Activist ambassador
“I am very much at home in places where there is a noisy democracy,” says the new South African High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Robina P. Marks. Ms. Marks who also serves as the South African High Commissioner to the Maldives and Bangladesh and the High Commissioner Plenipotentiary to Nepal, asserts that her previous diplomatic [...]
Do you suffer from “Home Control Disease”?
Most women around the world, of all ages, nationalities, religions, from any walk of life, suffer from a common and prevalent disease, “Home Control Disease”. Some may have a mild form of it, others more serious, some suffer from regular relapses, but in general it is something that has infiltrated our homes for generations and [...]
Letters To The Editor
Mosquito nets for hospitalized dengue patients will take the sting off the rampaging disease Dengue is on the rampage despite many unsuccessful efforts to eradicate breeding grounds of the mosquito. A recent worrying incident was when a child who was admitted to the cardiac ward at Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children in Colombo was [...]
Taking on a new role
Sitting on the fringes, they clapped vigorously, smiled amidst the tears and the heartache and encouraged their special children to whom they have devoted their whole lives to emerge from their shells and show off their talents. Now, they have asked themselves why they cannot do the same and come up with a positive answer. [...]
Words, art and photography unite and flow freely
This compact little bilingual, French / English book of writing and photography, Murals Fresque, has a paradoxical element; although small in size, it represents the convergence of so many strands of words, media,art and language. In spite of these collaged features, it is neither awkward nor fragmented; in fact, its content flows as so many [...]
A tale of three chairs: van Dort, Fildes and Van Gogh
Rudyard Kipling- famously versified the concept of the empty chair with its familiar occupant: Ay, lay him ‘neath the Simla pine, A fornight fully to be missed, Behold we lose out fourth at whist Chairs vacant where we dine. Chairs empty and vacant, anoft recurring theme in art speak of ideas and personalities. The symbolism [...]
Enjoy the beauty of Rekawa in the lap of luxury
Set on a hillock in a picture-perfect destination on the south-eastern coast of Sri Lanka, Sooriya Resort & Spa is a new four-star class deluxe hotel where the golden beaches and diversity of wildlife meets to offer a destination for a perfect holiday. The hotel located in Rekawa, Tangalle has 36 deluxe, luxury rooms and [...]
Grand Dame soon to unveil luxurious L’Occitane Spa
More than 153 years after first opening its doors, one of the oldest hotels east of the Suez, The Galle Face Hotel, is cutting the ribbon on a new L’Occitane spa paying tribute to the property’s glamorous association with Hollywood over the decades. Adorned in a romantic palette of soft textures, alpine and iced teal [...]
A royal setting for a Somerset Maugham story
Part of the fun of eating out of Colombo is discovering a place full of character, even if it’s empty. The restaurant above the Royal Bar in Kandy exudesa 1930s’ Somerset Maugham charm not just through an interior decorator’s brilliance but also because it is a genuine colonial haunt lovingly restored. On the first floor [...]
Whetting the appetite for Singapore’s heritage food
Years of stirring the sticky-sweet, thick mixture fordodol has taken its toll on Chef Damian D’Silva’s shoulders. His joints have borne the brunt of hours of heavy mixing and are now beyond repair, he explains matter-of-factly. For the aeronautical engineer-turned-chef, hard work in the kitchen is a prerequisite for mastering cooking and his passion for [...]
Ikebana’s blooms at 25
Proudly celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Shi-en Ikebana Society held its annual floral exhibition ‘Floral Magic’ on Saturday, May 20 with members outdoing themselves with their floral artistry. Pix by Indika Handuwala
Celebrating Norwegian Constitution Day
Norwegian Constitution Day was celebrated at the Galle Face Hotel amidst a distinguished gathering last week. Pix by Anuradha Bandara
Dimuthu wows Asian Designer Week
Turning heads on the ramp at Asian Designer Week (ADW) which unfolded in New Delhi from May 5 to May 7 was Sri Lankan designer Dimuthu Sahabandu. Sahabandu was among some 50 designers from neighbouring countries such as Bangaldesh, Nepal and Singapore to present his collection at the three-day fashion event which looks to promote [...]
RASSL lecture: “Shi Royal Family in China and Taiwan”
Dr. Gamini Ranasinha, Senior Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, University of Sri Jayawardenepura will speak on the “Shi Royal Family in China and Taiwan” at the Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka’s (RASSL) monthly public lecture on Monday, May 29 at 5 p.m. at the Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka, No. 96, Ananda [...]
SLMA ‘Run and Walk’
‘Clean Air for Healthy Living’ is the vibrant theme of the Annual Health Run & Walk 2017 of the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) being held in collaboration with the Sri Lanka College of Pulmonologists on Sunday, June 4 from 6.30 a.m. onwards at the BMICH in Colombo 7. With President Maithripala Sirisena as the [...]
Fight Cancer: They came to see the building that would house the PET scan
He was accompanied by one son, while his other was battling illness and lying in hospital. The meeting that Sunday was of paramount importance for the greater good over personal problems, however grave. He was one among many who knew the agony caused by cancer but there were also others who realized the agony [...]
La Serena, Lanka’s first resort retirement home
“La Serena” a fully serviced 44-unit facility billed as the country’s first retirement resort has been set up at Uswetakeiyawa. This medium-sized resort is designed for those in search of community living and ‘a resort that’s home’, says its promoter Ceylinco Life. With in-depth knowledge of the social needs generated by Sri Lanka’s rapidly ageing [...]
Appreciations
Dharmasena Attygalle A man of charisma and large heart Abetting my brother and I in our childhood pranks, my grandfather, our aatha, was not the typical conservative grandfather who would turn pages of a storybook for us. He was much too revolutionary for that. Instead, he allowed his two grandchildren, the apples of his eye, to [...]