MADAME Manel , SIR Abeysekara …………..

I received a little message from a dear friend very recently. So the little message took me back to the faculty of arts, University of Peradeniya, and to thoughts and theories of Max Weber and Bureaucracy.

I do not know how difficult or easy it is to be a ‘Diplomat’, you need to represent your country ‘you can not make any mistakes’ here I believe.  ‘Nilabala kramaya’ or ‘the bureaucracy’ I think this is a very ‘intelligent dominated’ ( I wonder, is it fare to use such a word)  field but a very ‘responsible  and no place for ‘irresponsibility’ kind of a field to discuss. ‘Responsibilities’, dealing with time, planning, organizing, implementing, monitoring, sustainability, accountability, transparency I do not know how one can handle all these ‘altogether’ not easy especially when someone has to deal with all sorts of ‘people’ with different ‘educational’ backgrounds, ‘thinking’ different ‘political views’ ‘cultural differences of different cultures, globally’, own political and economical views of different diplomats, sometimes to deal with different diplomats in different times,  of this different world. Thinking of the historical backgrounds of different cultures across world, ruled or governed by the different administrative systems, or governments, heads of states  I am thinking do you generally get the chances to exchange or to learn different ‘things relate to  the same subject you are dealing with? ’  

I very recently watched an interview (please pardon I really can not remember the name of the TV channel I guess that was MTV the sports channel?) with The German Ambassador Mr. Jens Plotner  since 2009 ( the website reveals his service to our country is ongoing) who has completed his three years in our country dear  ambassador did you mention that you will be leaving our country to Tanzania or to Tunisia (?) but I am certain that you were mentioning something about your likes about countries beautiful landscapes of our country, different flavours and tastes of different local dishes . 

‘Remember you are asking this from a diplomat’ (?) ( I remember he was saying this to the person who was hosting the interview on one of the questions he asked pertaining to some things or of his views on a certain thing) 

Thinking of Germany I never can forget Dr. Ralf Starkloff (who is married to Dr. Nireka weeratunge/Anthropologist- i will have to write a book to explain her contribution to my knowledge) a sociologist, a teacher to me in various ways I remember we were visiting the ‘German Harithagama’ / Galle ( a tsunami village built and financed by the German government ) located little interior from Galle town was a good contribution to our country specially when we were in trouble this was the period that the government advised the civilians to resident about 100 (?) meters away from the sea area. Am I right? The German experts have decided the design of the village I believe. 

 I like to come back to you again Madame just to verify few things that I have in my mind and I believe you have very thoughtful answers on most of the things I am asking here

Deli pihiyen kiri kanawa wageda Madame eka? 

( deli pihiya – is this still using in the saloons of men, for shaving beard now I have no idea,  the rough meaning of the wording is eating curd with a knife kind of thing instead of using a spoon for that purpose?) 

Personal views of something of a diplomat and the views of a country and the political, economical, social representations of his/her own country are these things get confused or how are these things were handled? 

Dear Madame,

Did you get any chances to meet Imelda Marcos the wife of Ferdinand Marcos and ‘have you got any chances to see Imelda’s dream tree of royalty’? Were you invited to see her dream palace back then?  How do you see such characters? 

I remember reading a book written based on her life, the book mentioned that she had a collection of 3000 shoes from various countries, do you remember? That much of shoes just for a single person to worn? She was the first woman of that country in that Era? What a waste of money. (This is my personal view) the whole world was amazed and felt ashamed of her I remember. 

The Iron Lady ‘Margaret Thatcher’, ‘the iron lady concept’ how useful these things for a diplomat or the ‘iron man ‘concept? I like to know whether ‘iron’ or ‘steel’ kinds of things ever melt ‘before humanitarian’ side of bureaucracy?

How do you see these things Madame?

‘Benazir Bhuto’ how did you see her style of handling diplomats? We have the smiling and memorable memories attached with the trophy that the gentlemen of cricket in 1994 of our country brought in. I am sure that the cricket council must have the photograph of the memories of ‘the worldly world cup memories of 1994.

‘Charismatic authority’ or charismatic power’ how do you see these concepts? As a carrier woman could you please tell us if possible, who was ‘the most charismatic character’ that you have ever met during the long journey of your carrier?  

Ms. Sirima Bandaranayake’ was she really had the opportunity to use her ‘praja ithiya’ on certain things of the society of her era? What is the ‘ithiya’ (right) of a member of society to know these things? ‘ithiwaasikam and ithiya did you really had the ithiya to talk or expressed your personal views on certain , certain things of the society you represented at certain periods of country?

‘become # ‘1’ that is the general dream of a child or a parent sometimes in each and every field they like to get engage or involve in? Is it something that gives a child/ person some moral support to lead a leading life in their preferred fields? 

Is diplomacy a must have quality’? 

International or national, internal or external dealings related to your carrier what was the situation back then in relation to ‘official dealings’ with different cultural and political backgrounds even in the same region do how difficult it is to be totally independent. 

How full is your bag of experiences collated traveling across not only in different continents but also hearts and minds of this world? 

Dear Madame, Manel Abeysekara

THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR EXPERINCES ABOUT MADAME, SIRS OF A DIFFERENT ERA

AND 

THANK YOU 'NTV' for TAKING MY THOUGHTS TOWARDS A DIFFERENT DIRECTION TO TOUCH A DIFFERENT ‘MIND’  FULL OF  EXPERIENCES.