Creative Spot by Srianee (Bunter) Fernando

The inspiration for this painting came from a scene I witnessed some years ago in Sri Lanka outside a Buddhist temple, where there were several stalls where flower sellers were selling mainly lotuses to the worshippers entering the temple.  It was quite a colorful and rather peaceful scene.  I took a photograph to get me started, but my painting is not exactly like the photograph.  The tree above the makeshift stall had huge leaves, which I have tried to replicate in the painting.  I have no idea what kind of a tree it is.  Maybe someone will know…

Srianee

Acknowledgement from Ramani Collure

Don Collure	11:58 (5 hours ago)
to Lakshman, me

Dear Lucky,

I would appreciate it, if you could insert the note below into the group blog on my behalf.

Thanks.  Ramani Collure.

Thank you to all  Mahendra Collures  batch mates, for the kind messages and sympathy shared during  our time of loss.  We were deeply touched by your words of condolence.

In appreciation.

Ramani Collure, Nishani and family

Rudra Rasaratnam FRCS

He did a few lectures for us in the early sixties when he was Resident Surgeon GHC. I met and spoke to him at Mrs. Padma Uragoda’s (wife of Dr. Chris Uragoda) funeral last year. Mr. Rasaratnam (as he wanted to be called) and Chris worked together in the Surgical Professorial Unit under Professor Milroy Paul (Rudra’s uncle) in the early sixties when Rudra had just returned from the UK. Rudra used to speak with a heavy English accent and I was surprised that he still had it when I spoke to him last year. Chris and Rudra were close friends and shared a common interest in wildlife.

RASARATNAM - RUDRA (Retired Consultnat Cardiothoracic Surgeon) - Son of late Mr & Mrs V. Rasaratnam,​ beloved brother of Drupathy,​ late Sundari,​ Solochana and late Anandan,​ passed away peacefully on 7th August at his residence. Remains lie at A.F. Raymond Funeral Parlour,​ Borella on Wednesday,​ 9th August from 9.00 a.m. to be followed by a cremation at the General Cemetery,​ Kanatte at 4.30 p.m.097659

Creative Spot by Mahendra (Speedy) Gonsalkorale

"Ajeeb Dastan Hai Yeh"

This is an instrumental version dominated by the saxophone (and piano) played by myself on the Yamaha Tyros 5 Keyboard work station.

This song is from the movie Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai (My Heart is Mine But My Love Someone Else's) which is a 1960 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film produced by S. A. Bagar. The film tells the story of a surgeon who is obligated to marry the daughter of a family friend, while he is in love with a colleague nurse, played by Meena Kumari. It is one of the noted acting performances of lead actress Meena Kumari's career  The film's music is by the famous  Shankar Jaikishan, and features hit song, the Hawaiin-themed "Ajeeb Dastan Hai Yeh" sung by Lata Mangeshkar. At the 1961 Filmfare Awards, it created an upset by beating popular musical epic, Mughal-e-Azam of Naushad for the Best Music Director category.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOB5B5tdJTg

This is a translation of the song (sent by Speedy)

Ajeeba dastan Hai

Main verse

What a strange story

Where does it begin

What are the stages of it

Neither he nor I understand.

First

Why does the wispy smoke

Arise from the lamp

I am having a dream

I have awoken from the dream

Second

My congratulations to you

You are now someone else’s light

You are close to someone now

So you avoid others

Third

You have someone’s love

You will begin a new life

When the evening comes

I shall remember you.

Razaque Ahamat writes.....

This is an e-mail (unedited) sent by Razaque

This is slightly belated, but cannot disappoint Rohini Ana as she was very keen to hear about  the 'incidents' that took place in my recent hospitalisation. It appears that they seem to follow me around!!

Anyway at a rather 'turbulent' period in our Blog, what... with all that Dosa & Vadai dialogue that went on and of course the jubilation of reaching the milestone of a MILLION posts on the Blog, let me say 'BIG THANK YOU' to you for all your untiring  efforts and to all the participants in these 7 years or so for their contribution, without which it could not have achieved so  much success. One moment to those shunned or who were indifferent to participate in this Forum..... "You do not, nor will ever know WHAT YOU HAVE MISSED OUT ON?".

Now for the main item of my hospital 'experience'. You all know that I was admitted to hospital as an emergency on 3 occasions within a few days. When I was admitted with my 'so called chest pain', it was an Irish student nurse who documented initial details. At one point she asked me "Do you live with your wife?" To which I replied with mischief "Yes... with my first wife". She was taken aback. Of course there were other nurses and docs & students who were 'eavesdropping' looked at me with some concern. The female Registrar smiling asked me "How many?" To which I replied "only one"...  relief to some & 'disappointment' to others who wanted to know more of the sordid details. Then I was asked why I said 'lived with my first wife?'. To which I replied "I have only one wife --- only the first one, and I was not telling a lie, was I ??" There was laughter and that 'broke the ice'.

I was then transferred from A&E to the short-stay Acute Medical Ward that had 8 bays with 6 patients in each. It was only then that I realised that it was an Uni-Sex ward!!!... lucky me!! I also realised that I was the only male in that bay...... 'the only COCK in the HEN coop'!!! .....By the way the term 'HEN' is an endearing term in Scotland for the female of the species, although 'COCK' does not refer to males!!! As night fell the two beds on either side of me fell vacant (either discharged or sent to Specialist wards). There were all types of monitoring devices bleeping away, but that did not bother me as the 2 beds next to me were now occupied by two more women of 'ginormous' proportions that I had very rarely seen ever before!! When it was time to sleep and the lights dimmed & curtains round the beds closed 'IT' began. Noises from both sides like 'staccato machine gun fire' ...  volley after volley!!.... they both were FARTING away merrily. I was kept awake by this. Then there was some activity in isle as nurses were talking to the two  ladies. Then the 'machine gun fire' stopped and after awhile there was some 'hissing' sounds. Thought the these ladies had gone into the 'slow release' mode??.

I managed to get some sleep only to be woken up by the nurse come to check  my BP / Blood sugar levels.

I told the nurse "There was some excitement last night & I could not sleep due to the  sound of passing wind by two patients. I suppose other patients may had complained??" She said "NO, it was not the sound but the SMELL,we had to spray the place with odour elliminators "!!. I said " That explains those 'hissing' noises but have lost my sense of smell some time back & I suppose I was lucky, but I unfortunately I had my hearing aid on"....... We had a laugh, ---- to put it lightly!!!. 

Next time....., there will be no next time & will be no follow-ups either as I may be gone for GOOD!!!.

Please pray for me for a "safe journey" to wherever ???

Creative Spot by Mahendra (Speedy) Gonsalkorale (New version of Pinsidu Wanney)

Please note the following e-mail from Speedy:

Mahendra Gonsalkorale	16:35 (18 minutes ago)
to me

Dear Lucky,

I am grateful to you for posting the first version on our "Millionaire" Blog!

The value to me has been the feedback, both through the blog and via email and I have revised it accordingly and redone it. I hope it is a better version now.

If you agree, you can post it on the Blog with my email note on how this came about.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjVA_HF28c8

Very best wishes,

Speedy

Hooray! We have a million hits.

I have been very busy these last few days, especially with visitors, domestic travel, minor house repairs etc. In fact, I was trying to keep an eye on the magical figure, but sad to say, I missed it. I was hoping that the ever alert Speedy will come up with a brief message to viewers on my behalf. He has come up with a gem even without my requesting him to do it. I am so grateful to Speedy for coming to my rescue at such times. Here it is:

Mahendra Gonsalkorale	22:18 (10 hours ago)
to me

To all visitors of our Blog site, "Colombomedgrads 1962" which was started and maintained by Lakshman (Lucky) Abeyagunawardene.

On this day the 24th of July 2017, the number of page views reached the landmark figure of 1,000,000. This happened at about 5.10 pm UK time today.

This does not mean that the Blog was visited 1 Million times as we know that numbers are boosted by unwanted visitors known as "web crawlers", "bots" and other automated programmes seeking information from the web. But nevertheless, it is an indication of the popularity of the blog and in my view, a significant achievement.

I have attached a screenshot of the 1,000,000 hits to which I have added Lucky's photo and the very first Blog page in 2011.

I am sure the entire 1962 Medical Batch will join me in raising a hearty cheer for Lucky. Hip..hip..hip (I hear a loud hurrah!), Hip..hip.. hip..(I hear an even louder hurrah!), Hip..hip..hip (I hear a huge hurrah!)

Speedy