Elsewhere vs SL : Honesty, Social responsibility , Word twisting and Decency
- slstockVeteran
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Elsewhere vs SL : Honesty, Social responsibility , Word twisting and Decency
This is a general post . I am not talking about any person in particular ( make no mistake) but making an observation for social cause!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Presently, I am at a place where majority ( not all) of people are honest, law abiding, non manipulative ( with word or behavior) and are just decent humans who do care for their country and other people. It so interesting when we talk or see them behave .
1) Believe it or not, I rarely seen anyone cross the road without a traffic light , even if there is No Police!
2) I rarely see people just throw away their cigarette butts, or trash everywhere ( they throw in garbage can)
3) One day I actually asked someone , don't you guys ever spit? ( as I rarely see anyone spitting in public) .
Answer I got was
" I spit on a piece of paper/tissue and throw in garbage.
Else spitting in public can carry germs to others"
4) If you ask them a challenging question most of them will answer you. Not attack you. Am not kidding.
5) It is amazing how some people I met on the streets ( who doesn't know me at all ) , open up their personal life and talk freely ( even family life, health, what their brother did to him or even money matters) . It so enriching to talk and learn from such.
6) I seen in bus and other places , when someone innocent was trying to get bullied by a thug .. several people stood up againt the thug to drive that guy away.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sometimes it is interesting to ask ourselves ( as Human )
i) what is really Life/Living?
ii) is life really about Houses, cars or status
iii) is it survival of the fittest ( try to outsmart or beat
others )
OR
i) what is my duty to me , country and world ?
ii) what am I living for ( is it car, house, money, prestige )
iii) should I try to coexit or try to outsmart others ..
iv) what if I die tomorrow ( any of us can die anytime) ?
When I compare above behaviors with the usual Asian/ Sri Lankan way to do things ... I often wonder.. oh my poor country where are we going wrong !
ps : Once again, this is a general post. I target no person or individual by any means and posted this for deeper thinking.
- yellow knifeTop contributor
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Re: Elsewhere vs SL : Honesty, Social responsibility , Word twisting and Decency
WE at SL has a long way to go. Yet we must reach the level you have mentioned as it is not an ideal but a very basic level for human kind.
I still cannot understand why Sri Lankans who are really high in Literacy Level and by now much exposure to other Developed Nations by way of working or having relatives, behave as tribal men.
sorry to say this ,
Sri Lankans are so selfish they even dont care about themselves.
Yeah... Look at the body type of many... Pot bellies..
Look at Doctors..walking pot bellies and doing surgeries at Mid Night.. and keeping awake till Dawn and earn Millions without having time to spend..Look at Bankers, Prostitutes.. tuition masters...
We are promoting a culture which is not healthy for us.
- Ethical TraderTop contributor
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Re: Elsewhere vs SL : Honesty, Social responsibility , Word twisting and Decency
There are many Sri Lankans out there who worked abroad, boast of cleanliness & exemplary behaviour of people abroad but never practice them at home.
They take it for granted to behave recklessly in the home land as if its their human right. The moment one points out any mistake they get angry.
One disgusted foreigner, known to me, of outright lying habit of Sri Lankans asked me as to why many Sri Lankans resort to lies. He was played out by many retailers who charged higher prices for his grocery items. I had no answer.
- slstockVeteran
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Re: Elsewhere vs SL : Honesty, Social responsibility , Word twisting and Decency
I moved this post to here. Just saying for transparency!
- කිත්සිරි ද සිල්වාTop contributor
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Re: Elsewhere vs SL : Honesty, Social responsibility , Word twisting and Decency
- slstockVeteran
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Re: Elsewhere vs SL : Honesty, Social responsibility , Word twisting and Decency
කිත්සිරි ද සිල්වා wrote:Improvement begins with I.
Yes, the Majority needs to think the same to make a social change.
Kithsiri, as you have travelled , maybe you can add somethings from experince
what you saw outside SL ! Was hoping for some constructive value addition from you.
It good you are here.
- slstockVeteran
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Re: Elsewhere vs SL : Honesty, Social responsibility , Word twisting and Decency
Ethical Trader wrote:
One disgusted foreigner, known to me, of outright lying habit of Sri Lankans asked me as to why many Sri Lankans resort to lies. He was played out by many retailers who charged higher prices for his grocery items. I had no answer.
Boruwakne kiyanne metha....
This is the passed away Motorcylce champion Ananda Wedisinghe son ( part japanese).
See what he says from Heart and in pain.
Watch the below 2 very short clips .
a) https://youtu.be/Fqv3pMEqOGA?t=129
b) Watch the 2 whole minutes . See what he says . I see he is a very honest guy in pain
with Lankan behavior.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fqv3pMEqOGA
- කිත්සිරි ද සිල්වාTop contributor
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Re: Elsewhere vs SL : Honesty, Social responsibility , Word twisting and Decency
The people in developed nations trust you on your face value until the trust is broken.
(I bought a book on my last visit to the US and I started reading on my return only to realize that some of the pages were missing. A rare occurrence. I wrote to the publisher and in two weeks time, I got a brand new replacement sent in the mail.)
They are more helpful than us, as and when spoken to and or sought some assistance.
They are more tolerant than us too.
(Recently in the US, I had a very enlightening conversation with a very young Momen Sales Lady and she was not offended when I said that I am an atheist. She was not trying to convert and or convince me but was only explaining their belief system.)
- slstockVeteran
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Re: Elsewhere vs SL : Honesty, Social responsibility , Word twisting and Decency
Posts on Money matters and CSE is not everything right?
ps: We need to a have a ethical place to live even to make money.
- yellow knifeTop contributor
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Re: Elsewhere vs SL : Honesty, Social responsibility , Word twisting and Decency
Just check E-bay. Many products are offered at bargain but with a statement not to be shipped to Sri Lanka. Many who receives the stuff , complain they did not receive.
- කිත්සිරි ද සිල්වාTop contributor
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Re: Elsewhere vs SL : Honesty, Social responsibility , Word twisting and Decency
But what you have said is a very valid point.
Many unscrupulous elements among us have found a way to make a few extra bucks and ultimately shutting doors for genuine buyers too.
Most Sri Lankans' has this "Pavement එකේ ජන්ගි විකුනන" type mentality.
දවල් හිටියා හවස නැහැ. අනිකට මොනවා උනත් කමක් නැහැ මගේ මඩිය පිරෙනවා නම් kind of thinking.
That was why I said once in another threat that many in SL are living beyond their means.
"බළල්ලු මරලා හරි සල්ලි හම්බ කරාට සල්ලි නාව් නාව් ගාන්නේ නැහැ කියලා" kind of mentality are in-beaded in our mind from the very tender age.
So we are not in a state to distinguish the difference between Right & Wrong, Good & Evil.
yellow knife wrote:Kith
Just check E-bay. Many products are offered at bargain but with a statement not to be shipped to Sri Lanka. Many who receives the stuff , complain they did not receive.
- yellow knifeTop contributor
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Re: Elsewhere vs SL : Honesty, Social responsibility , Word twisting and Decency
In one movie Chang Kai-Shek said Chinese are corrupted to the Bones. Yes Now that is SL.
Everyone is corrupted. Corruption is the religion. Australian Media carried articles about bribes of the top guys. Yet they appear as the cleanest. Ok lets forget politics . Lets talk about the Dirty, Corrupted level of average Sri Lankan.
Many tourists first ask the price of everything, check that and then only buy. Even when they buy lunch packets they do that. Because that is the learning of their own or heard experience.
- slstockVeteran
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Re: Elsewhere vs SL : Honesty, Social responsibility , Word twisting and Decency
කිත්සිරි ද සිල්වා wrote:
The people in developed nations trust you on your face value until the trust is broken.
(I bought a book on my last visit to the US and I started reading on my return only to realize that some of the pages were missing. A rare occurrence. I wrote to the publisher and in two weeks time, I got a brand new replacement sent in the mail.)
Yes this is very true. Even if you go to a Service place or store in developed country , they will trust your word. They will not antagonize you or judge you by your looks/class. ( unless you have history of abuse)
If simply you say , "I don't like this product at a grocery store" , many places will just refund you
with no questions asked.
But contrarily, even though Singapore is developed, such outlook is not there.
Guess we can "guess" where the thinking and issue is
කිත්සිරි ද සිල්වා wrote:
They are more helpful than us, as and when spoken to and or sought some assistance.
Have you noticed the majority do their job happily and are courteous to customers?
කිත්සිරි ද සිල්වා wrote:
They are more tolerant than us too.
(Recently in the US, I had a very enlightening conversation with a very young Momen Sales Lady and she was not offended when I said that I am an atheist. She was not trying to convert and or convince me but was only explaining their belief system.)
1) First of all , don't associate anyone anywhere if hey fail to acknowledge you are an Atheist.
Any decent religion or decent being should respect any other from any other faith
including no faith.
2) It is far better to be an aethist and practice principles than being a bogus xxxx religious guy
who lies, cheats, be selfish and cunning and then also bring a bad name to that religion.
- Expert
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Re: Elsewhere vs SL : Honesty, Social responsibility , Word twisting and Decency
Today, while I was waiting for a bus around Laksala in Colombo Fort, I saw a foreign tourist couple looking at their guide books, then looking up at the buildings around and talking among themselves. I was sure they were looking for a place. Though I was not very conversant of the area well, I wanted to help them with the little I knew. I went near them, excused and asked whether they are looking for a place.
They just looked up at me and said "no, no."
So I stepped back and kept watching them as no bus came around for quite some time.
They continued what they were doing for many more minutes and started going in the direction of GOH looking up and down.
Why did they refuse help???
- Expert
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Re: Elsewhere vs SL : Honesty, Social responsibility , Word twisting and Decency
We, or most of us are Sinhalese in this forum as well as this blessed country.
Are we native Sinhalese?
No, we are Arya Sinhalese.
From where did we come to this island?
Definitely not from anywhere but India, or through India.
Who came to this island from India?
Vijaya and his clan of 700.
The Best of the Best in India at that time!
Can we not see them in our elected representatives? In our leaders?
Should we not be happy for what we are today, considering our ancestors and beginnings?
Evolution of humanity is what is needed. But what is happenning is gathering of physical stuff. Most value is given to so called development of physically owned things.
A man's worth is calculated based on what he owns, what and how he wears, what he is,, etc, not for who he is :-(
- slstockVeteran
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Re: Elsewhere vs SL : Honesty, Social responsibility , Word twisting and Decency
Good to see you while we are both here.
How you been? ( I was not here for many months too).
Maybe you may like to see the below too
http://forum.lankaninvestor.com/t10483-hello-and-cse
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Expert wrote:Dear SLS, thanks for bringing this up and thanks to all for your views.
Today, while I was waiting for a bus around Laksala in Colombo Fort, I saw a foreign tourist couple looking at their guide books, then looking up at the buildings around and talking among themselves. I was sure they were looking for a place. Though I was not very conversant of the area well, I wanted to help them with the little I knew. I went near them, excused and asked whether they are looking for a place.
They just looked up at me and said "no, no."
So I stepped back and kept watching them as no bus came around for quite some time.
They continued what they were doing for many more minutes and started going in the direction of GOH looking up and down.
Why did they refuse help???
I think I may have a few good guesses for your question "Why did they refuse help???"
1) They might have thought you are a Tourist Guide
2) Foreigners think ( I know so after talking to some and reading travel Vlogs/blogs)
that there are people in Sri Lanka who approach foreigners wanting to help
but they just want to make money.
3) Some might be worried about their safety talking to a stranger
4) ....
ps : Btw, curios to know where you think the foriegner were from ? ( I mean Europe , Chinese etc?)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Btw, here is an interesting fact.
I watched this guy's travel Vlog ( who lives in Europe).
I think his name was Daniel Violin or something and he is on youtube.
He visited Sri Lanka ( he travels all over the world) too .
In a visit to Ella , he wanted to climb the Ella Rock.
To cut a long story short .. at the end of the video he talks about/ advices other visitors
to take care dealing with Ella Tourist guides and whom to ask for Directions
as they mislead him.
He has video proof as he recorded the whole journey and even the conversation with locals.
You can search on Youtube for Daniel Violin and search for Ella Tourist Guide episode.
If I can find such I will post later too.
- slstockVeteran
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Re: Elsewhere vs SL : Honesty, Social responsibility , Word twisting and Decency
slstock wrote:
Btw, here is an interesting fact.
I watched this guy's travel Vlog ( who lives in Europe).
I think his name was Daniel Violin or something and he is on youtube. He visited Sri Lanka ( he travels all over the world) too .
In a visit to Ella , he wanted to climb the Ella Rock.
To cut a long story short .. at the end of the video he talks about/ advices other visitors to take care dealing with Ella Tourist guides and whom to ask for Directions
as they mislead him.
He has video proof as he recorded the whole journey and even the conversation with locals.
You can search on Youtube for Daniel Violin and search for Ella Tourist Guide episode.
If I can find such I will post later too.
Okay I found the video . Here it is.
Watch
a) the video you can learn what is happening and decide for yourself.
b) if for nothing you will see the beautiful ELLA area
and learn new stuff. It will bring you happiness
seeing our beautiful country
- කිත්සිරි ද සිල්වාTop contributor
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Re: Elsewhere vs SL : Honesty, Social responsibility , Word twisting and Decency
For foreigners, the ordeal starts at the Immigration and ends again at the Immigration.
In between this 360 cycle, you name it and all want a piece of the pie.
We are only good at posting a car sticker " මේ බුදුන්ගේ දේශයයි " and do nothing about it.
- slstockVeteran
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Re: Elsewhere vs SL : Honesty, Social responsibility , Word twisting and Decency
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYteB0U-mzU&feature=youtu.be&t=254
- කිත්සිරි ද සිල්වාTop contributor
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Re: Elsewhere vs SL : Honesty, Social responsibility , Word twisting and Decency
Returning from my last trip abroad a month ago, I met an elderly Swiss lady who had worked for the Red Cross and visiting SL after 30 years on the flight and I managed to brief her about the likely pitfalls.
I got stuck in the Customs and when I came out into the public concourse area, I could see someone was guiding her to buy a SIM card to one of the lousiest service providers in the island. I managed to intervene just in time and took her to the right people.
There are rare happy ending too.
Once I met a gentleman from the UK in Tangalle and he was on a search mission looking for the family who took him to the nearby hospital after falling off from the bike in the middle of the night and sprawled in the middle of the road unconscious. From the nearby hospital, he was rushed to the Anuradhapura Base Hospital to perform an urgent surgery which saved his life, as he was bleeding from inside.
He happily said that he can vaguely remember same two people visiting him in the Anuradhapura Base hospital to know about the welfare of him. He could not talk because he was heavily sedated after the operation.
He also said that it could happen in his country too by people calling an Ambulance and rushing off a road accident victim to the nearby facility but never again visit the hospital to see the welfare of the person
He disappeared after taking a Selfie in front of the Tangalle city limit and I hope he was able to locate the persons that he was so dearly looking for.
- slstockVeteran
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Re: Elsewhere vs SL : Honesty, Social responsibility , Word twisting and Decency
We do have some very kind hearted honest souls too.
Sometime our people will go out of their way to help someone where in western countries they might be afraid to do so for legal issues ( like picking up someone who has fallen on the road) .
Proud to say we still have some people with humanity left.
- Yin-Yang
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Re: Elsewhere vs SL : Honesty, Social responsibility , Word twisting and Decency
slstock wrote:
+
+
Presently, I am at a place where majority ( not all) of people are honest, law abiding, non manipulative ( with word or behavior) and are just decent humans who do care for their country and other people. It so interesting when we talk or see them behave .
1) Believe it or not, I rarely seen anyone cross the road without a traffic light , even if there is No Police!
+
+
What a coincidence.
I also, once, visited a nearby country and saw a bunch of dogs, crowded by the road. I was with one of local friends talking near by.
The road was busy with all sort of vehicles running here and there.
Time to time, I noticed some dogs cross the road and moving to the opposite side. But to mu surprise, being dogs, all of them waited near the pedestrian crossing until the lights turn Green and then crossed the road politely along the crossing.
I asked my friend about that;
"How have these dogs learn to cross the road like that?"
Being a local living there, he was confident in his answer;
"Those who didn't cross like that don't exist anymore!"
- කිත්සිරි ද සිල්වාTop contributor
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Re: Elsewhere vs SL : Honesty, Social responsibility , Word twisting and Decency
The picture tells the Story !
- slstockVeteran
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Re: Elsewhere vs SL : Honesty, Social responsibility , Word twisting and Decency
It was painful as a fellow human being to watch this Video.
Steven Smith once a hero to many, become a nobody almost in a few days in his home country that does not like foul play/deceit.
As humans we make mistakes.
But it takes a man with sheer guts and decency to
a) Admit the wrong he did
b) and say what he said here in this video
He is crying too. So does that mean he is weak?
NO. It means he is truly sorry and he too is decent human
who regret a mistake he made and want to fix it and get over it.
What if the same happens in Sri Lanka?
What will be the reaction ?
a) Will the oppressor admit decently or do every thing to deny responsibility
b) will there be word play or twisting of words to get out of it
c) will he take responsibility or blame others to escape such
d) will he seek help of politicians to cover it up or will politicians also condemn the act ?
I am not a fan of Aussie team for their arrogance at times.
But are indeed truly talented and skilled cricketers.
In the post below I mentioned that Australia was once a colony for Convicts.
http://forum.lankaninvestor.com/t10483-hello-and-cse
Now see Why they are the country they are today!
ps : I wanted to post this yesterday, but couldn't .
I see Kith also posted something about Steve smith but
he is addressing another important matter
.
- malanp
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Re: Elsewhere vs SL : Honesty, Social responsibility , Word twisting and Decency
I also watched the video,, it is sad, i hope he will come back to his team later.