Holding on to that message of hope
A Christmas like no other! This is what the world including Sri Lanka will experience as the lives of men, women and children are overwhelmed by the new coronavirus which has invaded every nook and cranny, leaving behind death, disease, isolation, loneliness and poverty. The celebration, sometimes even excessive in earlier years, may be muted [...]
This year too they will spread warmth and cheer
Christmas is perhaps the most anticipated time of the year. A time of celebration, to spread the warmth and cheer that the season typically brings. However this year’s celebrations are dampened by another kind of spread, as the ongoing pandemic forces us to adjust our expectations, forgo certain traditions, and make some sacrifices. This week, [...]
This Christmas, Hiruni decides to bake a cake
It all began when Hiruni thought she had to make a Christmas cake this year. Hiruni was a woman who could hold varying, different, strong and opposing views on any subject. Making Christmas cake was one of those subjects. For years, she had no need to. When she was a child, her mother made it. [...]
Tomorrow, watch out for the rare ‘Christmas Star’
On Monday, December 21 just after sunset, there will be a Christmas conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, like the Star of Bethlehem, that was speculated to be the conjunction of Jupiter and Venus in 3 BCE. Although conjunctions of Jupiter and Saturn happens about every 20 years, this is the closest visible conjunction for almost [...]
Letters to the Editor
The President must act now to stop this wanton, wilful destruction The wanton and wilful destruction of our precious forests and natural environment is taking place at an alarming rate, since of late, according to reports both in the print and electronic media. Unauthorised clearing of vast stretches of jungle, illegal felling of valuable trees, [...]
Appreciations
Academic who thought out of the box The demise of this most gracious lady left most of us in Kandy, more specifically, the Faculty of Medicine at Peradeniya, with a singular sense of loss. She not only was an academic par excellence, but imbibed as she was of eastern culture, gave the medical school values [...]
A sojourn in ‘Ceilon’ and carefree life of Dutch colonial society
In 1926, a translation of Reize te voet door het eiland Ceilon (Travels on Foot through the Island of Ceylon) by Jacob Haafner was published in the Journal of the Dutch Burgher Union. The translators, L.A. Prins and J.R. Toussaint, included in their work several passages critical of British rule in India that had been [...]
Escape into a calm oasis with great food
For most, an escape has never seemed more tempting. A moment of respite during the last month of the year and a place to relax and enjoy some deliciously different food. Restaurateur Senuri Ranatunga offers diners just that with her new al fresco establishment, The Escape. While studying Politics and International Relations during her time [...]
A portrait of Keyt the genius
‘George Keyt – A Portrait of the Artist’ by Professor Albert Dharmasiri has just been released, the third in the series “Seven Artists of an Era” published by the National Trust, Sri Lanka. The book is a portrait of Keyt, the inexhaustible genius blessed with an extraordinary creative imagination, who was one of Sri Lanka’s [...]
Raffles Consolidated celebrates its 21st anniversary
Raffles Consolidated, a well-established name in the hospitality, management and tourism industry celebrated its 21st anniversary on December 1, 2020. Headed by industry veteran Tony Bohoran, Chairman and Managing Director of Raffles Consolidated, the company has grown exponentially since its inception in 1999. Tony, who travelled the world gaining experience as a hotelier has an [...]