Shaping minds
If you’ve ever been stuck in traffic at the Borella kanatte (cemetery) junction, then you would have spent a few seconds drinking in the sweeping curves of the British School in Colombo. Set against the backdrop of other high-rise buildings, nestled in the heart of the city with the disparate worlds of the very much [...]
Letters
Noise pollution: Police turn a deaf ear I have been in this beautiful country travelling from place to place but the unbearable noise of the bread seller has been disturbing. Bus drivers and tipper drivers use their loud horns at junctions and traffic lights but the Police turn a deaf ear. I was shocked to [...]
Why I didn’t vote – and why that matters not!
It’s been a week. And some of my family and friends are still not talking to me. Because – unlike many if not most of them – I didn’t make the by-now all-too-familiar jaunt down to the polling booth. Now don’t get me wrong, dears. Usually, I vote. But not this time. And it cost [...]
All that’s sweet and more with Kitul
With the cry of the Koha and all the advertising over the media it’s evident that the Avurudu season is upon us. From the songs, the aroma of sweetmeats in the air and all the festivities, the traditional sports and other revelry so many elements go into the festival everyone looks forward to. Speaking of [...]
On a sailboat round Lanka
For the past 10 years Jeremy Bolling has had one thing to cross off on his ‘to-do’ list. Laughing that he didn’t tell people about it simply because they would think he was “a nutty empty vessel”, Jeremy secretly harboured the desire to circumnavigate Sri Lanka. When he spoke to his friends at the Ceylon [...]
Off to Kumamoto to see Japan’s famed cherry blossoms
“The Sakura flower is extremely beautiful, but its splendour does not last long. A few days after blossoming, the flower starts to disintegrate, reminding us of the uncertainty of life,” said Nobuko, my Japanese colleague explaining how the Japanese view the cherry blossom season. The Sakura’s bloom marks the arrival of spring, as the trees [...]
Space and clean lines with a touch of fun
It seems that every spare perch of beach along the west coast from Bentota via Induruwa and Kosgoda to Balapitiya, is being walled off by new hotels. However, look carefully and there are a few villa and bungalow style hotels defying the urge to expand and which retain the reassuring calm of a small exclusive, [...]
An unmatched legacy in Sinhala cinema
Dr. Lester James Peries celebrated his 95th birthday yesterday, Saturday, April 5. Today as he quietly rests in retirement, as a tribute to this Sri Lankan filmmaker who crafted an unsurpassable legacy on celluloid we can dwell on what LJP has presented as his official biographical account covering his entire body of work in the [...]
‘Political Kitsch’ with a barbed edge
Pushpakumara’s early works have been expressionistic and his theme was mostly about the self and private life signed with tormented human figures. Those works were made with quick, sketchy and gestural brush strokes – in short they were kind of painted-drawings. Soon after the end of the 30-year war in 2009 Pushpakumara’s work took a [...]
For some it’s discards but for him it’s art
About an hour away from Colombo en route to Gampaha, motorists are bound to do a double take at the life-sized bronze elephant standing on the side of the road. A closer look and you see it’s made entirely of cogwheels from children’s bicycles- a trademark sign that you have entered Prageeth Manohansa’s territory. For [...]
Land of the animals
As if in personal greeting, struts the beautiful peacock, vainly displaying the stunning colours of his fan-like tail. It is not a greeting to us though, but the dance of the peacock to attract a partner from among a few peahens moving around, which scrupulously or is it coyly, ignore his amorous overtures. For the [...]
Nature at its best
“Wild Clicks” a collection of wildlife photography by Sriyan De Silva Wijeyeratne, to be launched today, offers both the avid photography buff and anyone who typically appreciates nature at its best, 184 pages of over 125 animal species as seen through the lens of this enthusiastic amateur photographer. With pictures recorded across the last five [...]
So you found some old currency…
As a collector, with an educational Internet website on coins on Lanka, I frequently get questions about the value of coins in people’s possession. A few weeks ago I got an unusual question, which read: Dear sir, On a casual day there were a few people in our neighbourhood willing to pay Lankan rupees 5000 [...]
A vindictive king and the fall of the Kandyan Kingdom
Almost two centuries ago to the very year, the British who were ruling the coastline of Sri Lanka were contemplating the invasion of the Kandyan kingdom. When the invasion did materialise in early 1815 followed by occupation, there was a remarkable lack of resistance for a kingdom that was legendary for its own defence. From [...]
Colombo Philharmonic presents “Olivet to Calvary”
The sacred cantata “Olivet to Calvary” will be presented this Passiontide by the Colombo Philharmonic Choir on Wednesday, April 16 at St. Andrew’s Scots Kirk, Galle Road, Colombo 3. This early-20th century work by the British composer John Maunder, recounts the events of the last few days of the earthly life of Jesus Christ as [...]
Setting the mood for those blues
Stopping by in Colombo last week, the Olivier Franc Trio delighted jazz fans when they played by the Kingsbury poolside in the cool of the evening. The event was sponsored by Easy Lanka with Quintessentially, La Francophonie, Sol Spectrum and the Kingsbury Hotel.
Mozart would have liked a conductor on stage
Mozart was the main draw for this member of the audience at the recent Chamber Music Society of Colombo concert at the Lionel Wendt Theatre. The event was tagged “From Venice to Vienna” and featured the music of Rossini, J. S. Bach, C. P. E. Bach, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The Chamber Music Society is [...]
Playing mnemonics with Mozart
Mnemonics are tricks to help you remember things, such as names and numbers. For example, Mozart lived for only 35 years. We live at No. 35, ___ Lane, Colombo 3. Forming a mental image of the great Amadeus standing at our gate would preserve indelibly the fact of his age at the time of his [...]
Indian beauties add glam to Hameedias FH collection
Sri Lanka’s leading menswear specialist Hameedia took to the stage with the Femina Miss India 2014 finalists at the fashion show which was a part of their pre-pageant tour to Sri Lanka, organised by Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts. The fashion show was held to showcase Sri Lankan designers whilst promoting Sri Lanka as a tourist [...]
Of style and life
The world of fashion and beauty is an exciting and thrilling one, bestowing on its high profile personalities an enviable level of glamour. Beneath this surface however, lies a demanding industry that requires a high level of determination and above all talent to achieve success. Among the icons of fashion and beauty in Sri Lanka [...]
Go ethnic with Aszai Studio
Aszai Studio, a multi-brand retail outlet recently launched its flagship store at 3 Sulaiman Terrace, Colombo 5 with many prominent business personalities, socialites and fashionistas present at the opening. With a range of products from home ware, linen, accessories, abayas, sarees to ethnic wear, Aszai stocks brands such as Legacy Linen, My Studio, Amante, Aala [...]
Christopher Ondaatje has a chat with the Ghost of Glenthorne
My uncle used to talk of the legends and superstitions of Exmoor when I was a schoolboy at Blundell’s in the 1940s, having left my family in Ceylon to gain an English education. He was the vicar of Timberscombe in Somerset. You can tell the number of years before you will be married by hanging [...]
What the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya taught me
My wife Lilani and I consider our years spent in ‘Peradeniya’ ( I refer here to the institution as much as to its ambience) among the most enriching and enjoyable of our lives to-date. Each time we return to these idyllic surroundings, we re-live our warm and fond memories of times spent by the banks [...]
Leopards leap from the pages as do other wildlife
The last few years have seen a number of books published in the portfolio genre on Sri Lankan wildlife. My first impressions are that this is one of the best. A good combination of clean, crisp images and a simple but elegant design allow the images to speak for themselves. The images are stunning. Not [...]
In the wonderland of the young
Book facts Asiri’s Quest by Prashani Rambukwella. Popsicle Books, 2013. Reviewed by Carmen Wickramagamage L.P. Hartley once famously said that “(t)he past is a foreign country: they do things differently there.” One could say the same of childhood. It is in some ways a ‘foreign country’ which, once our entry permits have expired, few adults [...]
Appreciations
A father figure held in high esteem Victor Santiapillai Victor Santiapillai is no more. But his legacy will go on for many more generations. We remember him as the founder Chairman of the Export Development Board (EDB), which was established by act of parliament in 1979. Each and every employee of the EDB irrespective of [...]
Letter from the Pope
In an age where emails and SMSs are the preferred mode of communication and it is mostly the monthly bills that arrive by post, it was a pleasant surprise for Francis Bennett Peiris of Chilaw to learn that there was a letter for him from Pope Francis. Mr. Peiris had in January 2014 written a [...]
Dr. Leena Chandhi Dharmarathne receives PhD
Dr. Leena Chandhi Dharmarathne, née Devendra graduated from the University of Melbourne, Australia with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree from the Faculty of Medicine. The graduation ceremony was held in December 2013 at the Wilson Hall of the University of Melbourne, Parkville main campus. She was conferred her PhD by the Chancellor of the [...]
RAASL 7th Annual Research Conference
The Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka held its 7th Annual Research Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences on March 27, 28 and 29 at the Mahaweli Centre. The chief guest was Chairperson of the University Grants Commission Prof. Kshanika Hirimburegama. Also in the photo are Prof. Ranjith Senaratne, Vice Chairperson of UGC, Prof. Y.S. [...]
JASTECA CSR Awards
The Japan-Sri Lanka Technical and Cultural Association (JASTECA) recently presented the amended Guidelines & Best practices in preparation for its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Awards competition to be announced in July 2014. JASTECA, launched the CSR Awards alongside its 5S and Kaizen initiatives to encourage businesses and other organisations to have a CSR policy along [...]
Holy Week services
St. Philip Neri’s Church, Pettah (opposite the Fort Station) will hold the following services during Holy Week. All services are in English unless indicated otherwise. April 13 – Palm Sunday -Masses (as on other Sundays): 7.00, 8.00, 9.00 and 11 a.m., 12.10, 5.15 and 6.30 p.m. April 17 – Holy Thursday -5.00 p.m. – Holy [...]
SLMA Executive Committee members
Following are the Executive Committee members of the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) for 2014. -President: Dr Palitha Abeykoon -President-Elect: Prof. Jennifer Perera -Immediate Past President: Dr B.J.C. Perera -Vice Presidents: Dr Indika Karunathilake & Dr Lasantha Malavige -Honorary Secretary: Dr Ruvaiz Haniffa -Honorary Assistant Secretaries: Dr Navoda Atapattu, Dr Shihan Azeez, Dr Dinesha Jayasinghe [...]
The elephant in the room
Pix by Indika Handuwela “V Day”, the annual let-it-all-out session organised by The Grassrooted Fund took place for the fourth time last week at the Barefoot Gallery Café. The event featured ten performances in Sinhala, Tamil and English all on the theme- “The elephant in the room”-the elephant being sexuality, the role it plays in [...]
Books presented to needy children
The founder of the the Pragna Pradeepa concept and former Western Provincial Councillor Jayantha De Silva, presented books to the needy children of the 189 Watta of Torrington Mawatha, Colombo 5, recently.
Lecture on ‘Historical Relations with Thailand’
The Sri Lanka Thailand Society has organised an Illustrated lecture on “Reconstructing the Past- Sri Lanka’s Historical Relations with Thailand’ by Dr. Hema Goonatilake on Tuesday, April 8 at 5.30 p.m. at the Auditorium of the Organisation of Professional Associations of Sri Lanka (OPA), 275/75, Prof.Stanley Wijesundera Mw, off Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 7. The lecture [...]
