thwarted as he forethought that Vaishnavi would be blissful over his decision.
“ If that would give our children a better future I’ll support you then…”, as before she could finish off the sentence she scrutinize her eyes on the wall and beckoned that she was tardily for work at the tea plantations.
On the other hand , Jaynesh was hectically applying for the citizenship. However , he was not granted citizenship as according to Ceylon Citizenship Act of 1948 is only granted to those who either born in Sri Lanka or whose forefathers who were born there. Furthermore, he was retrenched just because he could not speak sinhala. Therefore, Jaynesh was not eligible for the citizenship and he was seething with rant and rave as he was now in a demoralizing circumstances where he is stateless. Besides, his dreams were all utterly wiped out.
Vaishnavi tried calming down Jaynesh as he paces up and down in downright aggravation. The subsequent day when surrendran was walking home to school, he saw ramparts were being wrecked in blood with Tamil phrases such as ‘Our contributions are worth more than your citizenship and then why are we all singled out?’ and ‘Why are our federations are being taken away from us?’. However, Surrendran neither knew what Sinhalese was nor their bigotry till, that week when the ‘Sinhala Only’ policy was established. Thus, the National Language was changed from English to sinhala. This beget in Surrendran having a rigid moment in time speaking sinhala language instead of English.
Late one morning, shortly after Jaynesh had retuned from the tea plantations, they heard the sounds of gunfire and bombing in the distance. At first, surrendran did not notice them, until vicknesh lifted his head and listened. Nearby, Vaishnavi had stopped dicing the vegetables in the kitchen and was also listening.
“What is it?” surrendran called to her from the thatched shelter.
“Hush!” , his mother replied erratically.
Surrendran stayed very still and listened, too. The sound was so faint that he thought it might be noise produced from the tea plantation’s machinery. However, then the dull thuds grew louder and lasted longer.
“Bombs,” Jaynesh said quietly. “ The Sri Lankan Army, Sinhalese peasants and Buddhist monks has come to occupy our tea plantation lands.”
It was the quiet, tired way he said it that scared surrendran. As if he had known all along it would had happen, and that he could not do anything about it. Surrendran looked at his mother, whose eyes were wide with fear.
“What can we do?” Vaishnavi asked Jaynesh .
“Start packing,” he said.
Within minutes, they were on the moves. They had stashed whatever they could in the cart. Just then everything exploded. The blast threw surrendran out of balance. He crashed into the an empty pot, sending it spinning through the air. A shell had landed nearby , ripping apart the thatching of the kitchen roof and setting it on fire. Pieces of thatching collapsed onto the matted bamboo sides of the kitchen underneath. Within seconds , the whole shed was in flames. There were screams everywhere. Outside the compound, people started churning, swirling torrent. Like a river bursting it’s banks people fled in every direction, scattering and running into the adjoining fields .Surrendran’s one thought was to find his family. Then he saw his family laying far apart and thrown. Blood oozed out from their bodies and they lay motionless on the ground.
That sudden punch of pain like rock slamming into his stomach. Surrendran and other kids were brought to refugee camps and taught how to use weapons. Even though the Tamil tigers had been wiped out entirely, but how about the young civilians who had taken weapons in their hands?
However now, the whole situation was drastic and reversed where even thinking of it sent, a cold sweat down Surrendran’s neck. Surrendran’s father, Jaynesh had vast plans for his family to live in a affluent vicinity even though he was a worker working at the tea plantations after Sri Lanka gained its independence from the British in 1948. Therefore, he aspire to apply citizenship so that his family and him could enjoy elite civil liberties such as education, jobs, housing and voting. Therefore after thinking over several times, he cross the threshold to the kitchen. He wanted to acquaint with his wife, Vaishnavi to mull over her scrutiny.
“ Vaishnavi…” , he exclaimed boisterously .
“ Over here!”, she screeched.
“ I got a something to tell you…”, holding the breath for a second and continued “ …I am going to apply for the citizenship so that everyone here could enjoy the privileges.”
She hesitated for a moment , “ What is wrong of what we are living in right now ?”
“It is nothing wrong with we are living in, but I want a better future for our kids ” , he was thwarted as he forethought that Vaishnavi would be blissful over his decision.
“ If that would give our children a better future I’ll support you then…”, as before she could finish off the sentence she scrutinize her eyes on the wall and beckoned that she was tardily for work at the tea plantations.
On the other hand , Jaynesh was hectically applying for the citizenship. However , he was not granted citizenship as according to Ceylon Citizenship Act of 1948 is only granted to those who either born in Sri Lanka or whose forefathers who were born there. Furthermore, he was retrenched just because he could not speak sinhala. Therefore, Jaynesh was not eligible for the citizenship and he was seething with rant and rave as he was now in a demoralizing circumstances where he is stateless. Besides, his dreams were all utterly wiped out.
Vaishnavi tried calming down Jaynesh as he paces up and down in downright aggravation. The subsequent day when surrendran was walking home to school, he saw ramparts were being wrecked in blood with Tamil phrases such as ‘Our contributions are worth more than your citizenship and then why are we all singled out?’ and ‘Why are our federations are being taken away from us?’. However, Surrendran neither knew what Sinhalese was nor their bigotry till, that week when the ‘Sinhala Only’ policy was established. Thus, the National Language was changed from English to sinhala. This beget in Surrendran having a rigid moment in time speaking sinhala language instead of English.
Late one morning, shortly after Jaynesh had retuned from the tea plantations, they heard the sounds of gunfire and bombing in the distance. At first, surrendran did not notice them, until vicknesh lifted his head and listened. Nearby, Vaishnavi had stopped dicing the vegetables in the kitchen and was also listening.
“What is it?” surrendran called to her from the thatched shelter.
“Hush!” , his mother replied erratically.
Surrendran stayed very still and listened, too. The sound was so faint that he thought it might be noise produced from the tea plantation’s machinery. However, then the dull thuds grew louder and lasted longer.
“Bombs,” Jaynesh said quietly. “ The Sri Lankan Army, Sinhalese peasants and Buddhist monks has come to occupy our tea plantation lands.”
It was the quiet, tired way he said it that scared surrendran. As if he had known all along it would had happen, and that he could not do anything about it. Surrendran looked at his mother, whose eyes were wide with fear.
“What can we do?” Vaishnavi asked Jaynesh .
“Start packing,” he said.
Within minutes, they were on the moves. They had stashed whatever they could in the cart. Just then everything exploded. The blast threw surrendran out of balance. He crashed into the an empty pot, sending it spinning through the air. A shell had landed nearby , ripping apart the thatching of the kitchen roof and setting it on fire. Pieces of thatching collapsed onto the matted bamboo sides of the kitchen underneath. Within seconds , the whole shed was in flames. There were screams everywhere. Outside the compound, people started churning, swirling torrent. Like a river bursting it’s banks people fled in every direction, scattering and running into the adjoining fields .Surrendran’s one thought was to find his family. Then he saw his family laying far apart and thrown. Blood oozed out from their bodies and they lay motionless on the ground.
That sudden punch of pain like rock slamming into his stomach. Surrendran and other kids were brought to refugee camps and taught how to use weapons. Even though the Tamil tigers had been wiped out entirely, but how about the young civilians who had taken weapons in their hands?
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