On top of Sigiriya

I can imagine that 2000 years ago the temple, with its massive lion's head entrance and steep steps, overlooking lush water gardens. King Kassapa dethroned and killed his father, then sought refuge and built this massive palace in 5th century AD, out of paranoia. He feared his brother and other invaders would seek revenge so he built this lofty paradise, housing an army, 500 concubines and loads of ministers and servants. He had a painter etch his concubines on the caves surrounding the rock. Quite a masterpiece, but fell 491 AD to Indian invasion. Near end of Anaradhapura's eminence.

Sigiriya cave drawings

Spanish NGOist, Diana, with monkey. King Kassapa's pool overlooking Sigiriya Wewa (irrigation tank) and water gardens.

Lunch at Kandalama Hotel/Dambula

The group of us had lunch at Kandalama Hotel, built by Geoffrey Bawa, Sri Lanka's renown architect. He managed to sculpt the hotel into the jungle-covered cliffs, overlooking one of the many irrigation 'tanks.' Amazing pool overlooking the human-made lake, similar to the one that King Kassapa had at Sigiriya. Then visited Dambulla in afternoon.

Chatting outside temples

Dambulla cave 2, Maharaja Vihara, or Temple of the Kings, with amazing murals painted on cave ceilings. Everyone chatting outside temples, cooling in the shade, being taunted by toque macaques.

Dambulla with Toque Macaque monkeys

Cave temples overlook plains towards Sigiriya. King Vattagamani was dethroned in 1st century BC and sought refuge in caves, and after he reclaimed throne at Anuradhapura he expressed his gratitude by constructing temples. Several reconstructions and repaintings of murals. Now toque macaques and a few monks inhabit the cave, but only the monkeys seem to pester tourists. They are quite aggressive, demanding food, and humping excessively. Regardless, Dambulla has some of the most beautiful views. French tourist with lovely orange skirt admiring vista. And Spanish companeras, Isabel and Bide enjoy the shade, as sun burns their feet. Must take off shoes when visiting temple.

Responses from WSF

"Just look at the internal repression inside the United States, the Patriot Act, which is a repressive law against U.S. citizens. They have put in jail a group of journalists for not revealing their sources. They won't allow them to take pictures of the bodies of the dead soldiers, many of them Latinos, coming from Iraq. Those are signs of Goliath's weaknesses..."

"...the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA), a proposal made by Venezuela in opposition to the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas (FTAA), ...emphasizes social and cultural exchanges above profit-based economic deals. We can’t wait for a sustained economic growth of 10 years in order to start reducing poverty through the trickledown effect, as the neoliberal economic theories propose."

Chavez mentioned Christ, whom he described as "one of the greatest anti-imperialist fighters, the redeemers of the poor, and one of the greatest revolutionaries of the history of the world."

-from Chavez's speech from the perimeters of World Social Forum, 28 January, 2006

On Colombo Queer Parties

A rash of dead grandmothers is going around; many people's relatives are passing away. So plans changed last night and I agreed to go to a Colombo queer party, thinking my last name would win my credibility for why I would attend when I'm straight. Homosexuality, transgendered and other expressions of sexuality are not acceptable in most of the world, with stigmas still present in Colombo. Several people I work with must repress their sexuality because open expression of non-heterosexuality remains unacceptable, and subject to jokes, harassment, threats and looming possibilities of getting fired. One young colleague cannot officially come out to his family or he would be ex-communicated from his well-connected, senior UN family. So he has to frustratingly 'hide' his true nature, most likely never partnering with another man for life. All the while everyone in his family basically knows but chooses not to accept it. In fact, in this international organisation's discourse they consider people who are gay as "men sleeping with men", like gay men (with no recognition for lesbians) just happen to wake up to a man in their beds! C'mon, get with it! It really is no one's business what people do in private lives unless they are abusing, maiming, raping, trafficking, paedophiling...

While the party was lively and energetic, there was an undertone of corruption, drug use and gang presence at this discoteque. I don;t usually like to go out as I am a huge magnet for freaks and skeezies. I certainly stand out with the blue hair and blond eyes. Still, it is fantastic seeing Sri Lankan men in sarongs dancing wildy to Westernized Hindi electronica and hip hop. If only gay people could be this open outside dark, seedy nightclubs. My attempts to have a good time were ruined when corrupt police chiefs and deputy sheriffs, in tow with half of Colombo's business investors, introduced themselves to me. They look the other way at drag queens dirty dancing with their police officers and at open drug sales/use, but they are fixated on me, the nosy foreigner. Apparently, I should try not to remember (implicated by strong, menacing words from the pigs) that police are in cahoots with drug dealers, facilitating the imports of these narcotics to Colombo. Or that they encourage prostitution in the casinos, ensuring that Russian and Chinese women cater to jetsetting gamblers. Many East Asian women face discrimination from local Sri Lankans because it is presumed that they are all strumpets. So this network of criminals and victims of crime is legitimised by tools of the state, and I;m sure you can find similar examples of institutionalised acceptance of drug and human trafficking. I imagine the World Economic Forum to be a similar ambience, with not as many out-of-the-closet queers. I imagine Davos to start their session of eating small children, after their workshop of fornicating Microsoft celebrities, to be commences soon. I truly hope the next theme for the Asia-Pacific Regional Human Development Report is on corruption and corporate accountability!