Sort of. I wish I were taller, slimmer, and more athletic. I am 5’9” and weigh 61kgs. I wish I did not lose my hair when I hit my fifties. But the beautiful part of my body is my mind.
What’s your regimen for keeping fit in your sixties?
Well, I get up early — and always have. As a young telecom operator, I’d get up at 6 am. I always used multi-mode transport and walked in between. In my early days in Dubai, I took shared taxis and passenger boats between walking. In Sydney, I caught public transport to Central Business District for work but walked in the city during breaks, clocking on an average of 10,000 steps. I sleep early, by 9 pm. Early to bed and early to rise are in my genes.
I eat a light breakfast at 6 am, lunch before noon and dinner by 5 pm.
For the last three years, from the onset of Covid-19 lockdowns, I have been working from home, which has helped me get fitter. I also work out in my home gym every second or third day. Now I do at least 12,000 steps — a mix and match, with a lot of walking.
How do you remain mentally alert?
Ithink it’s genetic. My father was very sharp right to the end. He worked until his last days. I learnt to be mentally alert from both my parents. My children keep me sharp with the latest trends, current thinking and consumer technologies. I learn a lot from my children and my free-thinking team at work. I read a lot and watch a lot of off-beat Indi movies. More important than intelligence, I have been fortunate in the people business and emotional intelligence departments. Perhaps my genes have helped me to hit the jackpot.
How do you reflect on your body of work?
Ithas been very fulfilling. It hasn’t been the usual life of a techie in financial services. My life has been divided into decades: school education, technology education in my late teens, and working in financial services in Dubai and Sydney. While working in fast-paced Fortune 500 companies doing some fascinating work, I was into a bit of moonlighting. I helped four young Sri Lankan kids with tertiary education and became their mentor. Two of them were orphans, which allowed me to think like a benevolent guide. I sponsor the pro-bono work of a model teacher from my middle school, now a retired Christian brother. I also help in the charity foundation of one of my kids, centred on women’s education and climate change, the latter being the biggest challenge to humankind today.
I continue to work, now working for the NSW government in Transport, in uplifting citizen customer services using my creative skills. Incidentally, my current role is based on mobility as a service using intelligent technologies. I still recall my early days in Dubai when I took many modes of transport but without technology as an aid.
Growing up, what was your motivation for money?
Inever thought much about wealth, and I still don’t. I earned to live and for my family. Money followed me. It never dictated my life. I was fortunate to be born to an educated set of parents and into some ancestral property. But I never valued wealth, particularly property, taking the inherent wealth in my stride. My parents were pretty stoic and did not chase material things. I think I inherited their influence. I’ve never been motivated by money alone. A bit of money is nice, but that would not dictate my choices. I could live with little money if pushed to a corner. Happiness and good health are wealth to me.
What are you proud of?
Three things:
1st, as a young lad, helping my parents and charting my kid brother’s life for the better. My kid brother had tertiary education and got himself a PhD. I am proud of what he has become. I uplifted the living standards of my parents to a level where there was nothing they needed. When the Sri Lankan government politically victimised my father, my family did not feel the pinch because I stepped in. I think early on, those game-changing episodes dictated my adult life. Many adversities worked in my favour.
2nd, raising my four kids to be great Australian citizens who now thrive on their dreams, charting their lives and living them to the fullest. The apples have not fallen far from the tree.
3rd, being the patriarch of a large, connected, loving family, four kids, their partners, and four grandkids. It is a great joy.
What was your keynote learning?
Value independence more than wealth and fame. That is not taught in schools or corporate life.
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 ...
Demons and Devotion: A Family’s Pilgrimage Denzil Jayasinghe · “Demons and Devotion: A Pilgrimage to Tewatta” is a short story by Denzil Jayasinghe about a family’s pilgrimage to a holy site in Sri Lanka. The story follows Denzil, the eldest son, as he reluctantly accompanies his devout parents on this journey to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. Although initially sceptical, Denzil reflects on his childhood faith and his family's hardships. However, the pilgrimage turns unexpectedly when an encounter with a priest who claims a demon possesses Denzil creates tension and leaves him angry. T he air hung heavy with a solemnity that felt out of place for a silver wedding anniversary. Denzil’s father, whose pronouncements held the weight of scripture, declared, “We are going on a special trip to the holy place of Our Lady at Tewatta. This day, showing God’s blessings, will be a private event for our family.” On a recent arrival for a two-week holiday in Sri Lanka...
Shattered Innocence A story of a needle Denzil Jayasinghe · “Shattered Innocence. A Story of a Needle” by Denzil Jayasinghe is a short story told from the perspective of a lad who discovers their father injecting insulin . This discovery shatters his innocence as he grapples with the reality of his father’s diabetes and the fear and uncertainty it brings. The story explores themes of family, responsibility, and the challenges of facing difficult realities. T he pre-dawn light filtered through the window, casting a pale glow over a scene that shattered my world. We were lost in the quiet routine of getting ready — me for the apprenticeship, my siblings for school, and my father for his work. I wandered into my parents’ room, searching for the familiar black comb. What I found wasn’t the comb but a sight that froze me in my tracks. Father, stripped down to his white undies, his usually strong face creased with worry, was doing something… di...
4 min readOct 1, 2022
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