“THE WORLD IS YOUR OYSTER!”

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

Plans for a Big Trip to 16 countries

“Congratulations! You have fulfilled all the requirements with flying colours to obtain the M.Sc. degree in International Hotel Management from the University of Surrey. I am proud of you, Chandi!” My dissertation supervisor, Professor Richard Kotas, told me the good news over the phone and then invited me to lunch. “Let’s meet in London to celebrate”. At lunch, he told me that the convocation would be held at the University of Surrey within two months, by early December of 1984.

Professor Kotas told me his inspiring life story over lunch, “I landed in the United Kingdom as a Polish refugee just after the end of the World War II. I was a prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp in Germany during the war.” He said, “I worked very hard after gaining my freedom, to progress in life and my career in this country. Your work ethics remind me of my younger days in England. I will help you.” Thus, he became my mentor for the rest of his life.After lunch we walked around a few art galleries and a museum. Professor Kotas was impressed with how well I knew shortcuts in London. “Chandi, I have lived in London since 1946, but I see that you are far more familiar with Central London than I. You’d do well as a London tour guide,” he joked.

When he heard that while searching for a suitable management position in an internationally branded five-star hotel, I also wanted to continue to travel the world, he encouraged me to do so. “That’s a good idea. You’ve worked very hard to finish your master’s degree on time. Take a break from your busy schedule and explore continental Europe further. Chandi, the World is your Oyster!”

When I went home, I planted some seeds in my wife’s mind. I reminded her of the famous proverb from the seventeenth century, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”. We then decided to tie up some loose ends in London during the next three months, and do a long trip. Our desire was to do a long multi-country trip by rail and ship, soon after the New Year’s Eve of 1984. Our ambitious plan was to visit 16 countries in the European Union, Eastern Europe and a quick visit to the African continent.

I scheduled many job interviews before the trip. I also spent a lot of time visiting embassies in London. Travelling with Sri Lankan passports meant that we needed visas for most of these countries. After a quick calculation, we budgeted to do the whole trip within six weeks, by spending a maximum of £1,000. The trick was to spend some nights in the trains and not to buy any presents. We planned to carry only backpacks. When my wife said that the winter would be very cold in the Eastern Europe, I said, “Yes. It is going to be our biggest adventure!”

Continuing Professional Development

Having earned a master’s degree, which was unique for a hotelier at that time, I was not prepared to stop learning or studying. London was a good place for a lifelong learner. I had a few irons in the fire. I attended many professional and trade events in London such as Hotelympia – the UK’s largest food service and hospitality event, World Travel Mart – the leading global event for the travel industry, annual British Bartender’s Trade Show, and the annual general meeting of the world’s largest professional body for hospitality managers – Hotel & Catering International Management Association (HCIMA).

I was also invited to attend the meetings of HCIMA’s largest branch – London, which at that time had 2,000 members. The contacts I made in 1984, were helpful in being elected to the Board of HCIMA – London Branch six years later when I lived in London again. That experience encouraged me to commence HCIMA – Sri Lanka Chapter, HCIMA – Jamaica Chapter and HCIMA – Ontario, Canada Chapter, as the founder in later years. Finally, several doors opened for me to be elected as one of the two international members of the HCIMA’s main council, a Board Member, Chairman of the International Development Committee, and eventually the World-wide President of HCIMA, and the Chairman of HCIMA Limited, UK. In those roles I travelled the globe as an Ambassador for HCIMA, and was also involved in inaugurating chapters in Russia, the United Arab Emirates, and Goa, India.

I took a few other courses while in London in 1984. I successfully completed part three (out of four parts) of the Trainer Skills program run by the Hotel and Catering Industry Training Board (HCITB). I was also successful in completing the Senior Certificate or part two (out of three parts) of the famous Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET), a must have qualification for a sommelier. For two months, every evening I went to the WSET world headquarters in London, happily learning about and tasting six different wines and spirits every evening. My wife laughed whenever I came home after the classes jolly and extra talkative!

Busy Social Life

Our circle of friends in London expanded rapidly. After completing my studies, we became busy entertaining and visiting friends. My mother-in-law, who is a great cook, came to stay with us for six months. She and I planned many elaborate menus to entertain our friends. We also became unofficial tour guides of London to many visiting friends and family. Our good friends from Austria spent a week with us. The former guests of the Hotel Swanee which I managed in late 1970s, frequently invited us to their homes and visited our home to enjoy home-cooked Sri Lankan food.

One weekend we visited the family of Mark Bostock, then Chairman of John Keells Group of companies. On our second day in the Bostock residence in Tunbridge Wells located in Kent, a large group of their English friends arrived to spend the day. When we heard that they had all visited Sri Lanka and loved spicy food, my mother-in-law and I offered to make a surprise Sri Lankan dinner, which was a big hit. “Chandana, please don’t tell anyone in Sri Lanka, that the Chairman of John Keells was your cooking assistant in Kent!” Mark Bostock, joked after giving me a helping hand with cleaning and cutting vegetables from his back garden.

A Memorable Meeting

One day I befriended a leading Sri Lankan politician, Gamini Dissanayake. He was visiting London for his work in his capacity as the as the Chairperson of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka. He was pleased to hear that I had completed a master’s degree in my field. He showed keen interest in graduate studies in the United Kingdom. Eight years later, when I heard that in the middle of a hectic, political career he completed a master’s degree in International Relations at  Cambridge University, I was not surprised.

When I invited Gamini for a dinner at our home, he said that, “Thank you. I will be at your place tomorrow evening. I am delighted to try your cooking, but it will not be too much work for you. I am a vegetarian, but eat eggs occasionally.” He came to our home around 8:00 pm with a security details arranged by the Sri Lankan High Commission in London. As a senior cabinet minister at that time in the midst of a civil war in Sri Lanka, Gamini was a top target for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

We had a long and enjoyable chat before and after dinner about terrorism, tourism, politics, graduate studies and cricket. Gamini was a great story teller. The funniest story he told me that evening was how he in 1970, at the age 28 as a newly elected opposition member of the parliament, tried to become friendly with some older politicians holding senior cabinet posts.

Gamini spoke fondly about the leaders of the leftist movement of Sri Lanka, Dr. N. M. Perera and Dr. Colvin R. de Silva. Gamini said, “eventually I became a friend of Minister N. M. Perara, who invited me to his house for a drink. N. M. then spent a few minutes unlocking some large padlocks to open his liquor cabinet, complaining that his cook and the gardener drank his liquor without his permission!” Around 12 midnight, when a coordinator came to give Gamini a gentle reminder that he has an early meeting next day at the London Buddhist temple, he left. Gamini also left a very positive impression in my mind.

I knew that Gamini Dissanayake had worked hard to obtain Test status for Sri Lanka, from the International Cricket Council (ICC). Various previous attempts had been repeatedly stopped by the founding members of ICC – England and Australia, who had continually exercised their veto power. Gamini’s charisma, diplomacy and negotiating skills finally allowed Sri Lanka to compete in the highest level of Cricket from 1981. He had pulled off the greatest victory for Sri Lankan Cricket off the field.

Fifteen years later, Sri Lanka won the World cup for Cricket beating Australia. Unfortunately, Gamini did not live to see that great achievement. In 1994, at the age of 52, when he was the Leader of the Opposition, Gamini was campaigning to become the fourth Executive President of Sri Lanka. While addressing an election rally, he was assassinated by a suicide bomber of the LTTE.

Cricket at Lord’s

In the summer of 1984, Sri Lanka was scheduled to play their first, test cricket match at the Mecca of the gentleman’s game – Lord’s Grounds at the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in London. Like many Lankans living in England at that time, my wife and I rushed to purchase tickets for this historic game. It was five days of great entertainment.

Sri Lanka surprised England by scoring a massive score of 491 for seven wickets and declaring the inning closed. Two of my schoolmates from Ananda College excelled in that game. Sidath Wettamuni, who was three years my junior at school, scored 190 and won the ‘Player of the Match’ award. Arjuna Ranatunga was ten years my junior at school, but I used to meet him frequently when he visited our class, as his mother was our geography teacher in Grade 10. Arjuna scored 84 and had a strong 148-run partnership with Sidath. I was proud of their performance. This game was the test debut of another great cricketer – Aravinda de Silva. In 1996, Arjuna and Aravinda steered the Sri Lanka team to win the World Cup Cricket, the third most watched sporting event in the world.