SRIANEE DIAS- MY JOURNEY PART II

 The Journey Continues…Srianee Dias

We drove into Kentucky on smaller highways and some very curvy, hilly roads, enjoying the gorgeous countryside and lush, green horse farms.  Following the suggestions of some of the people we met in Ohio, we stayed in Bardstown, Kentucky, which is well known for its bourbon distilleries.  We decided against taking a tour of a distillery and instead made a spontaneous visit to the art studio of a well-known Kentucky artist, Jim Cantrell.  His watercolour paintings were outstanding, and he had been the official artist for Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby several years ago. We spent some time talking to his wife who gave us invaluable information about other places in Kentucky worth visiting.  She mentioned an Artists’ Village in Berea, and so over a cappuccino at a nearby coffee shop, we mapped out our route to get there. 

On the way to our destination, we discovered two small, but very interesting liberal arts colleges founded by Presbyterian leaders in the 1800s.  In Danville, KY, we bumped into Grace, a student at Centre College, who walked with us to her campus, and said that she was a 5th generation legacy student at this college.  She had been studying Mandarin for 12 years! Berea College was also similar in size (approximately 1400 students) but offer full scholarships to all students who qualify.  Every student is expected to work on campus.  It was the first College in Southern US to become coeducational and racially integrated.  Marsha and I both felt that there was something very special about this place.  We were directed to the Danforth Chapel by a recent graduate who was busy welcoming students to a conference that morning.  The Chapel was closed, but we found a secluded garden and discovered the unique north wall of the Chapel where there were stones interspersed with the bricks, from different spiritual landmarks of the world.  There were stones from the Canterbury Cathedral, Abraham Lincoln’s tomb, a pyramid in Egypt, and even a stone from India given by Mahatma Gandhi. 

In the Artists’ Village in Berea we met yet another watercolour artist, who was also a calligrapher, who had begun his painting career after retiring from many years in the insurance industry.  He seemed to be very busy travelling, painting and teaching; illustrating the fact that after all there is a life after retirement! 

Next, we travelled on a long and winding (unpaved!) road to the “Tater Knob Pottery,” a family operation where they create one of a kind works of art.  It was tucked away in a remote area outside Berea. We made this effort at the suggestion of the artists we met in Berea, and we didn’t regret it.  The young potter, David, explained and demonstrated the process of making these products, starting with obtaining fine quality clay, processing it to remove gritty particles, and finally creating the numerous hand-painted dishes, pitchers, cups etc., which are all lead-free, and microwave and dishwasher safe.

Later he also shared his struggles with opioid addiction, and how he had lost several close friends to opioid overdoses.  We had read about the devastating tragedy of opioid addiction in these parts of the country, but now we were hearing about it first hand. 

Our original idea had been to drive all the way to Iowa, but since we were now slowing down our pace and lingering longer in the small towns, we made a decision to head south to Tennessee for a little bit and then northeastward back to Connecticut.

At the border of Tennessee and Virginia we drove through the sister cities of Bristol, Tennessee and Bristol, Virginia. Apparently, the states are separated by the double yellow line in the middle of Main Street, where a brass plate demarcates the state line!

(Unfortunately, we found this out on Google after we had driven through!) Before leaving Bristol, Tennessee, we managed to spend some time in the welcome shade of Steel Creek Park, where we enjoyed a paddle boat ride in the small lake, which was very relaxing and fun.

Our overnight stop that evening was in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where the battle of Gettysburg took place in July, 1863, during the American Civil War. Four months later in November that year President Abraham Lincoln gave his famous Gettysburg address.  Since both of us had previously visited the battlefield and other tourist spots, we spent the next morning exploring the historic buildings and chatting with shopkeepers.  Many churches and private homes had been converted to hospitals at that time and were now identified with plaques, commemorating those historic sites. 

On our way to the Amish district in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, we stopped for lunch at the Peruvian restaurant I mentioned earlier. The owner had decorated the walls with a large mural documenting his arrival and life in the US.  I had never seen anything like that before.  He was obviously a grateful and proud immigrant. 

That afternoon and the next day were spent exploring the Amish areas in Lancaster on a bus tour.  The Amish people had left Switzerland and Southern Germany in the late 17th century where they were being persecuted for their beliefs which differed from the traditional teaching of the Christian churches at the time.  They have maintained their unique, simple lifestyle and religious practices while living among non-Amish people, whom they refer to as “The English”.  They embrace modern technology only on their own terms and refuse to be controlled by technology.  We did see a few younger people pulling out their mobile phones out of their pockets!  They use horse and buggies for their transportation and their electricity is battery powered or generated by propane tanks.  They rely on their “English” friends to drive them to distant places.

We learned that there are about 200 similar communities throughout the US and Canada. 

Our last day before driving back to Connecticut was spent exploring a few towns on the banks of the Hudson River in New York State, just a few hours north of New York City.  These are also charming, historic small towns, that had played a major role in the battles for independence from the British.  At the suggestion of one of the hotel staff we took a commuter train from New Hamburg to Cold Spring and met several friendly, kind people who were more than willing to direct us to interesting places.  They were not very different from the people we had met in Ohio, Kentucky and other places.

On our drive back to Connecticut we realized we had travelled by car, train, bus and boat (paddle boat) on this trip!  We had driven 2460 miles in 13 days, averaging about 190 miles/per day.  We drove through 12 states although we didn’t stay in everyone.

It was a very rewarding and “eye-opening” adventure!

A few more of my paintings

A few more of my paintings

Dr Nihal D Amarasekera

I am very grateful to Nihal who most willingly agreed to differ this post allowing me to publish the news on Zita before his -. Speedy

 Hummingbird

These chirpy little colourful birds were abundant in our garden in Gampaha where we had many nectar-rich flowers. They make a humming noise as they fly and are the only birds that can fly backwards. They have good colour vision and are attracted by red colour. But strangely they have no sense of smell. There are no hummingbirds in the UK or Europe

 

Goose

Ducks, geese and waterfowl belong to the same family and are distantly connected to Swans. They are found abundantly in the Americas, Europe and in the Indian subcontinent including Sri Lanka. Geese mate for life. They have a long history with humans, the Egyptians having domesticated them 5000 years ago catching them on nets on their migratory routes from Africa to Europe and Asia.

 

The Owl

Being a night bird, since ancient times, it has been surrounded by mystery, magic and myths.

During my childhood in Sri Lanka I’ve heard it said that the mournful sound it makes in the night is a bad omen and brings misfortune. Reportedly, the deaths of Julius and Augustus Caesar were foretold by an owl. But this did not prevent Lord Tennyson from paying homage to that handsome Prince of the night.

The Owl (1842) by Alfred Tennyson

When cats run home and light is come,

And dew is cold upon the ground,

And the far-off stream is dumb,

And the whirring sail goes round,

And the whirring sail goes round;

Alone and warming his five wits,

The white owl in the belfry sits.

 

When merry milkmaids click the latch,

And rarely smells the new-mown hay,

And the cock hath sung beneath the thatch

Twice or thrice his roundelay,

Twice or thrice his roundelay;

Alone and warming his five wits,

The white owl in the belfry sits.

 

Grasshopper

They belong to the most ancient group of chewing herbivorous insects dating back 250 million years. Swarms of them called locusts have caused famines since Biblical times. John Keats was a poet of the same generation as Byron and Shelley. His brilliance as a poet was recognised posthumously after he died of tuberculosis age 25. Even in his short life Keats felt a need to pay a courteous tribute to the humble grasshopper.

On the Grasshopper and Cricket BY JOHN KEATS

The Poetry of earth is never dead:   

  When all the birds are faint with the hot sun,   

  And hide in cooling trees, a voice will run   

From hedge to hedge about the new-mown mead;   

That is the Grasshopper’s—he takes the lead     

  In summer luxury,—he has never done   

  With his delights; for when tired out with fun   

He rests at ease beneath some pleasant weed.   

The poetry of earth is ceasing never:   

  On a lone winter evening, when the frost    

    Has wrought a silence, from the stove there shrills   

The Cricket’s song, in warmth increasing ever,   

  And seems to one in drowsiness half lost,   

    The Grasshopper’s among some grassy hills. 

A special poem from Zita

 ZITA PERERA SUBASINGHE

Dear Colleagues,

Our much loved and valued colleague Zita is not well at all. At her request and with her permission I am posting this poem which she wrote while in hospital. She will be discharged very soon but will be in and out for some time undergoing treatment. She will greatly appreciate your good wishes and prayers on her behalf. Please email her if you want more details as I feel that is proper. .   Speedy

Life’s great, really worth living

I’m terminally ill

I accept graciously

It’s not anyone’s will

Life throws at us cautiously

 

    But not too much to bear

    Not beyond our power and will

    But just enough for us to care

    There’s some life ahead still

 

So let’s make the most of it

This chance of togetherness

Let’s enjoy life, savour it

 

    I love you all, my family

    My friends and all who care

    I’m so lucky even willy nilly

    To have you with me there!

 

Life’s great, really worth living

If you take the Good with the Bad

Learn the gentle art of giving

For sure! You’ll never be sad!!!

A tribute to some of our teachers

A tribute to some of our teachers I admired

by Dr Nihal D Amarasekera

Our teachers in the faculty bubble were our icons. We feared and respected them in equal measure. To make portraits of them now, even after all those years is a daunting task. The photos I have of them are ancient, grainy and in black and white. To draw portraits in colour from them makes the task much harder. They were faces so well known to us and still are. I have made every attempt to make it as close as possible to the real thing. As I am a novice I’m sure you will have the good grace to forgive those glaring omissions and inaccuracies. My enormous respect for them remains unchanged. As I worked on portraits I have often wondered what my subjects would have thought of my efforts. I sincerely hope this wouldn’t disturb their well-earned repose and rest. 

Prof G.H Cooray

In the Faculty of Medicine in Colombo and in Ceylon he was the Voice of Pathology. His educational contribution was immense. As a lecturer, his laid back but precise delivery was matchless.  He spoke perfect English, taught us diligently and to the best of his ability. I can still recall in great detail the first time I sat in the lecture theatre to listen to Prof Cooray.  His masterly introduction to the pathology of inflammation has remained with me ever since.  Those classical signs of inflammation, Rubor, Calor, Tumor, Dolor and  Functio laesa have now been permanently imprinted in my brain. The Prof, with his formidable intellect, had this remarkable ability to deliver facts in a logical sequence and transport his audience to the complex world of pathology. After a career in medicine spanning 40 years I can say, unequivocally, he is the finest teacher I have ever had. His success as a teacher earned him a huge following of many generations of grateful students. Prof. Gerald Henry Cooray passed away in 1970 at the age of 62. 

Dr P.R Anthonis

When I think of the surgeons that taught me the name that comes across in flashing lights, above everyone else, is Dr PR Anthonis. He was not only a fine surgeon, excellent tutor, a fine raconteur, he was a phenomenon. PRA was a mentor to many. His ward classes were pure theatre. He knew the art of getting a message across to the students.  Although calm and placid he never tolerated nonsense.  He was firm when it was necessary. PRA was always courteous to his patients, his students and the nursing staff.  His natural curiosity led him to make fine observations. He tried his best to pass on this superb skill to his students. After an illustrious career in the Health Service Dr Anthonis retired in 1971. He worked in the private sector well into his 80’s. He was a devout Buddhist and passed away at the age of 99. 

Prof K Rajasuriya

Prof Rajasuriya dressed immaculately. His gait was measured as was his speech. He was fearless and forthright and had controversial views about nationalism and religion. But in his capacity as the Professor of Medicine, he was fair and unbiased. In those days we accepted the idiosyncrasies of our teachers with good grace, assuming their intentions were honourable.  The culture of bullying that was prevalent in the faculty was also present in British hospitals. This was also our salad days of youthful paranoia. When Professor Rajasuriya passed away in 1975 we lost a dedicated teacher and a fine clinician. I personally would like to thank him for the part he played in my medical education. I take the cue from the title of the 1996 song by that English Rock Band - Oasis – Don’t look back in anger. 

Prof. N.D.W Lionel

How on earth can anyone make Pharmacology interesting?  It is a mass of information to be memorised. This unenviable but important task fell on Dr Lionel, as he was known then. He was a fine lecturer and a friendly person in that tough milieu of medical education of our time. He was well known nationally and internationally. Prof Lionel will be best remembered for his clinical research, contributions to the National Formulary Committee and the State Pharmaceutical Corporation. I came to know him more closely while working in the Central Blood Bank in Colombo and my professional career was at an impasse. He was helpful, down to earth and a fine mentor. Prof Lionel passed away age 56. Perhaps there is some truth in the old saying “only the good die young”.

 

Prof H.V.J Fernando

After a brilliant career at Royal College he entered the Ceylon Medical College in 1937.  Subsequently, he qualified in Forensic Pathology in London gaining his MD and also becoming a Barrister at Lincoln’s Inn. He became the Professor of Forensic Medicine in 1959 and retired in 1984. His lectures were comprehensive didactic and at times monotonous and soporific. Away from the faculty bubble, he was a live wire being president of the prestigious Sinhalese Sports Club, the other past presidents being D.S Senanayake and Sir John Kotelawela. Medical students of my era will remember him sing a duet of the famous song about the  “Officers daughter who hanged and died” with Dr WDL Fernando at the Health Department Sports Club at Castle Street. They both received a rapturous ovation. That is a memory I will never forget although the forensic medicine I learnt never survived beyond the viva voce examination. 

Dr M.O.R Medonza

I remember our 2 month appointment with Dr Medonza very well.  At its completion, he called us to his house for dinner and drinks. There he treated us as equals. He taught us the basics of clinical medicine with his characteristic wit and humour.  After graduating in medicine with first-class honours he trained as an Army medical specialist. At the end of his military duties, he was awarded the Defence Medal, the War Medal and the Burma Star. Being a well-known and popular medical specialist Dr Medonza enjoyed a lucrative private practice. He had many interests outside medicine. He played cricket for the Ceylon Medical College and also played billiards and bridge. He had a deep and lasting interest in Buddhist philosophy. Dr Medonza enjoyed a rewarding professional career and lived a full life. He passed away in 1991. 

Note by Blog Admin. These amazing portraits were drawn by ND

 

  

SRIANEE FAST FORWARDS US TO THE PRESENT!

 SMALL TOWN USA - SUMMER 2021

A holiday experience I was fortunate enough to manage in these difficult times..... Srianee "Bunter" Dias. 

After a seemingly endless winter of being “stuck” in my West Hartford , Connecticut home I was beginning to get edgy and restless.  My annual departure to Sri Lanka via Germany was out of the question in January 2021.  An idea was beginning to germinate in my mind.  Since travel abroad was not permitted, what if I could make a road trip when the weather and other conditions improved?  The COVID-19 vaccination rates in the US were on an upward trajectory so this seemed like a definite possibility. 

In late March 2021 I flew to Florida visit my older daughter.  (This was my first plane trip since I returned from Sri Lanka in March 2020!)  During my visit I connected with my friend Marsha, who had moved to Florida from Connecticut a few years ago. She had also been “grounded” by the international travel restrictions. I shared with her my idea of visiting small towns in other parts of the US with the goal of observing and listening to people who were different from those who were familiar to us, in our part of the country (i.e. “The Blue States.”) My curiosity had peaked after the events of January 6th.  Meanwhile, Marsha herself had also set an unusual goal for herself; to have conversations with 1000 strangers within a year! 

Our ideas came together quickly and by June 10th 2021 we were on the road heading north to the Adirondack region in New York State.  A final destination was not set. (Friends and family compared us to “Thelma and Louise” - a movie that I had not yet seen!)  At first we were cautious, booking places to stay 2 days ahead, because I was not looking forward to sleeping in the car! But soon we were “winging it” and began booking hotels a few hours ahead.  

The Adirondack area is a Forest Preserve in New York State, consisting of 6 million acres of forests, lakes and wetlands, with many recreational opportunities.  (Skiing, camping, fishing, boating etc.) There is a mixture of private property and state owned land in that area. We probably could have spent a week exploring the area, but after spending one night in the rustic “Black Mountain Lodge” near North Creek, we headed to the Finger Lakes region, also in New York State, where the landscape was breathtaking.  Geologists believe that the Finger Lakes were created about 550 million years ago by melting glaciers. In addition to the eleven long and narrow lakes, many gorges and waterfalls dot the area. 

As we travelled northward into New York State we discovered places in several lovely little towns which were perfect for “pit stops,” One such discovery was a General Store in Jacksonville, Vermont. 
In Greenwich, New York, at Lynn’s Cafe. we had a slice of a supremely delicious chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting!  By the third day on the road we realized that we needed to spend less time driving and more time savoring the small towns, talking and listening to the people who lived in those places.

 In Western Pennsylvania we visited Falling Waters, in Mill Run, which is the location of an iconic house designed by the famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright.  This unusual home is built on cantilevers over a waterfall! We met a few interesting people there, including a young architect from Iran, who now lives North Carolina.

In Fairmont, West Virginia, we dined at 'DJ’s 50s and 60s Diner which was decorated in the 50s and 60s style.  The friendly waitresses were happy to share their stories with us, including the fact that their diner was the location for filming a zombie movie!

On our way to Ohio we decided to take an exit off the highway to visit a really tiny town, Ellenboro, West Virginia, where the population had shrunk from 363 in 2010 to 217 in 2019. (Marsha was accessing these tidbits on her smart phone while I was driving!). In just 5 minutes we had driven past all the buildings in the town, but then we spotted something curious.  As I was turning the car around to get back to the highway, we noticed a logo on a truck belonging to Sewer and Water Company.  It looked like a glass-blower!  As we were puzzling over this riddle (what did glass blowing have to do with sewers?) we spotted two guys getting into the truck and asked them what the connection was.  They informed us that the town once had a thriving glass factory and suggested that we talk to “Sammy” who lived in the red brick house up the street.  We drove a few feet up the street and found Sam Hogue, a former employee of the glass factory, who now makes glass marbles! The marbles range in size from

small machine made marbles, like the ones we played with as kids, up to large ones that were really works of art, that one could proudly display on a shelf.  There were numerous jars and egg cartons containing hundreds of thousands of marbles filling his workshop and garage from floor to ceiling.  The garage also housed a Model T Ford!  Sam Hogue was an interesting character who was a legend in his town and had been featured in a television special! Who knew that we would meet a TV personality in this remote little town? (One can find him on Google under “Hillbilly Marble Maker!”) 

We discovered ethnic restaurants in the most unlikely places.  A Lebanese restaurant in Parkersburg, West Virginia and a Peruvian restaurant in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, examples of how the world is changing.  Both places had survived the lockdowns of last year because of the “kindness of loyal customers.” 

In Adams County, in southern Ohio, we visited the Great Serpent Mound.  This is an effigy mound which is believed to have been created by ancient Native American cultures. It is in the shape of a huge long serpent with a curled tail, extending over 1348 feet.  It is probably best viewed from a low flying aircraft. The significance is still a mystery and archaeologists don’t have all the answers. It is not a burial mound, but may have astrological significance. -The age is also still being disputed.  Some research archaeologists suggest that it was built sometime between 800 BCE to 100 CE. Others have dated it as CE 1000 to CE1500. 

It is a National Historic Landmark and may soon be recognized as a UNESCO Cultural Heritage Site.  The kind site manager spent a long time answering our questions and giving us a brief history of the place.  The weekend after our visit was the summer solstice, and thousands of people were expected at the site, because on that day the sun sets directly over the head of the serpent effigy.  (At the winter solstice the tail points to the sunrise.) 

During lunch at a restaurant in the nearby town of Peebles, we couldn’t help overhearing an older man’s irate cellphone conversation in the booth behind us. He was expressing his frustration over thefts of gasoline from the tractors on his property.  He was threatening to “take out” the perpetrators because the police were not doing anything about it.  When my friend got up to refill her water bottle, she made eye contact with him and told him that although she didn’t mean to eavesdrop, she realised that he had a big problem, and wished him success in solving it. He promptly asked her to sit down and began complaining about the authorities who were not interested in controlling crime in the area.  I joined them soon afterwards and we listened to him for at least 20 minutes while he vented.  He felt that using his “Smith and Wesson” was the only way to deal with the thieves!  We hoped that after the “therapy session” with us that he calmed down and found another way to deal with his problem!  Apparently, GE had been the main employer in the area, but recent cutbacks had increased unemployment and were forcing town dwellers to travel over 50 miles to jobs in big cities.  He was describing the plight of many small towns.  How much longer will they survive? 

On our way back to our car we stopped to admire an unusual building, which appeared to be a commercial establishment, but displayed exquisite landscaping.  While we were taking photographs, a young man who had noticed our Connecticut license plates approached us and asked if we would like to go inside.  He was a high school history teacher who had just started his summer vacation.  He escorted us inside the building which happened to be a “Wood Depot” constructed with all the different types of timber that they sell to builders.  Our guide escorted us up and down Main Street giving us a brief history of the town.  He showed us a mural on the side of a building painted by a town resident “Welcoming People to Peebles!”  He also gave us very helpful suggestions of places to visit in Kentucky where we were heading next. 

We were truly experiencing the kindness of strangers. 

…To be continued…

Prof Sanath P Lamabadusuriya , by Carlo Fonseka

Sanath Lamabadusuriya was kind enough to send this article written by the Late Prof Carlo Fonseka for posting. When Sanath retired from the Colombo Medical Faculty in September 2008, one of the gifts he received was a Festschrift ( a collection of writings published in honour of a scholar). This is Carlo Fonseka's contribution.

 We are always pleased to post news of family members of batch mates who have achieved something worthy of praise. This is about our Suriyakanthi Amarasekera's grand nephew Kamil de Chickera.

A very special poem by a Sri Lankan kid living in the UK

“Specific irrelevant details”

By Kamil de Chickera

The poem is about discrimination and how it should be stopped, It’s about how people really shouldn’t discriminate about these things, because they are just irrelevant.

Kamil is Amal de Chickera’s son. Amal’s father is Suriyakanthi’s BIL Duleep de Chickera. Duleep was one of the famous de Chickera brothers who played Rugby for Royal. Kamil was 8 yrs when he wrote it (9 now). 

Kamil de Chickera’s class at Norbury School in Harrow was sober and serious - for once. The third graders were discussing ‘discrimination’, with the Black Lives Matter Movement in full cry outside in Britain. Kamil, especially, was ‘upset’ when he heard about George Floyd getting killed ‘for the colour of his skin’. 

Thus when the home assignment was given to pen a poem on discrimination, Kamil just had to sit down by his father, Amal de Chickera, and write till his fingers hurt. There, on paper, materialised a poem Kamil christened ‘Specific Irrelevant Details’. 

In just about a year, the poem has metamorphosed into a short film that pulled together so many storytellers and gives the message that we should stop discriminating based on that gamut of ‘specific irrelevant details’ from skin colour to sexuality. The link to the film is:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwXf3JfCdZo&t=195s

Specific irrelevant details

Specific irrelevant details,

What’s your race?

Where are you from?

Which god do you believe in?

Your sex, your age, who do you love?

Are you blind? Can you walk?

Are you a refugee, which language do you talk?

Do you have a country? What is your name?

Specific irrelevant details,

To pick and to blame.

 

Specific irrelevant details,

If this is all you see,

Then you are prejudiced

You don’t see the whole of me!

 Ageism, ableism, racism, sexism

Xenophobia, homophobia, big words for me

They mean you discriminate, you treat people badly

They mean you don’t see all that you should see.

 How do we help people, break down the lies?

How do we fight prejudice? How do we open eyes?

Specific irrelevant details – what lies beyond?

A world of equality? Where we all share a bond?

 

This is why we must say Black Lives Matter.

This is why we must believe, love has no gender.

This is why everyone should be a feminist.

This is why we must welcome refugees.

This is why we should be known for our abilities.

 

Specific relevant details,

Are you kind? Would you be my friend?

Are you brave? Will you stick with me to the end?

Are you resilient? What makes you laugh?

Would you mind, if I wore an orange scarf?

What sports do you like? How do you spend your time?

Are you creative or dull? Can you make words rhyme?

What’s the most exciting thing you’ve done?

Will you play with me under the sun?

 

Specific relevant details,

If you see the whole me,

Shall we fight prejudice together,

To help people see?

Kamil de Chickera