Raising Bridges in Neva River - St Petersburg

Walking along the Neva River is something I enjoy very much. We did the same thing in August 2016 when we visited Russia. Many sailors, their girlfriends, wives and children roamed the area because it was the Navy  Day. We waited until nightfall to give the two daughters a chance to see this bridge opening.

This is really a brilliant show. The opening and closing of bridges in St Petersburg. It Happens from April to November. There are altogether 12 bridges. The mainly cargo ships going along the Neva river to the Gulf of Finland. This last stretch of the canal was built during the Soviet Era.

Aurora

උපුටා ගැනීමේදී කරුණාකර යොමුව ඇතුලත් කරන්න.

Russian Street Artist Performing in St Petersburg

 I have seen many  Performances of street artist in Arbatskaya Street (it's called ulitsa Arbat in Russian) quite often. It was not a new Phänomena in Russia. For  centuries street artists performed all over the Russia. In Saint Petersburg, most of the time they were Performing alongside Newsky Prospekt, Palace Square (dvartsovi ploshad  - Дворцовая площадь) and near gostini dvor (Guest Door -гостиный двор). 

The soviet art produced in the soviet union had two main categories.One which glorified Soviet realism and other one which thrived outside of it. It was called soviet nonconformist art and it thrived after the Stalin's death to 0l the perestroika Period,  from 1953 to 1986. It was also called "underground art " as well. After the perestroika era started, most of these artists came out  to popular culture as  soviet realism faded into oblivion.

From Moscow to St Petersburg Train Journey - Complete video 21min

 From Moscow to St Petersburg Train Journey - Complete video 21min, on 13/08/2016 

Climbing Scafell Pike

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Climbing Scafell Pike

Our last hike for this year was to Scafell Pike. That was on the 29th of August after our walks in Langdale Pike and to see the highest waterfall in the lake district, Scale Force. Shania, our elder daughter, left the lake district by train to go  home to fill out her university application forms and work on her budding fashion business. We were sad because only three of us were left to hike the highest mountain in England. The height of the Scafell pike is 978 meters. It's about 3209 feet and even though it doesn't look that high, one shouldn't underestimate the long winding climb to the summit.

It was supposed to take 3 hours to climb and a similar time to descend. But Ines and our younger daughter Shakyra had a slightly different idea, and revealed it to me only on the last day. The usual hike from Wasdale to the scafell and back is about 9 kilometers, but Shakyra wanted to take the longer route and climb down from the other side of the Scafell Pike, which meant there were another two mountains to hike - the total length was around 11 kilometers.

The surprise did not end there. I realised there were another 2 summits to climb on our way. That's Shakyra's great idea. The first one was Broad craig, which is 931 meters high (3055'), and the second one was Great End, which is 910 meters high (2955'). (Please see the maps). 

We travelled to Wasdalean, and the car park was already full. Luckily we found a place to park by the gate. However there were many cars behind us and they all had to turn back.

When we started the climb, there were no people walking with us, as you can see from the pictures. But half way through the ascent we realised we had made a mistake. There were many people climbing as well as descending from the summit already. We had to stop each time there was a narrow passage to avoid clusters of people because of the Covid-19 virus. But I realised some people simply ignored that. Sometimes we had to move completely out of the way from the normal route because people were climbing up or coming down in groups. At that point there was no way back either. 

When we reached the summit, in that small space where the last 2 meters to get up were, there were so many people crammed into those 4 square meters that we completely avoided it. Therefore I may not have hiked all the 978 meters, but only 976 meters.

Maybe this is one of the reasons that the UK government was forced to declare the 6 person rule - because people simply ignore the 'safe distance' rules. 

So, we climbed up to the Scafell pike and soon realised that there was very very cold wind that was difficult to bear. Summit was widely open to the strong wind from Irish sea and, boy it was cold evan in a summer day. We sat inside a small area where kind hearted climbers built small walled area with stones. There were three or four structures like that around the summit head.

But it is still cold and I realised Shakyra and I was shivering while Ines was insisting that we should move quickly. But Shakyra took her time to eat her sandwich slowly like she was sitting in the house in front of the TV. Well, she was quick to climb up and down and I am the one who was walking slowly. I was worried about my knee.

To climb down from otherside of the scafell towards Broad Crag was really difficult and steep. Someone already cautioned me about this. Apparently on the other side of the ridge there were few deaths few years back. They mistook the descent route and ended up in the most steeped part of the mountain.

I saw Ines slipped and fell down when we were hiking towards the Broad Crag. There was no way I could help her. I was struggling myself few feets away .Two ladies rushed towards her to help. But Ines got up at no time and moved on.

Climbing to Broad crag was difficult but once there it was amazing. It's partly because naturally created stone wall shielded the climbers from cold wind and one can rest there, while enjoying the beauty of the nature presented to the eyes. I wanted to stay there for a while but very few people were going on in this route so Ines wanted to hurry up. Also there was no proper route as such. You have to negotiate through the heavy boulders surrounding the mountainside. Then we went half way up to Great End where height stands from sea level at 910 meters. We turned to right there and then to an easy descent. When you turn left to get the final part of the journey I could see the beautiful lake called 'Spinking Tam' below.

Descent onwards was not that difficult but very long and tiring. But in the end, after long eight hours we made it.

Video:

Scale Force - highest water fall in Lake District

We hiked to see Scale force waterfall situated  in Cockermouth on the 27th of August. Scale force's name "force" derived from Norse term for waterfall. It's about 170 feet tall (around 51.8 meters) and originate from stream Scale beck. It took us about 2 hours to walk there.

When I was very young I remember walking long and hard path through a forest to  see Duninda Waterfall in Sri Lanka. That was in the seventies.  Sheer force of the water from Dunhinda was amusingly beautiful. It's about 60 meters high and 10 meters higher than the Scale force. Sri lanka's tallest water fall is Bambarakanda which is 260 meters tall and around 5 times higher than the scale force. 

As you can see the walk to see scale force was beautiful because of the surrounding mountains and the lake below in the valley.

In my point of view there is no point of scolding at people to save nature and environment. No point of posting hundreds of facebook posts to stop people and politicians destroying the forests and wild life. You have to show the people how to enjoy the nature. Those people who enjoy the nature will love the nature and  would not destroy it.

The Langdale Pike and Pavey Ark Walk

On Wednesday, August the 26th , my wife , d two daughters and I set out on our first trek at lake district. Our challenge was Gretel Landell walk. This trip takes you to several mountain peaks. Pave Arc, Harrison Stickle, Thorn Craig and Pickle of Stickle. Also, when you go to the part called Pave Arc, there is a very beautiful natural lake at the top.

These mountains are not so high. The Landell pike is about 736 meters (2415 feet). It takes about five or six hours to pass the Pave Arc, Harrison Stickle and descend to the valley below. The total distance is 12 km. At these twelve meters, there are several very steep slopes of about 150 meters. These are a little hard to climb. 

Throughout this journey a you can see a beautiful stream flows down. You have to cross it in one place jumping  over big rocks. There is a place where the water falls hard. If the foot slips,you  will fell down to the stream.

The lovely stream starts from the lake above. It took us almost six and a half hours because I was climbing down  little slower. But from the top of the mountain, you can see the beautiful valley below.

Height Gained – 730  metres ,  Distance – 12 km, Time –5 hours

The Langdale Pikes form the unmistakable skyline of Langdale and a walk along the Wainwrights of Pavey Ark, Harrison Stickle, Thorn Crag, Loft Crag and Pike of Stickle is a must do excursion for any fell walker visiting this valley.

St Petersburg to Moscow Train Journey Episode 19

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St Petersburg to Moscow Train Journey Episode 18

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From St Petersburg To Moscow Episode 17

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St Petersburg To Moscow , Train Journey Episode 16

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From Child Protection Force - Sri Lanka

This article information was taken from Dr B  Samarathunga's Facebook wall.

Child Protection Force Case No. 17

Court – Magistrates Court

Facts:

• This is one of the 3 cases that 15 year old D is a victim of.

His other cases are Child Protection Force Case No.s 19

(physical abuse) & 16 (Care & Protection)

• In this case his step father (also the accused of the physical

abuse case), is an aggressive man and always subjects the

family to domestic violence.

• The mother fled the house with the younger two kids and

dropped D at his teachers house to keep him safe.

• The teacher had to go out of town and called the house to

check if the mother was at home. The accused man told her

that the mother of D was at home and to drop D off.

• The teacher (who had no knowledge about the domestic

violence) dropped D at the house with the step-father.

• He took D to Pizza hut for dinner and bought back a bottle

of Coca-Cola and unknown to D mixed alcohol in the Coca

Cola and tried to make D Drink it. He didn’t.

• The accused then inserted a water hose into the anal

passage of D, apparently in order to clean the anal passage

before he would commit anal sex.

• He then committed anal sex on D until D fell unconscious

and didn’t know what happened to him until morning.

• The next day he went on a school trip. The teacher identified

that D was extremely quiet and uncomfortable and

discussed with the mother who came to pick D up.

• When D’s mother asked him he told her everything that had

happened.

• She immediately informed the Police and the case was filed

in Magistrates Courts.

• This incident happened in February 2018 and the case is still

at initial stages – awaiting advice from the Attorney-Generals

Department.

• The other cases – Child Protection Force Case No. 19, and

Child Protection Force Case No. 16 – is at trial stages.

• D’s mother is now a single mother. His biological father died

and his step father who is also the accused in these cases is

in jail finally after the hard work of the police and the team at

Child Protection Force.

• He lives in a rented tiny home with his mother and his two

half brothers.

• D’s mother is a hard working woman but finds it extremely

difficult to manage with her meager income.

How can you help :

• D also needs mental health assistance that costs Rs. 2000/-

per week. This is conducted by Child Protection Force.

• This particular Court case expense comes to Rs. 7500/- per

month until the case is over. (The end date unfortunately

cannot be stipulated by us)

• D loves to box and we have met an amazing coach who is

willing to conduct sessions at a discounted rate of Rs. 500/-

per session. This would be once a week.

• You could also sponsor for his education cost amounting to

Rs. 10,000/- per month. ❤️Rs. 6000/- out of this has

already been pledged by a beautiful donor

BANK : NATIONS TRUST BANK

BRANCH. : BORELLA

NAME : CHILD PROTECTION FORCE (GUARANTEE) LIMITED

ACC NO : 1001 5000 3460

SWIFT CODE : N T B C L K L X

“Children are the worlds most valuable resource and its best hope for the future” – John F Kennedy

Saint Petersberg To Moscow , Train Journey Episode 15

St Petertsberg to Moscow Train Journey Episode 14

උපුටා ගැනීමේදී කරුණාකර යොමුව ඇතුලත් කරන්න.

Saint Petersberg to Moscow train Journey 13, Moscow Suburb

උපුටා ගැනීමේදී කරුණාකර යොමුව ඇතුලත් කරන්න.

Comments for the post !Are Asians 'third-class citizens' in the UK?"

I have received following comments in facebook for the article 

Are Asians 'third-class citizens' in the UK?

I will post them as a new blog post.

Pradeep Jayatunga

I don't know about citizens but can talk as one who has been travelling to uk whenever time and money allows since 2004. It is mostly the perception. Once I was with a SL guy in a pub and he suddenly said the white guys are laughing or mocking us. i looked up and saw some people having fun among themselves. In fact when i was alone they were quite friendly towards me. Of course i am interested in the culture, history (in fact when it comes to history of the british isles i found that i know more than most native brits i've come across) and small not normally noticed quaint British stuff. So, i talk to them whenever i can. Only instances of racial insult i ever had were by unemployed drunken Welsh youth in Swansea and a slight unpleasantness by Black brit in london. That type of Welsh resent the Engish people too. Thimgs like that happen when you walk im slum areas of colombo or by threewheeler guys cutting across you. Uncivilized louts of any country and of any colour are the same.

I have found both the educated and upperclass people everywhere and also villagers, farmers and everyone in rural villages in england and scotland unfailingly friendly, polite and helpful to visitors as SL village folk. (People who make money from tourists are anyway polite. I am talking of others. )

Anyway, i have felt more equal in UK than i have felt in SL when i get pushed to the side of the road by VIP motorcades!

P. S. As i said, i say this as a traveller in UK who has spent a combined total of about 6 months in scotland wales and england, not as a citizen. Also i am very interested in small and subtle things in UK. So i take trouble to analyse things and i have time as a tourist. But some ppl having to live and work there do not like it and resent the country but do it to earn a livelihood , so they resent everything and take even unintended things as insulting. It is more to do with human nature of individuals (both white and others) than any social, political or institutional problem.

Ravi Shankar

When I visited Srilanka few years back one of my Sinhalese friend asked me whether I was treated as second class citizen in UK  and my workplace. My answer to him is Britan is multicultural country and if I have talent and work hard I will be recognised and given right place and promotions. But in srilanka As a Tamil I will be treated as third class citizen . This happened to my father. When Sinhala only amendment introduced by late prime ministers Bandaranayaka many English educated Tamils migrated to UK , Australia , New Zealand , and Canada , including my father’s relatives how ever my father stayed back and learned Sinhalese and started wishing in Sinhala majority areas in srilanka but he was not given promotion or recognition compared to his junior Sinhalese work colleges . When he retired from his work he mentioned that he made a big mistake the he didn’t fallow his Tamil colleagues and migrate from srilanka.

My answer to the question is better to be a second class citizen in a different country than be a third class citizen in your own country.

Nandana Weerarathne

For a better discussion one should translate it to Sinhala from lingua franca of South Asia ..

Ianthi Abeysekara

UK is one of the most generous and diverse countries in the world,Unless you choose to live like a third class citizen, If you are hard working and want to get somewhere in life this is the country to be, How many Asian have you seen in top class jobs, you can be a third class citizen in your own country, depends on your mindset

Punsara Amarasinghe

Well described piece ! This will be a good answer for those who are eagerly waiting to see how England would be a poor country in the aftermath of Corona ! They have that morbid pleasure !

Picture from: https://metro.co.uk/2020/06/12/emotional-impact-watching-white-people-wake-racism-real-time-12839920/