Open Mic: Beyond Frame, Baudelaire, Gihan (Video)
Photo by Twiggy
I’m uploading stuff. If it pisses any one off or violates their privacy leave a comment and I’ll fix it on an ad hoc basis. I guess we’ll need some sorta policy on this. These are from the House Party Open Mic at Barefoot on February 12th. It was an informal gathering of friends, poets, drifters etc and the next one will be February 26th, God and stakeholders willing. That’s obviously tenative, just thinking out loud.
This is video of Nav Rat reading a Baudelaire poem called ‘Get Drunk’. Also Jehan Mendis reading excerpts from the interesting Sinhala blog Beyond Frame. Also Gihan De Chickera reading from a performance poem by Mike Masilamani and, finally, an original poem from Saint Fallen. Twiggy has posted some nice photos of the thing here. Pradeep Jeganathan has photos here, and Dominic Sansoni has posted some great shots as well.
We have some issues with anonymity and stuff. If people, especially bloggers, want to maintain that it’s fine. So any media put up can be removed and I’ll ask try to ask everyone personally next time. For now I guess it’s upload now and explain later. Each video is like 500 MB so this is taking forever. I didn’t get everyone because of camera and operator malfunctions. Everything is available in HD/High Quality, though I’m embedding the standard version. If your connection can support HD/HQ please use it by clicking the bottom right bottom below and selecting ‘HQ’. You can also click the ‘Watch In High Quality’ link below the video on YouTube itself. Note that YouTube’s implementation of this feature is spotty.
Here the Navigational Rat is reading Baudelaire. He even brought his own props. The camera is on his crotch for the first minute but it eventually moves up.
This is Gihan De Chickera reading from Mike’s performance poem ‘Through My Earphones’. Gihan is one of the most talented guys out there, cartoonist (Daily Mirror), film actor (starred in Machan), theatre actor and more.
This is Jehan reading from the Sinhala blog Beyond Frame. I hope that’s OK Mr. Frame, it’s out of appreciation.
This is Saint Fallen reading an original poem. It’s really good, and he held a burning match in his hand the whole time.
This stuff is all available as it uploads at youtube.com/samarajiva. Drop me a comment or mail for any issues with content.
This is weird, but it happened to me. Lately I noticed that Google links weren’t working and my Google search page had a ‘Google Kindle’ link at the bottom, which they don’t sell. This wasn’t just on my PC, it affected my iPad and everything on the WiFi network. So I figured the virus/malware was on the WiFi router, which it was. Which is a trip. Anyways, here’s the symptoms and a cure.
I want to visit my friend in China before he comes back. Free place to crash and all. So, I applied for a visa to China, from Colombo. I’m not sure I’ll get it, but this is process to at least apply. For official but incomplete info, check out the 
The Mahavamsa (a history of Sri Lanka) is full of conflicts between generals and kings. Usually, the more bloodthirsty and unscrupulous would win. Our current (elected) ruler Mahinda Rajapaksa has had his own general conflicts, namely with one Sarath Fonseka. In the old days Fonseka would have staged a coup, as in literally try to cut of Mahinda’s head, and Mahinda would – if that failed – tie him to four elephants and split his parts asunder. Can’t do that shit anymore. Instead Fonseka ran for office and lost and Mahinda tossed him in jail.
Today on the 
this is simply awesome :-)
next time consider doing a live webcast ;-)
Thank you Jehan and Indi for putting beyondframe in the blog map in a nice way.
nice work, well done man
[...] ago I organized some Open Mics around Colombo and this young poet Imaad, AKA Saint Fallen, came onstage and held a burning match [...]
[...] » Poetry Pilau (Videos) Years ago I organized some Open Mics around Colombo and this young poet Imaad, AKA Saint Fallen, came onstage and held a burning match [...]