A safe haven under expert care
Acozy and safe little place all of their own with every facility for vulnerable mothers with mental health issues, and their babies, to recover and recuperate in the heart of the bustling city of Colombo! It is a ‘first’ for a maternity hospital in Sri Lanka – this dedicated ‘Mother Baby Unit’ down Francis Road, [...]
Timeless canvases of nature from artist with a mission
Veteran artist Marie Alles Fernando’s new pre-Christmas exhibition, to be held on December 1, at her Nawala home is titled ‘Ganbarimasu’ – which is Japanese for never giving up, or ‘trying your hardest to achieve an object’. Hung on her home gallery walls amidst cosy chintz chairs and potted plants, are the new canvases, of [...]
Minnette’s groundbreaking Kandy housing scheme
The Watapuluwa Housing Scheme in Kandy is an example of how in many ways Ceylon fared so much better than the Sri Lanka it was to become. Built by the first Sri Lankan woman architect Minnette de Silva, the scheme was unusual in that each house had a generous 40-perch plot (altogether the scheme extended [...]
Letters to the Editor
NIE’s admission policies for the B.Ed programme I pen these words with a heavy heart, representing the shared frustration and disappointment of countless students like myself who find ourselves caught in the web of the National Institute of Education’s (NIE) infrequent admission policies for the B.Ed programme. In a world where every moment counts, it’s [...]
Appreciation
A remarkable man who was father to all Shantilal Wijesundere It’s with a heavy heart that I write this tribute to my beloved father-in-law Shantilal Wijesundere who passed away on November 19. Ironically, he was looking forward to watching the cricket World Cup final on that fateful day, a sport he was so passionate about [...]
Many lessons to be learnt from this autobiography of a clinician cum administrator
Galle, one of Sri Lanka’s largest cities had been labelled a sleepy old town by many. However, there has been a remarkable awakening in the past few decades. Historically Galle was considered an important centre of education with many sought after schools which are over a century old. The establishment of the Karapitiya Medical Faculty [...]
Neuro-scientific underpinnings of Satipattana
Satipattana Sutta was the Buddha’s instruction how to gain an insight (Vipassana) into the true nature of reality. The instruction was to practise Mindful Meditation -Samma-Sati, by Vipassana Bhavana. The growing popularity of retreats to allow busy householders to indulge in this type of meditation, both in the East and West, speaks volumes for its [...]
The ramp and beyond: SLDF looks at design, culture and identity
Back once again for the 14th year in a row, the Sri Lanka Design Festival (SLDF) taking place from December 1-3 at the Colombo Innovation Tower offers participants the chance to reflect on the intersectionality of design, culture, and identity through shows, discussions, forums, and exhibitions. The festival, organised by the Academy of Design (AOD), [...]
‘Give the children of Daya Mina a chance’
Having learning difficulties and intellectual challenges do not limit the young people at the Daya Mina day centre from expressing their creativity to the best of their capacities. Joining hands with Supem Uyana, the residential centre for students with learning difficulties and Nisansala Special Training Centre all of which come under the umbrella of the [...]
Celebrating a journey of 100 years
The jubilee of 110 long years of the Guild of Mary Immaculate will be celebrated on December 2. The Guild of the Immaculate Heart of Mary was inaugurated 110 years ago in 1913 in a quiet atmosphere by the Very Rev. Fr. E. Nicolas, O.M.I., the third Rector of St. Joseph’s College, with a modest enrolment [...]
Sri Lanka’s own secret gardens: National Trust lecture by Dr. Shanti Jayewardene
“Hidden Gardens in the Giri Monasteries of Sri Lanka” is the topic of this month’s National Trust lecture by Dr. Shanti Jayewardene on Thursday, November 30 at 6 p.m. at the Auditorium of the College of Surgeons of Sri Lanka,No. 6, Independence Avenue, Colombo 7. (For those who join online: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84368157566) Sri Lanka has a [...]
Tinsel & Tunes’ with the De Lanerolles and National Unity Orchestra
Ushering in the festive season in their own inimitable style, the De Lanerolle Brothers, in collaboration with the National Unity Orchestra, present ‘Tinsel & Tunes’ on Thursday, December 7 at the Lionel Wendt theatre. There are two back-to-back concerts at 6 p.m. and 8.30 p.m. each of one and a quarter hour’s duration, promise an [...]