First times, last times with…

2nd of the series

Denzil Jayasinghe

4 min read·Oct 18, 2022

The first time you won a competition?

Iwas fourteen years old. It was a quiz show organised in school and recorded by the sole broadcasting company in Sri Lanka. I was part of the audience of hundreds of school kids. Seeing me raising my hand for many questions that were put forward, the compering host took pity on me and called me to the stage. I won a range of toiletries, fragrances, soaps and shampoos, all luxuries back then.

The last time you won a competition?

Just before Covid-19, I attended a conference hosted by a tech company. There was a quiz to guess how many jellybeans were in a jar. Out of the one-hundred-odd entries, my entry was the closest. I won a Bose Bluetooth headset. That became handy during Covid-19 induced lockdowns.

The first time you had a haircut in a saloon?

Inthe sixties, when I was a few years old in my home village. A sarong-wearing young man with jet-black hair put me up on a raised chair, wrapped a white sheet and gave me a crew cut using a metal hair clipper operated by hand. Holding my head in one position was hard for me when the bloody metal thing was grazing my head. When I pulled my head away, he moved it back, holding it tight with his strong hand. The worst part was when he trimmed the edges and sides with his cutthroat razor. Seeing him sharpen it before use, I was frightened, thinking he would cut my ear off. He charged my father 35 cents for the service.

The last time you had a haircut?

It was last week. Now in my sixties, I have lost most of my hair. I no longer go to saloons. I use an electric trimmer and give myself a crew cut. I have come full circle in haircuts with trimming.

The first time you went to a stage show?

Itwas the annual music show in my high school. One of the boys sang, ‘Ten Guitars’, originally sung by Engelbert Humperdinck, a heartthrob in the sixties and seventies.

The last time you went to a stage show?

Itwas a live concert by the Indian music maestro, A R Rahman, some twelve years ago in Australia. Now I watch that stuff on Netflix and other streaming platforms.

The first time you bought something extravagant?

While a teenager, I bought a Sony transistor radio, spending all my savings and borrowing from my father. It cost me Rupees 210, an average man’s salary for a month back in the day. I loved it until I left Sri Lanka.

The last time you bought something extravagant?

Iam not fascinated by extravaganza anymore. Instead, it is now about the quality of life. I bought a Canon R5C, a full-frame camera body which cost me an arm and a leg. I am now saving for an electric SUV, which would be my prize in time.

The first time you were mesmerised by a movie?

‘Friends’. It was a beautifully crafted romantic movie in the early seventies. It took my breath away. I was fascinated with the romance portrayed. It was lovely, watching it twice. Romance and sex were portrayed beautifully. The music was idyllic. The story was too good to be true. Teen love was so powerful.

The last time you were mesmerised by a movie?

‘Pixote, the law of the weakest. The film, produced in 1980, is a documentary-like account of Brazil’s delinquent youth and how corrupt police and other criminal elements used them. The plot revolves around Pixote, a young boy used as a child criminal in muggings and drug transport. The actor portraying the main character, Pixote was killed at 19 by police.

The first time I learned something new?

The memories are hazy. But I distinctly remember one episode when I was about three years old. My father drew a picture of a ship with a hull and billowing smoke in a simple form, in a way a little kid could understand. That inspired me to draw and doodle from a young age.

The last time you learnt something new?

Ilearnt to drop off and pick up my granddaughter, Darcy, in her daycare centre when I visited one of my kids on the Gold Coast last week. There were several routines to follow, like getting her breakfast, dressing her, seating her in her car seat, the safety routines in taking her inside the day-care centre and talking to her carers. It was such a rewarding exercise to see the life blossom of my third generation here in Australia.

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