Category Archives: meditations

February 18, 2024 · 11:52 pm

When Upali Wijewardene & His Learjet Disappeared …. in February 1983

Ajith Samaranayake, in The Island in 1983 … now presented again on the aniversary when the plane carrying Wijewardene and others from KL to Sri Lanka simply disappeared

Between Sri Lanka’s 35th independence anniversary and his birthday Upali Wijewardene boarded his executive Lear Jet at Kuala Lumpur and in a single fateful flash became solidified into an enigma and a legend. The flamboyant tycoon who had left with five others never arrived in Colombo. Somewhere over the Straits of Malacca the plane disappeared with not a clue or a trace.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under life stories, meditations, politIcal discourse, self-reflexivity, sri lankan society, the imaginary and the real, transport and communications, trauma, unusual people, world events & processes

February 2, 2024 · 2:03 pm

Lessons for Life: Dr Buddy Reid in Q and A

THE MAKING OF AN ALL-ROUNDER: A Conversation with Dr Buddy Reid …. Sunday Island, 28 January 2024 …. https://island.lk/the-making-of-an-all-rounder-a-conversation-with-dr-buddy-reid/   ….  Correspondence to Dr Sanjiva Wijesinha = Sanjivasw@gmail.com

Dr Buddy Reid – one of the finest all-around sportsmen Sri Lanka has produced – recently celebrated his 83rd birthday. During his University days, Buddy won the National Table Tennis championships of Ceylon three times, played Cricket for Ceylon, sang in the University SCM choir, and played clarinet in a dance band called The Neurones.

Continue reading →

1 Comment

Filed under accountability, cricket for amity, cultural transmission, education, heritage, life stories, meditations, patriotism, performance, self-reflexivity, Sri Lankan cricket, sri lankan society, unusual people

January 23, 2024 · 5:40 pm

Boiling Point: Arrowheads Aimed at AUSTRALIA DAY

Item:  https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=AAWEB_WRE

But the issue that’s reaching boiling point today is the Australia Day debate. Australian cricket captain Pat Cummins has added his voice to calls to change the date from January 26: “My personal opinion is I absolutely love Australia and think it is the best country in the world by a mile. I think we should have an Australia Day but I think we can probably find a more appropriate date to celebrate. Australia Day is meant to be a celebration of everything Australia in our history. I think we could choose a better date.”

 

Continue reading →

1 Comment

Filed under accountability, Australian culture, australian media, centre-periphery relations, charitable outreach, cricket for amity, ethnicity, heritage, historical interpretation, life stories, meditations, patriotism, politIcal discourse, reconciliation, self-reflexivity, taking the piss

January 15, 2024 · 12:18 am

When Squirrels Menace Religious Orders ……….

Coping with a Squirrel Menace

The Presbyterian Church called a meeting to decide what to do about their squirrel infestation. After much prayer and consideration, they concluded that the squirrels were predestined to be there, and they should not interfere with God’s divine will.

Continue reading →

4 Comments

Filed under accountability, art & allure bewitching, authoritarian regimes, cultural transmission, disparagement, heritage, Kandyan kingdom, law of armed conflict, life stories, meditations, performance, politIcal discourse, self-reflexivity, sri lankan society, the imaginary and the real, tolerance

January 8, 2024 · 8:55 pm

Remembering Ian Goonetileke: A Doyen of The Arts & Sri Lankan Publications

Gamini Seneviratne, in a set of profound reflections entitled “Ian Goonatileke, A Memory” and presented previously …. but now subject to a change of title and highlights imposed by The Editor, Thuppahi

 

Browsing through various writings that had to do with Ian, I came upon the following paragraphs that seem to merit a fresh airing in the light of the literary awards recently made under the Gratiaen Trust. Regardless of his spell of scepticism (as mentioned below) that made him turn away from his commitment to advancing his friend Michael Ondaatje’s hopes and intent in funding that Trust it came to establish another award in Ian’s name, one for translation.

Continue reading →

1 Comment

Filed under accountability, art & allure bewitching, British imperialism, cultural transmission, education, ethnicity, heritage, historical interpretation, landscape wondrous, life stories, literary achievements, meditations, nationalism, patriotism, politIcal discourse, self-reflexivity, sri lankan society, unusual people, world affairs

December 31, 2023 · 11:25 am

The TSUNAMI Hit on Sri Lanka, 26 December 2004 on Video & Camera

The Video is courtesy of Felix Sirimanne and apart from its awesome pictorial display indicates that 35,322 lives were lost. All of us will be aware of friends or acquaintances whose sojourn on earth was rudely obliterated on that day….

For my part I deploy this recollection of a sad moment to doff my cap to Sujeeva Kamalasuriya, a young man who represented Sri Lanka in its Under 19 tour of Australia in the 1980s and then migrated to Adelaide where he was part of out Lankan cricketing circle. He was holdiaying at Unawatuna near Galle …. as it happens one of my favourite spots for snorkelling from years past to the present — when the tsunami hit and swallowed his life.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under landscape wondrous, life stories, meditations, nature's wonders, security, self-reflexivity, sri lankan society, the imaginary and the real, tourism, trauma, travelogue, world events & processes

December 24, 2023 · 12:01 am

A Suppository FOR An Innocent’s Arse in England

A Suffering Ignoramus

About half a century back I was driving with my wife to Bath when I found myself struggling to breathe. We drove immediately to the Bath hospital where I joined the Emergency queue. The same problem persisted: fit and well but couldn’t breathe! I quickly saw that the others in the queue were far worse off than I was. One had a deep gash in his neck; another a badly wounded arm, etc, etc. My non-breathing was trivial to everyone except myself!

Continue reading →

3 Comments

Filed under accountability, charitable outreach, cultural transmission, doctoring evidence, female empowerment, landscape wondrous, life stories, meditations, performance, self-reflexivity, taking the piss, tolerance, trauma, welfare & philanthophy, world affairs

December 9, 2023 · 7:15 pm

Two Reflective Aphorisms from An American Jew

DICTUM ONE

“Terroristic violence is initiated and undertaken to punish or kill people whom–the believer imagines–do not worship the sacred object the believer worships. It stems from a philosophical theory or moral imperative.

The violence seeks to demonstrate the power of the god worshipped by one’s group–by killing members of nonbelieving groups. Acts of violence give witness to the truth of one’s own god’s omnipotence.”  …… Richard Koenigsberg ……. In A NOTE sent to Michael Roberts, early December 2023 Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under accountability, cultural transmission, education, ethnicity, European history, Fascism, governance, heritage, historical interpretation, law of armed conflict, legal issues, life stories, meditations, patriotism, politIcal discourse, power politics, psychological urges, religious nationalism, teaching profession, the imaginary and the real, truth as casualty of war, unusual people, war reportage, world events & processes

November 19, 2023 · 3:36 pm

Fantastic Predictions: WORLD CUP FORECASTS from Lankan Cricketing Fanatics

A FORECAST by Errol FERNANDO, …. A Piano Player from the Heavens, 19 November 2023

After a long tournament, we reach the final that we all predicted many weeks ago, Lorenz   –   India vs Australia   –   with the obvious prediction that India will win. Millions will back India,of course.

Let me take a different path by predicting a win for the Aussies, especially if they bat first. Head, Marsh and Maxwell are dangerous players who can take the game away from India.

Continue reading →

1 Comment

Filed under accountability, art & allure bewitching, atrocities, cricket for amity, cultural transmission, de-mining, disparagement, doctoring evidence, hatan kavi, Indian Ocean politics, Indian traditions, landscape wondrous, life stories, martyrdom, meditations, performance, politIcal discourse, pulling the leg, security, self-reflexivity, slanted reportage, taking the piss, the imaginary and the real, trauma, travelogue, truth as casualty of war, war crimes, wild life, world events & processes, zealotry

November 13, 2023 · 1:09 am

Lakshman Wickremasinghe’s Allround Excellence at Royal College in 1944

Lam Seneviratne: Email Note to Michael Roberts, 12 November 2023

The recent articles by you and Rajiva Wijesinha in connection of the 40th death anniversary of Bishop Lakshman  Wickremasinghe are great tributes to him. They speak of him as a Priest, Chaplain and Bishop, his human qualities and how he lived his life as a true disciple of Jesus Christ, touching the lives of many.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under accountability, cultural transmission, education, heritage, historical interpretation, language policies, life stories, martyrdom, meditations, patriotism, politIcal discourse, reconciliation, self-reflexivity, Sinhala-Tamil Relations, social justice, sri lankan society, unusual people