2022

No one has claimed that 2022 is their year after having to juggle their lives in the past two dreadful years.  The just past December was celebrated by most as if there was no tomorrow. It may be short lived but nobody seemed to care.  

The diaspora arrived in their numbers though several sadly could not make it back because they tested positive just before they caught the flight to this paradise isle. Many are elated that a load of foreigners arrived filling up the many empty hotels. 

Even though a few commented that we now seem to be living in two alternate worlds where the country is now seemingly divided into the haves and the have nots, Colombo folks saw the New Year in with great gusto. The haves certainly rocked it by ringing in the New Year with great firework displays and lighting shows from the Port City.  We could certainly be proud that we were like the wealthier countries in any other part of the world seeing the New Year in such great splendour. New Year resolutions were not on the peoples’ cards this year though. 
It was not a good year for the majority, with no cooking gas, the lack of milk powder and other daily essentials being beyond the purse of many.  The soaring cost of living added to the struggle of merely living and wondering how the day could be seen through since prices have shot up and not their earnings. Feeding the family, educating the children, paying rent, utilities and transport costs,the price of vegetables and other basic commodities drains off all that is earned in less than a month.

Life goes on.  Sri Lankans are a very resilient people.  Let us all hope that we overcome the pandemic and the current economic crisis in 2022

Just when everyone thought all was lost the Government announced a massive economic relief package that included a monthly allowance to government wage earners, pensioners and Samurdhi beneficiaries, and tax concessions on some essential items, making people feel that there was a light at the end of the very dark tunnel they were going in to in the New Year.We will all live in great hope everything will work out and that all the jubilant celebrations in December would have been worthwhile.

Life goes on. Sri Lankans are a very resilient people. Let us all hope that we overcome the pandemic and the current economic crisis in 2022.  

Happy New Year!