tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5647561953942883640.post2185286200872167905..comments2024-03-28T01:09:01.462-07:00Comments on Colombo Medgrads 1962: My 20th Century impressions of Doris Cottage and NugegodaLucky Abeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14193645922522446176noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5647561953942883640.post-15278288358422719462015-03-25T18:52:17.307-07:002015-03-25T18:52:17.307-07:00ND, I meant to write to you several weeks ago to t...ND, I meant to write to you several weeks ago to tell you how much I enjoyed your article on "Nugegoda". I live in Nugegoda, and my father and grandfather were also from Nugegoda. I marvel at your ability to recollect the past in the way you have done.<br />I still remember visiting 'Doris Cottage' with my friend Sweni, your aunt. It doesn't exist now.<br />Did you know that Gotabaya Rajapakse wanted to widen Church Street further, and the Vicar informed all of us that our family graves will have to be re-located? My father's family are all buried in St John's Church yard. I don't know whether this plan has now been halted.<br />Someone has written a book on the history of Nugegoda, and I'm sure you will enjoy reading it.<br />Please do keep writing to our Blog, for your articles are so interesting.<br />SrianiAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5647561953942883640.post-58015153613500990912015-03-16T12:26:45.947-07:002015-03-16T12:26:45.947-07:00ND,
Need I reiterate what Mahen has written in his...ND,<br />Need I reiterate what Mahen has written in his first paragraph! <br />I am totally in agreement with him.it is always a pleasure to read your very informative writing.Rohini Ananoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5647561953942883640.post-84986370224303029162015-03-13T06:58:51.294-07:002015-03-13T06:58:51.294-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Dr Nihal D Amerasekerahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02583970465135902534noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5647561953942883640.post-21946629713254244352015-03-13T06:56:39.418-07:002015-03-13T06:56:39.418-07:00Mahen
The first paragraph of your comment is what ...Mahen<br />The first paragraph of your comment is what I try to achieve when I write. I am so very pleased to know you think I have achieved what I set out to do.<br />I too recall going to play with Chirasri at Melder Place with my cousin Nirmalene who knew her. Perhaps Chirasri may not recall as so much time has passed. Although I recognised her in our batch but was too shy to ask. I certainly do hope she reads our Blog<br />Thanks again<br />NDDr Nihal D Amerasekerahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02583970465135902534noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5647561953942883640.post-61791840223623108452015-03-13T06:38:15.387-07:002015-03-13T06:38:15.387-07:00Mahen,
Thank you for the kind comments. Here is an...Mahen,<br />Thank you for the kind comments. Here is another bit of my life story.<br />I feel deeply nostalgic for the past. Recalling old memories and writing has its own pitfalls. I have mentioned that Ranjit and Vernon Kulatunge have both passed away, from information I received through a 'reliable source'. Ranjit emailed me soon after to say "My obituary was greatly exaggerated". He lives happily with his family in Edgeware ,Middlesex just 30 minutes drive from me and has been there since 1957. I only wish I knew!!<br />ND<br />Dr Nihal D Amerasekerahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02583970465135902534noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5647561953942883640.post-7803757047103722622015-03-13T06:18:22.920-07:002015-03-13T06:18:22.920-07:00ND, Once again I marvel at your amazing ability to...ND, Once again I marvel at your amazing ability to recollect and then transfer these memories so eloquently to paper. You have an instantly recognisable style which is both soothing and at times haunting.<br /><br />I lived in Nugegoda in the late 40s and early 50s but I am unable to recollect such details as you have done. We lived in Melder Place (and so did Chirasri Mallawarchi - now Jayaweera Bandara. The Mallawarchis and the Gonsalkorales had great times together). I used to be taken to my first school, St Johns Girl School, by rickshaw. I was there for only 1 year and then moved on to Girton and from there to St Thomas's Prep School, Kollupitiya. I still recall somewhat faintly that I had a girl friend called Gowri when I was at St Johns. Of course girl friend those days had a very different meaning! <br /><br />I can remember a few places you mention like the Metro cinema, National Bookshop, the Railway station, KV line, for example. I also remember the Petrol Shed (as we called them) run by JPA De Mel. My father used to sign a "chit" with each filling and settle the bill monthly. <br /><br />All of us, like you, went through the annual ritual of "cleansing" of the system with an Opening Dose. We were given "Aralu" and spent the whole day in the toilet. I suppose the thinking was that all the muck that comes out from our rear ends, must somehow poison the system! Mind you, there was a Western Fad many moons ago when colectomies were performed for the same reason (to get rid of toxins). We now know that there is a grain of truth in these beliefs when we consider the use of Lactulose for those with liver failure. But of course there is no medical justification at all for use of enemas and/or laxatives by adherents of "cleansing of the system to get rid of toxins", at large even in our more enlightened state of knowledge.<br /><br />You mention Dr Guy Paranawithane and I do remember him well. His son took over his Surgery, I seem to recall. Always impeccably dressed in a white suit. For some reason, a short neck and thick lips also come to mind. He used to make house calls and we had a basin of water, soap and a piece of lemon to clean his hands after his usually cursory examination. He had a very serious air about him and we waited for the moment when he sat down and wrote a prescription which even those days obeyed the dictum that "doctors have bad hand writing". We used to play act doctors and patients and I used to enjoy writing the prescription starting with an impressive Rx!<br /><br />Your Grandparents sound unique and sound people with good old fashioned values. I can well understand your love and respect for them.<br /><br />I visited our old house at Melder place nearly 20 years ago during one of my visits to SL and I was amazed at how my recollection differed from reality in terms of proportion. I had this image etched in my memory of a rather large garden in front of the portico and car port and what I saw was a small patch of grass! It then dawned on me that rats perceive cats as giants!<br /><br />I could go on but let me stop here and thank you for your lovely nostalgic contribution.Mahendrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11940825368030959494noreply@blogger.com