The Infinity Room with a view!

For once on this visit to Ratmale, I decided just to stay put. No running around, just spend quality time and appreciate the surroundings.

It rained every day this visit, but hell, we must value the rain in a place where 90% of the rain fall only comes in a spurt of about 2 months of the year. So I took it all in, and enjoyed taking some photos of the rain, rain drops on the pond and testing the prowess of the Camera to focus on the water for a change!

Staying in the room, seated at my desk, testing my theories of relative merits of the haves and have nots, reading a re-reading the budget to evaluate a genuine concept of what sea change we MUST have in Sri Lanka if we are to survive or exist as a country, was foremost in my mind, and no doubt will form a series of blog entries in time to come.

Then I was appalled at the selfishness of the interested parties, when the Car Permit scheme was knocked off! After all the concept of Permits is abhorrent at best, and it is time that in 2015 that it is completely abolished, and confined to the history books. Then at least one can decide if one wants to ever own a car, and only use public transport, and the choice is left to the Individual.

This concept of public transport, in our society seems to be an alien concept, when the most developed countries have a fantastic public transport system, that  does away with the need for a vehicle, and only hire one as the need arises for travel outside one’s normal commute. If we are to become a developed country, we have to be more community minded too.

The need occurred to me of trying to obtain the services of a naturalist, or a birder even better, to document the names of the 50 or so varieties of birds that fly within 20 meters of the ROOM from 6 to 9 am on any given day. This occasion with all the ponds around me full of water, the birds were in heaven with their unique calls, all which must be documented for posterity, lest it disappears under the current concept of growth, power, and politics!

Talking to the fisherman, the farmers and those who grace my well for their drinking water has given me sufficient inspiration to make some proposals for improvement that if adopted, can improve the quality of life of our rural citizens, who are the mainstay of this Country, no matter that the measurable growth still comes from the Cities.

Living in a room, that doubles as Bed Room, Dining Room, Study, and Living Room has its advantages, as one seamlessly moves from one state to another!