Words of Amaruwan

World Cyber Games in Sri Lanka

2008-09-18T08:15:00.004+05:30

This post will mean less than nothing to most of you people, but it really is a big deal. Lately PC Gaming in SL has had a nice little surge. Gaming cafe's are too numerous to count nowadays, which is a drastic change from the time where it was just a mythical beast you had to cross the Atlantic to find. You see plenty of forums and sites popping up which cater to this niche crowd which was pretty much an underground movement all this time. New entrants to the scene are becoming more and plentiful. Its an astounding growth really. SL were treated to their first real 'major' tournament in the Sri Lanka Cyber Games, which was a very good first effort.

Computer games have gone well past the point of just being something to keep the tiny tots occupied. (as shown here) The best example for this is the World Cyber Games. The World Cyber Games is the biggest gaming tournament in the world. Its basically the Olympics of gaming. [see here & here] The basic concept; bring gamers from every possible country (including Sri Lanka this time) put em up in a very nice location with great views and have them bash each other out (ingame of course, we wouldn't want violence now would we ;) ) for medals and cash. Quite an enticing prospect.

The Sri Lankan qualifiers for WCG 2008 will be held @ BMICH on the 27th and 28th of September with the Sri Lankan finals being held on the 5th of October, courtesy of Lanka eSports. Further details, events, rule & regulations can be found @ the official website - www.esports.lk

Think you're up for the challenge? :)

:P

2008-09-01T07:59:00.002+05:30

about....

the realisation that I really haven't taken this blog as seriously as I should have,
being stuck in a rut way too long than is healthy,
needing to break the writer block that I'm filling up with nonsense and random videos.
I haven't read a book in 6 months (I still cant believe that...) which is at least as far back as I've written something that's actually readable.

Of course I still have to get through this weeks exams in one piece, after which I should be as free as Osama in the HinduKush, if he's still there anyway. (btw, screw all you people that finished exams already.) Anyways, see you on the other side.

This is So Cool..... The Dark Knight - Kids Version

2008-08-29T07:04:00.002+05:30

Here's the original for comparison

I'm runnin for president

2008-08-26T10:25:00.003+05:30

thanx 4 the link, Shiek

Do you understand the words that are coming outta my mouth?

2008-08-19T19:56:00.004+05:30

"The Dark Knight" was a cinematic masterpiece in my book. Great acting by Eckhart, Caine & Freeman too with the creme de la creme going to Heath Ledger who was absolutely fantastic.

Batman's vocal prowess on the other hand... xD

Well if he's as good as he says he is...

2008-08-12T14:10:00.003+05:30

I had no idea that elections were going on in our "land like no other". I didn't. It's really the first time that my blatant despise/nausea for SL politics has crossed over into blatant ignorance. But as they say, it is bliss. Right now I have more pressing concerns than a bunch of semi-lunatic twats who's fake shows of love for the country and service to the people can only be compared to a wannabe blond pop tarts lip syncing to a bad dance number.

Anyhow, this swamp we call a political scene tends to suck in people that are actually doing some good or had some semblance of respect in another field. That kinda person just dropped the usual propaganda leaflet bundle in out mailbox a couple of days back, which proceeds to list all the god things the dude has done and all the good the people say of him... blah blah blah... (makes me wonder why he's applying for the local government, why not apply for sainthood at the Vatican and be done with it :P) Anyhow, while I was chatting to Mom about this, she made an interesting comment;

"Well, if he's as good as he says he is, he wont be elected. If he's elected, he's definitely not as good as he says he is."

True, you think?

On Idealogies, Cows and Milking them...

2008-08-08T07:00:00.001+05:30

Got this from Daelin over @ Death Company. Real nice, I thought..

FEUDALISM: You have two cows. Your lord takes some of the milk.

PURE SOCIALISM: You have two cows. The government takes them and puts them in a barn with everyone else's cows. You have to take care of all of the cows. The government gives you as much milk as you need.

BUREAUCRATIC SOCIALISM: You have two cows. The government takes them and put them in a barn with everyone else's cows. They are cared for by ex-chicken farmers. You have to take care of the chickens the government took from the chicken farmers. The government gives you as much milk and eggs as the regulations say you need.

FASCISM: You have two cows. The government takes both, hires you to take care of them and sells you the milk.

PURE COMMUNISM: You have two cows. Your neighbors help you take care of them, and you all share the milk.

RUSSIAN COMMUNISM: You have two cows. You have to take care of them, but the government takes all the milk.

CAMBODIAN COMMUNISM: You have two cows. The government takes both of them and shoots you.

DICTATORSHIP: You have two cows. The government takes both and drafts you.

PURE DEMOCRACY: You have two cows. Your neighbors decide who gets the milk.

REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY: You have two cows. Your neighbors pick someone to tell you who gets the milk.

BUREAUCRACY: You have two cows. At first the government regulates what you can feed them and when you can milk them. Then it pays you not to milk them. Then it takes both, shoots one, milks the other and pours the milk down the drain. Then it requires you to fill out forms accounting for the missing cows.

PURE ANARCHY: You have two cows. Either you sell the milk at a fair price or your neighbors try to take the cows and kill you.

LIBERTARIAN/ANARCHO-CAPITALISM: You have two cows. You sell one and buy a bull.

SURREALISM: You have two giraffes. The government requires you to take harmonica lessons.

In closing, I'd like to submit this - SL DEMOCRACY: You have no cows, but the government thinks you are a cow and tries to milk you

Mmmm... that toilet tasted sooo yummy!!

2008-08-05T07:22:00.003+05:30

If this is a real ad campaign, the term "servicing your client" may not be as clean as that hotel room much longer in the regular world :) .. from Slog via BoingBoing

Dog-gone it

2008-08-04T07:19:00.005+05:30

Image via Wikipedia

Boy was totally and absolutely smitten with her. Kittens and mittens smitten even (Did that even make sense?!?) So as a token of appreciation of years of devoted service Boy decides to give her a chance to do something that (as I have been told) just about every girl aspires to do; be a mom.

Fortunately Boy had some sense and was not talking about a baby carriage before marriage, but instead was talking about a puppy (Even being smitten didn't make him think of kittens it seems) . It seems Boy knew someone that engaged in the trafficking of aforementioned types of animal (fully legally of course) and proceeded to buy one and lovingly transport said creature to dearly beloved.

Now the icing on the cake is the small, tiny, insignificant little detail that Boy is a moderate Cynophobic. So this was a a real test of true love for Boy. One realises this even more so when one hears that boy was driving through Nugegoda junction and Highlevel road at peak traffic hours with new family member happily dancing around in his lap. Boy was only scared enough to have half a dozen near misses and didnt actually manage to make contact with another vehicle. The puppy would have to wait awhile to see how humans impersonate dogs.

So boy and dog actually made it to girls home in one piece. To borrow a phrase from Angel, Boy was shaken and not stirred like a Higland yoghurt. Pup couldn't care less. Unfortunately Girls parents did. You see girl already had 2 canine companions so this new best friend would not be getting the proper care he deserves. Needless to say boy was crestfallen to say the least, but of course you only argue with in-laws not "in-laws-to-be" so with pup in hand made a hasty exit and after depositing new friend with his parents at his place, went in search of a new home for the little critter.

If the icing on the cake was mentioned above, this would be the topping. You see Boys parents are extremely Cynophobic. So being kindhearted and scared to death by this little critter, proceeded to lock puppy inside house with a generous portion of food and water available, and spent the better part of the day walking around outside till boy came back!

Of course it all ends well in the end. A friend of a friend agreed to buy the pup and give it the home it needed. At one point, Boy was even willing to give it away free at considerable cost to his wallet (as a early 20's guy with mediocre salary and parents who are NOT filthy rich and a girlfriend, his wallet doesn't amount to much anyway) . So he's happy at how things turned. Think there was a tear in his eye though. You cant help but bond after going through these things together.

What I still cant figure out is where the hell he got Rs.45,ooo for that Doberman pup.....

Boiling Blood

2008-08-03T07:51:00.004+05:30

This is really ticking me off. Members of the Sri Lankan health services are known for their acerbic and vampiric attitudes, but this is the first time I've heard of things being almost really vampiric. Bloody idiots.. literally

It is blood thats concerned, not some concoction of Necto mixed in with 2 parts diluted corn starch and 1 part gelatin or something. People depend on this stuff, even rather more than they do on stuff like Smirnoff, Absolut or the local moonshine i think. (This claim of course is unsubstantiated and based on personal opinion and has no proven factual basis)

For once I haven't heard anyone making any money off this, which I think is a shame actually. I mean if you decide to play Dr Franken-Dracula at the blood bank and potentially endanger innocent lives at least someone should benefit so that the whole fiasco isnt a waste. :P Of course it should have been obvious something was very wrong at the NBC when the Medical and Non-medical staff were so damn friendly. (After all this is Sri Lanka. If someone's smiling it means either;

(a) They have someone rich/powerful looking out for them
(b) They're stealing/bribed behind your back
(c) They're screwing you. (I was going to say "If you're lucky, not literally", but i guess that depends on your point of view)
(d) They're insane )

This screw up is really going to screw up blood donations and there wasn't enough of those happening either, so some awesome pachyderm had betteract swiftly and get to the bottom of this.

Oh and if it isn't obvious by now, this'll be the most probable reason if I happen to drop dead anytime soon :)

Cheers!

Apheresis / Picture from: https://www.usaccc.org/research/Blood.jsp

It all started with Gutterflower...

2008-07-29T19:01:00.005+05:30

...here. Then it went to DeeCee, then DramaQueen, then Whackster, and now me.. and I added a few too...

I remember far more than I say I remember

I don't want to remember what I remember all too well

I want freedom

I hate being taken for granted

I wonder if my aspirations are even remotely possible

I have a good life

I know I have it in me to be something

I wish I'd get my act together so I can be something

I love the idea of love

I won't know love till it punches me in the face

I think everyone takes everyone for granted

I live...

I desire happiness

I need motivation

I revel in acceptance

I understand when noone else bothers

I listen all too well

I say all too little

I escape to my imagination

I dream of people in harmony

Wordled

2008-07-25T07:33:00.004+05:30

Thanks for the tip Deane

Whats yours like?

You and your desktop, Computer desktop that is...

2008-07-03T09:56:00.003+05:30

Cerno's computer desktop screenshot festival is a cool idea in my book. Not only is it a nice little trivia titbit for all the facebook stalkers, I can get some cool wallpapers courtesy of everyone else. :) Lady Divine and Azrael have already joined the party and for once I dont think I'm late :)

So here's my submission. Mind you these things change roughly as fast as the local CoL rises so this might not be even around tomorrow. Its a female Kamael warrior (I think its class is an Arbalester, but Im not sure. Never played as a Kamael) from my current time-waster, the MMORPG Lineage 2. [wallpaper from lineage 2 wallpapers]

"There's no icons, so that not a desktop, thats just the wallpaper!" you say? Thing is, my heads cluttered up enough already, so i like to keep clutter off everything else. Hence all desktop icons have been disabled (I use WinXP so: R-Click on desktop => Arrange icons by => Hide Desktop Icons) A combination of Rocket Dock + Launchy + Google sidebar, all of which are on autohide keeps things flowing, like so....

What does it say about me? I like gaming and I like beautiful women regardless of race (supernatural, fantasy or otherwise ;) )

Crushed Namal

2008-07-02T13:32:00.005+05:30

Thats not the best title ive come up with, but it relates to what happened and thats enough. I hardly keep up with current events anymore, so it took me awhile to wrap my around this. Turned out it wasnt anything new, in which lies the shame of it.

To be perfectly honest, I've found politics, media, protests, movements, activism and such revolting lately. And before anyone starts offering to give me earfuls on what an irresponsible unpatriotic brat I am, let me hasten to assure you that its my prerogative to help people in ways i feel do not involve excessive tongue flapping (which is what most things descend into these days) just as its your prerogative to do anything you want regarding aforementioned things.

But noone has the prerogative to beat up a fellow human being in my book so I do grieve for the poor fellow Namal Perera, and I share indi's view that bloggers only hear the crack and not the sting of the whip, and GF's hope that this one'll actually make a difference.

So here you go Ding, your post on my blog. Hope it makes a difference.

Namal Perera: Media Security in Sri Lanka - Appeal to the Sri Lankan Blogsphere

By Dinidu de Alwis • Jul 1st, 2008 As you might be aware, senior journalist and media person Namal Perera was assaulted yesterday evening on his way home from work at the Sri Lanka Press Institute. This comes as a severe blow to the media industry in Sri Lanka, and the freedom of expression of the Sri Lankan people. Namal is currently undergoing treatment under police protection at a private hospital. Daily Mirror carried the story as today’s lead.

A demonstration is organized tomorrow (2nd July) at 12:30pm, at the Colpetty Junction as protest for the continued war against the media in this country, and calling for increased safety and security for the country’s journalists, and for action to be taken against the perpetrators of these crimes. Too many of these things are going unsolved.

Please try to make it for the protest.

Hulk Smash!!

2008-06-24T19:08:00.007+05:30

I expected The Incredible Hulk to be a good movie, but not great. I was right. It wasn't great at all. It was incredible..... ok somewhat incredible. But it was better than great. :)

Its not the comic storyline, but I think this is better. Its certainly hell better than that eyesore Ang Lee came up with. There's not much serious character development here. Its an up in your face action movie. No Oscars but maybe an MTV award. A lot of reviews you'll see will be giving it flak, mainly because they were expecting a good mind twisting biopic type thing. The movie can be summed up in 2 words: "Hulk Smash!", and Hulk does his smashing pretty well.

Edward Norton wasn't bad at all as Bruce Banner. The whole scientist-on-the-run part was good, & tolerable as the returning lost lover. I said damn Routh & Bosworth, Maguire & Dunst, Bale & Holmes when Downey & Paltrow tag teamed in Ironman. Same with the Norton & Tyler combo. While certainly not the best, they're better than most.

Hulk and Abomination look like second rate plastic action figures but granted every other CGI thing was pretty good and so was the overall look. Tearing New York to shreds seldom looked so fun. It was a very nice call on the part of director Louis Leterrier to do the origin story in the opening credits. Not to mention all the references and homages to S.H.I.E.L.D. and The Incredible Hulk TV series that we loved. Obviously you can spot Stan Lee's little role, but can you spot Lou Ferrigno? The ending all but sets in stone the Avengers movie that Marvel's been planning for awhile.

All in all, it was a very entertaining waste of time. Now all that's left to see is whether DC's caped crusader can beat Marvel's red, gold & green combo.

Hmmm... Playboy Wii's too

2008-06-21T08:22:00.006+05:30

Console wars were and are raging. The video game industry raked in $9.5billion in 2007 so its no small crowd of geeks anymore, its mainstream now with big money on the line. So its a fact that companies will try all their marketing tricks to grab a piece of the pie. Its also true that gamers are perceived to be more.. err... responsive... to certain types of marketing. So when Playboy decided to follow up this (probably viral marketing) youtube video with its own set of Wii vids, it was sure to garner some attention.

" 'A video clip of a cute girl hula hooping got more than two million views on YouTube," reads the statement. "So we brought in gorgeous gamer Jo Garcia and had her take Wii Fit for a spin.'

So far, Playboy's Wii Fit spin-off videos show Garcia snowboarding (see above) and boxing using the exercise game are a not-so surprising YouTube hit. Since uploading this week, the clips have collectively garnered nearly 400,000 views." - Wired.com

Since most of the worlds rich people seem to be geeks in one way or another and not quarterbacks I can see why this might seem a good investment. Who knows, the Wii fit kid of today might be Nintendo's next investor tomorrow :P

Ladies & dorks take note :) "All's fair in love and role playing" [Link]

All Along the Watchtower

2008-06-12T06:00:00.000+05:30

Bob Dylans immortal classic from John Wesley Harding album and one of my favourites. All Along the Watchtower is one awesome piece of music making with its other-worldly lyrics and cool beat. There have been many ways to interpret the lyrics. I always thought this was talking about how only a few good people in the world understand the truth of things and that life has turned into a joke for them, but thats just me. Theres plenty of varied opinions out there, and thats cos of Dylan's genius I guess.

"There must be some way out of here," said the joker to the thief,
"There's too much confusion, I can't get no relief.
Businessmen, they drink my wine, plowmen dig my earth,
None of them along the line know what any of it is worth."

"No reason to get excited," the thief, he kindly spoke,
"There are many here among us who feel that life is but a joke.
But you and I, we've been through that, and this is not our fate,
So let us not talk falsely now, the hour is getting late."

All along the watchtower, princes kept the view
While all the women came and went, barefoot servants, too.
Outside in the distance a wildcat did growl,
Two riders were approaching, the wind began to howl.

The song also happens to have the curse that befalls any good song given enough time: The Cover Version. Thankfully some of these covers are gems in their own right

Most famous is the Jimi Hendrix version. This sounded so good Dylan liked it better than his version, or so "they" say, whoever "they" are.

Dylan has described his reaction to hearing Hendrix's version: "It overwhelmed me, really. He had such talent, he could find things inside a song and vigorously develop them. He found things that other people wouldn't think of finding in there. He probably improved upon it by the spaces he was using. I took license with the song from his version, actually, and continue to do it to this day." - wikipedia

U2 did a rocking version of this on their Boy Tour, later included in the documentary Rattle and Hum.

Dave Matthews Band did an interesting cover with a slow sweet start only to go wild and crazy in the middle. Love it.

Love the guitar in the Kesiah Jones remake

Neil Young version. Hated it. Actually didnt hate it. Found it boring :)

Saved the best for last, @ least in my book. Bear McCreary's cover version for the Battlestar Galactica Soundtrack with vocals by Brendon McCreary. The closest to hard rock/metal this song has gotten and it even feels like it has a tinge from the east too. Here's a link to the live version [link] (starts @ 1.44) and here's the studio recorded version.

Death Company

2008-06-08T07:28:00.009+05:30

The world of the gamer was once mysterious, fantastical and misunderstood. The gamer was once a rare breed in Sri Lanka. That is not the case any longer. The exploding $10 Billion industry has made inroads here and Sri Lankans have even ventured to the pinnacles of gaming. Some of those Sri Lankans can be found under one banner: Death Company

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard of Death Company. The Mirror Magazine covered Death Company ([DC]) before on [DC]’s 5th LAN Party, L5. L5 was concluded recently with great success. Held over the space of a weekend at Capital Mall, Thalawathugoda, L5 was probably the largest single gathering of gamers in Sri Lanka. Over 150 gamers attended from all over the island and all you needed to bring were yourself, your PC, and some network cable. It was amazing to see so many people turning up for the event. Even though a majority of attendees were from in and around Colombo, it was heartening to see that there were a few from distant places such as Kandy. Players came from a wide age group of 15 to 30 and all those avid gamers had the time of their lives. The main games that were played were Call of Duty 4, Warcraft III: Defence of the Ancients, Unreal Tournament and CounterStrike. However the roster was never meant to be set in stone and other games such as Need for Speed and Call of Duty 2 were also played. Everyone had a lot of fun that weekend. [DC]’s heartfelt thanks go out to e-Wis for being the official networking services provider for L5 and to their team headed by Mr Revantha Udugampola. [DC] would also like to thank the Mirror Magazine for their support as well.

The LAN party is [DC]’s main cause for fame. A LAN party is when people gather with their computers, network them together and proceed with playing multiplayer computer games. Multiplayer is so much more rewarding than Single player. You’re playing with people who are more challenging, more skilful, and more helpful and have more team spirit than any computer could ever have. It’s that ingredient that makes multiplayer so wonderful and it’s what makes a LAN party so wonderful. This is no tournament to have prizes and rivalries. This is just pure fun with fellow gamers regardless of age, gender or any other arbitrary barrier. The games have no prejudice, and neither does [DC]. But it’s not just about gaming. It’s about healthy competition, meeting like-minded people, broadening your horizons, a sense of belonging and just plain old fun. And all of those qualities are synonymous with [DC].

Death Company isn’t just about the here and now. Possible future projects are always being churned out and several are on the cards to be implemented in the future. [DC] is currently looking into providing much needed game servers for the Sri Lankan gaming community. A blood donation by the [DC] members is also planned. But the biggest upcoming event for [DC] is L6, the 6th LAN party. Further details will be revealed later. For now, let’s just say that it’s going to be bigger and better than any LAN party ever held before with even a possibility of an international twist. Contact [DC] at contactus@deathcompany.org for further details.

Death Company is the place to be if you’re a gamer. We have camaraderie, friendship and awesome gaming. What more could you ask for? And there are no hard feelings when someone gets pwned. After all, it’s nothing personal, just business!

Originally published in the Mirror Magazine of the Sunday Times of June 08, 2008 under the title "Gathering of Gamers" (which had to be edited due to space restrictions).

DeathCompany.org

Oops It happened again....

2008-06-03T13:42:00.003+05:30

This tagging business is starting to run wild. Dont think Ive known a time when 2 tag..... err.. whatever you call these, ran so close to one another. Its fun or the biggest waste of time since the last round of tagging. So before I do the classic mistake of being the last in line with no-one left heres my 7.

Oh yes; tagged by Darwin

Rules of the game:
~ Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog
~ Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
~ Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
~ Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog .

I wish I was 2 inches taller despite everyone saying 6ft is too tall already.
I collect Teddy Bears.
I'd love to be 8 again.
When it rains real hard, I walk in it without caring about the stares people give.
I wont drive till I get my own wheels.
I eat ice cream more often than I do real food
I miss the blogs I read hell more than I do some people I meet in person.

OK 7 to tag, who to tag...

Sach, Pissu, Jane Doe, Gutterflower, Sheena, Charmed, Lady Divine

Jem and Alone Again

2008-06-03T07:00:00.001+05:30

I'm forseeing a lot of flak from the fairer sex for saying this, but the hit cartoon Jem always seemed a little stupid to me. Too soap opery too glittery and pink, even for a show that was aimed at young girls. :) Yes, I know this because I watched it. At that age any cartoon is better than no cartoon, though I did draw the line at "The Mini-Monsters". The series was notable for its complicated backstories, interweaving storylines and complex characters, at least according to Wikipedia.

What I remember from the show best are the songs. For a cartoon series, those were extremely good musical numbers hell better than most 'real life' pop trash we get today. One particular song made a very big impression on me the one time i heard it, and i was extremely happy to find it on YouTube.

The song is 'Alone Again' sung by new Starlight girl Laura Holloway, a brooding misunderstood girl with a lot of loneliness & sadness. As I recall she was only in that one episode after which she left for another foster home. This showing of her considerable musical skills was after a tiff with Ashley I think.

I couldnt find the real singer or writer of this wonderful song thats about 2 minutes too short. If anyone comes across it, do drop me a line. :)

Ok, the shows not bad. Must admit that was some of the best eye-candy on TV back then. :)

Alone again, with my guitar
Alone again, underneath the lonely stars
I see some friendly faces
They smile at me and then
Just like every other time

I'm Alone again
Alone again
All alone again

Looking in the mirror I don't like what I see
I'm not the person I'd hoped I would be
Always feels like people are laughing at me

Alone again, with just my song
Alone again, which is right where I belong
What good is it to fight it
Just accept it, and amen
Just like every other time

I'm Alone again
Alone again
All Alone again

Alone again
Alone again
All Alone again
Alone again

The Day After

2008-06-02T07:00:00.001+05:30

The demon is done,

Scars may yet come,

For now, I savour freedom

The Day Before.....

2008-05-30T08:00:00.000+05:30

Mr Francy and his Beetles

2008-05-28T13:41:00.006+05:30

Azrael has a nice post today that brought out something dear to my heart from some years back....

When I was a little we lived in a small village/town just outside Gampaha. Those were great times growing up in the village air with nice, kind people. Happy days.... I was only 3,4 years old. Anyhow there was this one shop called Francy Tarders (yep, I spelled it right :) ) which stocked these little plastic VW Beetle models. Nothing too fancy, just the body and 4 wheels in plastic (Made in China). They were cheap too so I'd always ask & Mom and Dad would always buy me 1 everytime they went out. They were so colourful. They didnt just have regular blue, green and red. They were a rainbow of psychedelic colours. These had pastel shades of orange, pink, aquamarine, purple, turquoise and even luminous shades of yellow, lime, and many others. I didnt know all those big words then, but those little cars are still fresh in my mind after all these years.

I still remember walking into that lovely shop which had all sorts of knick-knacks, just like those magical-like shops you get in books. I'd always go with Dad. The owner knew me by name, I had come in so many times, and Dad was known a little as well as 1 of the Docs at the Textile Mill. The shop had these waist high glass display cases like in the textile shops, and the top rack was entirely filled with dozens and dozens of these little pieces of rainbow. Id gaze and pick and choose while Dad and "Mr Francy" talked (mostly about my lunatic antics I guess.)

In the end I had at least a 100 give or take. Thats not counting the ones that got broken over the years. It was a real sight to see, whether they were lined up at an imaginary parking lot, or running races around the Chair-Leg Forest and the Table-Top Flats. I think it was Herbie that got me hooked on Beetles back then. I loved that old film.

After Dad retired of course we had to move. And by that time our house was built here closer to Colombo. I was going to school too and I wasnt playing with the Beetles that much anymore. Mom was a teacher at the village school and she knew of a lot of small kids from poor families. So we ended up giving away all those toy cars. After all it was dead weight to bring along and this way someone ended up happy. A kind of going away gift.

We went back there recently after almost 10 years to settle some things. The town had changed a lot. It had lost the village charm. But some people remembered us. Mr Francy was no more, and neither were his cars. But the shop was still there. We didnt go in, and I dont know who runs it now, but it had the same old board proudly saying - "Francy Tarders".

And of course, I'll always have my memories....

Customer Service

2008-05-23T08:03:00.000+05:30

Best Buy Dance Off - Watch more free videos

How to undress a woman using a giant digging machine

2008-05-17T23:46:00.003+05:30

Jaw dropped. Wonder what the wife goes through.... ;)

Stripped by a Mechanical Shovel! - video powered by Metacafe

from gizmodo