Saxophone man
He breezes out of the Hilton lobby, curls in the breeze, entourage and security personnel following. Kenny G has sold 75 million albums worldwide, set world records and worked with the likes of Toni Braxton, Michael Bolton, Celine Dion, Frank Sinatra and Aretha Franklin, but when he gets to the limo waiting outside, he packs [...]
Lankan Knight who saves mothers from death
Described as the “greatest living Sri Lankan” at an august international conference in Colombo recently, his credentials speak for themselves. Saving mothers from death is his expertise, for which Professor Sir Sabaratnam Arulkumaran, 66, has been bestowed with a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II. He is President of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics [...]
CJS goes wild with ‘Unforgettable’
Colombo Jewellery Stores (CJS) took a walk on the wild side last Tuesday when they launched ‘Unforgettable’, the store’s newest line based on Sri Lanka’s majestic elephants and wildlife heritage. CJS Chairman Akram Cassim, Brand Ambassador Jacqueline Fernandez and President of the Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society (SLWCS) Ravi Corea took centre stage at the [...]
A father to the people of Batticaloa looks back
The early 1990s were a bleak period for the people of Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province. The LTTE and the government battled for control, and civilians were caught in the middle of a vicious cycle of killings and revenge killings, abductions, disappearances, kidnappings for ransom and child recruitment. The people, too terrified to ask questions from [...]
Letters
Helping Hambantota case: Where politics and justice were mixed Rohan Abeywardene (RA) and many others have expressed concerns over the Helping Hambantota case. This letter is to convey another aspect to this case. Politicised rights This case will go down in the annals of the Supreme Court with dubious distinction. This is a rights case, [...]
Appreciations
Karunadasa Suriyarachchi A man of the people and the pen The news of the unexpected death of ‘Kasuri’ Aiyya (Karunadasa Suriyarachchi), came as a shock, particularly to the journalistic fraternity and his associates, because he was regarded as one of the few living legends in contemporary Sinhala journalism and also as someone who could correctly [...]
Odel decked out for Christmas
Unravelling their eagerly anticipated Christmas makeover with an equally dramatic and excited countdown, Odel welcomed the holiday season with “Love & Light” last Saturday. Looking up at a ceiling bedazzled by giant baubles and ornaments one would usually find atop the Christmas tree, the department store was a festive frenzy of shoppers, carols crooning in [...]
A cuppa and more with Kuruvita
The Dilmah t-Lounge on Chatham Street will host celebrity chef Peter Kuruvita to a tea-inspired Real High Tea on November 26 from 4.30 – 6 p.m. where guests can enjoy a rare interactive session with Peter himself. The menu for the Real High Tea with Peter Kuruvita will feature t-Lounge by Dilmah favourites such as [...]
Buzz goes on air
‘Buzz With Danu’, the longstanding column on Daily Mirror Life will make the transition from print to visual media as Danu Innasithamby prepares to take on a whole new communication medium with his show. The first episode airs on Hi!TV this Friday. Danu needs little introduction, being a regular on radio, TV and print for [...]
Pure voice and acapella by Victoria Chorale
Adding an international flavour to Colombo’s musical offerings this season will be The Victoria Chorale from Singapore who will perform at the Lionel Wendt on December 10. It will be a show of pure voice, no microphones, no speakers, just pure voice and acapella. A show for all who love intricate harmonies, it will also [...]
Sukomala Watha: Sinhala literary work in nadagama style
A dramatization of the great Sinhala literary work “Kavya Shekaraya”in the “nadagama” style, titled “ Sukomala Watha” ,will be staged today, November 23 – two shows at 3.30 pm and 6.30 pm at the New Town Hall on Nelum Pokuna Mawatha. The play is directed by the versatile Ananda Senaratne. Well known thespians such as [...]
Words for thought
Manuka Wijesinghe is in good spirits – despite the fact that she chose to keep the launch of her latest book low key. Though it is the third in the trilogy to appear, ‘Sinhala Only’ actually falls somewhere between ‘Monsoons and Potholes’ and ‘Theravada Man.’ With it Wijesinghe ventures into many a literary minefield, tackling [...]
Reality: Pity that it is not just a play…
For a theatrical presentation titled Reality Show, this original play had more than its fair share of suranganaa kathaa (fairy tales). What better way, perhaps, than to explore gritty knotty themes such as the subconscious mind, identity, and the labyrinth of human sexuality? Life, or ‘reality’, like this wrinkle in the weft of the play’s [...]
Beading together a better future
Piled ceiling high on neat wooden shelves, jars with beads of every conceivable variety, catch the sunlight and glisten in bright pinks, blues and greens. A psychedelic depository of colours and textures, the beads have long been Emerge Lanka’s way of empowering and mobilising young women who are as Charuni Ranchigoda says, “survivors of sexual [...]
A meeting point atop a hillock
It takes a mere 10 minutes from the exit of the Southern Expressway to leave tarred roads and billboards behind and reach a leafy village and paddy fields with the occasional peacock pecking about. Quite suitably titled, Villa Mayurana sits atop a hillock in seven acres of cinnamon. A privately owned house turned holiday home, [...]
Berlin to Battaramulla: A dream ride on two wheels and four
Six Sri Lankans completed an overland expedition travelling from Berlin to Battaramulla on four wheels and two on October 24. The 12,500 km route followed parts of the old hippie trail of the 60s and the historic Silk Road, and it was also the first time Sri Lankans had ever attempted this by motorcycle. The [...]
Letter from the past unfolds a human saga
My daughter-in-law hands me an old book, saying “Uncle Somasiri, I think you will find this interesting”. It is an old copy of Platé’s “The Hundred Best Views of Ceylon”, printed in the years of the First World War. The soft dark green paper cover is a bit tattered, but all the pages intact. Fascinated [...]
All set for trail blazing venture in drug industry
By early 2015, Dinara S. Gunasekera will be going to work at one of the best appointed laboratories to be found anywhere in the country. It will have cost many, many millions to equip, and between sustaining the in-house chemical library and buying the liquid helium that will be needed to maintain certain equipment the [...]
‘Sri Lankan Parliamentary System And Peoples’ Representative’ presented
The first copy of ‘Sri Lankan Parliamentary System and Peoples’ Representative’ a book in Sinhala by Ayesha Godagama, Research Officer, Parliament of Sri Lanka was presented to the Speaker, Chamal Rajapaksa at the Parliament Complex. A copy of the book was presented to W.B. Dhammika Dasanayake, the Secretary General of Parliament who is also in [...]
Lalith Athulathmudali Memorial Oration
The Lalith Athulathmudali Memorial Oration will be held on November 26 at the BMICH (Committee Room A) at 6 p.m. The oration will be delivered by Dr. Subramaniam Swamy, Ph.D. (Harvard), Member of BJP National Executive Committeeand former Cabinet Minister, Government of India. The subject of his address is ‘SAARC Reforms and Globalisation’. Prof. Sampath [...]
Serendipity & synchronicity
Of all the strange things that have made a lasting impression on yours truly, there are no two more charming concepts than these. One of them has been much touted as the happy art of making joyful discoveries. Now this ‘serendipity’ is synonymous with a more than pleasant surprise or a fortunate happenstance. The word [...]
Lions Club Miss Working Girl pageant 2015
The Miss Working Girl pageant; organised as a primary fundraiser by the Lions Club of Thimbirigasyaya District 306 C2, will be held for the 19th consecutive year in 2015, at the Galadari Hotel, Colombo. Entry coupons will appear in Daily Mirror, The Sunday Times and Lankadeepa. All working girls between the ages of 18 and [...]
Please help Roshel
P. Yelani Roshel de Silva, aged 12, has been diagnosed with severe thoracolumbar scoliosis that has seriously affected her spine. Doctors have suggested corrective surgery for which she has to be flown to India. The surgery will cost around Rs. 27, 000, 00. The family will be grateful for any financial aid which can be [...]
Award for founder of the Sri Lanka America Association
Jayam Rutnam received the main award at the Sri Lanka Foundation Awards, held on Sunday, November 16 at the Millenium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. The award was presented by Sri Lanka Foundation President, Dr. Walter Jayasinghe. Jayam, who has lived in Los Angeles for the past 50 years, was honoured for his work with [...]
WFB annual conference
The World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB) founded in Sri Lanka in 1950 by Prof. Gunapala Malasekera and other Buddhist leaders held their 27th annual conference in Shaanxi, China. Delegates from 47 countries participated. The Lankan delegates proposed the opening up of a World Buddhist Bank initiated by China which was accepted.
Kadambari launches “Journeys” jewellery collection
Kadambari is owned and run by Rashantha who has a passion for age-old cultures and their jewellery in particular. In her travels across South America, South East Asia, South Asia and the Middle East, she picks out beautiful pieces of jewellery and jewellery components that are then transformed into pieces of Kadambari jewellery. Kadambari will [...]
Pera Alumni get-together
The Colombo Chapter of the Alumni Association of the University of Peradeniya will hold its annual family get-together on Sunday, November 30 at the Eco Friendly Bird Park at No. 166, Buthgamuwa Road, Kalapaluwawa Itwo km from Rajagiriya junction) from 9.30 am. An array of activities such as games, competitions for young and old with [...]
Daisy Vittachi workshop and craft fair
Daisy Vittachi and her students will hold a Workshop and Craft Fair on November 29 at the J.R. Jayewardene Centre, Colombo 7 from 9.30 a.m. – 4.30 p.m. This annual sale provides an opportunity for many self-employed women to promote and sell their products and for others to grab some great bargain items such as [...]
