Living through a time of plague
High above the city, I contemplate the sea, the mountains and the evening sky. I can see planes coming into land in the airport and as the sun sets over the range, the hills turn gold, and the sky is hot with colour. Here in Cairns, Australia, we seem to be in our usual state [...]
Pandemics of bygone days
On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the current spread of the COVID-19, Corona virus epidemic as a pandemic. In the natural history of an infectious disease, a ‘pandemic’ is the most dangerous scenario. When an epidemic crosses the borders of a country it is officially declared as a pandemic. Most of [...]
Letters to the editor
Utharadevi first class: All fine except the disgusting toilet My family and I had the opportunity to travel on the Utharadevi, boarding the train at Kankesanthurai at 5.30 a.m on March 9. We arrived in Colombo Fort on schedule at 1.30. The train had two first-class air-conditioned compartments that could carry 104 passengers. On the [...]
Appreciations
Marion Patricia Karunaratne A leading light in the Lankan community of New York city Marion Patricia Karunaratne was born in Colombo, on March 13, 1936 to Michael Fernando and Irene Patricia Fernando. Marion had her early education at St. Paul’s Girls School in Borella. She completed her schooling at Methodist College in Colombo. She married [...]