Clothes Line
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Leadership confusion
Happy being 'slim'
Talent of the country for the country
I hear music
You never left me, mom
Leadership confusion
Dear N puzzled student,
On your letter to the Clothes Line on 25.11.2001 you brought up some
issues that give us much to think about. Although I agree with you on some
issues you seem to have missed out on some other issues. They are issues
of corruption affecting the prefects themselves.
I'm a student who finished my O/L's in a leading school in the Gampaha
district. A prefect myself, I came out of the virtually unknown corner
to being among the principal's most trusted. The most absurd thing about
it is that I climbed up by continually getting sidelined by my 'friends'.
It made me see things quite differently.
You think it absurd not to smile on duty, but you shouldn't actually.
That also doesn't mean one should be grumpy all day. Just do your duty
when in the line of duty. It ain't a time to make friends you know. It
all comes under 'equality'. Being a prefect for one year gave me much information
about corruption amongst school authorities: Rejection of applications
from promising prefects just because they had different opinions on committee
leadership, teachers favourites - all quite disturbing.
Teachers and school authorities always talk about how prefects should
be good role models and set examples of good conduct to the other students,
but what about examples from the teachers themselves? Teachers 'come out
of the blue' and add confusion to the normal disciplinarian procedure executed
by prefects. This lack of cooperation and communication leaves the students
helpless and clueless. I say prefects ought to be treated as school authority
associates. They know how to attract students and what they like, for they
are students. Cooperation between the teachers 'who know best' and prefects
may bring out appropriate solutions for student problems in the school.
Students who suppress others have to be treated with their own medicine.
And people like you and me who see it ought to stand up to it. Good luck!!
T.Rok Holmes
Happy being 'slim'
As a regular reader of the Clothes Line, I have, with much interest, followed
the debate between 'Black & White'. Now there seems to be another of
the sort between 'flesh & bones'. Although I too wanted to express
my views regarding the colour issue, being a 'fair', I was afraid of hurting
somebody's feelings. But now, being a 'Katu' all my life, I suppose I could
take the liberty of expressing my ideas without being accused of harbouring
any prejudice.
After reading the letter from the 'Sympathizer from Downsouth', I was
quite disturbed by her attitude. Is it a kind of complex bordering on vengeance
I detect in the tone of her writing? I'm sure poor 'Tom Cruise' didn't
mean to stir such hostile feelings in anybody. Despite her repeated assurances
of not being offended by his remarks, when reading her letter, one cannot
help but wonder. I'm sure she too belongs to this slimmer faction of girls
(I don't mind a little self- mockery, but when referring to others, I dare
not call Ally McBeal skinny, so slim it shall be) and her letter is more
a confirmation of this, rather than otherwise.
As another girl, probably of the same age, and one who has been called
'Katu' more times than I care to remember, I'd like to tell her that people
can and will say whatever they want. Sometimes they really mean what they
say, sometimes they don't. What matters is how one takes them. I know I
have enough self-confidence not to take offence at any of those remarks
and that's why I am able to write in a more cheerful manner than she has.
I am a succcessful career girl and with all my modesty, let me say that
despite my 'Katuness', I have been approached by more than half a dozen
young men of all shapes & sizes (tall, short, slim, well built... etc...)
with 'offers'. The fact that I had to turn all of them down was no fault
of theirs. I knew none of them were my 'Mr. Right', although a couple of
them were considered to be quite handsome by my friends and parents alike.
My 'Mr. Right' happened to come through quite a different route and he
is not as half as good looking as some of the guys I mentioned. Yet, he
is 'The One'.
And as for her assertions that looks don't matter, let me tell her that
it does. I know many of you will join in and say that it doesn't and what's
more important is the feelings beneath, but one has to like what he sees
of a person - enough to seek an acquaintance with that person, unless you
have fallen in love talking over the phone or Internet without once having
seen each other. Think about it and you will agree.
Katu but happy
Talent of the country for the country
There are many talented children in our country. But very often, they don't
receive the correct guidance and help to improve their talents. And because
of this sad situation most children fall into trouble.
And when foreigners come to know about a child who is enormously talented,
they take that child to their country and use the child's talents to bring
honour to their motherland. Most village children face this situation.
They are similar to the forest flowers which bloom and wither in the same
place they are born. But things are slightly better now with many a village
child having brought honour to our country, especially in the sports field.
And we really should be proud of them because they have excelled inspite
of having received less facilities than the children from the cities.
There are still more village children who need the correct guidance
and help to improve their talents. Every child can't be a good cricketer
or a clever scientist. But they can bring honour to our country in so many
ways, people wouldn't even expect.
Lakshani Kodituwakku.
I hear music
I hear my husband's footsteps
I hear him open the front door
That, gives my mind peace and my heart joy
I know that he is there with us.
To share the joys and sorrows of life.
His footsteps as he arrives
Are sweet music to my ear
My husband coming home
Is the best picture that I see
Sometimes he comes and stands beside me
Oh, how happy I feel
I feel so secure to know he is there
I love to hear his footsteps
Approaching our front door.
Manel Chandrasena.
You never left me, mom
Since the day I was born
You cherished me like your eyes
Mother, you never let me down
When the whole world left me alone.
You showed me the sun and the moon
You showed me the correct path to take
Mother, you never let me down
When the whole world left me alone
In your arms I felt safe and warm
In your eyes, kindness overflowed
And in this life, and the next
I'll be your son. I'll still need your love
Mother, you never let me down
When the whole world left me alone
Final call for Starlight
The final curtain has fallen on Starlight Express at the Apollo Victoria
after 18 successful years. There have been 7,406 performances of the rollerskating
musical, which has attracted more than eight million people and taken in
excess of £140m at the box office. Some 9,000 lights have created
the star effect on a set which has enthralled audiences since the first
performance on March 27, 1984. The production created history by being
the first West End show to be performed solely on rollerskates.
Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber - who wrote the show for his two children,
now in their 20s - and was present for the last show, said: "Starlight
Express has had an amazing run. Its final performance will be very emotional
for all of us who have been close to it for the past 18 years." Starlight
Express has had its fair share of dramas over the years, including water
damage to the £2m set when clothes were stuffed down a toilet during
the interval. There was further disruption months later when a sewage pipe
burst during a performance. Despite the final curtain call, there are plans
to take Starlight Express on a national tour. Another Lloyd-Webber musical,
Bombay Dreams, will open at the Apollo in May. |
