Features
POPULAR CHEF – Part 23
CONFESSIONS OF A GLOBAL GYPSY
By Dr. Chandana (Chandi) Jayawardena DPhil
President – Chandi J. Associates Inc. Consulting, Canada
Founder & Administrator – Global Hospitality Forum
chandij@sympatico.ca
Bentota ‘Killer’s’ Annual Party
In 1975, there were two competing medical doctors providing services to ten beach resort hotels in Bentota, Aluthgama and Beruwala areas. The hotels contacted one of them when any guest needed medical attention. Both these doctors were general practitioners and they liked servicing the hotels as it was more lucrative than looking after the locals. One of them was gentle and the other was a bit rough in terms of bedside manners. Therefore, he was nicknamed ‘Bentota Killer’ by one of the German Resident Tour Leaders.
Although the so-called ‘killer’ could be a little rough with guests, his Public Relations with the hotel executives and the front office staff, was excellent. He treated the European tour leaders, hotel managers, executives and staff free. As a result, the hotel receptionists always called him first when a guest needed a doctor. He made a lot of money looking after tourists and built a beautiful large house by the Bentota River. Once a year, during the off season, he threw a big party to thank all hotel executives for their referrals. This was the most popular party in the area, which usually began late but continued till the early hours of next morning. We looked forward to this party where all hoteliers were able to meet our growing hotel community in the area and have a good time.
Friends with Tour Leaders
In the mid-1970s, resort hotels in Sri Lanka depended heavily on back-to-back group business that came from the major tour operators in Europe. These companies used chartered flights and assigned some employees as resident managers, tour leaders and tour guides for the whole season in Sri Lanka. The hotels provided them complimentary board and lodging and treated them like royalty as any complaints from them meant lower prices for the following year’s room booking contracts.
I quickly realized that it made good sense to have a friendly relationship with tour leaders from the first day of their stay. Such PR was helpful in using any complaints about food from tourists in their groups to opportunities to provide meals suiting their tastes and ensure customer satisfaction. Most of these guests were on full-board and stayed for two weeks in one seaside resort before going on a one week round-trip to the ancient cities in the cultural triangle. To avoid repetition it was important to have a rotating menu with 28 different lunch and dinner menus to cover a two-week period. Variety was the key, and weekly buffets were usually popular with these groups.
The simple type of PR I learnt to interact with tour leaders during my time at Bentota Beach Hotel, helped me throughout my career. My PR style was to become friends with people who were important for business (tour leaders, local community and trade union leaders), before unforeseen challenges crop up. Due to my friendship with some of the tour leaders, I was at times invited to their parties and excursions. However, I wasn’t the only hotel executive with such PR. A few other hotel executives took these relationships to different levels by marrying foreign tour guides.
Brochure Photo Shoot
No hotel school or university/college can ever teach all ‘you should know’ aspects of hotel keeping. Although, I spent a couple of decades as a hospitality educator, I know in hospitality management, nothing is better than on the job learning. For an example, in 1975, I had zero understanding of the objectives and process of producing a hotel brochure. The Manager of Bentota Beach Hotel, Malin Hapugoda, asked me one day if I could organize the buffet and food display for a photo shoot. When he told me that this was for a new brochure, I was a bit nervous but excited to participate and learn.
Working with the photographers I learnt a few new things. Aspects such as special lighting, background props, colour combinations and even a little bit of choreography with tourists were all interesting. When the lead photographer asked me to model for the brochure I was thrilled!
Promoting Sri Lankan Food
After my brochure assignment, when the Executive Chef was away on business, the Hotel Manager gave me another assignment. I felt that Malin Hapugoda was testing me and I was determined to impress. At that time most fixed, à la carte and buffet menus at hotels here had a very limited choice of local dishes. In the recent past, Sri Lanka has emerged as a major culinary destination thanks to a wide range of spices and some great chefs. The mid 1970s were very different with regard to introducing Sri Lanka’s amazing food to tourists and Bentota Beach wanted to make a difference. I was asked to begin a weekly lunch buffet serving only Lankan dishes.
As the Executive Chef was away, I was given total freedom to make this happen. I enjoyed leading this assignment with help from the kitchen brigade. I had a hand in everything – planning the menu, purchasing buffet utensils, creating buffet decorations, and also making a slight change to the service staff uniforms. In providing local cuisine at hotels, it is essential to strike a balance between authentic dishes and taste buds of tourists. Therefore, I also consulted my foreign tour leader friends to get their feedback during a trial buffet. With their input, we adjusted the spiciness of certain dishes and eventually, included two offerings – traditionally spicy and moderately mild. That worked well and the new weekly buffet became popular.
This experience led me to improve my knowledge of Sri Lankan cuisine (which was not a subject I did well in at the Ceylon Hotel School). Eventually I became a master in the trade and in the 1980s and 1990s, as the Guest Executive Chef, I organized five major Sri Lankan food festivals in five countries. These large-scale food and culture events were held at Furama Intercontinental in Hong Kong, Goodwood Park Hotel in Singapore, Oman Sheraton, Forte Crest in Guyana and Le Meridien in Jamaica.
In later years, the first two books I wrote and translated titled: ‘Traditional Sri Lankan Food’ (published in 1992) were best-sellers and used as text books at a few hotel schools in Sri Lanka. My co-author, Chef T. Publis Silva continued publishing twenty more Sri Lankan cookery books. He is today the best-known and most-respected Master Chef for Sri Lankan food in the world. He is considered a national treasure bestowed with various honours including an honorary doctorate and a national honour. I am proud to say that he is my friend and was my Executive Chef when I managed the Mount Lavinia Hotel in the early 1990s as its General Manager.
Popular Chef
By the middle of the 1974/1975 tourist season I had become quite popular with the long-stay guests, tour guides, kitchen brigade and the management team. I loved interacting with guests at the four weekly buffets with the added benefit of listening to the hotel bands, watching the action on the dance floor, enjoying entertainment acts such as fire limbo, and when the occasion permitted, flirting with pretty girls. On the other hand, my room-mate and immediate superior, Vijitha Nugegoda (Nuga), Assistant Executive Chef disliked going to the buffets. His preference was to remain in the kitchen and manage the flow of dishes to replenish the tables.
One day Padde Withana, the Executive Chef appearing annoyed, summoned Nuga and I and ordered, “With immediate effect, Nugegoda, you go to the buffets and Jayawardena stay in the kitchen!” After that my interactions with guests and tours leaders were limited to the beach during breaks between my split shifts and in the evenings.
A Boring Off Season
We were saddened when the last of the charter flights left Sri Lanka at the end of the season in early in April 1975. It was normal those days for the occupancy percentages of resort hotels on the south-west coast to drop to a single digit around the traditional new year in April. The sea gradually became rough, red flags appeared warning guests not to sea bathe due to currents, construction and maintenance projects commenced and I was bored. We hardly had any work for nearly six months.
All managers took their accumulated and annual leave during the off season. As a result, when on a few occasions I had to act as the Executive Chef, I was pleased. I enjoyed being in charge when both executive chef and his assistant were away and focused a lot on checking stocks in the stores. I did some creative menu planning to utilise over-stocked items requisitioned at reduced cost prices. This resulted in a win-win situation all round. The stores reduced their excess inventory and the kitchen brought the food cost far below the required 40% of the menu price. After that, the Stores Manager, Anton Tevarayan treated me like a hero.
When the monsoon commenced in June, we were confined to our quarters most of the time. Sri Lanka had no TV till 1978, and we had to keep ourselves entertained by playing cards, reading and chatting. The heavy rains and rough waves inspired me to go back to my childhood hobby – painting. One of the cooks found some clay from his village for me to re-commence sculpture. It was also a good time to experiment with new dishes, particularly using some herbs then not legalized, to marinate meat like wild boar not allowed in hotels!
Whenever the rain ceased for a short period, I used to go to the neighbouring Hotel Serendib down the beach. Owing to my pranks during my previous stay in Bentota, its manager was not very friendly and tried his best to avoid meeting me. But his two Assistants, Lionel and Hameed, were very friendly and hospitable. They had both fallen in love with two young ladies who worked at their hotel, a Sri Lankan Front Office Receptionist and a Swiss Tour Leader, whom they eventually married.
Other departmental managers and supervisors of Hotel Serendib were our friends with whom I hung out during a long and boring off season. On some days, we used to walk to other hotels, especially when some event was organized to entertain Sri Lankan guests who were taking advantage of extremely low off-season “local” rates. Occasionally, we compared our career dreams and aspirations. Both external inspirations and my own aspirations were aligned and I was aiming at becoming an executive chef soonest and then become a hotel manager when I was in my mid-twenties.
by Dr Gotabhya Ranasinghe
Senior Consultant Cardiologist
National Hospital Sri Lanka
When we sought a meeting with Hon Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, Minister of Health, he graciously cleared his busy schedule to accommodate us. Renowned for his attentive listening and deep understanding, Minister Pathirana is dedicated to advancing the health sector. His openness and transparency exemplify the qualities of an exemplary politician and minister.
Dr. Palitha Mahipala, the current Health Secretary, demonstrates both commendable enthusiasm and unwavering support. This combination of attributes makes him a highly compatible colleague for the esteemed Minister of Health.
Our discussion centered on a project that has been in the works for the past 30 years, one that no other minister had managed to advance.
Minister Pathirana, however, recognized the project’s significance and its potential to revolutionize care for heart patients.
The project involves the construction of a state-of-the-art facility at the premises of the National Hospital Colombo. The project’s location within the premises of the National Hospital underscores its importance and relevance to the healthcare infrastructure of the nation.
This facility will include a cardiology building and a tertiary care center, equipped with the latest technology to handle and treat all types of heart-related conditions and surgeries.
Securing funding was a major milestone for this initiative. Minister Pathirana successfully obtained approval for a $40 billion loan from the Asian Development Bank. With the funding in place, the foundation stone is scheduled to be laid in September this year, and construction will begin in January 2025.
This project guarantees a consistent and uninterrupted supply of stents and related medications for heart patients. As a result, patients will have timely access to essential medical supplies during their treatment and recovery. By securing these critical resources, the project aims to enhance patient outcomes, minimize treatment delays, and maintain the highest standards of cardiac care.
Upon its fruition, this monumental building will serve as a beacon of hope and healing, symbolizing the unwavering dedication to improving patient outcomes and fostering a healthier society.We anticipate a future marked by significant progress and positive outcomes in Sri Lanka’s cardiovascular treatment landscape within the foreseeable timeframe.
by Fr. Emmanuel Fernando, OMI
Jesuit Fr. Aloysius Pieris (affectionately called Fr. Aloy) celebrated his 90th birthday on April 9, 2024 and I, as the editor of our Oblate Journal, THE MISSIONARY OBLATE had gone to press by that time. Immediately I decided to publish an article, appreciating the untiring selfless services he continues to offer for inter-Faith dialogue, the renewal of the Catholic Church, his concern for the poor and the suffering Sri Lankan masses and to me, the present writer.
It was in 1988, when I was appointed Director of the Oblate Scholastics at Ampitiya by the then Oblate Provincial Fr. Anselm Silva, that I came to know Fr. Aloy more closely. Knowing well his expertise in matters spiritual, theological, Indological and pastoral, and with the collaborative spirit of my companion-formators, our Oblate Scholastics were sent to Tulana, the Research and Encounter Centre, Kelaniya, of which he is the Founder-Director, for ‘exposure-programmes’ on matters spiritual, biblical, theological and pastoral. Some of these dimensions according to my view and that of my companion-formators, were not available at the National Seminary, Ampitiya.
Ever since that time, our Oblate formators/ accompaniers at the Oblate Scholasticate, Ampitiya , have continued to send our Oblate Scholastics to Tulana Centre for deepening their insights and convictions regarding matters needed to serve the people in today’s context. Fr. Aloy also had tried very enthusiastically with the Oblate team headed by Frs. Oswald Firth and Clement Waidyasekara to begin a Theologate, directed by the Religious Congregations in Sri Lanka, for the contextual formation/ accompaniment of their members. It should very well be a desired goal of the Leaders / Provincials of the Religious Congregations.
Besides being a formator/accompanier at the Oblate Scholasticate, I was entrusted also with the task of editing and publishing our Oblate journal, ‘The Missionary Oblate’. To maintain the quality of the journal I continue to depend on Fr. Aloy for his thought-provoking and stimulating articles on Biblical Spirituality, Biblical Theology and Ecclesiology. I am very grateful to him for his generous assistance. Of late, his writings on renewal of the Church, initiated by Pope St. John XX111 and continued by Pope Francis through the Synodal path, published in our Oblate journal, enable our readers to focus their attention also on the needed renewal in the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka. Fr. Aloy appreciated very much the Synodal path adopted by the Jesuit Pope Francis for the renewal of the Church, rooted very much on prayerful discernment. In my Religious and presbyteral life, Fr.Aloy continues to be my spiritual animator / guide and ongoing formator / acccompanier.
Fr. Aloysius Pieris, BA Hons (Lond), LPh (SHC, India), STL (PFT, Naples), PhD (SLU/VC), ThD (Tilburg), D.Ltt (KU), has been one of the eminent Asian theologians well recognized internationally and one who has lectured and held visiting chairs in many universities both in the West and in the East. Many members of Religious Congregations from Asian countries have benefited from his lectures and guidance in the East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI) in Manila, Philippines. He had been a Theologian consulted by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences for many years. During his professorship at the Gregorian University in Rome, he was called to be a member of a special group of advisers on other religions consulted by Pope Paul VI.
Fr. Aloy is the author of more than 30 books and well over 500 Research Papers. Some of his books and articles have been translated and published in several countries. Among those books, one can find the following: 1) The Genesis of an Asian Theology of Liberation (An Autobiographical Excursus on the Art of Theologising in Asia, 2) An Asian Theology of Liberation, 3) Providential Timeliness of Vatican 11 (a long-overdue halt to a scandalous millennium, 4) Give Vatican 11 a chance, 5) Leadership in the Church, 6) Relishing our faith in working for justice (Themes for study and discussion), 7) A Message meant mainly, not exclusively for Jesuits (Background information necessary for helping Francis renew the Church), 8) Lent in Lanka (Reflections and Resolutions, 9) Love meets wisdom (A Christian Experience of Buddhism, 10) Fire and Water 11) God’s Reign for God’s poor, 12) Our Unhiddden Agenda (How we Jesuits work, pray and form our men). He is also the Editor of two journals, Vagdevi, Journal of Religious Reflection and Dialogue, New Series.
Fr. Aloy has a BA in Pali and Sanskrit from the University of London and a Ph.D in Buddhist Philosophy from the University of Sri Lankan, Vidyodaya Campus. On Nov. 23, 2019, he was awarded the prestigious honorary Doctorate of Literature (D.Litt) by the Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, the Most Venerable Welamitiyawe Dharmakirthi Sri Kusala Dhamma Thera.
Fr. Aloy continues to be a promoter of Gospel values and virtues. Justice as a constitutive dimension of love and social concern for the downtrodden masses are very much noted in his life and work. He had very much appreciated the commitment of the late Fr. Joseph (Joe) Fernando, the National Director of the Social and Economic Centre (SEDEC) for the poor.
In Sri Lanka, a few religious Congregations – the Good Shepherd Sisters, the Christian Brothers, the Marist Brothers and the Oblates – have invited him to animate their members especially during their Provincial Congresses, Chapters and International Conferences. The mainline Christian Churches also have sought his advice and followed his seminars. I, for one, regret very much, that the Sri Lankan authorities of the Catholic Church –today’s Hierarchy—- have not sought Fr.
Aloy’s expertise for the renewal of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka and thus have not benefited from the immense store of wisdom and insight that he can offer to our local Church while the Sri Lankan bishops who governed the Catholic church in the immediate aftermath of the Second Vatican Council (Edmund Fernando OMI, Anthony de Saram, Leo Nanayakkara OSB, Frank Marcus Fernando, Paul Perera,) visited him and consulted him on many matters. Among the Tamil Bishops, Bishop Rayappu Joseph was keeping close contact with him and Bishop J. Deogupillai hosted him and his team visiting him after the horrible Black July massacre of Tamils.
Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement
By Gomi Senadhira
senadhiragomi@gmail.com
“You might tell fairy tales, but the progress of a country cannot be achieved through such narratives. A country cannot be developed by making false promises. The country moved backward because of the electoral promises made by political parties throughout time. We have witnessed that the ultimate result of this is the country becoming bankrupt. Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet.” – President Ranil Wickremesinghe, 2024 Budget speech
Any Sri Lankan would agree with the above words of President Wickremesinghe on the false promises our politicians and officials make and the fairy tales they narrate which bankrupted this country. So, to understand this, let’s look at one such fairy tale with lots of false promises; Ranil Wickremesinghe’s greatest achievement in the area of international trade and investment promotion during the Yahapalana period, Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA).
It is appropriate and timely to do it now as Finance Minister Wickremesinghe has just presented to parliament a bill on the National Policy on Economic Transformation which includes the establishment of an Office for International Trade and the Sri Lanka Institute of Economics and International Trade.
Was SLSFTA a “Cleverly negotiated Free Trade Agreement” as stated by the (former) Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate on the SLSFTA in July 2018, or a colossal blunder covered up with lies, false promises, and fairy tales? After SLSFTA was signed there were a number of fairy tales published on this agreement by the Ministry of Development Strategies and International, Institute of Policy Studies, and others.
However, for this article, I would like to limit my comments to the speech by Minister Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate, and the two most important areas in the agreement which were covered up with lies, fairy tales, and false promises, namely: revenue loss for Sri Lanka and Investment from Singapore. On the other important area, “Waste products dumping” I do not want to comment here as I have written extensively on the issue.
1. The revenue loss
During the Parliamentary Debate in July 2018, Minister Samarawickrama stated “…. let me reiterate that this FTA with Singapore has been very cleverly negotiated by us…. The liberalisation programme under this FTA has been carefully designed to have the least impact on domestic industry and revenue collection. We have included all revenue sensitive items in the negative list of items which will not be subject to removal of tariff. Therefore, 97.8% revenue from Customs duty is protected. Our tariff liberalisation will take place over a period of 12-15 years! In fact, the revenue earned through tariffs on goods imported from Singapore last year was Rs. 35 billion.
The revenue loss for over the next 15 years due to the FTA is only Rs. 733 million– which when annualised, on average, is just Rs. 51 million. That is just 0.14% per year! So anyone who claims the Singapore FTA causes revenue loss to the Government cannot do basic arithmetic! Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I call on my fellow members of this House – don’t mislead the public with baseless criticism that is not grounded in facts. Don’t look at petty politics and use these issues for your own political survival.”
I was surprised to read the minister’s speech because an article published in January 2018 in “The Straits Times“, based on information released by the Singaporean Negotiators stated, “…. With the FTA, tariff savings for Singapore exports are estimated to hit $10 million annually“.
As the annual tariff savings (that is the revenue loss for Sri Lanka) calculated by the Singaporean Negotiators, Singaporean $ 10 million (Sri Lankan rupees 1,200 million in 2018) was way above the rupees’ 733 million revenue loss for 15 years estimated by the Sri Lankan negotiators, it was clear to any observer that one of the parties to the agreement had not done the basic arithmetic!
Six years later, according to a report published by “The Morning” newspaper, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) on 7th May 2024, Mr Samarawickrama’s chief trade negotiator K.J. Weerasinghehad had admitted “…. that forecasted revenue loss for the Government of Sri Lanka through the Singapore FTA is Rs. 450 million in 2023 and Rs. 1.3 billion in 2024.”
If these numbers are correct, as tariff liberalisation under the SLSFTA has just started, we will pass Rs 2 billion very soon. Then, the question is how Sri Lanka’s trade negotiators made such a colossal blunder. Didn’t they do their basic arithmetic? If they didn’t know how to do basic arithmetic they should have at least done their basic readings. For example, the headline of the article published in The Straits Times in January 2018 was “Singapore, Sri Lanka sign FTA, annual savings of $10m expected”.
Anyway, as Sri Lanka’s chief negotiator reiterated at the COPF meeting that “…. since 99% of the tariffs in Singapore have zero rates of duty, Sri Lanka has agreed on 80% tariff liberalisation over a period of 15 years while expecting Singapore investments to address the imbalance in trade,” let’s turn towards investment.
Investment from Singapore
In July 2018, speaking during the Parliamentary Debate on the FTA this is what Minister Malik Samarawickrama stated on investment from Singapore, “Already, thanks to this FTA, in just the past two-and-a-half months since the agreement came into effect we have received a proposal from Singapore for investment amounting to $ 14.8 billion in an oil refinery for export of petroleum products. In addition, we have proposals for a steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million), sugar refinery ($ 200 million). This adds up to more than $ 16.05 billion in the pipeline on these projects alone.
And all of these projects will create thousands of more jobs for our people. In principle approval has already been granted by the BOI and the investors are awaiting the release of land the environmental approvals to commence the project.
I request the Opposition and those with vested interests to change their narrow-minded thinking and join us to develop our country. We must always look at what is best for the whole community, not just the few who may oppose. We owe it to our people to courageously take decisions that will change their lives for the better.”
According to the media report I quoted earlier, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) Chief Negotiator Weerasinghe has admitted that Sri Lanka was not happy with overall Singapore investments that have come in the past few years in return for the trade liberalisation under the Singapore-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement. He has added that between 2021 and 2023 the total investment from Singapore had been around $162 million!
What happened to those projects worth $16 billion negotiated, thanks to the SLSFTA, in just the two-and-a-half months after the agreement came into effect and approved by the BOI? I do not know about the steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million) and sugar refinery ($ 200 million).
However, story of the multibillion-dollar investment in the Petroleum Refinery unfolded in a manner that would qualify it as the best fairy tale with false promises presented by our politicians and the officials, prior to 2019 elections.
Though many Sri Lankans got to know, through the media which repeatedly highlighted a plethora of issues surrounding the project and the questionable credentials of the Singaporean investor, the construction work on the Mirrijiwela Oil Refinery along with the cement factory began on the24th of March 2019 with a bang and Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his ministers along with the foreign and local dignitaries laid the foundation stones.
That was few months before the 2019 Presidential elections. Inaugurating the construction work Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the projects will create thousands of job opportunities in the area and surrounding districts.
The oil refinery, which was to be built over 200 acres of land, with the capacity to refine 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day, was to generate US$7 billion of exports and create 1,500 direct and 3,000 indirect jobs. The construction of the refinery was to be completed in 44 months. Four years later, in August 2023 the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to cancel the agreement with the investors of the refinery as the project has not been implemented! Can they explain to the country how much money was wasted to produce that fairy tale?
It is obvious that the President, ministers, and officials had made huge blunders and had deliberately misled the public and the parliament on the revenue loss and potential investment from SLSFTA with fairy tales and false promises.
As the president himself said, a country cannot be developed by making false promises or with fairy tales and these false promises and fairy tales had bankrupted the country. “Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet”.
(The writer, a specialist and an activist on trade and development issues . )
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