My Hospital Diaries

 On May 17th 2026 I had to get admitted to hospital due to high fever and a high CRP in my body. I had to be there until 21st May 2026. I actually have no idea what happened to me or how I got so sick so suddenly. It was totally unexpected and I thought to write about what happend and how I felt during that time period.

Everything started on Friday, 15th May. I had to go to a school  for lesson observations on that day. I was totally fine from morning had no unusual feeling. I went to the school, observed lessons, gave feedback and headed back home. Until I reach my hometown I was fine. But as soon as I come to my hometown, I felt like I was having fever. I got down from the bus and got a threewheel as usual to home. Inside the wheel I realized that I was shivering. I had no idea how I got down from the threewheel, but at that point I was totally shivering and I was not in a position to control it. Then I had fever, so high as in 104 F. The only thing I did was trying to sleep. 

That evening I went to our family doctor and got some medicine. But there was no change. In the middle of the night, I got that shivering and high fever. It was so unbearable and my husband and family also got scared. So we went to the doctor on Saturday evening also. Then the doctor instructed us to do a dengue identification test, C reactive protein test (CRP) and a full blood count. That night was also the same; shivering and high fever. The next day, Sunday morning, I gave blood samples for the tests. The reports came that evening. The CRP was 278 the doctor told me to go and admit to the hospital immediately because it seems like there was a strong virus inside my body and I needed to be given a series of injections. So I ended up getting admitted to a Private hospital in Gampaha; a town closer to my home town at 9.00 p.m. on Sunday 17th May 2026.

There were no other pains in my body, only the fever. Thus even the doctors couldn't exactly predict what's wrong with me. I got admitted and was put under the care of a very good doctor. He was so kind and quick in taking decisions. He recommended few tests and started the antibiotic injections immediately. As it went along I felt better and better but I couldn't eat at all. I was advised to drink lot of water and eat because the antibiotics were strong. But it was very difficult to eat and drink also because my mouth was completely tasted bitter. But I managed to drink sufficient amount of water, though I couldn't eat any food, especially rice and curry. I had got thin after the four days I had to spend at the hospital. 

After three days, my CRP was going down and the doctor decided that the rest could be done through tablets. So I got discharged on Thursday morning 21st May 2026. My husband was there with me throughout that time and I am truly grateful for him for that. Even my parents-in-law did a great job by looking after our two kids. The kids also helpped me recover from my situation. 

This made me realise that anything can happen to us at anytime. I was actually not expecting to get that sick so suddenly. And finally it was identified that I had a urine infection, which is very unlikely to happen to someone like me who always drink plenty of water everyday. I still have no idea how this happened. But what I realized from this is that we have to be ready for the unexpected. And also, it is our family who are always with us. No matter how many friends or relatives you have, it's your immediate family that always come forward for you. They are there ready to sacrifice anything for you. Further, being healthy and fit is the real wealth that we all should accumulate. It's the one who's been sick knows the pain of it. 

E-Books vs Physical Books: Which One Wins and Why?

 Have you ever been torn between downloading an e-book and buying a physical copy? If you're a book lover like me, you've probably faced this choice many times in your life. With digital reading becoming more popular and physical books holding their timeless charm, the debate continues: E-books or physical books—who takes the crown?

Let’s dive into the pros, cons, and experiences behind both.

📗 The Case for Physical Books

There’s something magical about holding a real book. The smell of the pages, the sound of flipping paper, the weight in your hands—it’s a full sensory experience. Here’s why many readers (myself included) still adore physical books:

• Tactile Joy:

 There’s a comfort in physically turning a page that no screen can replace.

• Shelf Satisfaction: 

A full bookshelf isn’t just storage—it’s a personal museum of your reading life.

• No Screen Time:

 In a world filled with digital overload, reading a print book is a healthy escape.

• Collectible Value: 

From beautiful covers to signed editions, physical books can be keepsakes.

📱 The Case for E-Books

On the other hand, e-books have transformed how we read—especially for convenience lovers and frequent travelers. Here’s why e-books have won over millions:

• Ultimate Portability: 

Carry your entire library in your pocket. Perfect for travel or commuting.

• Built-in Features: 

Adjustable fonts, night mode, and built-in dictionaries make reading more accessible.

• Instant Access:

 See a book recommendation? You can start reading it in seconds.

• Budget-Friendly: 

Many classics are free, and others are often more affordable than their printed versions.

⚖️ The Downsides of Each

Of course, neither format is perfect:

• Physical Books: 

They can be bulky, hard to store, and sometimes more expensive.

• E-Books: 

Eye strain from screens, reliance on battery life, and the loss of that “bookish” feeling.


💬 What Do Readers Prefer?

Honestly, preferences vary. Some readers are loyal to the feel of paper, while others love the techy perks of e-books.

 Personally, I use both: physical books when I’m at home, and e-books when I’m traveling or reading in bed late at night.

Interestingly, many younger readers are embracing physical books again—BookTok has made paperbacks cool once more. But for people with busy lifestyles or limited space, e-books can be a lifesaver.

🏆 So… Which One Wins?

Here’s the truth: There is no clear winner. Each format has its strengths, and the best choice depends on what you value most—convenience or connection, portability or page-turning.

My advice? Don’t pick sides. Let the book—and the moment—decide.

✨ Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how you read—what matters is that you read. Whether you’re team e-book or team paperback, your love for stories is what counts most.

What about you? Do you prefer the feel of paper or the freedom of digital? 

Let me know in the comments—I’d love to hear your take!

A Teacher or a Leader

I have never thought myself as a leader.

I was always passionate about teaching and learning but never ever dreamt about going beyond the role of a class teacher. I actually thought that I have no leadership capacity within me. But to my surprise, my friends and colleagues always tell me that I am a good leader. In the meantime I got an opportunity to face an interview which opened me the first gate way to my leadership
journey. I have decided to walk along that path and discover what I am capable of.

Then I gave a serious thought to it. Am I truly a leader? Do I possess any characteristics or qualities of a leader?
I realised that yes, I am excell at giving positive feedback to those who are around me. This should be true because according to what I got to know from my students, my words had made a huge positive impact on their lives. They set me as an inspiration when they set their future goals. I have helped them to identify their talents and set targets to suit them, so that they can be successful in their lives. It was benificial for me that I meet my students everyday which makes us understand each other perfectly well. This understanding paved way for better interaction and provided benefit for both of us. But it was not successful all the time. There were instances where I could not provide any inspiration to some students. No matter how hard I try, they were not willing to change in any circumstances. After doing some research I realized that these qualities that I possess reflect a coaching leader.

The studies show that there are different leadership styles in people and one may have one leadership style or one may be

a combination of many leadership styles which changes based on the situation. 

Thus, I analysed myself a little deeper and realised that at times I have been a democratic leader too. For instance, when I had been appointed as the teacher-in-charge of a " House" in the school sports meet, I never wanted to lose. I was determined, sometimes
beyond the children, that we should be champions. Thus, I divided the duties and responsibilities among the house captains, and the senior students in the house, appointed a teacher for each group, and let them handle. I was always behind them, guiding them taking the full responsibility but it was them who took the lead.

Just like a democratic leader do, I took decisions but allowed others to occasionally take the lead and motivate them by providing feedback. This leadership style was very useful during sports meet season where everyone's knowledge and experience were needed to move ahead and win. But still there's a possibility to fail; I failed two times, when the team has no knowledge or experience regarding the matter. When the team you have has no prior experience or knowledge they are not capable of fulfilling the responsibilities given to them. Thus the task fails due to lack of team work. But with a well experienced group, we can always embrace the winning moments.

Ultimately I have realised that I am a leader and I have the capacity to change my style to suit the task and people. I have been acting as a leader throughout my life without even knowing about it.

You may also be the same as me, thinking that leadership is not for you. But remember that there is a leader living within all of us. Knowingly or unknowingly we become leaders at our work place or at our home. We must believe in ourselves and discover our unique leadership style. Just like me realizing that I can be a guiding light or a shepherd to suit the task and lead my team to success you will understand your potential and the capacity to lead. So are you ready to embrace those winning moments....

Lovers to Enemies

 What happened? Where am I? My mind is in turmoil. The only vision I have is a flash of a light making me blind. When I opened my eyes, I was here, injured. "Oh, hello". A nurse came to me, smiling. " You were so lucky to servive. It was terrible. Why did you cut youeself?" What? My head was burning like it was about to explode. I remember, it was dark. I was in the kitchen making dinner. Suddenly there she was, covered with blood, pointing the knife at me. She wanted revenge for her murder, I did that day.

සංචරණී ගේ පිලිතුරු කවිය

 මගේ පුංචි මැයි මාර ළමයෝ, 

ඔබ නොදන්නවා උනාට 

මමත් එදා බලන් හිටියා.

තුත්තිරි මල් යාය මැදින්

හැමදා මා ඇවිදින විට 

රතට රතේ හැමදාමත් 

බබලන මැයි මල් විස්මය

වැලි ඇතිරූ මාවත මත

නැවතී විඳිනා හදවත,

හැමදාමත් බලන් හිටිය රහසේ ඔබ හමුවන්නට.

මැයි මල් ගස පිරී තිබුණු

රතට රටේ බබලන මල්

වාරෙ අවාරේ අමතක

වී ගස මත බබලන විට, 

හැමදාමත් හිතේ කොනක 

හටගත් ඒ සිතිවිල්ලට 

පිළිතුරු පද පබඳින්නට ඔබ සිටියේ නෑ තනියට.

හැම උදේම මල් මාවත

දිගේම මා පැමිණෙන විට 

ඔබෙ ඇස් මා පසුපස බව

දැනුනා මට හැම මොහොතේම. 

ඒ හැඟීම තුරුලට ගෙන 

හිනැහෙන විට මා තනිවම,

මැයි මාර ත් හිනැහුනානෙ මාත් එක්ක මගෙ තනියට. 

ඔබ නොදන්නවා උනාට 

ඔබේ සුවඳ හිත මත ගෙන 

හැමදාමත් මග බලාන 

මා හිටියා මාවත ලඟ.

ඒ සිතිවිලි සුවඳ දරා

ජීවිතයේ මිහිර සොයා

ආවේ මම නුඹව සොයා තුත්තිරි මල් දෝත දරා.

ඔබ නොදන්නවා උනාට 

මැයි මාර ත් බලන් හිටිය 

හමුවෙන තුරු මට මගෙ හිරු.

වාරෙ අවාරේ පිපි මල්

සේ අදටත් මගේ හිතේ

ඔබ හිඳිනා බව සත්තයි නවතින තුරු හුස්ම මගේ.

හැමදාමත් සසර මගේ

හමුවී, වෙන්වී නොයන්න 

උපදින මතු හැම භවයෙම, 

තුත්තිරි මල් මිටත් අරන්

මැයි මල් ගස යටට එන්න.

මම ඔයාගෙම සංචරණී. 

 Nadee 

You vs. You

Nobody understands your pains.

Nobody understands your anxieties.

Nobody understands what you are going through.

 They all live in their own worlds .

They all have their own assumptions.

They all have their own problems.

Life is hard.

So hard, because day by day

You understand this harsh reality 

that you are on your own.

No matter how understanding you think you are

You don't get that understanding

From the people around you

and the ones you are associated with. So, how can you say that 

You are so understanding, when you are not.

The real understanding comes

When you understand yourself.

When you get to deal with

Your own fears.

When you need to hold on

to yourself,

and lean on your own shoulder

because, you are the one

who knows the cause

of your own feelings.

You are the best person

to rely on to in tough situations.

You are the only one

who can controle your own emotions,

And finally,

it is you, and only you

who would walk with you

Hand in hand

in this journey.

The Love Poem

 I am your corona virus.

No matter how hard you try 

To keep me away from you,

I'll wait for you

To catch your finger tips.

Then I'll come into you

Straight to your lungs.

You'll try to be protected

By taking a covi-schield vaccine.

But I'll use my witch powers

And change my form to be

More powerful.

So , no one, no one

Can stop me from

Getting into you.

So I can attack you and make you mine

Forever ......

Smile

Smile can do miracles.

A smile can make

The business grow,

A smile can teach

People to love,

A smile can light up

Someone's life,

A smile can bring hopes

To a desperate soul,

A smile 

Can make

Someone

Live

Nadee

Online Teaching and Learning

 

Online teaching and learning has become an essential part in human lives due to the Corona pandemic in the world. Though it was already available and used by a few people for sometime, Sri Lanka was not even experimenting the use of it even in higher educational levels. Many universities all over the world has been using online platforms to conduct their courses but, it was totally new to Sri Lankans until now. This was simply because the narrow mindedness of the people, as a nation and their pride. According to my point of view, Sri Lankans are arrogant and not flexible to the changes happening in the fast moving world. Even the leaders of the country who are the authority are being ignorant and let the people live with this 'frog in the well' concept. But they are smart enough to get their children experience the new trends and use them to be a step ahead in the global community. 

It is inevitable that Sri Lankans cannot live in an isolated life moving away from the technological development happening around. Further there should be a clear understanding about the benefits the younger generation can achieve through an online platform. To give a simple example, Even a student who live in a remote area can access to the courses offered by many universities in the world with the palm of their hand. By maximising these distant learning facilities, the young generation will be benefited and will gain the ability to stand upright in the globalised world. Even in the school level, all the students get the opportunity to learn from one teacher because of online teaching. Further it is healthy for the teachers when compared to the classroom teaching because no shouting involved in it. It is true that it limits the teaching and learning experience to some extent but, it broadens our insights in many ways.    

When I say like this there will be many arguments against this about uneven distribution of facilities, poor technology, wealth and life style of the people, cultural inappropriateness etc. It is true that all these things should be taken into consideration, and these are mostly the faults of the authorities who has power. My question is that, even with all these problems, are we not coping with the Covid 19 situation right now? Each and every school has started their teaching learning proses through an online platform and each and every university is conducting their lectures online and the students take part in these lessons. Even the evaluation is done online using different methods. So if we can have a clear reflection on the things happening around us, we can see even the examinations can take a different shape which can give an authentic account of the real ability of the student. Thus it is like we have been blinded for a long time and Covid 19 has opened our eyes to a new comprehensive world. 

Thus it is left to us to decide weather to remain in our own wells with the 'proud history' we have or step out of the frame and let the future generations feel proud of us, who will be their ancestors, for being creative and innovative. Further we should all realise that for the benefit of our own children what we have to do is to teach them how to use technology effectively, without prohibiting the new trends for them. As adults, it is our responsibility to make our children aware of the new technology and make ourselves updated with its developments without depriving the opportunities of them.  

The Book Worm

 

Books and I have a strong relationship since my early childhood. My parents and the neighbours used to tell me that I used to read books aloud even before I could read letters. For me to perform that miracle, they had to read the same book to me hundred times until I was able to memorise each and every word in every page. So it is fair to say I am a book worm from my birth up to now and I can't imagine a life without them. My parents were very encouraging so it was very easy for me to explore new horizons through books.

My father, who was a librarian by profession, used to take me to his work place, Colombo Public Library, whenever he could. I still remember going to the children's section there following the yellow strip on the floor. Because of him I got the privilege to experience that library and get fascinated by those books. This experience made me love books very much. 

My father not only took me to the library, but helped me select books to read. He actually introduced books and authors to me according to my age. He was the one who introduced me to the 'Little House Series by Laura Ingles Wilder' (Translated by Ganga Niroshini Suduwelikanda) as well as the 'Pichchamala book series by Jayasena Jayakodi'. When he got transferred to our regional library I was able to read a huge set of books like the 'Sherlock Holmes series', 'The Tarzan book series' etc. 

We used to talk about the books we read, how we felt about them and also about new books being awarded every year. I had learnt a lot through those conversations even though I did not realise it then. But I remember how much I loved those conversations at home and how much I miss them since my parents are no longer with me. It was such a pleasure to discuss various topics with them and get to know their insights.

 Not only those days but still I get fascinated by translated books. Those days I did not read English books at all but that was not a problem because of the good translations available. Those translations were so good that I never felt that I am reading a translation. Even now I prefer to read in Sinhala but now used to read books in both Sinhala and English because now I know it is impossible to translate all the books in English language to Sinhala.

I can still recall the way I felt when I read a book. I couldn't have my meals without a book in my hand. (Ofcourse now I don't read a book during meals because it is impossible now). For every special occasion (Christmas, new year birthday etc..) I wanted a book. Visiting the Colombo International Book fair with my mother became a tradition in my life. Those books I collected for the past years now had become a mini library treasured by me more than my own life. I feel proud of myself when I look into those books because they represent my whole life which grows along with time. 

So I am a book worm and will be so for the rest of my life because they give me everything in my life to be proud of myself.

                               

 A stall from The Colombo International Book Fair

           The Public Library Colombo

The Pleasure of Writing Poetry

 

Writing was not at all my favourite in my childhood, specially when it comes to writing in English. Therefore I didn't know my capabilities of writing. I had won essay competitions but deep within me I had a feeling that I am a bad writer. I had always wanted to speak out my thoughts but I never had confidence to stand up and say how I think or feel.

Then suddenly it occurred to me that writing is a way of releasing out my thoughts. It could create a way for me to express how I feel. So I started. I let my bottled thoughts to flow away like a stream. Very strangely it was not prose but poetry that I created. I love poetry but always thought that it was far too standard for me, but now I know that it is the easiest way to express myself. So I wrote.

The feeling of it is unexpectedly satisfying. I was able to say the things which I did not know that existed within me. I had no intention of publishing them or anything but writing and reading my own poems made me rationalise things in my life. When I was reading my own work, I realised that there is a poet within me. 

Through my poems I was able to express my deeper feelings which I could not say verbally. It is very strange that words don't help you to express yourself when you utter them but they will portray you in a piece of paper when you write them. Your writing will make the reader think and feel yourself which a listener might not understand. So I write and now it has become one of my hobbies. 

Happiness and Rain

 

Rain makes my heart delighted whenever it happens. She calms my nerves and keeps my heart at ease in her own way. It is a pleasure to read a book while drinking coffee or sit by the fire and listen to your favourite love song but for me the greatest of all is that just to watch her flow and listen to her voice. It sometimes speaks gently to your ears and sometimes screams at the top of her voice. I often wonder what would those sounds tell me but never able to figure them out. I love to see those water coming down to earth washing everything below.

 She gives me a sense of  purity and a hope of a new beginning. I don't know the magic she has to make me forget the sorrows and pain of life while encouraging me to start afresh. Some say that rain brings them sorrow. Yes, sometimes it is bitter that you might want to shed your tears. But with those tears she takes down all your pain and sooths your mind. She helps you to reflect and learn from those bitter experience and wash away the pain. Thus for me happiness is watching and listening to the sound of the rain.