Whilst having my birthday breakfast with my good friend Jill Lawday begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting in Kingston’s Frank B’s Diner, we were served by a very happy and pleasant person, Kapila Amarasinghe.
Phillip Holt and Kapila Amarasinghe in Frank B’s Diner
He had time to make sure that he took our order correctly, to make us feel at home and at ease.
Obviously not from the UK, I asked where did he originate from, and he said Colombo in Sri Lanka.
I have spent many days giving training in Sri Lanka on many visits, especially staying in the very old Swimming Club of Colombo, and in the next few weeks I hope to return.
I told Kapila my association with Sri Lanka, and what a wonderful place I had found it, but not what I actually did there.
The time came when Jill and I had finished our breakfast, and it was time to leave, so I went to the till.
Kapila, again being very friendly wished me well, then mentioned that he had been involved with the Sri Lanka tennis team, along with Maxwell de Silva.
“What? Where did that name come from? Why did he name Maxwell de Silva?“. Questions raced through my mind.
I was in shock.
Maxwell de Silva and I have worked together for a number of years, being co-directors of a company we formed, NLPNOW-Lanka, to provide training in Sri Lanka.
I never mentioned what I did in Sri Lanka, or my associations with people there, and yet Kapila and I had a common friend.
Here I am in the UK, and Maxwell in Sri Lanka, and suddenly, there is a direct link between us.
It’s a small world, you will never know who you may bump into on your travels.