By Dr. Tilak S. Fernando A British citizen (born to Sri Lankan parents) living in Switzerland spent three weeks in his paternal roots recently. His experience has been a mixture of attentiveness, excitement, and fascination and at times hilarious with a few repulsive, disturbing and irritating experiences. At Zurich airport, Emirates Airlines did not permit […]

By Dr. Tilak S. Fernando A Burger boy arrived, about 25 years ago, at David Jansze’s doorstep looking out for any type of work, showing signs of malnutrition and prominent burn scars on his face and body. Tyrone Bottoni hailed from a middle class family. His father was an engine driver at the CGR, married […]

By Dr. Tilak. S.Fernando During a visit to a local renowned supermarket last week I approached the ‘pharmacist’ to make enquires about an allopathic cardiac drug (RanCV500). A guy who did not appear to have any knowledge of the inquired medicine questioned me as to what the drug was prescribed for? Quite bemused by the […]

By Dr. Tilak S. Fernando Courtesy Ceylon Today English novelist, essayist, journalist and critic, George Orwell expressed his views on social injustice and tyranny in 1948, as follows: “The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears, and it was their final, most essential command!” Sometimes one wonders whether such statements congruently […]

By Dr. Tilak S. Fernando Courtesy Ceylon Today An interesting comment made by J. Appaswamy on 18 January 2017 in the Ceylon Today, ‘Letters to the editor’ column under the title  ‘The Uncle Syndrome: Can someone enlighten me?‘ intrigued me, as I too have experienced this type of display in our modern society since returning from […]

By Dr. Tilak S. Fernando 2017-02-11 US officials have been warning the public to avoid all kinds of food high in cholesterol to avoid heart disease and clogged arteries since the 1970s. The Department of Agriculture (US) is the authority responsible for updating guidelines on dietary aspects and warns people on suitability of consumable items […]

By Dr.Tilak S. Fernando It was an early night indeed that I went to bed quite early. I could hardly finish my bedtime prayers that I felt as if I got lifted up from the bed and floating up in the air! Was it a dream or an optical illusion? Next, I landed on a […]

By Dr. Tilak S. Fernando Courtesy Ceylon Today In my attempt to get rid of unwanted old e-mails, which I received during 2016, I was struck by a particular mail sent by an old female journalist friend, who worked at “The Island” newspaper office some years ago now working in the Middle East. She came […]

By Dr. Tilak S. Fernando An article in the “Sunday Times” on 8 January 2017 struck me, which carried a report on a debate by some of the Sri Lankan doctors (Mid Country Psychiatrists) held at the Tourmaline Hotel, Kandy. The seminar apparently had been based on the argument on morality against medical ethics to […]

By Dr. Tilak S. Fernando Royal Honour is an impressive and high status award to an individual. The British award three types of honours based on a person’s specific bravery, achievements or services to the United Kingdom and its former territories. Such awards are classified into three categories viz: Honours, Decorations and Medals. An OBE […]

By Dr. Tilak S. Fernando Sri Lankans faced a shocking and distressing spell during the LTTE conflict when the death smell was in the air persistently. A few decades ago, prior to such an abhorrent phase, the sound of the word ‘death’ or having to attend a ‘funeral’ managed to generate apprehension and fear among […]

By Dr. Tilak S. Fernando Insurance generally encompasses a collection of funds from the insured individuals and units to pay for the losses. Therefore, every insurance entity becomes protected from risk factor for a fee. To guard against any possibility of any peril, various clauses are incorporated by insurance companies into the policy, which at […]

By Dr. Tilak S. Fernando Twice married, but still slim and elegant, at the age of 36, Ernest Wallis Simpson with a keen intelligence and a gift for the witty repartee, managed to steal the heart of Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David, the Prince of Wales, who was the son of King George […]

By Dr. Tilak S. Fernando Courtesy Ceylon Today Before any person qualifies to sit behind a steering wheel in a movable vehicle and to be called a ‘driver,’ one needs to have the basic knowledge of the Highway Code, along with requisite experience and practical skills and a licence to drive motor vehicles. Multiple of articles […]

By Dr. Tilak S. Fernando Health in human existence is the supreme wealth. Money alone cannot make a person healthy and happy. On the contrary, a healthy person always maintains a state of bliss and happiness, including a healthy mental state. Whenever the term ‘disabled’ is mentioned, it becomes the general perception that one is […]

By Dr. Tilak S. Fernando One of my old school mates, long years ago, at Prince of Wales College, Moratuwa, Dilvin Mendis, in his retirement has become a sports correspondent for an English national newspaper. He recently discussed with me the achievements of Sri Lankan sportsmen and women who have represented and performed in the […]

By Dr. Tilak S. Fernando  Much publicity has been given recently in the international media over a controversy surrounding what is known as The Barth Room Bill” concentrating mainly on the United States of America on the topic of segregation of sexes in public rest rooms demanding men should not be going inside bathrooms with […]

Dr. Tilak S. Fernando Many moons ago, in the 1920’s, during the depressing gloomy era, cries of an abandoned baby echoed through a cold blizzard during the 1928 Christmas Eve, within the empty Sheridan Square Theatre in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.  However, story of this orphan developed into a fairy tale, which has led to become […]

Dr.Tilak S. Fernando  The country’s most influential opinion leaders were amongst the VIP guests of a very distinguished gathering at the ‘Sri Lankan of the Year’ awards ceremony held recently at the Hilton Hotel. It was an event of international standard and an initiative of Ada Derana, a premium news and entertainment media network of […]

By Dr. Tilak S. Fernando The most precious things in human life come free, or to put in another form, the things people value least are those very things they get free. When these two phrases are equated together what do we get in Sri Lanka? It is the university education. What are glaring in […]

By Dr. Tilak S. Fernando Ceylon Today Publication on 7 Nov.2016  Despite the Joint Opposition (JO) of Sri Lanka Parliament is making an enormous ruckus from the day the Value Added Tax (VAT) problem emerged from the Yahapalana Budget, and subsequently making a hue and cry on the amended (VAT) Bill to the extent of invoking […]

By Dr. Tilak S Fernando  Criminality is classified as violation of laws of a State. It means malfeasance, immorality and corruption and the tentacles of criminality have spread on a global scale. At present, to such an extent, that no single country is free of delinquencies. Law breaking is generally grouped into two segments – […]

By Dr. Tilak S. Fernando Nature is a mysterious phenomenon, not even scientists can explain it! Like the wind or the blowing that embraces one’s body it cannot be explained other than referring to it simply as ‘nature’! Nature itself is a cosmic theme, which goes beyond fathoms of religious, intellectual, scientific and human levels […]

By Dr. Tilak S. Fernando Courtesy  Ceylon Today Govindaraj S. wants to share with everyone in a world ‘forum’ an interesting blog that has gone viral via email, which hit my mailbox too, on a frustrating and disappointing viewpoint of an Indian lady about the British, following her daughter’s traumatic experience in connection with a visa […]

By Dr. Tilak S .Fernando The late Aggamahapanditha Balangoda Ananda Maithriya Thera was in London, in 1997, observing Vassa (rainy season) at the Sri Saddhatissa International Buddhist Centre, Kingsbury. The thero’s, 99th birthday was on 23 August, and a dual-purpose ceremony had been organized by the Incumbent Monk at the International Buddhist Centre, Ven Galayaye […]

By Dr. Tilak S. Fernando Courtesy Ceylon Today Despite rules, regulations, heavy fines and suspension or cancellation of driver licences, the number of accidents and deaths on Sri Lankan roads seem to have a serious effect on human life; even after all the exertions and energies put in by the Sri Lanka Police. The reason behind […]

By Dr. Tilak S. Fernando Fifteen years ago, on 11 September 2001, Islamic terrorists bombed and destroyed the well-known Twin Towers, (The
 World Trade Centre) in New York, killing 2,996 and wounding more than 6,000 ordinary people. It later earned the catch phrase 9/11. On its 15th year commemoration day politicians in the US put […]

By Dr. Tilak S. Fernando Courtesy Ceylon Today Whether one stays at home, travels by bus, train or car or even happens to be a pedestrian on the road you cannot escape from an earful of blares emanating from radios to blast your ear drums, but certainly not for any personal listening pleasure. Currently in Sri […]

By Dr. Tilak S. Fernando Courtesy Ceylon Today Prince Charles met Lady Diana Spencer when she was sixteen, in the middle of a ploughed field in 1977, when she had gone home for the weekend, during school holidays. His first impression about her was that she was ‘full of fun’ and thought her ‘pretty amazing’! Diana […]

By Dr. Tilak S. Fernando We are being reminded today in the 21st Century how ‘good old Ceylon’ had been a self-sufficient island many eras ago. It also makes us wonder, with the present generation with scholars, professors and eminent engineers and so forth, why such inherited Sri Lankan talents from our forefathers’ time and […]