Living in hope that Hiruni is among the living
A decade has passed by, but the small-size red toothbrush of a child still hangs amidst the adult ones in the bathroom of a home down Somadevi Place in Kirullapone. The photograph of a beautiful little girl in a party dress with flowers in her hair has pride of place in the sitting room. The [...]
Letters
Election issues for the ‘Haves’ My recent ‘walk-about’ in the city and ‘social chatter’ reveal that a not-insignificant minority of middle and upper class voters continue to live in their self-built soft cocoons and look primarily to their immediate comfort zones in deciding on who they should vote for at the forthcoming Presidential election. The [...]
The ties that bind: State of the railways…
Yesterday the Sri Lanka Railway (SLR) passed a milestone: 150 years of operations (though technically, founded in 1858). It was on December 27, 1864 that SLR’s first passenger train ran, 54 kilometres from Colombo Fort to Ambepussa, the then terminus on the main line. As administrators and aficionados alike commemorated the event a century and [...]
Famed garden, castle and taste of lobsters; head to Kalutara
You don’t need to travel a long distance to have a great break with your family or friends. Just 30 km from Colombo, Kalutara is a vibrant destination, well worth a visit and that is what the Sunday Times did as part of its ‘All In A Day’ travel series. Our first pick of the [...]
Spreading the word of English in universities across the country
Recently a news item highlighted a significant milestone in the history of University English in Sri Lanka — the awards ceremony held to honour those who had completed the University Test of English Language (UTEL). It is indeed gratifying to note that UTEL, a concept mooted more than 10 years ago has finally been implemented [...]
A rare and beautiful evening at the Trinity College chapel
The Choir of Jesus College, Cambridge is not easily matched. They have performed across the globe, most recently on stages in Ukraine, Germany, Switzerland and the USA, mastering well known and challenging choral works including Bach’s St. Matthew’s Passion and Faure’s Requiem. Some of the world’s largest classical recording labels including Naxos have undertaken producing [...]
Wrinkled and lined but still rolling on!
Earlier this year, my niece who lives in Australia asked me what I was doing in November. After a moment’s thought I said, “Nothing”. “Great,” she said. “Because I’ve just bought you a ticket to see the Rolling Stones.” So that is how I ended up on a warm and cloudy November afternoon sitting in [...]
Menaka marks 30 years as a music teacher
The Zonta Club 1 of Colombo presents ‘Celebrating 30’, featuring the Menaka Singers and Menaka Singers Opera Ensemble directed by Menaka De Fonseka Sahabandu at the Balmoral, Kingsbury Hotel on Sunday, January 4, at 7 p.m. The concert which celebrates Menaka De Fonseka Sahabandu’s 30 years as a teacher of music, promises to be an [...]
Neighbours, friends and family: Galle Fort comes alive
It’s a Thursday evening with a chance of rain — actually, it’s already begun drizzling. At the courtyard of the Old Dutch Hospital inside Galle Fort however the party rages on. Juliet Coombe is launching the third edition of her book ‘Around the Galle Fort in 80 Lives’ and her people — the many colourful [...]
A royal invitation to supper on board the HMS Cornwallis
King Sri Vikrama Rajasimha, the last king of Kandy fell into the hands of Eknaligoda’s mob while taking refuge in the house of Bomure Udapitiye Arachchi at Gallehewatta, close to Meda Mahanuwara on February 18, 1815. This marked the extinction of the monarchy and the sovereignty of this island-nation so proudly maintained for nearly 2,357 [...]
Feminine indulgence at Azarya
Beauty queen turned fashion designer, Sabrina Herft launched her latest collection ‘Indulgence’ at her fashion boutique ‘Azarya’ at the Arcade, Independence Square earlier this month. The collection is a celebration of Sri Lankan lace set in cotton in vivid pastoral colours, the designs emphasising femininity and grace. Her inspiration for the ‘Indulgence’ collection was from [...]
Night of the lawyers
Elegance was the keyword when hundreds of lawyers gathered for the Voetlights Society’s gala, annual year-end dinner on December 19 at the Cinnamon Grand Oak Room. This century-old society of lawyers was formed to honour the memory of famous Roman Dutch Law jurist Johannes Voet.
Muslim Ladies have their day
A coffee morning and fashion show organised by the Past Pupils’ Association of Muslim Ladies’ College at the Galadari Hotel on December 13 provided an opportunity for the young and not so young members to meet and enjoy a relaxed morning of entertainment and fashion.
Audi A3 takes off in style
Audi’s latest model, the Audi A3, was launched at a glamorous event held at the Hilton Colombo Residencies on December 16.
Lion Ladies’ fashion show
It was an evening of fashion, entertainment and good music as the Lion Ladies of Lions Clubs International District 306A-1 presented ‘Mystique’ at the Hotel Galadari recently.
AOD’s Class of 2014 takes to the ramp
A group of talented young designers from the Academy of Design (AOD) took to the ramp with their creations at the recently concluded Sri Lanka Design Festival. The show began with a few collections by brands like MAS, presenting a performance sportswear line, and the Island Craft project. Then it was time for AOD’s Class [...]
UAE celebrations
The Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates Abdulhamid A.K. Al Mulla invited guests to celebrate the 43rd National Day of the UAE with a reception at the Grand Ballroom of the Hilton on December 2.
Brides in all their glory
Bridal sarees in all their glory were showcased by designer Geetha Bodaragama as her ‘Batik Collection’ at the recent ‘Designer Wedding Show 2014’ held at the Hilton Colombo. It was organised by the ‘Bride and Groom Wedding Magazine’.
Appreciations
Lakshmi Wanigasinghe She is missed by all every single day She was a beautiful lady and caring mother. She was also my first teacher, my inspiration and above all, my loving grandmother. Though it has been six years since she left us, it still feels like yesterday that she was among us with her charming [...]
Spreading the joy of Christmas at the Cancer Hospital
The CSR Society of SJMS Associates brought smiles to hundreds of faces when they shared the joy of Christmas with the patients of the Maharagama Cancer Hospital on December 13. They visited three wards with 201 children, the CC building with 36 children and two wards with more than 60 adults. While members of the [...]
Indian author’s book relevant to Sri Lanka too
She launched her writing career with travel guides and ghost stories but has now come up with a subject very close to her heart. Indian author, Minkashi Chaudhry Kanwar’s latest contribution is ‘A World Within: A remarkable story of coping with a parent’s dementia’ which would not only be relevant to her Indian readers but [...]
One-stop-ePortal for music launched
A one-stop-ePortal for music, Sangeethaya.lk, was launched on December 11, a collective venture by Dr. Shiromi Arunatileka, Dr. Dinesh Arunatileka and Sanjeewa Liyanage. The pilot website of Sangeethaya.lk was introduced on October 1 and had over 14,000 likes by the end of two months. Combining ICT with the music industry, this trio wishes to connect [...]
From a silent world to a world of sound
It was nothing short of a miracle for those who experienced it. There were tears of joy as around 1,760 northerners and easterners made the journey from a silent world into the world of sound at the Air Force grounds in Colombo recently. Eleven-year-old Rajiv, who had been deaf to the world, broke into dance [...]
