The Red Crabs: Amazing Phenomenon on Christmas Island-by Michael Roberts Source:Thuppahis Christabel, Fiona, Cat and Connor in November 2021 … with frontispiece pix from Samantha Wright One of the top ten natural wonders of the world, according to David Attenborough, is happening right now in the thriving rainforests and deserted beaches of Australia’s Christmas Island. Christmas Island is globally significant, home to a wealth of unique and rare sea birds, land crabs and marine life. There are few comparable unspoiled tropical environments left in the world. Once a year, this uniqueness is on full display as millions of red crabs emerge from the forest and make their way to the ocean to breed, swarming across roads, streams, rocks, people’s homes, and beaches. ...
Michael Roberts
Carlyle Perera: Captain Marvellous … Led University to Sara Trophy Triumph in 1962/63-by Michael Roberts Source:Thuppahis Merril Gunaratne, in The Island, 9 October 2022, with this title “Carlyle Perera: Doyen of University Cricket” Dr. Carlyle Perera of St Joseph’s College and University of Ceylon who died a few days ago was a gifted cricketer, well known in cricket circles in the 1950’s and 60’s. He left his imprint on University cricket by winning the Saravanamuttu cricket trophy in 1962-63. It was a unique achievement, for not only did he wrest the trophy from the monopolistic control of established clubs, but also created a record by achieving a feat unrivaled before or after by the University. Carlyle reached such dizzy heights with a band of exceptionally talented schoolboy cricketers who had gained admission to the University. It was an era when cricket was more a pastime than a full time commitment. But ...
Oct 15, 2022
Posted by eLanka admin In
Articles, Michael Roberts
Tagged Anton Rambukpota, Brendon Gooneratne, Buddy Reid, Carlyle Perera, Cyril Ernest, DH De Silva, Dr Carlyle Perera, HIK Fernando, Kingsley Fernando, Lareef Idroos, Malsiri Kurukulasooriya, Mano Ponniah, Merril Gunaratne, Michael Roberts, Mohanlal Fernando, Neil Chanmugam, Nihal Gurusinghe, Priya Perera, Raja de Silva, Ranjit Doranegama, Sarath Wimalaratne, Skandakumar, St Joseph’s College
Introducing ECSAT and the World of Disabled People around Galle-by Michael Roberts ECSAT staff in 2020 Source:Thuppahis In late 2018 I met Roshan Samarawickrema at Flinders University via my daughter Maya who is a senior staff officer there. Roshan had arrived to further studies in Disability Teaching. Via the vagaries of the covid endemic both of us found ourselves in good old Lanka in the second quarter of the year. A visit to my home beat of Galle Fort[1] in July-August enabled me to explore and ‘experience’ the work of ECSAT at its HQ in the old “Serasinghe Walauwwa” building at Wackwella [albeit in covid circumstances whereby school attendance was drastically low]. My readings via picture and tale will follow. I begin here with Roshan’s introduction to ECSAT with due emphasis on the initial impetus provided by Catherine Liyanage (nee Mole become Macleod).[2] …. Michael Roberts Equality-based ...
Oct 14, 2022
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Articles, Michael Roberts
Tagged Catherine Liyanage, Community Support and Training, Roshan Samarasinghe
Cricketing Amity, September 2002: Janashakthi XI vs Jaffna District Cricket XI-by Michael Roberts During the ceasefire period after Eelam War III some leading members of the cricketing world in Colombo reached out in reconciliatory mood to Jaffna by organising a high-profile cricket match.[i] Enthusiastic Jaffna Fans mob Murali Chandra Schaffter: The Jaffna Match, 1 September 2002 With Ranil Wickremesinghe becoming Prime Minister in 2001, a ceasefire agreement was negotiated with the LTTE and the A9 was opened after many years. Janashakthi took the opportunity to open its Jaffna branch in August Because of our association with cricket, we felt that the best way would be to stage a cricket match which would bring the enthusiastic cricket fans in Jaffna out of their homes. It was a major rush but my son Ramesh,who was adept at such events, began organizing the match as well as the opening of the branch. I had just returned to ...
Oct 11, 2022
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Articles, Michael Roberts
Tagged Ranil Wickremesinghe, Romesh Kaluwitharana
Film on Malwatu Oya secures Award …. with A Screening due on 28th October-by Michael Roberts Source:Thuppahis “In Search of the Malwatu Oya (Sri Lanka)” (45 min; 2019; English) will be screened on 28 October 2022, 06:30 pm at the C.D. Deshmukh Auditorium, IIC main building Directors: Dr. SinhaRaja Tammita-Delgoda, Hiranya Malwatta Recipient of the Best Short Documentary Film Award, Mokkho International Film Festival, Pondicherry 2021; Best Short Documentary, Rome International Movie Awards 2022; Short Film Award, Mumbai International Film Festival 2022; Best Documentary Short Film Award, International Motion Picture Festival of India 2022 Dr. SinhaRaja Tammita-Delgoda will briefly introduce the film, highlighting the link between history, culture and the environment, a story which has several parallels with the history of India The Screening will be followed by a discussion ...
Oct 9, 2022
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Articles, Michael Roberts
Tagged Dr. SinhaRaja Tammita-Delgoda, Mokkho International Film Festival, Short Documentary Film Award
Gustave Eiffel’s Unique EIFFEL TOWER-by Michael Roberts Source:Thuppahis Visit https://historia.nationalgeographic.com.es/a/torre-eiffel-construccion-coloso_11345 for the full version of “ARCHITECTURAL CHALLENGE. THE EIFFEL TOWER: THE CONSTRUCTION OF A COLOSSUS” …………………… an item made available by Capt Kumar Kirinde and his RAFOP collective …. with only some segments reproduced here. Thanks to his experience in the design of great works of iron, in 1889 Gustave Eiffel managed to erect a tower over 300 meters high for the Universal Exhibition in Paris. Face of Gustave Eiffel at the base of the tower Although he was an excellent engineer, Gustave Eiffel’s success rested even more on his skills as an entrepreneur. In 1887 he signed a contract by which the French State and the city of Paris would provide a subsidy of 1.5 million francs; 25 percent of the total construction cost. To obtain the remaining funds, Eiffel created a joint-stock company with a capital of five million francs, half of which was contributed by ...
Sep 30, 2022
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Articles, Michael Roberts
Tagged Capt Kumar Kirinde, Louis-Emile Durandelle, Rmn-Grand Palais
Why Thuppahi – BY Michael Roberts Because I am quintessentially thuppahi, that is, of mixed ethnic-stock, thus low, inferior, mongrel, pariah in the Asian scheme of things. Moreover, by stressing this dimension of my bloodlines as well as my socio-political background I can confront, challenge and undermine the thinking of those who are attached to notions of caste distinction and/or “racial” superiority. As I have shown in People Inbetween (1989, Sarvodaya), in British Ceylon imported racial theories of a supposedly scientific kind fused with locally prevalent caste theories against admixture to set up exclusivist lines of differentiation. In adopting this label here I am inspired by American example: remember that Black Americans started undermining the disparaging vocabulary of the Whites when they began to refer to themselves as “Niggers” [while yet confronting those Others who directed the term pejoratively at them]. I have never been called a kāberi to my face; nor ever been called a tuppahiyā or kärapottā by those who ...
Sep 27, 2022
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Articles, Michael Roberts
Tagged British Ceylon, Michael Roberts, Sri Lanka
Thoughts on Planter Lifeways in Ceylon evoked by the Braine Biography – By Michael Roberts Source : thuppahis Camellia sinensis is a species of evergreen shrubs or small trees in the flowering plant family Theaceae. Its leaves and leaf buds are used to produce tea. Common names include tea plant, tea shrub, and tea tree. Wikipedia. If allowed to grow freely can reach up to 6 ft or more. For commercial agronomic purposes they are maintained as a compact shrub at approximately 4 ft, to increase productivity. And to suit the stature of female tea pickers. BOP = Broken Orange Pekoe, the very best grade of marketed tea. Flavour. Aroma, Colour. A very refreshing brew. Even in 50s and 60s many young men, especially ruggerites, from the Colombo/Kandy Colleges had dreams of upcountry plum planting jobs. ……………. Little realizing it is a lonely life, in the cool, cold, wet central hills of Sri Lanka …. from a social perspective. The fairer ...
Sep 24, 2022
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Articles, Michael Roberts
Tagged BOP, Broken Orange Pekoe, Camellia sinensis, Ceylon Tea, Ratnapura, Richard Simon, tea plant
The Measured Funeral March: Poignant Power-by Michael Roberts Source:Thuppahis At 9.00 pm this day of 18th September 2022 I ventured back from my study to our living room to have dinner. The TV was on and my Scottish wife was watching the serried ranks of the British military and royalty accompanying the hearse bearing the body Queen Elizabeth on its last earthly journey towards Windsor Castle. I stood and watched. The seepage of “Empire loyalism” in my upbringing [1] must have kicked in: I was saddened and a tear or two emeged. I remained standing. The power of the “Beethovan Funeral March,” the weight of the moment and the penetrating force of measured steps overwhelmed me. Trod. Trod. Trod. Trod. Trod. Trod. Trod. Trod. Trod. ………… …………………… WHAT an impact …. that sound. Here, then, was an occasion when meaningful event and action in unison was more animating than colourful scenario (though ...
Queen Elizabeth at Trinity in 1954-by Michael Roberts Picture: “The Mayor of Kandy welcoming the Queen at the Trinity College main entrance drive.” | Picture Credits: GettyIma Source:Thuppahis Sheshan Abeysekara in Trinity College web site, where the title is “Queen Elizabeth II’s visit to Trinity in 1954” Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II must have fond memories of her first visit to Sri Lanka in 1954. As well as visiting Colombo during the ten days she spent here, she also visited Kandy to watch the Perahera, and while there, she was felicitated at the grounds of Trinity College Kandy before she was escorted to the historical “Magul Maduwa” to be welcomed by a delegation of Kandyan Chiefs. It is a very little known fact that this ceremonial felicitation was done at the grounds of Trinity College Kandy because it is often referred to as the “Municipal” ceremony in all the documents appearing ...
Sep 20, 2022
Posted by eLanka admin In
Articles, Michael Roberts
Tagged Mr. E.L. Senanyake, Mr. Kingsley Thenuwara, Queen Elizabeth II, TRINITY COLLEGE
