Off the beaten track for leopard or dragonfly
Growing up, Riaz Cader loved nothing better than an escape into the remote rural wilderness; whether it be the dry zone wildlife bungalows of Mahasilawa or Thalgasmankade in Yala with leopard and bear at a waterhole; the fecund darkness of a rain forest with endemic frog and loris and lizard; or to dream of the [...]
Get set for the Ladies’ College ‘Ace the Race’
After a lengthy lapse of public events, the Ladies’ College Old Girls Association (LC OGA) presents ‘Ace the Race’, a multi-sports event on October 15. Having hosted many lively fairs and carnivals on the school grounds and school walks teeming with alumni clad in signature red and white in the past, the LC OGA is [...]
Vivid, spiritual encounter with nature
The French Spring Festival, normally held in June and July and organised jointly by the French Embassy and the Alliance Française, is an annual celebration of French art and culture that is eagerly anticipated in Colombo every year. This year, despite suffering considerable delays due to the country’s financial and political upheavals, festival events continued [...]
It is a wonderful life – preventing suicide
It is Christmas Eve, a happy time for many, but for George Bailey, the future is gloomy. Previously a successful and respected businessman, he, through no fault of his own, is facing financial ruin and arrest. The only way out, he sees, is to jump into the river and commit suicide. This is a scenario [...]
Cooking up something special
Eyes wide with wonder, broad smiles of exhilaration, the atmosphere buzzing with excitement and filled with the inviting aromas of freshly cooked food – it was a late afternoon on September 25 when a Masterchef style competition for differently abled Girl Guides unfolded for the first time in Sri Lanka. Organised by the Differently Abled [...]
This October, Zonta Club II of Colombo focuses on breast cancer awareness and free cushion project
For almost every woman affected there are three generations who suffer; the parents, the woman and her family and then her children,” says Dr. Mala Tudawe. Vidyani Hettigoda adds, “We can alleviate all of this suffering or avoid it altogether if only we continue to raise awareness.” October is known internationally as Breast Cancer Awareness [...]
Letters to the Editor
Interesting titbits on ‘Grass for my Feet’ The Sunday Times Magazine of September 4, carried a reminiscence of the schooldays of Chitranjan Pethiyagoda and of his discovery, quite by accident, in 1958 of the book ‘Grass for my Feet’ by Jinadasa Vijayatunga, first published in 1935 by Edward Arnold & Co. London. The scenes set [...]
APPRECIATIONS
A great teacher and award-winning writer Lalitha Witanachchi (nee Karalliadde) The first death anniversary of Lalitha Karalliadde-Witanachchi – a Gratiaen Award winner for creative writing in English, fell on September 26 this year. As one of her early students at the Central College Anuradhapura, it was in the mid-1950s, that we had the exceptional privilege [...]