A life as colourful as his canvas
By the tender age of five, Mike Harridge was already an avid horticulturalist. He remembers his mother’s garden in their home in Havelock Town being crowded with fruit trees – jak, mango, guava and custard apple. For a little boy interested in the natural world, it was a paradise and he grew up on friendly [...]
Appreciations
Her calm manner belied her childlike capacity for fun | Yoshida Fernando Last Monday the Monday Group met for the first time since the passing of Yoshida Fernando two weeks ago. We met to celebrate her life and mourn the passing of this unique individual, who had been a part of this group from its inception, [...]
Letters to the editor
No one has special rights over Indian Ocean The term Indian Ocean is both obsolete and redundant to be used to call that vast ocean that was earlier called the Erythrean Sea and the Bay of Bengal with Ceylon at its hub serving the sea routes. After the enactment of the UN Law of the [...]
A fishing community’s prize catch
November 28 was a day of celebration for the villagers of Munnakkaraya, a fishing village in Negombo, as two of their own crossed the ocean to receive on their behalf the Help for Self- Help Award presented by the Stromme Foundation of Norway. Among the past recipients of this honour have been Nobel Prize winner [...]
Discovering the wonders of our region’s waters
Howard Martenstyn was only 12 years old when his brother threw him overboard. Cedric and he were on a boat off the coast of Trincomalee and Howard didn’t know how to swim. Suffice to say, he learned quickly. He adored his older brother and from him he also learned to love the world’s wild places [...]
Slim book packed with tidbits on snakes
Power-packed with detailed information is the latest book on snakes that comes from Prof. Senanayake Abeysinghe M. Kularatne. The second edition of ‘Snakes, Snakebite and Envenoming in Sri Lanka – A Handbook on the Management of Snakebite’ is a much improved version and has been meticulously put together essentially for doctors who are faced with the [...]
Striving for a people-centred legal system
“Justice delayed is justice denied”, the well-known dictum, is the theme of this book. In our age of professionalism in which all professionals are proud of their professions and love them, it is wonderful to come across one who loves his legal profession but loves humanity, which he is serving through it, more – hence [...]
Banking not just on style
Going beyond a building that simply catches the eye, the Hatton National Bank (HNB) Towers at T.B. Jayah Mawatha, Colombo 10 with its robustly solid structure and multitude of architectural feats symbolised the coming of age of contemporary Sri Lankan architecture. For architect Gemunu Perera, the HNB Towers represents a prized creation – after all, [...]
Seasonal musical fare from Neluka and her students
Kicking off the season’s celebrations in style, Neluka Seneviratne and her students will present ‘Christmas Fantasia’ next Sunday, December 8. Expect some beautifully smooth jazz numbers, rousing piano solos, string quartets and ensemble together with some trusty acapella as young singers and instrumentalists aged 5-28 take to the British School Auditorium stage. Neluka is no [...]
From traditional to new: The joy of Christmas with your favourite singers
Christmas isn’t truly Christmas until you find yourself humming a familiar seasonal tune. This year’s rendition of “Joy To The World” organised by the Archdiocese of Colombo and the Blessed Joseph Vaz Trust promises to be a concert packed with everything from traditional to contemporary carols. This year’s special addition to the star studded line [...]
‘Koralawelletaapasaya’ remembers the past
Way back in 1948 a young violinist of just 21 years of age was picked up to play in an orchestra providing music for a Sinhala film. That was the era when Sinhala films were made in India and with no recording facilities being available here, even the orchestra had to go across to do [...]
Winning shots on the catwalk
We are more accustomed to seeing them on the field battling to bring sporting glory to Sri Lanka but the national cricketers, past and present showed last Sunday that they can also rally to a cause when they took to the catwalk to raise funds for an initiative to reduce maternal mortality by the Sri [...]
Classical greats Hummel and Haydn on the trumpet
On rare occasions, Sri Lankan audiences get to listen to a concert that delivers excitement, humour, intellectual stimulation and most of all, sheer enjoyment. The German Embassy will celebrate its 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations with Sri Lanka, with the Orchestra of the Chamber Music Society of Colombo conducted by Leo Phillips, featuring the young [...]
Dancing into the hearts of children outside Colombo
In Sri Lanka, ballet is considered somewhat of a rich kid’s pastime. While quite a number of fledgling young ballerinas have already enrolled in one of the many classes offered that’s largely limited to Colombo. Most trained ballet instructors are loath to work in outstation areas; that’s what Ranmali Mirchandani, the first ever National Manager [...]
CAB takes on an artistic adventure of making history
Making History will be the theme of the 2014 Colombo Art Biennale (CAB14) – Sri Lanka’s leading international festival of contemporary art that will open to the public from January 31 to February 10. The provocative theme seeks to explore the artistic adventure of making history. It enquires into the contemporary aesthetic experience, from historical, present [...]
‘Reason for the season’ with The Revelations
“He is Christmas…Still” – their forthcoming show carries a lot of significance and meaning for the Revelations. “The title was chosen to bring out the true meaning of Christmas which is to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ which has been overtaken by the tinsel, baubles and lights,” explains the manager of the all-male group [...]
People and events
In the footsteps of her mother Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga recently visited the Peter Weerasekera Children’s Home which was inaugurated by her mother Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike 54 years ago. The school has been chosen as one of the best run homes in the country by the Department of Probation and Childcare. Picture shows Ms. [...]
A little bit of Christmas magic for Sunshine Charity
While most tsunami aid projects have watered down, the day care centre run by the Sunshine Charity is thriving, just as it has for the past nine years. “We were advised by UNICEF that the urgent need in 2004 was a day care centre for children affected by the tsunami” recalls a trustee of the [...]
Executive decisions – or every citizen’s dilemma?
I like living in Sri Lanka these days. At least, in Colombo. At last, it feels like a world-class city. Well, perhaps senior echelon ASEAN regional standard. All right then, upper-end neighbourhood South Asian. I mean, what’s not to like? The roads are good. Many avenues are tree-lined and most central boroughs have been spruced [...]