Navigating a developing country’s challenges to access the wider world was not easy. I recall the days when owning a home phone was a luxury, and even if one managed to afford a phone, the service costs were prohibitive. In my family, we didn’t have a home phone until much later, which was quite common; phones were primarily used in offices. For the public, access to calls was mostly through telephone booths or communication centers, operating on coin, prepaid card, or pay-per-minute systems. Then came a new era in Sri Lanka: the era of internet cafes.
Until then, my main resources for learning about the world were books and video CDs. But the advent of the internet added a new dimension. In these internet cafes, one could rent a computer booth to access the internet for about 100 LKR per hour, though prices varied based on speed, ambiance, and location.
I had learned about the internet and browsers from books, but I hadn’t had the opportunity to try them out. My first experiences with the internet were exhilarating and boosted my confidence in my self-learning efforts. I primarily used the internet to learn more about the authors of the books I had read and to discover related resources. Each visit to an internet cafe ended with a list of new books and materials to explore.
One habit I cultivated during this time was taking meticulous notes about everything. I always carried a pen and a notebook. Looking back, I believe these notes were my greatest asset. More than the content of the notes, the process of writing helped solidify memories in my mind and sometimes connected dots with previous knowledge I had acquired from other sources.
Reflecting on this habit, I realize it might have stemmed from my dad. I vividly remember him always having a book and pen in the van, noting down details every time he refueled. Back then, it was just another curious observation from my childhood.
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