2018 Feb 4
Ah 2018; a brand new year and a chance for a fresh new start. Sure. Never heard that one before. *rolls eyes*. Maybe it’s also safe to say that those New Year’s resolutions won’t be happening any time soon. It has been over a month since the New Year began and I’m already eating more unhealthy food than I did the whole of last year. Oh well, life goes on.
But this isn’t about how this year will probably be the same as the last couple years. If there’s one thing we can do well, it is being typical Sri Lankans. So this Independence Day, let’s do one thing right this year and embrace everything our wonderful culture has to offer; protests, zero road discipline, rice and curry and all!
1. Cooking 101: Get behind the pots and pans to cook some rice and curry
Whip out your apron (or Amma’s), an old fashioned clay pot and a pol katu hendda and get cooking lamai! How about this year we finally entertain Amma’s and Aachchi’s musings of cooking a decent meal (men, this goes for you as well). Honestly it isn’t that hard; start out with some red rice, parripu and pol sambol. Feeling adventurous? Try whipping up a chicken curry! If they didn’t before, all those aunties will now definitely think you are ready for marriage. (Not like trust, respect and love matter when it comes to spending the rest of your life with another person, right? As long as your rotis are perfectly round and sambol is not too ambul, you’re good to go!)
2. Embrace the lingo!
Now this is something that many of us already do on a daily basis, because when you live in Sri Lanka, how can you not? Simple Sri Lankanisms like “Aiyo” and “Aney” are frequently heard. But how about the next time something that annoys you happens, instead of “What the hell”, say “Mona Magulakda”; when someone’s being a headache, say “Mala Vadayak”; when someone asks how everything is going and you don’t want to confess that your life is actually crashing and burning around you, just say “shape”. You get my drift.
3. Get some Sex-Ed folks
One thing our education system seriously lacks is Sex-Ed and it is something that everyone, especially the youth, are in desperate need of. Last year, Road to Adulthood was launched as a self-learning online tool that prepares youth in the transition from adolescence to adulthood – a time when sexuality and relationships are challenging. The course consists of 6 modules and lessons take up to 30- 60 minutes. You also have the chance to receive an e-certificate by scoring 80% or more on each module quiz, as well as more than 80% on the final one. To find out more about this, read this post.
4. Go Greener this year!
Many of you may be unaware of the fact that Sri Lanka was undergoing the worst drought in 4 decades since 2016. The main actor behind the severe weather conditions? Global warming and climate change. Although the well-learned President of the US of A, thinks global warming is some hoax invented by parties I will not name (bless his blissfully ignorant heart), the ongoing crisis is very real. Google it.
Hence, while last year was seemingly the year of floods, dengue, and protests, a certain handful of good things did happen as well; for example, the polythene ban as of September 01, 2017. This was a huge win and quite the game changer, given that this led to the development of an environmentally friendly polythene by a Sri Lankan! This new type of polythene decomposes completely in 6 months, dissolves instantly when immersed in hot water, and when set on fire, it burns like paper and leaves no liquid residue.
Start at home. Adopt a Reuse-Reduce-Recycle lifestyle or a zero waste lifestyle, and you’ll really contribute to going greener. All you need to do are the simplest things like use your own cloth bags when going grocery shopping or reuse glass jars to store things like sugar, spices and other condiments. Click here for some amazing ideas to reduce and reuse waste at home!
5. Every vote does count
The upcoming local government elections, which is where members for the municipal, urban and divisional councils are elected, will be held on February 10, 2018. Regardless of whether you think your vote may not make a difference, it really could. It could be the difference of one vote that brings a corrupt politician into power, misusing the tax money we pay to fuel their life of luxury. So get out there and get your pinky discoloured for a few days, people.
6. SALE SALE SALE!
Let’s face it; like all our elders say, we don’t “pluck money from trees”. So when we hear the word “sale” we tend to go a bit overboard. So in true South Asian spirit, let’s divulge in all the sales this year has to offer! We have countless shopping festivals, Avurudu sales in April, book fairs and much more. Check into our discounts column, and you can stay updated on the latest discounts every day, too. So keep your eyes peeled for ads on TV, radio and newspapers; you’ll surely get lucky!
7. Better road discipline, please?
Anyone and everyone who has to drive in Sri Lanka deserves an award. Like my dad says, if you can learn to drive on Lankan roads, you can drive anywhere in this world. Think about all the times you got sandwiched in between two buses that both wanted to get on to the same lane as you were on and you saw your life flash before your eyes; and about all the times some angry tuk driver decided to swerve on the damn road and had the nerve to glare at you as if you were the wrong-doer; along with all those times you wondered how this three lane main road had five lanes during rush hour. Fellow Lankans, this year let’s not drive smack-dab in the middle of two lanes like imbeciles. Stick to your lane, signal well before you want to turn and don’t drive like maniacs. Thank you.
