“The Bonsoir Diaries” by Kumar de Silva is a cocktail of chapters, bursting at their seams with pithy asides, a trail of faux pas, and tit-bits from behind the scenes, marinated with anecdotes and drizzled with nostalgia, revealing everything you never saw on your favourite television show…from the ‘80s through the ‘90s into 2000.
France has a sizable Buddhist population comprising both Sri Lankan, French, and followers of other nationalities. The International Buddhist Centre in Le Bourget is one of the Buddhist temples catering to the religious needs of Buddhists in France.
Created in 1989 by Theravada bhikkhu Ven. Paravahera Chandaratana Thera, its aim was to be a centre where the teachings of the Buddha could be both studied and practised in their pristine form.
Over the years the Ven. Thera became a very close friend of Bonsoir and never failed to visit us at the French Embassy whenever he came to Sri Lanka. In the absence of the internet those days, he used to send us (the now-obsolete) VHS recordings of Vesak and Poson celebrations through obliging SriLankan Airlines cabin crew. This we transferred, edited, and used on Bonsoir.
Bonsoir received a weekly consignment of audio-visual material from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This was a veritable treasure trove of material. I remember us saving whatever clips on Buddhism in France to use during Vesak and Poson. This way we could make the link between the two countries.
Much to my great happiness I once met a French bhikkhu, Ven Sariputhra, who was residing in a hermitage at Kolatenna, off Bandarawela. He spoke passable English and almost never came to Colombo. Bonsoir was blessed manifold that particular year since he HAD to come to (our den at that) the French Embassy in Colombo to have his passport renewed. We honestly could not have asked for more!
After much persuasion, the Ven. Thera finally agreed to be featured on Bonsoir. We sprang into action and got permission from the Gangaramaya to film this particular programme on the Seema Malakaya. The setting was beautiful, with the tender Bo leaves turning a young green against a cloudless blue sky. We had to finish everything by 11 a.m. and rush the Ven. Sariputhra to a temple near Thalawathugoda for “dané”.
[caption id="attachment_136682" align="alignright" width="319"]
Chintananda, Kumar, Ven. Sariputhra, Shelton, and Yasmin[/caption]
With the renewed passport in his bag and the bhikkhu safe on the front seat of the French Embassy car, AND with all of us loaded on the back seat, together with the camera, lights, and boxes with a zillion cables in the boot, we sped to the Beira Lake.
The shots came off to our great satisfaction as did the interview. Chinthananda did wonders with his camera angles given the limited space on the Seema Malakaya, especially the steps leading to the Bo tree. We all felt calm and serene at the end of it all. We actually felt disconnected with the harsh reality of the metropolis around us.
As we walked across the wooden bridge to the mainland to get into the car, I noticed a few vehicles slowing down with their passengers looking at us aghast. I was nonplussed. I presumed that they had recognised Bonsoir. They waved at us hesitantly. Yasmin and I smiled and waved back. They then gesticulated to our clothes.
It was then that I realised that Yasmin was in a white lama saree and jacket with a lace frill around her shoulders looking like an Advanced Level Daham Pasal girl. I was in a white national kit. That was not all. I also realised that the previous Monday these same passengers might have seen Yasmin and I on the “Bonsoir Music Special” at the Colombo Hilton’s Blue Elephant – dressed to the nines in hats, furs, waistcoats, boots, and leather gear. They simply could not associate the two images together. Now in retrospect I don’t blame them!
France has a sizable Buddhist population comprising both Sri Lankan, French, and followers of other nationalities. The International Buddhist Centre in Le Bourget is one of the Buddhist temples catering to the religious needs of Buddhists in France.
Created in 1989 by Theravada bhikkhu Ven. Paravahera Chandaratana Thera, its aim was to be a centre where the teachings of the Buddha could be both studied and practised in their pristine form.
Over the years the Ven. Thera became a very close friend of Bonsoir and never failed to visit us at the French Embassy whenever he came to Sri Lanka. In the absence of the internet those days, he used to send us (the now-obsolete) VHS recordings of Vesak and Poson celebrations through obliging SriLankan Airlines cabin crew. This we transferred, edited, and used on Bonsoir.
Bonsoir received a weekly consignment of audio-visual material from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This was a veritable treasure trove of material. I remember us saving whatever clips on Buddhism in France to use during Vesak and Poson. This way we could make the link between the two countries.
Much to my great happiness I once met a French bhikkhu, Ven Sariputhra, who was residing in a hermitage at Kolatenna, off Bandarawela. He spoke passable English and almost never came to Colombo. Bonsoir was blessed manifold that particular year since he HAD to come to (our den at that) the French Embassy in Colombo to have his passport renewed. We honestly could not have asked for more!
After much persuasion, the Ven. Thera finally agreed to be featured on Bonsoir. We sprang into action and got permission from the Gangaramaya to film this particular programme on the Seema Malakaya. The setting was beautiful, with the tender Bo leaves turning a young green against a cloudless blue sky. We had to finish everything by 11 a.m. and rush the Ven. Sariputhra to a temple near Thalawathugoda for “dané”.
[caption id="attachment_136682" align="alignright" width="319"] Chintananda, Kumar, Ven. Sariputhra, Shelton, and Yasmin[/caption]
With the renewed passport in his bag and the bhikkhu safe on the front seat of the French Embassy car, AND with all of us loaded on the back seat, together with the camera, lights, and boxes with a zillion cables in the boot, we sped to the Beira Lake.
The shots came off to our great satisfaction as did the interview. Chinthananda did wonders with his camera angles given the limited space on the Seema Malakaya, especially the steps leading to the Bo tree. We all felt calm and serene at the end of it all. We actually felt disconnected with the harsh reality of the metropolis around us.
As we walked across the wooden bridge to the mainland to get into the car, I noticed a few vehicles slowing down with their passengers looking at us aghast. I was nonplussed. I presumed that they had recognised Bonsoir. They waved at us hesitantly. Yasmin and I smiled and waved back. They then gesticulated to our clothes.
It was then that I realised that Yasmin was in a white lama saree and jacket with a lace frill around her shoulders looking like an Advanced Level Daham Pasal girl. I was in a white national kit. That was not all. I also realised that the previous Monday these same passengers might have seen Yasmin and I on the “Bonsoir Music Special” at the Colombo Hilton’s Blue Elephant – dressed to the nines in hats, furs, waistcoats, boots, and leather gear. They simply could not associate the two images together. Now in retrospect I don’t blame them!