Speedy Virtual Group Gathering

 

Speedy group interview about our Blog

A very warm welcome to all my mates joining me virtually. Please make yourself comfortable and help yourself to a drink and prepare to be transported in your imagination.

Good! Let’s get down to business!

I want to talk about my Blog survey. It was really heartening to receive so many replies.

 

I must start by paying a special tribute to Lucky who as you know started our Blog in March 16^th 2011. This is what Lucky said- “When I started this blog in March 2011, it was primarily meant to be a part of the build-up towards the 50^th Anniversary Reunion”. Over the years he has spent a lot of time and effort maintaining it. It was my special privilege to be asked to introduce some changes which I hope has enhanced it. At the moment, because of health issues such as his post-herpetic neuralgia, he has entrusted me with managing the blog till he is ready to resume.

Lucky: Thanks Speedy. It was my pleasure to start the Blog and I have always valued your help. I do hope your efforts to make it more popular and act as a medium to keep us together will succeed.

Speedy: Thanks Lucky. I hope so too.

And now, let us commence. I do hope that this format would be more interesting. 

Let me start with you Anton. Good evening Anton.

Anton- Hi Speedy. I visit often and find it useful to be in touch after so many years.

Speedy:  Great Anton. We are seeing more and more of you.

Now moving on to my good friend Rajan. Hello Rajan. 

Rajan: Hello speedy. I do open the blog several times per week and do write comments occasionally. I plan to do the same and hopefully write more frequently.

Speedy: And you had a good suggestion Rajan, and that was- “why don't we ask our frequent contributors to contact one or two of our batch mates and walk them through the blog”. Come on guys! Don’t you think it is a great idea? If we cascade and even if one responds, we got one more. 

The next is our keen blogger, Sanath. Over to you Sanath. You are such a busy man and you still find time for us. 

Sanath: Thanks Mahendra. You may be surprised to hear that I visit the blog several times a day, on most days of the week.

Speedy: Not surprised at all. That is what I do too every day of the week. I know you are keen on the blog. 

And now to our poetess and musician, my next guest Zita. 

Zita: Hi Mahendra. I visit the Blog once a week on average but latterly due to ill health, I have had to make it once a month at times. I am very sad when I don't visit the Blog for any reason as it is something very relevant to my life. It is the sort of site that I love to visit online. I cannot understand why anyone would not want to visit the Blog. My message to my friends- hey fellow batch mates! Let us all contribute something as often as possible. Sometimes what happened on a day in your life would be something we'll all like to read about. And this is one medium which has succeeded in connecting us to our memorable medical student days and given us a chance to share things we have done, written, made, oh anything which you want to talk about as I bet it will be interesting to the rest of the gang. And please don't be offended if for some reason it is not published. Lucky and Mahendra take a lot of interest to help us all enjoy the last years of our existence and make it as interesting as possible but not to offend anyone or any organisation. Thanks, all! Aren't we lucky we have the medium of the Blog to make our voice heard?

Speedy: Thanks for your continued and unstinted support Zita. Not just for your comments but for all your contributions over the years. About rejecting a post. I think it is highly unlikely unless it is offensive or blatantly political, two unlikely events with our colleagues. 

I next move to our biggest contributor with immense literary talents, an author like no other- Nihal Douglas Amarasekera, best known simply as “ND”. Hello Nihal. It is so nice to see you and get a chance to seek your views. 

Nihal: Hello Mahen. Thanks for organising this. It is timely and very much appreciated. I access the blog 5-10 times a day. I think the blog is great. Well-structured and managed. Easy to use. Inability to use Safari is a great disadvantage. If password protected we can avoid the intrusions. It is a distraction.

Speedy:  Thanks Nihal. We have looked into password protection. Blogger has no formal password protection buy uses a ploy called permissions. It will undoubtedly make the site more secure and virtually stop unwanted intruders, often with inane comments but the downside is that it will put off many from using it. (see footnote). Another option is to moderate comments which means that the Administrator (Lucky or delegated me) has to see every comment first and authorise or reject. This is a lot of added work for Lucky and is not feasible. About Safari, you can use it to access but not to post comments. 

And next to our cheerful and beautiful ladymate (is there such a word?) who has contributed so much organising Batch Reunions. Hi Swyrie! 

Swyrie: Hi Speedy. Yes I visit the blog maybe about once a month or less. But I agree that we should make it a habit to do it more often. Now that there is all this blog talk I am sure that more and more batch mates will be accessing it. Thanks for all that you and Lucky are doing to keep us in touch. I am looking forward to the next reunion maybe early 2022

Speedy: Thanks Swyrie. I do hope that Covid won’t be a dampener again. It is salutary to reflect that we have lost just over 40 colleagues. 

Turning now to you Kumar, you mentioned how important the Remembrance day is to you. 

Kumar: Thanks for starting this conversation Mahen. If there is a gap of silence it’s usually due to “life having overtaken us. I really value, all that , Lucky, you, ND and many other contributors have done to keep the blog animated .Yes, you are right, if there is one thing I value above all else it is the Remembrance Day which helps us to commemorate, those who have gone before us, but whose memories the blog keeps alive. So please, do not get disheartened, and I will do my mite.

Speedy: Thanks, Kumar. The blog has brought out your literary talents too. 

And now I turn to another beautiful lady, Pram, who has done so much to keep us together. 

Pram: Hi Speedy, you are too kind! I love keeping in touch it is a kind of passion be it school friends, family, Med school friends church friends etc. So the blog that Lucky started was a great help. I do visit is once or twice a month. I love our zoom meetings very much which you and Patas started I am only sad the zoom meetings are soooo far apart. Anyway, my point is zooms and blogs are fantastic. Keep up the excellent work.

Speedy: So nice to hear your sentiments Pram. 

And now to another beautiful lady (what a lot we have!), Srianee, aka Bunter, another  blog stalwart!  

Srianee: Flattery will get you everywhere Mahen! Yes I do visit the blog.  I would say that I do it at least once a month or more, but sometimes life gets in the way!!  I think it is a great way to stay connected and share news. Thanks for doing this.

Speedy: You have enhanced and supported the blog in many ways. Most grateful. 

I had a few brief responses but they were important nevertheless. Starting with Sunil who is a regular at our London mini-reunions. 

Sunil: Hi Speedy, I do access about 1 or 2 a month. 

Hi Ranjit thanks for responding,

Ranjit: I use it now and again, About once in 2-3 months. 

And Gnaniss, hope you are Ok my friend.

Gnaniss: access it about once in2- 3 months. 

And Jimmy Wicks!, who is also a figure in our London mini-reunions.

Jimmy: Hi Gonsal. Thanks. I am not a regular, maybe once every 2-3 months. 

Greetings my good friend Cyril, who has gone a bit quiet lately. 

Cyril: Hi Speedy. Yes, I do follow the blog closely and read the interesting articles regularly. However, I have not been able to access the blog of the latest goings-on with our batch mates. I am not sure of the reason. 

Next is someone I had no contact for quite a while. Hi Nethya, it is lovely to hear from you after all this time. Of course I remember you well.

Nethya: Hi Mahendra, I read blogs as and when I remember maybe about once in a while but now that there seem some interest would do it more often. feel that it certainly is useful in bringing news about batchmates.

Speedy: Please do Nethya, it will be great to see you on the blog. 

And now to Bala. Hope you don’t mind me calling you by your affectionate name Con Bala!

Bala: That’s fine Speedy.  The blog is very useful giving information about updates on colleagues.

Speedy: Hope you will consider sending an article Bala.  You organised many reunions and produced some fantastic souvenirs, copies of which I have and treasure. Please put your thought on an email. 

And now to yet another beautiful lady who had the good sense to get married to a Mahendra.ok..ok, its not the same!

Suri: Hi Speedy! As you know I have woken up again! Thanks for that Interview you did on the Blog. I have visited the blog fairly frequently in the past but have failed to do so in 2019-2020 due to a multitude of reasons. I intend to mend my ways and be an active participant from now on. My failure was not due to lack of interest but rather ill health and also problems of access to a computer, (other than my smartphone ), which is difficult to use for any length of time considering my great age! 

Speedy: Thanks Suri. I am not sure about the “great age” bit! The youngest in the batch! Look forward to seeing more of you- in a figurative sense of course!

I now turn to my good friend Bora, a man who has good tastes, such as golf!

Bora: Hi Mahen. Thanks for doing this. I visit the Blog on most days and enjoy reading the interesting posts. The Blog is great, keep it going.

Speedy: Bora, your encouragement makes me and I am sure lucky, very happy. 

Now it is  Douglas Mulgirigama’s turn. Hello my friend. It is good to see you today, and on Zoom recently. 

Douglas: Hi Speedy. I have not been a very regular user of the Blog, doing about once in three months or less. I intend to start using it more often and even contribute to it.

I find the Zoom more useful in keeping touch, also because one could see the person. The idea of having a theme, like what happened last time, Hobbies, Projects, Family Circumstances, Grandchildren, Holidays, best places one would recommend, about the area, province, the country where you live, books, music, Topic of interest. The possibilities are endless. This should bring the batch more closure together. Some of what is presented can provide material to write into the Blog.

Speedy: The feedback I got from the zoom sessions has been very positive and I shall organise another soon. 

It is time to turn to the quiet and distinguished man with a wife of immense artistic ability. How do I know? Through the blog of course. Indra- welcome! 

Indra: Hi Speedy or Mahen, whatever! The sleeping giant has woken up. It seemed the blog was going to shut down for lack of interest on the part of its membership, but you touched a nerve with your last communication and the giant has stirred. There is obviously effort involved in maintaining the blog, thanks to Lucky who put in the effort over the years and now you have picked up the mantle. There was help over the years from notably Sanath, Speedy, Rohini and Nihal. Lucky and Speedy, I do visit it 3-4 times weekly. I find it interesting and useful to garner information on what’s going on within the batch and also stay in touch with friends. It also entertains. Think hard before putting it to the axe.  

Speedy: Thanks Indra. It is so nice to hear from so many on how they value the blog. 

No end to beautiful ladies and here is yet another one! Lovely to see you Rohini. I think we are all aware of your recent loss and extend our deepest sympathies to you again. You contribute a lot to the blog. 

Rohini Ana: Thanks Mahen. I appreciate that. Sorry about the delayed response. I have visited the blog in the past at least once a week - often more frequently to acknowledge the wonderful efforts by the contributors. I have found the blog very interesting and enjoyed the diversity of talents our batchmates and their families have shared with us. Besides, Not having come to know many of my batchmates (especially of the opposite gender) during my med school years,  I have had the great privilege of having several of them write me to share their friendship, introduce me to their families and update me on how their lives have panned out, which could not have occurred without the blog. The blog has been a great way to keep in touch with batchmates and of course. Thank you very much to Lucky, Speedy and all the fine contributors. I would need a break in the coming weeks but shall endeavour to be back. I hope the efforts in having the blog continues won’t overwhelm the administrators. 

I now turn to Malkanthie! Hi Malkanthie. The last time I met you with your husband was at the Reunion in Sri Lanka a few years ago. Hope you are well. 

Malkanthie: Hello Speedy. I remember that well. The blog is a great way to keep in touch. I try to visit this site at least once or twice a month. Thanks for keeping us connected.

Speedy: It is a great pleasure. 

Lalantha, nearly missed you standing in the wings! It was a pleasant surprise to hear from the Scrabble expert!

Lalantha: Hi Speedy. My involvement with the military hospital, private practice, scrabble and contract bridge leaves very little space in the betz cells to remember to visit the blog. However, I shall try to do better in the future. 

And finally, Sisira, how are you mate?

Sisira Ranasinghe: Hi Mahendra. I have visited the blog infrequently, as I am VERY BUSY finishing up my lifelong software project. I am sending my regards to ALL my batchmates and their families. Stay safe and take care of each other. 

Wait a minute, just spied Bertram Nana joining us. Hello Bertie. My apologies for wondering whether you were in the land of the living, quickly dispelled as fake news thankfully!

Bertram: Hi Mahendra. I visit Blog at least once a month now, I think I replied to Lakshman Abey initially. Hope you’re enjoying your free time now. Bertramnan. 

So there you have it. We have to be realistic and not expect to get huge participation in a blog but it is clear to me that it is being used and valued by a lot of our batchmates. Lucky and all the regulars, our efforts are not in vain! What you started is appreciated, and I am sure as we get older, it will be valued even more. I have spotted a lot of “new faces” in the last few months.

My plea to all of you is to keep accessing and even more importantly, please suggest what sort of articles you would like to see in it. We need your ideas on how we could entice more people to access the blog, to encourage posting comments and to contribute articles. I once again make the offer for any of you who have thoughts on a post. If you are reluctant to write a document, all you need to do is to send me your thoughts in an email and I shall turn it into an article. This will be first sent back to you for approval before publication. 

Thank you for joining me today and hope to see you again soon. Take care my friends and I hope Lucky and I can cope with the deluge of comments on this!

 

Footnote about permissions for those who are interested, not many I presume. With permissions, you can now choose either "Public," "Private - Only blog authors," or "Private - Only these readers." To restrict your audience to a select number of readers, choose the third option and manually add your reader's email addresses. These readers will receive an invitation email with a link giving them 30 days access to your blog without signing in. After the 30 days are up, they can only access your blog by signing in with a Google account, unless you send a second email inviting them for another 30 days.

Speedy Dialogues

THE SPEEDY VIRTUAL INTERVIEW SERIES

Speedy Dialogues

Episode 3, January-February 2019

Speedy with Appu Sumathipala

On, “Ward Classes, our Clinical teachers and anecdotes”

Speedy: Good morning Sumathi. Thanks for being my 3rd subject. Shall we start?

Sumathi: Good morning Speedy. I am ready and thanks for inviting me to join your series. I have enjoyed reading the first two.

Speedy: I am glad you did Sumathi. Let me begin the dialogue. Our clinical training included "Ward Classes" where cases were presented to the teacher by the student at the patient's  bedside and discussed. Can you recall any amusing incidents or moments of great teaching during them?

Sumathi. Let me try and answer your question.

My recollection is that most of the ward classes never ended up well, as there were pending lectures and we had to rush to attend them. Some of the histories taken were laboriously done and not relevant to the clinical problem. Eliciting of clinical signs was not very precise, and there were no proper demonstrations by the tutors.

Speedy: I myself think that there was quite a variation and while most tutors were excellent, some left much to be desired. Ward classes by Dr Wijenaike, Dr Ernie Pieris, Dr RienziePieris, Dr George Ratnavale, Dr Thanabalasunderam, just to name a few, were excellent. Can you recall teachers who stood out in your opinion?

Sumathi: Physicians with outstanding teaching qualities I recall were Drs P R Wickramanayake, K S de Silva, D J Attygalle, R S Thanabalasunderam (he was a maestro in interpreting ECG findings.) I still remember his words, left axis deviation-horizontal heart, right axis deviation-vertical heart. Prof Raj had a high regard for him. In fact, Prof. used to ask us about previous Consultants who taught us.

Speedy: What about surgeons?

Sumathi: DF de S was a soft spoken surgeon, slow and steady in contrast to Antho, who was fast and very precise.

Speedy: DF de S certainly was very soft spoken and we used to joke about his “secrets of surgery”.  Antho was the confident showman.

Sumathi: I had the privilege of having my surgical attachments with them. Last but not least, Dr Niles, who I can remember conducting a tutorial few weeks before the finals and appealing to the students to ask questions. He used the word "now or never". I am sure our Yoga did his 6 months Surgery with him. He was known to be a good theoretician but no one was sure about his surgical skills. I also remember assisting Prof Milroy Paul during my days in the Surgical Admission Unit (most probably during the final year). There was a case of acute abdomen on the day the Professorial unit was on take. The patient was taken to the theatre and I assisted Prof. He showed me the obstruction in the large bowel which he resected. The end to end anastomosis was superb. I never had a chance to follow up the case. His surgical lectures were full of sarcasm towards some of the UK Surgeons.

Speedy: Yes, the Paul brothers were quite distinguished. His brother as you know was ATS Paul, 

Cardiothoracic Surgeon. Prof Milroy had what we called the “triple”, the FRCS, MRCP and MRCOG, which was possible those days. He was the first Professor of Surgery at the Ceylon Medical College and the first Ceylonese to deliver the prestigious Hunterian Oration at the Royal College of Surgeons and he did that three times!

Sumathi: That reminds me of a story about his experience at the Royal College of Surgeons when he went to deliver his Hunterian lecture which you just mentioned. According the story, he was the first to attend and the person who came next wanted to know whether Prof was sitting for the Primary. His reply was that he had already passed. The next question was whether he was sitting for the Finals. “No, I have already passed that too” said Prof. Then to his amazement, Prof told the guest that he had come to deliver the Hunterian lecture. I am sure the guest could hardly believe that a small made chap of Asian origin had come to deliver a prestigious lecture to a very distinguished audience.

Speedy: That is a great story. I heard it slightly differently. It was the doorman who questioned him but the essence of the story is the same. How about some funny anecdotes?

Sumathi: I can think of several Speedy. When we did our attachment with Prof Rajasuriya, a question was asked about the creature that caused scabies. One bright student said that it was scabies scabiei . When it came to my turn I gave the correct answer,sarcoptes scabiei. Would you believe, that very student did well at the final? Not only that, he got his MD (Cey) and became a Consultant in General Medicine and migrated to UK, after getting early retirement from the Health Service.

Speedy: I wonder who it is, but I won’t press you. Just shows that a thorough knowledge of Parasitology is not essential!

Sumathi: You can guess! Only two from our batch passed that prestigious MD (Cey). You were one of them and the other person is pretty obvious. He and I did combined studies during the third year but missed out during the final year.

Speedy: His ears must be burning!

Sumathi: There was another interesting Surgical tutorial,where a question was asked about the clinical diagnosis of fracture of neck of femur, whether it is intracapsular or extracapsular. I was ready with the answer as I had read Hamilton Bailey. The Consultant was a Sri Lankan Muslim and I have forgotten his name. He also mentioned that cases with hip diseases were presented at the Final FRCS. Anyway, the Consultant was very impressed with my knowledge of Orthopaedics. During the Orthopaedic attachment we had a few cases of missing arms and limbs from birth. I used to tease Virginia, who was in my group as she was clueless about the Medical terms for those conditions. Remember terms Amelia and Phocomelia?

Speedy: I can’t remember whether at that stage I would know those terms. I would have thought that Amelia was a girl! I sympathise with Virginia.

Sumathi: I know you are teasing me! There were a few “colonial types” that I remember. When we did our attachments with Dr Austin, we had to wear ties and he was a terror.

Speedy: I remember Dr Austin very well as I had ward classes with him; quite an imposing character. Can you remember the eye surgeon, I think he was Dr Weerakone who  insisted that we wore ties for his ward classes?There is a story about him and Geri Jayasekera. Geri forgot his tie and borrowed a theatre nurse’s green cloth belt and put it round his neck like a tie. Dr W lined us up as usual and gazed at everybody one by one and when he came to Geri, he paused for just a moment and carried on the inspection and Geri escaped!

Sumathi: I can well imagine Geri doing that. He had such a great sense of humour. You know of course that he was good singer too. Remember his song with his brother Perrin, called Maluwelenda?

Speedy: Of course! The famous Jay Brothers. Any more juicy stories?

Sumathi: I can recall some hilarious encounters during Antho's teaching rounds.

I was in a group which included Patas, HN, Virginia and some others. Antho asked Patas to do a PR examination on a male patient. Patas was dumbfounded and after waiting for a couple of minutes, told Antho that he had never done it before. Antho wasted no time and told Patas “Mr Ratnesar, if your father told your Mum that he had never done it before, you would not be here".

Speedy: Ha! Ha! That is priceless!

Sumathi: HN was asked to examine a man's scrotum and he was wondering how to get on with it. Antho told him,"Look Mr Wickramasinghe, when you have to give something hot, you don't waste time”. I am sure  you get the meaning Speedy!

Speedy: I can imagine! There are a few things that come to my mind, one of which involved Punsiri Fernando. During a ward class with Dr Burhan, Dr B asked whether anyone knew the main constituent of anti gasgangrene vaccine. We were all quiet till Punsiri put his hand up timidly. Burhan said, "at least one of you donkeys know. Yes?” he said, looking at Punsiri. Punsiri said, completely deadpan, "Sir, it is 90% water". We all laughed but Burhan chased him out of the class!

Sumathi: Punsiri, great guy, sadly no more. He rose to great heights in Sri Lanka and was Head of the Anti-Malaria Campaign.

Speedy: I met him a few times on my visits to Sri Lanka and I used to bring him stamps as he was an avid stamp collector. Few more stories Sumathi?

Sumathi: Well I could go on and on Speedy! I recall some stories connected with Prof Ranasinghe, or Ranaya as we “reverently” called him! At the time we did the appointment, the Registrars to Ranaya were, Mahasara Gunaratne, P C Induruwa and Ashmore Attapattu. The trio were boring and never taught the nitty gritty stuff in examination terms. Ranaya did a couple of Utero-vaginal prolapses via vaginal route and allowed his registrars to do the rest.

Speedy: I am afraid I wasn’t a great fan of the trio who treated us like errant schoolboys. Ranaya was an imposing figure and a very didactic teacher. Good for evening Academy type but not at University level in my opinion. I recall him saying, “There are 5 causes of post-menopausal bleeding and they are No 1 (flexes his thumb), No 2 (flexes his index finger), carrying on till all fingers are flexed and when a student regurgitates this at the viva Ranaya’s fingers would flex in the order he has given and if the student gave 4 causes and missed the 3^rd, he would ask the student “what is this, what is this?” showing his middle finger! Viswa on the other hand was an excellent teacher. He would not allow us to take notes while he was lecturing but gave us 15 minutes at the end to write what we had heard and understood.

Well Sumathi, all good things have to come to an end. Thanks a lot for agreeing to take part and I wish you all the best.

Sumathi: Speedy, I enjoyed looking back and reviving old memories. I am happy I was able to contribute to our most valuable Blog. I hope our batch mates enjoy reading this Dialogue and post comments of their own recollections.

THE SPEEDY VIRTUAL INTERVIEW SERIES - EPISODE 7. August 2018

The Speedy Virtual Interview Series - Episode 7

August 2018

Dr Sujatha Maligaspe Lena

Paediatrician and Adolescent Medicine Specialist, Ottawa, Canada

 

It gives me great pleasure to do my seventh Speedy interview. The last six interviews in order were Cyril Ernest, Zita Subasinghe Perera, Lucky Abeyagunawardena, Suriyakanthie Amarasekera, Sanath Lamabadusuriya and Rajan Ratnesar, all of whom have distinguished themselves in their chosen careers. My seventh subject is the charming and accomplished Sujatha Maligaspe Lena. I chose her because she has not only excelled in her own field but is an accomplished dancer from school days and has maintained this interest throughout her life. Although she lives in Canada, she continues to contribute to her Motherland in so many ways.

Speedy: Good morning Suji.

Suji: Good morning Speedy.

Speedy: Suji, I am going to spend quite some time talking to you about your lifelong passion, dancing, but let me commence by asking you to say a few words about your parents and family.

Suji: Sure. I was born the 3rd oldest child of a sibship of ten children. My maternal Grandfather was Henry Yeobald Ford. My mother was Elizabeth Gertrude Ford. She was of half Irish descent. My maternal Grandmother was of Kandyan descent. My father, Koralege Wimaladasa Maligaspe, was from Galle.

Speedy: How interesting! So your father was a Buddhist and your Mum (or Mom as Americans and Canadians refer to Mother), was a Catholic. Did this pose any problems?

Suji: Not really, as although my parents had strong religious affiliations, they had decided that their children will learn and practise Buddhism and Catholicism, until they were 16 years of age, after which they could decide for themselves.

Speedy: Very broad minded and open approach if I may say so.

Suji: I agree. We were fortunate. The most amusing part of this to me was that Mom taught us – “God made you”. Dad taught us, “Mom and me made you”! As I grew up, I realised that Mom was talking about my spiritual component and Dad was talking about my physical makeup.

Speedy: That made sense. Can you tell us a bit more about your father and how much he influenced you?

Suji: My father was a strict, traditional Sinhalese Buddhist, for example, he made us go on our knees

With proud parents at graduation

and pay our respects to our elders. He set behavioural guidelines for us. He was strict! So much so that when I was 13years old, I was so “Pee’d off” (pardon my French!) with him that I wrote a letter to him calling him a “Tyrant “.

Speedy: You didn’t!

Suji: I did! But he ignored my letter altogether.

Speedy: A wise man indeed. I can see that you have inherited his belief about the importance of following principles and respecting your elders. What about your childhood days growing up with so many siblings?

Suji: What I remember most during this period is that we had a lot of fun growing up together, supporting and helping each other. Among us siblings, we were creative. We had artists, performers and a readymade audience. We had teams to play netball, cricket. Some of us were funny and had the ability to change the mood of the gang and make us laugh no matter how terrible the situation was. Some were merry teasers, oh yes, we had lots of fun!  I had two older sisters. The three of us helped our mother with childcare. I believe that this may have been why I went on to be a Pediatrician and then Specialised in Adolescent Medicine.

Speedy: This is something I have noticed time and again, I mean the subtle ways that childhood experiences have affected our future choice of vocation.

Ok, moving on Suji, can you talk a bit on your schooling and how you ended up in the Medical Faculty?

Suji: We lived in Kotahena, Colombo 13. Without sounding immodest, I was one of the most focused bright Maligaspe girls of the 6 of us. With two older sisters, I had 3^rd hand me down, clothes, and shoes. I did not know any better. It really did not bother me. I also loved reading and got most of my books from public libraries or lent by friends.

I attended Good Shepherd Convent, Kotahena, from Kindergarten to HSC. I enjoyed school and did well all through. Maths and Science were my best subjects. I was a focused and goal oriented person.

Speedy: Had you decided where you wanted to head at this stage?

Suji: I was determined to get into University and I decided that I needed to improve my chances of getting in. In High School, I monitored the rate of admissions to University and Medical School from my school, which as I told you was Good Shepherd Convent Kotahena. At that time Visakha Vidyalaya topped the rate of entrance to higher education among the girls’ schools. So I wrote to Mrs Pulimood the then Principal, with my resume, goals and wishes. I was a practising Buddhist at this time. I was delighted when she called me for an interview, and following this, I was admitted to Visakha and got into Medical School from there.

Speedy: That is quite an amazing thing to have done at that age. You were, as you stated, quite focused and worked hard to succeed. I am impressed.

Suji: Thank you Speedy.

Speedy: You gave us some insight as to why you chose paediatrics but what made you choose Medicine as a career?

Suji: I really had no other options in my head as to a career. This was my natural inclination. I was always taking care of sick children at home, nursing them, and supporting them in so many ways. A possible influencing factor was that in my father’s family, two of his siblings were Ayurvedic Physicians. There may have been some genetic predisposition I suppose.

Speedy: When you look back Suji, what are the factors that made it possible for you to achieve your dream of becoming a Doctor, especially, coming from a large family?

Suji: One of the main factors was the free education system in Sri Lanka for which I am so grateful. This enabled me to complete Kindergarten to Medical School free of charge. My family could not have afforded it any other way. I am eternally grateful and consider myself blessed for what I have been endowed with.

Speedy: I think so many of us feel that way Suji. We should always remember that and try to give something back to our Motherland. It is the least we can do.

Suji: Couldn’t agree more Speedy. I don’t know whether you are aware of some of the things I have done and continue to do to this day to contribute.

Speedy: I am aware of some of your generous contributions, some of which are recorded in this Blog already, but let us spend some time discussing it now. For example, we know that you made a generous donation of 5000 Canadian Dollars to CoMSAA to be utilised under the "Stethoscope and Book Project for Colombo Medical Students". You also pledged to donate a further 50 Canadian Dollars for the same project in memory of our beloved colleague, and schoolmate at Visakha Vidyalaya, the late Priya De Silva.

You also work with children of Sri Lankan origin in Canada.

Suji: That is correct Speedy. I have been involved with Canadian youth of Sri Lankan origin, by teaching, “Culture through Dancing” on Saturdays. My pupils have performed in Ottawa, at Summer Festivals, Multicultural Festivals, and Asian Festivals and at the Sri Lankan National Day celebrations.

Speedy: These are tremendous achievements Suji, and I am so pleased that I can bring these to the Blog to be appreciated and admired.

Suji: That is very kind of you Speedy. I have done a few other things too and could I talk about them

now?

Figure 2 Farewell to twins ShobiniWeerasena and Inoshi
Weerasena,pupils at Dance classes, as the families were 
moving to England. (Dr. NihalWeerasena, Cardiologist 
at CHEO, offered his services  free of charge to perform
 cardiac surgery on the Sri Lankan kids we sponsored)

  Speedy: But of course Suji. Please go ahead.  
Suji: Well, I have organised with CHEO to have cardiac surgery for kids from Sri Lanka. These were corrective procedures that were done, at a time when the procedure was not available in Sri Lanka. I have organised fundraisers for the CHEO Foundation in the Sri Lankan community. I also organised fundraising after the Tsunami that occurred in Sri Lanka and initiated the training of a team of “Bare Foot Grief Counsellors” in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka. 
Speedy: Excuse me for interrupting Suji, what exactly is CHEO? 
Suji: Sorry, I should have told you what it is! CHEO is a global leader in paediatric health, dedicated to helping children and youth live their best lives. CHEO is one of Canada’s few stand-alone paediatric health centres. It is a world-class centre providing compassionate care and leading-edge treatment for children and youth from birth to their 18th birthday. Every year, CHEO helps more than 500,000 children and youth from Eastern Ontario, Western Quebec, Nunavut and Northern Ontario.

Speedy: Thanks Suji, clearly a worthy Organisation. Now let us talk about your friends who entered Medical College with you. I am sure there were many. Do you still keep in touch?
Suji: Batchmates who entered medical school from Kotahena were Zita Perera, Philomena Fernando (Transferred to Peradeniya), Chitra Perera, Anton Ambrose, Douglas Mulgirigama, Marie Anandappa and Eugene Anandappa. These friends often travelled on the trolley buses from Kotahena to Borella Junction on our way to Kynsey Road.

An awful thing that happened on these buses was the sexual harassment and the indignity that females were exposed to, when the buses were crowded with men pressing their body parts on you.

Speedy: Must have been so embarrassing.

Suji: Yes it was awful, should not have occurred to anyone of any age.

Speedy: True. Moving on, what about friends at Medical School?

Suji: Zita and I were Study Buddies through our block days. We studied together through, 1st MB, 2nd MB and 3^rd MB. In 3^rd MB when we started clinical work, Zita went to the Women’s Hostel and from there on, Malkanthie was her roommate and Study Buddy.  

Our homes were busy places; we locked ourselves in our rooms and did our cramming together.  Zita, always wanting to take a break and me timing ourselves!I also recall my Block days, when the seniors who dissected with me teased me by placing arteries and nerves embedded in weird places and getting me to trace them.

Speedy: Many girls were targeted for this type of treatment I know! Any special recollections of your Faculty days?

Suji: The 3^rd MB year was significant in my life. I had to have an Ulnar Nerve transplant and it was done by Dr Darrell Weinman. I remember it so well. It was 2 weeks before 3^rd MB exams. Malkanthie sat by my bedside and revised all of Parasitology with me. She also took it upon herself to tell R.B. Lena, that I was in hospital and one evening he turns up when I was napping. When I awoke, there he was, sitting by my bedside. For some reason, I was very embarrassed, because at this stage I was becoming aware that he was getting seriously romantically interested in me.

Speedy: Oh I see. How did you first meet him?

Suji: I met Bonnie (Boneventure) Lena when he came over, after a Kandyan Dance performance at St Bridget's Convent and spoke to me. This was a Catholic Students Federation Annual end of the year celebration. He was at the Kityakara Catholic Hostel, attending his pre-med year at the University of Colombo. I was at Good Shepherd Convent. He came over and introduced himself and said he was fascinated by my performance. From there on he kept in touch with me and when I entered Medical School, he declared his long-standing attraction to me. I told him he is a Tamil and I am a Sinhalese, and my father would not permit this.

Suji with hubby Bonnie Lena

Speedy: What was his reaction?

Suji: He made it a point to get to know my father personally. After medical school, we tackled my father again and he said,“No”. We then went our separate ways and that wasn’t easy but I had to follow my conscience.

Speedy: And did your father change his mind with time? 
Suji: He reconciled with me only after we had the kids and visited Sri Lanka with them when they were 5 and 6 yrs. old. This was 10 long years later. 
Speedy: I am so glad that he did. I am sure your father was a good man but it wouldn’t have been easy for a man of his generation to adapt easily. 
Suji: I realised that Speedy, and I always knew in my heart that he would “come back”, and he did!

Speedy: Good for you Suji and of course your marriage has been a long and happy one.

Suji: Yes Speedy. We made a good couple!

Speedy: Super! Let us return to your medical school days. What did you enjoy most?

Suji: I enjoyed most of all the clinical years, dealing with real people and their presentations and management. 

Speedy: I am sure that applied to most of us. All that background stuff we learnt began to make sense. After you graduated, where did you do your internship?

Suji: I did my internship with Dr Misso at the General Hospital, Colombo and Paediatrics at Lady Ridgeway Hospital. Just after that, something happened, and this changed the course of my life.

Speedy: Would you like to share it with us?

Suji: A day before my commencing the appointment at LRH, I had a telegram informing me that I was transferred to an outpost and the person who was appointed in my place had a political connection. I was really disheartened by this and it set me off on the trail to work abroad.

Speedy: What happened, did you take up the job?

Suji: I was “p..ssd off” and decided to leave. We left for the UK. And within 2 weeks of arriving in Brighton where I had an aunt, I saw an advertisement in the BMJ for a 6-month Locum at the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital in Brighton. I applied and completed the locum. At the end of that period, an S.H.O post came up. I was already known at the hospital and as destiny and luck would have it, I was appointed and worked in Paediatrics which was my affinity. During this time, I completed the Diploma in Child Health, University of London.

Speedy: And from there?

Suji:I got a posting at Guy’s Hospital in London, in the Paediatrics Outpatients Department. It was a 9 am - 5 pm job that suited me as I was pregnant with our first child. I travelled from Brighton to London daily. It is now 1972, 3 years after marriage. Suvendrini was born in 1972. Our 2nd child Gitanjali was born in 1973, they are 11 months apart. This was a tough time for me, combining my career with motherhood.

Speedy: How did you cope Suji?

Suji: Several things helped me. I had a Nanny from Sri Lanka which was a great help. And my dear husband was excellent with family responsibilities. He was training to be a Child and Family Psychiatrist. That helped too! At this point, I took 5 years off to be with my kids. I went back to work after they started KGN. I was very particular being in paediatrics, that those formative years were very important and they were not going to daycare.

Speedy: Very true. You got the DCH by this time and did you do the Membership?

Suji: There was no MRCP in Paediatrics at this time. I switched from Paediatrics to Registrar in Medicine, to do the MRCP, U.K.

Speedy: So the stint in General Medicine was for the purpose of obtaining the MRCP. You then reverted to paediatrics?

Suji: Yes. I then took up a position in Developmental Paediatrics at the Birmingham Children’s Hospital. I next moved on to a Research fellowship in Paediatric Clinical Pharmacology in London with Professor Paul Taylor for 2 years. This brings me to 1979.  As you can see I tailored my career to my own plan and my family needs.

Speedy: I can see that. But how did you end up in Canada? Could you briefly outline your path from the UK to Canada?

Suji: There were several reasons Speedy. Bonnie got job offers in Canada and Australia due to his work on Bipolar kids and early and effective treatment. We visited Canada and Australia and preferred to live and bring up our kids in Canada. There definitely was more acceptance of colour in Canada than in the UK at that time.

I came to Canada in 1979 and did my Licensing exams and Fellowship exams in paediatrics. After a year of practising paediatrics, I did my fellowship training in Adolescent Medicine as I was more interested in working with the teens and their problems. At this time, Adolescent Medicine was beginning to be recognised as an area that needed to be developed.

Speedy: This is an area which I am not at all familiar with. I am sure you are aware of the fact that the UK lagged behind many European Countries, Australasia, the USA and Canada. It was only in the late 90s that it got its rightful place here in the UK. You played a key role in the development of Adolescent Medicine in Ottawa and we shall come back to that, but at this stage, I would like to take you back to your interest in dancing. Hope that’s OK by you.

Suji: Absolutely fine Speedy.

Speedy: Great!I would love to know how you got into dancing.

Suji: At the very beginning, (sounds like the "Bible"!), a very dear uncle took it upon himself to give Malini, myself and Hema, dancing lessons with Heen Baba Dharmasiri a well renowned Kandyan dancer

Pose after a performance with Teacher Heen baba
Must have been 14-15 years  at the time

 Speedy: Did Heen Baba have a lot of pupils?

Suji: I am not sure Speedy, but we could not have afforded it but for my uncle who provided the finance. He was a bachelor and he came every Saturday and picked us up and took us for lessons at “Caldecott" in Bambalapitiya. Afterwards, he took us for lunch at Lion House, opposite Caldecott. 

Speedy: Did you take part in dancing activities at school?

Suji: Yes, at all school concerts and plays. I enjoyed participating and performing. At that time, I was preparing for my ‘O’ levels and ‘A’ levels in dancing. Teaching was very traditional from the revered Gurus to the pupils, most things through the oral and demonstration mode. Most of the teachers at the time I learnt from, got their skills handed down from generation to generation. This was in the 50’s and 60’s. Later when I visited SL, I saw some Sinhala books at M.D Gunasena’s with excerpts on Kandyan Dancing.

  Speedy: Is Kandyan dancing something for which you already had developed an interest?

A Kalagedi dance , Folk dance style, depicting going

to the well to get water and then frolicking 

on the way home. That is what the song that goes with

it is about.

In full Kandyan costume. Females were not allowed 

to wear the Traditional head gear during my time. 

Not sure how it is now. I think a modified form

 is adopted and worn by some female graduates.

Suji: I was always fascinated by the rhythms of the drums of Uda Rata (up country) and, Pahatha Rata (low country), the various movements and mudras of the hands, feet and body.

Speedy: Did this take up a lot of your time? 
Suji: I was very happy to make time for this and Saturday mornings became very special for me. It took me to a very special space in my head. It also gave me a bit of respite from family responsibilities. As I told you, I grew up in a family of 10 kids. It took me away from the tasks of school, home, chores and my responsibilities for my younger siblings.

Speedy: I am not fully versed in the nuances of Kandyan dancing. For my benefit and for that of the many readers who would like to know, can you describe what this involves?

Suji: It is a very descriptive form of dancing. It originates from the Rajarata and Kandyan Kingdoms. The dances are connected with their cultures, religion, honouring the Gods and customs and Royalty.   Hence you will see this art form exhibited whenever there is Veneration, Celebration, Opening Ceremonies, Invocation of blessings, the opening of seasons, Diya Kapana (water cutting) Ceremonies etc.

Speedy: The Kandy Perahera is a World renowned event which tourists from all over the World come to see. Is the form of dancing you see there what you described?

Suji: Indeed it is a good example of this in all its glory. The drums, dances, elephants, the kings, the Buddha relics, in all its pageantry are paraded along the streets of the city. It is a National and Buddhist feature

Speedy: How were your lessons structured?

Suji: After the basic classes of learning postures, poses, steps, rhythms and moving to the music, we moved on to learn and appreciate what Kandyan dancing is all about.

Speedy: What does Kandyan dancing include?

Suji: What is described in the classical forms of dances are the Kings and Royalty, as in the Udara Vannama , The Elephant in the Gajaba Vannama, Peacock in the Mayura Vannama, and Mangala Vannama for invocation of blessings. Dances also depict the Swan, Horse, Monkey, The clouds, as in the Mega Vannama, and so forth.

Each dance has descriptive poetry, which is sung accompanied by the drums or Gatta Bera, Cymbals-thalampota, horanave- Horn.

In the traditional form of Kandyan Dancing, the costumes of the male dancer are very elaborate. The full costume is only worn by expert dancers and they have to be initiated into this by a Gurunnansay.

Speedy: How fascinating Suji! Did you do this purely as a hobby?

Suji: At the start possibly, but my dancing progressed on to completing the 'O' levels and ' A' levels in dancing.

Speedy: Well done Suji!  I had no idea! And you performed in Public quite a lot?

My Ball Room Dancing Medals competing at the 

Montreal  leReseau’ International

 

Suji: Yes I did. My dancing teacher had many requests for performances in many parts of Sri Lanka and for concerts, performances for visiting foreign dignitaries and for fundraising activities. Thus began my era of many public performances on independence days, school performances and concerts. This took me to another level of choreographing and practising and performing solo and group dancing. I did engage in performing for fundraisers and volunteer work. I did so at many places including the Welikada Prison, annual dancing school productions, at the Catholic Students Federation Annual General Celebrations, University of Colombo and Medical students union Dances etc.

Ballroom dancing diploma Gold Medal

Speedy: My goodness, that is a lot! Did you do this right through the various stages in your life? You told us you did dancing for ‘O’ levels. What about HSC, University?

Speedy:We know of course that you entered the Medical faculty with us in 1962. How did you pursue your interests in dancing while meeting all the demands of learning to be a doctor? Suji: I continued to pursue my interest right through my life.

Speedy: We know of course that you entered the Medical faculty with us in 1962. How did you pursue your interests in dancing while meeting all the demands of learning to be a doctor? 

Suji: I learnt to manage my time well. I wanted to be a doctor but dancing was an important part of my life and I was able to rise to the challenge.

Speedy: Where there is a will, there is a way! You maintained your interest in dancing and also qualified successfully as a Doctor in 1967. And a few years later, you got married. This was in 1969 when you married Dr Bonnie Lena whose interest in you never faltered. You went on to have 2 lovely children. Were they interested in learning dancing?

With Suvendrini and Gitanjali

 rSuji: Yes, I taught my children Suvendrini and Gitanjali to dance, and they performed for their school. In England while in Brighton, Sussex, I was requested to give a presentation on Sri Lanka at the Brighton public library, for the local school children. I really enjoyed that.

Speedy; You must have been so proud of your children!

Suji: Indeed I was. Those were memorable occasions.

Speedy: After you moved to Canada, were you involved in cultural activities there?

Suji: In Canada, where there was more appreciation of diversity and integration of multi-cultural activity, I was frequently invited to perform at National days, summer festivals, and Sri Lankan Independence Day celebrations in Ottawa.

Speedy: Were there other Sri Lankans who were keen to teach their children and maintain our cultural heritage?

. Suji: Gradually the parents of children of Sri Lankan origin became interested in teaching them cultural activities of their country of Origin. I formed the “MALIGASPE SCHOOL OF DANCING“in Ottawa Canada. I taught dancing and drumming to the kids in my basement. I had a lot of fun teaching these youth to appreciate the culture of their heritage. The kids were performing at all kinds of festivals, productions and celebrations of Sri Lankan associations.

GajagaVannama, by Inoshi, Shobini, RenishaNadarajah , 
at Sri Lanka – Canada association function, August 1997

Speedy: This is all very interesting Suji. I shall share something with you now. My younger brother Nihal is a GP based in Wellington and his wife Dayani is a keen Kandyan dancer and dance teacher. You may know her. She was Dayani Ratnapala before marriage. She has for over 30 years, taught Sri Lankan cultural dancing to children in Wellington and she started The Sri Lankan Dance Academy which is still flourishing.

Suji: How wonderful to hear that! I can’t say I know her but I would love to contact her.

Speedy: I shall give you her contact details. I am sure she would love to hear from you and share experiences and ideas.

Suji: Yes please Speedy.

Speedy: I am very impressed by what you have achieved Suji. In fact, I am sure all of us who know you and those who get to know about what you have done, will feel the same.
Suji: Nice of you to say that Speedy.

Naomi De Silva, Performing ìn 1998, “Mega Vannama” 

pupil of Maligaspe School of Dancing , at a multicultural event.

Speedy: I am just stating the truth! Can I ask you Suji, who were your role models and who were your heroes, both Sri Lankan and in the World. This is a question I ask all my subjects because we get a deeper insight into their character and on their approach to life.

Suji: As you would expect from me, my heroes were not politicians. In Sri Lanka, they were among the artistic community, people who had natural talents and struggled to make a living, and believed in themselves. They expressed their values through the medium of poetry, song and dance and literature, people such as Pundit Amaradeva, Sri Gunaya, Rukmani Devi, and C.T Fernando, Ai Weiwei (Chinese contemporary artist and activist). I admired JFK, and religious figures such as Jesus Christ, Buddha, for their teachings to mankind, and more recently, Mother Theresa, 

Speedy: I am not surprised by your choices. Were there any teachers in the Faculty or Hospitals you worked who left lasting impressions?

Suji:I appreciate them all including my own batch mates who went back and worked all their lives giving back to the Sri Lankans and their motherland of the best of themselves, my hats off to them.

Speedy: If I was wearing a hat, I would certainly say “hats off to them” too! But I always point out the fact that the reasons why some of us left Sri Lanka are individual circumstances unique to them and they should not in any way feel guilty.

Suji!: Couldn’t agree with you more Speedy. We must be very careful in judging people.

Speedy: Let me quote the Bible Suji, “Judge not, that ye be not judged” - Matthew 7:1-3.

Suji: I am impressed Speedy! Absolutely!

Speedy: One final question and I promise that this indeed is the last one.

With hindsight, do you see any areas in the Medical education/curriculum which were lacking in our time?

Suji:It is not appropriate to compare our times and how we were taught as so much has changed. What we know now and the styles and facilities for teaching and delivering skills and imparting knowledge are so different. Things have moved along so much. It is definitely more efficient and effective today, but we were trained well.

I am a visual and hands-on learner, hence I preferred to see and feel and then go and learn how it occurred. The teaching at Medical school was very dogmatic, which is necessary at the beginning. But that was a chore for me. I believe each of us learns in a different way depending on our cognitive makeup.

I must add that I am a clinical teacher, and the great clinical teachers who left an indelible mark in my skills were Neurologists and Neurosurgeons such as Dr George Ratnavale and Dr Darrell Weinman, Surgeons such as Dr P.R Anthonis, Noel Batholomeuz, and the Orthopaedic surgeon Dr Rienzie Pieris, with whom, I did my Orthopaedic rotation and MrRasanayagam ENT  Surgeon. In Paediatrics I must mention Prof C. C. De Silva., Priyani Soysa, and Stella De Silva. There were many more wonderful and great teachers in their own right.

Speedy: The names you mention will be recalled with fondness and gratitude by all of us I am sure. Thank you for your thoughtful observations.

If I may say so Suji, you came across as a person with a lot of energy, self-belief and one who is unashamedly goal oriented. Underlying all that is a sensitive and talented person who upholds “old-fashioned” traditional family values. But at the same time, you have the strength of character to assert yourself in situations where there is conflict, and where principles dear to you matter. Is that a fair summary?

Suji: Yes that’s me alright! I am also very proud of my heritage and cultural activity that I was able to share with many people through the years in a very simple but rewarding manner.

Speedy: Dr Sujatha Maligaspe Lena, MBBS, MRCP, MD, FRCPC, FAAP, Alumnus of the Faculty of Medicine,  University of Ceylon, it has been an immense pleasure to journey through your eventful life and I wish to thank you again for agreeing to feature in the Speedy Interview. I wish you good health and happiness.

Suji: Thank you for a great job. It has been a pleasure and privilege