Why am I fascinated by elephants? Is it because they were part of the landscape when I was growing up?
When my kids were little, I drew elephants with them on their drawing pads. I bought elephant-themed toys for them. Elephant safaris were on our itinerary when we travelled to Sri Lanka. To top it up, my brother’s in-laws owned an elephant.
My fascination with elephants continues. Now, I draw elephants with my grandkids.
How did I come to own the two ceramic elephants above? I encountered them in a departmental store in Colombo a few years ago. With their fine array of multi-colours, I saw them as a great décor item for my house in Sydney and purchased them immediately.
The teapot is a different story.
A year ago, Rachel, one of my co-workers, was leaving. She gifted this beautiful teapot with its colour and regalia to match my colourful décor. The thoughtful gift of a bright-coloured teapot with its oriental design found its way amongst the two colourful elephants in my home.
Tea is also something close to my heart. Sri Lanka produces some of the best tea in the world. Tea has been part of my life since childhood. It is in my DNA.
The two elephants and the teapot are a great match. They remind me of my colourful heritage from the island of Sri Lanka.
Cyril Stanley A story of gratitude — Denzil recalls a friend who looked out for him in his budding years in Sri Lanka Denzil Jayasinghe 11 min read · Aug 27, 2022 1 Give us a bit of background on how you met Cyril. It was the seventies in the sleepy village of Dalugama , my ancestral hometown, some ten kilometres from Colombo. With their flared bell bottoms and Afro-style hair, it was easy to notice Cyril and his younger brother Edward. I’d bump into the duo in the neighbourhood as I walked home after a day at college. A casual hello greeting turned into a conversation and an evolving friendship with the duo at an age when making friends was effortless. However, it was Cyril who reached out to me first. What did the brothers look like? C yril was a younger version of Smokey Robinson and his brother, Edward, a junior Lionel Richie but darker. Both had curly hair, grown long, copying the Afro-American idols of the seventies. Smokey Robinson, Cyril Stan...
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 ...
20 quick-fire questions * If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be? Your life would not turn the way that you planned. It is OK to be naïve and stupidly young. What do you like doing in your spare time? Writing and reading. Both complement each other. What would you change your name to? My family's name is Jayasinghe. ජයසිංහ in Sinhala in the original script. Phonetically, it is pronounced Jaya-Sinha in Sri Lanka. But in English, through generations, it was spelt Jayasinghe, which sounds differently in English. I would change its spelling to Jaya-Sinha to align it with its original sound. Perhaps my grandkids in Australia could do it. What’s your favourite time of day? The morning hours. I am most productive in the mornings. What is your biggest weakness? I could get carried away with what I could be doing. Sometimes, I must pinch myself to stop what I am doing. What is your favourite colour? Green. Always from my kid days. Would you believe I had...
2 min read·Oct 19, 2022
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