Red, Blue & Green Latin!

From Hapu: Apr 25, 2006

Dear Fellows,

Can you remember the Latin books? Blue,Red and Green! It was a habit to borrow these books from senior students without buying them (to save money of course???).

My brother borrowed the three books from SD Athukorale (Eminent VD Doctor) for me. All three books had this little verse written on the inside cover.

LATIN IS A DEAD MANS LANGUAGE,
AS DEAD AS IT CAN BE,
IT KILLED THE ROMANS,
NOW IT IS KILLING ME.

Mr. Lennie de Silva saw this and was laughing his guts out.
More later,

Hapu

Comments from a good old Thomian, Nazeer Rasheed (in New York), husband of Pauline Ratnayake, Ghandi's (Mr Ratnayake) daughter, on the above:

Apr 25 2006, New York, USA
Gentlemen,

I had the verse written in all 3 books as well. One day Warden De Saram did not bring his books and asked to borrow mine.

He flipped thru all 3 and all he said was "Nazeer, Bring the Cane" and he wopped me 6 Cuts.

This was in the Upper Fourth (2nd Form).

My arse still hurts at the thought.

Incidently "Phan" Dias was senior to me and i got to know him after I left College and got involved in the Tea Trade. He, among others who were Planters at that time were wonderful guys and great hosts when the occasion arose.

Regards.

Nazeer.

Comment: The Phan Dias comment from Nazeer, above, is in response to the following mail that was sent out to several grand old boys from the fifties/sixties as follows:-

Apr 24 2006

From: David Colin-Thomed davidct@dilmahtea.com

I recently spent a fascinating day with Phan & Cynthia Dias at their home in Kotmale (must be tough waking up to a view with no concrete walls) and I have reproduced below a poem that Phan recited in relation to the planting crew at Houpe Estate in the early 60s, which I think many will find interesting and amusing!

Many thanks to Ian Gardner, one of the crew at the time, for helping me to fine tune its accuracy!

The Houpe Poem
This is our thottam in the sun,
Houpe by name is a famous one,
Houpe boys are really class,
In work and play they are hard to surpass,
Our PD Gamini Salgado,
Is better known as Gal Sadho,
He's ready to help in every way,
And his wife Irene too

Our senior SD, B.I.G.
Is always looking for a D.I.G,
He has just returned from leave,
Something always up his sleeve,
Our second lieutenant Manilal,
Like Daha, he hails from Galle,
He's ever ready to think,
There's nothing in the world like a drink,
Our third lieutenant Balthazar,
Is better known as Vul Satha,
He is always in a whirl,
When he sees something like a girl,
Our junior SD PHAN Dias,
Is better known as Darned Pious,
He is ever ready to flirt,
Even with a lamp post in a skirt,

Note: B.I.G. - Ian Gardner (then Gunewardene)
Manilal – Abeywardene Balthazaar - Wilhelm

Regards,
David Colin-Thome
Editor, History of Ceylon Tea website

courtesy: http://www.historyofceylontea.com