The Tales around a Painting: The Kandyan Ambassadors’ Audience in Dutch Colombo, 1772

Dr Srilal Fernando in Melbourne, reproducing the firs t part of an article that arpperas in THE CEYLANKAN, The journal of the ceylon Society of Australia, Vol25/3, August 2022. Its full title therein is as follows: “The Story of a Painting. Governor Falck’s Audience to the Kandyan Ambassadors in 1772drawn and painted from life by C F Reimer, Surgeon.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A group photograph is part of a visual record of a modern day conference. What did they do in 1772, long before the advent of photography? A skilled artist was commissioned to paint the scene as it happened. The occasion was the visit of 3 Kandyan ambassadors to attend a meeting with the then Dutch Governor , Iman Willem Falck in Colombo.

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Will Pucovski’s Cricketing Headblows and His Lifeworld Thereafter

Interview by Srinidhi Ramanujam 18-Aug-2022 …. at ESPNcricinfo, where the title runs thus “Will Pucovski on his multiple concussions: ‘It’s been a reality check – there’s so much more to life’, ”  .... https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/will-pucovski-on-his-multiple-concussions-its-been-a-reality-check-theres-so-much-more-to-life-1329372
The Australia batter talks about how dealing with repeated trauma to the head has changed his outlook on life, his red-ball ambitions, and learning to not be defined by cricket alone

Pucovski suffered his ninth concussion just before his Test debut, when playing for Australia A against Indians in December 2020•—-  Getty Images

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Coupling Leopards at Yala: Testosterone at Work

The Love Life of “Lucas,” …. A Leopard

“Lucas” (YM16) is one of the most famous male leopards roaming in the Yala National Park Sri Lanka, where he is famous for creating many popular story lines for wildlife enthusiasts over past few years. In this video we present to you the romance between “Bhagya” (YF58) & “Aster” (YF39) and also another interesting & unusual behaviour from “Lucas”

ALSO NOTE

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Aussie Testosterone for Arabia! Australian Camels in High Demand

Noah Yim, in The Australian, 18 August 2022, where the title readsAussie mums for richest pickings of camel crop” …. while the highlighting is the hand of The Editor, Thuppahi

These mums could give birth to the Arabian Peninsula’s next top models. Wild Australian camels are highly sought after as surrogate mothers to the most prized beauty pageant and racing camels in the Middle East, courting millions of dollars from kings and sheiks in order to continue the progeny free of diseases.

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Western Misrepresentations of China’s Actions in Sri Lanka Continue

Fair Dinkum, … an original set of thoughts … with highlighting imposed by The Editor, Thuppahi

It’s good to see Australia providing aid to SL though its peanuts compared to the aid provided by India and China. This article is a good example of an Anglo-Saxon reading of an Asian situation.

Some flawed claims by the Anglo-Saxons at The Age in this article are, 

The claim China was “flexing its muscles” by “insisting on docking a giant scientific research ship despite concerns raised by India”.  There is no mention that India had earlier flexed its muscles by insisting Sri Lanka deny entry to the vessel. And no analysis as to whether India had genuine security concerns or were simply politically posturing. There was also no mention of India’s interference into Sri Lanka’s sovereignty.

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Remembering Shanti Bahar: An Intrepid Naval Officer and a Man for the Jungles

ONE: A Momento from An SL Army Officer

Lieut Commander Shanti Bahar was the son of late Col. BJH Bahar from the CLI and his wife was a German lady. Being of mixed parentage his natural interests were in outdoor life. He was an excellent marksman and a superb underwater diver spending most of his time either hunting or diving whilst being in the Navy he spent most of career at the Trincomalee Naval base. He was the pioneer of the Special Forces (Boat Squadron) concept in the Navy. He died during an attack on an enemy hideout in Alankerni, Muttur, Trincomalee in 1986.

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The Seenigama FOG’s Widespread Sports Outreach

Rex Clementine in Seenigama, Island, 16 August 2022, where the title is  “Olympic gold in 2028, Kushil’s dream”

You’ll be amazed at the number of international sportsmen and women the Foundation of Goodness has produced. Test cricketer Ramesh Mendis is the most high profile product to come through the institute while there are others like Kavisha Dilhari, a rising star in the Sri Lankan women’s cricket team and Amasha de Silva, the South Asian Junior Champion in 100 and 200 meters.

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Three News Items on Sri Lanka’s Crisis in The Economist

ONE = From The ECONOMIST magazine, Summer Issue, 30 July – 12th August … & the Mid-August Issue The Economist

On the evening of July 21st, a relaxed mood prevailed in Sri Lanka’s presidential secretariat on the seafront of Colombo, the capital. A handful of protesters milled about in the entrance hall, which they had occupied on July 9th and turned into a library full of donated books. They said they were planning to return the premises to the state the following day, having succeeded in driving from office Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the disgraced former president.

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Sunken Chinese Treasures found off Sumatra: Now Gifted Back to China

Ben Packham in The Australian, 16 August 2022.………… with highlighting imposed here by The Editor, Thuppahi

333 porcelain artefacts ­removed from a shipwreck will be returned to the Indonesian government after they were ­advertised online by a private ­seller in Perth.

The Tek Sing was packed with passengers and precious cargo when it hit a reef off the coast of Sumatra in 1822, sinking with an estimated 1500 people aboard.

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China lands on the Moon in Hambantota

Fair Dinkum, with the highlighting being her/his emphasis not The Editor’

Captain Zhang Hogwang of China’s research and survey vessel, the Yuan Wang 5, waves after disembarking from the ship upon arrival at Hambantota port on August 16, 2022. Photo: VCG

The docking of the Chinese research vessel Yuan Wang 5 at Hambantota port was a momentous occasion in the history of Sri Lanka, having gained global attention like it was the first moon landing.  All of this attention is due to the unnecessary meddling into Sri Lanka’s internal affairs by India and the United States.

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