Sunday, February 14, 2010

Hello from Rathnapura

(...where no matter which band you tune your radio to, all you hear is Hudson Samarasinghe!)

I'm sorry I've been quiet for a while. Midterm exams are one week away (yikes!) and my first graded group presentation is scheduled for the week after. I can safely say that I haven't studied anything, and barely even went through the past papers... and I'm sitting here with all my study material at hand and writing this post instead. Procrastination ftw!

Since I don't seem to be in any kind of hurry to stop writing this and watch Amélie get down to studying, I'll continue on a completely unrelated topic. Neth FM (one of the few 'listenable' Sinhala radio station out there) has a programme on Saturday mornings called 'Sanchaare'. They were visiting Jaffna and Delft on this week's programme. There are apparently huge fields of green grass as far as the eye can see, where the wild ponies live. And on a clear day you can see Rameshwaram over the sea... I WANT TO GO! NAAAO!!! Hmmm, drop all these exam stuff and leave... now there's an idea! ;) lol

Will leave you with a few snaps of Rathnapura, taken between November '08 and last December. The only thing that has changed since is that the rubber trees are red and leafless, like they usually are in February... quite a sight! :)





Sri Pada (the rightmost peak out of the 3) as seen from Karawita

Tommy, our faithful farmdog (who talks! I kid you not!) :D

P.S. Tapping the infinite wisdom of the intertubes here: What is the most effective way to control stage fright? ;)

22 comments:

  1. Lovely photos! Are you sure the middle peak is Sri Pada?

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  2. good luck for ur exam :)

    dunno bout the view from lanka to rameshwaram, but the view from rasmeshwaram towards sri lanka is something i'll always remember!

    gr8 pictures. is sl all greenery? nice..

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  3. Loshini,
    Do you have any picture from rasmeshwaram, looking towards sri lanka?

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  4. K: yep. all back home though, which means i get them only in july :P why?

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  5. K - Thank you! :D And you're right, I think it's the peak on the right too! :D Thanks for that!

    Losh - Thank You! :D Sri Lanka is about 90% green, looking from above. But most of the greenery is plantations (tea, rubber, coconut, home gardens etc.)

    K & Losh - I'd love to see those photos too! Wow, I hope you upload them when you get back home! :D

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  6. I am in love with Tommy's back! He looks so cute. Good luck with the exams kiddo!

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  7. Great pics. Specially the one of Tommy =)
    Have you climbed Adam's peak? If you haven't you really should it's absolutely amazing up there!

    Good luck with the exams!

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  8. in love with the 4th and the last shot of Tommy. Splendid.

    Good luck for exams. :)

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  9. Sue - He is, an awesome awesome dog (a bit greedy when it comes to food, but that's alright!) Thanks you! :D

    The Puppeteer - Thanks! :D Yeah, I have been up there once, hoping to climb again this year, if all goes according to plan... The view really is amazing up there... did you see this article btw? :)

    Thank you! :D

    GG - Tommy seems to be very much liked by all! :D Thank you! :D

    And Thank you for the wishes! :D

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  10. Loshini,
    Just wanted to see it. :) Post it in ur blog after July if you do not mind..

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  11. Chavie,
    I'm also not 100% sure, but I think right most one is Sri Pada and other two are the twin peaks of Bena Samanala.. BTW where is Karawita?

    Thanks for that sundaytimes article too :)

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  12. Yes, the center peak reminded me of your picture of Bena Samanala too... Karawita is between Kalawana and Nivithigala on the Thiruwanaketiya - Kalawana - Agalawatte road... :)

    Your welcome! I saw that only today... wonderful article! :D

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  13. Thanks! I think our guess is right. From left to right Bena samanala twin, Bena Samanala, Adam's Peak :)

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  14. Yep, that sounds right... Thanks for the help in identifying the peaks, K! :)

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  15. i have a farm dog too! :D he's cute and grey and ruffy!

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  16. You make me home sick with the nice pics. ;)

    Good luck with the exams Chavie!

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  17. So what does Tommy say? telllll!!! Thats a great post right there..."conversations with a farm dog" ;) heheh as for the stage fright...simple dude...2 parts white rum, 3 parts coke, 3 standard sized cubes of ice...and viola! Stage fright GONE...replaced with slightly tingling forehead, but serves the purpose me thinks! ;) heheh (and yes i have drinking issues) Love the pics too...tommy rocks!!! :D have a great day! Cheers!
    Kaiser.

    ps. Thanks for the magical click-to-see-where-chavie-is thingy!!! :)

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  18. That pic of Tommy is an awesome one Chavie! Neat place to be, though I dont think I would get much studying dome there!

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  19. You can't tell us Tommy talks and then leave us hanging!

    We want monologues... soliloquies... lectures about string theory... Preferably on video :D

    Good luck with the dreaded exams!

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  20. Dee - yep, them farmdogs are the best sort... this one doesn't bark or anything though, really friendly with anybody, which makes him a useless guard dog, but he's a wonderful companion... :)

    Serendib - awww! :D Thank you!

    Kaiser - Hello! :D Hahaha that sounds like quite an idea, but no, I wouldn't trust my friends with liquor on a day like that, lol! ;D

    He says all kinds of things, from what happened during the week while we were away, to how he'd like to have his lunch prepared! ;) But it's not technically speaking, more like moaning...

    Sigma - It's got a lot less distractions than home, without any TVs and Computers and mobile signals! :D

    Sean - He's remarkably camera-shy! Either that, or I am a really impatient photographer! ;) But yes, I have GOT to get him saying stuff on video... *thinks of a cunning plan* :D

    And Thank you! :D

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  21. I forgot to tell you..your new header photo is super! Guess this one you took from Mihintale?

    Really nice!

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  22. Thank you K! Yep, it's one of the Mihinthale panoramas! :D

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