This and that

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Something you don't see every day....from the bus I see 2 trucks with a kind of bamboo improvised crane that hangs out in front of the driver, and suspended from these cranes are men, two on each truck.. They are hanging there with 4 large hooks through the skin of their backs. They don't seem too unhappy about it., although just being in the noon day sun would be torture for me. There is a small procession with them and a few drums, but quite low key, not like Good Friday in the Philippines or anything like that. Apparently they do this in gratitude for a prayer answered. Their gods have some strange tastes. These are Hindus. ( Tamils)
Buddhists (Sinhalese) tell me that photos showing this were sent to western media by the rebels, with the story that this was how the government tortured Tamil rebels (Tigers) but that sounds like local myth, no one in Europe would believe it, plus we've all seen this kind of thing on Discovery channel or something similar.
Politics is very big here, not surprising after 20 odd years of civil war. President's swarmy sleezy face is everywhere, even on the money, usually countries wait till someone is dead before that happens. (Her Majesty The Queen being the one valid and honourable exception of course!) Meanwhile the General who won the war is in jail, probably for running against the man who became president. Lots of billboards too, thanking the soldiers who valiantly won the war, a montage of the different forces, all Rambo-like with head scarves, muscles and long chains of ammo around their necks, a rocket launcher or two emerging from their packs. And even more of he president. Hurrah for our side.
I'll be heading into former war zone tomorrow, maybe see the Tamil side of things a little, although I suspect it's all smiles, and the hatred and resentment festers underground until new leaders emerge, or Tamils stop being considered second class citizens.
Makes British politics even more boring than it is.
Later dudes, and dudettes
Sam

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