Category Archives: Sri Lanka

Internet Issues

You would think in 2003 that the Internet would be fast and reliable. Not so much where I live in Sri Lanka. The major and only wired provider Sri Lanka Telecom’s (SLT) ADSL is unusable as I write this.

Around the end of the month the SLT ADSL line starts to suffer. Usually when I change packages it seems to be fine for a few months then my connection seems to drop off constantly.

When I complain 2 guys show up and fiddle with the weather battered and corroded switch-box outside and make it work for a few more weeks.

I gave up a while ago. I’ve been using a Etisalat data dongle as a backup and it seems to be the only option that I have today.

Power Cuts

Its getting a bit difficult to work with these power cuts. 3 hours in the middle of the day kills a lot of productivity. This is why I got a Macbook (35 watts) instead of a iMac (300 watts).

Working with less resources and being offline maybe a good thing as well. Makes you focus on what really matters.

Meter Taxies Will Win

Indi is asking: What kind of taxi do you usually take?

I think he is building some kind of social app for taxis. At the moment on his poll meter taxies are winning. Here is what I think about that.

I voted for meter taxies too. Its the obvious choice there. If you call for a car or van from a cab company you have to wait, they have to figure out where you are and you have to wait a bit more.

And when the car or van comes its usually in crap condition. The cab companies have ‘packaged’ out plans these days so if you don’t fall into a plan you pay more for less.

Meter tuks are almost everywhere now. So its the obvious choice. You don’t have to haggle on price and you get a decent service. You see what you are spending and there is no magic thug pricing when you reach your destination.

When you are in an unknown place if you had a choice between a meter tuk and a non-metered tuk I would bet you would take the metered one. That’s because even if you don’t know the guy the meter levels out the unknown.

My bet is meters will become the normal because its better.