Leaving Sri Lanka in 1988
Eymard, Thusitha and I walked back through Darley Road from the direction of the Maradana Police station or Zahira College. We had one of the filling meals we could afford for five rupees—two thoosays (dosas) accompanied by generous supply of saambar and coconut chutney, red and light green served from a small aluminum bucket and a plain tea. This Maradana thoosay kade was one of our common eating spots. The other thoosay kade was at the Punchi Borella junction, kind of opposite the bakery owned by a relative of Thusitha and that bakery made the best maalu paan (curried fish bun) in the world.
This was a time foreign friends were visiting Sri Lanka, Lek, a young Thai woman and Fr. Chalerm, a Catholic priest, also from Thailand. They wanted our good friend and fellow part timer Sriyan to join the IYCS Asian Team. They were impressed with him. And who was not impressed with Sriyan? He was one of the rare kind of all rounder who was good with everything, studies, sports, music, leadership, human relationship, strategic thinking, wisdom, and the list can go on. No one among us was even a close match to what Sriyan was. And he was considering to move away to join the next Asian Team to serve the youth and students of Asia. And he was going to be the first Sri Lankan to join the Asian Team. I heard that the Asian Secretariate was in Hong Kong. And I had absolutely no idea where Hong Kong was and who lives there. I was often confused with Hong Kong and Bangkok. Where are these two cities? Which is which? What race of people lives there?
Then around June 1988, Sriyan made a crucial decision and let the Asian Team know that he could not join the Team. I believe this news brought disappointment to them as now they had to look for other alternatives. I felt that they were banking on Sriyan to be a pillar of the next Team. Then, on one June evening, our chaplain said something like, why not Sanjeewa or Rosie (Rose Vandort) consider this position at the Asian Team. Until that moment, I did not have a faintest thought of that sort. But immediately after these words were uttered, I could not get the idea out of my mind. Perhaps our chaplain did not really mean what he said. But he uttered those words and they registered in my brain so strong that that night I hardly slept. The very next day I went to see the chaplain and told him, I wanted to talk to him about what he mentioned the day before. He gave me a puzzling look and asked me “what are you referring to?” What? He does not remember? I told him, “Father, you mentioned about me or Rosie considering the position at the Asian Team as Sriyan has turned down the offer.” He then looked at me with a surprising look. I felt that he was not expecting this coming and especially that soon. Then I told him I am interested and how to go about applying for the position. Then, he took some time to think and told me, “OK, I think we need to write to the team and he took the initiative to write a letter to the Asian Team, Fr. Chalerm, Lek and Zita with the idea of me as an alternative. It was a long shot. And the letter was sent. And I only discussed this with some of fellow part timers, and especially with Sriyan, his sister Sam, Eymard and Thusitha. They were all positively supportive. But I had my own problems. One such was, when the Asian Team was visiting Sri Lanka, I did not manage to make an impression on them. Second, I was struggling with my spoken English as I had very limited use of it. I had all the ammunitions of sufficient vocabulary and knowledge. But I am yet to fire the gun. Weeks passed and I almost beginning to forget this new opportunity. And then came the reply from Hong Kong to Fr. Chrispin, our chaplain. The letter was written by Fr. Chalerm, then Asian Chaplain and it was carefully worded first not to reject the suggestion by Fr. Chrispin. The letter, without making any commitment stated that they are willing to consider me as a (replacement) candidate. They were basically saying, OK, you can nominate but we are not sure whether he is the right person. And they suggested that YCS Sri Lanka formally nominate me at the Asian Session to be held in July/August 1988 in Hong Kong and I be sent only as a candidate. The participants of the Asian Session will select/elect me or not. I was then placed in a very uncertain and uncomfortable situation. I don’t blame anyone for that. It was the nature of the circumstances. Then Asian Team did not know me enough to make a stronger recommendation. Suddenly, I realized I am going to be leaving the country in a month or so, on July 14th to be precise.
Sam took the responsibility of preparing my formal nomination. She painstakingly typed pages of my nomination to the Asian Session, to be sent to the Asian Team prior to my arrival in Hong Kong. The plan was that I was to arrive in Hong Kong about two weeks before the Asian Session. I was later to be joined by the incoming Asian Chaplain, Fr. Joe Naliath, a priest from Kerala who have lived in Calcutta for decades.
The feeling of uncertainty was overshadowed by sudden excitement of the moment and opportunity in the hand. I was making preparations including obtaining my first passport. It was a big and black color passport. When I visited Ratnapura to say bye to Geetha Punchi (my mother’s youngest sister) she gave me 200USD for the journey. And then asked me to return in time be the godfather of the child she was expecting in December same year. Although there was chance that I would come back, something told me that I am going to be leaving the country for a long period. At our Palliyawatta house, we organized farewell to my closest friends and part timers of Sri Lanka YCS.
Soon the day arrive I had to leave the country: July 14th 1988. Jayaratna uncle had little red Hyundai car and type was called Hyundai Poni. He agreed to take me to the airport. On that day early morning I travelled in that Pony with my father towards Katunayaka Airport. I had a square and ugly travelling bag in which I had all my priced possessions like passport, some money, school certificates etc. It was the second time I boarded an airplane, first time on a jet plane, first time being the family trip we took on old Air Ceylon propeller plane from Ratmalana to Palali in Jaffna. This time it was an Air Lanka flight, first to Bangkok and then to Hong Kong. I now realized that Bangkok is at least 3 hours flight time from Hong Kong. It is in Thailand and Hong Kong is in South China. I am yet to learn Hong Kong is predominantly populated by ethnic Chinese and they speak Cantonese etc.
I don’t have much memory of the trip until we were closing into Hong Kong. It was summer afternoon and when we were approaching Hong Kong, we were flying over mostly uninhabited islands surrounding Hong Kong. These islands were full of rocks and hills and the their green surface glowing under afternoon sun like copper or gold. I had a window seat and a clear view and was fascinated by the South China sea and all these islands. Then suddenly we were approaching the airport over an area of buildings (Kowloon Tong and then Kowloon City) and the landing was one of the most exciting and hair raising experience at the Kai Tak Airport. We were flying very close to building and when we touched down on the runway, on the right hand side there was this magnificent view of Hong Kong Island, especially from North Point to Central and all those tall buildings standing there like a true metropolis. We touched down and another surprise—the runway was built on the sea and we could see the end of the runway. For a moment I was worried—can the plane stop before reaching the end of the runway? Of course it did and then a left u-turn and taxi towards the airport terminal.
I have left my country and in a totally strange land!!