It was for my godmother’s wedding when I was three years old. The date was 27th December 1958. Aunty Juliet was my father’s first cousin. The wedding was in Alawwa. I travelled in a Morris Minor car with my parents, my grandmother and my uncle, my father’s elder brother. I sat on his lap during the ride. I was the page boy at my godmother’s wedding.
Last time you read a good book?
I am still reading it. It is The Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari. I read it every night before I go to bed.
The first time you did something illegal?
I raced with friends on my Lambretta scooter on the Galle Face on Colombo's main road. It was a double crime. Not only was it my speed, but I also did not have a riding license. I rode on the wrong side of the road for a few seconds. I was too stupidly young to realise the gravity of what I did. Foolish boy!
Last time you were mesmerised by a movie?
A few months ago. The movie was The Power of the Dog by Jane Campion, an Australian director. It is a Western, but devoid of violence: directing, acting and a storyline. Classic cinematography. I was so fascinated with the movie, I watched it twice. I could watch it again any time.
The first time you sang?
It was at a school concert when I was eight and in grade three. I was too close to the microphone, and the music teacher approached me and pushed me to the back, behind a row, saying I sounded bad. That was it for me. I did not take up singing after that. But I do enjoy listening to music all the time.
What was the last song you listened to?
Michael Jackson’s Rock With You. I am listening to it now on my Sonos system. It is a classic disco song from the seventies. Michael Jackson is probably the most talented singer who ever lived.
The first time you cooked?
I learned to make Rotis from my grandmother in her kitchen. I scraped coconut, mixed the flour with coconut water and salt and roasted it on a plate covered with a banana leaf from a woodfire under her supervision.
The last time you did something creative that wasn’t writing?
I photographed a wedding for a daughter of a friend of mine a weekend ago for their pre-wedding party and reception. I loved the creative part of capturing the moments of their happy event.
First stories you ever heard?
My grandmother’s stories. She narrated children’s stories at night against the backdrop of lamps. She had a limited number of stories, about four or five, that she repeated repeatedly. There were enchanting stories of a cunning fox, a crooked crow and a laundrywoman. Listening to her own brand of unique stories was entertaining. I fell asleep listening to her bedside stories.
The last story you wrote?
I wrote a short story yesterday about a trip to a Catholic shrine when I was sixteen. I wrote it in a hurry.
The first time you smoked?
It was during a school holiday trip with my friend Ajit and his siblings in the hill country. Our days were filled with freedom only afforded to carefree teenage boys looking out for the next adventure. We swam in reservoirs and fished. Ajit and I smoked in between, hiding from his brothers. We wiped our fingers on tea leaves to get rid of the tobacco smell.
The last time you smoked?
Smoking was a fashion fad among youngsters of my time. I lit cigarettes to impress others that I was a confident adult. By the time I turned eighteen, I was a smoking addict. This continued for a few short years. After I landed in Dubai, I wanted to give up smoking. I became aware of its health hazard and risks to my body. But it was a habit that was extremely hard to give up. I switched from Rothmans to the Silk Cut brand because the latter had less nicotine. A year or two later, I gave it up cold turkey. It was hard; I failed many times and gave up yet again. Eventually, I won in a matter of a few months.
A Child of Curiosity How inherent inquisitiveness became a key driver in learning experiences. Denzil Jayasinghe · B orn in the mid-20th century, I am a product of the post-World War II era. My parents, who were teenagers when the war commenced, married in the 1950s. As a representative of the baby boomer generation, I was born under the astrological sign of Capricorn, the tenth sign of the zodiac. My birth took place at Zoysa Nursing Home, a renowned institution in Colombo, Sri Lanka, around 5 in the morning. Sri Lanka, known for its tropical climate, is a beautiful island nation south of India. This climate appealed to me, and I sought similar weather in my twenties, spending them in Dubai, where the winter resembles an Australian summer. Raised by religious parents, I held them in deep affection. However, the church teachings posed a paradox for a young mind, instructing one to love God more than one’s parents. I initially adhered to the Ten Commandments and other societal norms in ...
Neville at the Edge Denzil Jayasinghe 3 min read · 10 hours ago In the lazy, sun-dappled days at St. Joseph’s Novitiate, where the beach seemed to hum with the scent of jasmine and the distant promise of monsoon clouds, there was a little haven we boys held dear — the Milk Bar. It was a humble shack just beyond the school’s creaky gates, its tin roof glinting under the noon sun, its wooden counter cluttered with frothy glasses of Milo, bottles of sweet vanilla milk, and a jumble of pencils and dog-eared notebooks for forgetful lads like us. To us, De La Salle boys, it wasn’t just a shop. It was a sanctuary, where the weight of prayers and the Brother-Superior’s stern frowns dissolved into the clink of coins and the soft buzz of our chatter. Neville was always there, a gangly boy with limbs that seemed to outgrow him, as if they belonged to a taller shadow. His parents had sent him to the Novitiate dreaming he’d don a Christian Brother’s collar, but Neville, with his twice-failed ...
Packing lists An addiction to packing lists Denzil Jayasinghe 3 min read·Nov 6, 2022 My fascination with packing lists started when I was young. Eventually, it became a life-long habit, a kind of addiction. When I enrolled at the Christian brothers’ formative school at eleven, a packing list was given to my parents. 2 School shorts 2 School shirts, white 2 Baniyans, aka vests 4 Pairs of white socks 1 Sarong 2 Casual shirts 2 Casual shorts 2 Handkerchiefs 1 Toothbrush 1 Comb 1 Bedsheet 2 Pillowcases 1 Pair of black shoes 1 Pair of canvas sports shoes My parents went into fast gear to assemble the packing list. My father started from the bottom of the list, the shoes. He took me by bus to Colombo to P G Martins, a shoemaker. We came out of that shoe store with DS-branded black and Shinwa-branded canvas shoes. Also bought was a Ford suitcase, in shiny sky-blue colour. Mother bought vests and socks from Velona, a garment outlet run by one of our relations, Aunty Helen. A trip to a ta...
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