Photos taken by Geri Jayasekera, on a trip to Alupola Estate, Ratnapura.

Photo taken by 'Kalu Nana'

Charith Sena Nanayakkara 8 hrs ·

During this cold but sunny Autumn in UK, I managed to capture this beautiful rainbow in the sky above our back garden just in time before it disappeared. Hopefully this will give you some joy and happiness for you to remain positive, alert and strong. We are keeping well. Best wishes all round CSN

Buddy's Birthday bash on Zoom

Dear all, You are invited to Buddy's Block Buddies Birthday Bash! Please click the below link at UK 10.30am / Spain 11.30am / SL 3.00pm / Aus 8.30pm on Wednesday 4th November 2020 to join via Zoom: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/73753764604?pwd=c0RWN0RTMnRxVkMvZGk1S2lDbUt6UT09 These details may also be requested if you're attending using a mobile phone: Meeting ID: 737 5376 4604 Passcode: hr1G5e Please note, the online event will automatically end in 40 minutes due to Zoom's rules - but there are no limits on the memories you make! Have a great time! Warmly, Ayesha (Proud Niece of Nalini Rodrigo and Official Zoom Party Facilitator)

Isolating PCR positive patients.

Pradeep Wijesinghe · Copied from a facebook posting. Shall we teach the world, or learn from the world? Recently three doctors in the hospital I serve have been diagnosed covid 19. All three of those doctors came for the PCR test, not because there was a reason. (One doctor has cough and semp firecracker) Two of those three doctors, have children who are appearing for the Advanced Level examination these days. Security officers who arrived at midnight last night took all the family in a way that was like carrying offenders. The intervention of high medical officers was also in vain. I won't explain the incident any more as Karunu is very sensitive. It is not said that doctors have more knowledge about Covid 19 than those who have not studied the subject. If a doctor has suffered the disease, he has more understanding of the actions he should take than others. There's a strategy for that too. All we have is to follow that method. It should be understood that a person who has been identified as Covid 19 positive is not a criminal or a terrorist. I'm not afraid of covid 19 while treating patients. The fear I have is the risk for my elderly parents to catch it from me. With that risk, we are in hospital service today and tomorrow. I'm suffering from sickness but when everyone in the house is sick, covid is more likely to die from an emergency that can cause mental stress. Because I'm more responsible for my parents than anyone else. This situation applies to every person without political power. There are two main methods to control a virus disease. 1. The immunity of the body being built up. 2. Preventing the disease using a vaccine. There is still no example for a virus that has been conquered by separating patients. In other countries, those who are not sick enough to be hospitalized are kept in their homes. Because more than 95% of patients are cured by nature. Sometimes we will also come to this stage. It's just a matter of time. We and the world will have to live a long time with the disease. We need to set the background for this. Other countries have already set up the required background. How long will it take Sri Lankans to understand this reality? Samanthi Janaka Jayasinghe VOG Kegalla

Obituary, Dr. H.S.R. Wijemanne

Passed away in Kandy 12/10/2020 Another Batch mate says Good Bye- Dr H.S.R.Wijemanne Inbox

CHARITH NANAYAKKARA 1:40 PM (5 hours ago) to me, Mana, M.G.S, Keerthi/Sriyani(Dr) Hi Philip I noted the obituary notice you had added on to our 1960 medical entrants blog about the death of Wije. Sad news indeed but is recurring theme with our batch mates list getting shorter & shorter. As many of our batch mates are aware, Wije was a very popular, friendly and a very helpful medical colleague. Unlike few of us who are domiciled overseas, he served his motherland as a consultant for many years with dedication, kindness and understanding. In the last few years he became almost fully dependent for all his needs. As I understand, all his needs were provided exceptionally well by his his devoted wife and ably supported by his children. I met him and his family last, at our 2018 reunion held in Negombo. I had little contact with him otherwise but several of his batch mates like Karu, had close contact with him and his family. He was a very sincere and a helpful colleague and was always smiling, loud and intimate. He would be greatly missed by his surviving family, his relatives, his batch mates and the local community. Please convey our deepest sympathies and heart felt condolences to his surviving family. May he attain the eternal bliss of Nibhbhana . Nana C.S.Nanayakkara Charith Sena Nanayakkara

WMHSR Wijemanne . Funeral Inbox Mana Wedisinghe Attachments10:05 AM (8 hours ago) to me Hello Philip. I sent you the official Obituary notice issued by the Family yesterday This was through WhatsApp. It should be there in your Mobile. Is it possible to transfer it to the Blog. That contained a recent photo We visited his home (Myself , Piyaseeli ,Jayalth de S , and his wife Damayanthi. ) Jayakuru was there too , but left before the arrival of the body home. I am sending three pics as an attachment. You may chose whatever you want to put out on the blog. Mana Wedisinghe Sriyani Makuloluwe Tue, Oct 13, 3:12 PM (13 hours ago) Dear Wedi, Sriyani and I are extremely saddened to hear the passing away of another friend and a colleague at the GH Kandy May he attain the supreme Bliss of Ni WEERASINGHE SOMARATNA Tue, Oct 13, 7:23 PM (9 hours ago) to Mana, me, Nihal, Charith, Siri, Tilak, Loku, Lucky, Lucky, Jayalath, Asoka Dear Wedi End of a journey. May he rest in peace. Take care Weera&Daphne. Gallege De Silva 3:34 AM (1 hour ago) to me Thanks for the sad news. Our deepest sympathies to his family. Wijemanne was a very kind and good friend. Chitra and GU Udula Pathirana Tue, Oct 13, 7:54 PM (8 hours ago) to me Thank you Philip for keeping the batchmates informed of Wijemanne's demise. I remember him very well though he was in the 2nd half of the batch. My deepest sympathies to his wife and family. May he attain Nibbana. Udula Udula Pathirana

The immune system in COVID 19 infection

https://www.immunology.org/sites/default/files/BSI_Briefing_Note_August_2020_FINAL.pdf

Portuguese names in present Sri Lanka

Portuguese names of people in Sri Lanka https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/FMfcgxwJZJdDrGVGLgFpJsvkSMmSPFTh Portuguese names of people in Sri Lanka Portuguese-Sri Lankan Surnames And Their Meanings Inbox

A traditional Portuguese-Sri Lankan wedding in the Batticaloa area. Image courtesy natgeotourism.com Nihal Gooneratne Thu, Oct 8, 7:59 PM (10 hours ago) Portuguese-Sri Lankan Surnames And Their Meanings

Roel Raymond 27 Feb 2018 38.2K Views The Portuguese arrived in Ceylon, or Ceilão, as they called it, by chance. In 1505, a fleet commanded by Lourenço de Almeida—the son of Francisco de Almeida, the first viceroy of Portuguese India—was blown into Galle by adverse winds. It was thirteen years later, in 1518, that the Portuguese established formal contact with the Kingdom of Kotte, ruled by Vira Parakrama Bahu, and were permitted to build a fort in Colombo. Although the Portuguese were primarily interested in exploring trade and commercial opportunities in Sri Lanka, an opening for greater exploitation presented itself in the form of seven warring kingdoms within the island. With time, the kingdom of Kotte began to depend heavily on the Portuguese for defense against the other kingdoms, leading to an enhanced role for the Portuguese in Sri Lankan affairs. An agreement in 1543 between King Buvenaka Bahu of the kingdom of Kotte and the Portuguese resulted in his grandson Prince Dharmapala being educated in the Franciscan order of the Roman Catholic Church. The conversion of Dharmapala heralded sweeping changes in Sri Lanka’s social landscape, as the Portuguese embarked on a mission to convert the local populace. Sri Lankans in the western coastal areas were particularly susceptible to the changes, with conversions occurring en masse, but conversions occurred interior and in the northernmost parts of the island as well. As Portuguese culture permeated the island, Sri Lankan Tamils and Sinhalese took on many Portuguese names as their own, suffixed to their personal names. Here are a list of some of the more popular Portuguese-Sri Lankan surnames and what they mean: · Silva / de Silva The surname ‘Silva’, and its derivative ‘de Silva’, meaning ‘from Silva’ or ‘of Silva’ is a popular Portuguese surname and means ‘forest’ or ‘woodland’. It is a wide-spread surname in Portuguese-speaking countries as well as regions formerly under the control of the Portuguese empire (like Sri Lanka, India, America, and Africa.) ‘Silva’ and ‘de Silva’ are very common surnames in Sri Lanka, but doesn’t necessarily mean the holder is of Portuguese descent—just that the holders ancestors subscribed to the cultural hegemony perpetuated by the Portuguese. · Fernando The surname ‘Fernando’, although perpetuated in Sri Lanka by the Portuguese, is the old Spanish form of a Germanic name meaning ‘adventurous’ or ‘bold journey’. It is made up of the elements ‘fardi’, meaning ‘journey’, and ‘nand’ meaning ‘daring and brave’. In addition to being a popular name in Portugal, the name is common in Western India which was colonised by the Portuguese, and of course in Sri Lanka, where it is one of three most popular (the others being ‘de Silva’ and ‘Perera’) surnames taken on by Sinhalese. · Perera / Pereira The surname ‘Perera’, and its variant ‘Pereira’ is derived from the Portuguese surname ‘Pereira’, meaning ‘pear tree’. Perera is a very common surname in Sri Lanka, taken on by Sinhalese converts to Roman Catholicism with the advancement of Portuguese rule in Sri Lanka. ‘Perera’ is also a Spanish name with a number of variants (Perer, Perero, Pereros, Pereyra, Pereyras, Das Pereiras, Paraira) in the Iberian peninsula. · Almeida / de Almeida ‘Almeida’ and its variant ‘de Almeida’, meaning ‘of’ or ‘from’ Almeida is a Portuguese surname derived from the town of Almeida (in the Beira Alta province) in Portugal. Portuguese explorer Lourenço de Almeida who ‘discovered’ Sri Lanka, was the first of his kind to arrive in the island. In the subsequent decades, with the expansion of Portuguese powers in Sri Lanka, the surname ‘Almeida’ took on prominence with many Sinhalese and Tamil families taking on the name. · Costa / de Costa ‘Costa’ and its variant ‘de Costa’ meaning ‘from’ or ‘of’ Costa is a Portuguese surname derived from the Latin word ‘Costa’ which means ‘rib’. With time, the surname came to mean ‘side’, ‘slope’, or ‘coast’ denoting the holder was from the coastal area. The surname ‘Costa’ and ‘de Costa’ are also Italian and Spanish surnames. In Sri Lanka, the surname was adopted by many Sinhalese and Tamil families, with the adoption of Portuguese mores in Sri Lanka. · Fonseka The surname ‘Fonseka’ is derived from the Portuguese surname ‘Fonseca’, which comes from the Latin ‘fōns siccus’, meaning ‘dry well’. It refers to a spring that has dried up during the hot summer months and is today a well-known Sinhalese surname in Sri Lanka. · Correa / Corea The surname ‘Correa’ or ‘Corea’ is a derivative of the Portuguese word ‘correia’ meaning ‘leather strap’. The surname is of occupational origin, meaning the holder was originally a maker or seller of leather straps (or belts). The surname is popular in Portugal and in Spain and is adopted by Sri Lankan Tamil and Sinhalese families for further advancement under Portuguese rule. · Tissera The surname ‘Tissera’ is derived from the Portuguese surname ‘Teixeira’ which refers to a ‘texio’ or ‘yew tree’. Variants ‘Texeira’ and ‘Técher’ are also common in Portugal. Although less common than the ‘Perera’, ‘de Silva’, and ‘Fernando’, ‘Tissera’ is today a well-known surname in Sri Lanka. · Cabral / Cabraal The surname ‘Cabral’ and its variant ‘Cabraal’ are Portuguese and Galician surnames that are derived from the Latin word ‘capra’ meaning ‘goat’ or ‘capralis’ which means ‘place of goats’. The surname is an occupational one, meaning the holder was engaged in work relating to the care of goats, possibly a goatherd. In Sri Lanka, the surname is has been adopted mainly by Sinhalese families. · Thabrew / de Abrew The surname ‘Thabrew’ and its variant ‘de Abrew’ meaning ‘from Abrew’ or ‘of Abrew’ is a derivative of the Portuguese name ‘Abreu’. The origins of the name is debated; some argue that it is a reference to the phrase ‘Abraham the Hebrew’, while others claims it refers to a ancient branch of the House of Normandy. There are countless other Sri Lankan names of Portuguese origin, like Peiris, Nonis, Gomes, Suwaris, Mendis, Sigera, Pigera, and others. In addition to these surnames, Sri Lanka assimilated many of the Portuguese names for everyday items such as ‘kalisama’ (trousers), ‘kamisaya’ (shirt), ‘almariya’ (wardrobe), ‘bonikka’ (doll), ‘bottama’ (button) and so many more. In parts of the island, especially the north, a Portuguese creole is spoken by a small population of those of Portuguese descent. It is clear that the 153 years the Portuguese spent in Sri Lanka affected the cultural composition of the country, even to this date.

Sam Perera Anyone who reads even one of Dr Philip G Veerasingam 's books gets hooked. Here is the final trilogy of the life and times of an iconic doctor who reached the pinnacles of success from humble beginnings. Today is the last day of our month long September madness online book sale. Get this and other books at a 30% discount and receive your books via courier. Don't delay, sale ends at midnight tonight. #septembermadness #pererahussein #onlinebooksale #srilankanbooks #oneofakindme