Portrait

i’m a people person. i’m attached to people more than places, and draw my energy from whoever i’m with, as opposed to wherever i am. i can be content, or discontent on the person/people im with, and the place specifically does not have much bearing on my mood. however, ive been compelled to write about a few places that will always be dear to me. if there’re any places that will always make me happy in this world, you’re going to read about them in a bit. whether im alone or with someone, whether i am happy or not, these places will always radiate a warmth and comfort that you usually only find in one place : that place called home.

the cities
i love the city, i love living in the city. as wonderful as it is to get out of it once in awhile, i am one of those people who are drawn to the bustle, the heat, the noise, the rush of city-life. i could never live in a remote and serene place for too long. i require the energy, the always-busy-bursting-with-activity kind of life.

colombo
people always have something horrible to say about colombo, especially people who live here. many young people i know have that dream that most small-town kids have, to get out, to get free. to live fancy, hollywood lives outside of the under-developed yet catching up fast city of colombo, where everyone knows everyone, where everyone watches your every move, where everything you say or do is being scrutinized under a maginifying glass. the younger generation is caught up in a midsection of cross-culture. they want to be cool and hip, but their families, and sometimes even their consciences, wont allow them to go all the way. we were born into certain levels of conservative-ness, no matter how broadminded our families are. colombo is glorious, the very things about it that annoy me are the very things i treasure, there’s nowhere else you’re going to find them. caught deep in this web of families that interconnect and family-friends that stay in touch, its difficult to be unnoticed, but also difficult to be unloved. i love colombo, with its blossoming western traits, and yet things that make it sri lankan in an ever-green way.

amsterdam
if there’s anywhere out of the country that has a calling to my senses as much as SL does, its amsterdam. i love everything about it, the laid back people, the coffee houses and qauint little cafes on every street corner, the sex shops and the predominantly gay culture. the museums, the art, the literature, the canals that run through most of the city. everyone is very open and i love this about dutch people. they are not out to prove anything to anyone, even if you’re differently coloured, like i found with lots of white peole when in their countries. a lot of this makes amsterdam also the ultimate party city, and partying is one of the things i do best. i love all the buildings, colonial and historic, the sheer lack of ghastly sky scrapers and the over all neatness and well maintained feel it has. the atmosphere is wonderful, very chilled and relaxed. just the way i like it.

delhi
another place that has the same inclinations as colombo does, a lot of people cuss it, but i love it all the same. the theatre life is amazing, there are always dancers, actors and performers otherwise of a super standard performing in delhi. the buildings, especially on the swanky streets that still house a lot of the stuff from the period when they were under british rule, are a fantasy. i love the markets, the little reveloutionary stores (peeple tree etc) that sell odds and ends from clothes with weird slogans to underground type indian music. delhi also has convenient locating…its 6 hours by train away from another favourite part of india: rajasthan, the desert.

london
yes yes, london’s alright. would never live there, given the opportunity, not for too long anyway, but yes, its bloody awesome in many ways. camden market, the little pubs, the pretty little coffee houses, the thames, the globe theatre, the sadler’s wells ballet, the west end, the cobbled streets, its all marvelous and just like i always imagined it to be. london has that ‘buzz’ surrounding it evidently, its presence is crystal clear. i love the punks, the weird shops you stumble into, and all the lovely, dainty things you find in unexpected street corners. and the food. the fresh fruit, the desserts, the breads. yes, london is enigmatic and captivating in its own way.