Compared to the previous year, 2010 was a quiet year for Kumar Sangakkara's men.

Twenty-ten was a quiet year in terms of statistical highlights and records for Sri Lanka. It pales in comparison to 2009, where Sri Lanka recorded a massive 465-run win against Bangladesh in a Test, a massive 202 run win against New Zealand (also in Tests) and two Sri Lankan batsmen – Samaraweera and Jayawardene – topped the list for the most runs in Test cricket for the year.

Sri Lanka’s 642/4d against India at the SSC in Colombo was the third highest Test total of this year. India’s 643/6d against South Africa in Kolkata and their 707/all-out against Sri Lanka at the SSC in July tops the list for the highest Test totals of 2010.

Sri Lanka registered the largest T20 defeat of the year when they lost to Australia by 81 runs, chasing 169 to win in Barbados during the ICC WT20.

Suraj Randiv’s 2/222 against India at the SSC this July is the most expensive Test bowling figures in an innings in 2010.

On a brighter note, with a batting average of 114.25 from six Tests, Thilan Samaraweera recorded the highest batting average of the year. Sangakkara is next with a batting average of 99.28. The Sri Lankan skipper made three centuries and two fifties this year.

Sangakkara’s 27 catches and four stumpings as wicket-keeper in ODIs puts him in second place behind Brad Haddin for most dismissals by a keeper in ODIs for the year.

Tillakaratne Dilshan is the fourth highest ODI run scorer in 2010 thanks to 921 runs from 20 matches (three centuries and four fifties).

After scoring 343 runs in nine T20 matches, Jayawardene is fifth on the list of highest run scorers in T20s for the year.

Sangakkara scored the most runs for the year by a Sri Lankan in Tests. He finished the year with 695 runs. The Sri Lankan skipper’s 219 against India in the second Test at the SSC in July is the highest Test score by a Sri Lankan this year.

Upul Tharanga’s 118 not out against India at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in January is the highest ODI score by a Sri Lankan in 2010. Dinesh Chandimal’s 111 against India in Harare is the second highest score.

With a rare T20 century against Zimbabwe during the ICCWT20, Jayawardene tops the list for the highest scores of the year in T20s by a Sri Lankan.

Kumar Sangakkara with three Test centuries and Tharanga Paranavitana with two, top the list for the most Test centuries in the year for Sri Lanka.

Dilshan’s three centuries in 2010 sets him apart from all other Sri Lankans in the ODI format, he tops the list for the most ODI centuries for the year by a Sri Lankan.

With 17 Test wickets from just five matches, Ajantha Mendis is Sri Lanka’s highest wicket taker in Test cricket for 2010. Randiv’s 14 wickets in only three Tests places him at second place on that list.

Thisara Perera tops the list for the most ODI wickets by a Sri Lankan bowler with 22 wickets in 13 matches.

Malinga’s 11 wickets from nine T20 matches makes him Sri Lanka’s most successful bowler in T20s for the year.

This article first appeared on Island Cricket on December 23, 2010. It is republished here with permission from the source.

It has been a hectic month so far and from the looks of things, it’s going to be a long December for our friends over at Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC). We’re only half way into the final month of 2010, 65 days from the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, and already so much has transpired; much of it very embarrassing.

The month started off with nearly 450 overs washed out in the Test series against the West Indies, which left many wondering why the series was scheduled for this time of year. In the midst of all that, the players, supposedly, complained about the hotel they had been housed in. Then, we learned that the Tour Organising Committee (TOC) had been dissolved, as well.

SLC relied heavily on the series against the West Indies for Sri Lanka’s World Cup preparations and the Test series washout, along with the postponement of the ODI series, has dealt a severe blow to their plans. The weather has been blamed, but the administrators, too, should have known better than to schedule a series during the north-eastern monsoon season and known better than to leave their World Cup venues in a dire state that they have to bank heavily on the final days and weeks before the World Cup to complete them.

The heavy rains experienced in the first half of December and late November have hampered SLC’s efforts to meet the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) deadline to have Sri Lanka’s World Cup venues ready.

The weather conditions have proven to be even more disastrous for SLC officials who are in a race against time to complete construction at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Pallekele Stadium in Kandy and the Mahinda Rajapaksa Stadium in Hambantota. Rain continues to hamper the progress of construction of these World Cup venues just weeks ahead of the ICC deadline of December 31.

What came next was not only a blow to the current administration, but also a blow to future administrations and our cricket overall. The highly skilled coach, Chandika Hathurusingha, left Sri Lanka and migrated to Australia after a row with current SLC Chairman, Somachandra de Silva.

Now, this is a guy Kumar Sangakkara had written to SLC about asking them to give him another chance after Somachandra de Silva suspended him.

If that loss wasn’t bad enough, another cruel blow. The ill-timed series against the low ranked West Indies resulted in a washout, which resulted in a drawn series for the third ranked Sri Lanka, which then resulted in Sri Lanka sliding from number three to number five in the rankings.

That’s right. Sri Lanka are now ranked number five in the ICC Test rankings.

The only opportunity in the entire three Test series against the West Indies that Sri Lanka had to secure a win, the selectors helped bungle that one by assuming the West Indies were easy push-overs and rested experienced bowlers such as Rangana Herath and Nuwan Kulasekara. Chris Gayle went on to plunder over 300 runs against Dammika Prasad, Thilan Thushara and others on a flat wicket in Galle courtesy of curators, Jayananda Warnaweera and Anuruddha Polonowita.

I doubt the selectors knew our third place ranking was at stake in this series. Had they known, would they have rested Lasith Malinga?

When the ICC Test championships start in 2013, only the top four in the Test rankings will qualify to play. If you know anything about those rankings, you know how easy it is to slide down, but how hard it is to get back up to the top.

It was a sad end to Trevor Bayliss’ stint as coach of Sri Lanka’s Test team. The third Test against the West Indies was the last time Bayliss would have served as coach of Sri Lanka in a Test. His contract expires after the 2011 World Cup and Sri Lanka are unlikely to play a Test before that time.

“Ironically, behind the curtains, SLC had slammed the door on clubs citing wet weather when a request for a T20 tournament was put forward,” Callistus Davy wrote on December 6. Davy explained that a T20 tournament was not authorised but with so much at stake, SLC was willing to gamble on an international series during the same time.

What followed was the cancellation of the entire five match ODI series against the West Indies due to bad weather. Sri Lankan selectors relied on the series to finalise the World Cup squad; another blow. The incompetence of SLC and its employees took centre stage next as they completely bungled the announcement of the cancellation to the media and the public.

SLC first announced via its Facebook account that the series was postponed. A few hours later Media Manager, Brian Thomas, informed the Daily Mirror that the series is not cancelled and the Facebook account was a “bogus” account. The following day, hours before the start of the first ODI, SLC confirmed the series was indeed postponed. This is the manner in which this body operates. It breeds dishonesty, lies and cover-ups, not transparency and professionalism. Brian Thomas, along with the rest of SLC’s staff are incapable of admitting fault.

In the midst of all this, SLC officials had a court case against them to deal with challenging the legality of their very existence in SLC. The hearing has been pushed back – much to SLC’s relief – to Jan 16.

But what has been most embarrassing for SLC and threatens to tarnish the entire nation’s image is the current state of Sri Lanka’s World Cup venues.

It is no secret that Sri Lanka’s World Cup venues are not completed and they are well behind schedule.

It is believed the ICC are now starting to ask questions about the state of the three venues as rain continues to hamper construction. A planned promotion of Pallekele on Saturday has been delayed a week as the rain in the area has caused a major delay in finishing various sections of the stadium.

If having to deal with the pressure from the ICC and the Sri Lankan public over the embarrassing state of World Cup venues isn’t bad enough, the financially struggling SLC has to fork out nearly $500,000 to Ten Sports over the postponement of the ODI series.

December is only half over and already its begun to feel like a long one. Brace yourselves.

This article first appeared on Island Cricket on December 16, 2010. It is republished here with permission from the source.

Cricket made it’s debut at the 2010 Asian Games in China. Although prominent Asian sides like Sri Lanka and Pakistan sent second string sides due to international commitments, and India opted to boycott the event, it still is a historic moment.

It was heartening to hear that tickets for the cricket matches were sold out. But in the opening match of the competition, the stands were empty.

Earlier this month gulfnews.com carried this story in their sports section: Tickets for cricket in Asian Games sold out.

An excerpt below,

Information made available to Gulf News through the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) from the Guangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee (GAGOC), revealed that tickets for all weekend matches for men and women as well as the opening day match at the Guanggong International Cricket Stadium have been sold out.

The ACC say they are “investigating” the matter.

What’s at stake here?

“If cricket does well at the Asian Games, it could be an Olympic event soon, so this debut is extremely important,” Sri Lanka’s first Test captain, now a technical director for the ACC, Bandula Warnapura told the Hindustan Times last week explaining the importance of this debut.

Cricket’s presence at this event is at stake. South Korea, the hosts of the next Asian games have said they want it out. To add to that, cricket has also been kicked out of the Commonwealth Games in recent times.

It has now been revealed that the organisers themselves have purchased all tickets.

“Frankly, we don’t know what happened, but we are trying to find out,” Asian Cricket Council spokesman Shahriar Khan said.

“It is true no tickets were available online, the only way they could be bought. I had many people asking me for tickets, but there was little I could do.

“It was definitely not a nice feeling to see empty stands for what was a historic moment.”

Khan said he was told the Games organising committee (GAGOC) had bought all the tickets to ensure a full house, but were unable to distribute them.

This Blog post first appeared on Island Cricket (http://www.islandcricket.lk/) on November 14, 2010. It is republished here with permission from the source.

By Dr. Mahim Mendis

Academics Protest

At a time the national university academics have taken professional action to ensure that the government will take its own assurances seriously with regard to full revision of their salaries, it is best that our countrymen are kept well informed of our grievances. We as academics are not only concerned about ourselves but also about the entire citizenry.

The need for a clear explanation on the current salary demands is warranted since people are made to believe that academics are agitating only for a 25-50% increase in the academic allowance, which would come to Rs.6000 for the junior level academics and Rs.10000 for the senior academics. Such an increase was promised in December 2009 only as a temporary measure until the revised scales are implemented as promised in January 2008 by the President.

We firmly believe that wages should be increased for all in line with national level trade union demands in recent times. The idea that some academics went on a token strike asking for a mere increase of the academic allowance was conveyed by the Honourable Minister of Higher Education Mr. S.B Dissanayake through the Thulawa Programme of Independent Television Network (ITN). This was on July 29 when he was interviewed on current university problems. We wish to tell the Minister that we went on token strike in order to ensure that what he stated in parliament concerning revised salaries is implemented with a clear date.

It is clear that the people are demanding for decent wages at a time the politicians who are ‘mandated servants of the people’ have made themselves very comfortable at the expense of the ordinary masses who pay taxes even for their basic human needs. We are yet to see any politician tightening ones belt to be an example to others when the economy is bankrupt. The story that we have a bankrupt economy comes to light only when people demand for decent wages.

The Need for Revised Salaries for Academics as a Distinct Professional Category

It is heartening to note that the present government has recognised academics as a separate professional category. Subscribing to structural and attitudinal attributes of professionalism, most of them are also recipients of locally and internationally competitive scholarships. No one would dispute that they need to be remunerated at least on par with regional level academics in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh where they are paid more than double or treble of what academics with the same qualifications receive in Sri Lanka.

In Sri Lanka an academic at the stage of recruitment gets approximately Rs. 25, 000 per month while the senior most professor gets only about Rs. 55, 000 with an academic allowance of 25% paid additionally. This allowance which used to be 30% was reduced by 5%, as if the academics do not deserve the salary that they get!

The grievances of national university academics are rooted in a number of factors that are connected with their dignity as a professional community. Sri Lankan academics like their counterparts around the world believe and are sensitive to the fact that the government should honour its own words since credibility is a factor connected with good governance in a democracy. In an autocracy we need not believe in such credibility since things would happen according to the whims and fancies of individuals.

The academics in Sri Lanka only want a decent wage that is harmonious with their status since they with their Ph.Ds serve in Sri Lanka by choice,  having returned to the motherland after studying in best known universities in the world. But it seems to be that the politicians and the bureaucrats are slow to understand this reality, willfully contributing towards a brain drain.

A major factor that burdens us is that the current trade union action is rooted in a promise given by His Excellency the President in 2008 January, that academic salaries will be revised within three months. This promise has not been fulfilled leading to an erosion of confidence in the government most unnecessarily. It is certainly in the interest of H. E. the President to find out as to who prevented, if at all, in carrying out his own assurance to the academics.

Then in the year 2009 December, when the academics deliberated again, Hon. Basil Rajapaksa, gave an assurance to the Federation of University Teachers Association  that we will be given an increase of 25%- 50% in the academic allowance, as a temporary measure until revised salaries are granted. Ironically, this too remains unfulfilled. The action to ignore the promise also burdens us.

Then when the new government took office, the Minister of Higher Education Hon. S.B Dissanayake told the academics that their demands will be met through the budget of 2010, and that we should not ask for the temporary academic allowance since such acceptance would jeopardize our demand for revised salaries. Now, we have a right to know as to who prevented the Honourable Minister from implementing his proposal? All such questions should be raised in a democracy.

In recent times, in the month of July, the Minister S.B.  Dissanayake answering a question raised by the JVP MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake said that the lowest academic salary will be Rs. 72000 while a senior professor will be granted Rs. 200000. When is this going to be validated?
Our current position: Why Do we Still Believe in Professional Union Actions.

The national university academics successfully carried out a token strike asking the government to provide a written undertaking on when the revised salaries will be operational. We are putting pressure since we have become uneasy and skeptical about what politicians say since they have lost credibility due to unfulfilled promises.

Our young academics at the Open University of Sri Lanka request the Federation of University Teachers never to give up professional action since the officials have not been true to themselves.

There are those who say that public officials should be made accountable for their lapses. But, the problem is to whom they are accountable in the absence of an independent Public Service Commission appointed by the Constitutional Council in line with the 17th Amendment to the Constitution. After all we did not even have an Elections Commissioner accountable to an Independent Elections Commission.

It is my position that H. E. the President should establish these checks and balances needed for functional democracy, so that the people will be served by responsible civil servants harmonious with the historic mandate that President Mahinda Rajapaksa received from the people.

Mr. President, we academics wish to strengthen the government and not weaken you. The President, I am sure will be careful of those advisers who wish to create a rift between him and us, who represent the intelligentsia of Sri Lanka

The need is for a University Grants Commission sensitive to the needs of academics.

To what extent have the relevant authorities played a catalytic role in establishing professionally responsible relationships between the academia and the government?  Are officials at UGC level of the view that all academics should be political activists canvassing support for the ruling party during election times?  Do they think that academics who believe in independent professional action in line with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights should be punished with their wages cut off? I am sure that H. E. the President who is a courageous leader will advise them to be more enlightened.

The letter sent by the UGC Chairman in response to the token strike by over 4000 academics provide evidence of such insensitivity, disgracing the Mahinda Rajapaksa government. Such communications are an insult to the President of Sri Lanka who believed in a Labour Charter, Minister S.B. Dissanayake, who was a University Student Council President during his youth and U. G. C. Chairman, Professor Gamini Samaranaike who was imprisoned for his involvement in the 1971 Insurrection!

Is it a crime to remind the government through a token strike that it should honour its own progressive promises to the people?

Higher Education In Chaos
Commission Circular No: 890
Page 1 of 2
New » Commission Circular No: 924
Commission Circular No: 890
07th June, 2007,
Vice-Chancellors of Universities, Rectors of Campuses
Directors of Institutes.

TRADE UNION ACTION

The Commission considered the effect on the smooth functioning of the University System and the impact on the economy of the country due to loss of man hours as a result of trade union action such as token strikes, walk outs, continuous strikes, sick note campaigns, etc, launched by the employees in the University System which lead to cessation of work.

The Commission therefore decided that the days on which all the employees in the University System who do not report for duty due to trade union action as explained above, be treated as on no pay absence. Accordingly, a1 Higher Educational Institutions/institutes are advised to deduct the amount equivalent to the salary to be paid for the number of days/hours that they had withheld their labour (including non working days falling within the period of trade union action) from their salary due for the month concerned. The deduction of the salary should take effect within the same month.

Please bring the contents of this Circular to the notice of all the employees attached to your Institution/Institute. The provisions of this Circular are effective from 7th June 2007.

(Prof. Gamini Samaranayake)
Chairman

Copies to:
Chairman’s Office / UGC
Vice- Chairman / UGC
Members of the UGC
Secretary/UGC
Deans of Faculties
Registrars of universities
Financial controller UGC
Bursars of Universities
Librarians/ SAL/ AL of the higher educational institutions / Institutes
Deputy Registrars / Senior asst. Registers / Asst. Registrar of campuses / Institutes
Deputy Bursars / Senior Asst. Bursars / Asst. Bursars of Campuses / Institutes
Chief internal auditor / UGC
Govt. Audit superintendence of universities
Senior Asst. internal auditors / Asst. internal auditors of HEIs
Secretaries of Grade Unions
Auditor General

An old boy of S. Thomas’ College, Mt Lavinia, Dr. Mahim Mendis is currently the President of the Open University Teachers Association. He has an MA from the University of Lancaster, UK, an M.Phil from the University of Leicester, UK and a Ph.D from the National University of Singapore.

It’s that time of year and once again, as it has been in the years gone by, the black lullaby gives you an independent point of view of Sri Lanka’s Creative Advertising Awards…

In The Beginning…

Does anyone remember the Bell Awards? At one point it was thought to have been Sri Lanka’s Oscars, when all marketing & communications folk gathered together in large numbers to celebrate the effort gone into advertising creations in the year gone by. You might recall this annual event better as the SLIM Awards. Yes that’s the one.

We would all get dressed up in our finest garments only to throw up on them later in the evening as the level of alcohol increased with every award tally that appeared on screen. However, 2005 saw the industry in uproar over SLIM. It was said that an establishment so dedicated to the field of marketing would never see the merit or value of good, creative advertising. Then, the impossible happened. An industry so hell-bent on vicious manipulation and underhanded deception put their differences aside and banded together to bring down SLIM. And so when 2006 rolled in we all saw the birth of The Chillies.

Enter Chillies – Stage Centre

When the Chillies began we were told that it was due to a collective effort by the industry to raise the creative bar and place Sri Lanka on the advertising map of the world. We saw internationally acclaimed judges being flown in; they shared with us their knowledge of the industry through their own experience and success, they showed us that anyone could compete in the international arena and win – with the right tools. With these components in place, we all seemed rather satisfied with where the industry was headed.

But one must ask, once more, the question that a few intelligent people asked at the beginning. For how long can a group of people who are so dedicated to winning at all costs, cooperate with each other?

Half a Decade Later…

This year marks the 5th Annual Chillies Creative Advertising Awards and all those who stood side by side for the good of the industry have finally dropped their facade of magnanimity and perseverance. If one was to ask: ‘why did they do away with SLIM and create the Chillies in the first place?’ one would receive a series of responses, the most common of which is: ‘because we want to promote creative excellence and raise industry standards.’

But I suppose our ad industry has proved one more time that even though people are able to change their perspective, their constitution isn’t easily altered. After experiencing near five years of the Chillies, first hand, every single year, I can clearly state that no one in this industry gives a damn about “good, creative advertising”. No, that’s just the label that a box of hidden agendas has been given.

If the people in this industry really cared about raising the bar of creativity in Sri Lankan advertising, then everyone tugging on to strings attached the various puppets that appear in the foreground should bring themselves to let go. There are those who still believe in the principles this award show was grounded on when it first started. It is unfortunate that the very people who designed those principles have now decided to ignore them, but I would be lying if I said it wasn’t expected.

The Crystal Ball Says:

Every year we beat the loudest drum about stepping on to the international stage and every year we keep taking a few steps backward. When the Chillies first began I remember judges telling us that they were so meticulous with the judging, they believed that an ad awarded Gold at the Chillies could very well stand a chance anywhere else in the world. Sadly, since 2006, all we’ve heard the speakers at the various forums say is: ‘we are disappointed in the number of good, creative pieces that have been entered but of the lot we have seen, we believe there is promise.’

We, the people who actually work late, sacrifice our weekends, smoke our stress away, give up time spent with our families and think of ideas till we’re brain dead; we the back-room creative types whose hard work this award show is supposed to be all about have not even been asked how we feel about the way things are unfolding. Instead, a few people who believe they’re doing what’s best for us, continue to make a mockery out of all our hard work.

Rules change every year, blueprints change every year (sometimes three times a year), scoring systems change every year and for what? So that the powers that be can manipulate the outcome of the awards even before the entries have been submitted? That’s what some people say and they could very well be right. It is an unfortunate thing to see the fine print being crafted to make up for the lack of originality. I say this because I believe that if an agency is cock-sure they’ve done award winning work, then they wouldn’t give a rat’s ass about how to stop another agency from entering the awards.

And all these flat notes are played off one single instrument, it’s called SCAM!

And now… a special lesson in SCAM!

The highly esteemed, brutally talented people of the ad world found a little pet years ago; a pet they nourished over the years bringing it up to be a monster that would later devour the good spirit of our industry. This monster is better referred to as SCAM.

So what is SCAM? In the context of advertising, the definition of SCAM is as follows: a piece of communication done for a non-existent brand, product or organization.

However, the geniuses of our industry decided that this definition should be further enhanced, so now it reads as follows: a piece of communication that has not been scheduled more than once in the media, or one that has been done pro actively (meaning without the client’s requirement or brief) for a brand, product or organization.

Now we don’t know why ‘proactive’ work became a sin or when, but what we do know is that if day-to-day client work is all we had to enter for awards, we’d all go home with nothing, well maybe a finalist now and again. But, here we are, still talking about raising the creative bar of excellence.

Kudos to the people who’ve never done a single ‘proactive’ piece for the purpose of awards in their entire lives. It’s nice to know that our industry breeds such morally upright individuals who would gladly lay down their lives for the eradication of what they call SCAM.

In closing I’d like to say that maybe one day the Sri Lankan ad people will learn to respect each other for their work and come together to honestly do what’s best for our industry and not themselves. I know that there are those who aspire to change things and make things better, but I fear that by the time they rise to the positions of power that will allow them to do so, they would also have adapted into the art of shadow games inspired by the greed for victory.

That concludes the black lullaby’s Chillies Report for 2010, see you again next year, hopefully.

School girls on the beach photo by flickr.com/photos/piaser

Growing up, I’m sure your parents kept telling you that you have to finish school with good grades, get into a good university and land a good job. Well that is the usual stuff they tell you to define success in life. Education is a basic human right, something that all humans are entitled to. But most of the time, something as essential is not absolutely free. Here in Srilanka, some of us are actually blessed with a free education system, funded by the government, which really means that we are paying for ourselves. Anyway, that aside, the ‘government’ education system provides for thousands of children all over the country.

It goes from the primary’s all the way up to the universities. The problem with the government system is that, when it comes to higher education system, placing is limited and the quality is not adequate when compared on a global scale. This is not to say they are incompetent, but rather lacking in skills that someone who studied abroad would possess. The seating is limited, a quota a places is given to each province and entry is gained by sitting for the local AL exams, and scoring above a given target.

Now that we have established that, lets move onto the other options a Srilankan student has. Another option is to go abroad, note that these options are in no particular order. Students either go to foreign universities by choice or because they have no better option. The problem with this is that some who go don’t return, leading to a brain drain and to ad to that a large amount of money leaves the country as well. An estimated 80000 people leave the country annually for higher studies, so if each spends a low average of 2 millions rupees, that’s a whopping Rs. 160000000000 which goes out of the country.

There are some students who are unable to go to a foreign university because of financial limitations and not able to enroll at a local university because they haven’t done the local AL’s, instead maybe the London AL’s. The only option this person would have is to get maybe a professional qualification like CIMA and maybe hope for a good job with that. But since recent, there are Srilankan institutions which are affiliated with foreign universities that allow the students to study in Srilanka and receive the same foreign degree for a fraction of the cost.

This has opened up an avenue for thousands to pursue their dreams and gain a proper higher education in their own country, thereby keeping the money within it. In logic, it is a great concept which will help the country in the long run. But has recently been met with much hostility from those in the government run system. These individuals are calling for the closure of these institutions saying that they are decreasing their chances of getting a job. They say that instead of wasting money of foreign degrees, the money from that can be used to ‘expand’ the government system.

But then comes the point of expanding the government system? The government system first needs to improve the quality of its output then consider expansion. Education is a right that everyone has, just because it hinders the chances of another, that another has no must not try to take away the right to education of that person. The reason the person educated under the foreign system may get the job is because he is better than the other candidate from the local system. It is a blatant way to say it, but it is reality at the end of the day. So instead of trying to shut down and wasting their time threatening other institutions, should they not be using that time to push for reforms in the current system to improve it.

It does seem the logical thing to do, if someone is better than you, must shouldn’t just try to eliminate that person, you have to work hard and get better than him. In all,education is every one’s basic human right no matter what.

photo by flickr.com/photos/sigmadelta

In the two and a half years since I published my book, A Dictionary of Sri Lankan English, I have followed the ongoing debate on the subject with interest. The good news is that there is a debate, and it seems to have entered the public domain rather than being confined to academic circles. There seems to be increasing acceptance of the idea that such a thing as Sri Lankan English exists, that it deserves to be recognised as a valid variety of English, and that Sri Lankans can be proud to speak English “our way”.

photo by flickr.com/photos/indi

This opinion is nothing new in the world of English language teaching. “World Englishes” is a well-established and growing field – the plural “Englishes” says it all. And here in Sri Lanka ELT academics such as Professors Thiru Kandiah, Siromi Fernando, Arjuna Parakrama and Manique Gunesekera have all contributed to promoting the idea that the Sri Lankan variety of English should be validated alongside other more established varieties. What is new is that it seems to be coming out into the open, a “hot topic” on which many people are ready to express an opinion.

photo by flickr.com/photos/indi

There are three contexts in which I have encountered the debate in the past year, and this article will look at each in turn:

Sri Lankan English in the public domain
Sri Lankan English in English Language Teaching
Sri Lankan English literature and the Gratiaen Prize
1. Sri Lankan English in the public domain

The use and abuse of the English language has always been a popular topic in the Sri Lankan press. In the past, letters to the editor on the subject tended to be confined to deploring the poor state of English in Sri Lanka. “Murdering the Queen” was a common accusation hurled at offenders. Correspondents often quoted the breaking of rather obscure or old-fashioned grammar rules as evidence, and frequently undermined their own argument by their tendency to break as many rules as they were trying to correct.

Now at least there are two sides to the debate. It is increasingly recognised that Sri Lankans have their own way of expressing themselves in English, and that this doesn’t necessarily have to conform to outdated grammatical standards. The problem is that the opposition tend to miss the point as well. Often the argument consists of little more than quoting humorous examples of British speakers “murdering the Queen” themselves. (If the Queen has already been murdered by her own subjects, why don’t we also join the party?) Or giving examples of Sri Lankan usage which would in fact be recognised as mistakes even by most speakers of standard Sri Lankan English.

A recent exchange in Groundviews illustrates the point. In her article Putting cuts, part-putting and pol symbol Pearl Thevanayagam welcomes the localisation of English, concluding “Yes, we’ll speak English our way.” But she undermines her argument by quoting examples such as “they are now welled-off and they won’t look at us” and “you took a pottocopy and pailed your English.” OK it’s a humorous piece so I won’t hold it against her. But the point is that these are examples which would be recognised as mistakes by speakers of standard Sri Lankan English, and so they merely provide ammunition for the opposition rather than supporting the valid point she is trying to make.

In his comment on Pearl’s piece, Bardo Flanks equates “localising” English with “a misguided sense of ethno-linguistic chauvinism”. He concludes: “English is a global language, and we should teach our kids to write and speak the variants of it that have the most prestige and recognition. We have Sinhalese and Tamil languages which are ours to do whatever we wish, but let’s leave English alone.” But no one has ever left English alone; that’s why it is what it is today, in all its multifarious manifestations. How sad, and how regressive, if Sri Lankans still have to toe the colonial line to achieve “prestige and recognition” in the 21st century.

I believe that one of the problems in the ongoing debate derives from a misunderstanding over the definition of the term “Sri Lankan English” (SLE). The term appears as an entry in my own Dictionary of Sri Lankan English, with two different definitions:
1) “the variety of English used in Sri Lanka”. This is meant as an entirely non-judgmental term. It simply refers to those features which are characteristic of the way the English language is used in Sri Lanka. There are over 2,500 examples in my dictionary, and I add more every month on my website www.mirisgala.net.

2) “(dated) a humorous term for broken English spoken by Sri Lankan learners of English”. I debated over whether to include this definition, since it clearly implies that Sri Lankan English is something substandard, which does not reflect my own opinion. I included it because I believe that many people continue to use the term in this way. But the label “dated” is included to show that this usage of the term is becoming outdated.

I use the term as defined in (1) above. So does Richard Boyle, consultant to the OED on Sri Lankan English and frequent writer on the subject; so do most people working in the ELT field in Sri Lanka, and so do international academics working in the field of World Englishes. Manique Gunesekera, author of The Post-Colonial Identity of Sri Lankan English, uses the term “Standard Sri Lankan English” to refer to the variety spoken by Sri Lankans whose first language is English, or who are bilingual in English and Sinhala or Tamil. This is a useful way of distinguishing the standard variety from less recognised alternatives, while emphasising the point that it does conform to certain “standards”.

Sri Lankan English is most evident in the colloquial language. It includes the Sri Lankan accent, which quite naturally differs from other national and regional accents. It includes the Sinhala and Tamil words and phrases which are a part of everyday Sri Lankan discourse. And it includes a host of colloquial expressions which are common in informal speech, but which would not be accepted in more formal written contexts. In writing, it is most apparent in the vocabulary: words like poya and perahera, hoppers and stringhoppers, which do not appear in standard dictionaries, but which are part of the everyday language of Sri Lanka.

Standard Sri Lankan English does not include “broken English” – the errors frequently made by speakers of Sinhala and Tamil who have only a limited knowledge of English. But where to draw the line between what is an acceptable example of SLE, and what is better described as an “error”, is clearly a controversial issue, and one which is best addressed by English language teaching professionals.

2. Sri Lankan English in English Language Teaching

The fact that two recent conferences have specifically addressed the issue of Sri Lankan English, reflects its current prominence on the academic agenda. The first, in October 2009, was a one-day conference on Varieties and Standards of English “with special emphasis on Sri Lankan English” organised by SLELTA (Sri Lanka English Language Teachers’ Association). The second, in January 2010, was a symposium titled “Speak English Our Way”, organised by the BCIS under the auspices of the presidential initiative to promote “English as a life skill”.

As a participant at the first of these events, I was struck by the gulf that seemed to exist between organisers and participants in their understanding of the term “Sri Lankan English”. I felt that until people understand (and agree) what “Sri Lankan English” actually means (what does it consist of, how is it pronounced, what are its defining features, etc.), the debate is unlikely to make any significant progress.

In a group discussion that I participated in, two teachers said that they felt “threatened” (their word) by the new emphasis being placed on Sri Lankan English. They had learnt their British standard, and that’s what they teach, and they see nothing wrong with that. I told them that the world is moving on and SLE is an acceptable model for Sri Lanka, but that no one has a right to make them feel threatened for what they are doing, until an alternative (Sri Lankan) standard is agreed.

I am aware that defining this standard is not a straightforward matter. There are numerous sub-varieties of SLE; there are many different opinions on the subject; and the problem of setting “standards” is at best thorny. But someone has to take the plunge and draft a description of this variety. It doesn’t have to be a complicated document: a list of lexical items, a description of the phonological features, and an outline of the ways in which the syntax of the written and spoken language vary from international norms. The document should be descriptive, not prescriptive. It can include clines and alternatives. And it can be revisited and rewritten: in 10 years’ time, who knows how the language might have changed? Above all, it should be published and widely available, not confined to the academic community, so that everyone knows the score.

One of the reasons why British English remains such a powerful and ubiquitous model is surely because it is so well documented – dictionaries, grammars, reference books, all of which make the task of the teacher, the learner, the examiner, the materials writer, very straightforward. But the model remains (more or less) standard/educated/upper-middle-class/Oxford/BBC/RP English. No one denies that this is an outdated model – that there are many equally valid varieties even within the UK itself, not to mention all the other global varieties. But the model survives because it is so thoroughly documented.

Codifying standard Sri Lankan English is the urgent need, without which no progress can be made in the process of getting it accepted as a model for Sri Lankan learners. The task should be undertaken by a recognised authority in the English teaching field in Sri Lanka, which can then be debated and agreed by a forum of English language specialists. Until such time, how does a teacher know what he/she should be teaching? How does a materials writer know what language to introduce? How does an examiner know what he/she should be testing, or what is an acceptable answer?

It surprises me that in all the years that SLE has been on the agenda, no one has yet attempted a comprehensive description of its features. Manique Gunesekera’s book, The Post-Colonial Identity of Sri Lankan English, is an important contribution to the process. And I believe that I have also contributed by outlining some of the lexical differences between SLE and standard British English. Important work is also being undertaken at the University of Giessen in Germany on the Sri Lankan component of the International Corpus of English (ICE-SL – previously and more memorably known as “SLICE”). The 400,000-word written component of the corpus has recently been completed, and work has begun on the much more laborious process of compiling a 600,000-word spoken corpus. This will be a valuable source of empirical data for describing the way English is currently being used in Sri Lanka.

One of the conclusions of the BCIS symposium was the need to codify standard Sri Lankan English and draw up a guide for English teachers. The symposium’s title “Speak English Our Way” (and the symbol of the indigenous manna replacing the earlier image of the kaduwa) seems to reflect a growing awareness of the significance of the local variety, and its potential as a valid model for Sri Lankan learners of English. With the added advantage of taking ownership of the language, and stripping away the colonial baggage which comes with the traditional British model.

3. Sri Lankan English literature and the Gratiaen Prize

Last year I was fortunate to serve as one of the three judges of the Gratiaen Prize 2008, which was marked by a minor controversy over the issue of Sri Lankan English. In an exchange of letters in the Island newspaper, one correspondent suggested that too much preference was given to Sri Lankan English in the choice of shortlisted works.

Given my own interest in Sri Lankan English, it was inevitable that this issue was at the forefront of my mind in reading the entries for the prize – and one of the many criteria we agreed on as judges was “natural and appropriate use of Sri Lankan English”. Perhaps this needs some explanation. I believe that for any work of creative writing set in a contemporary Sri Lankan context, and featuring Sri Lankan characters, it is natural that features of Sri Lankan English will appear, at least in the dialogue of the characters, or in the voice of a first-person narrator, or even in the voice of the author – especially if he/she chooses to write in a deliberately colloquial style. This is surely a large part of what lends a work its local flavour and appeal. This opinion was shared by my co-judges. And judging by previous shortlists, it was presumably shared by earlier panels of Gratiaen judges as well.

However, just because the Gratiaen Prize is an award for Sri Lankan (pause) English writing, this does not mean that it is an award for “Sri Lankan English” writing. You don’t have to write Sri Lankan English, you just have to use it in a “natural and appropriate” way. Poetry is an obvious example where it may be entirely inappropriate. If you are attempting to express universal truths in abstract terms, universal English (whatever that may be!) might be a more appropriate medium. If your work is a historical novel set in a different era, or a work of science fiction set in outer space, you might choose a different idiom. But not surprisingly, most of the works submitted for last year’s prize were set in an explicitly “local” context, and in these cases the Sri Lankan English criterion seemed appropriate.

Of the six works shortlisted for the 2008 prize, one (The Underside of Silence, a collection of poetry by Malinda Seneviratne) displayed virtually no overtly Sri Lankan English. Its themes were largely abstract and universal, and its use of language and imagery reflected this. At the other extreme, the play The Ritual by Jehan Aloysius was particularly rich in Sri Lankan English words and expressions. The logic for this was explained in a thoughtful introduction to the play. The play is in English, but it is set in a rural Sri Lankan village which is clearly a Sinhala-speaking environment, and so Sinhala vocabulary and Sri Lankan English colloquialisms are incorporated into the text to reflect language which would in reality be spoken entirely in Sinhala. This seems entirely appropriate, and it is hard to imagine how else that atmosphere could have been evoked so successfully.

The other four shortlisted works were also set in Sri Lankan contexts. Part of their appeal was the way in which they all depicted an authentic Sri Lankan reality, and one of the ways in which they achieved this was in their use of Sri Lankan English. In the case of the two novels (Chinaman: the Legend of Pradeep Mathew by Shehan Karunatilaka and Stable Horses by Vihanga Perera), both were narrated by fictional first-person narrators – two very different personalities, with completely different voices, both of whom came alive partly as a result of the language they used. The idea that either of these works could have succeeded with a narrator writing in some bland version of standard British or international English would be ridiculous.

I hope that these comments are not interpreted as “dictating how Sri Lankans should write”. If anyone does see it that way, I would suggest that the opposite view is equally prescriptive, as well as reactionary. Of course Sri Lankan writers should be free to write in whichever style and idiom they choose. But I would encourage them not to be stifled by the traditionalists who try to tell them that Sri Lankan English is somehow inferior and does not have a place in serious literature. Just because we admire Jane Austen, doesn’t mean we have to write like her in 21st century Sri Lanka. British and American literature abound in examples of writers who have written in a fiercely original, colloquial and non-standard style, many of whom have subsequently been seen as among the greatest writers of their times.

More details: www.groundviews.org

Watching the dolphins in Kalpitiya was on our list of “things to do” even before T came down on holiday. So, you CAN say we planned this trip for months! The inquiry was made online and communication with the owner of Alankuda was carried out via email.  Yes, it wasn’t the most trustworthy way of getting around to booking the place, but we had no other option. We were told that 50% of the price was to be paid beforehand and we did that when T came down, which came up to USD 110. (During the peak season)

So, on the 10th of December we left to Kalpitiya early morning and got to Alankuda in 3 hours. (Around 2 hours from the airport) Kalpitiya is located in the West coast of the island on a spit of land in between a large lagoon and the ocean. The roads leading to Kalpitiya are amazing until you take a turn to Alankuda beach. However, you don’t get great places to have good food from until you reach your destination, so we advice you to have your meals from Negombo (unless you are not fussy about food and can settle for anything).

When you reach Kalpitiya, it feels very rural and remote (apart from the newly built roads) since there isn’t much tourism development which is visible in the area, yet (unlike in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka). However, when you get to Alankuda Beach, it’s a totally different story.

The hotel has a spacious parking area and our baggage was attended to as soon as we opened our car doors. We were also greeted by one of the owner’s three Labradors who was so adorable. We were soon escorted to the “Begonia House” which we booked online simply because its colour combination was attractive to the both of us (Yes, we were being silly) and because it was adjacent to the Alankuda beach, but, we were not at all disappointed with our selection. The house had two rooms separated by a sitting/dining area and since we were the only people occupying the house, we took the the room that was on the seaside.

As usual, I scanned the entire room for its facilities which is the first thing I do when I get to a room. Although the room didn’t have an air conditioner and only had a fan, it was quite spacious and included the following: utensils to make tea and coffee, a king-sized bed with a mosquito net, a sitting area with books and magazines and a lounging area made of cement with large cushions on them. The wash room was relatively small with the basic bath products and a power shower. Also, right outside the Begonia House is a wooden, two-story beach hut which faces the beach. It’s excellent for viewing the sunrise/set and just to relax on a lazy day.

After a few photographs here and there within the room, we headed out to meet the staff of Alankuda Beach. We met him at the “Ambalama, which is the common relaxing/dining area of the hotel where we were treated with a dish of devilled chicken and unlimited drinks ranging from fizzy soft drinks, to beers. That’s the best part of the deal here– you get unlimited food (snacks) and drinks to satisfy that hidden glutton in you.  As soon as we finished our snack, we asked the staff member if he could take us around Alankuda beach – somewhat like a tour. We visited the open sided, thatched, cabanas that Alankuda has to offer (apart from the houses), which bring out a sense of rustic luxury with its rural architecture and open shower areas where visitors can shower under the moonlight. He showed us every nook and corner of the hotel, including its facilities, which excited me the most!

After our “tour” of the hotel, we went  back to the “Ambalama” to have lunch. Lunch was Sri Lankan cuisine – rice and curry. Not too spicy to suit both locals and foreigners and was a standard meal. It isn’t anything five-star, but quite appetizing nevertheless.

After lunch, it was time to head to the beach. If you are in need of an unspoilt, clean and very private beach area, then Alankuda beach is the place for you. Alankuda, with soft golden sands and waves with shades of blue that puts a colour palette to shame, is the home to creatures from dolphins, whales and various species of seagulls to crabs and shellfish.

We took some amazing pictures of the sunset which can literally take someone’s breath away and spent the entire evening lying on the soft sands holding hands till the stars came out and it was time to go back to our room.

Soon afterwards, we decided to take a dip in the large infinity pool Alankuda has to offer its guests. The pool is lit up at night by tiny LED lights which look like the reflection of the starry skies above. This will definitely be one of the highlights of your stay especially if you’re in for a romantic getaway. Not only the pool, but the lighting of the hotel as a whole can seduce you in an instant. So much attention is given to detail (such as the trail of kerosene oil lamps to light up the pathways leading to your rooms/cabanas), that you just can’t help but fall in love with the place.

Next up was dinner. Dinner was of Indian cuisine and as I said earlier food at Alankuda isn’t anything out of this world, but it’s definitely worth the price. After dinner, T took more photos and we called it an early night as we had to wake up early the next day to see the dolphins which was one of the main priorities of the trip.

It was surprising that a nocturnal creature, such as myself, was so excited to wake up at 5am in the morning to prepare for the dolphin watching event. We hurried out to the beach, only to receive the most dreadful news ever. There had been a slight weather change and the sea was too rough to head out to see the dolphins. Both of us were gutted. The staff member told us that we should give it some time and hope that the weather changes back, but even after an hour the atmosphere was gloomy and windy.  Although the hotel offers you a free boat ride and other sports including sailing, wind surfing, kayaking, canoeing, and snorkelling, in case of weather changes, you don’t really get any compensation. And all you can do in such a case is either lounge around reading or go swimming in the pool.

Disappointed, we lay on the beach all morning taking pictures until we were called for breakfast. By around noon, we checked out and headed back to Colombo. Despite the unprecedented circumstances related to the weather, we had an amazing time at Alankuda. The place is a perfect romantic get-away and is also eco-friendly with minimal damages to the environment. What we both loved about it the most (apart from the attention to detail) is that although it’s listed as a hotel in your average guidebook, once you stay at Alankuda, you become a part of its daily life and you inevitably feel like you are already at home.

Summary of our Stay:

PROS:

Alankuda has a very private and clean beach area which is breathtaking.
The hotel is very spacious, eco-friendly and is clean and well-maintained.
So much attention is given to detail, making it trendy and eye-catching.
The atmosphere of the hotel is peaceful and tranquil (at least when it’s not crowded).
Food includes unlimited snacks and drinks.
The staff is very friendly and efficient.

CONS:

No choice or limited choice in meals especially when you are spending around USD200-300.
No compensation in case of weather changes regarding the boat trip included in the price and any other water sports.
No Air Conditioning in the room.
Very basic bathroom which is also relatively small compared to the room.
Method of reservation is primitive and does not include online payment options.

More details: travellingtwosome.com

photo by flickr.com/photos/coolmel

t’s been a long day, long week, and a very long month.

Browsing through some W. B. Yeats in an effort to clear my head I found these.

How nice it must be to have poetry like this written for you. Sigh.

A Drinking Song

Wine comes in at the mouth
And love comes in at the eye;
That’s all we shall know for truth
Before we grow old and die.
I lift the glass to my mouth,
I look at you, and I sigh.

When You Are Old

When you are old and grey and full of sleep,
And nodding by the fire, take down this book,
And slowly read, and dream of the soft look
Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;
How many loved your moments of glad grace,
And loved your beauty with love false or true,
But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,
And loved the sorrows of your changing face;
And bending down beside the glowing bars,
Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled
And paced upon the mountains overhead
And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.

A Poet to His Beloved

I bring you with reverent hands
The books of my numberless dreams,
White woman that passion has worn
As the tide wears the dove-grey sands,
And with heart more old than the horn
That is brimmed from the pale fire of time:
White woman with numberless dreams,
I bring you my passionate rhyme.

More details: delilahsays.wordpress.com

I avoid reading poetry unless forced to do so at gunpoint. Naturally there are a few acceptations. Bukowski, Du Fu, a few more, and assorted haiku (lets not get academic and call it poetry). A while back I’ve discovered a new addition to these acceptations in the blogosphere: Polka Dots & Pearls [now Green Tea Diaries]. She (I’m assuming from the poems that the author a she) writes with a delightful mix of humour, delicacy, brevity, and punch.  I find her ability to keep the words constantly polished, sharper and always on the mark to be awe-inspiring. I’m sure Bukowski would have brought her a beer and Li Bai would shared his wine in acknowledgment (not that I can speak for imortals).

I would of course go on and on about this blog but what would be the point? The whole idea of a post like this is to get people to see for themselves. Not that I’m trying to chase away traffic but this blog is a bloody good read. Specially if you are always in a hurry. Like me.

More details: cerno.wordpress.com