Retracing those schoolboy days in Jaffna
“A good Jaffna boy had to study hard, enter university, and become a doctor or an engineer. After that, get married around his mid-twenties and have two kids. I had no chance,” muses Bernard Sinniah in his book, ‘Jaffna Boy’. A memoir of the author’s childhood, the book takes the reader through anecdotes of school life at the St. John’s College hostel and follows Bernard through his journey from mischievous schoolboy and erstwhile prankster to a successful corporate leader and eventual chief guest at the school prize giving.
Bernard Sinniah at the launch of ‘Jaffna Boy’. Pix by Indika Handuwala
Possessing all the antithetical qualities ascribed to a stereotypical Jaffna boy and a veritable magnet for mischief, the writer’s penchant for attracting trouble, dislike of all things academic and love for practical jokes is documented in the book. Vignettes of Colombo and Jaffna during the late 60’s and 70’s and a colourful assortment of schoolteachers, schoolmates and family members also fill the pages.
In an email interview with the Sunday Times, Bernard discusses his book and life lessons through the years.
What prompted you to write this book?
My school and boarding life was filled with great memories. I had a superb time there and I wanted to relive those great and carefree times through this book. I always end up telling stories about my boarding life and a close friend of mine casually suggested that I should write a book
You’ve mentioned that the book took 13 years to write. How was your process of writing? Was writing something that you were always interested in?
I always wrote short funny speeches or wrote short articles but never in my wildest dream thought of writing a book. I made a major mistake by writing the first chapter and started editing and making it perfect. This kept me back until I bought a book about writing a book. The end result was that I kept writing all the chapters and putting down my stories. I then started editing the book. It was a lot easier to do.
Have any of your teachers or classmates read the book? And if yes, what were their responses?
Yes so many of them have and you can see some of the reviews on the amazon.com or co.uk websites. They were all thrilled that I was able to take them back to their childhood. They were able to recall their happy days.
How did studying at St. John’s and living in the hostel – away from home and family – shape your formative years?
Initially it was tough and to an extent I struggled but it then became a breeze. It made me become very independent and confident.
What are the biggest lessons learned during your childhood?
Life is about people around you. Our friendships must be unconditional.
Your younger avatar has a penchant for getting into scrapes and playing pranks on others. Has this changed as you became older?
Of course not. I still do a lot of practical jokes, bully my friends and colleagues.
What was it like to come back to Jaffna and St. John’s after so many years?
What were the biggest changes that you saw?
I was very emotional and had to hold my tears back. Since most of the buildings have been rebuilt after the war, they all looked very new. The beds and the bathrooms all look nicer and modern. But the look and feel was the same as before.
Did you ever think that you would return to your alma mater as a chief guest?
No, no,no….Never. I still cannot believe it. I sometimes feel that I don’t even deserve it. I am like that. I feel I am very lucky with a lot of things.
While the bulk of your stories are set in the backdrop of Jaffna, your memoir is devoid of overt political references. Was this intentional?
Yes, but I hardly noticed or got involved in any of that. I lived a very carefree life. Nothing worried or bothered me. My expectations were very low, right!
What kind of books do you enjoy reading?
Non fiction: Motivational, History or Biography.
Do you have any regrets about your school life? Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently?
Absolutely nothing. I will not change a single thing.