Stepping into our own ‘magical’ world of nano
A top a small hill in Pitipana, Homagama, off the Thalagala Road set amidst a lush 50-acre block is a building, the sight of which stops the visitors in their tracks. It looks like a space station but a closer view makes it crystal clear that it is all to do with science and technology. [...]
Letters to the Editor
Nation in a hurry: The travails of driving here Increasingly driving on our roads has become a seriously life-threatening experience. The roads have virtually become a playground for ill-disciplined, inconsiderate and inhuman human beings who are a disgrace to civilized society. We as a nation have fallen to the doldrums of indecency and intolerance when [...]
Appreciations
A rare gentleman politician and close friend Dr. Ranjit Atapattu The news of Ranjit’s sudden passing reached us and one had to accept it with immense sadness. My association with him spans over 75 years beginning from the time we both joined Royal Primary School at the tender age of five. Since then our friendship [...]
Stepping into Maria’s shoes from Liesl’s with confidence
Carmen Pretorius has grown up acting, singing and dancing. “I know this is a really clichéd thing to say! But I really don’t remember a time in my life where I didn’t sing,” says the South African singer who will take on the iconic role of Maria in the Andrew Lloyd Webber production of The [...]
Keeping a unique thanksgiving alive
It is once more the time for kolam designs on the floor and modakam to feast on. While homes have been decluttered and colour-washed, today devotees will throng the kovils for poojas in reverence of the Sun God for a bountiful harvest. Thai Pongal in a broad sense which denotes ‘festivity’ or ‘celebration’ is an [...]
Ready to step out, armed with good AL results and big dreams
Doni, they call out from downstairs, and suddenly, down the ramp whizzes a young woman, all-smiles, navigating and manoeuvring expertly past chairs and tables to come to a halt right in front of us. She is one of two who have done very well at the Advanced Level (AL) 2017, the results of which were [...]
Knuckles frog croaks out in alarm
In mist-laden Dumbara, amidst the crevices of the Knuckles mountain range, lives an interesting four-legged friend – about 45 mm in size. The flat-bodied brown and yellow creature is now croaking with alarming news! A study was undertaken on investigating the population dynamics, microhabitat use, and variation in body temperature of this Marbled Rock Frog [...]
Pure artistry and friendship on stage
2018 began on a high note for Kishani Jayasinghe. On January 8, the well known soprano thrilled close to a full house at the Lionel Wendt with “Kishani Sings with Friends from the Royal Opera House”. Despite being a Monday, music lovers braved the rush-hour traffic to catch the artiste in action together with her [...]
With a mix of east and west the tale of Ravana unfolds
The legendary tale of ‘Dasis Ravana’ (Ten-Headed Ravana) unfolded as the first ever Sinhala operatic ballet performed by a local university was staged at the Nelum Pokuna on January 5. Thirty- five undergraduates of the University of Colombo put up a magnificent show in “ Ravana: the legend untold” (Ravana noki purawatha) unveiling the mythical [...]
Jungle trips that gave root to trees on canvas
Charmaine Mendis and Minha Mahushukeen, together with guest artist Karunasiri Wijesinghe will hold their exhibition, ‘For the love of Trees’ from January 19 – 22 at the Lionel Wendt Art Gallery daily from 9.30 a.m. – 7 p.m. The paintings and drawings created by Charmaine in this exhibition are in her own words, “an expression [...]
Leisure
General Manager of the Galadari Hotel Sampath Siriwardene (far left) invited guests and friends to ‘The Grand Reveal’ on January 6 to unveil the hotel’s newly refurbished Ballroom with its spacious interior and bright light ambience.
Something for everyone at Waters Edge
This January internationally acclaimed culinary and F&B teams at the Waters Edge are putting together an array of food promotions dedicated to some of the culinary favourites from around the world and closer to home. A Pizza Double Deal The food adventure begins with a dive into hand-tossed, wood fire oven roasted pizzas at Pranzo. [...]
Supper Club starts new year with a culinary feast from India’s The Table
Colombo Supper Club is well into its second year of operation, having featured an amazing variety of celebrity chefs throughout 2017. Cuisines featured ranged from Spanish to South American, to heritage Singaporean and even Korean fusion. Several of the chefs featured have since been awarded Michelin stars and Diners Club awards. 2018 commences with one [...]
All things Chocolate at Hilton
Who doesn’t love chocolate? Delight your senses in this gastronomic celebration of all things chocolate at the Hilton Colombo from January 15 – 20 where an array of chocolate treats await you at Café Kai, L.A.B., Il Ponte and Graze Kitchen. Café Kai will be stocking up their shelves with decadent cakes, handmade chocolates, French [...]
Art lovers it’s your chance to pick up your paints and brushes
Art lovers can look forward to feasting their visual senses with an artist-in-residence programme launched in collaboration with internationally acclaimed Sri Lankan artist Anoma Wijewardene now on at Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle Resort. Anoma is offering daily sketch classes at the resort and also private tutorials. Guests of all ages will benefit from the expertise [...]
Quanzhou, door to ancient Maritime Silk Road
For centuries, a network of ancient trade routes that would later become collectively known as the “Silk Road” connected vast stretches of the world’s Eastern and Western regions. According to historians, the term “Silk Road” derives its name from the lucrative trade in silk carried out along it, beginning from China’s Han dynasty (206 BC [...]
Pompeii: Imagining life in a city frozen in time
The Pompeii railway station was crowded with tourists. As we walked, in the scorching sun I was thinking, history is all around us, but, nowhere more than in the spaces where people had lived. We can only begin to understand the shape of lives in the past from what they have left us. Sometimes entire [...]
Dame Maggie Smith: Stuck playing too many “orrible old women”
When Dame Maggie Smith heard about the possibility of a Downton Abbey film, she thought it should start with a funeral – her own. In Dame Maggie’s mind, Downton could put Lady Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham to rest, echoing Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited, where Lord Marchmain comes back to the family home only [...]
Reflections of a moderate thinker with a global outlook
This book is an interesting collection of the writings of Charitha Ratwatte on topics ranging from politics and economics to education and even the nature of happiness. While the essays mostly have a Sri Lankan flavour, the author is well acquainted with many other parts of the world, such as China, Russia and the Western [...]
Comprehensive view of constitution making
The first edition of this book was published in March 2007. Ten years have passed since the first edition was released. Sri Lanka has passed through many constitutional stages since the first edition was published. The final constitutional document awaited is the new Constitution of 2017. Between the first set of Instructions sent by the [...]
We don’t become who we are in isolation: Deepa Mehta
In December 2012, India was shaken by the brutal rape of Jyoti Singh, a 23-year- old physiotherapy student. Gang-raped by six men on a bus in Delhi while her male friend was beaten up, the pair was then thrown out of the bus after the brutal assault. The crime shocked the nation. It also left [...]
WNPS lecture: Leopards under the spotlight
The Wildlife and Nature Protection Society’s monthly lecture – will be delivered by its President Rukshan Jayewardene on January 18 at 6 p.m. at the Cinema Hall, BMICH, Colombo 7. The lecture is open to all members and non-members, admission free. The lecture will be on ‘Social life and survival strategies of the Sri Lankan [...]
SL Consulate staff in Mumbai begin new year with religious observances
The staff of the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Mumbai started work for the new year by re-affirming the oath of the public service and offering alms to the Buddhist Sangha in Maharashtra. Ven. Naluwela Ananda Maha Thera, Chief Incumbent of the Maha Mahind Vihar in Ulhasnagar along with members of the Maha Sangha [...]
BreadTalk’s “White Christmas” wins Anchor X’Mas Cake-off
BreadTalk was the winner of the Golden Whisk at the first ever Anchor X’Mas Cake-off held recently beating out other bakeries and specialty cafes. The awards ceremony was recently held at Colombo Court Hotel & Spa (formerly known as Colombo Courtyard Hotel), and attended by the Anchor X’mas Cake-off participants, judges and officials from Fonterra [...]
Lalith Wijetunge inducted as 37th President of OPA
The induction of the 37th President of the Organisation of Professional Associations (OPA) Lalith Wijetunge was held on January 4, at Cinnamon Lakeside, Colombo. Speaker Karu Jayasuriya was the Chief Guest at the event which was attended by over 200 members. Founded in 1975 under the aegis of the Commonwealth Foundation, the OPA is the [...]
Metho Girls’ Step by Step towards Inclusivity
A group of Methodist College Advanced Level students will host a concert, “Step by Step” in aid of the Maharagama Pipena Kusum special children’s school on January 19, at the Methodist College auditorium from 4. 30 p.m. onwards. Though the school has been in operation for the past 8 years, not many opportunities have come [...]