The Blog – The perils, panacea
and prognosis
Nihal D Amarasekera
The internet is one of the finest inventions of the 20th century. It has the ability to connect with every home in every continent. With such great power and potential there is a need for security and safeguards too. The United Nations say: “The Internet should be governed on the principles of human liberty, equality and fraternity,” wisdom derived from the national motto of France.
Ours is a unique batch of medical students for its academic brilliance, tribal unity and bohemian lifestyle. After those glorious years in the Faculty, we needed a vehicle to keep us together and we found an ideal place on the internet. The blog has been riding the ether for just a decade with great success. It has always been a place to meet and greet and exchange views without fear or favour. As it is said ‘facts are sacred but comment is free’ and that has been our mantra. The only taboo is politics. The blog has remained a close community and a social gathering online. This has become our ‘Pub with no beer’.
The Blog is a forum of friendship and it brings to the surface the loyalty and the camaraderie that existed all through the days in the faculty. The chats that go on as comments, sometimes endlessly, reminds me of the animated discussion we had walking the long corridors of the GHC with the stethoscope around our necks, joyfully swinging our knee hammers. All are welcome to join us and I’m certain it will give you that intuitive experience of "déjà Vu".
Once a year in the in the month of May we celebrate the lives of those who joined our batch in 1962 and have now departed this world. The Poems, songs and articles that appear on the Blog are specially written for the occasion and are a poignant reminder of the friends we have lost and the many good times we have enjoyed.
Lucky Abey did the initial groundwork and started the blog way back in time. Maintaining the blog is great fun but I’m sure it has its moments. This can be an onerous task and a stressful one too. Both Lucky and Mahendra have given their precious time to keep it alive. There is no advertisement revenue and there is no money to be made. They give us their time free. We thank them for their support and their friendly management style and admire their commitment to the cause.
The blog is a Godsend in this time of Covid when Reunions are relegated to a distant dream. For me personally, the blog has been wonderful to communicate my thoughts. It has been a tremendous help to keep in touch with friends. The comments are by their very nature a forum for a chat and much of that goes on when friendships are reconnected, memories are recalled and views are expressed.
The Blog has been laid out for easy access and it is well managed for our batch friends to contribute and comment. The Blog Managers can take the horse to water but they can’t make it drink. It is a sad fact that the regulars who contribute to the blog are few. Their numbers can be counted on the fingers of two hands. There are the ‘silent guests’ who fly in and out of the blog without leaving a trace. The ‘silent majority’ never visit the blog. This is their personal choice which we respect. Whenever there has been an effort to drum up support for the blog there are many who promise fervently but those promises fall by the wayside only to be lost in the rough and tumble of life. It is most heartening to hear people say “Blog is a nice idea” or “do keep it going” but it needs your active support. The ancient Biblical proverb “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” says it all. We all realise and eminently aware life does get complicated at times. The profession, health and family must take precedence. Then the blog can be the last thing on our minds. We do understand your inability or reluctance to join. We send you our best wishes. If there are any batch-mates who wish the blog to continue and are free to join I would urge you please to contribute or at least make comments. Show us your presence in the blog and that you care.
Like most digital tools and devices the Blog has its inherent problems. The inability to use Safari to make comments on an iPad is a great drawback. But this is not an insurmountable problem. Lack of technical skills should not be a hindrance in the 21st Century. For those who have technical problems accessing or using the Blog help is at hand. Mahendra is a fine teacher, a friend and confidant to all. He will guide you through the various stages and sort out any specific issues. One can also send any comments to Mahendra by email which he will publish on your behalf.
With the passage of time, the numbers of regulars have dwindled. We all miss the late and great Razaque Ahamat. With all his pranks and foibles he entertained us on the blog with his special brand of cheeky impish humour. He lived in Scotland. I remember once, perhaps I overstepped the mark and asked him why he lives so close to the North Pole and if he uses a snowmobile to get around. When I phoned him to apologise I was so pleased he had taken it as a joke and we were able to have a laugh together just like in our youth. Even now as I peruse the blog I see him in my mind's eye wagging his finger and sporting that mischievous smile.
There are times when the contributions to the blog receive very little response. This is understandably disheartening to the authors who have toiled for days or weeks to perfect their pieces. It is true some of you may not like what you read but it has been done with the best of intentions by our very own. The contributions and comments are drying up and there is now a sense of foreboding. Are we witnessing the last gasps of a dying Blog? I am pleased Mahendra has done a survey, I hasten to add Not a witch-hunt, to decide on a way forward for the blog. Now, the people have spoken. Long live personal choice. It seems like we will let nature take its dignified course!!
Those in our batch who do not visit the Blog will not be reading this. I do wish the rest will pass on the message to join us and to be in touch in these our final laps of our journey. We have the amazing ability to reach the blog from the comfort of our own homes with a few clicks of the rodent.
The Blog is a repository of batch memorabilia. If anyone wishes go down memory lane I would urge you to read the prose and the poetry in the blog from its very beginning. It is indeed a tremendous collection worthy of preserving for posterity. The whole blog is an archive of the history of our batch from the rag at Registration right up to the endless turmoil of the Finals and everything else in between. The colourful descriptions of the Men’s Common Room and it’s raucous parties, the elegant dances at King George’s Hall and the unforgettable final year trip are memories to behold. There are also stories of the busy internships and how life panned out for us in the wider world. There are fine tributes to our departed colleagues and also to our professors and clinical tutors. This indeed is a part of the history of the Faculty of Medicine in Colombo and I wonder if they care to get a copy for their archives.
We all hope the blog will survive
the long silences and the ravages of time. So far the blog has served us well.
The onus is on each and every one of us to decide. Nothing is forever. There
will come a time when the person managing the website will have no other choice
but to pull the plug on the blog and end it all. What comes to mind is that
famous quote from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar when Marcus Brutus
drove the knife into Caesar “Et tu Brute”
Thanks for your analysis and appeal. We have done all we could to entice more participation. Let us see the outcome in the coming months. I am heartened by what we found in the survey. I hope some of our veterans will come up with some suggestions to make the blog even more compulsive to visit. On a personal basis, the blog has enabled me to re-establish contact with so many of my batchmates. Carry on blogging!
ReplyDeleteMahen
ReplyDeleteThank you for commenting. As you rightly say re-establishing contact is one of the finest functions of the Blog. What more can we say or do except for nature to take its course!!
Hope! this is not going to be the last and final reminder to those silent & dozy group.
ReplyDeleteThanks ND for the very funny but accurate article My hilarious laughter made all around think I was nutty
DeleteArgyll Duke orRobertson
DeleteSumathy
ReplyDeleteTrue. The blog cannot survive without visible support. Perhaps there is no real appetite for the blog anymore despite the positive vibes on the email survey. At a time when most people are confined to their homes if they dont blog with comments the 'writing is on the wall'. Got to be realistic about it.
There is a saying I am very fond of and it goes like this. "Those with high expectations are miserable, those with low expectations are content and those with no expectations are the happiest". Words of wisdom slightly modified by me.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteMahen
DeleteYou are closer to NIRVANA than I am
Nihal, thank you once again for eloquently spelling out the need to keep the blog plodding on. I think there are many who responded to Mahen's survey, who conveyed the wish that we keep it going. It is important that we encourage our friends to make comments and get in touch with everyone. Because of the blog I have recently connected with Virginia, Nithya and Chanaka, privately on email. I had not been in touch with them much since we graduated. (I did exchange a few emails with Virginia a few years ago.) One of the things I did to prod me into action was to submit my email address in the box on the right labeled "follow by email." Now every time there is a new article posted, an automatic email is sent to me. I think this will help to remind me to check in and add a comment. Our friends shouldn't feel that the comments need to be profound or long. One sentence will suffice so that we know they are reading the blog and staying in touch. Thanks to everyone who keep the blog rolling on.
ReplyDeleteOh, by the way I like "The Pub with No Beer." Should we add that as "AKA?"
Srianee
DeleteThank you for commenting. I'm sure your remember the 1962 song by Slim Dusky:
Oh it's-a lonesome away from your kindred and all
By the campfire at night we'll hear the wild dingoes call
But there's-a nothing so lonesome, morbid or drear
Than to stand in the bar of a pub with no beer
It was ever so popular in SL. As I recall it is the story of a man who walked 50 flaming miles through the blistering heat of the Australian outback to a pub which has run out of beer. Naturally he was pretty despondent.It wasn't water he wanted!!
Hi Srianee. I too have reestablished contact with Nythya and also with Chirasri. "The Blog is Beautiful"!
DeleteWords are easier than deeds Nihal!
DeleteNihal, I do have a vague recollection of that song 😊
DeleteHi Nihal
ReplyDeleteI agree this is an ideal time to visit the blog and participate with comments,stories,incidents,keep in touch with batch mates etc.
Mahen is a fine teacher,friend and confidant as you have described and he has helped me with my post to the blog.
I hardly visited the blog for a long time until my friend Kumar introduced me in March this year.Maybe there was a reluctance for that initial breakthrough,I cannot give any particular reason.Now I consider myself a keen blogger,enjoy the fun and try to create fun.
Razack was very funny.I attended a meeting at the Royal College of Pathologist and was with him at the tea break,talking about the med school days.Suddenly he rushed off,telling me in sinhalese "he was going to give his hand''(atha denna yannawa}.That sounded very funny but I had no idea where he was heading.I was wondering whether he was going to hit someone.Later he explained to me what it was all about,I was relieved and so was he.
The blog has given me an opportunity to recall past incidents,reconnect or get to know some batch mates better.Hope to see some new faces.Lucky and Mahen keep the Blog going,thanks.
Bora
DeleteIt is great to hear from you. Your Razaque story has an honest ring this time!! We are looking forward to the next episode of "Bora's Banter"
We are grateful to Kumar for introducing you to the Blog but where is the guy? He writes so well we would love to have him on the blog more often. We await the continuation of his childhood memories.
Yes, it is great to have you on the Blog Bora and join us veterans. Mystery to solve- The Kumar Konundrum!
DeleteBora, I have a question for you; did you and Razaque practice pathology? If you did, I didn't know that. We certainly do miss his humor on this blog. He was always referring to waiting in the "Departure Lounge!" Is anyone in touch with his wife? I would like to send an email to her. If anyone has it please send it to me via email. PLEASE DO NOT POST IT ON THE BLOG! Thank you.
DeleteSrianee
DeleteI have phoned Razaque's wife several months ago. We had a long chat about those happy times with Razaque. If you need the phone number I can send it to you more securely. No email.
Srianee and Nihal Sent you what I have by email. Good luck
DeleteApologies ,ND,Mahen,Lucky and all.
DeleteI will return.
Kumar
Kumar
DeleteWunderbar!! Welcome to our Pub with no beer. In this time of Covid we all need friends and company. No problem of social distancing No Lone Ranger masks. No hand washing either.
Walkum Kumar! Good to see the return of the "prolific" son!
DeleteBora, we are missing our good old Razaque a lot. He is one similar to late Ranmutu, when it comes to jokes. I too joined the block late and I was told about its existence by the blog administrator himself. Lot of thanks goes to Lucky.
ReplyDeleteI agree Sumathi. Razaque had a wonderful sense of humour and that prized ability to laugh at oneself - he was so refreshing. I am sad that my proposed visit to see him never materialised as he didn't want me to come while he was dealing with his medical problems.
ReplyDeleteHi Srianee
ReplyDeleteBoth Razaque and I did Haematology as senior Registrars and then went on to do Transfusion Medicine.I do not have his wife's E mail address.They had a child who was very talented in music either violin or Piano.
Hi Srianee
ReplyDeleteI forgot to mention that in the UK,
Histo Pathology,Bacteriology,Biochemistry,Haematology and Blood Transfusion all come under The Royal college of Pathlogist.In Sri Lanka there is a seperate college for Transfusion Medicine,probably the only one in the world.
Bora,
DeleteIn the US, Pathology training consists of Anatomic Pathology (Histo (surgical) path, cytology, autopsies etc), and Clinical Pathology (clinical chemistry, microbiology, hematology (lab) and blood banking. After my residency training it was common to do the boards (as I did) in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology. Once a pathologist starts practicing in the "real world" they end up focusing on an area of their choice. My first appointment was in a community hospital affiliated with the University of Connecticut and my Chief wanted me to to focus on supervising the Blood Bank of the hospital in addition to my duties in anatomic pathology (which all of my colleagues shared).
Other colleagues were responsible for the microbiology and hematology lab etc. My role as the Director of the Blood Bank involved a lot of education of my clinical colleagues, particularly the rather rigid surgeons, who were not open to suggestions from a younger (God forbid, female!) colleague. It was a challenging task, especially when AIDS complicated our lives. During that time I attended several AABB (American Association of Blood Banks) conferences which drew many international professionals. I didn't have much interaction with patients except rarely, when a clinician asked me to reassure a patient about the risks of blood transfusions. Most of my duties involved managing the blood supply optimally!
SriLanka wants to be different from rest of the World.That is my presumption.
ReplyDeleteHi, this is Zita, late as usual but always there!
ReplyDeleteDear Nihal, you have written an excellent account of the purpose of Blog ’62, it’s birth by Lucky’s grit and pluck aided by Mahendra’s support and the 10 years long journey of this invaluable asset of Batch ’62 colleagues giving their juniors, seniors and friends a chance to share in the good things that appear on this Internet site accessible by the click of a ‘rodent’ as you say! Your summary encompasses everything significant and I hope that batch mates who read it will share its contents with other silent batchmates and friends. Your comprehensive summary will hopefully awaken everyone and get them contributing their ‘mite’ in the form of words in comment, articles on any subject that takes their fancy save politics, a verse, a story, few words of wit and humour, the list is endless. Nihal, I congratulate you on taking this step to wake up Batch’62 from slumber. All the best always, from Zita
Dear Zita
DeleteIt is always a pleasure to read your comments as they are reassuring and encouraging. We all appreciate your presence in the blog despite your busy schedule. Do write your lovely poems when you have sometime as they are thoughtful and done with such great feeling. Thanks you
Zita, rodents have been guinea pigs for centuries to save human lives!We all are using mechanical rodents in our daily life.
ReplyDeleteHey, that's very interesting to hear! Now come on, how about a little snippet or a bigger article on 'Rodents in the past, present and future' or Rodents in Technology oh there are so many ideas and you are the best one to extrapolate it, my dear, and you'll be uplifting the humble rodent to its well deserved position at the present time! Or let it be any subject you fancy if the rodent is too furtive and hasn't much clout! We wait in hope!
DeleteZita
DeleteMy knowledge of the rodents are mostly from the University Entrance days when we dissected Ratus ratus kandyanus. Then we learnt from Prof Rajasuriya about the pneumonic and bubonic plague caused by these little rascals and Prof Chapman and Dissanayake about the bacteria and the fleas.I prefer the digital types to those ubiquitous live ones.
My knowledge of rodents is not any better than yours Nihal. I do recall the dissection of rodents, cockroach and the shark Scoliodon on my A Level days. As to the value of going through that process, I do question it now.
DeleteMahen
DeleteI agree with you entirely. U.E Dissections were a total nonsense. Even anatomy dissections have been done away with by most universities. Interesting to see the 20th century with 21st century spectacles. The importance put on McNaughtens Rules was the other nonsense. Never used it, dont know anyone who did? I never could understand the English in Muir's Pathology. Samson Wright was a good door stopper like Bell Davidson and Scarborough. I think they were written for those who already knew the subject and didnt need it anyway.
Nihal and Mahen, I beg to differ with you. I think our dissection of small animals was invaluable (OK, maybe not cockroaches!). I think it prepared us for the years we spent in the Anatomy Lab in Medical College and came home reeking of formalin! I have a funny story about Rattus Rattus. At Ladies'College zoology was taught by Mr. Pannikar who came after his day job at Ananda College. He was a kind and fantastic teacher and we loved his fatherly manner. I don't remember where we purchased our rats for dissection, but they were always in short supply. I shared the fact that I needed more practice in dissecting rats with my mother who was teaching at STC at the time. I think STC was raising lab rats under the direction of Mr. 'Brookie' D'Silva. My mother appealed to Brookie, who kindly supplied her with one, and she brought home a dead rat in her bag so that I could practice! After that, if Brookie spotted my mother on her way home he would yell "Mrs Fernando, I put a rat in your bag!" He got a kick out of that. I'm sure that Bora and Kumar remember him.
DeleteSrianee
DeleteAbout dissections of animals I thought just like you when I was younger. I've gone soft in my old age and don't like the act of killing any animals.
This is a good discussion. I am sure that dissecting animals must have some benefits (apart from the unfortunate subjects) but what I am not so sure is whether it was necessary. Would I have appreciated zoology more as a result? May be. I have never studied the reasons why dissection was introduced. I am sure those who did must have had good reasons. I am now stimulated to some research (also known as googling!). Certainly we must have been conditioned to seeing bodies as they are.
DeleteYou may also recall the poor cats who were murdered (yes, murdered) in the Pharmo dept so that we could see the effect of various drugs on the cardiovascular system. The poor cat was still alive while being subjected to this terrible harassment and killed after the experiment was over. I was really upset and always questioned the need for it. Our empathy is goes up the evolutionary scale with "nil" for amoebae, a glimmer for a cockroach and increasing unease from rat upwards!
DeleteMahen and Nihal, I may be blocking out some memories, but I don't remember cats being killed. I think I would have had a problem with that. Nowadays we don't have to actually do dissections because so much can be done virtually, as airline pilots do when they are training on simulators. I don't know for certain but maybe there are simulators to train surgeons. For example, you accidentally nick an artery and the patient bleeds to death - all virtual. Does anyone know if teaching programs are using such techniques? It is probably happening in the field of robotic surgery.
DeleteSome sad news to share
ReplyDeleteI heard that Neil Halpe who was at Peradeniya in our parallel batch passed away a few days ago. He was a Consultant in Obs and Gynae at Kandy. Some will know him from Anuradhapura where he worked his internship. An old Trinitian he was appointed the Senior Prefect in 1960. Smooth and self-confident, Neil held this position with flair, style and swagger. There is no greater honour for any schoolboy than being the Head Boy of the school. Neil was greatly respected as a physician and supporter of sports in Kandy. With his enthusiasm and energy Neil was a well known and popular figure in the Hill Capital. He was from Kuliyapitiya and I got to know him briefly during my time in Kurunegala.
The cremation took place at the Mahaiyawa Cemetery. We send our condolences to his wife and family
May he attain the Ultimate Bliss of Nirvana
I too heard about Neil's demise. I didn't know him personally but do have some recollections, although faint. I recall him as a flamboyant character with intensity and flair.
DeleteSorry to hear about Neil Halpe. Wasn't he in one of our senior batches? I may be confusing him with someone else. My sympathies to his family.
DeleteNihal, you spoke to me about his demise,a few days ago.I met him for the first time during the Law-Medical match and for the second time at Anuradhapura General.He immediately recognised me when landed at HO's residence to find a place to live.There was no room for MO OPD.Fortunately, there was a house near by and I was accepted.Since finishing Internship,he left Anuradhapura.A few years later,I heard that he got his MRCOG and back in SL.He was a non assuming type.It is sad to hear his demise.
ReplyDeleteNihal'I could not make head nor the tail out of Pathology by reading Muir's Pathology.I have no ideas about the feelings of others.
ReplyDeleteSumathy
DeleteYou are not alone.
I borrowed a Text Book of Pathology by Boyd which was so much better. That with Path Cooray's notes did for me. I've always taken the path of least resistance.
The best textbook in Pathology was by Walter and Israel. I liked the book so much that I purchased an old copy about 15 or 20 years ago. My Bibles were, De Gruchy Haematology, Paul Wood cardiology, Crofton and Douglas for Respiratory disease, Sheila Sherlock for Liver, Russel Brain for CNs, De wardener for Renal and few more.
DeleteHey,Mahendra! That's a great 'confession' to have used the best recommended books for each of those subjects! I had to buy them second hand or read till very late in the Library and take down notes. In our era life for medical students wasn't easy.
DeleteMahen, I agree with you about Walter and Israel. The authors were Canadian, I believe. In fact, I liked it so much that I bought and used the latest edition when I was studying for my Pathology Boards. It helped me immensely and I remember the sections on immunology explained everything very well. That was 1977, oh so long ago!
DeleteSrianee, the book I have now is the 4th Edition published in 1974. The other book I now recall is the Physiology book by Guyton, so much more readable than Samson Wright, and of course Last's Anatomy.
DeleteMahen, I am still hanging on to my second edition of Last's Anatomy (1959) along with my twelfth edition of Bailey and Love's Textbook of Surgery (1962). I love the illustrations in both, although the photo of Bailey's missing thumb has been left out in my edition, alas! I regret giving away my Walter and Israel.
DeleteI knew Neil Halpe during the 6 months course and also at the Central Bank where we were casual clerks. He went to Peradeniya and I was in Colombo.
ReplyDeleteThank you for conveying the sad news.
Lots of conversation about different subjects on the blog. This to me is how the Blog should be. A place for written chat. It is open to all, quick, done in your own time on any topic.
ReplyDeleteNihal, When we talk about rodents, it reminds me of the days in the Medical School where we had to rush from the operating theatre and from the wards to attend those boring lectures. We were running like rodents who are been followed by predators.
DeleteI do like your chat, Sumathi! You have the talent in the good use of day to day words, even those that have negative connotations! And why not!
DeleteAnd just like Nihal has said, this presentation of his has brought out many of our batchmates, making chit chat. More the merrier and it's so good to see such smooth and easy dialogue!
I too remember, Neil Halpe in the 6 months batch. I used to give him rides on my Vespa , didn't know he too was OB-Gyn, would love to have caught up with him. Quite a few of our batch mates are Obstetricians, whats it about women and our batch. Incidentally my father was DMO Anuradhapura in the 50"s, and the hospital and the DMO's quarters were within walking distance of the renowned Ruvanwalisaya temple
ReplyDeleteHi Patas
DeleteAnuradhapura in the 1950's must have been rather remote with poor transport and malarial as well.Life must have been interesting with the Government servants forming a social community playing bridge enjoying evening parties.
I remember Anuradhapura as our North Central capital with historical buildings and religious sites where we were taken on overnight trips from school in a couple of buses jam packed with our school friends. The impression it made in my mind still lives!
DeleteHi,Patas,I had a friend from 1960 batch who had a MRCOG,who told me that a lot of our female colleagues hated that part of their Anatomy so much,they did not want to go into One&Fun.My fried died few years ago.This is a true story.
ReplyDeletePlease read One&Fun as Obs&Gynecology.Ipad and mobiles cause lot of mistakes.
ReplyDeleteSumathy
DeleteIf you stop autocorrect in your tablet/phone then you will be in control of what you type.
Sumathi and Rajan, as you may be well aware I have been visiting Anuradhapura, Monday to Friday, every other week since April 2015, to teach the Final Year Rajarata students. I reside in a guest house along Bandaranaike Mawatha near Kada Panaha. Every morning I go for a walk on the walkway adjacent to the Nuwara Wewa, which I did this morning as well.
ReplyDeleteIn the 1970s I travelled by car to participate in the Annual Sessions of the BPA in Harrowgate. On my return I broke jorney and spent the night with Tony and Nan de Sylva. That night Tony organised a party and invited Neil Halpe as well as WDH Perera ,who was adermatologist. Neil kept us entertained with his story telling and singing late into the night,which all of us really enjoyed. Neil's girlfriend in Peradeniya (name withheld) was transferred to Colombo and joined our batch, so as to break the romance. There were few others who were also transferred for the same reason.
I know of two lasses who took up Obs&Tyne from our batch, they're Pramilla Kannangara (Senanayake) & Chithra Perera.
ReplyDeleteSanath
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your thoughts and memories. Anuradhapura has a special affection for me for its history and peaceful serenity. My memories of the city are from the 1960’s and recall visits to the old Rest House. I think it was called Tissa wewa Rest House which had the feel of an English Mansion. The New Rest House was the Nuwara Wewa Rest House – do correct me. I was a regular visitor to Anuradhapura as I lived at the edge of the dry zone in Kurunegala.
Harrowgate you mentioned is a popular Spa town, as you know, and a favourite venue for Medical Conferences. I recall staying at the plush Majestic Hotel at a Radiology Conference many years ago. Those memories of that wonderful evening with Tony, WDH and Neil you will cherish forever. Neil was the life and soul of any party. An effervescent and a lively guy and a raconteur like no other.
Thank,you,Sanath,
ReplyDeleteYou always bring to us very interesting stories.Anuradhapura was a very familiar town to me after working in the General for almost two and half years.
WDHP was a house Officer to late Dr DJ Attygalle, during our Final year. His future wife was a Intern at Ratnapura General, few months junior to us and a Graduate of Peradeniya. She was a charming and friendy. I felt heartsick when she told me that she was hitched to WDHP.I am sure, Srianne D will remember her well.
Sumathi ,
DeleteIt’s better to have loved and lost ,than never to have loved at all.
Lord Alfred Tennyson
Hi, Kumar, I have heard the phrase "love is blind" and yet to read the novel by William Boyd.
DeleteSumathi, Yes I remember Wineetha, who married WDH Perera, very well. I was in touch with her for a while, but then we lost touch as it sometimes happens. She lives in Colombo now.
Delete(I have a distinct recollection of having written this comment earlier, but it seems to have vanished into the ether!)
Thank you Srianne, that name has not evaporated from my mind I didn't want to enter name in the blog to keep it confidential.
DeleteKUMAR COMMENTS:
ReplyDeleteI am posting this on behalf of Kumar. (if others have problems posting comments from Chrome, please go to "Settings" and make sure Third party cookies are enabled)
Dear Srianee,
Brookie was one of our most colourful teachers. He had a good sense of humour ,was cheery always and very caring of the students. Ranjith Dambawinna tells the story of how Warden de Saram denied him Public Schools colours in athletics on account of a trivial misdemeanoUr. Brookie went up to the Board of Governors and righted it.
When I was denied my rightful place as wicketkeeper in the first eleven cricket team in 1961 he tried to help.But the master in charge who was the usurper’s
uncle could not be budged.
He was our Zoology master in the UE forms.He could lecture brilliantly when in the mood ,but these were few and far apart.We were fascinated,by his ambidextrous drawing of the weird animals we had to study. Bora will be able to amplify.
I attended Mr Panikkar’s dissection classes in Pembroke. He was very good. No wonder that there were so many Anandians and LC girls in our year.
I met his daughter at Harsha SAMARAJEEWA’s place some years ago. She was with her husband a physician in USA.You may know him.
Kumar
Yes Kumar, I know Mr. Pannikar's daughters and their husbands very well. I had the privilege of attending his 80th birthday many years ago before he passed away. I think he remembered me!
DeleteKumar,Bora,Nihal and others,Panikkar's elder daughter Shanthini is married to a good friend of mine S Parameshwaran aka Sandy Warren as he calls himself now. Sandy who was with me at RPS and RC and was in our junior batch.He is a Paediatric Neurologist in New Jersey.Shanthini is a radiologist. I visted their home in New Jersey few years ago; it was a huge mansion with a museum containing many artefacts from all over the world. Sandy or Para as I call him, is a frequent visitor to Sri Lanka. Few years ago he gifted some valuable EEG video recording equipment to the LRH. Last year he did the same to the Karapitiya Hospital (to my former unit). He invited me for the event and about five of us from the RC 1954 Group participated.The house where I lived in Karapitiya from 1980 to 1991 together with all the adjoining houses which were adjacent to my former unit, were being demolished to build a Children's Hospital, at the same site.
ReplyDeleteWhat better monument could I have hoped for because it is going to be named after me and called "Lama Rohala"!
Shanthini's younger sister married Nihal de Silva who was in our junior batch and are in the US as well. Nihal captained the Ananda College cricket team.
The topic regarding dissection of rats fills me with a lot of nostalgia. When I was researching for my PhD(London), I spent many hours in the animal house situated in the top floor of the Institute of Child Health building, adjacent to the Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street.My experimental model was the Wistar rat and I used to induce anaesthesia with ether and later inject phenobarbitone to maintain it.Ihad to keep the animal alive for a few hours until I infused various fluids into it's jejunum and later sacrifised the animal for further pathological studies. With great difficulty I oobtained an Animal Licence from the British Home Office. One morning without any prior notice an Inspector from the Home Office visited me, to see me "in action". Presumably it was to check whether I was causing undue pain to the animals. At the end of my research which lasted two years and three months, I had sacrificed 787 Wistar rats!
ReplyDeleteDear Srianee/Sanath and all,
ReplyDeleteIt was the younger daughter and husband I met at Harsha S.I told her how much I benefited from her father’s teaching.
Para was at Swyrie and Ken’s party after the 2017 reunion.I am very pleased to hear of his success and charity.I was friendly with Para,Thiagaraja( vice captain of Royal cricket team ‘62)and Trevor Jansen.Also an ophthalmologist whose name escapes me right now(W ....)
They were all great guys and a credit to their school.
Ken showed me his personal collection of paintings;I had told him of my fascination with George Keyt.Apparently Keels have a collection of GK paintings in their head office.Hope a national gallery will house GK’s paintings one day.When that materialises I will donate the three original sketches I have.SL has had some outstanding painters.I can heartily recommend Sapumal Foundation gallery in Ward Place to veiw the paintings of the ‘43 group.
How appropriate that the children’s hospital in Galle is called the Lama Rohala.
Joe Wijenayagam.He contacted as one of his children wanted to do an elective in Australia.
DeleteHi Sanath
ReplyDeleteDelighted to hear about "LAMA ROHALA",you deserve it.
Loyalty to a friend is a quality which I very much admire in you.During our internship,we got to know one of the "squatters"(NOT Ranmuthu) very well.Many years later this friend of ours fell into disrepute.He was found guilty of an offence which he did not commit.Many of his Sri Lankan friends did not want to know or associate with him.You were one of the very few who stood loyal to him and continued to keep in touch.Remember the two of us going to his place for dinner,I was very impressed with the way his wife supported him during that very traumatic period.
I started writing about our trip to Katharagama and the eventful followup.I had to relate the most interesting bits in an indirect way and sacrifice the fun.Not sure whether it should be posted in the public domain.If I complete the story ,I will forward it to you.
Sanath
ReplyDeleteLAMA ROHALA? Excellent. The rest of the letters will roll out in good time to complete the name. You deserve it. Your service and commitment to Paediatrics is well known.
A tip to those having problems posting a comment, worth trying this. Go to your Browser's settings and make sure that Third party cookies are enabled. if this sounds too technical, please send me an email and I shall explain further.
ReplyDeleteGoing off on another topic now, since we are all sitting at the "Bar with no Beer," here's something that might interest everyone.
ReplyDeleteLast night I saw the movie "Funny Boy" on Netflix. It is the film adaptation of the excellent book by Shyam Selvadurai (DDN Selvadurai's son) who now lives in Toronto, Canada. Several Sri Lankan, Indian and Canadian actors are in the movie which was filmed in Sri Lanka. Familiar locations are featured such as Royal College (Yes, that one!), Holy Family Convent and the Dutch Burgher Union. The director is Deepa Mehta who is famous for her movie trilogy "Earth, Fire, Water." She is known for tackling controversial topics in her films. I thought it was very good, and would love to know what you all think.
I forgot to mention that you need to turn on the subtitles if you don't understand Tamil! Tamil and English is spoken in the same conversation, which is quite normal in Colombo, as we all know.
DeleteHi Srianee
ReplyDeleteVery keen to see this film,I have Netflix on my TV but not good at accessing films,I will give a try.
DDN'S brother Paul was a class mate of mine at STC Mount.DDN's mother in law was our matron at STC prep,Her daughter Christine(DDN'S wife) qualified from the Colombo Medical College in the early sixties
Whilst in Colombo we go to the DBU on most Wednesday nights for dancing.Delicious "Lump Rai"is available in the cafe.
Hopefully if I get a chance to see Funny Boy,will give you a feedback.
Looking forward to the Inaugeration.
Bora, I came to know Christine when she followed the DCH Course in our unit at the LRH in the 1970s. I came to know Hubert Aloysius also very well at that time. In 1971, I used to play tennis at the Queens Club with Hubert, later visit the Otters for a swim, billiards and drinks and end up at Mayfair or Lion House for dinner. Some mornings when I woke up, I could not rember arriving home in my Triumph Herald the previous night.
ReplyDeleteHubert is the person who introduced me to pipe smoking. When I went to London in late 1971, when I asked Hubert what I should bring for him, he requested a pipe. I bought two pies and gifted him one. Many years later at the height of the JVP insurrection in 1988, when I was living alone at Karapitiya, to get rid of the boredom during the enforced blackouts, I started smoking my first pipe. Thereafter Michael Mars gifted me a few pipes. When I was on sabbatical leave and working in Worthing Hospital between 1996-1998, I used to visit car boot sales and purchase pipes. Now I have about 150 pipes. Unfortunately I ran out of my stock of pipe tobacco few weeks ago, and it is not availble for purchase here at present. Initially I smoked Island Pride tobacco.
HI Sanath
ReplyDeleteLion House and Mayfair brings back many happy memories,spent many hours chatting along with cup tea punts.Enjoyed the Godamba Roti or Egg Hoppers.I
remember going to watch a Billiards Tournament with you and a few friends from the Main quarters,at the Samudra Hotel(Now The Taj) in 1967.
Bora,Lelie Driffield won the championship that year
ReplyDeleteSorry, Leslie Driffield
ReplyDeleteHi Lama
ReplyDeleteI remember Christine as a nine year old,she must have been about thirteen to fourteen at that time,fair ,lean and tall.The seniors in the boarding used to play either cowboys and crooks or police and rogues,Christine used to take part.Vividly remember Christine being tied to a tree during the game.She must have turned out to be an attractive lady doctor.
Bora, I agree, she is quite attractive. I met her at the Otters few years ago
ReplyDeleteSumathi, Pramilla Senanayake was not an Obstetrician. She was the Medical Director of the local Family Planning Association and there after occupied a high position in the IPPF based in London.
ReplyDeleteThanks,I got it.I was under the impression she went into OBS&GYN with her MRCOG.
ReplyDelete