Mirror Magazine

20th January 2002

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Clothes Line

Comment, criticism or food for thought? Write in to
CLOTHESLINE,
C/o The Sunday Times,
Mirror Magazine,
No. 8, Hunupitiya Cross Road,
Colombo 2.

  • 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.



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