New kid in Town - Julesonline

I've finally sussed out why this blog has grabbed my attention and won't let go. I first saw it about three or four weeks ago and thought it was worth visiting. Now, I just hope she continues with it, because she's got at least one loyal reader.

Why though? Aha, because she's going through the process of discovering two rather spectacular things;

Firstly, she's given up, or taken a leave of absence, from what looks to be high powered management consultancy role, to work for VSO in Sri Lanka. People that do VSO stuff gain my respect and admiration before I have even met them, for they're doing something that I wish I had had the bollocks to do when I was younger and had less commitments. Don't get the wrong idea, I love most of those commitments and wouldn't swap them for the world, but I'm not alone in thinking I'd like to fly a bit sometimes.

So she is discovering Sri Lanka and all that goes with it.

You people who have been brought up there will never know how it feels to learn about the people and beauty of Sri Lanka. I'm not saying that you don't appreciate it, just that you haven't gone through the learning experience that us Suddas have. Gazing with awe at the rich greenery, marvelling at the sounds and soaking in the atmosphere are all just a small part of it. A lot of the rest of it is centred around trying to marry the physical beauty with the ongoing war / peace / politics or whatever you want to call it. In my simple, yet uncluttered, mind, it doesn't seem right that such a colourful and idyllic island can be as trouble torn as it is. It's fine for a grey and cold European Country to have a civil war, it just shouldn't be there.

I continue to go through it. Every time I visit, which is quite often, I feel more of an affinity to my heritage, an ongoing journey of discovery for me to learn more about my background, to be proud of it and to try to pass it on to my children.

I've stumbled across a few blogs written by people who are working and discovering Serendipity, they've all been interesting and have captivated me.

My own views on Sri Lanka lie somewhere between those of a local and those of a tourist. I can get totally pissed off with the trishaw driver when he tries to charge me the full up tourist rate of 400 rupees for a journey that would cost a local a fraction of the price, but I can't argue with the fellow because I can't speak Sinhala. I can get in a car at BIA and travel to Colombo, still with my eyes wide open in awe at the scenery and the little snippets of streetlife you see on the way, I just don't spend the whole journey panicking about the driving. I can eat string hoppers and curry for breakfast and, if I try really hard, I can eat with my fingers without getting food up to my elbow, unlike the tourists.

The second thing our Jules is discovering is the whole blogging phenomenon, another journey I have undertaken and am still on. She's going through many of the same thought processes that I've been through in recent months, which I strongly suspect most bloggers have too. The ones about "Why do I blog", "What shall I write about", "I can't stop thinking about Britney's vajayjay" etc. Stuff that we have all gone through and all know.

What else?

She can write proper sentences.

I like that, there's no textspeak, no missing vowels or consonants and her commas and full stops are all in the write (sic) places. As far as writing goes I don't have particularly high standards, but I like stuff that is written properly. In sentences.

She has decent taste in music, apart from a penchant for Snow Patrol and Coldplay. They are minor blemishes that I feel sure could be worked on over time. There is a very obvious like of Pearl Jam in her make up and that's got to be good.

She climbs rocks and stuff, I must confess that I'm not sure about all that kind of thing.

Go on have a look at it here. You'll enjoy it.