Health Benefits of being active in retirement - Musically speaking

Mahendra Gonsalkorale's presentation at the Academic Sessions of the 50^th Anniversary Reunion, Negombo held on 3, 4 & 5 March, 2017.

Good morning friends, it is so lovely to see so much of you.

As always, it is an honour to contribute to the scientific sessions, even though I understand that people were not exactly queuing up for the honour!

My talk today is a bit personal but I plan to touch on aspects which I hope will make you reflect and also help you to maintain your health as the clock keeps ticking, as indeed it has for millions of people before us, and will surely do so for millions that follow.

The only thing certain about life…is death! The time to reach the second of these seemed a long, long time when we began the journey but as we near the end, it feels like just a short time. How we experience time is a subject by itself. All of us have gone through most of the usual calling posts such as school, university, employment, marriage, children,  grandchildren and on the way experienced a range of emotions including joy, wonderment, sadness, exhilaration, anger, confusion, amazement, just to name a few. We have now reached, or are about to reach in the case of some, that period we call retirement, meant to be a time of Peace, contentment, free of the drudgery of work and filled with time for doing those things for which we did not, or chose not to, have the time.

Some gave a lot of thought to this approaching milestone. After all, it wasn’t something that could not be anticipated, but nevertheless, there are some who belong to that category. Most of you I am sure prepared for it and I do hope that you are leading a life full of fulfilment, at least most of the time!

The Retirement challenge – wish list

·        Be content

·        Remain healthy physically

·        Remain healthy mentally (all about marbles)

·        Be financially stable with a simple life style – not too difficult

·        Be financially stable with a expensive life style – more difficult

·        Maintain good relations with family and friends

·        Stop worrying about things you cannot change of influence

Retirement is a strange concept when you come to think of it. It is based on the belief that work was a stressful drudgery which had to be endured and at last, the time for escape has arrived. This need not be so and I am sure it is always possible to find aspects of your work which you enjoyed and there is no reason at all to stop work completely and retire. If you enjoy your work and can fit it in, ideally on a part time basis, together with other things you would like to do, why not! It is a matter of making choices as to what you really want in life. If you found it necessary to have a large income to lead the sort of life you wanted, retirement may be difficult as the drop in your income will be significant. If on the other hand, you found the right balance and prioritised your needs,wants and desires, you would be in a better position to do so.

As we get older, it is inevitable that some of the more unpleasant aspects of aging will affect us. Age associated illness, decline in physical and mental function, loss and/or separation from loved ones, are factors which will affect all of us to varying degrees. We have absolutely no control over some of these but we can and should attempt to mitigate the effect of some others. It is my view that your Health comes above almost anything else. There are others of importance, but how you feel, move, think, and do, or not do things, will depend largely on your health and we should do our utmost to maintain our health,and of course we can. Not all escape unscathed and the ravages of chronic disease will affect some of us and major adjustments will be needed.

But health alone is not enough. It is an important basis but financial stability is also very important and needs to be taken into consideration.

We also become the subject of many jokes.

Additional years provide the chance to pursue new activities such as further education, a new career or pursuing a long neglected passion. Older people also contribute in many ways to their families and communities.

Although your finances are very important it does not mean that you should “work all the hours that God gave us” till you drop dead! Again it is a question of balance and forward thinking of what you need. The realisation that continuous accumulation of material wealth is not the way to happiness would have dawned on many of you. The transient and superficial satisfaction of experiencing Power and Influence which is all too easily lost when you no longer occupy positions that gave you that power, will make you more modest and content if you accept it, or, miserable and unhappy if you don’t. You will realise the truth of impermanence, and that will lead you to contentment.

My health advice for all of us is as follows-

·        Regular exercise, sufficient in intensity and duration.  (There is good evidence that the incidence of Alzheimer’s is less in those who do regular physical and mental activities).  Take up a sport. I would heartily recommend golf. Swimming. Brisk walk 5 days a week at least 30min duration enough to increase your heart and respiratory rates.

·        A healthy diet with an eye on your weight.

·        Check for and treat Diabetes, Hypertension, lipid abnormalities.

·        Indulge in activity which produces mental stimulation.

·        Stay Inquisitive about the world around you

·        Socialise with friends.

·        Realise your own physical capabilities and live your age rather than indulge in activities which are unsafe at your age.

·        Cultivating a mind-set of being content with what you got, not constantly yearning for material things and, for want of a better word, being more spiritual in your attitude to life in general and to other human beings and animals. Enjoyment is a mental experience and there is a lot you can do to manage it to your advantage.

·        Some of you might advocate a glass of red wine a few days a week

·        Learn to relax and relieve anxiety and stress. Gardening, music.

·        Develop a sense of purpose. The famous philosopher Nietzsche once wrote, “He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how”. People with a greater sense of purpose live longer, sleep better and have better sex. Purpose cuts the risk of stroke and depression. It helps people recover from addiction or manage their glucose levels if they are diabetic. If a pharmaceutical company could bottle such a treatment, it would make billions. But you can find your own, and it’s free.

·        Stay married if you can! Married people have a higher life expectancy than single of divorced people. But the good news for us singles is that this significance disappears if the singles are have active social lives.

And now to music.

"Where there is life there is music. Where there is music, there is life." - 80-year-old jazz trumpeter, Richard Phelps, recently said at his birthday party

I would like to suggest that music could provide a means to maintain your health (in conjunction with the factors already mentioned) and has certainly helped me to keep mentally active and happy. Just like the Medical profession provides such a range of sub specialties, music is so varied that it will be possible to find something that appeal to you. There is Western, Eastern, Classical, Pop, orchestral, vocal,choral, jazz, rock, gospel, country and western, soul, folk music, Carnatic music, Hindustani music, Ghazal setc etc. I would also recommend that you try to master a musical instrument, especially if you always had a secret wish to do so. My elder bother always wished he could play the piano and over the last 10 years, he bought piano, got lessons, practised assiduously and he can now play the piano reasonably well, although he knows that he cannot be another Ashkenazy!

I was able to play the piano “by ear“since I was about 12 years old as there was a piano (sister was taught as was customary) at home and I had a “good ear”. I always wish I should have learnt to read music and play and I am yet to do that properly. I found the answer to my desire to play the piano in a band by discovering the amazing potential of the electronic keyboard. My Yamaha Tyros 5 gives me such huge pleasure and I not only play known music but compose music.

I love singing on my own or with friends. I alluded to “purpose” in life and we find it in different ways. Some find purpose as Grandparents, others through working in Charities and other Community oriented work, others through Religion. Whatever you choose, finding “purpose” never fails to enrich our lives. A recent study quoted in the New Scientist confirms that people with purpose are healthier and live longer, although it is not clear whether this is a causal phenomenon as people with purpose are more active anyway.

At this stage I play clips of a few songs I sang/composed.

Insomnia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ojE8Uvg8BU

Your image is etched in my heart: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97x1vn-vj-Y

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3TyDwvfmqU

Some quoted beneficial effects of music for elders

·        A happier outlook on life.

·        Bettered social interaction.

·        Encouraged self-expression and discovery of personal identity.

·        Enhanced moods.

·        Improved interest levels.

·        Increased communication in dementia and Alzheimer’s patients.

·        Increased positive emotions.

·        Increased relaxation.

·        Increased self-esteem.

·        Reduced tension and anxiety.

Studies also show that music promotes positive overall health.  Those that listen to music demonstrate:  [slide]

·        Better nights of sleep.

·        Diminished pain.

·        Improved memory and recall.

·        Improved recovery time.

·        Increased ability to concentrate.

·        Increased awareness.

·        Increased mobility and coordination.

·        Increased overall cognitive abilities.

·        Lessened need for medication.

·        Reduced pain.

·        Reduced recovery time

I conclude by reciting a poem I wrote on Retirement

Retirement

Wheels turning rapidly

Blurred images passing by,

No time.

All too brief acquaintances

Forever catching up,

No time.

Deadlines, projects, meetings

Rushing about on wheeled things,

No time.

Finishing, only to start again,

Is this living?

Stop before it’s too late!

And now,

Slow down.

Time to pause, to reflect, to notice

Time to absorb, to learn

Time to indulge, to take, to give, to appreciate

Time to be detached,

Slow down.

Time to rediscover Nature,

The sheer peaceful beauty of trees,

The delightful sounds and sights of birds,

The living tapestry of the transforming sky

Time to treasure all things beautiful,

Slow down,

And live again.

  -Thanks very much for giving me this opportunity to speak to you-

Manohari Navaratnarajah Shanmuganathan

I just received this message from ND.

Lucky

I have some sad news for you. Manohari Shanmuganathan, from our batch passed away 2 days ago in the UK. She was ailing for several years after a minor stroke and developed pancreatic cancer. I received the news from Maheswari Nadarajah nee Singarayer. Our condolences go to her husband and immediate family.

Regards

Nihal D A

Creative Spot by Indra Anandasabapathy

Friends in Sarasota.

REUNION QUIZ by Suri Amarasekera

Hi Everybody I thought it would be good to share the Quiz I conducted during our 50^th Anniversary Reunion for the benefit of those who were unable to join us. The list of questions I compiled was from actual incidents and not figments of my imagination. It took me almost 6 months to get it all together…. I would suddenly recall an incident that happened long ago during our student days at 3.00am, and jot it down in case I forget it by morning! I have not included incidents which could offend or hurt anyone(believe me there were quite a few of those!)

I have given the answers at the end ….. See how accurate your recall is.                     --Suri--

THE QUIZZ

  1.      Name the female student who had the audacity to go to Prof Koch’s  toilet in the Physiology block , to answer an urgent call of nature and saw Prof with his pants down.

22.      Name the male student who was overheard complaining to his female companion after a Parasitology lecture “if we hold hands we get Scabies, if we bite we get Rabies, if we sleep we get Babies. What can we do???”

33.      Name the female student who used to bring a whole box of Kleenex tissues to the lectures, when she had a cold? She also had a major crush on Michael Abeyratne.

44.      Name the female student who was bold enough to go up to Dr Noel Batholameusz, and ask him for the name of his Orchid on a dare.

55.      Name the female student who was popularly voted as having the sexiest legs in the batch.

66.      Name the doctor who hit the KelaniValley  train at the Castle Street Level Crossing  with his Mercedes and wondered what the bump was.

77.      Name the student who was known as “The pocket edition”.

88.      On the 29^th of February 1964, several female students declared their love and proposed to a batch mate in a letter that was pinned to the Boy’s Common Room Notice Board by Marker. Name that lucky male student

99.      Who was the female who had the cheek to park her Peugeot near the Koch Clock Tower when she came to register as a Medical Student , and had all 4 tyres deflated and her dresses paraded by Blomfontein seniors ?

110.  Who was named “The Mighty Atom” by Prof Koch?

111.  Who fainted into the arms of a dashing young Intern while assisting at an emergency laparotomy, but recovered just as he was giving her the Kiss of life?

112.  After our batch mates visited Devi BalikaVidyalaya on the day of the Law Medical Cricket match in 1963, they were grilled by none other than Pachaya. He asked all the students who were in the vehicle that went to the girls’ school to stand up. Everybody stood up. “So you are all guilty?” said Prof“No Sir”one of them declared  The Vehicle was too big to go through the school gates, and I was in the half of the vehicle that was still on the road” Name this Student

113.  Name the student who dug Prof Navaratne with her elbow in OT “C” and asked “what is Lubber’s realname?”

114.  Name the female student who vowed to marry a boy who’s surname began with one of the 1^st five letters of the alphabet

115.  Name the student who when asked how much potassium is there in the body at a Physiology signature brought his thumb and fingers together and said “This much” !

116.  Name the student who when asked to trace the path of the Ulnar Nerve at an Anatomy Sig, said the Ulnar nerve comes to the elbow and goes this way, and when the Lecturer looked shocked  said no ,no, it goes that way.

117.  Name the student who sat on the floor of King George’s  Hall with a jatawa on his head, and drummed vigorously for RohiniSenaratne to dance

118.  Who was the attractive female student who  was always chosen to have a venepuncture  to get a  blood sample by “Prick Perera”

Answers1.Kusuma2.Patas   3.Swyrie   4.Suri  5.Bunter  6.Lareef7.RohiniSenaratne8.Harsha   9.Pramilla10.Primrose 11.Suji12.Lubber 13.Kusuma 14.Malkanthi

15.Srikantha16.Srikantha17.Speedy  18.Manel  Mathew

My memories of the Common Room 1962-67

By Dr. Nihal D. Amerasekera

The common room was the social hub of the Faculty. It was housed in the drab grey administrative building of the Faculty of Medicine in the shadow the Koch memorial clock tower. The tall tower with its colonial elegance was built in 1881 in memory of Dr E L Koch, the 2nd Principal of the Colombo Medical School. The Milk Booth with its red and white stripes gave a bit of colour and provided the medical students with sustenance and cigarettes. Smoke and noise filled the ‘dust bowl’ behind the booth which was the parking space for a multitude of cycles, scooters and motor bikes that entered and left the area with monotonous regularity.

However timeless and imposing, the Faculty is not just a set of buildings but a vibrant community. My first encounter with the common room wasn’t a pleasant one. It was the baptism of fire in the infamous rag week. I needn’t elaborate on the psychological vandalism of this archaic practice, a remnant of British rule given a psychopathic oriental twist. That is how I see it now from the sanitised world I live in. But I must confess I didn’t see it that way at the time and considered this as yet another hurdle on the way to fame and fortune.

The common room merged into the canteen and the two were inseparable. Many preferred to take their tea-punts to the common room. The cigarette was a fashion accessory and smoking was rampant in those days. The canteen and common room were full of smoke all day long. The common room had a radiogram with numerous records ranging from classical to jazz and popular music. I remember playing music of Frank Chacksfield which was also a special favourite of Lalantha Amerasinghe . The table tennis was keenly contested and we had some excellent players of national standard like NG Lucas and Buddy Reid. Perched on his ancient wooden chair ‘Marker’ controlled the billiards corner. He had his “potha” the exercise book which gave us the order of play for billiards. For some students billiards was not only a game but a way of life. Some veterans played their entire game with a cigarette precariously perched on their lips, just like a scene from a 1930’s Hollywood movie. There were several Carrom boards ‘greased’ with talcum powder and in constant use. Lucky Abey  was our carrom champion. It amazes me still how the Bridge players found time for their hobby as the games went on ad infinitum. Poring over the chess board were Satchie and Asoka Wijeyekoon both fine chess players often seen in deep thought ruminating on the last move and fretting over the next.

In those days feminism was a profanity. Although called a common room it was common only to men. Women were not officially barred but whenever they arrived there were wolf whistles and cat-calls reminding them plainly and unequivocally it was a men only area. I have witnessed this spectacle with many girls running away in extreme embarrassment. Girls were often seen in the canteen with their friends and partners.

The common room was a very special place for us medical students. It was our own retreat and shelter from the storms of faculty life. Our teachers never used the common room and we were left to our own devices. We gathered there to chat and socialise. Racy jokes and saucy humour filled the air. Those friendships made and firmed within those walls have a special closeness that have lasted a lifetime. I recall with great nostalgia the hilarious banter and dialogue between Chanaka Wijesekera and Sunil De Silva which occurred regularly. It had everyone in stitches and helped to lighten our load during those grueling 5 years. This impromptu comedy script was hugely amusing and entertaining. When Asoka Wijeyekoon joined in with his one liners, it was priceless.

There were times when Prof O.E Abhayaratne and the Medical Officer Dr EHC Alles arrived in the canteen unannounced for a tea and a fag. They surveyed their territory enjoying a smoke.  The Prof. with his large frame and husky voice would have frightened the boldest. Beneath that intimidating and fearsome exterior was a kind and considerate man loved and greatly respected by the students. His superb lectures from squatting plates to malaria control were delivered in such elegant prose with a poetic feel. To digress, I have seen squatting plates in my years in the dry zone with the toes together and the heels far apart perhaps in a clever attempt to combine ablutions with the benefits of Tai Chi.  Dr Alles came into my life briefly like a flash of lightening at the medical examination on entry to the Faculty. I recollect very little of it now but remember Bernard Randeniya’s amusing and farcical experience. During the examination Dr Alles had asked him to undress. So he did and stood there stark naked wearing only his wristwatch.  Dr Alles examined his scrotum and counted the testicles making sure both had descended. Through sheer embarrassment he laughed uncontrollably much to the annoyance of Dr Alles. It seems Bernard was severely admonished and sent on his way. Bless him, Bernard had this overwhelming desire to laugh at the most awkward moment.  This often caused great embarrassment. Once doing his Prof Rajasuriya’s appointment, which was daunting at the best of times, he was examining his own patient who had a palpable typhoid spleen. That is gold dust to a medical student. Many students have pummeled this patient mercilessly before. When Bernard started his palpation the patient has had enough. He loudly expressed his displeasure, took his bags and wanted to get discharged and leave. Bernard saw the funny side of this incident and started to laugh. The Prof was not faraway and heard the commotion.  Everyone Knows about Prof’s volatile temper and the harsh punishments. He came to Bernard and having heard the story was greatly annoyed. Bernard was severely reprimanded but was not asked to repeat the appointment. Bernard was one of life’s gentleman, a real joy to be with. I miss his friendship, company and his irresistible guffaw. Although he left this world in 2004 in my quiet moments I can still hear his laughter!!

The common room was also a cauldron of emotions and a place of refuge. Those who have had a tough time at appointments or being repeated sat down alone in a quiet corner or stood with friends to be comforted. Posting of the examination results on the notice board and our desperate search for our names, is a ritual I can never forget.  I have seen the despair in the faces of those who had failed.  They were consoled by friends. The sheer relief and joy of those who passed often spilled out of the common room to rendezvous at the Lion House or Saraswathy Lodge.  Those who failed too quietly drifted in late to drown their sorrows. The common room must retain many memories of the agony and the ecstasy of life in the Faculty.

The Medical Students Union (MSU) wielded great power and prestige. The distinction of being its President was a special honour. The selection was through a democratic election. There was extensive canvassing and the candidates reached out to every medical student with promises and pledges.  After the election the MSU hosted an evening party in the common room.  It was a lavish bash and the booze flowed freely.  It began with speeches giving assurances and promises to keep those pledges and make our lives better. The vows and commitments were soon forgotten just like in politics worldwide.

My abiding memory of those parties is the music and the dancing in various stages of inebriation. Those diverse dance maneuvers defied gravity and some of the slithery gyrations were an anatomical marvel. JC Fernando and his guitar produced much of the captivating and gripping entertainment. Patrick Fernando’s golden trumpet filled the night air with music. I remember him play “Suranganeeta malu genawa” with such verve and vigor that it lit up the common room. The music transported us to a different planet. Patrick lived in Tasmania and passed away a couple of years ago. I recall with great nostalgia R.L Tambiraja singing his signature tune “Come and see the wild west show”. He became the Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in Singapore.  I was deeply saddened to see his obituary some years ago, aged 70. I do remember Lucian Wijetunge (now in Australia) doing a fine baila which would have won any dance competition. His swift leg movements reminds me of the Irish River Dance. One of my enduring memory of this great event is Deva Iriyagolla from our junior batch singing that Mohideen Beig favourite “Tikiri menike ambula genalla” with such sensitivity and feeling. It saddens me to think he died so young while being the DMO at Padaviya in the North Central Province. My meagre contribution was to dance on the bridge table much to the chagrin of the bridge players. Some kind soul (Lucky Abey) took me home to sober up. How I coped going back to my grandparents in Nugegoda that night will never be known. Mahendra Gonsalkorale stuck to his principles. Without taking even a sip of alcohol he had the exceptional ability to join in the fun. He was an audacious illusionist who could create this pretense of being drunk just holding a glass of ginger ale.  This looked so much like the Arrack we drank. Drinking molasses in such large quantities must have been like placing a lighted stick of dynamite in the liver. Those parties were indeed nights to remember and remain deeply carved in my memory of the happy and carefree time in the Faculty.

Universities are places of endemic change. Every year new students join and those who have left go farther on life's journey. As all good things must come to an end so did our sojourn in medical school. Those five grueling years brought us closer together. Perils and pitfalls and the blissful euphoria of those years will long be remembered. When the final year results were posted we congregated in the common room, the lobby and the canteen to say our goodbyes. I recall the warmth of feeling that day and the sadness that followed as we left the premises. For some it was my last goodbye as I never saw many of them again.

In the new millennium I made many visits to my old haunt, the Central Blood Bank Colombo, before it was moved. On those occasions I have drifted into the canteen for a cup of tea and ventured into the common room. The ambience of the place had changed enormously. I didn’t hear any English being spoken unlike in my day. There was Sinhala music blaring away from a crappy radio. That I believe is progress and a return to our own values after centuries of foreign dominance. The surging tide is for equality for men and women. It would be real progress to have a common room without segregation. The place didn’t look clean as it used to be. The corridors looked cluttered and untidy. Students appeared less well attired. Their slang would have been less acceptable in our day. As I am writing this piece for the blog I have disregarded political correctness and written frankly and candidly. After living in the UK for 43 years it may be my vision is blinkered.

I hope very much this account will take you back to those times in our youth and help you recall people and events. As we reminisce we are made aware of the fragility of life and the many who have now departed this world.  Now the common room is a ghostly relic of former times. After the passage of half a century the lively and vibrant common room with its unique ambience can only exist in our memories.

I wish to refer the reader to a fine article written by Lucky Abeygunawardene on this blog

Posted on the 6th of January 2017 captioned “ Marker and the Men’s Common Room” and also a series of images of the Administrative building and its surrounds posted on the 4th of October 2011. They certainly helped me to reminisce and recall those priceless memories of long ago.

A Book Review by Srianee Dias

                                             

A Long Watch. 

War, Captivity and Return in Sri Lanka by Commodore Ajith Boyagoda as told to Sunila Galappatti

This book which was published in 2016 is well worth reading.  I became aware of it when Sunila Galappatti spoke about it in January at the Galle Literary Festival.  It is the story of Ajith Boyagoda, Commanding Officer of the SLNS Sagarawardene, which was one of the Navy’s largest warships at the time.  The ship was destroyed by the LTTE in September 1994 and Commodore Boyagoda was held in captivity for eight years, the highest ranking prisoner detained by the LTTE.  The book is written in his voice, a first hand riveting narrative of his experience.  Aside from his story of survival and the fascinating glimpse into the operations of the LTTE, I was touched by the reflective insight that he shared about his captors.  He read Nelson Mandela’s “A Long Walk to Freedom” over and over, to help maintain perspective.  He assumed a leadership role among his fellow prisoners and worked hard at keeping up their morale.

His return to life as a free man was not easy.  During his absence rumors had been swirling that he was a traitor, collaborating with the LTTE and the Navy seemed to have believed that he had “sold out to the LTTE.”  Others treated him as a hero upon his return.  In the prologue he writes “I made a decision when I was released from captivity that I wasn’t going to help make things worse.  Over my career I had seen divisions between Sinhala and Tamil communities deepen enough.  I wanted no further part in creating a cause for war.  So when people asked me how the Tigers had treated me, I always said they treated me well.  This was also the truth - my experience only fluctuated according to the goodness of each individual guard.”

Michael Ondaatje writes “The best book yet on the war in Sri Lanka.  It is subtle and intimate, human and generous.”

Rana Dasgupta writes “ A moving testimonial to the depth and strangeness of human attachment.  it recounts the other, greater destruction that war brings to society - the destruction of optimism, tolerance and social fibre.”

The war may be over, but the healing will be slow and painful.

The book is published by Harper Collins.

An Idyllic Evening at the Negombo Beach