Young ‘word-makers’ on a roll on world stage
When the Sunday Times last met the team representing Sri Lanka at the World Youth Scrabble Championship, they were full of hopes for the world tournament in Lillie, France and their prospects of winning the Best Team title again this year. Those hopes and dreams were fulfilled and it was a happy group who shared [...]
30 years ago she walked into the Govt. Press, now she heads it
The clackety-clack greets us long before we enter building No. 8……..and as we climb up a few steps there comes into view the presses in all their magnitude going back and forth, gobbling up fat reels of paper and spewing forth all documents official. As those who work the presses, now ranging from the old [...]
Mind over matter: Apps for modern day life
On the day before his wedding, Rohan Gunatillake found himself trapped between the hood of a Volkswagon Golf and a brick wall. He was here because he had unwisely tried to bring a car rolling downhill – one that was on a collision course with the family home – to a halt by putting himself [...]
It’s all about enjoying music, says Neranjan
Certain phenomena, like the weather, the touchscreen on one’s phone, and the organist/keyboard accompanist Neranjan de Silva, are simply unpredictable. It might rain on your sunny-outdoors wedding day, you might be texting and calling business acquaintances from yesterday while your phone is innocently sitting in your pocket, and the organ might stop mid-song at a [...]
Join SLID for an evening of laughter and elegance
The Sri Lanka Institute of Directors (SLID) will be having its fourth consecutive sit down dinner at the Balmoral, The Kingsbury on October 7 to raise funds for the free workshops that SLID conducts in cities throughout Sri Lanka. This year the sit down dinner will be a dinner theatre titled ‘Charitha Resak’ – prepare [...]
A journey with nature in the comfort of a hotel
The most recent addition to Colombo’s growing number of hotels stands tall on Hospital Street, tucked away behind the Dutch Hospital. The hotel opened its doors just last month and its façade gleams white against the blazing September sun. ZMAX Fairway positions itself as a modern hotel for Generation Z and all of its interiors [...]
EWC holds lively literary event
A distinguished panel of literary heavyweights from this year’s Gratiaen Prize winner Thiyagaraja Arasanayagam to past Gratiaen winner Madhubhashini Ratnayake, Professor Neloufer de Mel and author Sunila Galappatti were at the Creative Writing Seminar 2016 organised by The English Writers Cooperative of Sri Lanka on September 24 at the auditorium of the Sri Lanka Federation [...]
From Miss Intercontinental to greater things
The Miss Intercontinental Pageant began as a tourism competition to attract tourists to the island of Aruba in 1971. Since then it has grown into an annual event drawing beautiful and talented young women from across the world. This year for the very first time the Miss Intercontinental pageant comes to Sri Lanka when on [...]
Song, dance and fashion to give helping hand to Chitra Lane School
“There is no greater disability in society, than the inability to see a person as more.” - Robert M. Hensel Having inspired and nurtured children with special needs for almost five decades in Sri Lanka, the Chitra Lane School for Children with Special Needs will host their annual charity event of song, dance and fashion on [...]
Musaeus girls all set to paint the city blue
Celebrating 125 years, the principal, staff, present and past students of Musaeus College have organised ‘Founders Walk’ and true to their theme are preparing to ‘Paint the City Blue’ on Saturday, October 8. The organising committee promises this year’s walk will be unique with horse riders, marathon runners, cyclists, a 20ft long school flag carried [...]
He made Lord Shiva mortal in the backseat of his car
When Amish Tripathi’s Shiva Trilogy became the fastest selling book series in the history of Indian publishing, with 3.5 million copies in print, the world took notice. Tripathi is one of a new generation of savvy Indian writers whose work is not known so much for its literary value but for the adrenaline rush it [...]
BC marks the completion of the refurbishment of its premises
The British Council hosted an evening reception with contemporary music and dance for Visiting Chair of the British Council Christopher Rodrigues. The event also marked the completion of the refurbishment of the BC premises on Duplication Road.
Scholarly work that fills void in Sri Lankan biographical landscape
I have always regretted the dearth of biographies of major public figures in Sri Lanka. Of our principal national figures D.S. Senanayake, S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike and J.R. Jayewardene have had biographies good (in the case of D.S. Senanayake and J.R. Jayewardene), bad and indifferent (in the case of Bandaranaike), but no biography so far of Mrs [...]
Stories that build bridges
- How does this book differ from your other works? “Pangs of Poignant Pain” is my first novel written in English. It was later translated into Sinhala, Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam. The story revolves around a widow who works in Colombo to educate her seven-year-old son, and how she faces that challenge and how they [...]
Celebrating MC’s 150!
Flights had been booked, travel plans made and tickets had sold out three months before the event as old girls flew in from different countries for this much-anticipated joyous reunion. When a school celebrates its 150th anniversary, it calls for special celebrations and the Old Girls’ Association of Methodist College, Kollupitiya hosted the MC dance [...]
One-stop shop for many an event
A pioneer in the travel and leisure industry, Classic Travel partnered with showbiz veteran Imran Saibo of Funtime, to launch Classic Funtime at a glittering event held at the Hilton Colombo ballroom last month. With music and video presentations, it was an entertaining event as would be expected from the partners. Classic Funtime is the [...]
Fashion and races
What do horse racing and high fashion have in common? A recent fashion show proved that it might be more than you might think. Horse races are historically associated with the British aristocracy and races of the time drew crowds of well-dressed people, a tradition which still continues in post-colonial Nuwara Eliya during the racing [...]
Gamini: The actor that the fans were waiting for
As I look back twelve years when Sri Lanka’s most accomplished and versatile actor breathed his last, I recall how he made an indelible mark as a film director exactly fifty years ago. It was on September 30, 2004 that Gamini Fonseka departed and 38 years earlier, in 1966, he took up the challenge of [...]
“Purr” yes to kindness; “growl” no to cruelty
Yesterday, October 1, Sri Lanka celebrated Universal Children’s Day. Many nations mark this day with a commitment to promote a better quality of life for their children – reflecting the four pivotal principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child – Survival, Development, Protection and Participation. We, adults, have a fundamental [...]
Rediscovering, reinventing dance and the female
The curtains opened on this year’s edition of the Colombo Dance Platform to a new energy, new faces and a fresh take on dance. Initiated, funded and presented by the Goethe-Institut, the fourth edition of the Platform aims to help artists, dancers and audiences contextualize contemporary dance in relation to the regional dance scene. The [...]
India’s LAKME fashion week comes to Lanka
India’s famous LAKME Fashion week, an annual event which draws filmstars and celebrities in its host country will now make its appearance in Sri Lanka. The Lakme Sri Lanka Fashion Week 2016 by DIVAlicious will be a three-day fashion show held in Colombo from October 8-10. Speaking at a news conference, co-founder and president of [...]
Zonta Club 11 brings ‘breast care cushion’ to Sri Lanka
Ann Selle from the Zonta Club of Botany Bay Australia was in Sri Lanka recently. Ann is well known as the pioneer of the breast care cushion in Australia – thousands of women in New South Wales and around Australia have benefited from using this breast care cushion. And it is possibly the most widely [...]
Flame in concert for DBU charity work
‘Flame in concert’ at the DBU is a concert for a cause. The popular band known for their wonderful harmonies are lending a hand to the Dutch Burgher Union, which has been sponsoring children for their education for many years. They will perform this concert for this very special cause on Wednesday, October 12 at [...]
Old Wesleyites dance
Back again this year at the Grand Ballroom of the Colombo Hilton on October 8 is the fabulous Double Blue Ball – the annual dinner dance of the Wesleyites. This year’s dance is created around a 007 experience and the attendant thrills that flashes with the theme. Providing some fabulous music will be Sri Lanka’s [...]
Estelle joins Twentieth Century AD
Popular singer Estelle has joined Peter de Almeida’s well known retro band Twentieth Century AD. The band which is a four piece, (percussion, lead guitar, keyboards and bass guitar) is a versatile outfit with all members handling vocals. Their repertoire includes selected retro music spanning the 60s to the 90s with contemporary hits and of [...]
Mozart to your heart’s delight
The Chamber Music Society in association with Premier Sponsor, Fairway Holdings will present “All Mozart” on Wednesday October 12, at the Lionel Wendt Theatre, Colombo 07. Tickets priced between Rs. 2500 and Rs. 500 are available at the Lionel Wendt. Mozart’s music has always been popular with the Colombo concert-going public, and the repertoire for [...]
Letters
Doctors’ children in popular schools: Find solutions by thinking outside the box Reading and watching the print and electronic media, I notice how unpopular the GMOA has become. As I notice that there is no one other than the Union publicly defending the transferable doctors cause, I felt I should do so despite the great [...]
Appreciations
Dr. TONY DON MICHAEL Doctor with a holistic approach to patients On September 20, we received the sad news that Tony had passed away. He was 84 years old and lived a productive and successful life. He was an eminent cardiologist. Tony and I grew up together and attended Holy Family Convent, Bambalapitiya from kindergarten [...]