I believe it was
Ilika Karunaratne who had initiated this, though the turnout was rather poor,
perhaps because in this increasingly busy age with many people having other
events on this day, were otherwise engaged. Naresh Ediriweera who always
reminds me of these was not present either, for a good reason no doubt.
Descendents who live in Sri Lanka amount
to over 1,000 and 500 overseas!
Our immediate family was probably the
best represented, with Nelun and daughters Aneesha and Kiara, and Sharmali,
whilst cousins, Lilanthi, Aini and Shani were there, the latter two with their
spouses too. I was seated with Nirupa at our table along with elder brother
Senaka of the former warden of St Thomas, Mount, Dr Indra de Soysa, a professor
of Political Economy and International Relations at the Norwegian University of
Science and Technology in Trondheim.
I was talking to his sister, who lives
in Ratmalana, with an intention of setting up a pre-school to which I suggested
she teach potential pre-school teachers.
I had chats with Lalith de Mel
(Roshini’s husband) though neither Nirosh or Tani were there. Then chatted with
Jith Peiris for a while, as he wanted to know which of his ancestors was in
Haris’s picture of the Nilames that Shani has. Minoli asked whether Joy was
still here, as she had just got back from her sister’s in Bristol.
Then there was Niranjan Fernando, we
meet only on this event. Ismeth’s wife, name escapes me! Ranil de Soysa,
talking about the opening of the new hotel of Ajith Wijesekera. There was Nihal
Senaratne and his daughter and granddaughters who Kiara knows at LC. They live just opposite the school
Then I spoke at length with Chloe de
Soysa, (of Bawa designed de Soysa House) who apparently still works at LJM
Peiris (her Dad) and Company that Daddy’s firm used to audit 50 years ago! And
where I had gone as an articled clerk, I also mentioned Anne Peris connection
there, and Chloe and mummy at the races in Nuwera Eliya. She goes to the races
now as she still has her house in Nuwera Eliya, Selwood about which a book has been
published, but says she has to zip back
down to Colombo for work as she has to be at LJM Peiris.
Not bad for a lady of
90+ to want to rush back to Colombo for work when people half her age, would
extend their holiday there even if they had MORE work to attend to than her.
Chloe said that she always worked and so it was not difficult to continue in
that mode, though many of the businesses have changed in what they do. Further, her daughter Sharya a law professor at University of Colombo is currently overseas, so she has to be there to sign the cheques!
Just before leaving spoke with Charu de Soysa and wife. The few de Soysa's on the THA side as he only had one son and three daughters of which my grandmother Lilian was one. They had just been to the soft opening of Ajit Wijesekera's hotel in Sigiriya, as he is his Brother in law.
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