Good News From Jayam – By Jayam Rutnam

Jayam’s Choice “Sway” by Joyce Patice (Please click on arrow)

The Sela’s of Brisbane Conquer Machu Pichu

Neve Sela has been in South America backpacking since February. She met with her grandfather Patrick Sela and his son Owen and spent a couple of weeks with her iand do Machu Pichu in Peru. Picchu.

Sri Lankan Wins Nebula Award for Best Science Fiction Book

Vajra Chandrasekera’s debut novel The Saint of Bright Doors has won the Nebula Award for best novel. The award was announced last week. Nebula Awards recognize the best works of science fiction or fantasy published in the United States. Previously, The Saint of Bright Doors was the winner of the 2024 Crawford Award, presented annually by the International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts for a first book of fantasy fiction, and was a New York Times Notable Book of 2023.

Musaeus Walk and Carnival 2024

Musaeus College Past Pupils Association (MCPPA) celebrates 90 years by organising the 6th edition of the MC walk and carnival on June 29. Under the theme ‘Stronger Together’ MCPPA continues to encourage and foster unity among present and past students by walking under one banner. Starting from our alma mater at 7.30 am, approximately 8,000 members of the Musaeus community will walk to Thurstan College Grounds, ending in a carnival commencing at 10 am, with trade stalls, music and food.

Engineering Excellence – Tharindu Weerasinghe

Tharindu Weerasinghe who is currently residing in Perth, Western Australia became one of the youngest Sri Lankan origin Engineers to become a Fellow of Engineers Australia. Tharindu received this credential in March 2024 at 40. He obtained his charter with the Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka in 2015. He’s not only associated with Engineers Australia, but also a certified professional member of the Australian Computer Society. He became a senior member of the Institution of Electrical and Electronic Engineers which is the largest professional body in the world.

www.utravel.com

Ceylonese Rugby & Football Club (CR&FC) Colombo Presents Rocking Times with Champions Night Friday, June 28th, 2024

Happy Birthday Vishmi Weerasinghe

Mireka Tower and Havelock City Mall earns prestigious LEED Gold Certification

The U.S. Green Building Council recently conferred the LEED Gold Certification for Mireka Tower and Havelock City Mall reflecting its commitment to energy efficiency and occupant well-being.

The achievement of the gold certification under the LEED 2009 Core and Shell Development rating system identifies Mireka Tower & Havelock City Mall as a showcase example of sustainability and demonstrates the group’s leadership in transforming the building industry in Sri Lanka. From its inception, this project has incorporated green features and design optimization, ensuring that both its construction and operations adhere to the highest standards of environmental stewardship.

Roma de Zoysa Private Secretary to the Minister of Finance, Stanley de Zoysa (Circa 1958)

Kaleidoscope with Savithri Rodrigo June 20th. 2024 (Please click on arrow)

Who’s alarming whom about climate emergency! Get the real details on the climate change non-emergency, explore the win-win of governance linked bonds, refocus art with Shoelace Studio, capture the earth, enjoy turtle trivia and some economic vignettes!

Obituaries – Sad News

Roma de Zoysa (89) passed away in Los Angeles on June 20th, 2024. Daughter of Stanley de Zoysa (former Minister of Finance) and Dora de Silva. Step daughter of Sheila de Zoysa. Sister of Sonja Arnolda and Alfie de Zoysa. Former wife of Benny Jinadasa and Freddy Tira. Mother of Sonali Jinadasa Tucker, Pinky Pendigrast and Todd Tira. Grandmother of Keshia and Tehani Pendigrast. Great grandmother through marriage of McKenzie and Coleman Grier. Mother in law of Lewis Tucker and Kenneth Pendigrast. Aunt of

Tania Arnolda, Jerome Stanley De Zoysa, Gavin De Zoysa, Keith De Zoysa, Sean De Zoysa, Jan De Zoysa

Roma was a past president of the SLAASC (2001).

She was also a regular contributor of recipes in “Good News From Jayam.”

There will be a danae at the Dharma Vijaya Buddhist Temple on Crenshaw Boulevard in Los Angeles. There will also be a Celebration of life at a date to be announced later.

 

Rita Fernando – Wife of late A.E.F Fernando (Attorney-at-Law),​ mother of Prema (Australia),​ Shyama (Attorney-at-Law),​ Tilaka,​ Diana,​ Jayakumar (USA),​ Jeeva,​ Chandrika (USA),​ Ashok Kumar and Geetha,​ grandmother of Javistha and Jonathan (USA),​ Jaishnu (Jaish) and Sikhandi,​ Anna (Attorney-at-Law),​ Batya and Asharya and Yashvin,​ mother-in-law of Manjula,​ Arunesh Peter,​ Clement Louis and Maheen Senanayake. Burial at Borella Kanatte,​ Roman Catholic Section on June 22, 2024.

 

Lilian Rose Fernando (retired teacher St. Anthony’s School, Mt. Lavinia and St. Mary’s, Bambalapitiya), wife of Calystus, mother of Mereeka (USA), mother-in-law of Lakmaal Silva (USA), grand mother of Shenali and Nadun, (USA), sister of late Winnie Concy, late Isidora, late Marcus and of Leo Anthony (Negombo), sister-in-law of late Lewis, Josephine, late Urusula and Rita. Burial was on June 23rd at the general cemetery Mt. Lavinia.

 

She walked gently into the night… A tribute to Roma De Zoysa By Palitha Pelpola

I did not know Roma de Zoysa prior to my arriving in Southern California. But her impeccable pedigree, which needed no exaggeration, had been a subject of many conversations that occurred in the Los Angeles circles. When I met her for the first time, the immediacy of her presence was no surprise either. The impression she created has been embedded in me never to fade away, ever.

Roma’s journey of life through nine decades on earth has been one that most Ceylonese ladies would compete enviably to share; born into one of the most prestigious and elite Down-South families, Roma, amongst mostly men, led not only her own life in her own terms but also influenced a then patriarchal social environment with stoicism of a man and elegance of a graceful lady. She could not let a social event occur without her serene intervention nor could she wait without contributing her mite which was of enormous magnitude in material finesse and spiritual guidance.

An association which was initiated by a mutual friend, Roma made friends with Ardni, my wife and Nadyenka, our daughter, almost instantly. Nadyenka was one of her favorite friends she made amongst many children of that generation. Roma loved to share with them her experience and priceless knowledge that was the exclusive property of those who attended a ‘finishing school’ of yesteryear.

She was proud of her lineage and rightfully so. The De Zoysa family in Ceylon was not second to any elite families that embellished the passageway of power and prestige throughout the twentieth century. Her father, Stanley De Zoysa, was the Minister of Finance in the Bandaranaike government in 1956. Amongst her paternal uncles were Dickey, a well known businessman of the time, Sydney, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Lucian, a most lovable cricket commentator, and A. C. (Bunty), a foremost criminal lawyer of rare distinction ever to carry a brief in the Hulftsdorp corridors. Roma’s grandfather was Sir Francis De Zoysa, a member of the then State Council and also a President of Ceylon National Congress.

Roma may have been extremely proud of her heritage but she never used that prestige either to wear as an obnoxious badge or a preceding signal of identification. She showed that prestige and grace of heritage with the calm of a gentle-lady and elegance of a non-interfering mother or an aunt. Never giving into the growing influence of men, she waltzed through that overpowering masculinity with a disarming smile and repartee that was as sharp as a bald eagle’s beak. Wherever she cast her presence, she made friends and associates who eventually ran out of words to describe her elegance and grace.

She was the Secretary of the Sri Lanka America Association of Southern California (SLAASC) and the very next year was elected unanimously for the post of President. Her contribution as President of SLAASC was unique and still remains a subject of the Southern California conversation..

Rare indeed are such men and women amongst us. With each passing day, we shall remember the fondest of memories of them; when found in the isolation of loneliness, when wandering through the crowded streets in the global vista, when entangled in a web of relations that never promises a just resolution, we might find solace and peace of mind when we passage through the memories of such men and women. Roma belongs to that select few. Counsel rendered to her friends and foes alike in the simplest and most intimate manner tends to disarm the fiercest of foes and the gentlest of associates.

I was in that rare circle of Roma’s friends with whom she interacted so freely and candidly knowing in the most non-invasive fashion that her exchange of ideas and thoughts was unique and most certainly absolute and rewarding. Men and women would remember her charm more than her cursory comments; they will cherish her company and partake of the food she personally prepared with utmost care and precision of a unique culinary artist whose taste of pepper and salt was as sharp as the correct amount of sweetness for her most talked about unearthly desserts.

Yet Roma too was human; she endured and withstood all the suffering and inequities of human life. She lived a full life; Sonali, her loving daughter, living in Southern California is a fitting daughter and a legacy of a graceful lady. Sonali had informed Ardni about the peaceful passing away of her mother, Roma. When Ardni told me about Roma’s demise, I couldn’t help myself but think about her in the most gentle way she had lived. On Thursday June twentieth night, before the stroke of midnight hour, Roma, walked gently into the night never to return, ever. We shall cherish her memories.

May she attain Nibbana!

Recipes From Roma’s Kitchen (Roma – We will miss you!)

Tangy Crab Salad Sandwiches

Ingredients

8oz (250g) cooked or canned crabmeat

2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice

1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

4 fresh tofu buns or poppy seed bread

or all grain bread rolls

1 teaspoon finely sliced Thai basil leaves,

to serve

Chilli Dressing

1 to 2 tablespoons minced red finger-length

chilli

2 cloves garlic minced

6 shallots or 1 small onion, minced

1/2 cup (125 ml) water

1 1/2tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons fish sauce

1.Make the Chilli Dressing by combining all

the ingredients in a saucepan and simmer

over high heat for about 6 minutes,stirring

occasionally, until the mixture has thickened.

Remove and set aside to cool.

2.Peel the cucumbers, then slice very thinly.

If using larger cucumbers, cut in half length-

wise first, scrape out the the seeds with a

spoon before slicing the cucumbers. Rub the

salt into the cucumber slices and mix well,

then strain or squeeze the cucumber to remove

the liquid. Add all but 1 tablespoon of the

Chilli Dressing, crabmeat, lemon or lime juice and

pepper to the cucumber slices and toss to combine.

3.Make a slit in the bread rolls and stuff each roll with

the cucumber salad mixture and, top with the reserved

Chilli Dressing basil leaves.

NOTE: Japanese cucumbers are very small and crunchy,

and almost seed less. Baby cucumbers or fresh pickling

gherkins make a good substitute.

Makes 4 pieces. Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 6 minutes.

Wilpattu National Park  by Thivanka Perera – Aegle Creations (Please click on arrow)

Jayam2424@yahoo.com