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Stargazing
in broad daylight Inside the
semi-globe shaped auditorium, in semi-darkness, a 'show' begins
with a series of slides and the voice of Premakirthi de Alwis, giving
a detailed history on stargazing. Even the ancients, in spite of
their busy schedule of hunting and roasting and inventing things,
had been fascinated by the stars. Arthur C. Clarke calls those of
the stone age moon-watchers. From the past
to the future. To outer space. We are invited to take a seat in
a spacecraft. We watch through the windows as our ship moves away
from the earth towards seemingly never ending darkness. Then, suddenly,
we see an orange blotch, which looks like a spot of gravy on a tablecloth.
But this is no gravy stain. This is the sun, close up. And believe
it or not, the sun too is said to get sunspots - but these are great
disturbances, which look like bursting bubbles. It is disconcerting
to be told by the narrator, that the sun is no longer young, that
it too is growing old. It has reached middle age now, and would
gradually get smaller and smaller, till the power of its rays diminish
and it will vanish from the universe. The death of the sun would
mean our death too, but relax; there are at least 5000 years more
for the sun to reach the last years of its life. Next, thunder,
lightning, drops of rain, the experience of being in the middle
of a storm (without getting soaked). Then the sunset. Then darkness. Then, silently,
one by one blossom the lovely stars - the forget-me-nots of the
angels. "If there are no clouds, smoke or city lights this
is how the sky will look today at seven in the night," says
the narrator. The sight is awe-inspiring - so many twinkling points
of light, some faint, others bright, some flicker, some twinkle,
some solitary, some in clusters...the feeling of 'night' is so strong,
the inclination is to fall asleep... When the 45
minute show ends, I walk out of the auditorium and explore the grounds.
A huge board at the entrance shows a map of the buildings. Number
three is called the Internet, which appears to be a small, air-conditioned
room with seven computers in it. Sixteen-year-old Rushan Nishantha
from Jayakody Maha Vidyalaya, Welipillewa, is seated at one, searching
the Internet in search of information about Sri Lanka. I watch him
land on the website of the Ceylon Tourist Board. Next to him, his
colleague scans the front pages of the daily newspapers. All the
computers are occupied by children in school uniforms. "We
provide free Internet facilities to all school children," says
Nalaka who describes himself as an Internet Instructor. Though Number
4 is marked as the library, I am told it is not functioning yet,
that there are no chairs or books inside the building. Walking around
the small glass strewn area with stone benches reserved for children
to have their picnic lunches, imaginatively called Moonbase One
and Moonbase Two, I realise within an hour I have explored everything
there is to be explored at the Sri Lanka Planetarium. I leave the premises realising I have learnt an important lesson. The unbelievably beautiful moon, often called a pale faced Cynthia by poets on earth, is not attractive at all when seen close-up. It has hundreds of craters, mountains and valleys. The same could be said of the stars, which too are not what they appear to be from down below. Moral: Don't believe everything you see, to be true. Expo
Aviation takes you places Expo Aviation
was the first airline in Sri Lanka to be certified under the International
Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Annex requirements. Expo Aviation
was also the first domestic airline to be certified by the Department
of Civil Aviation to recommence flights to Jaffna. CEO Sabri Marikar
states that they will soon fly to Trincomalee, Wirawila and Koggala.
"These flights will commence as soon as the airports are ready
for operation. We also have the capability of operating charters
and special flights at short notice," he said. Future plans
include float plane operations, large aircraft overhaul facilities,
and flight training schools and of course international passenger
operations added Mr. Marikar. Marikar also
stated that Expo Aviation is committed to providing excellent service
to air travellers. Keeping this in mind he has employed a team of
experienced airline staff at all levels, from in-flight services
to ground handling, reservations to sales, flight operations to
engineering and cargo handling to security. "We have
also introduced online computerised reservations/check-in systems.
Our staff undergoes regular training on service excellence to ensure
standards are always maintained. Our concept in passenger service
is not merely to exceed passenger expectations but to create a memorable
experience. We listen, we respond, we are committed to serve you
better." Expo Aviation
has always maintained their flight schedules and has an excellent
punctuality record. The company
has been able to capture the overseas market, which includes Sri
Lankan residents in the U.K., Canada, Switzerland and the USA. For
the large number of their regular passengers a Frequent Flyer Programme
has been introduced and one of the facilities is the Nexus loyalty
programme. Said Seraj
Mohamed - Head of Passenger Operations: "We offer a two class
operation, providing the public a choice of travel. Our internationally
experienced cabin crew offers an excellent in-flight service, with
refreshments and beverages offered on our 50 minute flight to Jaffna." As of December
9, 2002, they have introduced evening flights on certain days and
a Sunday flight as well. Expo Aviation
(Pvt) Limited is a member of the EXPOLANKA group, and has been approved
by the BOI of Sri Lanka. It is a 100 % Sri Lankan owned organisation. |
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Copyright © 2001 Wijeya Newspapers
Ltd. All rights reserved. |
