Beven’s back
Beven is back with a flourish of colour to bring to “life” the ordinary man on the street……..the youth who works in the shoe-shop and the trishaw driver who looks for fares close to his home in Negombo. Yes, George Beven, the octogenarian painter who spends his time between England and Sri Lanka will display [...]
“I had lunch with the Pope”
Imagine receiving a mail from the Vatican with the news that you have been chosen to visit another country to meet the most influential religious leader in the world? Jenukshan Colombas from Vavuniya thought it was all a prank. “I actually thought it was a spam mail,” he says with a laugh, but the invitation [...]
Letters to the Editor
Declining quality of Parliament debates: Who’s responsible? The poor quality of our politicians, their arrogance and lack of erudition become evident if one were to watch Parliamentary proceedings. Whenever an Opposition member raises a question on a matter of import it is treated with derision and instead of answering it for the benefit of the [...]
Appreciations
A kind-hearted, generous friend who will live on in our hearts Senarath Syambalangamuwa On August 10, 2013, I was listening to the Buddhist monk who was delivering the traditional ‘three months’ bana sermon after the passing away of a dear friend of ours. He was Senarath Syambalangamuwa, affectionately called ‘Tikka’ by everyone who was close [...]
Explore the memory of the ‘Sage of Koggala’
Vasantha Kumara (V.K) Wickramasinghe lingers at the doorway. This small house in Koggala has been the scene of many a happy memory for him…he reminisces fondly about cricket on the lawn with his brothers and evenings spent soaking in the stillness of village life. There’s more to this abode than happy childhood memories for him [...]
Giving Dona Catharina her due place
R. Batty Weerakoon is better known as a political activist who has, for more than six decades, been in the forefront of the leftist movement of Sri Lanka. Now, retired from active politics, he’s taken the time to research and write a book on the life of a prominent figure in local history Kusumasana Devi [...]
Pellets: Solid solution to twin problems
Urban waste management and the need to increase farmers’ access to organic fertilizers are pressing problems for Sri Lanka. Questions of substandard fertilizer have caused controversy in the past, while the lackadaisical approach to garbage disposal has not been solved. It may seem daunting to address both these issues in one go, but the Central [...]
Built to please
Partying is a part of the scene in any chapter of the life of Ceylon or Sri Lanka, as it is a part of the Ceylon/Sri Lanka chapter in the life of Ulrik Plesner, the modernist Danish architect who lived here from 1958 to 1967 and worked with architect Geoffrey Bawa. The architect’s recently published [...]
Are some of us barking mad?
A funny thing happened on the way to the dog show. The dog, who was man’s best friend, became human. It used to be said that woman, before she became man’s equal, would have to prove that she was his superior. That the same thing has happened with Canis lupis familiaris is being discussed in [...]
Stepping into the old soul of Turkey
The past is just a glance away. Alongside the busy highways and crowded streets are the magnificent reminders of Istanbul’s storied past. For this modern city was once Byzantium to the Greeks, then Constantinople, the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, and subsequently came to be known as Istanbul, the heart of the Ottoman Turkish [...]
Don’t feel alone, there’s someone you can reach out to
In Sri Lanka, on an average, 12 persons die by suicide every single day of the year. And for each person who dies by suicide, at least 10 others fail in their attempt to end their life. Worldwide, suicide is now among the three leading causes of death among those aged 15 to 44 years. [...]
Have you seen our gentle Rambo?
It was about 10-15 years ago that a big bull elephant was sighted regularly along the electric fence bordering the Thanamalwila Road that runs adjacent to the UdaWalawe National Park (UWNP). He was named Rambo. His demeanour was far from the real life movie Rambo, in that he was quite a calm character, who just [...]
After work, it’s home to “Sweet Crumble” and “Pom Pom Fete”
After baking goodies for friends and family, Subashini Loganathan, the Chief Operating Officer of Holmes Pollard and Stott Advertising turned her passion into a home business. She credits her artistic flair to her family and is grateful for the constant encouragement received by her aunt. “She pushed me to venture into the kitchen. When I [...]
Lighting up traditional art and craft
Carmen Perera’s lovely home down Ward Place is lit almost entirely by lamps she designed herself. In a range of shapes and sizes, they’re made of woven wicker and intricately fashioned brass, some are suspended from the ceiling, others rest on beautiful wooden stands, Sri Lankan motifs painted along their curving surface. In fact, Carmen [...]
Sister art by Kiara and Anya
Ten-year-old Kiara and six-year-old Anya are both pupils of Ladies’ College, Colombo, where arts and crafts are greatly encouraged and students are free to explore and widen their horizons through projects and exhibitions. Kiara started painting at the Sapumal Foundation in 2006 under Aunty Noeline who first introduced her to the wonders of various forms [...]
A silent world that resounds with his inventions
There’s a peculiar looking bicycle parked outside the office. A piece of paper attached to its rear reads – “Built by a deaf-mute!” As a crowd gathers around Yasapala Ramachandra, the proud inventor of the home-made motor-powered bicycle comes forward, picks up a pen and paper and writes his name in beautiful flowing letters. Our [...]
When the Portuguese came to South Asia
Portuguese intervention in Indian Ocean trade and their missionary zeal were inevitably entangled. “Christians and Spices” were on the agenda from the outset. Being the first Europeans to engage in direct economic deals with Asians, the Portuguese were entering a zone that was largely unfamiliar to them culturally. Asian customs were moulded by ancient philosophies [...]
Waste wood creation wins gold at Shilpa 2013
Intricate workmanship is the hallmark of our handicrafts. While there is a tendency to work on the same themes, as noticed at the recent Shilpa 2013 – the annual exhibition organised by the National Crafts Council – there was at least a handful of items where the craftsmen had tried to be innovative and move [...]
People and events
University of Peradeniya Alumni Association to stage ‘Puthra Samagama’ The Colombo Chapter of the Alumni Association of the University of Peradeniya will stage Dr. Jayalath Manorathne’s ‘Puthra Samagama’ at the New Town Hall, Green Path, Colombo 7 on September 7 at 6.30 p.m.Jayalath along with Chandani Seneviratne, Rathna Lalani, Janaka Kumbukge, Sampath Tennekoone, Sarath Chandrasiri, [...]
Duo Quito Pedrosa and Marco Tommaso bring Brazilian music to Colombo
Colombo will have the rare experience of sampling a taste of the most popular genres of Brazilian music, like “samba”, “choro” and “baião”, when composer and saxophonist Quito Pedrosa and pianist Marco Tommaso perform at the Russian Cultural Centre on September 6, at 7 p.m. The duo will present a repertoire of classical themes of [...]
See the best of Latin and Ballroom at Dancesport 2013
It’s today! Expect an unforgettable evening when Dancesport 2013 takes place today, September 1 at the Hilton Grand Ballroom. Competitors and judges are from 10 countries; England, Italy, China, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Sri Lanka. Dancers from Hong Kong, Thailand and Malaysia – three professional couples will compete in the Latin [...]
Supreme Sangha Council of Kotte elects new General Secretary
Venerable Professor Kotapitiye Rahula Thera has been elected as the General Secretary of the Supreme Sangha Council of Kotte Chapter of Siam Maha Nikaya recently. Venerable Rahula is a Professor of the Department of Pali and Buddhist Studies, University of Peradeniya. He is also the Chief Incumbent of Bodhi Raja Maha Viharaya, Thalpitiya, Wadduwa. He [...]
Promoting women in a man’s world
Professor Veena Sikri still remembers coming to Colombo in 1976 for the 5th Non-Aligned Summit. Her strongest impression was of Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike, one woman amidst a sea of men, standing her ground. Veena Sikri will never forget meeting Mrs. Bandaranaike because she knows what it’s like-and what it takes- to be a woman [...]
