When Rajan(Patas) emailed me that he would
be in London in August –September and said he would love to meet me, I had no
hesitation in doing my best to fit a suitable date and time. He was in London
in time for the 2ndTest Match at Lords on August 18th
between England and Australia and then off on a Balkan cruise coming back to
London via Southampton. We decided on the 6th of September evening
and the Hoppers restaurant in Marylebone , London as the venue. We tried to get
ND too, but unfortunately, he couldn’t make it.
There are two Hoppers restaurants in
London, one in Marylebone and the other in Soho. They are both Sri Lankan
restaurants and provide gorgeous hoppers, both plain and egg.
We met at Hoppers as planned and had top
quality Sri Lankan style hoppers with chicken curry, seenisambol and prawns.
The meal was nice but the company and chat even more so. We reminisced a lot
and also spoke about our own families. We recalled the days when we studied together
in the small back room attached to the garage at Edward Lane, Kollupitiya where
I lived while I was a Medical student. Lubber and Vishweshwara joined us at
times. We remarked on how relatively well we have negotiated the passage of
time and spared a thought for those colleagues who were less fortunate.
Rajan came with his cheery and lovely wife
Queelan and they both yet again asked me to visit them in San Francisco. I have
been to his house a few times in the past and always enjoyed their hospitality
and also meeting batch mates who live within visiting distance.
It certainly was lovely to see them, and we
both feel privileged to have maintained contact for over 50 years. We laughed a
lot and reflected on George Bernard Shaw’s observation, “You don't stop laughing when you grow old,
you grow old when you stop laughing.”
Speedy “Mahendra” Gonsalkorale
Mahen,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing pics of Patas & wife Queelan. Enjoyed the photos. Patas was one of the few male students that I interacted with in the Colombo Batch. We were in the same clinical groups and nearby seating at lectures as we shared the 1st 4 letters(R not F!) in our family names. He kept those around him entertained with his ready wit and humour even during boring lectures.
As for the London hoppers they have perfect rims but look rather ‘holey’ and minus the raised centre. Maybe it is the British style.
Manel W
There is nothing to beat a surprise, w welcome one! Lovely to see your comment Manel. I hope you are in good spirits. About the hoppers, you are right, the centre was not quite the same with the succulent soft central area we are used to but there was some variation within the ones we were provided. The egg hopper did have more "substance" in the middle. Patas is still the sort of person you remember and describe, full of good humour and wit. Both of them are seriously in the business of minding grandchildren, as is the case with so many of our colleagues.
ReplyDeleteI know that although you don't comment much, you do visit the blog. All the best.
It was certainly nice to see Manel's comment. I don't think I had spoken at all to Manel during those five years. But all that changed after I got married because Mangala's family and Manel's family had been family friends for a long time. Rajan's was a different story although we were seated "miles" apart. Although Rajan was better known as "Patas" during our student days, I started calling him Rajan since we graduated. The only time I met Queelan was when we visited them in their beautiful Castro Valley home in California.
ReplyDeleteI too address him as Rajan now although I am sure he doesn't mind being called Patas at all. Many call me Speedy which is fine by me although I am also called Gonsal, Mahen, Mahendra etc!
DeleteNice to see you,Speedy with your good old "Chum",Patas.Good old Hoppers(Appa,Appan) bring old memories of our Golden age,in the Medical Faculty.After,exams we hopped to Maradana Dosa(Thosa)kade for good Dosa made in South Indian style.Have have never been to the Saraswathie Lodge in Wellawatta.You remember the Saraswathie Lodge saga brought lot of comments.I,am sure,Pram might organize a Hopper,Pittu,Indiappa,meal at her next gathering in Hyde Park,residence.
ReplyDeleteHi Sumathi. Of course I remember Saraawathie lodge where we had so many cheap but tasty meals. Some of us did a few cheeky things like going as a group and ordering things and then one by one leaving the place leaving only one behind and the last one would bolt while the waiters were not looking! The excuse was that we had no money and the Saraswathie owner had plenty! Inexcusable!
DeleteMahen
ReplyDeleteIt is lovely to see the photos and the write-up on your memorable meeting in that iconic restaurant. I would have loved to see Patas, Queelan and yourself but had a prior engagement which I couldn't postpone. Patas and Queelan are regulars to London and I'm sure we will meet again sometime soon. Meanwhile enjoy life until we meet again
No wonder,Ranjith had a mouthful of things to tell about the incidence that took place at Saraswathie Lodge during the Law-Medical match.
ReplyDeleteYou would know the meaning of Mahendra by now.It means the ruler of the world.There is another Mahendra(huge rock in India from which Lord Hanuman(Pasupathi) had flown to Sri Lanka.Hope! there is no disrespect for your parents giving the name "Mahendra-Mahendran in Tamil.
Mahen, Thank you for the photos and account of your meeting with Patas whom I had not met since med school days , and his wife Queelan.
ReplyDeleteYou also managed to get Manel W out of hiding !
Good to see you Manel !
Mahendra, thanks for letting us enjoy, in spirit, the mouth-watering fare at Hoppers in Marylebone. I feel I spent some quality time with the three of you, Mahendra, Rajan and Queelan, and that I had the chance to reminisce over our own days spent in a similar ‘backroom’ with a study mate or two discussing the carbon cycle for the forthcoming test! We didn’t look forward to that test but we certainly look forward to your next narration of how you spent a pleasant few minutes with some interesting folk, even more so if it is with some of our batch mates! Zita
ReplyDelete