Features
UNDERSTANDING PERSONALITIES – Part 10
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
The Round Trip
We made substantial profits from our first-ever Ceylon Hotel School (CHS) Graduation Ball and decided to spend all that money to go on a seven-day “all-inclusive” round trip for all students in the two senior batches that organised the dance. Three members of the teaching staff joined, perhaps to keep an eye on us. It was nice to have ‘fun’ activities outside the formal environment we usefully operated at CHS. With plenty of singing, dancing, joking, river bathing, games, drinking and eating, this trip was lot of fun, but was not without some mischief in between. During this trip, for the first time in my life, I realised the importance of analysing different personalities and how people behave differently and more freely in more relaxing situations. In later years, throughout my careers in management, academia and consulting, I used those two concepts – ‘Personality Analysis’ and ‘Combining Work and Fun.’
When we returned to Colombo at the end of the week our relationships with the participating staff had certainly improved. This trip became an annual event at CHS. A decade later when I became a Senior Lecturer of CHS, I always joined the student round trips. It provided me with opportunities of better understanding my students from a different generation.
Frau Sommersaul
One of our most popular subjects was Basic German, but it was not due to the subject matter. The main attraction was the gorgeous looks of the young lady who was our part-time German Lecturer. Frau Sommersaul had blond hair, a very nice figure, and often wore short skirts. Basic German was one class that inspired my punctuality.
My aim was to get a front row seat, but I was not the only student with that idea. One of my playful batchmates, Priyajith would regularly sit in the front row and purposely dropped his assignments on the floor. He was hoping that our short-skirted teacher would bend down to pick up the assignments. One day he was warned by the Principal not to stare at the German teacher’s shapely legs. The next day, Priyajith appeared in the class wearing sunglasses. When Frau Sommersaul asked for the reason for wearing sunglasses, he replied in broken German, “Frau Sommersaul, die Blendung stört meine Augen”. (“Mrs. Sommersaul, the glare is bothering my eyes.”)
In every German class, there was a question written on the board. Frau Sommersaul directed each student to take a turn answering in German. English was not allowed in her class. By the second month, she had realised that I never studied and therefore could not answer correctly in German. After that, each time it was my turn to answer the day’s question, she simply skipped me and went to the next student.
Mrs. Carmen Gomes
By observing three Chef Instructors, I learnt lessons beyond cooking. When addressing the whole class, Mrs. Gomes, only lady Chef Instructor at that time, called all of us, “Boys”. When she addressed any of us individually, she used only our family names. Every time she called me, “Jayawardena”, I did not like it, and said tactfully as possible, “Madam, my name is Chandana”.
Whenever I had to present to her a dish prepared by me for grading, she reacted in the same manner. She made a face of disgust and disapproval, before giving me a low mark. One day, as a prank, I sent the same dish that received a low mark, to her for the second time, with the best student of my batch, W. D. T. Anton. Mrs. Gomes tasted my dish and told Anton, “Perfect! Well done, Anton!”, and gave him 100%. In later years while managing the largest Chef School in Canada as the Academic Chair, I realised that kitchen practical marking at times can be subjective, based on the first impressions created by the students. Unfortunately, I had created a very poor first impression for my cooking at CHS.
Chef Helmut Belling
We liked the Expert Lecturer in Kitchen Operations from West Germany, Chef Helmut Belling. He was a fun-loving person and did some practical jok
es in the kitchen. His favourite joke was replacing cubed cheese (which we liked to steal) kept in the refrigerator with similar sized cubes of yellow Sunlight cleaning soap to trick us. He was tall and large and looked like a giant among some of my batchmates who were short.
Occasionally, the Chef lost his cool when we made a serious mistake in the kitchen. One day, a short batch mate of mine burnt the Chicken Maryland, just before lunch service. The Chef was very upset and lost his cool. He carried my batchmate by his trousers at the waist with one hand and threw him out of the kitchen. This batch mate in later years became a top Chef in the largest airline kitchens in Australia.
Chef Robert Napper
Towards the end of our first year at CHS, an ILO Expert in Kitchen Operations, Chef Robert Napper arrived from the UK. He was a skilled Chef but had a superiority complex. As a result, he appeared to be sarcastic and not very respectful of the local culture. His relationship with his German colleagues at CHS were not the best, to say the least.
As a developing nation, it was normal at that time in Sri Lanka to experience occasional power interruptions and water cuts during the dry mo
nths. One day towards the end of the kitchen practical, the water supply stopped. We were happy thinking that we did not have to wash the kitchen that day. Chef Napper ordered each of us to pick a large pot or an empty garbage can, and march behind him across the Galle Face Green to the Indian Ocean. That day we washed the kitchen with salt water! That provoked the German Principal.
Due to his racist comments, most of us disliked Chef Napper. Another day, the Chef was not satisfied with the freshness of the fish delivered to the kitchen. One of my batchmates, Kotte, disagreed and said that the local fish was fresh. That angered the Chef, who said that, “This rotten fish is as old as your bloody culture.” We were shocked. One key lesson I learnt from Chef Napper was what I should not do when I lived and worked in different countries and among people from diverse cultures. In later years I often teach what I call ABC (Attitudes and Aspirations, Beliefs and Behavior, Customs and Culture) in my management seminars. ABC of host communities must be recognised and respected by expatriate managers.
Restaurant Service
We had excellent team spirit among all three batches of CHS students. Usually when the third-year batch did the cooking, the second-year batch served the lunch. As the training restaurant had 36 seats, a few of the first-year students were invited to dine at the restaurant. If and when one of the servers dropped a spoon on the floor or had a noisy service accident, students of all three batches dining or servicing looked up to the ceiling, in unison. This was done to distract any attention from the teaching staff, from the already embarrassed server who had made a mess.
Our Lecturers in Restaurant Service did a great job in humorously teaching us the basics and menu explanations. Their memorable stories based on their experiences in West Germany, enhanced the lectures. Usually, during lunch, each table had one teaching staff member and three students. I always rushed to sit at the table hosted by Mr. Rohan De Silva, as he offered us free cigarettes. At the end of the lunch, Herr Sterner made his Principal’s comments on the lunch and service. As the Principal was more of a Front Office specialist, every time he made a comment about dishes and cooking, Chef Napper made a face of disapproval and whispered a sarcastic or a racist comment to the students at his table.
Last Minute Studies
Considering the second chance given me at CHS after my poor academic performance during my first year, I was keen to improve in my second year. That was my only chance of survival at CHS. However, given my busy schedule full of Judo fighting, Rugby Football practices, Tournament Secretary work, part-time work, movies, girlfriends, parties and pranks, I did not get down to studying until the end of the fall semester in 1972. I knew that I had to pull up my socks to do better at this exam, because I was virtually on my last warning and last chance.
Finally, I commenced studying the day before examination. We had a full week of examinations, and I got into a last-minute study mode. I opened the textbook for the next day’s exam subject for the first time around 11:00 pm and studied the textbook and my class notes all night without any sleep. Overnight, I made a one-page summary per subject of everything I revised. After breakfast and before going to the examination hall in the morning, I looked at that one-page summary once and then wrote the test. Soon after the examination, when I returned to the hostel in the mid afternoon, I went to sleep. I woke up again around 11:00 pm to go through my newly developed examination-preparation strategy.
I continued this unorthodox studying method for the whole week. As most of my hostel mates were sleeping at the time I was studying, it was quiet and ideal for my concentration. Although many experts disagree with this type of last-minute studying, it worked well for me. My grades improved significantly. I used this technique for all my further studies at undergraduate, professional, graduate, doctoral and post-doc levels in later years.
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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