email from Therese

From: therese kariyawasam Date: 8 August 2010 07:05Subject: Request for informationTo: 1960batch@gmail.com
Hello Friends
I would be glad to have some information on the whereabouts of ourbatchmate Rohini Sivasubramaniam who was also my classmate at HolyFamily Convent Bambalapitiya.When I last met her many years ago, she said she was in UK and was anAnaesthtist.Please send me any information that will enable me to get in touchwith her againThank You
Therese Kariyawasam nee pereira

email from Sujiva

Dear Philip,
I enjoyed your book and so did my niece who I lent it to. In many ways you have had an interesting and emotionally satisfying career with a fair share of quirky experiences ("Is the prisoner fit to be hanged at 8 am?" when you had spent the night saving him from dying!). Looking back now that it is over, the war added to your experience though it was not what you would have chosen to happen. We were safe in Australia but my life would be a dull read.I was interested in your comments on religion. I think the religious divisions are a good example of the Sufi story of "The blind men and the elephant". None of the warring factions have seen the elephant.
I enjoyed the reunion very much and thank the hard work you and the organizing committee put in to make it happen so well.
RegardsSujiva

email from Tissa

Dear Nana!
I wish I could take credit for everything you have mentioned! That said, it is huge pleasure to be a part of larger enterprise to help the students. I follow events in Sri Lanka quite closely as I am sure you do as well and I am offended by the sheer waste of public resources to satisfy the egos of politicians. I remember a time when only ministers (and there were very few then) who had official cars. Now every MP has a fleet of them.
In fact on the day I left after the reunion, I missed my connection in Singapore because the President had taken a plane to go to Kiev during the previous week (with an entourage of almost 100 people) and that had ruined the Sri Lankan airlines schedule and a whole bunch of us had to spend a lot of time at various airports as a result. In the great scheme of things, this wasn't much but what is happening to students and the absence of resources to help their basic educational needs is another symptom of the same disease.
When you make these awards, you should give them the widest possible publicity and hopefully it will encourage other Colombo grads working in Sri Lanka to make small donations to the fund as well. A thousand Rs isn't much these days for people who do private practice and a 250 doctors could easily cover a scholarship. There are so many Colombo grads working in the States and we should make an appeal for $10.00 from each one (this amount will barely buy 3 gallons of petrol) and it will be money well spent. I have a tax deductible charity that I use for various other charitable donations in Sri lanka and it has worked quite well in the past. But a 10 dollar donation won't even qualify for a tax donation! I could quite easily use my Pay Pal account to collect the funds. That would keep the administrative costs to practically zero.
All the best,
Tissa

email from Piyaseeli/ / Organising committee

Dear Kasturi
Thank you for your letter, Yes, undoubtedly without participants there would be no celebrations and for their part, Kapu has expressed his thanks in the souvenir as, well as when he made the welcoming address!!.
Your thoughts on the designing of underwear is very interesting and amusing. We are waiting for further communication between you and the Author of designing....Gerri.Yes, it is nice to feel appreciated & we thank all those who sent messages of appreciation. i.
It is also interesting to note that the emails exchanged amongst our batch mates have not fizzled out. Let's keep it going
Best wishes for good ,health, peace & happiness & lots of laughter
Organising committee

email from Nana

Dear Tissa
You have put in so much effort and energy into the production of the "Book of Essays"- (which I would like to call it as "Souvenir Part 11" as it would become a very valuable and a memorable souvenir to all our batch mates). Your decision to send any funds raised from the sales of this memorable book & the cover photos towards our student scholarship Fund is greatly appreciated. You have already proven your generosity and your humility by donating such a large number of computers to the Medical Faculty, to fill a dire need. You did not want any publicity even. Your empathy & the contnuing efforts to improve the present limited facilities provided for the students of the Colombo Medical Faculty will be greatly appreciated by the medicoes in particular and the batch mates & the senior academics in the Medical Faculty in general. Thanks to the generosity of some of our batch mates, I have been very fortunate in negotiating the offer of financial assistance to 2 of the very needy medical students every 5 years. Each student scholarship would cost 2.5 lakhs of rupees. Any extra financial assistance would be most welcome.
Best wishes
Nana C.S.Nanayakkara

email pictures from Yogeswary Kanagaratnam - Kannangara.