Forever 62 Group lunch on Friday 1st of March at Colombo Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel
The indefatigable Pram organised a Foerver 62 group lunch to greet visiting batchmates "Speedy" Mahendra Gonsalkorale and Srianee "Bunter" Dias.
Many batchmates living in Sri Lanka attended this most enjoyable occasion. Sanath Lamabadusuriya, Vasanthy Thuraisingham, Harsha Samarajeewa, Lucky and Mangala Abeygunawardena and Manel Wijesundera were unable to attend and sent their apologies. It was great to see many spouses, too.
The sumptuous meal was enjoyed by all, and as is customary on these occasions, many events from our batch days were recalled with affection. Many who were meeting after a long time were met with the usual "you haven't changed a bit" remark, which is always amusing as well as flattering.
Mahendra
ReplyDeleteIt was lovely meeting you and many other batchmates on the 1st of March at The Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo.
We should be thankful to Pram for organizing this every month.
Thank you for keeping our Blog alive. Long live our Blog !
Chira
It is lovely to see friends and their spouses at the mini reunion at Cinnamon Lakeside. These gatherings are a tribute to Prams' resilience and enthusiasm to meet our batchmates. The menu is mouthwatering and is truly worthy of the occasion. The meeting is also a tribute to the many who joined in to greet and welcome Mahendra G. to their fold. I do sincerely wish I was there too. Best wishes until we see you all again.
ReplyDeleteThese meetings, gatherings and reunions are now priceless
ReplyDeleteThanks Chira and Nihal. Yes indeed as the sun is setting slowly but surely, these occasions are priceless. I managed to see Lucky and Mangala while I was in Sri Lanka and also called many others, if not physically, by phone. As you noted Nihal, the menu was wonderful and Pram does things in real style. The printed personalised menu was a complete surprise and typical of the elegant way Pram does things. It was very informal and we wandered around chatting and there were no formal speeches. A memorable day.
ReplyDeleteMahen, thank you for posting these photos and for your comments. By the way nobody said "You haven't changed a bit" to me!! Ha Ha! It was great seeing everyone, especially you, because you are not a regular at these gatherings. I managed to catch "Forever 62" in January as well, when Manel (Owli) came down from Kandy. Yes, it is wonderful that Pram makes the effort to put these elegant events together. (Thanks Pram!) I have a bit more time in SL but may not be able to join the gang again before I leave. It is really great that people are making the effort to come out and meet their former batch mates at these gatherings. Keep it up, my friends!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Srianee. It was great to see you and hear of your plans. You are certainly a role model for people of a certain age! If you do nothing, life becomes boring and meaningless whereas doing something is better than doing nothing for sure. It was good to see so many spouses too. The venue was classy and the service excellent. I was beginning to wonder whether a short talk by Pram would add to the enjoyment. What do you think?
ReplyDeleteI believe another "Forever 62" is being planned for tomorrow. Unfortunately I will be missing it because of family commitments. While these elegant gatherings are very special, we should not always wait for Pram to get us together. We appreciate her efforts of course, but there is clear evidence that social interaction is extremely important for one's health. I have noticed that there are lots of small cafes and restaurants scattered throughout Colombo in what were formerly exclusively residential areas. So I am suggesting that we should attempt to connect with friends whenever the opportunities arise. And I don't mean just our Medical College buddies only. The Germans have the traditions of Kaffeeklatsches, where groups of friends get together regularly (once a week or once a month) at a predesignated cafe. People who are free just show up! I think we should do that in twos and threes or fours and fives. Getting out and hanging out with your friends is healthy. Isolation is not!
ReplyDelete