Paper poppies that go a long way
Have you bought your poppy? Sri Lanka and the world will mark Remembrance Day on November 11 (Tuesday) and city dwellers may have been accosted by the poppy sellers, urging them to buy a single blossom, a poppy wreath, flag or sticker for their vehicles . Sri Lanka has followed this tradition since colonial years [...]
Kenny G’s smooth sounds on the saxophone at Nelum Pokuna
Ever since the news that Kenneth Bruce Gorelick, better known to his fans the world over as Kenny G, was coming to Sri Lanka, his fans have been on a high. The incessant rains Colombo has experienced this past few weeks, have however, been a dampener, and determined not to entertain any more anxiety, the [...]
Letters
Accidents on expressways: Human limitations and other concerns Though at least six road deaths are reported every day, still we are unable to take effective measures to bring this alarming figure down. Adding to the problem are fatal accidents on our expressways. The traffic police often cite reasons such as high speed or sleepiness as [...]
How do we ‘handle’ national disasters?
In the aftermath of Koslanda everyone is an expert. Hindsight has 20:20 vision, and we can see farther than most pundits because we stand on the shoulders of some very perspicacious giants. So every Sri Lankan within earshot is holding forth in the same tone as monotonous disaster management bureaux; the same tenor as notorious [...]
Different strokes with a cricketing hero
The Cricket World Cup is not far away- just around 100 days away and though for many ardent cricket fans, the chance of seeing their cricketing heroes in action may well be a dream, for the youngsters of the Cricket Live Foundation, they got very close to it last Monday. It’s not every day you [...]
Segar back with his signature shapes and bold colours
The Segar Gallery at Cinnamon Lakeside looks as though it might overflow at any moment, its walls holding the artist’s works over many years; the paintings echoing his signature use of geometric shapes and exotic shades of colour. Following his most recent work done for World Habitat Day, Segar is busy with what will be [...]
Breaking barriers of social stigma
Anoja Rajapathirana was afraid no one would come. Yet the hall at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute was packed to overflowing last Tuesday with supporters, media and the children and families that the EASE Foundation works with. Envisioning ‘A World Where We All Belong’ the foundation launched an advocacy campaign designed to challenge the social [...]
Add life to silver age not merely years
Sri Lanka is on par with the highly developed Western countries in the world in terms of healthy life expectancy and longevity of its population. So much so it has been named the fastest ageing country in the region. Our older population is around 13% currently and is expected to hit a high figure of [...]
Why men behave the way they do
A new study is among the first of its kind in Sri Lanka – and its hearing from men that makes it so. ‘Broadening Gender: Why Masculinities Matter’ tackles the subject of gender-based violence, asking men, who are statistically many times more likely to be the perpetrators, questions about if and when they first committed [...]
Big lessons from young life of Arthur C. Clarke
While reading Nalaka Gunawardene’s latest Sinhala book, Tharu Atharata Giya Daruwa, on the childhood of Sir Arthur C. Clarke (1917-2008), I wanted to highlight the many lessons that can be learnt from the late author’s early life. I then discovered that Nalaka himself has done so in the final chapter. In writing this well-researched and [...]
Globe-jetting spreading the word of science
As the rain pelts down on Monday afternoon, it is not the mundane world of today that we discuss but for nearly two riveting hours, we go back in time, to the very beginnings of our universe. Guiding us back to the Big Bang and the three crucial minutes thereafter which gradually made the universe [...]
Sipping a cuppa at a tea estate in New Zealand
You could call it a serendipitous moment, coming across a lush tea estate in Auckland, New Zealand. Quite by accident, one of the places a group of us from Sri Lanka were stopping over for lunch while in Auckland on a weeklong trip recently was the Zealong Tea Estate. As we drove in, none of [...]
Don’t miss your chance of being part of a murder mystery
A historic colonial building, the atmosphere of the Roaring Twenties and a classic whodunit to keep you guessing throughout your meal is what is promised when the Mount Lavinia Hotel together with the Annix Group host Murder on the Orient Express – a Dinner Theatre experience on November 29. The event is already sold out [...]
Designs for that big day
The ‘Designer Wedding Show 2014’, Sri Lanka’s premier bridal fashion show now in its sixth year, was held at the Hilton Colombo Grand Ballroom on October 28. Organised and presented by the Bride and Groom magazine, the show unveiled the current trends for weddings. The show featured designer creations of some of the leading names [...]
Delightful Turkish Day
It was a feast of Turkish Food and music as Turkish National Day was celebrated in grand style on October 29 with a reception hosted by Ambassader Iskander Kemal Okyay at his Ward Place residence.
Seasonal delights with the De Lanerolle Brothers
Ushering in the season, the De Lanerolle Brothers Christmas show “The Night before Christmas” on December 3 at 7 p.m. at the Colombo Hilton, takes on a family oriented theme. The Brothers will be joined this year by the acclaimed Old Joes Choir who were crowned World Champions at the recently concluded World Choir Games [...]
Jehan gets real with Sinhala play
“Think a chorus meets Phantom meets Saw,” quips Jehan Aloysius when asked of the premise for his new play ‘Reality Show!’ That Jehan would describe his new work as experiential theatre is nothing unexpected, although the language he’s working in may surprise some. The director, well known for his takes on Shakespeare and plays like [...]
It’s time for Gratiaen Prize entries
Submissions for the Gratiaen Prize 2014 will open from December 1 to 31, 2014. Entries for the 2014 H.A.I. Goonetileke Prize for translation will also be accepted during the same period. Both prizes cover a wide range of genres including fiction, poetry, creative prose and literary memoir. More details on prize submission and regulations can [...]
Eight pianists in a musical potpourri
“An Evening of Musical Potpourri”, presented by the “UniKeys” -University Piano Ensemble of the Western Music Department at the University of Visual & Performing Arts (UVPA), will be held on Sunday, November 16 at 7 p.m. at the Russian Cultural Centre Auditorium, Colombo 7. The show is directed by Dr. Priyeshni Peiris Perera, a Senior [...]
Have a tuneful Christmas with Kishani
Christmas came early to the Kingsbury, not with tinsel and baubles and trees, but with the heavenly music of the season as Kishani Jayasinghe launched her debut CD ‘Christmas with Kishani’ last Sunday. It was an intimate gathering at the Victorian Room, a veritable who’s who in the music world, Kishani’s family and friends and [...]
Appreciations
J.M. Fernando An honest, thoughtful and considerate man It is three months since Michael passed away. I have not yet come to terms with the reality that he will not be here for me anymore. I miss his valuable advice and guidance. He was a man of few words, quiet, but very observant. He could [...]
NSB celebrates International Elders’ Day
The National Savings Bank, Borella, celebrated International Elders’ Day on October 1 in a novel manner, by inviting all the senior citizens who are account holders to attend a lecture on ‘Health for Senior Citizens’ by Dr Sriani Basnayake, former Medical Director of the Family Planning Association (FPA). The programme was initiated by the NSB’s [...]
A sing-along to raise funds for Cancer Hospital kitchen
A night of song and dance will be held on November 22 at the BMICH to raise funds to refurbish the kitchen of the National Cancer Hospital at Maharagama. Patients from all parts of the country are referred to the National Cancer Hospital for specialised treatment, while it also helps identify cancers in around 10,000 [...]
Appealing to the ‘Peacock Angel’
Washington DC, October 29: A delegation of top Yezidi spiritual and political leaders visited Washington DC recently (October 24-31) seeking support for their minority community in Iraq, which is under relentless assault by ISIS religious extremists, who consider the ancient religious minority to be pagans. In a visit deep in symbolic and historical significance, the [...]
CFS Prithipura Home annual sale and exhibition
The annual sale and exhibition of CFS Prithipura Home will be on November 12 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Lionel Wendt Memorial Art Centre. There will be a wide and exciting range of gifts, handicrafts, food, drinks and also items made by the inmates of the home. This is a fund raiser [...]
SLFUW AGM
The 73rd Annual General Meeting of the Sri Lanka Federation of University Women was held on Saturday, October 25. Before the AGM, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Colombo Dr. Kumari Hirimburegama, re-opened the Hostel Facility repaired by the SLFUW for the women undergraduates of the University of Colombo. At the AGM, the SLFUW [...]
Tagore, Gandhi and Dharmapala at ICC
Sambhashana – a programme of music, dance and discussion on Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, Mahatma Gandhi and Anagarika Dharmapala will be held on Wednesday, November 12 at 5 p.m. at the Indian Cultural Centre, Colombo, presented by the Tagore Society of Sri Lanka in collaboration with the Indian Cultural Centre. The presentations will be directed by [...]
What a night it was… it was
“Handapane handapane” a choir of children paid tribute to the Master’s simple yet immortal melody with devotion and the much awaited concert to commemorate maestro Sunil Santha’s 99th year of birth had begun. To everyone’s bewilderment, the concert was found to be a fully sponsored one with no ticket sales. It was meant only for [...]
Pusswedilla is a potentially explosive spark!
Under the rule of men entirely great, the pun is mightier than the gun. Also the sword. And the caricature unsightlier than the legislature. Pusswedilla’s fifth (and final?) outing with Thank You For Voting: The Antire Solooshen Summit proved that. In spades. Despite its detractors. The play Wily, smarmy, devious, egregious, charming (really, one runs [...]
