Christmas Day

CHRISTMAS FEAST

As much as I love a Christmas dinner with turkey and all the trimmings - the warmer climate by the coast, where fresh seafood can be easily sourced for a celebratory feast, is by far the better option for me on Christmas Day. 

An Alternative Christmas
There's absolutely no need to find an establishment that cooks a traditional roast - as some of the bigger hotels are doing for tourists here in Sri Lanka, when a family-run beach restaurant is cooking up a sumptuous barbecue of delicious fish alternatives. It's times like this in a foreign country, with the sun in my face and the sounds of the sea and nature around me, that I question the choices I make to ensure life in London throughout the winter - or even the summer for that matter! When life can be so much simpler and offer so much return for far less money - as does living in Sri Lanka (certainly as a tourist anyway), that I'll need to convince my family to try a non-traditional Christmas in coming years if I'm to continue this idyllic lifestyle choice over a period which for most U.K. households, is generally known for high-expense, over-indulgence and too much TV to fill the days.

A Celebration of 2016
This post marks the 52nd and my final weekly post for 2016. There's been some good observations made, some clarity of thought established and new ideas formed for how I'm going to progress in 2017. The ongoing learning program will continue - with my first cadaver dissection occurring on the first Friday of January, marking a more professional approach towards learning deeper understanding of physiology and how the body works. I shall be upping my reading for 2017 to aim for 24 books read (2 per month) and once I have re-read through and digested 2016's posts again in early January, the first chapter of my book will be started and written-up by the end of the month. I will continue to write a chapter every month consecutively - making 12 chapters in total by the end of 2017.

For now, I am writing this post on the bed of my homestay - when I should be on the beach. So, I will take this moment to enjoy my time actually 'in the moment' and use the following week to properly think/give my affirmations for 2017. All in all, I'm happy with my progress this year - there's been marked successes and lots of things to improve on - however, I feel more ready and deservedly able to share my findings in a book - something that didn't feel quite right up until now.

It certainly is a Happy Christmas...I wish anyone stumbling here a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year too!

:)

Life's A Beach

SURF'S UP!

Travelling through Sri Lanka, we stopped for a few days in one of the many surf spots along the coast for some beach life and potentially for a spot of surfing - as this pastime was so prevalent on the south coast.

Surf culture originally became a big draw for Americans living on the west coast of the USA during the 50's. The idea of catching waves, chilling out in the sun, listening to the latest rock/pop music to play out a life free from the restraints of a conventional 9-5 job, really started to catch on as an alternative lifestyle throughout the 60's and continues still to this day as the lifestyle choice for many new adopters of this concept around the world.

Marketing Concepts
Life is made up of many different ideas which we choose to adopt, adapt or follow. How we 'choose' these ideas is determined by a number of considerations. A lot of our decisions can be pre-determined through cultural, financial, logistical factors which will impact our ability to consciously choose a path.

The Atomic Age
The 50's in America was a time of great affluence for a country which had recently become the world's new dominant power in the wake of the Second World War. Industry and commerce had boomed since the 30's Great Depression, space to live in was in abundance, the weather was mostly sunny along the Californian coast and relative living costs were very low for those sleeping on the beach or in their large second hand automobiles. Adventure travelling to discover new sunny surf spots in other less-developed parts of the world, was also an option for these well-off Americans going through a period of growth - a sweet spot for a generation of middle Americans.

Fast forward 60 years and we can see that the current economical climate for 'developed' nations, still affords many of their middle-class citizens the option of choice. Although food, living and travel expenses have increased, there's still enough money available (credit especially), to make conscious decisions for enjoying more alternative lifestyles, away from the rat race.

Globalisation And Technology
The world has now become a much smaller place. Poorer nations have started to catch up with the richer countries in terms of how they choose to live. Healthcare, education and life quality are improving, plus with access to the Internet, the options for attaining more wealth are dramatically affecting earning potential for those fortunate families who can trade goods on the open market or attract higher rates via tourism. With the Internet and satellite TV, also comes multiple streams of marketing/advertising, and communities are being hit with the same emotional & status affirming triggers that we in developed nations, have come so driven by.

Concepts Of Living
We need 'money' or a form of currency to enable us to live. Everything is built up by ideas which generate income - the idea of wearing t-shirts and shorts, the idea to travel and learn other cultures, languages and traditions - these are ideas that cost and generate money for locals and tourists alike. As I've seen first-hand here in Sri Lanka, the ideas for retaining pristine sandy beaches for sunbathing and surfing are relatively new ones. Beaches are traditionally the haunt of working fishermen, Sri Lankan's use skin whitening products and 50+ sunscreen if they haven't already covered up with clothing and parasols - and the surfboards are still the equivalent of a local person's food costs for a week to hire per day - so mainly count for yet another lucrative revenue stream from tourists who are being marketed the surf lifestyle concept.

As more and more tourists come to Sri Lanka, the country will adopt more concepts that have become successful in 'western' cultures. Coffee culture is one example already showing early signs of forming in tourist hot-spots and the capital city. One such establishment, maximising on a connection of ideas, had a split of juice/coffee bar coupled with an 'organic' and health-food shop - themselves relatively new western concepts. Raw, vegan and organic vegetable yoga retreats seem to be the buzz words heard in yoga studios these days and Sri Lanka is adopting these concepts to market more towards the lucrative tourist market. Many of the people here likely know about yoga and may even themselves practise it but socially/financially, the choices for performing yoga has not been readily available to them. The choices for eating home-grown fresh fruit and vegetables certainly are available as an option to a larger degree, yet the idea that fried and high glycemic foods are bad, obviously hasn't been sold in to the general populace yet, although gluten free products have been observed in some of the larger supermarkets, so that day will surely come.

Developing Nations
It's interesting from a tourist's point of view, to see where a country as culturally diverse as this, has optimised on it's offering to attract money from tourism but even more eye-opening to see how the affects of global communication, technology, marketing/advertising and the desires of tourists being metted out through social media channels and customer feedback portals like those on google maps and Booking.com etc. are rapidly changing the lives of those exposed to it. If one were to look at the average living costs and wage for working class and professionals today and compare it with five years ago, the increase in overall living costs has remained relatively low - as have working wages, but in five years time, without proper regulations in place to retain healthy levels, I predict the middle and upper-middle classes will see a far greater rise in wealth in relation to the working class and this will cause greater disparity between the have and have nots.

The greatest gains of all will of course be made by the banks and the wealthier foreign investors as the country markets it's many tourist attractions, including it's growing number of surf-rich beaches.

The key for tourists, travelling around this richly diverse country, I believe, is to let go of the 'concepts' we've grown used to in our own countries and to embrace the culture, freedoms, natural beauty and genuine friendliness expressed by the local restaurants and home stays, to fully realise & appreciate ourselves what we have largely lost touch with in what we incorrectly term 'more developed westernised nations'.

Adventure Therapy

SRI LANKA

Compared to wealthier European nations, Sri Lanka is less developed in terms of the infrastructure and industry but there appears to be a greater freedom for it's people to live well for less money. Food is cheap and accommodation, although quite run down in places, can be obtained for relatively small money - or the land purchased for building a house on, covered with merely a few year's savings. Basic living requirements can be readily met for the working Everyman. 

Driving on the Sri Lankan roads, may seem pretty hectic at first, but there is actually a connective 'flow' to their driving style, which is far more harmonious than European driving once you get used to it. Road regulations and driver etiquette are certainly more relaxed here than in many other places around Europe. There's a certain level of assertiveness required for establishing one's road presence, but similar to how a school of fish moves together as one, the rest of the traffic will adapt to any deviations or contra movements to make allowances for this style of intuitive driving - even the many dogs and cows understand these more natural rules and integrate (mostly) seamlessly with their human neighbours. 

Drivers rarely look behind themselves it seems, likely as they are busy reading the road in front of them for any potential hazards coming up. It's therefore the responsibility of the driver to spot any potential hazards coming up in front of them and not down to the person driving in front to be checking behind for hazards as well. The horn is used a lot here to alert those in front about a pending manoeuvre. What this does, is take the 'blame' away from the pedestrians or people driving up ahead, resulting in very little road rage as a consequence.

The trains can be a free for all - but unlike London commuter trains, people tend to talk with one another more, even when crammed together in a packed 3rd class carriage. I've witnessed much merriment and fun within a short time of riding the public railways. A group of nine families in our carriage yesterday - themselves on holiday, returning south after a festival in Jaffna, northern Sri Lanka, were singing and dancing with their families and encouraging strangers to join in with them. 

Although this country has suffered significantly from the 2004 tsunami, which killed and left homeless thousands of it's civilians, plus endured 35 years of civil war up until 2009, they appear to be very happy with their lives. I put this largely down to their retaining stronger community ties and upholding family duties over self-gain. For a country with such cultural diversity (Buddhist, Sikh, Christian and Muslim faiths), all living closely together, they have all had to learn acceptance of each other's customs and beliefs to allow for it's 20 million inhabitants. The widely accepted message being expressed here, is for getting along with the neighbours and enjoying a good life. This is a message we can all learn from - greater tolerance, understanding and acceptance for a better way to live. 

Real People

SALT OF THE EARTH

Is it fair to say that the (financially) poorer people of the world possess more genuine 'humanistic' character traits than the wealthier folk do? They certainly appear to exhibit them more.

By humanistic, I mean the acknowledgement of fellow souls being present in our universe. And if this is actually true, it can explain why run-down places in London like Deptford, New Cross or seaside towns such as Margate, seem to have more 'genuine' people living there. Typically, there's less wealthy folk living there, which someway confirms my logic. I know a lot of the neighbours on my street and that's a clear sign to me that we have a community.

The Rich Don't Know Their Neighbours

Sure, these 'poorer' places are a little scruffy, but they tend to have a more 'human' feel to them as a result. There's a certain amount of vibrancy, individualism/quirkiness and non-exclusive accessibility about places that haven't got too much money. The shops can be little treasure troves of discovery, with the high streets devoid of the usual familiar brands. The majority of the restaurants tend to be non-chain, high-value establishments, making affordable hearty meals. Typically, there's a lot of Asian eateries or cafes making a selection of hearty meals, offering BYO options in these authentic family-run restaurants. Locals sit drinking tea, eating fry-ups, shepherd's pies, curries, stir-fries and enjoying authentic cuisine for less than £10 a head. People tend to greet one another in these establishments.

You can tell when you've met some genuine people. Then tend to exhibit some particular character traits that are relatively easy to identify. Acknowledging someone with a nod and a look in the eye, we can usually make an easy acquaintance, be it in a cafe, bar or out and about. There's a kind of mutual respect given - a little wary front may be put up at first perhaps, but this is easily overcome with some general politeness. There's rarely animosity in these situations. But aloofness and an air of one-upmanship - too much confidence around strangers and being overly-familiar - this can easily put someone on edge. Narcissism is one well known personality disorder observed in those with over-inflated egos. This personality type tends to be displayed in those who believe they are better than everyone else, likely developed through their attainment of financial wealth and perceived increased levels of social status.

Over-confidence and over-familiarity on a first meeting, will make most people wary but could just make it a little difficult first distinguishing between those that are out for self-gain and potentially not very genuine. Because, on first meeting someone genuine, they may seem a little 'off' or wary. This is a good sign! If there's some small chat to break the ice - that's fine. But watch how someone eyes you suspiciously when the small talk flows a little too easily. Someone who is genuine, is usually a bit reserved and seemingly critical. They aren't easily fooled by charlatans and will not suffer fools gladly. The key is to earn their respect first and then they will let you in.