Sri Lanka, Feb. 18 -- To craft compelling narratives, a writer must be intimately acquainted with the dance of conflicts and paradoxes. As Sri Lankans, we thrive amidst a landscape abundant with such complexities, offering an endless wellspring for crafting compelling narratives. The more conflicts and paradoxes we have, the richer our narratives become. Having been a colony for decades and invaded by three different nations from time to time, we have inherited characteristics, cultures, and ideologies from each, mixed with Eastern mysticism.

Despite being happy-go-lucky islanders influenced by the Buddha's preaching of 'living in the present moment,' we Sri Lankans find ourselves embraced by all sorts of paradoxes in our surroundings. I...