Au Revoir and not Goodbye to Pramilla Senanayake

It is Au Revoir and not Goodbye to Pramilla Senanayake

Nihal D Amarasekera

The days in the faculty was a slice of our common past. The institution moulded a part of our character. We flew out into the wider world to carve up a career and care for our families. We have now closed the chapter on our professional lives. Calmness prevails as we embark on the final laps of our journey. 

Pramilla arrived on a flight to London at the height of the Covid pandemic when air travel was seriously hazardous. Nothing at all can keep her away from her son, the cricket and her many friends over here. While being ‘imprisoned’ by the tight quarantine regulations, Pram called the batch to organise a reunion. We met at Dhammika’s on a bright sunny day, in the posh part of London, near Buckingham Palace. As Pram extended her stay in London another reunion was arranged at our usual venue ‘The Satay House’. 

The London Reunion has now acquired a legendary status and has entered the batch folklore. It is the brainchild of Pramilla Senanayake. Every year for the past 4 years she has used her exceptional organising skills to gather the troops living in England for a summer meeting. Pram has the wonderful gift to collar, cajole or even twist the arm, if need be, to attend our gatherings.  The Satay House has been our favourite venue, a restaurant close to the Paddington Station in a quiet street away from the noise and grime of heavy London traffic. 

This all began in March 2017 when Pramilla was on a visit to London. She wanted to rekindle a Mini London-Reunion from the dying embers of the great batch reunion in Negombo. Pramilla brought with her a spark and a bit of magic to gather together a few friends in London and fire up our memories for a trip down memory lane. During her short stay, she executed her idea with a series of emails, Viber, phone calls and text messages. Pramilla was the architect, the organiser and the treasurer. We have no words to thank her enough for her efforts, patience and wisdom to bring us all together. At this stage of our lives, time is of the essence and every day is a bonus. 

 We always had a large room for ourselves. The gradual crescendo of the noise level reached its peak a few minutes after we gathered. There was a second peak after the liquid refreshments were served. We jogged each other's memories and prompted the names that had disappeared into the fog of time. The ladies in their glamour swept into the room with their youthful elegance. It was hard to believe many of them were grandmothers. The men in their dapper summer attire (grandfathers). We looked only a day older than when we were bohemian medical students with stethoscopes round our necks and walking the long corridors of the GHC. At all our Mini-London Reunions there was a wonderful buzz of excitement as we shared reminiscences and riotous exchange of jokes. Anecdotes from the past flooded the hall with peals of laughter. Despite the passage of time the closeness was palpable. As we were a small group there was huge enthusiasm to mix freely and meet everyone, and we did just that. The years seemed to slip away as we exchanged memories. 

As our time was coming to an end, then came the ever-popular photo call. Many pulled out their shiny smartphones. There was the all important group photograph. As so many photos were taken it was hard to maintain a natural smile for so long. Risus sardonicus comes to mind!! As gravity has taken over our lives, standing still for any length of time is a tough ask. Despite our infirmities and creaking joints, we managed to please the paparazzi. 

Time passed too quickly as we enjoyed ourselves and soon it was time to leave. We said our goodbyes making fervent vows to meet again.  We thank Pramilla for being such a fine hostess and organising such wonderful reunions at such short notice. Despite the confusion of nostalgia we never forgot our teachers, lecturers and professors who taught us beyond the call of duty and helped us to become useful citizens of this wonderful world. 

On this current visit, I had the enormous privilege of meeting Pramilla at lunch twice at the Royal Society of Medicine and once at the plush dining at the Wallace Collection. It was so lovely to have an unhurried chat about old times and mutual friends. She is ever so diplomatic with never a harsh word about anyone. Pram was ever so kind to visit Zita and family twice to give them love and support. 

Pramilla has been the initiator and prime-mover of the London Mini-Reunion. Although she was the chief organiser, Pramilla had the wonderful ability to maintain a low profile all through the proceedings. We all owe her a great debt of gratitude. These gatherings have been fabulous events of friendship of our batch and all our friends who joined us. We will forever remember the happiness and the laughter that filled the dining hall at our gatherings. Now we know nothing can keep Pramilla away from London. May we have the good fortune to see her again. 

As Pramilla leaves London to her home in Colombo we wish her a safe journey

Family News from Colleagues

Starting a New Feature

I hope that others will send me their stories too. So much has happened since we were together over 50 years ago. Grandchildren seem to feature a lot in informal conversation and here is your chance to share your experiences with your Batch colleagues. I will keep adding contributions as they come, to this post to keep it all together.

Speedy - Acting Blog Admin

We have five contributions so far. (1) Srianee Dias (2) Lucky Abeyagunwardene (3) Appu Sumathipala (4) Sanath Lamabadusuriya (5) Chirasri Jayaweera Bandara

(1) Family News from Srianee Dias. (scroll down for the others)

It turns out that my grandchildren are having far more interesting experiences than I am having at this time.  While I am finally bracing myself for my first international trip since March 2020, heading just across the northern border to Canada, my grandchildren have launched themselves into their ‘gap year’ experiences. Taking time off from academics for a year after high school has been a longstanding tradition in Germany, but it is not so common in the United States.  I confess, I am just a little bit envious and wish that I had done something like that after leaving Ladies’ College and embarking on the grueling journey in the field of Medicine.

My 19-year-old grandson, graduated from high school (called the Gymnasium, in Germany) in June 2020, just as the pandemic was gathering momentum.  His graduation ceremony was pared down with limited attendance.  Only the parents were allowed to be there, not even his sister.  The gap year activities he had been planning had to be completely abandoned.  Instead, he enrolled in courses at the nearby University of Hamburg, but never left his bedroom, because along with other young people all over the world, he had to follow all his classes online. He was bored beyond comprehension!

In 2021 he signed a one year contract with AmeriCorps, as a deferred gap year project. AmeriCorps is an organization that works in partnership with other non-profit agencies mostly within the United States.  He joined a team based in St. Louis, Missouri, in a program called ‘Beyond School.’ It is designed to keep young kids engaged in school, with interesting after school programs, and the goal is to prevent them from dropping out of school as they grow older.  The AmeriCorps volunteers are paid just enough to cover their rent and food, but not much else!  He seems to be enjoying the challenge, based on the limited details that I get via texts! He is also enjoying the various aspects of American life, sharing an apartment with a roommate and attending his very first baseball game!  It will be interesting to observe how all these experiences will influence his future decisions.

My granddaughter, who just turned 18, graduated from high school in June 2021, after coping with all the COVID restrictions in Germany, including a scaled-down graduation ceremony similar to the one her brother had.  She decided that her brain needed a break after all the stresses of the final year of high school!  Since she had already spent a semester in Connecticut as a high school freshman, she now wanted to experience something entirely different in another part of the US, but something easy!  One idea was to scoop ice cream at an ice cream shop!  She is presently living with my older daughter and son-in-law in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, and working in a vegan cafe!  Life is not too shabby, because in her free time she gets to enjoy the beach and the colourful sunsets over the Gulf of Mexico every evening.  Her coworkers, however, are from a ‘different world’ and she is observing and listening to them without getting into any conflicts.  When she first started her job, she wore a mask the way most sensible people do. But when she observed that the people around her, neither the staff nor the customers, were wearing masks she ditched her mask in a bout of self-consciousness. Luckily, that was short-lived, and sensibility won the day! She decided to ignore any comments or funny looks that may come her way and resumed her mask-wearing at work.  As far as I know, she has not had any problems about her choice. Beginning in January she hopes to return to Germany to do a few internships before she begins her university studies later in 2022.

I decided to share the news about my grandchildren’s activities because these opportunities were not available to us when we were students, but I believe are accessible to present-day high school graduates.  Most parents urge their children to continue with higher education immediately after graduation from high school, but I wonder if that is the best choice?  I hope that parents (and grandparents)  of young people will encourage them to sample the ‘real world’ at least a little bit before they focus on higher studies and have to make important decisions about their future.

(2) Lucky celebrates his "big one" with his family including children and grandchildren

Our Blog creator Lucky celebrated his 80th Birthday with his family. Those present apart from his wife Mangala were his children  Shehan and Dilushi, and grandchildren - Prashan (16), Anisha (13) and Nimesh (11). His Daughter-in-Law Prasadani was also there.

Lucky still has problems with his eyes and find typing very difficult.  I got his permission to post this with pictures of his family. What a happy occasion! 

I am sure all of us will join me in wishing him many more productive and happy years.

(3) Appu Sumathipala

My daughter's elder son who is 19 yrs, took a gap year, in order to see the world. He obtained the necessary grades to enter Aston University to read computer science. Covid 19 ruined his plans and he joined the supermarket Sainsbury's Supermarket to spend his time until next Academic year. My son's daughter, similarly obtained grades to do languages, most probably in University in Edinburgh. She too has applied for a gap year with the same idea of travelling around the world. She will be 19yrs on the 1st of November. My opinion was that they should complete their degrees and embark on tours. During our days, in school, we never heard about gap years and getting short term jobs during vacations. There was no opportunity at all, even in the private sector.

(4) Sanath Lamabadusuriya

Elder son-Shamin Prasanna, born in 1976, studied at Richmond College, Galle and Ananda College Colombo and represented the latter school in Chess and Badminton. Graduated from Colombo. Captain of the University of Colombo chess team. He specialised in Rheumatology and is presently working as a Consultant Rheumatologist at the Nuwara Eliya District General Hospital. He is married to Prabodha Panditharatne with one son, Sasmin.

Second son-Harshan Indrajit, born in 1979-Studied at Richmond College Galle, STC Mt Lavinia and at Royal College, Colombo. Studied at Steyning Grammar School, and obtained five "A" s at the London A level examination.(Best results of the school, after many years). Studied Medicine at Clare College, University of Cambridge and at the University of Oxford. Presently working as a Consultant Paediatrician at the Swindon Hospital.

Represented Royal College and Sri Lanka in scrabble and won many tournaments Won many scrabble tournaments in the UK and represented the country as well. In the Countdown series on Channel 4, he was the Runner-up.  In 2003, he was the British National Scrabble Champion and was the runner-up in the World Scrabble Championship in 2017. In 2017, he was conferred the title of Grand Master in scrabble. At one time he held the world record for the highest number of points for a single word, which was "Kreuzers", (an old German coin) scoring 329 points. He is married to Michelle Gunasekera, (Peradeniya graduate) who is currently working as a Research Fellow, at the Royal Infirmary, Oxford. They have one son named Inesh

Daughter Dilusha Amriti  attended Ladies College and Visakha Vidyalaya..Later she graduated from the Colombo Medical Faculty, topping the batch with First Class Honours, obtaining four out of five distinctions and winning 11 Gold Medals.(I also topped the batch in 1967, obtaining two out of three distinctions and with a second class. She outdid her father by more than a mile!). Later she obtained the MD (Colombo) and became a Board Certified Specialist.  She worked at the Norwich Hospital until recently as a specialist for the Care of the Elderly before deciding to return to Sri Lanka for good. She is married to Upul Wickramarachchi who is  a Peradeniya graduate who worked at the Norwich Hospital as an Interventional Cardiologist and obtained a MD from the University of East Anglia.His name is in the Specialist Register in the UK. He has the MRCP(UK), as well. They have a son Tharusha, who is four years old and a daughter, Samadhi, whose first birthday was on the 26th of October.

I have three grandsons and one granddaughter, whose first birthday is today. Dilusha's son Tharusha is 4 years old. They decided to return to Sri Lanka for good and are living with me since their arrival, about 10 days ago.

In Sri Lanka there is an enforced gap period after the A-Level examination. It extends usually beyond one year. During our time it was entirely different. We used to sit for the University Entrance Examination in December and enter the University around next June.

(5) Chirasri Jayaweera Bandara

My son Anju studied at St. Thomas Prep. Colpetty and Royal College Colombo.

He studied Medicine in English at the Kursk State Medical University, Russia.

He is working as a Medical Officer in an Orthopaedic unit at the National Hospital, Colombo. He didn't want to do postgraduate studies saying he will be posted to faraway places after qualification This would lead to leaving the family and going on his own. Since he was interested in photography he decided to pursue that line. He is a professional photographer and has followed many courses in photography. He enjoys doing wedding photography and other special occasions.  

This is a photograph of an Indian couple who came to Sri Lanka for their wedding and Anju was the photographer.

My daughter Anjali studied at Methodist College Colombo and Visakha Vidyalaya Colombo.

She studied Medicine at the Kasturba Medical College Manipal, India.

She passed her finals in M.D. Ophthalmology in Jan. 2021. She is working at Eye Hospital, Colombo as Senior Registrar for one year. She has to do one-year training overseas.

She will be board certified as a Consultant Eye Surgeon after her training period.

She does pencil drawings and these have been published in the Journal of the Medical College, Manipal, India. The painting of the pony is one of her many pencil drawings.

Memories of the Victoria Memorial Eye and Ear Hospital

Some wistful memories of the Victoria Memorial Eye and Ear Hospital

By Dr Nihal D Amerasekera

This account is dedicated to Zita and Joe Subasinghe for a lifetimes' work in Ophthalmic Services both in Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom.

The Victoria Memorial Eye and Ear Hospital with its imposing architecture is an iconic landmark in Colombo. It faces the Lipton Circus, the roundabout named to remember Ceylon Tea that became famous all around the globe. This is now called the De Soysa Circus named after the philanthropist and entrepreneur Charles Henry De Soysa who also has the De Soysa Maternity Hospital named after him. The Victoria Memorial hospital established in 1906 was named to honour Queen Victoria and her Diamond Jubilee that was celebrated in 1897. 

This red-brick colonial building was designed by Edward Skinner a British born Architect who emigrated to Ceylon circa 1894. The red bricks used in its construction gives it a grand and distinctive appearance. The history of red bricks dates back to the 12^th century in Central and North-Western Europe. Many of the famous 19th-century hospitals in London were made of red bricks like the University College Hospital and the Moorfields Eye Hospital. Skinner designed several recognisable buildings in Colombo including parts of the Galle Face Hotel, Cargills and Co, Victoria Masonic Temple, Wesley College, Lloyds Building in the Fort, and St. Andrew's Scots Kirk in Galle Road Colombo. Although the Gothic Revival in Western architecture survived into the 20th Century, Edward Skinner most appropriately, decided on an Indo-Saracenic model for the hospital. The design and construction of the domes are reminiscent of the architecture of the Mughal period. The doors and windows have neat and stylish polychrome brick arches. Architecturally it can more than hold its own against the best of that period in the world. 

The wife of the British Governor of the time, Lady Ridgway, laid the foundation For the Victoria Eye Hospital in 1903. It was opened for business with great optimism 2 years later. The cost of the building was divided equally between the government and the Anglophile general public. In 1905 it was considered the best in the colonies. It is now part of the National Hospital of Sri Lanka. 

My earliest connection with the eye hospital was in 1952. I was far too young to appreciate its formal beauty. The world was a totally different place then. The veteran politician Dudley Senanayake was our Prime Minister. The doyen of cricket, F.C de Saram, captained the All-Ceylon team. I was then a scraggy kid in the boarding at Wesley College. Cricket occupied much of my mind and a great deal of my free time. I couldn’t read the blackboard in class and complained to the school Matron. She sent me with a chaperone to the Victoria Eye Hospital. I recall a young doctor’s questions about my vision. It amused him no end when I said I couldn’t see the blackboard nor the cricket ball. From then on, I began to wear glasses. Although I could read the blackboard, it never improved my cricket. 

I saw the Victoria Memorial Eye hospital every day when I was a medical student in the 1960’s and this exemplary building is now deeply rooted in my memory.  By then the Ophthalmology Services had moved to the brand-new hospital just around the corner from the old. The New National Eye Hospital of Colombo was established in 1962 to cater to the growing demands of the 20th century. Everything was moved to the new site, lock stock and barrel. In the melee the new relegated the old to near obscurity. The old Victoria Memorial Hospital, although parts of it were allowed to be derelict, continued to provide a service.  There was an ever-increasing demand for space in healthcare. In 1967 the Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake opened the Accident Service in the Victoria Memorial Hospital. 

When I worked at the Central Blood Bank in Colombo in the early 1970’s the Victoria Memorial Hospital housed the Accident Service of the General Hospital Colombo. it was a part of my duties to cover the Blood transfusion work of the Accident Unit at night when the full time Medical Officer was away. I remember there was an ornate wooden staircase with beautiful carvings leading up to my office. The Office was a single room with high ceilings and two large windows in front facing Ward Place. There were lovely views of the red Leyland buses and the slow traffic that chugged around the Lipton Circus. I could see Peking Hotel which was beautifully lit which has now given way to Rajya Osu Sala. The rear wall had beautiful decorative wood panelling and I did  my work in Victorian splendour. 

My sojourn at the Accident Service was an enjoyable one as most of the doctors who worked there were known to me. We were all young and idealistic. I soon got used to the buzz and the rush of adrenaline with the arrival of the ambulances. In those distant days the sirens and the flashing lights were less conspicuous. At times there was a sense of dread, and an expectation of a life-defining situation. I saw for myself the tragic drama that unfolded day after day and the weeping and the wailing that followed. It was a most humbling experience. We were in the habit of chatting away late into the night when there were gaps in the busy workload supported by multiple cups of coffee and tea. I look back on those years with great nostalgia of the friendship and the warmth that prevailed despite the sleepless nights. 

Typical of Victorian buildings the hospital was a rabbit warren of narrow corridors and a multitude of rooms and recesses. At night much of it was dark and unlit. in the gloom they become ominous passageways. There is a strange belief which is universal that most old buildings were haunted. There were stories abound of mysterious happenings at night. Some believed the hospital was haunted by ghostly figures. The doctors who slept in that building have heard strange noises and others spoke of seeing humanoid figures appearing through closed doors. I slept in a dimly lit room in the Blood Bank. In all my years I never saw or heard anything untoward except the occasional cries of pain or screams of despair from the Accident Service which was right below me. 

The Victoria Eye Hospital was built when architects created buildings for its elegance and beauty while making it functional and fit for purpose. On my occasional visits to Sri Lanka, I was appalled by the disdain shown to this landmark building in later years. There were large advertising billboards and hawker stalls covering the grandeur and the magnificence of its redbrick façade. The splendid entrance gates and the elegant porch are not in use anymore. Disuse, disrespect, and decay seemed everywhere and I feared may even destroy this forever. I am reliably informed and delighted to hear that the hospital remains a part of the National Hospital of Sri Lanka and has a Burns Unit, Surgical Theatres and also some Neuro Surgical Services. 

As a medical student in the early 1960’s I had the good fortune to learn my trade in the new eye hospital. The post-World War II era is known as the age of brutalist concrete when beauty gave way to the cheap and cheerful. The 1960’s however was a time of enormous socio-political change which was reflected in the architecture of the time. Even if the designs were not pleasing to the eye they were practical and functional. Although the New Eye Hospital looked a huge block of concrete it was a state-of-the-art hospital with a modern layout and the very latest of facilities. With large wards, better lighting and fine operating facilities this was a far better working environment for the healthcare professionals. The design enabled the seamless interaction between clinicians, patients and students. The spacious waiting rooms and large airy areas dedicated for Out-Patient Clinics made it so much better for the public. I remember with affection the dedication of the eye surgeons and the high quality of the care they provided. 

I am overwhelmed by a heady rush of history when I see the old hospital now. The Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital indeed is a part of our colonial past. Time catches up with all, but the past will always be present in our lives. Although well over a hundred years old, even now when the sunlight catches the paintwork the building looks a masterpiece. The hospital should be listed and preserved for posterity. 

Edward Skinner was a brilliant architect. His wisdom and designs won him the admiration of the City and was popular and much sought after in Ceylon. He had his offices in the Colombo Fort. When he was recently married, he had a cycle accident and suffered with concussion from which he never fully recovered.  Sadly, Edward Skinner took his own life by hanging in his own office in the Colombo Fort on Boxing Day in 1910. The stunning designs he created in prestigious buildings in Colombo will remain as monuments for his superb architectural ability. Part of him will forever remain in the Victoria Memorial Eye and Ear Hospital. He died, far too young, at the age of 41 years when he had so much to offer this wonderful world. 

Cyril Ernest; The Friend, The Man

CYRIL ERNEST; THE FRIEND, THE MAN

Kumar Gunawardane

“A good friend is like a four-leaf clover; hard to find and lucky to have.”

                                                                              Irish Proverb

(Christian legend has it that Eve stashed a four-leaf clover when expelled from Paradise, as a remembrance of how beautiful and wonderful Paradise was),

I had planned for quite some time to write this accolade but was propelled into action, by the news of Cyril’s retirement.

We first met on the green fields of St Benedict’s college; the first cricket match for us of the 1960 cricket season. STC was captained by Lareef Idroos.   We were the underdogs, with only two colours men and ten freshers. Still, we won. Our mutual friend Mano Ponniah has reminded me, many a time how I caught Cyril out in both innings behind the stumps. He opened batting with Ranjit Fernando; they both went on to play for Ceylon.

Cyril was a favourite of the partisan populace of Kotahena and they voiced their displeasure at his dismissal time and again. Each time, I went through the stumping motions, when receiving an outfield throw, there were loud boos. Their language too was colourful but not profane. The chants of ‘Ara okata ara, patiya uding ara ( smash him, smash him over the ropes), must have been unnerving to our bowlers.

My cricketing career was as brief and unremarkable as Cyril’s was long and glittering. He excelled in other sports too and these have been well documented in Mahen’s article.

We were roommates at the Bloemfontein, for a few months during our final year at Medical School. He was placid but serious about his studies and so was I after a brief period of profligacy. We burnt the midnight oil poring over tedious texts and scribbled lecture notes; each at his solitary desk, in the darkness of the night illumined by a single desk lamp, oblivious to the cacophony of the cicadas and the flash of the fireflies outside. We shared many things, but not his mysterious disappearances, some weekends. Only much later did I learn that he was visiting the love of his life, Indrani a fellow medical student at Peradeniya.

I was aware that he shone in many sports, but neither then nor later, did he ever boast of his triumphs. Rightly, has it been said that fullness is always quiet.

We met just the once during our internship at the Castle Street Hospital where he was. Serendipitously or maybe wittingly, I also met a ‘couer palpitor’; Cyril after a few minutes disappeared discreetly.

Twenty-one years were to pass before we met again. I had come to Los Angeles to do an advanced fellowship in echocardiography with Tony Chandraratne, perhaps the most eminent academic cardiologist that Sri Lanka has produced. Cyril was a cardiologist well established in private practice in Lancaster a city just north of Los Angeles.

 He somehow found the hotel where I was staying and took me one weekend to his beautiful home in Encino, the suburb where Michael Jackson too lived.

Thereafter till Kanthi arrived he, Indrani and their two lovely daughters  Cheryl and Melanie hosted me every weekend he was off. I recall two things from that first visit. Firstly, the caution not to open the windows or doors in my room as that would trigger a burglar alarm and an armed response. Secondly that they had the biggest TV I had seen up to then. Indrani was a gourmet cook and I was well fed. There were many mundane things to attend to pending Kanthi’s arrival. Renting an apartment, and since all were unfurnished, leasing the chattels to make it habitable. In all these, they were a tower of strength. But there were fun moments too. One I remember is the visit to an orange grove in the outskirts of the city-owned by one of their friends; a tour of the garden followed by a barbecue.

Even after  Kanthi joined me their hospitality continued unabated. There were functions to introduce us to medical school colleagues and also distinguished cardiologists. I remember in particular the chief of the coronary care unit of the Ceders-Sinai medical centre. Cyril was keen for me to do an attachment with him, but for a variety of reasons I missed out.

There were tough times too. Kanthi was stricken one day with a severe upper abdominal pain. Surmising the source to be the gallbladder, I was prepared for her to the fate of surgery. Cyril and Indrani took us to their rooms, got the necessary investigations done and consulted with their surgical colleague Tom Mahendran another of our juniors. Fortunately, it was an intestinal colic.

In that pre-blog, pre mega -reunion days, camaraderie beyond one’s immediate circle was not very evident. It was only Cyril and  Indrani, Chitta, Lareef and Nabila, Gamini and Sirima Hethumuni and Sabitha Illangakoon from the immediate junior year who made our stay so pleasant and delightful. Another Colombo graduate Dr Lakshman Makandura who was working with Tony Chandraratne was like a brother to us.

The days rolled onto weeks and months and it was soon time to leave.The farewells were sad. We spent the last night with Gamini and Sirima who lived in the adjoining suburb of San Marino; Lakshman and  Sabitha accompanied us to the airport. Sabitha, to dispel our gloom kept relating outrageously funny stories.

In January 2020 Bora, Cyril and  I spent an engaging afternoon in the luxurious Anantara resort in Tangalle. Lazing on deck chairs, in the shade of tall coconut palms denuded of nuts, with the breezes of the Indian Ocean cooling us we talked and laughed. Cricketing yarns, the good old days and of men and matters; but once again nothing about his own undoubted achievements. We only broke up to be on time, for Lareef’s daughter Sabrina’s wedding. The ceremony was in view of the ocean and the setting sun and the reception in the magnificent old Walauwa.

“ In the sweetness of friendship,
   let there be laughter , and sharing of pleasures,
   For in the dew of little things,
   The heart finds its morning and is refreshed“
    Khalil Gibran

Cyril Ernest calls it a day

Cyril Ernest calls it a day- (photo  taken at 50th Reunion in Sri Lanka 2012)

Our greatly valued colleague informed me by email that he is retiring at the age of 80. In his own words, “Hi Speedy, I just want to let you know that I am finally retiring. Since 1967 I have been working round the clock and it is time now to call it quits. I turned 80 0n July 7^th”. With his permission, I have written this short article. He has appeared on this blog many times and at the end of this post, I have shown the easiest way to access them. Please read them as they are most interesting.

The term legend has been used to describe many people, sometimes questionably, but I have no hesitation applying the term to Cyril for his high quality all-round achievements in so many fields.

Just to summarise his amazing sporting career,

Cyril represented St. Benedict's College (he went there from St Mary’s College, Negombo) with distinction in cricket, hockey, athletics and tennis in the late 1950s and early 1960s. An excellent all-rounder in cricket he opened batting with Ranjit Fernando  He was a brilliant fielder at close leg position, at a time when helmets and other safety gear were unheard of. He was also a very useful off-spin bowler. He was described as a hard-hitting right-hand opening batsman in the mould of Gordon Greenidge of the West Indies, a right-arm off-spinner of the likes of England’s Jim Laker and Windies Lance Gibbs, a close-in fielder like Australia’s Bobby Simpson. He represented the College in Combined Schools' cricket teams. He also took part in Public Schools Athletic Meets and Public Schools Tennis Championships.

He continued to support his old school and has been a great benefactor of the College and has supported many infrastructure development projects and helped SBC at cricket and athletics. In fact, the Bowling Machine presently used by the Benedictine cricketers was donated by him. He was the chief guest of the St. Benedict's College Prize Giving in 2017 at the College premises attended by his wife Indrani and daughters Cheryl and Melanie.

He entered the Medical Faculty in 1961 and had a distinguished sporting career at the University of Ceylon. He represented the University in Sara Trophy cricket as an all-rounder from 1961-67 and captained the team in his final year. He also captained the University cricket team on tour to the All-India Inter-University cricket tournament, 1966, Bangalore, India. He represented the University hockey team in the Pioneer and Andriesz Shield tournaments.

After joining Royal Ceylon Air Force as a medical doctor, he captained the Air Force cricket team, the Adastrians and also played hockey. He was a regular member of the Ceylon Government Services cricket team in the Robert Senanayake Pentangular tournament, which became the national champions in 1969. He toured India with the Government Services side and played for the Government Services cricket team in their fixture against Joe Lister's International team in 1969. He first played for the Ceylon national team against the MCC in 1969. He also represented the Ceylon Cricket Association team in the annual Gopalan Trophy encounter versus Madras. He was selected for the Ceylon team to tour Pakistan in 1971, which was unfortunately cancelled due to the Bangladesh problem.

In the USA, he played for the USA cricket team in the Associate Members World Cup in Birmingham, England in 1982. He was manager of the USA cricket team 1995-96 and was chairman of the selection committee 1995-96. He, therefore, has the rare distinction of playing for the national cricket teams of two countries, his homeland Sri Lanka and the USA.

 

Cyril was a keen long distance runner, running four marathons (Honolulu twice 1985-1986, Los Angeles 1987 and Beijing 1995) and numerous 5k and 10k races. He is also a Black Belt in Taekwondo/Karate.

He achieved all these sporting accomplishments while being a top consultant physician and cardiologist and a medical administrator. He specialised in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease. He is a Fellow American College of Cardiology (FACC)-1985, Fellow American College of Chest Physicians (FCCP)-1985 and Fellow American College of Physicians (FCAP)-1990. He held the position of president Los Angeles County Medical Association 1984 and from 1982 to 1986, served in the Los Angeles County Medical Association Board of Governors.

(Photo on Left sent by Kumar Gunawardene)
I am sure my colleagues will join me in wishing Cyril a very long, happy and enjoyable retirement indulging in so many things he had little time for in his busy working life. He is blessed with his loving wife Indrani who I am sure will make ensure that he does so.

To access previous post on Cyril Ernest, please type his name as shown in the search area and this will bring up all previous posts on him. As you go down the many posts that will appear, when you come to the bottom, for more just click on “Next posts”

Birds in our lives – the feathered kind - by Nihal D Amerasekera

 Birds in our lives – the feathered kind - by Nihal D Amerasekera

 “The bird who dares to fall is the bird who learns to fly.” How very true in real life.

 Note from Speedy (actg Blog admin) -Nihal sent me these beautiful paintings of birds and let me decide whether to post them on the blog and I of course insisted we should and he kindly sent me the descriptions of the birds which makes the post even more interesting.

The relationship of humans with birds go back thousands of years. People of different communities and countries have used them in many different ways. They have used their flesh and eggs for food and feathers for decorations of headgear and clothing, and also for arrows and darts. They have been used for sport and as pets.

The starling like birds in Mozambique and Tanzania guide the honey hunters to the beehives and the birds feed on the wax left behind.

Pigeons have been bred and trained to carry messages for long distances since Roman times. 

Birds are known to spread diseases like Psittacosis and types of encephalitis. 

The migration of birds is a fascinating study: how they find their way to the same site and often the same nest year after year. 

Humans have a strong impact on the bird population. It is known that 80 species of birds since 1680 are extinct. Habitat loss pollution and pesticides are important factors.

My father loved nature and taught me how to take care of the natural beauty around me and its creatures. Whenever there was an abandoned bird or squirrel or one fallen from a nest he knew how to care for them at home. I recall the many hours spent nurturing them. We both hated keeping them in cages. Perhaps it was our good fortune and theirs too that In the fullness of time many of them left us to join their own kind outside. I fondly remember the squirrels who grew up with us and the intensity of their affection. After leaving ‘home’ they often visited us to greet us and be treated with food until they had their own families. Even after the passage of several months, we saw them watch us and squeak from a distant branch perhaps to say hello and thank you. I hope they never lost their trust in the human kind. As I rummage my childhood memories in the stillness of a winters night I can often hear Percy the squirrel knocking on our window pane with his soft snout. That is indeed what dreams are made of. 

Yellow-billed babbler

This bird is endemic in south India and Sri Lanka. In my childhood we called them 7 sisters. Usually found in flocks of 7-10. They are noisy birds making a din in the early mornings and late evenings. They love their baths and are often seen in birdbaths. They feed on insects and small lizards. 

Red vented bulbul (Konda-kurulla)

They are found in the Indian subcontinent, Far-east and the Pacific Islands feeding on flower buds and insects.

 

Greater coucal (Ati Kukula)

They are widespread in the Indian subcontinent and south east Asia.

Being weak flyers are often found on the ground or in low branches feeding on insects, caterpillars, snails and the nestlings of other birds.

 

Mynah bird

These birds are found in Africa, Indian subcontinent and South-East Asia.

They are intelligent birds rather chatty and are fine mimics of human speech. A striking feature is its friendliness.

Sri Lanka hill mynah we call ‘Salalihiniya’. They have a larger yellow wattle than the southern hill mynah and are said to be better mimics of human speech than its low country cousins. 

Crimson-fronted barbet (Kottoruwa)

Is endemic in Sri Lanka and found in tropical forests up to an elevation of 4000ft. They are green birds with a red forehead feeding on insects and fruit and lay their eggs in tree holes. We had a type of cherry in the garden called “katu-lovi”. Barbets loved these fruits and were often found gorging on cherries. 

 

Sri Lanka Drongo birds

Also called Ceylon crested drongo is endemic in Sri Lanka. It is found mostly in the wet zone in forest areas and at the edges of towns and cities. They are superb mimics of calls of other birds. They feed on insects.

It was on a late-night wildlife program I witnessed the clever trickery of a drongo. He lived in the vicinity of a family of meerkats. The meerkats had many predators and they always had a lookout who would warn them of dangers with a special call. The drongo mimicked this warning call perfectly. When the meerkats found a stash of food the drongo called the warning sound which sent the meerkats scurrying into their borrows. After the drongo had its belly full he made the “all clear sound” which brought the meerkats back to finish their meal.

London Mini-Reunion Sept 27th 2021 and Pram visits Zita at home

London Mini-Reunion- September Monday 27^th Sept 2021

And Pram visits Zita at home

Pram is in London as many of you know. She was very keen to have a mini-reunion before she gets back to Sri Lanka in a few weeks, She organised a meeting at Satay House Malaysian Restaurant in London with as many colleagues as possible who were able to come on that day.

Pram came with her good friends Andrei and Lakshi Pereira. Those present were, Harsha and Harshi Boralessa, Jimmy Wickremasinghe, Douglas Mulkirigama, Sunil and Sirima Abeysuriya, Narada Wijetilleke, Mahroof Mohideen.

Pram was also able to visit Zita at her home in Shoreham by Sea and wish her well as she bravely battles her illness with immense fortitude and courage. 

You can see the ever cheerful Zita with Pram in her house. Let us all pray for Zita. (Published with Zita's permission)