Heroes to Zeros
And so Maldivians wake up to a another day of reality after what has been an exhausting few days of celebrations that reached orgasmic levels last night when the team that won the SAFF championships landed on home soil. It is back to the grind, back to the bitter taste of ever-increasing food prices, steep fuel charges and shocking reality of a nation in the throes of a serious budget deficit.
People, people. The nation is ready to sell lock, stock and barrel to keep up with the currency crisis that could see the dollar "peg" raised once again. It will sell everything, save for prostituting itself, or maybe even that to raise the funds necessary. And what are we doing? I heard our pasty-faced president is rewarding each player of the team RF200,000, rich chap that he is. And several more charitable well-off-people are showering the heroes with even more cash. Good for the boys. But is it enough to keep them from their day jobs as the ordinary citizens they are?
Maybe, we should establish businesses for them. Turn-key, super-successful sources of income for our heroes? Who knows. Maybe that too is in the pipeline.
Last night my friend Hassan withdrew the remaining Rf 500 from his account and spent that on a bunch of people who's names he hadn't bothered to ask - all in the spirit of national pride, on celebrations, of course. It is barely past mid-month, I wanted to remind him. But who's got the time to do checks on reality when everyone is transfixed on this massive orgy of nationalist pride? To hell with hardships and the daily sweat to feed ourselves and to make ends meet, we are Maldivians and we live for today like there is no tomorrow.
Tomorrow? What's tomorrow?
The past few days saw Maldivians of all walks of life: ministers, drug-dealers, thugs, child-molesters, rapists and your neighbourhood cross-dresser uniting like Qiyaamah arrived in party mode. Yes, it was good to see. There goes the local Quran teacher who has a special affinity towards little boys, over there is the gangster that stabbed your uncle, over yonder is the leader of that infamous gang rape, ah, and there is the cop who beat your brother to a pulp. Oh and there's the atheist mingling with the Habees. All wearing red and all jubilant, cheering and united harmoniously. Yes, my blood raced through my veins and tears welled in my eyes - or maybe I was too shell-shocked to blink - whatever it was, as the radio talk-host said, today will be remembered as the day the country united.
Yes, now we can all go back to our designated tasks now that we've united for a day or two, isn't it? The ministers to protect their coffers, the drug-dealers to there list of ministers, the thugs to their list of minister masters, the child-molesters to their list of Adaalath apologists, and the rapist - I don't know what to do with them lot. We all go marching our separate ways, with nationalism between our legs and a lump of pride in our throats for our heroes, tears welling as we look at our account balance and see the zeros.
M | June 17, 2008 10:31 AM
coz red is such a warm n cozy colour.
moyameehaa | June 17, 2008 12:19 PM
two things can unite maldivians. one is disaster and terror. the other is this. i was humorously telling people that maldives won because of boogal and we lost the only match gayom dint go to see.. so we need to re elect him now.this comment of mine became an insult for many.people were so full on patriotism that night..even people who dont give a damn about anything but star pareevar and sony entertainment television. people reminded me that this was not the time for such comments. this is a moment of unity and thanking and celebrating. now i seriously believe this have something to do with makunoo jinn tribes. see, they were all wearing red that night...and even at the holy dhenamaadhu dheythere..and even prayer time people were not in remembrance of Allah. you cant disprove that what is happening to people in male' is a result of this...therefore you have to believe it.
you should also borrow some money and reward them.this is the best thing that happened to us since the conversion to Islam.it our gaumee vaajib today....to celebrate and reward our heroes.the heroes in time.
you must do it.else your citizenship should be revoked for being unpatriotic. baaghee simon!
Hero2Zero | June 17, 2008 3:39 PM
Giving each player Rf 200k is a bit to much. Was that figure approved by the parliament or did it come out of Maumoon's pockets?
There is nothing wrong with people being united, whatever things they may have done in the past. What possibly could be the wrong thing that you see in that? In the list of Quran teachers and drug dealers, you forgot to include Atheists, fags, etc. So wouldn't that be a good thing? Football made the ever-Muslim community to forget about such people during the celebrations? Be thankful.
Hero2Zero,
Done. Atheist included. The ever Muslim community also forgot many prayer calls and other such religious activities during the celebrations.
Yes, I am very thankful. Seriously.
Faisal | June 17, 2008 6:32 PM
Hey remember in Melbourne, how we used to go into KFC really hungry, eat all the slimy KFC chicken even lick our fingers. It takes less than 5 minutes for the after taste to kick-in. Not a good feeling.
mohoma | June 17, 2008 9:14 PM
raje ga ekani tha echi hi agu bodu vani??
kome gothe viyas mi gamaki duvahakuves amila ufedunteri kame ona thane nun ehen vi ma mitha mihunge accnt balance ulheni hama mivarega
footballa ya ka mikama ma bodu gulhu mey ney
backbone mahir | June 18, 2008 8:26 AM
ok, thks for reminding
Bulhaa | June 18, 2008 6:45 PM
hear hear.
one can always trust you to come up with something like this. a rant that is actually interesting to read.
ahammadu | June 18, 2008 11:04 PM
i love this article.
i didn't dress in red just to male this point.
i didn't go out on those horn-honking cycle rounds just because of this.
i tried my BEST to convince my friends not to spend their life savings on traveling to Lanka and staying at 5-star hotels, but in vain.... only to be labelled unpatriotic (g.w.b?)
i say they have been brain-washed by week-in week-out of entertainment television in the shape of the English Premier League, Champions League and currently the Euro 2008.
we are the masters of imitation. something needs to hit us on the head. the Tsunami didn't. it only increased our comsumerism. i know it's going to be painful, but something needs to hit us HARD on the head, soon!
m.k.g. | June 19, 2008 1:01 AM
"Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one!" Charles Mackay
mohamed | June 20, 2008 4:13 AM
Like the Quran teacher, some Maldivian have a fascination for young boys and spend BIG on them. whatever; it was very joyous few days Maldives has ever seen in its history. I was amazed by the level joy on the faces after the win and what stuck me most was while waiting at the stadium for the team to arrive my friend turns to me and enthusiastically asked me "Where did all these chicks come from?" kekekekek
What I am most curios is which Dumbo's idea was to take the luggage to Galolhu Stadium?
Any suggestions people?
Bj | June 23, 2008 12:52 PM
yes, i think we've got the point on your 'quran teacher pedophiles' reiterations
Also, I think that to the list of fags and atheists mentioned above, Maldivian-Christians should also be added. Don't you think so people?
Suhail | June 27, 2008 9:57 PM
Are there Christians in Maldives? And atheists too? This is a good time to throw all the infidels out when we are in UNITED MODE. Let us do it?
kaiza shozey | June 29, 2008 4:19 PM
lol. hehehe. best post ive seen regarding the celebrations. i was jes saying the 200k thing myself two days back with the guys here. our country is struggling at the moment and where the hell did all that money come from? thats like over Rf Five Million. maybe its included in the yearly budget. can we really afford to have any more achievements for this country? *whistle whistle*
Zearpdeq | August 1, 2008 6:03 AM
good work man
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