Hopeful transformation
Heart-wrenching sights meet the eye – men, women and children of all ages, walking in or being wheeled in slowly. Heads shaven, some are wearing face masks while tiny-tots who are being carried by their parents are held very close. The heart dips and then soars. The change is immense, a far cry from what [...]
Preserving Colombo’s heritage amidst a changing skyline
Ever get the sense that the city of your childhood has changed beyond recognition? That building you knew and loved that just one day vanished into a pile of bricks? But that no one ever asked you if you wanted another faceless glass office? How can you shape change to make sure that what matters [...]
Letters to the Editor
2 lessons on facing national exams from Sri Lanka and South Korea GCE (O/L) and (A/L) students who face these competitive exams undergo a lot of physical as well as psychological hardships. Even parents and siblings are stressed out. This month, approximately 688,573 candidates are qualified to sit the examination. Accordingly 429,493 school candidates and [...]
Appreciations
The great human being that he was RAJAN YATAWARA Circa 1977, Barnes Place – someone was plinking the melody of ‘Amazing Grace’ with one finger on his sister’s piano. That was his favourite song then, and remained his favourite right through his days. He was no great piano player, but then, Rajan Yatawara was destined [...]
Visiting the ancestral village of a Kandyan freedom fighter
The Chief continued to repeat some Pali verses and while he was so employed, the executioners struck him on the back of his neck with a short sword. At that moment, he breathed out the word ‘Arahan’. A second stroke deprived him of life and he fell to the ground- a corpse. His head, being [...]
A bold take on seven
In Colombo, the contemporary/post-modern dance genre has seen choreographers like Venuri Perera or Kapila Palihawadana and his Ntanda troupe produce some stunning work which push the boundaries of performance and challenge what can be considered dance. Educated at Denison University and a talented choreographer herself, Umeshi Rajeendra launched the Mesh Academy of Dance in 2015. [...]
Poignant reminder that Anne’s life and work are living inspirations
An evening of poetry celebrating the work of renowned poet Anne Ranasinghe who died last year was organised by the English Writers Cooperative (EWC) on November 18 at the Goethe Institut. Myrle Williams, Manjula Amerasinghe, Purnima Pilapitiya, Gehan Blok and Iranga Wickramasinghe read a carefully selected collection of poetry by Anne Ranasinghe, one of the [...]
Laaleen Sukhera: In search of modern day Austenistani heroines
What would Pride and Prejudice in Pakistan look like? LaaleenSukhera, the editor of Austenistan had some ideas. With her own writing featured in the compilation of short stories, Sukhera saw many parallels between the worlds she and Jane Austen inhabited. “Socially and culturally, the Indo-Pak subcontinent is so similar to Austen’s Regency era with our [...]
A doctor’s eye gives way to artistic touch
These portraits say it all – through master strokes of his brush, he brings out not only the physical form but also gives a deep insight into the character and personality of his subjects. This is why ‘Concealed’, the exhibition of young artist and doctor, Shanaka Kulathunga which opens at 5.30 p.m. on December 8 [...]
Chemistry behind Ray’s pressure test survival
And so it finally happened. As local fans of the hit Australian TV show Masterchef’s ninth season watched with some trepidation, Ray Silva, the Sri Lankan contestant who had survived many nerve-wracking trials bowed out. The 42-year-old doctor’s clinical demeanour at the Masterchef kitchen earned him much praise, his ability to remain calm during the [...]
In crochet and patchwork: Nilanthie’s new items and more at Christmas sale
“From my childhood I used to love toys, especially dolls. I used to grab a pin, cut shapes out of cloth and try to stitch the pieces up,” says Nilanthie Wijegunawardene explaining how her interest grew into a passion. Nilanthie is now preparing for her Christmas sale to be held on December 9 from 10 [...]
Unique rendition of dance and performance at WoW Festival
An exciting weekend is unfolding at the WoW – Women of the World Festival on December 2 and 3. Brought to Sri Lanka by the British Council, in partnership with the London Southbank Centre, this festival celebrates and empowers women and will have multiple events, performances and workshops involving over 120 guests, speakers and performers [...]
Lankan bhikkhunis took Bhikkhuni Sasana to the world
Sri Lanka was the only country outside India where the Bhikkhuni Sasana was established when on a Unduwap Full Moon Poya Day in 236BCE, Sanghamitta Theri arrived in Sri Lanka and ordained Queen Anula Devi and five hundred women. The Bhikkhuni as well as Bhikkhu Order once established, thrived in Sri Lanka, whereas both Orders [...]
Budget 2018 – Activists applaud the animal-friendly features
The formulation of a National Budget, the economic policy of a country for a particular year is, considering the scarcity of resources, a challenging task – identification of priorities, consideration of public expectations and raising funds without encumbering the next generation. That Sri Lanka’s Budget 2018 had some consideration for animals is thus not only [...]
Head to Diyasaru Park, Thalawathugoda for two days with the birds
To promote birdwatching and conservation, the Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka (FOGSL) based at the University of Colombo will hold ‘Kurulu Kaiya’ on December 16-17 at Diyasaru Park, Thalawathugoda. Kaiya in Sinhala means a gathering of people for co-operative work to achieve a common goal and Kurulu means birds. Kurulu Kaiya therefore is a [...]
A bilingual exposition of erudite scholar and diplomat, Malalasekera
The iconic Editor – D.B. Dhanapala once commented that Gunapala Malalasekera’s interests were ‘like the Haputale Gap – wide and opening on to a vast vista.’ The name synonymous with the Malalasekera English-Sinhala Dictionary – the most sought-after ‘household dictionary’ in the country, Prof. Gunapala Piyasena Malalasekera, was a Titan of unassuming temperament. One of [...]
Relaunch of “The Island from Above” and exhibition
“The Island from Above” made its first appearance back in 2014 to mark the silver jubilee of Access International as a limited edition volume of photography. On November 27, the book of photography which explores Sri Lanka from an aerial view was re-released by collaborators Dominic Sansoni, Sebastian Posingis and Richard Simon, this time for [...]
A taste for Sri Lanka, in spite of dining dilemmas
Author Paul Topping definitely knows how to make an entrance – walking down a staircase onto the Barefoot garden (a spotlight following his every move), he climbs into the green vintage car and delivers his speech there, holding an umbrella to ward off the rain. An intrepid traveller, Paul launched a book on his travels [...]
Launch of The Heart of the Wild
The Heart of the Wild – A Personal Journey, to be launched on Tuesday (December 5), at the Barefoot Gallery Colombo, is a captivating collection of adventures of amateur photographer and lifelong nature-lover, Nawaz Vilcassim. A Sri Lankan born Singaporean-trained lawyer, he has spent most of his working life in Singapore after a short stint [...]
Bold and bright: Ancient weaves and jewellery
It was a show with a cause – the Sunera Foundation and so it was not altogether a surprise to see some well-known personalities, graceful dancer Thaji from the Chitrasena Vajira Dance Foundation, artist Anoma Wijewardene, writer Ashok Ferrey to name a few on the ramp along with the models at the Colours of the [...]
Gem Arcade: Latest dazzle in town
Opening their doors on November 15 was Colombo’s latest treasure trove, Gem Arcade down Dharmapala Mawatha, Colombo 3. Those driving or walking past will catch a glimpse of a simple white building, little realising the treasures that lie within! Strategically marketing themselves as “Colombo’s premier one-stop gems and jewellery mall”, Gem Arcade will feature a [...]
Spreading their love for crochet
It all began with a three-year-old child’s fascination with creations that her neighbour made. Picking up the skill by watching her carefully she ventured into it and encouraged by a loving uncle she continued to develop and hone her skills. Along came her daughter and they became a well-known twosome. This is the story of [...]
A toe-tapping treat with Familian Fusion
Get into the season, with a toe-tapping musical show, ‘Familian Fusion’ starring popular artistes Bathiya & Santhush, Billy Fernando, Chithru Patalee and Tehani Imara on December 16 (Saturday) at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of Holy Family Convent (HFC), Bambalapitiya. Band 242 will provide the music for the evening. Organised by the Past Pupils’ Association [...]
Honouring a leading legal light of this country
“Standing before this distinguished assembly, I am glad and honoured to present, on behalf of the members of the Senate and the Faculty of Law, Mr. Kanaganayagam Kanag-Isvaran, LL.B (London), Barrister of Lincoln’s Inn, Advocate of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka and President’s Counsel, for the conferment of the Honorary Degree of Doctor of [...]
Keep a date: Christmas carol services and concerts
It is music that seems to be the first indication that Christmas is near with radio stations launching into their endless Christmas play lists. For those who look forward to the music that brings wonderful memories and the meaning of the season, here’s our roundup of a selected list of Christmas carol services and concerts. [...]
GIVE2LANKA X’mas Vasi Sale
An X’mas Vasi Sale will be held by GIVE2LANKA on December 9 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Sudarshie Hall (in front of the BMICH) in Colombo. There will be a variety of items including books, shoes, garments, gems and jewellery, decorative items, ceramics, accessories and food from vendors from across the country. There [...]
Exhibition, sale of needlework items by Elders
The All Ceylon Women’s Buddhist Congress will hold an exhibition and sale of needlework items produced by elders under the Active Ageing Project on Saturday, December 9 from 10 a.m. onwards at ACWBC Headquarters, No. 400, Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 7.
Screening of Tamil movie Panaimarakkadu
“Panaimarakkadu” is one of the few Tamil feature films produced by a Tamil film-maker from the North after the the end of the war in 2009. As a result, the film provides the audience with a much-needed internal perspective that comes from within and which is based on the director’s lived-in experience of the North [...]
Vibrance 2017 charity run on December 9
Get ready for “Vibrance 2017”, a charity run by the Sri Lanka Unites clubs of Trinity College Kandy and Ladies’ College Colombo on Saturday, December 9. The run will be followed by a carnival at the Havelock Grounds. Beginning at 4p.m, the event calls to all athletes and fitness fanatics to race against each other [...]