Category Archives: tolerance

January 19, 2022 · 8:06 pm

Receiving Semen with One’s Milk: A World Record in San Diego

News item in DailyNewsReported, January 2022, with this title “DNA Testing Reveals Milkman Fathered Over 800 Children Between 1951 and 1964”

Randall (Randy) Jeffries was a Milk Delivery man in the 1950’s and 60’s in Southern California. His route was in the San Diego area. Back in those days milk delivery was how we got our milk. No quick runs to the store or jaunts to the nearest Walmart. Week in and week out, Randy pounded the pavement from truck to doorstep.

Over the years he began to form relationships with his customers and in those times the vast majority of his interactions were with housewives. He was quite a handsome man back in his time and many were the customer who would request him. Frequently pies and casseroles were made for him.

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January 9, 2022 · 11:35 am

Djokovic and the “Secretary-Bird”

Michael Roberts

When my wife and I went on a Safari tour in Zimbabwe in the 1990s I was fascinated by sightings of a “Secretary Bird” through my binoculars. The official identity of this strange figure  was “Sagittarius serpentarius.”   But, in my reading and juxtaposition, its upright walking stance simply indicated a prim and proper secretary persona.           

When I first saw Novak Djokovic on the tennis court, I immediately associated the two figures.  Maybe a strange leap; but it is a fixed asociation im my mind –one which did not, and does not, degrade my admiration for Djokovic’s tennis. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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January 6, 2022 · 12:59 am

A Helluva Christmas Partty in Welikade Prison. A “Coup” by Those whose Coup Failed in 1962

Tony Anghie, whoe original title reads as “Welikada MEMORIES. The Famous 1963 Coup Organisers Christmas Party”

 In 1962, the Magazine Prison was converted to hold the defendants in the Coup Case. The whole complex was occupied by 24 prisoners.

DIG C.C (Jungle) Dissanayake was in a barred enclosure by himself, which was meant to hold about 20 persons. The rest of us were distributed among the other blocks in groups of five or six in a block, in cells three apart so we could not see each other, and held in solitary confinement. We had no contact with the outside world except a 15 minute weekly family visit, and no access to lawyers for about the first six months; until indictments were filed.

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January 1, 2022 · 12:05 am

Mahathma Gandhi at Mahinda College in 1927

Ruhunu Puthra

In November 1927, Mahatma Gandhi and Kasturbai Gandhi arrived in Galle. They were the chief guests at the prize-giving of Mahinda College, on the 24th. The Olcott Memorial Assembly Hall of the College was filled to capacity. Never was there such a large gathering of Buddhists, Hindus and Christians. The speech given by Gandhi is excerpted from the Mahinda College Magazine of 2002:

“It has given me the greatest pleasure to be able to be present at this very pleasant function. You have paid me, indeed, a very great compliment and conferred on me a great honour by allowing me to witness your proceedings and making the acquaintance of so many boys.

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December 31, 2021 · 4:19 pm

Defining Ethnicity in Sri Lanka and the United States: David Graham’s Story

David Graham

I only refer to myself as a Burgher or lansi with people who are likely to know who Burghers or lansis are–or rather, were. It wasn’t until 1986 that I was required to classify myself racially. This was in Grand Junction, Colorado. I needed a social security number to open a bank account, and back in those days the application form said nothing about Eurasians. Since Asian was the closest it came to describing what I was, that was the racial classification I was obliged to choose. Pursuant to U.S. law, my race isn’t mentioned anywhere on my passport or driver’s license.

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December 29, 2021 · 8:07 pm

Geoffrey Bawa’s Lunuganga in Colour with Chandra Dasswatte

A Christmas special! We are so happy to be able to share with you this special vlog that we’ve been wanting to create for oh so long! This is one of Sri Lankas best kept secrets and its something we want to share with travelers who have a keen interest in local architecture and history. it was an absolute honour to have Channa Dasswatte share some amazing insight into the life & work of Geoffrey Bawa & his Lunuganga Estate. Hope you guys enjoy this vlog as much as we did making. Wishing you all a very happy Holidays!

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December 26, 2021 · 5:57 pm

An Indian Scholar’s Griefstricken VALE for Malathi De Alwis

Nivedita Menon, in Colombo Telegraph, 22 January 2021, where the title is  “Malathi De Alwis (1963-2021) – Beloved Friend, Feminist Comrade”

This is my Mala.

Every person touched by her friendship felt this sense of unique connection to Mala. To receive the gift of her attention was to forever feel the tug of a thread that attached you to a part of her heart. She would remember you at some point or the other even if you were not constantly in touch, with that fine-tuned sensitivity that brought to you the exact poem or thought or photograph or  experience that linked the two of you.

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December 17, 2021 · 7:25 pm

Cross-Cultural Amity: Sri Lankan Canadians Reach Across Difference

To Canada with Love from Sri Lanka …. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJ9QjZLhavQ …. in  2021

“In 1864 Leonard Tilley was instrumental in naming Canada as Dominion of Canada. He was inspired by Psalm 72:8 of The Bible. This song is composed with the inspiration of the entire psalm which calls for justice and righteous ruling by the king and prayer for it. This is a tribute song for Canada by the Sri Lankan Christians living in Ontario and whole of Canada. Sung in all three languages of English Sinhala and Tamil. A Sri Lankan original in Canada.” ………… JOHN PERERA Continue reading →

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December 4, 2021 · 11:57 am

Honouring and Grieving Sam Samarasinghe: Academics in USA

 

 

JOHN HOLT, 24 November 2021

Very sorry to hear of Sam’s demise.   haven’t seen him much in the past several years, but Sam and Vidya were very key to my education about Sri Lanka and, in addition to inputs from C.R. and Kingsley, to the early success of the ISLE Program. We managed to bring Sam and Vidya to Swarthmore College for a year circa 1990 or so, and from then and there they creatively parlayed their experience to move permanently to the US, though Sam stayed with ICES periodically for many years and encouraged our cooperative presence with that venerable institution.

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November 27, 2021 · 6:42 pm

In Appreciation of “Our Sam” … The Samarasinghe Family Collective

It is with profound sorrow that we share with you the passing of Prof. Stanley (Sam) Samarasinghe on Monday, Nov 22, 2021. Our husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, teacher, colleague and friend fought his illness with relentless courage and undiminished fortitude for several years. His enthusiasm to live his life to the full did not abate. Except family and close friends, no one else had even the slightest inkling that he was battling an invasive enemy within.

 

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