I've been living in rented annexes and flats in Sri Lanka for the last 6+ years; and that has been the most hateful part of living in Colombo for me. To start with; finding a decent place in suburbs is next to impossible. A decent toilet and a bath is certainly too much to ask for it seems. And if for some miracle I find one; they are freaking expensive for my budget. (I know there are decent apartments in Colombo; but I can't afford to pay $1000 for an apartment in SL) And those places are often owned by lower middle class people who are always on the look out to rob you in every possible way. They always make sure you are at the losing end of the deal - and no, there isn’t any situation in there that nobody wins or loses.
I've been bad at managing my expenses. I don't waste money but somehow I tend to spend it really fast. Had I've been a little more conscious; I should have been able to buy a place somewhere close to Colombo; but again that's a different story.
So apartments are one thing that I like about here. If I ever move here - which I don't have any plans of right now - I'd rent an apartment overlooking the central park. Those are awesome. Right now; they are too expensive for me. About $2500 - $3000 for a studio I hear. But they are nice. I could have couple of dogs and walk them in the park every evening... ah... that would have been nice.
Had I had a decent place to stay in Colombo, I can live with the rest of it. People are rude and most of them try to con you. Everywhere is polluted and most places stink. Driving around is really stressful and cops are corrupted; so is every other government official - I hate having to go into the provincial council to get the car license renewed - just because the officials there pisses me off. But I can live with that. That’s home. It would improve one day. That I dream of... And I want to work towards achieving that dream. So I want to be there - Home.
Last time I had to spend a half day in Rajagiriya police station looking at all the drama going in there, like poor old skinny moonshiners manhandled by cops, wife cursing at her husband and things like that, in the process of getting my deposit back from the landlady. That was all the way at the end of numerous trips to landlady’s house and to the police station and she personally care to inform my mother than I have been having illegitimate relationships with married woman. After like a year later I was extremely lucky enough to get half of my deposit back and I let her keep whatever she said, she have to fix in the house and I know for sure was not broken. But I didn’t feel like arguing with the woman.
ReplyDeleteI won’t expect anything to improve any day. That is who we are and that is who we going to be.
Apartment overlooking central park. That is a good symbol of finical success or a rich father-in-law. Go for it!
What makes me think is that, all these Rajapakshas, Wickramasinghes and Weerawansas who jump queues, cheat on innocent renters, fight for seats with old women... become perfect gentlemen when they come to a country like this... So I think the environment is responsible for at least 75% of the assholes in Sri Lanka.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how much of it could be changed by an advertisement campaign on being gentlemen and gentlewomen. May be improving the overall living conditions would help.
What I feel is; most of the assholes would behave themselves if the atmosphere is set right.
On the rich father-in-laws... That's one option that I keep wide open :D