Long September
What I miss are the seasons. Here you don’t notice time passing till it smacks you in the head. Photo by Robin Thom
January must be a month of some consequence, cause in September you feel it. September has always been a time of great change for me, often welcome, sometimes not. It’s the start of the school year, for one. It’s always been the line between mucking around and growing up. When I was younger that meant the annual pilgrimage to strip malls and JC Penny to get school clothes, the notebooks, the registration, the small rituals of great hope and promise. It was also the end of months of stasis that was already getting stale. September is also birthdays – mine, my mothers, and now our respective doubles in the shoeless family. But now I’m no longer the hopeful child. Now I’m the one at home, watching other people pack their things and go. This September my youngest sister and Manolo (Monalee) left, both of whom I’ve gotten closer to than I thought possible.
Subu
I’ve always been a bit closer to my older younger sister, or Loku Nangi if I ever called her that. To be honest, the younger one always intimidated me. She was always so happy and intelligent whereas my intelligence would careen violently. Then I left for school and when I came back she’d gone from a little kid with big hair to a beautiful girl with boyfriends. Which was a surprise. I still didn’t understand her, but when the big one went to school this year we had a year alone. I don’t know if we understand each other, but sometimes I can make her laugh and sometimes she gives me some sage advice and I’m OK with that. I’m glad I had this year with my youngest sister, but now the house is so empty. She’s the most thoroughly good person I know and I’ll miss her.
Monalee
And another one is Monalee, or Manolo as she was. We started off on the wrong foot, publicly and in private. She thought I was a pompous ass, but I say I was just new in town and nervous. Then she went to the States and I forgot about her except the occasional bumping into’s at Quiz or what. Then we started talking and that was just normal until she asked me to play Scrabble. I have been playing Scrabble since I was 5 or 6. Even younger. Our family Scrabble board still has ink stains when I drew on it and got a thorough yelling at. Monalee thoroughly trounced me, which gave me newfound and lasting respect for her. We were playing online and I was cheating like it was my job but she still molested me in the worst way possible.
So, we became friends through our love of Scrabble, and later booze and food. Or drunkeness and gluttony as it were. Since knowing her I have embarassed myself (more) in public and acquired a paunch but I’ve also discovered that she’s also a remarkably good person. She’s honest to a self-immoliating fault and she keeps my wits on edge. She’s also been my conscience when I was an idiot and been a brick for me and the girlfriend. Not to mention that hanging out with her and that group of friends has made my life feel like a sitcom, in a good and entertaining way. I can count my true friends on one hand and she’s one of them. And that is all I have to say about that.
Not to quote Ice Cube, but the Sri Lankan police are hardly beloved. A
I just gave a talk at the University Of Sri Jayawardenapura along with Reeza Zarook of Anything.lk and Rohan Jayaweera of Google. These are my notes: Devin Jayasundara asked me for a subject for this talk and I told him Internet property. But I talked to my fiancé Shru and she had a better idea. Startups aren’t about creating property at all, not really. They’re about creating territory, about creating land.
I haven’t been blogging much, I know. It’s partly because we’ve been doing a lot of work on YAMU, especially shipping 1.0.1 of the Android app today. It’s on the
I met an old-timer who said they used to drop acid and sleep atop Sigiriya, but the place has taken on a more commercial and quasi-spiritual role now. It was built by a king as a sort of retreat and used as a monastery. Now it’s a prime tourist and cultural destination. Hence it’s a bit odd to see a Japanese beer commercial shot up there. There’s a bunch of people eating, um, deep fried cream filled coconuts and then drinking some bracing beer. I hear the whole thing cost Rs. 25,000 (I’m presuming they used stock images).

First off.. HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY!!! Strange, I feel pretty much the same on september, except for the coincidences. I realised this during o/l’s in 1996.. The thing is that I believe everything begins and everything ends in september. Also that GREAT PEOPLE ARE BORN THIS MONTH!!! brag brag.. lol :) As for sisters.. I’m stuck with one who is like the older sister / mother / CEO / security etc etc.. basically I try n hide most of the time. But sometimes it is just great to sit and laugh with family :) I’ve found it much better than awkward moments..
But seriously, Somewhat of an emotional post.. interesting reading :) And i couldn’t agree with you more about september! It is the cure for insanity, when everyone starts thinking! :) lol!
Awwwww, shucks.
aw shucks. she is great, M that is. subu is beautiful, tis a pity i don’t know her better.
well, indi. hang in there. you’ll seem all soon…
xxx
Post some pictures of Subu.
bollocks to september an all round shitty month !!
OHHHHHH :) Savi33333!!! How can you say that !! :D It’s a good month in SL :) I don’t know about the UK :D he he he :D
i dunno abt the UK i live in Canada :)
Aaah, September is the month. Reminds me of the Sept. 19th Convention and all that. Sweet month, anyway.