Peradeniya University Alumni Association NSW Chapter – Annual weekend outing and April festivities
	It must be deeply satisfying to Peradeniya Alumni wherever in the world, that there is a vital living strand in Sri Lanka’s cultural heritage originating from their own university. Jayalath Manoratne, stage actor/director, writer, movie personality and university lecturer, specially flew over for the occasion of the fourth annual (2011) weekend residential gathering of the Peradeniya University Alumni Association of NSW held recently. Our special congratulations to Wasantha Wickremanayake, President of the Peradeniya Alumni Association for this coup’ in getting down Mano (ratne)! There at the Hunter Valley Retreat the thrilling contribution of this distinguished Peradeniya Alumnus evoked the presence of the long line of his predecessors beginning with Professors Ediriwira Sarachchandra and E.F.C. Ludowyk in the 50s to just yesterday. His wide knowledge of Sri Lankan culture combined with his inborn performing abilities entertainingly instructed us how the Sinhala, Tamil and English strands intertwined to create the Sri Lankan dramatic culture. As if keeping to tradition the Saturday morning kiributh was once again well attended, followed by cricket and other games while at the palm reading kiosk Cecil appeared to be on ‘overtime’. Whilst all this was happening the ladies were busy running the “World University Service” canteen and preparing accompaniments for the lunch BBQ. At the onset of Saturday evening’s program, the President while welcoming the guests outlined the contributions made by the alumni association to Peradeniya University and its students. This was followed by the launch of a new book on Banking and Business by alumnus Sri Kantha Nadaraja, and Jayalath Manoratne’s succinct, performed summary of theatre in Sri Lanka assisted by the translation skills of Sunil de Silva. A different kind of ‘heritage’, not cultural though certainly artistic, originating in England, but now as Sri Lankan as the extinct village game of Gudu which it has replaced, concluded the final eight hours of the weekend right down to about 4am on Sunday. Our thanks to the whole committee for getting down, virtually, all the way from Mumbai (via special Foxtel contract) Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and the other nine bat and ball maestros of Sri Lanka to a large screen nestling solitary, in the remote Hunter region of New South Wales, Australia. As the Lankan team cruised up to 274 runs it seemed to relax the Peradeniya spectators enough to allow them to dance away to the music of “HEARTBEATZ” which took over on Saturday after Cecil Fonseka and Lucky Randeniya had once again wonderfully accompanied Mano in Sinhala, Raja Yogan in Tamil and the many other talented singers who kept the mood swinging on Friday. Even when, towards the latter part of the match, India seemed to be winning, the music continued as if to say, “Nava gilunath band tchune”! (Even as the ship was sinking the band played on). This was in the spirit of Captain Sangakkara’s summary of the event, “…disappointed, but I think the better side on the day won”. The Association’s festivities culminated in a well attended musical evening, held at the Thornleigh Community Centre on Friday 8 April, to felicitate Mano for his contribution to Sri Lankan arts and culture. It was a pleasure to listen to Mano singing some of the songs from popular Sri Lankan dramas such as Mamame, Sinhabahu and Naribena. These songs with other popular numbers and the skits from Hunuwataye kathawa (Sinhala version of Caucasian Chalk Circle) and Andarela kept the audience enthralled. All in all Wasantha Wickramanayake’s inaugural year as President, backed by previous President Janaka Seneviratne and the whole committee proved to be a building up of the capital earned and established over the three previous years. May the association enlarge and become even more creative! Ernest Macintyre March 2011 Slide show of Jayalath Manoratne's performance in NSW