Sri Lanka It's Happening

June 4, 2008

We moved into this house the day the 1994 football worldcup started. Tomorow we will be moving out. This is not my house but my parents house. Like most Sri Lankan homes there are three generations living here. We are not giving up this house but my parents will also be moving with us at least temporarily. This one is badly in need of a renovation.

We moved in here so that it is equidistant to the University of Kelaniya where my Sister studied and the University of Colombo where I studied. A little while after starting work, I looked around for a house, realised that I couldn't afford one and bought a car instead!

This house is full of fond memories. There isn't much wrong with it really, it's in a very good neighborhood sorounded by bad ones! Though it may sound contradictory that has made it very safe. There has only ever been three burglaries during those 14 years. Perhaps that's because the crooks around here don't bother with petty crimes.

The only drawbacks are that we get flooded at least once an year. This was a low lying area which the Urban Development Authority (government deparment responsible for enviormental damage with in the cities) filled it up, so it doesn't drain properly. Once upon a long ago, it had been a part of the Kelani River's flood plains

The Kelani Flood Prevention program carried out many years ago has ensured that we don't get flooded thanks to the rising levels of the river. But if it rains really hard ( say 100mm+ in a day) for a couple of days, we get 2-3 inches of water inside the house. it has never risen much more than 4 inches but 1 inch is enough to make sure that you have enough cleaning up work to cause a strained back.

Posted by raditha at June 4, 2008 3:38 PM