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“Because the sunset, like survival, exists only on the verge of its own disappearing. To be gorgeous, you must first be seen, but to be seen allows you to be hunted.”
― On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous
― On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous
“Sometimes, when I’m careless, I think survival is easy: you just keep moving forward with what you have, or what’s left of what you were given, until something changes—or you realize, at last, that you can change without disappearing, that all you had to do was wait until the storm passes you over and you find that—yes—your name is still attached to a living thing.”
― On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous
― On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous
“Who do you blame for this
mess? Was it the colonials who screwed us for centuries? Or the
superpowers that are screwing us now? Who screwed us?’
‘The Portuguese assumed the missionary position. The Dutch took us
from behind. By the time the Brits came along, we were already on our
knees, with our hands behind our backs and our mouths open.’
‘I’m glad we were colonised by the British,’ you say.
‘Better than being slaughtered by the French,’ says the Priest.
‘Or enslaved by the Belgians.’
‘Or gassed by the Germans.’
‘Or raped by Spaniards.’
‘Sometimes, when I think of the mess this country is in, I think it
might be better to let the Chinese or the Japanese buy us over, let the
Yanks and the Soviets own our thoughts or let the Indians take care of
our Tamil problem, like we let the Dutch take care of our Portuguese
problem.”
― The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida
mess? Was it the colonials who screwed us for centuries? Or the
superpowers that are screwing us now? Who screwed us?’
‘The Portuguese assumed the missionary position. The Dutch took us
from behind. By the time the Brits came along, we were already on our
knees, with our hands behind our backs and our mouths open.’
‘I’m glad we were colonised by the British,’ you say.
‘Better than being slaughtered by the French,’ says the Priest.
‘Or enslaved by the Belgians.’
‘Or gassed by the Germans.’
‘Or raped by Spaniards.’
‘Sometimes, when I think of the mess this country is in, I think it
might be better to let the Chinese or the Japanese buy us over, let the
Yanks and the Soviets own our thoughts or let the Indians take care of
our Tamil problem, like we let the Dutch take care of our Portuguese
problem.”
― The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida
“All stories are recycled and all stories are unfair. Many get luck, and
many get misery. Many are born to homes with books, many grow up in
the swamps of war. In the end, all becomes dust. All stories conclude
with a fade to black.”
― The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida
many get misery. Many are born to homes with books, many grow up in
the swamps of war. In the end, all becomes dust. All stories conclude
with a fade to black.”
― The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida
“..We were born in 1948. Do you believe in nakath?’
Any musician or sportsperson worth their sweat will tell you that
timing is all. Aside from believing in yakas and curses, Lankans also
believe in nakath, in the auspiciousness of time, extending Feng Shui to
the passing of moments. On Sinhala and Tamil New Year, if you face
west and light a lamp at 6.48 a.m., you will receive joy; if you face north
and spark up at 7.03 a.m., the sky will fall.
‘I don’t believe in nakath.’
‘How does 1948 sound to you? Auspicious or suspicious?’
...
‘You watch your mouth. Do you know which countries were born in
1948?’
The Benz halts in traffic, but there are winds in every direction. ‘If
this land is cursed, it is because of men like Wijeratne and Solomon Dias.
And because of those who protect them,’ you call out, emboldened by the
distance between the creature and you.
The creature yells out the names of five countries. And the Benz
disappears with the gargoyle on its hood. ‘I’ll be watching you,’ it snarls
and you see it no more. But the five names that it called out echo in your
ears. ‘Burma. Israel. North Korea. Apartheid South Africa. Sri Lanka. All
born in ’48.’
It doesn’t matter if Maali Almeida believes in nakath or not. Because
it appears that the universe most certainly does.”
― The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida
Any musician or sportsperson worth their sweat will tell you that
timing is all. Aside from believing in yakas and curses, Lankans also
believe in nakath, in the auspiciousness of time, extending Feng Shui to
the passing of moments. On Sinhala and Tamil New Year, if you face
west and light a lamp at 6.48 a.m., you will receive joy; if you face north
and spark up at 7.03 a.m., the sky will fall.
‘I don’t believe in nakath.’
‘How does 1948 sound to you? Auspicious or suspicious?’
...
‘You watch your mouth. Do you know which countries were born in
1948?’
The Benz halts in traffic, but there are winds in every direction. ‘If
this land is cursed, it is because of men like Wijeratne and Solomon Dias.
And because of those who protect them,’ you call out, emboldened by the
distance between the creature and you.
The creature yells out the names of five countries. And the Benz
disappears with the gargoyle on its hood. ‘I’ll be watching you,’ it snarls
and you see it no more. But the five names that it called out echo in your
ears. ‘Burma. Israel. North Korea. Apartheid South Africa. Sri Lanka. All
born in ’48.’
It doesn’t matter if Maali Almeida believes in nakath or not. Because
it appears that the universe most certainly does.”
― The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida
Adrija’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Adrija’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
507 books
|
21 friends
1,174 books
|
494 friends
1,833 books
|
1,151 friends
3,347 books
|
2,738 friends
451 books
|
210 friends
157 books
|
60 friends
1,029 books
|
297 friends
254 books
|
38 friends
More friends…
Favorite Genres
Polls voted on by Adrija
Lists liked by Adrija
