After the ‘storm’ there was a lot to smile about
As British High Commissioner John Rankin looks forward to climbing Adam’s Peak before leaving our shores, he shares with Smriti Daniel some of the ups and downs of his four-year stint here In May 2012, John Rankin, the UK’s High Commissioner in Sri Lanka, found himself caught in a storm of controversy in the wake [...]
As election nears the country’s interest goes with the wind People wanted a change. And this time they did not just hope for the change and sit back and let it happen. They worked untiringly day and night to achieve it. It must be stated that although there were many who supported the change for [...]
Does Mr. Justice have a thing for little girls?
What are little girls made of? Sugar and spice and all that’s nice… Er, no. No quite. Not according to some men’s sense of justice, that is. Recently, it seems to me that the world has gone mad about little women. By recently, I mean in the last fortnight or so in which a clutch [...]
Journey from a leaf to your cuppa
Even after 31 years in the industry, the Chairman of the Tea and Herb Company Senaka Kotagama confesses that he still finds tea tasting and blending extremely fascinating. “It is a feast for the senses,” he told journalists while conducting the company’s inaugural Tea and Herb Tour. The journey of the tea leaf from the point at which it [...]
With 3 awards under his apron, Darshan is ready to dish out more
Restaurateur Darshan Munidasa lost the plaque but returned home with the title of Sri Lanka’s best restaurant. At the award ceremony of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, two of Munidasa’s four establishments made the cut, with Ministry of Crab making its first appearance on the list at no. 43 and Nihonbashi topping the list of Sri [...]
Old memories, new realities
Jaffna, the centre of Sri Lanka’s Hindu Tamil culture, was in ancient times quite crucial to trade between Sri Lanka and the rest of the world. Scattered all over Jaffna today are relics which proclaim the ancient prominence of the city. We were going in search of Jaffna: of old memories as well as of [...]
Giving a classical edge to Game of Thrones soundtrack
As a soloist in the opera, Sean Panikkar has had to learn more than his fair share of foreign languages. Still, there’s never been one quite like High Valyrian. In the hugely popular Game of Thrones (GoT) series, Daenerys Targaryen’s handmaiden and trusted advisor describes it with reverence, saying “The gods could not devise a [...]
Choral Week and St. John’s Passion
For the first time in Sri Lanka, musicians from around the island and region have come together to engage in an intensive week-long training programme geared toward refining vocal and conducting skills and putting together the performance of a major choral work – St. John’s Passion by J. S. Bach, at St. Paul’s Church, Kynsey [...]
nATANDA takes their first steps in Kandy
nATANDA, has been making waves on the Sri Lankan contemporary dance front and even abroad, since their first public performance at Goethe Institut in 2005. Ten years down the line, they have just stretched their work to Kandy, with the nATANDA Community Dance Centre (nCDC), and are gearing up for ‘Nostalgia’, an aptly named walk [...]
CFW 2015 takes a bow, await bigger and exciting designs for 2016
Colombo Fashion Week ended its 12th year with 34 designers having shown their collections on the ramp over the four-day event. There were hits, a few misses; but what can’t be denied is that CFW did once again what it always does so well – bringing together an eclectic mix of designers, society patrons and [...]
Appreciations
Sithie Tiruchelvam A dynamo of love, ideas and friendship Sithie Tiruchelvam and I have had a friendship of twenty five years. She had that ease of casualness, which made one feel comfortable instantly. Soon we were part of each other’s families leading me to ask her to be my witness when I got married. Sithie [...]
“Gift of Life Sri Lanka” launched
The ‘Gift of Life Program’, which has grown to be a global mission that has healed the failing hearts of thousands of children, officially launched Gift of Life Sri Lanka recently. The launch was held under the patronage of Minister of Health and Indigenous Medicine Dr.Rajitha Senarathne, at the Galadari hotel, Colombo. Gihan Siribaddana, Chairman, [...]
Finding the silver lining
While playing his guitar Anura Jayasinghe’s eyes gaze beyond the sitting room of his home in Mirihana. His strong yet surprisingly sweet voice accompanies the folksy tune he strums. Clearly one of those musicians who lose themselves in song, Anura completely and utterly loves music, which reflects in his voice and general persona. Titled ‘Mudalithuma’, [...]
SLALAS Scientific Sessions: ‘Ethical animal experimentation’
The Sri Lanka Association for Laboratory Animal Science (SLALAS) held its 2nd Annual Scientific Sessions on the theme ‘Ethical animal experimentation towards better scientific understanding’ recently at the Aldo Castalani Auditorium of the Medical Research Institute (MRI), Colombo 8. Delivering her address on ‘Ethics and beyond: The future of animal experimentation in Sri Lanka’, SLALAS [...]
Small scale splendour at Uga Residence
In an age when chic hotels are multiplying fast, to stand out a new hotel must have something special. Uga Residence, in Park Street, has a history that will outshine any other Colombo hotel. It was in the 18th century, when Kandy still had its king, and Colombo was still a little port city, that [...]
St. Anne’s College AGM
The 32nd Annual General Meeting of St. Anne’s College, Kurunegala, Colombo Union will be held at the Sasakawa Hall, 22nd Lane, Colombo 3 on Saturday, March 28 at 7. p.m. The meeting will be followed by cocktails and dinner priced at Rs. 1,000 per head. Members are invited to attend with their spouses. Those who [...]
Peradeniya Alumni Association AGM
The Annual General Meeting of the Alumni Association of the University of Peradeniya (AAUP) will be held on Sunday, March 29, 9.30 a.m., at the Chemistry Upper Lecture Theatre, Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya. Vidya Jothi Prof. Arjuna Aluwihare, Emeritus Professor, Faculty of Medicine University of Peradeniya, a former Vice Chancellor (1988-89) and [...]
ACWBC Avurudu Pola
The All Ceylon Women’s Buddhist Congress Avurudu Pola 2015 will be held on Saturday, March 28 at No. 400, Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 7 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. All are welcome.
National Trust lecture: Churches of Sri Lanka
‘Churches of Sri Lanka’ will be the theme for the 71st session of the monthly lecture series of the National Trust – Sri Lanka at the HNB Auditorium, 22nd Floor, HNB Towers, 479 T.B. Jayah Mawatha, Colombo 10 at 6.30 p.m. on Thursday, March 26. The lecture will be delivered by Archt. Sagara Jayasinghe The [...]
March Market at GFS
The March Market, a pre-Avurudhu Sale organised by the Girls’ Friendly Society will be held on Friday, March 27 from 8 a.m. onwards at its headquarters at 58, Green Path, Colombo 3 to raise funds for its girls hostel development project. A variety of miscellaneous items for the family will be available. The proceeds will [...]
ECSAT celebrates 10th anniversary with dance performance
‘Sonduru Thambapanniya’ organised by ECSAT (Equality-based Community Support & Training Centre) to celebrate its 10th anniversary will be held on April 1 at 7 p.m. at the Galadari Hotel. While this dance performance, ‘The beauty of Taprobane’ is to mark 10 years of change for the disabled that ECSAT has wrought, it is also an [...]
