Come to Bombay of the ’60s right here in Tissamaharama
Inside the Bombay Velvet night club, the jet set of the city listen enthralled as the sultry voice of a songstress fills the air while outside, along the tarred well-lit roads, vintage cars and trams buzz by. It’s the swinging sixties in the city of Bombay (present day Mumbai); India’s city of opportunity where millions [...]
The miracle of the old-fashioned Mum
Mum turned 83 last month. I was not with her. Between us are an ocean and a continent. Yet the snip of the umbilical cord at birth cannot cut blood ties that bind. Distance does not disconnect hearts. I haven’t seen her for over a year. She’s frail, I hear; too weak to walk in [...]
With mother away, they need a place they can call home
For me the reason to conduct research on “Life chances of children and young people in institutional care” was always conscious and has never changed direction. Recalling my childhood experiences of being closely acquainted with children’s homes and my adult life experiences managing a girls’ children’s home, I realized institutionalized children’s rights called for my [...]
She didn’t just teach she moulded us
Tribute to former principal of Devi Balika Vidyala, Kalyani Abeysiriwardene de Zoysa, on her 90th birthday As Devi Balika Vidyalaya completes 63 years of service to the Sri Lankan girl child, all associated with the school will meet together on May 17 to honour a great lady who contributed in laying the strong foundations of [...]
Taking a healthy message from place to place
The ‘Pictorial Journey of Surgery’ depicting numerous photographs taken by well-known Senior Consultant Surgeon Dr. Gamini Goonetilleke has now evolved into a travelling exhibition with the aim of imparting health education. This Exhibition of Medical Photographs, titled ‘Sathkame Rupamaya Charikawa’ in Sinhala will be held at the Vygayanthi Hall of the Thopawewa Maha Vidyalaya from [...]
The shining light behind Titus Stores
The interview is over. We have chatted about this and that for over three hours on a Monday morning in his beautiful home set amidst a large garden in Colombo. Was it too long or too short for a colourful personality that is this octogenarian? Initially, we sit on the lush lawn surrounded by large [...]
Letters
SLFP should help the President fulfil his promises I read with great interest K.U. Pushpakumara’s letter published under the headline “Mr. President, focus on pledges, not party politics.” The people voted on January 8 for common opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena for three reasons: (1) Change; (2) creating the necessary conditions for clean politics; and (3) [...]
Why must we never ever flag the issue?
The national flag and the national anthem have been more than a little in the news, of late. First, there was the issue of the chief executive’s purported granting of permission for the national anthem to be sung in any national language – a storm in a tea cup already full of arsenic. That, as [...]
Kishani’s operatic moment
She is constantly raising the bar; She is a seasoned trailblazer, regularly putting Sri Lanka on the operatic world map and now she has done it again: Earlier this year, Sri Lanka’s operatic diva Kishani Jayasinghe became the first Sri Lankan -in the history of World Opera -to professionally sing the role of Bizet’s Sri [...]
Indu takes on political satire this time
Theatre personality Indu Dharmasena well known for his rib-tickling comedies is putting together a political satire after many years. “Maru Palanaya’ will go on the boards at the Lionel Wendt Theatre on May 22, 23 and 24 at 7.30 p.m. Maru Palanaya, as the name suggests, revolves around the new Executive President-elect Romesh Kaylingnayake, who [...]
The best of both worlds
Asiff Hussein shares with his readers some happy pen pictures of his mixed parentage and childhood in the 1970s and 1980s in his new book ‘Accha House & Umma House’. The author who grew up in Colpetty recalls his childhood with his siblings, enjoying the best of both worlds of their mixed Muslim-Sinhalese parentage. Their [...]
Globe Theatre’s Hamlet kicks off ‘Shakespeare Lives’ in Sri Lanka
The British Council recently announced Shakespeare Lives, a global programme of events and activities celebrating Shakespeare’s life on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of his death in 2016. Shakespeare Lives is an invitation to the world to join in the celebrations by participating in a unique online collaboration and experiencing the work of Shakespeare [...]
Love Cake for Mr. Shakespeare
ANOTHER year and another missed big occasion. A VVIP Birthday Combine. This makes it three years in a row. But this time we won’t let it pass. So, without much ado, let’s do the belated honours (we are only 17 days late, which is nothing in eternity). Two-and-a half weeks ago the calendar blazed a [...]
Now that the beach is back, CUBR is the place to be
“The beach is back!” As soon as the pumping and gushing of sand over the exposed rocks at Unawatuna was finished, these words buzzed around Sri Lanka, and Unawatuna was back in business. Once acclaimed as one of the 10 best beaches in the world by a US television programme, the cove at Unawatuna became [...]
A laugh-filled 2nd happy b’day
If there is one thing that the members of Laughing Waters have been able to retain over the year that went by, it is their ability to break into laughter – something that they made quite obvious during the recent anniversary celebrations of the Laughing Waters Colombo branch. A society that draws housewives, retired ladies [...]
Turkish hospitality onboard
Turkish ambassador Iskandar Okyay and the Commanding Officer and officers of TCG-GEDIZ (E 495) invited guests to sample Turkish hospitality on board the visiting Turkish vessel when it called at the Colombo harbour last week.
Sounds of old favourites at GFH
In their quest to usher in the perfect weekend, the Galle Face Hotels’ In… On the Green has introduced live music every Thursday, Friday and Sunday with three leading bands Foreplay, Cold sweat and Freeze taking centre stage. A three member band Foreplay will entertain on Thursdays with their repertoire of different styles from Blues [...]
Appreciations
Mel Gunasekera You left us beautiful memories Little did I know that Saturday night, February 1, 2014, when you hugged me saying “Hi Priyanthi Akki” that it was your farewell embrace. That in a few hours, early next morning God was preparing to call your name and take you to His heavenly home. February 2, [...]
Ovation 2015: Toastmasters anniversary celebrations
The 10th anniversary celebrations of Toastmasters District 82 ‘Ovation 2015’ will be held on May 22-25 with international and local delegates taking part. “Ovation 2015 will be celebrated on May 22 at BMICH Colombo, with Dr. Dilip Abayasekere, past international President of Toastmasters as the chief guest,” said the District Governor 82, Yusuf Jeevunjee addressing [...]
“May Breeze” at the GFS
The Girls’ Friendly Society (GFS) presents “May Breeze” on Saturday, May 23 at 9.30 a.m. at its headquarters. All proceeds will be towards the development of the GFS Hostel for working girls. The morning’s programme will consist of a cookery demonstration by culinary expert Mallika Joseph, beauty demonstration by Oriflame, a fashion show, and musical [...]
FAO livelihood development in the North
Agricultural-based livelihoods for vulnerable farming households were developed with irrigation infrastructure rehabilitation, improved water resource utilisation and crop diversification under the recently completed project on ‘Integrated Irrigation & Agricultural Livelihood Development in Killinochchi and Mullaitivu Districts’. The project was implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) with financial assistance from the European Union (EU). [...]
Sinhala and Tamil New Year in Berlin
Under the theme of peace and reconciliation, the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Berlin, Germany, celebrated the Sinhala and Tamil New Year with the participation of more than 250 Sri Lankans and German friends at the Sri Lankan Embassy in Berlin on Saturday, April 25. The full-day event organized by the Embassy together with the [...]
“Cellscapes” exhibition
“Cellscapes”, an exhibition of paintings by Shaanea Mendis D’ Silva will be held at the Lionel Wendt Art Gallery from May 15 to 18.
Fathima Muslim Ladies College OGA AGM
The Annual General Meeting of the Old Girls Association of Fathima Muslim Ladies College, Colombo 12 will be held on May 30 at 3 p.m. at the Zam Refai auditorium. All old girls are requested to attend.
Ranil Dias Thanksgiving Service
A Service of Thanksgiving to celebrate the life of Ranil Dias will be held on Monday, May 11 at 6.30 p.m. at the Methodist Church, Kollupitiya.
Spa Ceylon wins international award
Spa Ceylon recently won an international award in the ‘Best Luxury Ayurveda Spa’ category at the prestigious World Luxury Spa Awards for ‘WHITE By Spa Ceylon’, one of the brand’s signature luxury Ayurveda spas. “We are truly honoured to be recognised at the World Luxury Spa Awards for ‘WHITE By Spa Ceylon’, which truly provides [...]
