Events diary

A religious ceremony to invoke blessings on the King of Thailand, His Majesty Bhumibol Adulyadej, on his birthday, organized by the Sri Lanka-Thailand Society, will be held on Sunday, December 3 at 5.30 p.m. at the Gangaramaya Temple, Colombo 2.

The L.G. Singers will begin their Christmas season with an evening of carols at the Bethel Chapel of the Seventh-day Adventists, Alfred House Gardens, Kollupitiya on December 1. They will present 20 carols including a composition by the late Kalasuriya Lylie Godrige, founder of the L.G. Singers. This composition has never been performed before.

Chandani with C&C Live in Concert is scheduled to take place on November 30 at the Bishop's College auditorium. Guest Spots will be performed by 'Flame' and 'Centigradez'.

The proceeds of this concert will go to the Seva Vanitha Movement which works for the wellbeing of disabled soldiers.

Barbara’s dressmaking book in Sinhala

The book on 'The Check Block Method of Dressmaking by Barbara Wijesinghe has been translated into Sinhala and will be launched on December 7 at the Parish Hall of the Church of the Good Shepherd, 118, Jawatte Road, Colombo 5.

This book teaches the basics of dressmaking using the check block method which requires only two measurements for each of the basic blocks - the skirt, blouse, sleeve, saree jacket, bra-cut and even the baby shirt, and is different but easier than the well-known scientific method of dressmaking. In this practical method, once the basic blocks are mastered, they serve as a foundation for even the beginner to become an accomplished dressmaker.

The Sinhala book like the English version, contains diagrams and detailed instructions on cutting out and sewing of the slim skirt and other skirt styles, various styles of blouses, the shift dress and A-line dress, various styles of sleeves, necklines, collars, the saree jacket and and baby shirt.

The English book is available at all leading bookshops and the Sinhala book will also be available shortly.

Ahasing Watunu Minissu, the latest production of veteran dramatist R.R. Samara-koon which won four awards at the Drama Festival in 1971, will go on the boards of the Borella Y.M.B.A. Theatre today at 3.30 and 6.45 p.m.

The cast includes Thilak Kumara Ratnayake, Ramya Wanigasekara, Geetha Kanthy Jayakody, Wickrama Senevirathna and Ravindra Ariyarathne. Stage Managers Chandana Nishantha Peiris and Ravinda Ariyarathne are assisted by Asoka Zoysa. Jagath Pathmasiri, will handle the makeup while Jude Srimal is the show's chief organizer.

The Ceylon Association for the Mentally Retarded (CAMR) will hold several events with the participation of about 700 mentally handicapped persons to mark International Disabled Day on December 2.

9-10 a.m.: Walk by mentally retarded persons carrying banners from Hospital Road/Galle Road junction, Dehiwala to S.De.S. Jayasinghe grounds.

10 a.m.-12 noon: Lighting of the traditional oil lamp, hoisting of the national and CAMR flags, and the opening of the exhibition and sale of items produced by mentally retarded persons.

1.30 - 4.30 p.m.: Music, dance and drama competitions.

4.30 - 5.30 p.m.: A medley of song and dance and the distribution of prizes.

An exhibition and sale of table-cloths, bed linen, children's smocked dresses and ladies' clothes with beautiful embroidery, edged with beeralu lace, jointly produced by the Shilpa Tsunami Livelihood Project at Hambantota and the Shilpa Vocational Centre trainees in Colombo, will be held at Shilpa Children's Home at 45/92 Nawala Road, Narahenpita on December 1 and 2.

In the tragic aftermath of the tsunami of December 26, 2004, Shilpa trained a group of women from Hambantota in the fine art of needlework, embroidery and traditional lace making. Within weeks of training, the women produced beautiful embroidery which was purchased by Shilpa, providing a steady monthly income for them. These items were then brought to Colombo and made into finished products at Shilpa Vocational Centre in Narahenpita, Colombo.

The income from this sale will be used to strengthen the women's livelihood development effort.

'Neethi Ranga 2006' organized by the Neethi Ranga Organizing Committee of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, will be staged on Saturday, December 2 at 6.30 p.m. at the Tower Hall, Maradana.

"This annual event being held for the 14th successive year provides an opportunity for Attorneys-at-Law islandwide to perform and exhibit their talents in singing, dancing and drama," says Organizing Committee Chairperson Mrs. Swinitha Gunaratne.

The Lanka Mahila Samiti will hold its annual exhibition and sale of handicrafts at the Girls' Friendly Society Hall, Green Path on Wednesday, November 29 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

A range of attractive handicraft produced by members of rural Mahila Samitis in villages in 16 districts will be on display. Fine crochet and beeralu lace, including pure lace and lace inserted table cloths, as well as cushions with traditional Sinhala embroidery which are a speciality of the south, will be on sale. Sleeping mats, sewing boxes, hambili for coins and coasters from the Kalutara district as well as table mats and other household articles from raw materials from the Kegalle district can also be purchased.

A variety of items including readymade garments, linen, costume jewellery, books, toys and Christmas cards will be on sale in the Parish Hall of the Church of St. Michael and All Angels, Polwatte, Colombo 3 on December 3 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The sale has been organized by the Adult Fellowship of the church to raise funds for ongoing and new social projects for the less fortunate.