Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Donation of eight (08) tablet devices for needy medical students at University of Peradeniya


Thanks to the generous support we have received from well-wishers, this year we were able to continue helping the needy students of the Faculty of Medicine, university of Peradeniya.

At a simple ceremony held at the student common room of the medical faculty on 5 March, 2023, eight (08) Samsung Galaxy Tablets were handed over to Professor Vasanthi Pinto, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and student representatives.

These Samsung tablets were purchased at a net (purchase price minus the tax rebate) cost of Aus$ 1,665.45 in Australia.

These tablet devices will be distributed to students with significant financial difficulties as identified by the scholarship committee of the faculty.

My sincere appreciation goes to Professor Vasanthi Pinto, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and to Professor Shamali Abeygunawardene, Chairperson of the scholarship committee.

This donation was made possible through the generous contributions made to the “Project Home Owl” fund by well wishers and those who purchased copies of the second print of my novelLost in Floral Rain”. My sincere thanks to each and every one of you!

The second print was released in October 2022 in Sydney, Australia at the 7th PeMSAA Australasia Conference.

I would thank the executive committee of Peradeniya Medical School Alumni Association (PeMSAA) Australasia for allowing me to have a stall at the conference and the members of PeMSAA who generously supported “Project Home Owl” by making generous contributions. I would also like to greatly value the generosity and support of Dr Nimmi Athuraliya, esteemed lecturer at the faculty during my time there and a conjoint lecturer at University of Newcastle.

Please contribute to this project through purchasing a copy of the novel "Lost in Floral Rain".

Copies from the second print are available for sale in Australia. Those who are willing to purchase a copy are kindly requested to refer to information given in the following location: https://lostinfloralrain.blogspot.com/2023/05/how-to-buy-copy-of-lost-in-floral-rain.html

All revenue raised from the sale of "Lost in Floral rain" will be used for the charity named "Project Home Owl". For details of "Project Home Owl" charity please visit: https://lostinfloralrain.blogspot.com/2019/05/introducing-project-home-owl-charity.html

For details contact: pushpa.suriyaarachchi@yahoo.com.au.

Thanking you.

- Pushpa Suriyaarachchi

P/S:
Previous donations made using the funds raised for “Project Home Owl” by selling the copies of the novel “Lost in Floral Rain” are given in the posts below.

  1. In 2019/20: Donation of ten sets of text books for students (with financial difficulties) of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya and English readers for school aged-kids.
    For details please see: https://lostinfloralrain.blogspot.com/2020/03/project-home-owl-update.html

  2. In April 2021: Donation ten (10) Samsung Galaxy tablets for the students (with financial difficulties) of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya in April 2021. The total value of this donation was Rs. 329,900.
    For details please see: https://lostinfloralrain.blogspot.com/2021/09/project-home-owl-update-2021.html

As the world is emerging through the covid pandemic, the aftereffects of the financial downturn is felt throughout the globe. In Australia we have seen the inflationary pressure fuelling the rental prices and its effect on goods and services.

In Sri Lanka, the financial downturn had devastating effects with the day day-to-day living expenses skyrocketing.

I had a discussion with Professor Shamali Abeygunawardene, the chairperson of the scholarship committee of Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, who is tremendously passionate about student welfare. She provided feedback received from the previous donations and how the students have valued receiving tablet devises as they can access multitude of learning material and resources using them without having to carry heavy textbooks.

Wednesday, May 17, 2023

Second Print of the novel “Lost in Floral Rain”


All the copies of the novel “Lost in Floral Rain” available for sale in Sarasavi bookshops in Sri Lanka since April 2019 were sold out by 2020. All copies I had with me in Australia were given out to well-wishers to raise funds for the charity “Project Home Owl” as well.

The money raised from the proceeds were used for the following charity work.

  1. In 2019/20: Donation of ten sets of text books for students (with financial difficulties) of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya and English readers for school aged-kids.
    For details please see: https://lostinfloralrain.blogspot.com/2020/03/project-home-owl-update.html

  2. In April 2021: Donation ten (10) Samsung Galaxy tablets for the students (with financial difficulties) of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya in April 2021. The total value of this donation was Rs. 329,900.
    For details please see: https://lostinfloralrain.blogspot.com/2021/09/project-home-owl-update-2021.html

Even though there were no copies of “Lost in Floral Rain” were available, we were not able to get a second print out immediately due to Covid related issues since 2020.

As we are well aware, at the end of the second phase of Covid in early 2022, Sri Lanka underwent a monitory crisis resulting in a severe shortage of printing paper. Our publisher was not in a position to print the second batch of copies immediately.

Despite all these, I am delighted to inform that a second batch of “Lost in Floral Rain” was printed and released by Sarasavi Book shop in late 2022.

However, due to high cost of printing and the lack of printing paper in Sri Lanka, this second batch was printed as a standard paperback edition instead of the hard cover and flip-cover editions we had with the first print.

This second print of “Lost in Floral Rain” was released at the Peradeniya Medical School Alumni Association (PeMSA) conference held in Sydney in October 2022.

Furthermore, only a limited number of copies were printed and therefore the book is not available for sale in bookshops in Sri Lanka.

Copies are available for sale in Australia and those who are willing to purchase a copy are kindly requested to refer to information given in the following location: https://lostinfloralrain.blogspot.com/2023/05/how-to-buy-copy-of-lost-in-floral-rain.html

All revenue raised from the sale of "Lost in Floral rain" will be used for the charity named "Project Home Owl". For details of "Project Home Owl" charity please visit: https://lostinfloralrain.blogspot.com/2019/05/introducing-project-home-owl-charity.html

For details contact: pushpa.suriyaarachchi@yahoo.com.au.

Thanking you.

-Pushpa Suriyaarachchi

How to buy a copy of "Lost in Floral Rain" by Pushpa Suriyaarachchi – Second print


All revenue raised from the sale of "Lost in Floral rain" will be used for the charity named "Project Home Owl".

Copies of the second print of "Lost in Floral Rain" is now available for sale in Australia.

Here is how you can secure your copy and help the charity "Project Home Owl".

Please transfer A$25 to the Commonwealth Bank account setup for "Project Home Owl" charity given below and email the details of your order and the postal address in Australia to: pushpa.suriyaarachchi@yahoo.com.au.

When you are mail ordering, you have the option of adding an extra donation for the charity "Project Home Owl" as well.

BSB: 06 2692
Account: 3749 9876
Name: Pushpa Suriyaarachchi

We will post you a copy of "Lost in Floral Rain" within a few days by Australia post (or home deliver to your address).

All money raised by selling copies of "Lost in Floral Rain" and donations will be exclusively used for the charity "Project Home Owl".

For details contact: pushpa.suriyaarachchi@yahoo.com.au.

Thanking you.

- Pushpa Suriyaarachchi

A Sinhala language song inspired by the novel “Lost in Floral Rain”

A new song inspired by the novel "Lost in Floral Rain” has been released.

Lyrics: Pushpa Suriyaarachchi, the author of “Lost in Floral Rain”
Melody and music: Visharad Rukmalie Kulathilake

Vocals: Ruvee Nimnadi

Ochestra
Violin: Ravi Kulathilaka
Guitar: Arjuna de Silva
Drums: Dinesh Perera

Please enjoy the video clip on YouTube.



තුරුලිය සරසන කුසුමින් නැහැවුණ
රෝස පාට මල් වැසි වැස්සා
රොබරොසියා තුරු පාමුල මල් වැසි
මල් වැසි, මල් වැසි, ඇද හැලුණා

ශිල්ප කරන්නට නවකයින් ඇවිත්
මල් වැස්සේ මංමුළා වෙලා
පාද තබා කඩිසර ගමනින්
මල් වරුසාවේ සිනාසෙමින්
මල් වැස්සේ මංමුළා වෙලා

මල් පිරි පාවඩ පලස් එළාලා
සුමට සුමුදු මල් ඇතිරිල්ලේ
සෙමින් සෙමින් පරිස්සමින්
ඇවිද ඇවිද යමු සිතින් දරාගෙන
රොබරොසියා මල් මල් සිහිනේ



Copies from the second print of the novel "Lost in Floral Rain" are available for sale in Australia. Those who are willing to purchase a copy are kindly requested to refer to information given in the following location: https://lostinfloralrain.blogspot.com/2023/05/how-to-buy-copy-of-lost-in-floral-rain.html

All revenue raised from the sale of "Lost in Floral rain" will be used for the charity named "Project Home Owl". For details of "Project Home Owl" charity please visit: https://lostinfloralrain.blogspot.com/2019/05/introducing-project-home-owl-charity.html

For details contact: pushpa.suriyaarachchi@yahoo.com.au.

Thanking you,

-Pushpa Suriyaarachchi




Two renditions of the English language song "Floral Rain", released in 2019, can be listend via YouTube as well.

Sung by Prasadini Thirumaran.
Music from Alexander Blu.
Lyrics by Pushpa Suriyaarachchi.




Music composed and sung by Carlos Reyes.
Lyrics by Pushpa Suriyaarachchi.