Our Neighbour Bryan - 1

Our Neighbour Bryan - Part 1

Before I delve into Bryan's story, I feel I must first share this background. Reflecting on those times, I’ve learned to view some of my mistakes with more leniency. Perhaps my experiences will be useful to others as well.

When my father passed away, I was pursuing an MSc in Information Technology at South Bank University in London, with only the final part of the program left to complete. During the Soviet era, we had been taught the FORTRAN programming language as part of our thesis module, so I had some background in IT. Additionally, I had completed AutoCAD and 3D AutoCAD courses under the City and Guilds program.

At that time, my wife Ines and I took out a mortgage on a flat, as we were arranging to bring my father over to live with us. However, his health, already fragile due to liver problems, deteriorated rapidly, and he became critically ill. I returned to Sri Lanka for his funeral, then came back to London to complete my MSc.

My supervisor, Larisa Fredkin, was a Russian professor who had also been educated under the Soviet system. She had studied at Leningrad Polytechnic (now Saint Petersburg Polytechnic University). Larisa gave me valuable advice, particularly about learning the technical English terms used in the IT field. Back then, publications like Computer Weekly were a great resource.

At South Bank, I learned database design and the C programming language. The database system we studied was called dBase. For my thesis, however, I had to create a small program in C++. Larisa suggested that we save our work on floppy disks and mail them to ourselves as a way to establish copyright records. I still have that floppy disk today.

During that period, I ran a small computer repair and software installation business called Chips and Bytes. I also worked for a Tamil lawyer named Ranjithakumaran at his firm, Ranjith & Co. My network engineer, Nuray Kozangi, was a Turkish friend I had met during lectures at South Bank. Nuray and her husband Bulant remain close friends of ours, and even today, Ines and I enjoy Saturday and Sunday walks with them. They also introduced us to Turkish cuisine, which we’ve grown to love.

At Ranjith’s firm, we set up the first computer network and installed a Windows system. Ranjith wanted all his client details in a database and asked his legal secretaries to process letters on the computer. Using free software that came with computer magazines—such as Lotus Notes, which included both a database and a word processor—I developed a system for managing client information and generating letters efficiently. This case management system allowed the firm to open case files for clients and perform tasks seamlessly.

However, the firm’s secretaries were resistant to the system, fearing it would make their jobs redundant. Eventually, I sold the system to another company and began searching for more clients. Unfortunately, I lacked marketing skills and charged far less than I should have for my work.

In England, children are taught about entrepreneurship from an early age. My older daughter, Shania, is a good example of this. She refuses to undervalue her work. Once, when a Tamil family asked her to draw a portrait of their grandfather, she charged thirty-five pounds. I suggested she reduce the price out of sympathy, but she replied, "Daddy, why should I sell a painting that I worked on for hours and days for a low price?" Eventually, I convinced her to lower it to twenty-five pounds, which still seemed high to me. She also designs t-shirt patterns, which she sells at a premium, saying she’s selling her talent.

Sometimes I wonder if I undervalued myself in those days. We were taught not to promote ourselves, to remain in the background, afraid to raise our hands. We weren’t encouraged to market our skills, and criticism was more common than encouragement. Such a mindset wouldn’t succeed in a capitalist society—and arguably not even in a socialist one.

Realizing I wasn’t cut out for marketing, I decided to look for a job. I encouraged Nuray to do the same. One day, I came across an ad in a local newspaper for a programmer or computer engineer at a company that provided computer services to law firms. The company was called DPS (Document Processing System). I applied and got the job—not as a programmer initially, but later I worked on developing a case management system. This was in 1999.

I should mention that back then, Ines was working as a reservations agent at Delta Airlines. She frequently traveled around the world, including trips to the USA, using the free tickets she received. Despite having access to these free tickets, I never traveled to the USA at the time because I was strongly anti-American and anti-business. Funny how things change, isn’t it? 😀

I’ll tell the story of how I met Bryan next week.

- Ajith Dharmakeerthi 20/11/2024