Side rant
I wish to expand a bit on the topics of my previous post… but still have a lot more to expunge (hmm, that doesn’t sound quite right… in fact kind of gross), a lot more to expound? Ah, a lot more I wish to impart (that’s better) regarding my impressions of Sri Lanka, it is difficult to write in a more orderly fashion about the subject as most of the impressions are of relatively small things that pique the curiosity as they defy the normal conventions as to which I am accustomed – or to but it more bluntly, I’ve noticed things that have broken misconceptions and stereotypes previously held.
A few examples with a bit of background; within the first week I decided it would be a wise idea to get a local cell phone as I wanted to do some traveling on my own and it would be a good way to keep in touch with relatives and perhaps ask for help if hopelessly lost or in other dire situations. Now Canada for all it’s status as a first world nation is a horrible place in concern of cell phone companies and plans offered, even with three cell companies the plans and prices are much greater than in the United States as well customer service is treated as something of a fanciful myth. I’ll share my own experience concerning my plan with Bell mobility which I wanted to suspend while in Sri Lanka since I really wasn’t going to use the phone – which they wouldn’t allow. So I asked if I could use the phone in Sri Lanka and how much would it cost? They replied that the cost per minute would be $5.99 – for roaming charges! (just to keep the cell phone on would cost six dollars a minute) As well, to reduce the plan to the cheapest available still meant paying $40 CAD a month for a service I’m not using. Even the pay as you go plans are not much better, you would have to spend at least around $100 for a cell phone and then minutes are on average $0.25/min with an expiry of 30 days.
So looking for a phone in Sri Lanka, with relative ease got a cheap phone with simm card (activation chip for the company)… with due apologies I’m going to add a bit more in my criticism of Canadian cell companies. Another thing that really bothers me is the fact that most of the cell phones are ‘nerfed’ or aren’t able to use all the features they are designed for because the companies don’t support them or use a proprietary operating system on the cell that forces you to use their services, again using Bell 
as an example; my cell in Canada is technically capable of using mp3’s for its ring tones and I should be able to just hook it up to my computer to add files and choose the ring tone of my choice. However Bell’s operating system has disabled that function, instead forcing you to purchase inferior ring tones from their network with additional cost of $2-$3 CAD per tone! As well if you decide you want to change companies – you can’t use the same phone! This forced loyalty only works because companies can continually get people into 2-3 year cell contracts (since the pay as you go plans are pretty bad in themselves) that seem attractive at first but in reality means a royal ass-[expletive deleted], by the company.
Whew, well getting that off my chest I’ll continue my Sri Lankan cell phone experience, so the cell phone with activation came to Rs. 4000/ which is roughly $40 CAD, and for per minute usage it is Rs. 5-7/ $0.05-0.07 CAD per minute (with per second billing) and the expiry date of the minutes is 6 months! As well there is IDD (International Direct Dialing) from the cell, so I can call Canada for only $0.20 CAD per minute! It is cheaper to call Canada from Sri Lanka by cell that it is to use a cell in Canada for local calls! The mind literally implodes from the absurdity of the whole thing. (Of course I’m aware of labour costs, market forces and such… still there is a bit of a point here)
In any event I now have a cell phone and if anyone feels like calling me up the local number is 071 9022989, not sure what the country codes for Sri Lanka are but in any event for the price of one month of cell service in Canada I can buy a cell and also purchase enough minutes to comfortably last for about 3 months here, it doesn’t make sense but then again the world really doesn’t make much sense in general – and if it did we would all lead rather boring lives.
Unfortunately ran out of time to continue with other observations and confusions, such as seeing a Buddhist monk buying a hands free set – consider for a moment the image of a Buddhist monk as one giving up worldly possessions and living a life dedicated to reaching enlightenment as well as helping others reaching said status. Now consider why a monk would need a hands free cell phone attachment… no good reason comes to mind but I’ll expand on the subject at a later time, so much to write about and so little time (and internet).
I wish to expand a bit on the topics of my previous post… but still have a lot more to expunge (hmm, that doesn’t sound quite right… in fact kind of gross), a lot more to expound? Ah, a lot more I wish to impart (that’s better) regarding my impressions of Sri Lanka, it is difficult to write in a more orderly fashion about the subject as most of the impressions are of relatively small things that pique the curiosity as they defy the normal conventions as to which I am accustomed – or to but it more bluntly, I’ve noticed things that have broken misconceptions and stereotypes previously held.
A few examples with a bit of background; within the first week I decided it would be a wise idea to get a local cell phone as I wanted to do some traveling on my own and it would be a good way to keep in touch with relatives and perhaps ask for help if hopelessly lost or in other dire situations. Now Canada for all it’s status as a first world nation is a horrible place in concern of cell phone companies and plans offered, even with three cell companies the plans and prices are much greater than in the United States as well customer service is treated as something of a fanciful myth. I’ll share my own experience concerning my plan with Bell mobility which I wanted to suspend while in Sri Lanka since I really wasn’t going to use the phone – which they wouldn’t allow. So I asked if I could use the phone in Sri Lanka and how much would it cost? They replied that the cost per minute would be $5.99 – for roaming charges! (just to keep the cell phone on would cost six dollars a minute) As well, to reduce the plan to the cheapest available still meant paying $40 CAD a month for a service I’m not using. Even the pay as you go plans are not much better, you would have to spend at least around $100 for a cell phone and then minutes are on average $0.25/min with an expiry of 30 days.
So looking for a phone in Sri Lanka, with relative ease got a cheap phone with simm card (activation chip for the company)… with due apologies I’m going to add a bit more in my criticism of Canadian cell companies. Another thing that really bothers me is the fact that most of the cell phones are ‘nerfed’ or aren’t able to use all the features they are designed for because the companies don’t support them or use a proprietary operating system on the cell that forces you to use their services, again using Bell 
as an example; my cell in Canada is technically capable of using mp3’s for its ring tones and I should be able to just hook it up to my computer to add files and choose the ring tone of my choice. However Bell’s operating system has disabled that function, instead forcing you to purchase inferior ring tones from their network with additional cost of $2-$3 CAD per tone! As well if you decide you want to change companies – you can’t use the same phone! This forced loyalty only works because companies can continually get people into 2-3 year cell contracts (since the pay as you go plans are pretty bad in themselves) that seem attractive at first but in reality means a royal ass-[expletive deleted], by the company.Whew, well getting that off my chest I’ll continue my Sri Lankan cell phone experience, so the cell phone with activation came to Rs. 4000/ which is roughly $40 CAD, and for per minute usage it is Rs. 5-7/ $0.05-0.07 CAD per minute (with per second billing) and the expiry date of the minutes is 6 months! As well there is IDD (International Direct Dialing) from the cell, so I can call Canada for only $0.20 CAD per minute! It is cheaper to call Canada from Sri Lanka by cell that it is to use a cell in Canada for local calls! The mind literally implodes from the absurdity of the whole thing. (Of course I’m aware of labour costs, market forces and such… still there is a bit of a point here)
In any event I now have a cell phone and if anyone feels like calling me up the local number is 071 9022989, not sure what the country codes for Sri Lanka are but in any event for the price of one month of cell service in Canada I can buy a cell and also purchase enough minutes to comfortably last for about 3 months here, it doesn’t make sense but then again the world really doesn’t make much sense in general – and if it did we would all lead rather boring lives.
Unfortunately ran out of time to continue with other observations and confusions, such as seeing a Buddhist monk buying a hands free set – consider for a moment the image of a Buddhist monk as one giving up worldly possessions and living a life dedicated to reaching enlightenment as well as helping others reaching said status. Now consider why a monk would need a hands free cell phone attachment… no good reason comes to mind but I’ll expand on the subject at a later time, so much to write about and so little time (and internet).
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