LOST !
“The lake is only a short hike into the forest, I can show you!” the ranger said. And so we went from the little town of Deniyaya to the edge of the Sinharaja rainforest, a World Heritage Site for its amazing variety of life. I put liquid soap on my shoes to deter the leeches [...]
Appreciations
Anula Gopallawa Kapuwatta She personified the noble Kandyan tradition An aristocratic Kandyan lady Amila Kapuwatte was one of the few deeply engrossed in the Kandyan social ethos. She was a charismatic leader in a society now prioritised by money and power. The trail of memories she left are still green and will be forever etched [...]
Letters
All’s fine with beautifying Colombo, but spare the trees There is much paving taking place around the city of Colombo. No doubt when it is all completed, Colombo will look squeaky clean and tidy. Unfortunately, the paving will add more heat to the city atmosphere. They will act as heat soaks. Ever wondered why Dubai [...]
Step into this room, and step back in time
The men sit around the table in solemn conference but they don’t mind when the caretaker W.A Samson interrupts to put a bucket on the table. On rainy days, the roof above the mannequins leaks and Samson is their first line of defence. Much of the beautiful old Town Hall building in Pettah is in [...]
Queen’s Baton Relay kicks off on a typical ‘English’ wet weather day
On a rainy afternoon on Saturday, October 19, 16 school children (representing the 16 Commonwealth values- accompanying the Commonwealth Games Baton) heralded the launch of the Queen’s Baton Relay kicked off with veteran athlete Sriyani Kulawansa leading the way at Independence Square. The Queen’s Baton Relay is the Commonwealth Games equivalent of the Olympic torch [...]
‘A Soldier’s Version’: An inside look at crucial operations against the LTTE over the years
On the night of July 23, 1983, when Army intelligence officer Sarath Munasinghe, serving in the rank of Major drove in the dead of night towards Thirunelveli junction in Jaffna from his camp at Gurunagar to investigate an explosion that had taken place a short while earlier, he had no idea that the scene had [...]
Drawing attention to a sad state of affairs
I first met Eric de Silva in the mid- 1970’s when I was in the Attorney-General’s Department and he was a Senior Assistant Secretary (Defence). Since that time he has held key positions in public administration as the Government Agent of Trincomalee and later as Additional Secretary to the President and Education Secretary. He had [...]
‘Udugangbala’ : A tribute from son to father
The celebration of the 75th anniversary of a not-so well known school in a not-so prominent locality is indeed a big occasion for the students, teachers, parents and residents of that area. Even more significant is the fact that there are still individuals who go out of their way to look for the pioneers who [...]
The flame to learn still burns
Girlish voices raised in joyous song, ‘Brown girl in the ring’ they sing with gusto, while across the grounds there is no ‘ring’ but a sole punching bag which students take turns to beat up. The girls are preparing for an island-wide singing competition while the young boxers have already proven their mettle, even with [...]
Where has the Man in Sarong gone?
S o when was the last time we saw a Man in a Sarong? Come to think of it, not too recently. He seems to have stepped off the map. These days, you would have to go out into the country to see the typical Sri Lankan male in typical indigenous male attire. Till late [...]
Eshantha fund-raising for free album
Eshantha Joseph Peiris estimates it will cost him $4,500 to produce his first album – but he’ll be giving it away for free. At the time of writing, the pianist had already raised close to half the amount on the crowd-funding site Indiegogo. Fans who went online to donate to the cause will receive something [...]
Stage rocker a right show-stopper
Few local adaptations of Broadway musicals by amateur casts are capable of even projecting a trace of their original versions. Indeed, many which have dared to experiment with such modification have often been evaluated as frightfully freakish imitations which are often a blushing ignominy to their renowned creators. Not so with Jerome de Silva’s adaptation [...]
Ah! for the sheer pleasure of peace
“Fashionably nostalgic” is the phrase that sprang to mind as I discovered the unexpected delights of the Kirinda suite at The River House. The setting alone is a reminder of a more gracious era, reassuringly tranquil with the sun reflecting off the placid waters of a broad river. With a houseman summoned by ringing a [...]
Taming the mind amidst pristine beauty
England’s lovely Lakes District made for the perfect setting for a magical fortnight two months ago. Picturesque and peaceful, the lakelands of the northern county of Cumbria are infused with a pastoral beauty that moved poets and authors to settle down there and pen works that echoed across the world. William Wordsworth is said to [...]
Hameedia’s fashion forecast for real men
It was set to be an evening of sleek, futuristic menswear and that it certainly was. But the real star of Concept 2014 was undoubtedly the cause it supported. Fouzul Hameed’s My Friend initiative raised over Rs. 2 million from an auction of three items alone; Colombo, it turns out, is not as tight-fisted as [...]
Picture perfect bridal show
Last Saturday saw the unveiling of the biggest bridal show as the title, “Brides of Sri Lanka-A 100 Brides” indicated. Organised by the Brides of Sri Lanka magazine to mark their 25th edition as well as the launch of their coffee table book, the glamour event took place at the Cinnamon Grand. On the ramp [...]
Stamping sustainability on the ramp
This year’s Sri Lanka Design Festival organised by the Academy Of Design (AOD) saw the Sustainable Fashion Runway being brought to the forefront once again on October 11. The show featured a series of contemporary fashion collections that were environmentally sustainable and socially conscious-an apt reflection of the festival’s vision. The collections recycled waste material [...]
Casino Colombo: Game’s on, but all bets are off!
Good thing I’m not a betting man, dears. Or else I’d be tempted to inveigle you into a little side wager between us. You, being an honest tax cheat and upright citizen, who never gets caught doing anything underhanded, would be naively intrigued by its simplicity. I, a cynic, sceptic, lover of the human heart’s [...]
Successful health campaign at Wijeya Newspapers
The two-day health campaign, “Theweni Asata Suwaya Sadamu” organised by the Welfare Society of Wijeya Newspapers Limited together with the Ministry of Health was successfully held on October 21 and 22 at the head office of Wijeya Newspapers at Hunupitiya Cross Road, Colombo 2. As 2013 is dedicated to the prevention of non-communicable diseases, the [...]
Funds from sell-out concert provide gifts for needy students
Sri Lanka cricketer Kumar Sangakkara and popular singing duo, the De Lanerolle Brothers joined hands to raise funds for the Bikes for Life campaign and the Deaf and Blind School Ratmalana, the charities they support through a sell-out concert on February 5. On May 30, 105 bicycles were purchased and gifted to needy students from [...]
SAWF hold musical concert
Women’s rights is a charged topic in many parts of our country but also in other countries as well especially in the Asian region. A group of women, wanting their voices to be heard began the South Asian Women’s Fund, a regional fund operating in India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh with its base in Sri Lanka. [...]
National Trust lecture: Tesavalami and its application
K. Kanag- Iswaran, PC, will deliver a lecture on ‘Tesavalami and its application’ at 6.30 p.m. on Thursday October 31. This will be a Memorial Lecture in memory of pioneer historian Dr. G.C.Mendis (1893-1976). The lecture is the 56th in the Monthly Lecture Series of the National Trust – Sri Lanka and will be held [...]
Library offers free membership for National Reading Month
The National Library and Documentation Centre, Independence Drive, Colombo 7 will offer free library membership for the next two weeks in view of the National Reading Month that falls in October. Applications and membership cards can be obtained from the main counter at the Reader Services Division between 8.30 a.m. – 4.15 p.m. on Mondays, [...]
SLAF gound combat course get-together
The annual get-together of the 33rd Ground Combat & Battle Training Course (1969) of the Sri Lanka Air Force will be held on November 15 at Stable Hill Camp, Diyatalawa. All course mates are requested to contact Rohan Wijekoon (0714436532 ) for further details.
Schoolchildren illustrate Sri Lanka-German diplomatic relations
Sixty years of Sri Lanka-German diplomatic relations seen through the eyes of children will be the theme of an art exhibition to be held at the Goethe Institut, Colombo 7 from October 29-31. The participating children, mostly from far flung areas, come from different ethnic backgrounds, speak different languages from Sinhala, Tamil to German and [...]
HFC Outreach Programme hosts children from Vakarai
They came, they saw and they had fun. For some children from Vakarai, 41 in all, it was their first experience of the metropolis. The invitation to come to Colombo was extended by the Outreach Programme of Holy Family Convent, Bambalapitiya, whose students had, in August, visited the Vakarai Arundathy Primary Tamil Vidyalayam (Grades 1 [...]
