A royal visit and another side to Ceylon as a colony
A hundred years back, in 1921, Ceylon was a flurry of Union Jacks and ‘God save the King’ over a royal visit. Not, of course, the first but nonetheless important as this was the Prince of Wales, Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David, the King-Emperor-to-be and the most charismatic member of the House of [...]
Giving ear to the needs of the deaf in a pandemic and after
Before her cochlear implants, Husna Naleer could not hear the ambient sounds that texture daily life: the ticking of clocks, the clink of pots and pans, the barking of dogs. Before, her midnight snacking would often wake her parents when she used the microwave. Now, she can recognize the noises and knows to take the [...]
Letters to the Editor
A Houseful of law-makers or law-breakers! Have you watched our Parliamentary proceedings lately? I feel it must be rated “R” or even “X” like how movies are rated so that children under 18 should not be allowed to watch the law-making process in that august assembly, the Parliament of the Democratic Republic of Sri Lanka. [...]
Appreciations
Truly a silent legend of Richmond Galle and true gentleman P. K. Sanadheera The demise of this most gracious gentleman left many of us in Galle, especially generations of the old boys of Richmond with a singular sense of loss. He was not only a schoolteacher and principal par excellence but was also a kind [...]
A veteran naturalist and a young zoologist ‘go fishing’ to map out our biogeography
Sri Lanka may not be a Madagascar or even a Tasmania but we are still a unique tropical haven for a dense biota. Yet no naturalist hitherto has ventured on a quest to find how the isle came to possess its living legacy of fauna and flora. This abiding enigma is taken up compellingly in [...]
A vibrant and in-depth narrative of Sri Lanka’s bear necessities
Sloth bears (Melursus ursinus) have long remained an enigma, even to those who live within their range. People who live with them both revere and fear sloth bears. In India, we grew up with stories of a mythological character named Jambvanta. Depicted as a sloth bear in ancient epics, Jambvanta helped Ram, and followed him [...]
’Tis the season at the Hilton
The Hilton Colombo unveiled their Christmas offerings on December 3 with the traditional lighting of the tree by the Chairman of Hotel Developers Lanka Limited Nimal Perera, flanked by Manesh Fernando, General Manager Hilton Colombo/ Area General Manager Hilton Sri Lanka. A double decker bus created a fun atmosphere beckoning the kids to hop on [...]
Cheery Yuletide tales
Christmas Light by M.T.L. Ebell Published by Vijitha Yapa Publishers Price: Rs 400 Reviewed by Yomal Senerath-Yapa Christmas Light by M.T.L. Ebell harks back to the joyful tradition of Yuletide tales – cheery, bright like the star over Bethlehem, spreading the warmth in the manger whereto came the shepherds and kings from the East to [...]