It is with sadness that I must acknowledge the passing of a great friend and mentor, Thangarajah Arjuna, in Sri Lanka on this Easter Sunday, April 16th–the same day of his birth.
I had known Arjuna for many years as the upstairs neighbor of my Aunty Dora in the small cluster of flats on Park Street that they called home. Arjuna would always drop by unannounced, as friends and neighbors do in Sri Lanka, for a chat or a drink, and I valued and respected him for his intelligence, opinionated views, and superb sense of humor. Arjuna was also a very humble and likeable guy, whom I got to know even better when I drafted him to help out on a story on child soldiers that I produced for VICE and HBO.
It was 2010, the year following the demise of the Tamil Tigers and end of the 27-year conflict they waged against the Sri Lankan government. VICE sent myself and a small crew to interview some of the children who had been forced to fight for the Tigers as they were being reintegrated into society. Prior to this I had never been to the north of the country, where most of the war was waged, and I wanted to take someone with me who knew the territory as well as the history and the language. Arjuna, a Tamil himself, was also a veteran filmmaker, whose name is known throughout India and Sri Lanka, and I could think of no better resource to bring than him. As we got to know each other even better during those 2 weeks, I found out that Arjuna and I shared an even deeper bond–food.
So after the serious work was over, we got involved in a quest to find the best Tamil cuisine, which took us all over Jaffna as well as Mannar on the west coast. Ironically, we ended up back in Colombo in the enclave of Wellawatte, home to the largest community of Tamils on the island. On subsequent trips to Sri Lanka, Arjuna would take me to the latest little hole-in-the-wall restaurant that he had discovered, and I would document it because a “roving gastronaut” like myself is only as good as his local guide. I enjoyed many great meals and good times with this fellow, who became like an “uncle” to me, and I will forever cherish those times.
There is only one other person I know who passed away on the same day that he was born and that was Siddartha Gautama, otherwise know as Lord Buddha, who also attained enlightenment on that very same day. Likewise may you, too, dear friend, attain nibbana and forever be free. With All the blessings of the Noble Triple Gem.
Rice & Curry 
Hello Skiz,
Greetings from Melbourne., Happy Easter, and subha aluth avuruththak wewa!
It seems as though we’ve lost another significant spirit. Lost? Not really! I believe that only “special”souls are “taken’ at this auspicious time. My father was one of them: 28 years ago. Although he did not have the privilege of passing on the day of his birth, 24th October, (he passed on 5th April 1989)… he was one of the most special people I have ever known, in my nearly three-score-years-and-ten on this earth. That happens on the 22nd May… you could have fooled me!
My Dad, Arthur Vivian Gregg Nathanielsz, was born in 1914, in the Methodist Manse in Maradana, to a Sinhalese father, and Scottish/Irish mother. He was educated in England, from the age of 6, when his father “dumped” him in an exclusive private school, Taunton School in Somerset, where he was severely bullied, as a “black boy from the colonies” . Later, he enrolled at Loughborough College, to follow in the footsteps of his father, a Provincial Engineer back in Ceylon. In his final year, hr had an epiphany. He was “called back” spiritually to the land of his birth. He commenced employment as a Sub Inspector in the Ceylon Royal Colonial Police. He had found his calling. He cherished being posted to small police stations in the heart of Ceylon, Aturugiriya, and Uda Pussellawa, to name a couple. This was back in the early 1930’s. The highlight of Dad’s Police career was when he was awarded the King’s Police Medal for Gallantry.. he went into the jungle, unarmed, sat on a log and chatted with a serial murderer, brought him out of the jungle, and was present at his execution. Subsequently, he became Managing Trustee of the Lady Lochore Loan fund.
With all the political turmoil in the late fifties, Sinhala Only policy, the assassination of SWRD Bandaranaike, the Tamil pogrom of 1958, my parents decided to emigrate to Melbourne. We arrived here in 1960, in the heart of the White Australia Policy, when we had to prove our genealogy to be 85% “white” (!)… of course, Dad was Eurasian, and Mum had Dutch Burgher origins, so we had little trouble, unlike so many that applied , then, and were “turned down”.
Would you be interested in collaborating to make a film about the men of my father’s generation? They were fine, upstanding examples of the male race! I have been thinking along the lines of writing a tome about them.
At the moment, it seems that my preferred genre is poetry.
I am also a passionate gastronome, as you are! International cuisine. I had a business called CUISINE D’ AMOUR… a sole trader type, where I’ve catered for weddings, parties, anything… I was very privileged to work with a doyenne of Australian cuisine, Stephanie Alexander, for 10 years… a project which eventuated in the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation… you must have heard of it? teaching primary school children how to grow, cook and eat healthy food, as an antidote to all the fast food rubbish available commercially today.
If ever you would consider a visit to Melbourne, let me know… I live on Mt Dandenong, in Montrose, about 35 km out of Melbourne proper. My home is called AKASHA… I don’t need to translate that to you, do I!
Cheers for now,
Jeni Nathanielsz