‘Goddess of storytelling’ shares her vision and wisdom
When the Fairway Galle Literay Festival is held in Jaffna today, Indian storyteller Geeta Ramanujam is likely to be one of the big draws. Hailed as the ‘Goddess of storytelling’, she is a renowned storyteller, educator, academician and administrator, and the Executive Director of Kathalaya Trust. Geeta uses storytelling as an effective educational and cultural [...]
National Trust lecture: Saving Sri Lanka’s blue whales
Sri Lankan blue whales are a unique, non-migrating, endangered subspecies. They breed six months out of phase with other pygmy blue whales in the Southern Hemisphere, display different behaviours, are half a metre shorter and have a unique vocal call. Most unusually, this population does not migrate to Polar Regions, but remains in warm tropical [...]
The Good Life: An Introduction to Religion and Consciousness
‘The Good Life – An Introduction to Religion and Consciousness’ by Iromi Dharmawardhane was launched on January 9 at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute by Stamford Lake Publications. The book launch attracted a full audience comprising members of the academia and NGO sector as well as students and many other interested individuals, young and old. The [...]
RASSL lecture: Brahmi writing at Anuradhapura Citadel
The Royal Asiatic Society Sri Lanka’s (RASSL) monthly public lecture will be delivered by Dr. Malini Dias, Vice President, Royal Asiatic Society on the “Language of the Brahmi Writing Dated 600-500 BCE inscribed on the potsherds from the Citadel at Anuradhapura’. The lecture will be on Monday, January 25 at 5 p.m. at the Gamini [...]
Letters
Doctors, think about patients’ welfare I have been a proud member of the medical profession for nearly 50 years. Though a member of the Sri Lankan school system — and proud to be an old Trinitian — I never received free education to become a doctor. I was also never in government practice where one [...]
A helping hand for bone cancer sufferer
Nineteen-year-old Chathuranga Dilshan Silva who has just completed his Advanced Level examination from D.S. Senanayake Vidyalaya, Colombo, is suffering from severe bone cancer, osteosarcoma, and needs an urgent knee operation as well chemotherapy. The cost of both is estimated to be Rs. 8,000,000 and his father who works in a private company is desperately attempting [...]
Combined choir to sing Beethovan’s Mass at St. Lucia’s Cathedral
A solemn sung Mass titled ‘Musica Sacra’ (Sacred Music) will be celebrated at St. Lucia’s Cathedral at 6 p.m. on Sunday, February 14, presided by His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith with a combined choir of over 100 professional singers in attendance supported by an orchestra of 30 leading musicians. The choir will render ‘Beethovan’s Mass [...]
State of the art skin care and cosmetic centre at Nawaloka
Nawaloka Hospitals PLC, launched their new Skin Care and Cosmetic Centre last week. Deputy Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister’s Office, Mrs Rosy Senanayake and other invitees were present. Speaking at the event, Professor Lal Chandrasena said that Nawaloka Hospitals is proud to be the first to bring the Gold Standard Acu Pulse, a [...]
Lit. party rocks Taprobane Island
There were parties aplenty in Galle last weekend at the Fairway Galle Literary Festival with hotels in the Fort and its environs laying on special repasts. Some made the journey to Taprobane Island on Friday night to enjoy the magic of food, wine and great company with authors and friends.
Indulge in royal luxury
Spa Ceylon opened shop on Galle Road last Tuesday unveiling the Royal Indulgence Store and Spa in regal style. Giving ancient ayurvedic secrets a modern touch, the brand’s indulgent products have been on shelves since May 2009. Tying-in thematically with the luxury promised in each potful of product, the centre-piece for this premises is a [...]
True soulmates in music-making
Memory helps recall the likes of Rev. Father Ignatius Perera and The Catholic Choral Society , which at the time way back in the 1950s was the earliest group of choral singers and which included voices of the calibre of Bede de Silva, Rajah Christopher and Basil Joseph. They sang sacred music, and chanted Plain [...]
A feast of jazz and food at Colombo Jazz and Blues Fest
European classical music, American blues, and South American songs and rhythms came together to form what became known as jazz. At its core is openness to all influences, and personal expression through improvisation and hence jazz can be seen as a reflection of cultural diversity and individualism. Throughout its history, jazz has straddled the worlds [...]
Experience ‘live’ interiors at Hafele’s
Hafele launched a new design centre earlier this month at Nandana Gardens, Colombo 4. The centre will help customers choose ‘complete interior solutions’ from bath and kitchen fittings to wardrobes and sliding doors/partitions. Catering to a market of high end buyers, Hafele assures customers of stringent quality control and long lasting products. The idea behind [...]
On a literary roll!
Iced-tea and large blue programme in hand, participants at the Galle Literary Festival were easy to spot last weekend. Retreating to the cushion-strewn shade of the Lit Café or grabbing an ice-cream cone before the next session, some participants, rather prudently, chose to show-up in their running shoes. We made do with regular footwear, and [...]
Sociological vignettes of a land and people in transition
Flickering Fortunes in Changing Ceylon of the mid-20th century, a profusely illustrated, 300-page narrative of the transformative events in the country as it moved from colonial era feudalism to an independent democracy, will be launched at a ceremony under the patronage of Minister Sarath Amunugama on Thursday, January 28 at 6 p.m. in the Jubilee [...]
The colours of contentment
Jayani Pinnawale’s use of vivid colours and shadows enhances the depth of her paintings. In ‘Blues and Blues’ one of her new works, she has used mostly blue without using any green which she thinks is a good experience. The whole painting of water, trees and bushes is painted entirely in blue. In some paintings [...]
From the scene of the crime to unravel whodunnit
‘Yali Mewena Aparadayak’ is a classic treatise on criminal law published in recent times. Sarath Jayamanne, President’s Counsel, Additional Solicitor General, has shared his experience in successfully prosecuting some of the most “famous” criminal trials of recent times, such as the Kobeiganne beauty queen murder trial, ruggerite Tony Martin’s murder trial, High Court Judge Sarath [...]
Beauty of the South at the tip of his ballpoint pen
The artist Mangala Madanayake known for his signature ball point drawings, will bring to life the beauty of the South during his 24th solo exhibition to be held on January 28 and 29 at the Dutch building in Nupe, Matara from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Using simple strokes of ball point on a canvas [...]
Bertolt Brecht: Did he follow what he said?
(This article is written in commemoration of Bertolt Brecht’s 108th birth anniversary, which falls on February 10. He was born in 1898 in Augsburg, Germany, and died in Berlin, German Democratic Republic, in 1956.) Brecht wrote 30 long plays and eight one-act plays during a life span of 58 years (1918-1956) . Almost all these [...]
An adventure coloured by indigo
Dr Jenny Balfour Paul has little reservations about admitting to once being “a hippie”. Her first trip here we learn, was a minor detour from her visit to India. In a bold exercise of newly acquired independence at 18 after leaving her home in the UK she hopped aboard a ferry from India’s Southern coast. [...]
Kumari’s students hold exhibition
A Brush With Art Vl – an exhibition of paintings by the students of Kumari De Alwis will be held at the Lionel Wendt Gallery on January 30 and 31 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. From her schooldays at St Bridget’s Convent, Kumari De Alwis showed a flair for art and music . She [...]
Guess who came for rice and curry?
Marco Pierre White is so charming and chatty that I almost wonder if it’s another Marco we see on television. Then we start talking about elaborate tasting menus (you know, those 20 course affairs with tiny little portions) and he narrows his eyes, enunciating “I like real food. Why would I want 20 canapes? I [...]
Singing the truth
W as it fate or a higher power that led jazz legend Billie Holiday into the life of a young and unknown singer from Ceylon to exert such a profound influence on her in their brief friendship? Yolande Bavan will always remember Billie’s words – “Whatever you do when you sing, you tell the truth. [...]
Appreciations
DENNIS T.M.PERERA A jovial, independent and proud man Our father, Dennis T.M.Perera was a simple man. A fiercely protective man who put family at the top of all his priorities he would always say, ‘family first’ and he lived by it. He had a strong sense of devotion to his family, immediate and extended, which [...]