Thuppahi's Blog

Ar Fernando ….  whose prefferred title is “The Ghosts of Mount Mary: A Forgotten Railway Lega,cy”

Colombo’s history is not always found in grand landmarks. Sometimes, it exists quietly within the forgotten neighbourhoods—like Mount Mary in Dematagoda.

Built during the height of the railway era, these “Little English” bungalows were once the heartbeat of a community defined by routine, labour, and a shared culture. The Sri Lanka Railway—originally the Ceylon Government Railways (CGR)—was conceived in the 1850s, with service beginning in 1864. While it was initially built as an industrial artery to transport tea and coffee from the hill country to the port of Colombo, the railway soon became the lifeblood of the nation.

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Vox Populi

TAKE IN THIS ITEM: ….https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-05-23/poll-predicts-one-nation-federal-opposition/106714586

One Nation inherits the right-wing throne …..

JP… that is John Prins [?] …. “FEMALE BEAUTY IN CEYLON”[1]

“Ladies! – Young ladies! Be advised; hear the warning voice of one, who although an ardent worshipper at the shrine of beauty, yet despises the false conceptions and grand-mistaken notions entertained of female beauty and elegance. Nothing can be beautiful which seeks for its perfection the destruction and perversion of nature’s laws – nothing elegant, which ascribes to itself the rules of art in opposition to the dictates of nature”…… 

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https://www.elanka.com.au/memories-are-made-of-this-the-agar-hewawissa-plunkett-forbes-lineages-of-ceylon-by-michael-roberts/Editor Thuppahi:

In support of his revelatory essay on Asian migrants to Australia in the late 19th and early 20th century, Earlson Forbes has sent TPS examples of the DICTATION TEST that was deployed to keep out the unwanted illiterate.

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BRUCE KAPFERER Interviewed by Bjørn Enge Bertelsen, …. date not up front

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NEWS ITEM at ??

Carlos Alcaraz‘s hopes of regaining his Wimbledon crown have been crushed after the World No.2 was forced to withdraw from the grass court grand slam due to an ongoing wrist injury. The Spaniard won back-to-back titles at the All England club before going down to World No.1 Jannik Sinner in last year’s decider, and his absence leaves the Italian as a massive favourite to retain his title this year.

Alcaraz has been plagued by the wrist injury since last month’s Barcelona Open, causing him to withdraw from subsequent events in Madrid and Rome. Alcaraz was already set to miss the upcoming French Open – where he is the reigning two-time champion. And he’s been forced to pull out of the upcoming grass court swing, in news that has left the tennis world shattered.

Two-time Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz (L) has been forced to withdraw from this year’s grass court grand slam due to an ongoing wrist injury. Pic: Getty

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Amira Cader: “Diverse voices and compelling storytelling define this year’s finalists [for the GRATIAEN PRIZE]” ** … DAILY MIRROR

The Gratiaen Trust, in partnership with the John Keells Foundation and with the support of the British Council announced the shortlist for the 33rd Gratiaen Prize, underscoring the continued vitality of Sri Lanka’s English literary scene at the British Council Colombo last week.

The winner of the 33rd Gratiaen Prize will be announced on 6 June 2026, at a ceremony celebrating the country’s literary talent and cultural expression.

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Five on the shortlist for Gratiaen Prize, …. May 5, 2026

The Gratiaen Trust, in partnership with John Keells Foundation and with the support of the British Council, announced the shortlist for the 33rd Gratiaen Prize on Monday evening. This year, a record number of entries highlighted the energy and creativity in Sri Lankan writing in English.

The five shortlisted works cover a wide range of genres, including historical fiction, contemporary satire, lyrical prose, and experimental poetry.

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Maya Hobart, in The Guardian newspaper, 9 October 2025  “Angela Hobart obituary” … with the highlights being impositions by The Editor, Thuppahi

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Natalie Finn, in Online where the title runs thus: “Maldives Diving Tragedy: What Happened on Excursion That Ended With 5 People Dead”

Five Italians, including a professor and her 20-year-old daughter, died during a scuba diving excursion in the Maldives. An investigation is underway into what went wrong.

Muriel Oddenino/Facebook; Greenpeace via AP; Albatros Top Boat; Federico Gualtieri/Facebook; Instagram

Four Italian tourists, all experienced divers, and their instructor set out on a scuba excursion May 14 in the Maldives to explore a sea cave.  None of them survived the journey.

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