ONFESSIONS OF A GLOBAL GYPSY

By Dr. Chandana (Chandi) Jayawardena DPhil

President – Chandi J. Associates Inc. Consulting, Canada

Founder & Administrator – Global Hospitality Forum

chandij@sympatico.ca

When I returned to my office at John Keells head office in Colombo, I was eager to share my experiences and lessons learnt in Hong Kong as the Guest Executive Chef for a large Sri Lankan and Maldivian food festival. Based on my recent experience, I prepared a detailed checklist for organizing future food festivals, which I shared with my team. This checklist was very useful when I got opportunities in later years, to organize large Sri Lankan food festivals in Asia, the Middle East, South America and the Caribbean. It is always helpful when checklists for the future are prepared when the relevant and recent experience is still fresh in mind.

Organizing large banquets and food festivals within the respective hotels under the same roof is easy. Outside catering done away from hotels is more challenging. I considered organizing a large food festival in another country as the ultimate challenge in catering. Everything had to be planned in detail, based on research focusing on the scarcity of special ingredients, logistics and support in the hosting country.

Guest Lectures

One day in 1981, Francis Dilip De Silva, a Lecturer of the Ceylon Hotel School (CHS) called me. “I teach Food and Beverage Operations to the fourth and final year students at CHS. Our students would benefit from your experience. Could you kindly give a guest lecture at CHS?” I felt honoured with that invitation and confirmed a mutually convenient time slot for a two-hour lecture. I prepared a lot for this first-ever lecture that I delivered in my life. I spoke about the practical aspects of organizing successful events at resort hotels, and this lecture was well received.

After that guest lecture, Dilip hosted me for lunch at the training restaurant of CHS, which was located at Park Street in Colombo two at that time. A few of my friends were working as lecturers at CHS, including a couple of my batch mates who excelled in their studies. However, none of them had ever invited me to the CHS as a guest lecturer. I wondered if the reason was my poor academic performance during my student years at CHS from 1971 to 1974.

When Dilip became more familiar with me, he said, “To be very frank with you Chandana, I was warned by a few of the other CHS Lecturers that I was taking a risk inviting you to speak to the final year students. They told me that you were one of the worst students at CHS!” After a pause, Dilip added, “I then consulted Mrs. Pearl Heenatigala, the Principal of CHS, who told me to go ahead and invite you as you have done very well in the industry.”

On Dilip’s further requests, I did a few more guest lectures. I simply spoke about practical things I did in the industry, rather than using material from outdated textbooks written by academics without much industry experience. I delivered guest lectures about my recent experiences in training hotel staff, dealing with village problems, innovative guest relations, taking over management of hotels, opening restaurants, and organizing food festivals. I also shared my newly prepared food festival checklist with the students. Students truly loved my series of guest lectures and wanted more. I began enjoying lecturing.

A Surprising Job Offer

One busy morning while multi-tasking some urgent, operational matters of a few of the Keells hotels, as their Manager – Operations, my phone rang. It was Mrs. Heenatigala. “Chandana, I hear some great comments from our students about the ten guest lectures you have delivered at CHS on an honorary basis. Knowing how busy you are at Keells, I am very thankful to you and appreciate the time you devoted to give practical tips to our students.”

She then said, “We desperately need professionals like you to teach industry best practices at CHS. Would you like to join CHS as a full-time Lecturer?”. I was pleasantly surprised by her question. As a former student who was nearly expelled from CHS nine years earlier for very poor academic results during my first year, this was music to my ears.

The next day, I met Mrs. Heenatigala at her office. She had been involved in tourism in different capacities long before 1965, when it was first identified as an industry with potential for becoming a major, foreign exchange earner and employment generator for Sri Lanka. She was a pioneer of the industry within the public sector. In addition to being the Director / Principal of CHS, she was also one of the two Deputy Director Generals of the Ceylon Tourist Board. In that role she deputized the CEO of Tourism in Sri Lanka. She was extremely charming and had a visionary outlook. I liked her personality and she seemed to regard me very highly.

After some tea and a friendly chat, she made an offer to me, but I was not impressed with the salary scale for CHS Lecturers. “Madam, this offer of yours is exactly half of what I earn at John Keells. I simply cannot accept it.” She then explained that CHS salaries are tax free and lecturers usually get valuable overseas scholarships. I thanked her, but declined the offer.

A couple of days later, Mrs. Heenatigala called me again. “In consultation with the Chairman and the Director General of the Ceylon Tourist Board I have found a solution! We will match your current take home salary at John Keells by hiring you at our highest level – as a Senior Lecturer. This position is at the same grade as a Director of the Ceylon Tourist Board.” I was impressed. “Madam, please give me a few days to think about it.” I told her.

All the teaching staff at CHS were older than I. They were Assistant Lecturers or Lecturers. In the history of CHS for 16 years since its inception in 1965, only two Lecturers had been finally promoted to Senior Lecturers after teaching at CHS for 10 years. They were both five years my senior, had postgraduate qualifications/training in Germany and Austria and were my Lecturers when I was a student at CHS.

My wife did not think that leaving a senior managerial position at the head office of the largest group of companies in Sri Lanka to accept a government job was a good idea. “You will not have a company car, free gas and a good benefit package similar to what we currently have from John Keells Group”, she cautioned me. I thought differently and believed that, at times, one has to follow your heart and do things that will give greater satisfaction and sense of fulfilment. I considered that rich and diverse experiences were far more important than money and benefits.

When she realized that I was passionate about teaching, my wife said, “OK, let’s check your horoscope and consult a few astrologers.” Although that was a common practice for a majority of Sri Lankans in deciding on important changes and life decisions, I did not believe in fortune tellers. However, to keep my wife happy, I agreed to consult one famous fortune teller she recommended. He was well-known as ‘The Finger Tip Astrologer’.

The Fortune Teller

When my wife took me to meet ‘The Finger Tip Astrologer’ in Colombo five, I was surprised how crowded his waiting area was. He probably was the most popular and reputed fortune teller in Sri Lanka at that time. After an hour of idling, I was getting bored with the long wait and my wife was getting annoyed with my jokes and pranks while waiting for our turn. “Please be serious and don’t joke when we are called to his office.” she warned me.

Finally, when it was our turn, the old astrologer looked sharply at my face, fingertips, palm, and the horoscope. He said, “What a lucky man! Most of your life you have gotten things for free.” When I laughed at that comment, he felt that I was being sarcastic, and wanted to prove to me that he was right. He then said, “Young man, you did not spend any of your money to buy all of the items you are wearing today. That gold chain and the watch, your shirt, the pair of trousers, the belt and the pair of shoes, all are presents given to you!” He was correct.

He added, “even the car you drove to come here today is not yours, someone else pays for everything. All of the houses you lived in your whole life and are living in today are free for you. Free food and no rent. Am I correct?” I stopped smiling and under my breath said, “Yes, Sir. You are correct.” Now that he earned my attention and respect, he commenced predicting about the future. “Very soon, you will return the car you drove today to the owner, but someone else will present you with a car immediately after that. No worries.”

“Today, you have come to consult me because you wish to make a decision about a new job and a major career change. Don’t worry. Accept the new offer you have. This new job will open many exciting doors for you. Because of the experience you will gain in this new job, for the rest of your life you will have two options of careers. Accept the offer!” My wife and I were speechless as we were totally baffled. How could he know all of this? However, when the astrologer made his final prediction for my future, I could not help but respectfully disagree with him.

The astrologer further predicted that very soon I would commence studying and would never stop studying for various degrees and professional qualifications. He identified me as a late developer who will become a lifelong learner. “Sir, all of what you said before is accurate. However, I must tell you that your final prediction is wrong! When I graduated from CHS seven years ago, I decided that I would never ever touch a textbook or study for any examination for the rest of my life. I am a bad student and simply hate studying!” I told him. “Wait and see, I give you three months to commence a lifelong journey of higher education and learning. You will do well.” He made his concluding comment with a grin.

The same day, I signed my contract at CHS and gave notice to John Keells. My resignation shocked many well-wishers who thought that I would have a very bright future at John Keells Group. In spite of their disappointment, my Director, Bobby Adams and the Group Chairman, Mark Bostock gave me excellent testimonials. Mr Bostock wrote, “We will miss Chandana, but I am happy that in his new position, he will be able to make a significant contribution to prepare future generations of managers for the hotel industry.”

On my last day at John Keells, after a quick round of goodbyes, I returned the keys to my company car and came home with my father-in-law, Captain D. A. Wickramasinghe in his Keells company car. After coming home, he told me, “Go to the front driveway and enjoy your 28th birthday present from Ammi and I, which has arrived two months in advance!” There was a nice, old English car parked in the driveway. It was a 1955 Riley with the original wooden interior panels, and the rest upgraded recently with a beautiful, bottle green colour. The fortune teller was right in his first prediction.

Exactly 10 years after my joining CHS as a first-year student and seven years since I had graduated, I returned to CHS, now as a Senior Lecturer. One of my former bosses and five years my senior at CHS, France-trained Indrapala Munasinghe also joined CHS on the same day as a Senior Lecturer. On arrival at CHS we were snubbed by the only other CHS Senior Lecturer at that time. I clearly felt that he was unhappy to accept me as his peer.

After a quick orientation, Mrs. Heenatigala wanted to have a one-on-one discussion with me. “Chandana, I have a challenge with some of the senior members of the teaching staff, who strongly feel that you are not qualified to be appointed as a Senior Lecturer”, she said. I was quick to say, “That’s too bad for them. I cannot go back to John Keells as I have resigned from their employment!” She then said, “I have a solution. Don’t start teaching yet. We will arrange for you to obtain a postgraduate scholarship as soon as possible. Until then, just spend your time observing at other’s classes and labs.”

An ILO & UNDP Fellowship

My next formal meeting with the CHS Principal was held just before Christmas. That meeting was very different. She happily announced, “I have a great Christmas present for you, Chandana. I managed to arrange an excellent fellowship in Hotel and Catering Training and Teaching for you in four European countries over a period of over three months starting early January, 1982. This is a prestigious, fully-paid fellowship funded and arranged by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). Your first five weeks will be at a high level ‘Training Methodology’ study program at the Turin Centre – the professional training and education arm of the International Labour Organization (ILO).”

As my wife was unhappy to be separated for three months, I successfully negotiated with Mrs. Heenatigala and obtained her permission for my wife to travel with me to spend the whole fellowship period in Europe, provided that I pay her travel fare. We planned our trip with study programs in Italy, Switzerland, Scotland and England. In between the official stops, we managed to travel by ship and train to eight other European countries with quick visits to meet with a few relatives, CHS colleagues, friends and former guests of Hotel Ceysands and Hotel Swanee.

We had a great time, but I had one challenge. I was compelled to study hard, do educational assignments and pass examinations particularly at the Turin Centre in Italy, ILO headquarters in Switzerland and the University of Surrey in England. Strangely, I ended up enjoying those study programs and examinations. I decided to do further studies soon after the fellowship ended. My lifelong learning journey which commenced in 1982, never ended as I embarked on back-to-back study programs in a variety of subjects in different countries over the next forty years. The fortune teller was indeed right in his final prediction.