Looking back and into the future
‘Kannadi’ has been the business of their family, a legacy passed down from father to sons and now grandsons, with a clear focus on taking it to different heights. The highpoint at the moment is the production right here in Sri Lanka of UV+420cut lenses, which successfully ward off ultraviolet rays without absorbing them, in [...]
Young women with a future – the girls of Sri Lankadhara Balika Home
A lot has changed for women since 1922, but the vision of the late Dr. and Mrs. W. A. de Silva who founded the Sri Lankadhara Balika Home for disadvantaged girls over 90 years ago continues. \While most of their peers in Colombo are busy rushing from one tuition class to the other, or poring [...]
Disability is not inability
The Activity Centre in the CFS Prithipura Home is humming with chatter and bustle as its staff and residents prepare for their Christmas sale and fundraiser this week. In one corner, Styrofoam balls are being transformed into serene-looking, long lashed snowmen with scarves and colourful winter hats. While some residents are busy with the preparations, [...]
Jith returns with the spirit of the season in Stars on Parade
Get into the spirit of the season with Jith Peiris’ ‘Stars on Parade’, which returns for a second edition this year as ‘Stars on Parade at Christmas’. The show, which will be held on November 28 and 29 at the Lionel Wendt will once again raise funds for a charitable cause. The Creative Arts Foundation [...]
When the stars came out for IFF
It was a gathering of stars – the film world’s celebrities- actors, actresses, directors, producers, writers and critics when the International Film Festival of Colombo was held for the second consecutive year from November 6-11. Pictured here are some of the celebrity guests at the opening dinner of IFF hosted by Hameedia’s.
FGLF 2016: The countdown begins
Here are a few things you should know so you can start planning your attendance at the Fairway Galle Literary Festival 2016: The programme will be out by the end of this month; the festival itself will sprawl over three consecutive weeks, opening in Kandy (January 8 – 10), moving on to Galle (January 13 [...]
Letters
Rude awakening: Crackers after midnight for a perahera This is following the letter published in the Sunday Times on November 8, titled ‘Blaring sounds kept us awake’ regarding the noise from a temple in Chakindarama Road, Ratmalana. Just reading the first few lines of that article I couldn’t help but exclaim, ‘Oh my gosh! I [...]
Appreciations
SITHIE SHAREEFA ALY (SAIRA) She was magnanimous to the end Shareefa, fondly known as Saira, came into our lives when we were in our teens and received all the love and care the youngest gets in any family. She began her education at Good Shepherd Convent, Panadura when I moved there for work and later [...]
EWC:Writings celebrated with evening of readings
The English Writers Cooperative of Sri Lanka, (EWC) presented an Evening of Poetry and Prose on Friday, October 23 at the auditorium of the International Centre for Ethnic Studies. This year, the EWC celebrated the writings of two eminent writers Emeritus Professor Yasmine Gooneratne and Kalasuri Punyakante Wijenaike, both longstanding and supportive members of the [...]
CMSC presents seasonal favourites
The Chamber Music Society of Colombo (CMSC) sponsored by Fairway Holdings will present its annual Holiday Season Gala on Saturday, December 5 at the Lionel Wendt Theatre, at 7.30 p.m. Japanese-born violinist Mika Nishimura will be the guest soloist at the concert. Winner of the 1st prize in the 22nd “Citta di Barletta” and student [...]
Exploring interiors
The Sri Lanka Design Festival organised by the Academy of Design which begins on Friday, November 27 will once again see the return of the interior design exhibition at the SLECC that aims to shed light on the current design scope in the country, while encouraging young designers to explore possibilities in the field. The [...]
Dinner reception by Bren Security ( Pvt ) Ltd
Bren Security ( Pvt ) Ltd, the Sri Lankan partner of Securitas AB Group presented their Hard Talk programme along with a fashion show by veteran designer Yolanda Aluvihare with guests being hosted to a dinner reception on board 8 Degrees North, Cinnamon Lakeside’s floating restaurant. Kris Van den Briel, Regional President, Securitas Middle East [...]
Pakistani High Commissioner bids dinner
Pakistani High Commissioner Maj. General ( R) Syed Shakeel Hussain hosted a dinner reception at the Hilton Residences on Tuesday in honour of visiting Pakistani Commerce Minister Engr. Khurram Dastgir Khan.
Up close with 007
British High Commissioner James Dauris hosted an evening reception at Westminster House last week to mark the launch of the latest James Bond film ‘Spectre’. Larger than life cutouts of actor Daniel Craig as 007 had many guests pausing to take their picture with the world’s most famous spy.
Cosy holiday amidst hilly vistas, nature trails
It’s 5.40 a.m. and the gradually brightening blue light peeking through the window propels us off our beds and out onto the porch, where it’s freezing cold. The air is still. The mountains stretch as far as the eye can see, but just before sunrise they’re shrouded by a thick layer of mist that looks [...]
Have a great time on a great beach
The name of Passikudah has been bandied around in Sri Lanka since the 1970s when it was seen as the beach destination of the future. Both natural and war disasters delayed that prophecy coming true until now. It is at last becoming the beach destination of the present. Conventional wisdom has it that Passikudah is [...]
Travel by sea, river and road; all for the master
Pictorial Impressions of Early Colonial Sri Lanka – Travel and Transportation is the third in a series of six volumes on the subject of Colonial Sri Lanka. The first two volumes describing People and their Dress and People’s Customs have already been published. The fourth volume, on Religions and Rituals will follow this book. It [...]
A pioneer academic, he was a man with a mission
It was with deep sorrow that I looked at the serene man now lying peacefully in a coffin. He was a colossus among the academics and he walked along the corridors of the sprawling Faculty of Engineering, University of Peradeniya with a characteristic and purposeful stride that inspired confidence in everybody who came across him. [...]
An isle, more from without than from within
‘Imaging the Isle Across’ is the title both of a book and of an impressive exhibition of ‘vintage photography from Ceylon’ that was shown in the National Museum in Delhi from September 26 to November 11. The exhibition was curated by the Alkazi Foundation for the Arts and most of the photographs came from its [...]
Ah Colombo! Some things never change, some things do
More than anything, one is struck by the light. Light everywhere. Brightness everywhere. Everywhere the sun. Just yesterday, an autumnal London was drenched in rain. The airplane drenched in rain. A cold wind, darkness. But here, from the morning’s earliest moments, the airport was ablaze with sunlight, all of us in sunlight. -Ryszard Kapuscinski, Under [...]
A true friend of the Sri Lanka Girl Guides
The Sri Lanka Girl Guides (SLGG) HQ had a VIP visitor last week. Chair for the Asia Pacific (AP) Region of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS,) Low Lih Jeng was on her third visit to Sri Lanka and made a special appearance at SLGG’s National Awards Day 2015 at Visakha [...]
Rotary sing-along with Rukshan Perera
‘Many Gifts, One Goal’, is the theme of this year’s Rotary Club of Colombo Metropolitan annual sing-along conducted by the well-known musician Rukshan Perera supported by Sohan and the Experiments, to be held on November 24 at the Ballroom, Galadari Hotel, Colombo. The Rotary Club of Metropolitan’s fundraising events are reliant on the generosity and [...]
Darkness into Light: A Christmas Musical Journey
The choir of the Cathedral of Christ the Living Saviour will present a short choral programme, “Darkness into Light: A Christmas Musical Journey”, on November 30 at the cathedral located on Bauddhaloka Mawatha. Heralding the season of Christmas and its message of hope and peace, all proceeds will go towards the cathedral parish mission outreach [...]
It’s mixing time!
It’s that time of year that we all look forward to – yes preparations have begun for Christmas and leading hotels held their Christmas cake mixing ceremonies to herald in the season inviting guests and friends to join in the fun. Pictured here are images from the Taj Samudra, the Galadari and Citrus Waskaduwa.
CMF helps Children’s Heart Project
The Country Music Foundation (CMF) last week presented a cheque for Rs. 250,000 to support the Children’s Heart Project of Sri Lanka which is working with the Cardiology team at the Lady Ridgeway Hospital. Seen here is Dr. Duminda Samarasinghe, Consultant Paediatric Cardiologist at the LRH (right along with his team) receiving the donation from [...]
Exhibition and sale: ‘Our World XVII’
‘Our World XVII’ – an exhibition and sale of work by the students of Daya Mina, Meth Mihira and Supem Uyana will be held on November 21 and 22 at the Public Library Auditorium, Colombo 7 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Unity Mission Trust completes Unity Camp 8 in Jaffna
The Unity Mission Trust recently held its 25th milestone event – Unity Camp 8, at Chundikuli Girls’ College in Jaffna. Over 500 student leaders between the ages of 17-19 years, from 67 schools, accompanied by 102 teachers, attended the camp which focused on the themes of unity, integration and reconciliation. Minister of Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and [...]
Dancing in his forefathers’ footsteps
The spotlight is no more. The colourful Esala Perahera with its powerful dancers and caparisoned elephants concluded its parade through the streets of Kandy to drum-beats and whip-cracks, bearing the venerated Sacred Tooth Relic, in August. This year too, it is 38-year-old Galegedera Priyantha Samansiri, better known as Kondadeniye Saman, dancing in the footsteps of [...]