30. PROUD TO BE SRI LANKAN, DUDE!

An evergreen hit genre of Sri Lankan Yarns is "Us Vs the World". Almost all stories has, more or less, the same formula. After the typical cynical American, Russian, Japanese and the others dudes fail at the given task our Sri Lankan dude achieves it , no sweat!!

Example: The Grabber Croc in the Lake.

With these Tall Tales, whether we are bragging about our smartness or confessing about our stupidity, if you read between the lines, in some of them we are laughing at ourselves. Which I believe is one of the most advance forms of sense of humor.

Example:The International Hellhole (If you really don't know, just comment) 

A sub category of the same series is "Our Dude Vs the boasting, swollen headed, insolent, cynical  European".

Well if you can't recall any, here's one.

A taxi driver was driving a tourist around in his taxi. While they were passing Colombo Fort, the taxi driver showed one building and commented that it was Sri Lanka's tallest building.

The tourist, laughed contemptuously and said,

"This is your tallest building,huh? Dude, in my country some of the buildings reach up all the way to the sky. That's why we call them skyscrapers."

The taxi driver, quiet taken aback said,

"Scrape the sky? Really? Oh but, that's impossible"

"Well," the tourist stroked the behind his ear and said, 

"not exactly the sky. A little below that."

Both traveled in total silence after this exchange. After they passed Kollupitiya the taxi driver who seemed to be in deep thought broke the silence.

"Do you know sir, in Sri Lanka we eat through the nose."

The American who never watched Nat Geo or Discovery Channel, sprang to attention.

"What?  Are you serious? Eating through the nose? That's impossible. I don't believe you. You are lying aren't you?

"Well, sir," the taxi driver rubbed his nose a little with the forefinger and said, "Not exactly through the nose. A little below that."

Now back on the track. Us Vs. the world!!

Our guys are not like the rest of them. Very creative, intelligent, and resourceful ones. Won't believe me.

Let me take you through a guided tour.

This is the International sign for TOILET. See nor creativity. Just dull and boring.

Now compare our one I photographed in 2007 in a car park wash room at Sigiriya, Sri Lanka. See how creative. See where the hands are! Wow!

To us Asians who are very much concerned about personal hygiene, washing hands with soap after using the  toilet is a familiar thing. That is after #2 job exactly. The Asian who use the left hand and water, and the westerner who uses toilet paper to clean himself, used to condemn each other's method for centuries.

Washing hands after #1 job is mandatory among westerners, but not given due attention by the Asian. At least that's what I thought until I last December 29th, when I saw this!! How wrong I had been all along!

Our dudes not only wash their hands, they wash their feet, too. I felt myself swelling with pride when I saw the following notice, again in a car park wash roomat Arpico Super Store, Nawinna, Maharagama, Sri Lanka.

Everybody knows about windshield wipers, right? Years back some auto manufacturers like Volvo, Saab and Mercedes started fixing headlight wipers, too. I bet you have seen enough.

Our Sri Lankans went even beyond that.  I saw this last December in Sri Lanka, They pushed it to the limits by fixing a license plate wiper, too like this. I was so proud to be Sri Lankan. Wow dudes, WOW!!!

 

Simulblogged at my Sinhala Blog මට හිතෙන හැටි.