The circle goes on
By Ruwanthi Herat Gunaratne
There are thousands of children in our country who have none to call their
own and live with no hope for what the future holds. The opportunities
in life seem to elude them, as they have no means to enhance their knowledge
and skills. Their talents are like buried treasure with no value unless  unearthed.
They need to be loved, cared for and guided through their 'Circle of Life'.
Due to the resounding success of the first 'Circle of Life' concert
held at the BMICH in April of this year, the Circle of Life Trust Fund
is due to hold yet another such evening of entertainment to share the joy
of the season with children who have none to call their own. The event
is to be held on December 21st and 22nd at the Bishop's College Auditorium.
The Old Joe's Chorale, the Celestial Christmas Chorale together with
Deja vu and the voices of Dillain Joseph, Druvi de Silva, Devashri de Silva,
Dilip Seneviratne, Serala Athulathmudali and Mallith Fernando who are to
be backed by Ezra are due to perform at this event. 'Circle of Life ' is
not to be a mere charity event but one which would promote the cause of
knowledge and skills amongst the children of Sri Lanka no matter what circumstances
they are faced with in life.
Christmas melodies
"Friends in Harmony" will present "CHRISTMAS MELODIES 2001", on Friday,
December 14, at the Bishops College Auditorium in aid of The Lanka Alzheimer's
Foundation.
"Friends in Harmony" is directed by Mrs. Indrani Wijesundera, well-known
entertainer, pianist and accompanist in Sri Lanka. This 15 member group
is slightly different from other bands and ensembles. Many of them are
professionals in diverse disciplines and are also prize winners in music.
The group includes accomplished vocalists such as our local Cliff Richard
and a versatile teenage star, Miss Swinley Perera. The instrumentalists
of this group play a combination of traditional and unusual instruments
such as the piano, violin, flute, clarinet, saxophone, guitar, acoustic
drums and the Caribbean steel drums. "Friends in Harmony" also includes
well-known flautist Sureka Amarasinghe. They have a varied repertoire ranging
from classics and semi-classics to evergreens and bailas. They have performed
at special functions at 5-star hotels in Sri Lanka and had a successful
concert tour in Doha, Qatar to celebrate the Sinhalese and Tamil New Year
in April 2001.
The most unusual feature of this group is the presence of an unusual
instrument - the Caribbean steel drums played by Dr. Prashanthi Mendis,
who is an ethnomusicologist and a lawyer. Prashanthi is the only Caribbean
steel drum artiste in Sri Lanka. She has lived in many regions and mastered
the unique art of playing the Caribbean steel drums during her long stay
in the Caribbean.
There will also be a dance item by the Nelung Dance Academy directed
by Nelufer Peiris. Tickets for "CHRISTMAS MELODIES 2001" are prized at
Rs. 400/-, Rs. 300/-, Rs. 250/- and Rs. 100/- and are available at the
Bishops College Auditorium.
Clothes Line
Life's choices - A reader replies
A soldier's destiny
A reader replies
Life's choices
This is in response to the letter published by Angel Gurl
All this time I assumed that I was the only one in this world with the
dilemma of choosing the correct career path! It's comforting to know (ironically
though) that there is someone out there as desperate as I am!!! One of
the most difficult hurdles to clear in life, they say is your Advanced
Level Exam. I passed with wonderful results this year, only to be confronted
with something more difficult - what I want to do with the rest of my life!
All of a sudden I had a range of options from career paths in the commerce,
Medicine or Engineering fields open up before me! Amazingly , unlike every
'normal' person around me , I just couldn't find my passion in life - what
I'd like to be stuck doing for the rest of my life! I tried to do a net
search on a zillion Universities only to be more confused than I began
as each course seemed to be appealing with 'excellent' career opportunities!'
'Ask yourself what you really like to do,' they said. It seemed to me
that I was very good at answering the questions on my exam papers , but
when it comes to problems thrown by life I simply scored a 'F' . Throughout
our school lives most of us were never exposed to career opportunities.
What each profession has to offer and how much it is in demand in today's
world.
What I have right now is a fear a choosing the wrong thing! A mistake
I'll have to live with for the rest of my life! I don't want to be thinking
'what if I did take something else? Wouldn't life have been easier?' It
would have been ideal if most schools had career advisors who could help
lost individuals like myself. Or even a ' career day' so that we could
get first hand experience and information from people who are already in
the profession.
It's been a long , daunting , depressing and tearful task of choosing
the correct course for me. Sooner or later I'll have to take it and my
only hope is that it'll be the right one and I wouldn't have to regret
taking it! I hope you find yours too, Angel Gurl! Good luck to anyone else
who share the same situation!
NA
A soldier's destiny
I look up at the sky, the velvet midnight sky
And wonder that fate had time to deny
The road that led my hopes and dreams
And left me all alone it seems
I come near with each step I tread
When reality had reared its ugly head
You walk your destiny and cross the line
But a soldier's future is a large land mine
Not sure of the death that lies ahead
Just one wrong step is a bloodshed made
The vision of my life is a blur in the mist
But I'm glad now I already exist
This is what the vision of our ambition shows us
Life is not always a bed of roses
A 24/7 dedicated day
But death ain't nothing but a heartbeat away
At the end I know I helped a nation
To reach peace and unity of sensation.
Tharindu Arseculeratne |
