Light up your life

By Michelle Henricus and Sandrina Abeywardene

Scoop up a handful of sand. How does it feel? Apart from a few 'yucks' there would be an earthy, warm sensation of being one with nature.

If you prefer rocky, rough surfaces, traditional but unusual clay pots, lamps that not only serve the purpose but are ornamental in an environmentally friendly way, then Ran Ruwan at Majestic City and Liberty Plaza is a cosy place to visit

Cosy? Well yes. Dimly lit up, it's an Aladdin's cave of softly glowing lamps, costume jewellery made of semi-precious stones and sandy crafts in abundance. Worth checking out if you're interested in getting rather uncommon gifts or decor items.

A peek at Ran Ruwan's visitors response book, reveals comments such as 'unbelievable', 'unique' and 'very beautiful'. One perceptive client had got it just right....... 'a small idea has been developed into great works of art'. A glimmer of an idea born twenty years ago became a reality only in 1994. But how it came to be is no short story....

Ranjith Dias, the proprietor and the brains behind Ran Ruwan is a geologist. "Minerals are everywhere but earlier no one realised their economic potential. It was after I joined the Export Development Board that I came to understand this," he said.

While working on a study for the jewellery sector of the Export Development Board Ranjith realised that semi precious stones could be put to good use. The little bits and pieces of rocks that he found were cut and polished and then turned into costume jewellery. They were an instant success.

So in 1994, named Ran Ruwan from Ranjith's first idea the shop was launched. "The success was astonishing. Apart from sales we took Rs.20,000/- worth of orders each month," he said

Sand crafted lamps, now the highlight of this shop came from the sand crafted pots that were only designed as display items meant to attract attention to the shop. "We did a lot of sample orders for U.K and U.S.A. To display the jewellery I thought of using hand painted sand crafted pots and to our surprise the customers began to ask for them. So I designed some pots and they were a hit. Later on I designed a lamp and it sold the same day."

Ranjith uses minerals such as ilmenite, crushed to get black, Garnets to get the reds and browns, coral mixed soil and shells for yellow.... A few grams of these minerals are enough for the craftsmen. Under Dias's guidance, they create the most exquisite pots and lamp shades all made of natural minerals found in Sri Lanka. Only the fibre glass? used to create the lamp shades is artificial. Ranjith and his team of craftsmen have begun to incorporate the sand designs into glass shades as well. He is hoping to launch weather resistant outdoor decor.

Ran Ruwan has participated in four international trade fairs. One in Italy remains etched in Ranjith's mind. This fair specifically to exhibit minerals has been held for 44 years, yet the Italian officials claimed that it was the first time that they had come across sand crafted products. He also has export orders from the Gulf and Far East.

Price wise, lamps range from Rs 400 - 11,000, while the pots range from Rs. 50 - 6,000. Sometimes Ranjith is willing to incorporate share certificates and photographs into the lamp shades but this is a difficult process and won't be undertaken unless it's a bulk order.

Ran Ruwan also offers the guarantee of having their pots remade if broken. No not replaced, remade. All you have to do is collect all the broken bits and pieces and in few days time, voila! you'll have a new pot made of the old.

So what's the secret of Ranjith Dias's success? "You must have the skill, the resources and a good knowledge of the market," he says promptly claiming this to be the main reason his competitors fail in copying his handicraft technology.

Rain or shine, their work goes on

Only days away from the grand finale of the 'Nidahas Trophy' Chamintha Thilakarathna, meets the Khettarama groundsmen to find out their story.....

The cricket season is on. And as cricket fe ver reigns, so it seems does the rain. The sight of ground staff running onto the field, dragging the heavy covers behind them, is one that brings an understandable groan to any cricket fan's lips. But often it is their quick action that prevents the pitch from being completely soaked and enables the players to get back soon.

At the R.Premadasa Stadium in Maligawatte, the venue for the finals of the 'Nidahas Trophy' on July 7, the ground staff are busy. These are the men who toil to keep the ground in superb condition. And although matches have been delayed, Susil Ananda, the Sports officer and curator, and his team of efficient groundsmen are out on the field. With only a few days remaining to the big event, they are worried. Yes, of the same thing that the rest of us are equally worried about............the rain.

The ground is full of activity. One worker is checking the water levels. Another is trying to see if the rollers can be brought in, yet others are clearing the green of foreign substances. Although they may seem happy on the idiot box to come running out in the rain in the middle of a match with covers, they tell a different story.

"It's tough when it rains," said Susil Ananda, "it is very difficult to maintain the ground during rain." But that has never stopped them. Getting soaked from head to toe is all in a day's work but their biggest and only worry is whether the pitch will be in a good state for the match.

The countdown to a match begins way before the day of the match for these unseen faces without whom the cricketing heroes would not have the platform to delight their fans.

Thirty five year old S.A.S Gunawardena has been a member of Ananda's maintenance team for five years. His speciality is the outfield away from the pitch. "I handle the grass cutting," said Gunawardena, "it is not difficult once you get the feel of it."

One has to know the height of the grass and the method to cut it, according to Gunawardena. Although the equipment is available Gunawardena's expertise in the profession allows him to complete a task of two or three days in a matter of hours. It will take me about ten hours to cut the entire ground, he said.

Roshan Hemantha is the deputy pitch expert. The twenty seven year old works with an eternal smile. For one and a half years his life has been on the pitch, except when a cricketer is at play. "My biggest pleasure is in seeing Sri Lankan cricketers play and win on a pitch that I have prepared," he said with pride.

It's not easy. He has to water the pitch, just to the right amount, make sure that the pitch does not dry up and crack. Then, measuring the pitch and bringing it to playing quality all lie in his control.

The team is not complete yet. There are about 40 staffers altogether. They work in turn and are united in helping with each other's work. Most have special expertise in one field although they can work on anything that comes their way.

No match can go on without a score board. The score board is handled by a team of eight. "This is because the score board has been sectioned into three. Right on top there are three persons putting up the totals, then another three handle the middle section of the scoreboard, and another two right at the bottom coordinate the scores by informing the ones on top of the scores to be changed on the bottom part of the scoreboard," said Wasantha Gunawardena, minor staff supervisor.

Chandana Dasa (27) is the man at the top of the scoreboard. "The numbers are fixed on a wheel like mechanism. We put up the scores taking note of what number is on our side of the board. We know what number should turn up on the inside when each number is changed. The players are kept in mind with the use of a list. When they announce it to us from down stairs, we should be able to change the scores," he said.

"Experience is a must when it comes to all work, and there's no exception in handling scores," said Susil Ananda. According to him, it is confusing to a new comer and they are likely to get the scores wrong, because the scorers have to see things from the inside.

Though they all seem to enjoy their work, there are the occasional snags. "One day during the second Singer Trophy match, Mark Waugh was practising and the leather ball hit me on the head. I lost consciousness. He felt so bad that he gave me his brand new gloves as compensation. After two years, I am still receiving treatment without any support from anybody," said Dasa.

But such hurts are forgotten when they all sit down to watch a match on the grounds. "Most often our eyes are not on the match but on the clouds," they said. This is because the rain covers have to be rushed in before the ground begins to flood.

The 12 covers which are 100 feet by 40 feet are pretty heavy . And, it is not fun carrying them to the ground. They need at least 40 men to do the job in time. The fingers of many of the workers have been injured and cut by the covers, while the folding and unfolding has left permanent marks on some of their hands. Mopping the grounds till the water is gone with their hands is an equally tiring and painful task.

"The spectators usually hoot at us when we rush to bring in the covers. As we enter the ground they start hooting," a saddened group of workers said.

Their hearts are further broken by players who ignore their efforts. "With cricketers like Roshan, Arjuna, Sanath and Azharuddin we never have to worry about begging for autographs or posing for a picture together. They usually thank us before or seek our advice on the pitch condition before a match," said the workers and the sports officer.

But one incident remains in their minds. "When Sri Lanka made that historic highest Test total against India last year and the cricketers were doing their lap of honour, we stood on the boundary line and cheered them all the way. But they never bothered to show us a glimpse of appreciation," was what the workers had to say.

However, their long hours and hard work have been rewarded by the generous and appreciative comments of a few. Among them are some world renowned ICC umpires.

Talath Ali, ICC match referee stated that the stadium is in excellent condition and the facilities are equally good, while match referee Cammie Smith once stated that the stadium is first class and that its good maintenance has always made it a pleasure to visit Kettarama. "Compliments go to the curator and the ground staff for preparing and keeping the outfield in good condition," he has written. In fact, Talath Ali has asked Susil if he is willing to come with his staff to his country to help them upgrade their grounds.

So the next time, you see those men come rushing onto the grounds, spare a thought.

Ladies on the ramp

By Yvonne Gulamhusein

"Fashion Occasions" was an enjoyably 'different' event organized by the Association of British Residents in Sri Lanka at the Hotel Lanka Oberoi recently.

The 10 models drawn from the Ladies Group of members were partnered by male members in the evening dress section. Every one had fun trampling to and fro on the ramp.

The eventful programe read like a "leaf" from the London Society Diary. Dresswear was contributed for the different Seasonal events by odel for the "Calcutta Cup". Daylans had a choice for the "Cheltenham Gold Cup" ranging with summery floral designs for the "Chelsea Flower Show" event. "Chryss" Fashions were elegant with fabrics from Fashion Fabrics for the "Ascot Gold Cup". Odel contributed again in sportwear for "Wimbledon" while outdoor dresswear for "Glyndebourne" came from Dilly's. Liz Claiborne glamorized, "The Queen's Birthday Ball" creations.

The success of the effort to raise funds for charitable causes by the A.B.R. resulted in the well patronised two shows held in the morning and the evening of the same day.

Collagen and Elastin in Cosmetic Creams

I understand that the skin is composed primarily of collagen and elastin, which is damaged with aging, so creams that contain these ingredients are the best. Is this true?

Your statement is, at best, only partially correct. The inner layer of the skin, the dermis, is composed mainly of collagen and elastin. Collagen, a protein, is a primary constituent of all connective tissue, including the dermis. It provides structure to the dermis and is the major source of the skin's strength. Elastin, the other major component of the dermis, forms fibres that give skin its clasticity. When the elastic fibres are in good condition, the skin is able to stretch and then return to its normal condition. You are able to gain and lose weight without the skin sagging. When elastin fibres become damaged or frayed, the skin loses this stretchability and will sag instead of snapping back, and wrinkes will appear.

Overexposure to the sun (and, to a lesser degree, aging) produces changes in the collagen and elastic fibres that cause the skin to sag and become wrinkled and less flexible.

There is some evidence that adding collagen may improve the moisturizing qualities of a product and provide a cosmetic "feel" that consumers seem to prefer. But manufacturers imply that collagen and/or elastin in cosmetic products will rejuvanate or replace the damaged collagen and elastin, making the skin look younger. This is impossible. Neither of these ingredients can penetrate the skin because their molecules are too large. Furthermore, the collagen and elastin incorporated into these products are either derived from animal sources or synthetic, so they cannot replace the skin's collagen and elastin, and certainly will not rejuvenate the skin.

Innocent until proven guilty

A single strand of hair and a bullet fragment showed that a 19-year-old Ukrainian immigrant murdered Bill Cosby's only son, Ennis, in a botched robbery, expert witnesses testified last week.

The hair was taken from a light-coloured knit cap in which a rusting handgun was found. Prosecution experts, in the trial's third day of testimony, said the hair most likely came from the head of defendant Mikail Markhasev, while the gun was the one that fired the single shot that instantly killed the 27-year-old Cosby. Markhasev has pleaded not guilty, and his lawyer suggested the hair was planted by police.

Harry Klann, a police DNA expert, testified that there was only one chance in 15,500 that the hair did not come from Markhasev.

Meanwhile, a police ballistics expert showed jurors a rusty .38 calibre Taurus revolver found in a field two months after the Jan. 16, 1997 murder, and said it matched bullet fragments taken from Cosby's head.

Cosby was shot to death on a dark Los Angeles roadside while changing a flat tire on his mother's $130,000 Mercedes convertible.

Police, acting on a tip, arrested Markhasev five days after the gun was found.

The court session, which ended early because the judge had an appointment, was dominated by testimony about the single, 2- millimetre (1/12th-inch) light brown hair that Klann said could be linked to Markhasev.

"The DNA from the hair could have come from ... Markhasev or any other individual with these DNA types," he said. But he said only one person in 15,500 shared those specific genetic markers.

"That hair could not have come from Ennis Cosby, period," he said.

Earlier, another police forensic expert, Susan Brockbank, testified about finding the hair, along with 20 others, on the knit cap and sending it to Klann for testing. The other 19 hairs did not contain enough DNA to test.

But defence lawyer Henry Hall suggested to the jury of six men and six women that the hair could have been planted or tampered with by police. Hall said Brockbank's original report to her supervisors claimed there were no hairs that could yield DNA. He also said the hair linked to Markhasev was not discovered until a year after Cosby's death and then only after a detective in the case had access to the evidence.

That hair was the only one containing the microscopic pieces of tissue from which the DNA was extracted. Brockbank said she did not find the tissue on the hair originally because she was using a microscope with insufficient power.

Later, police firearms expert Diana Paul showed the black revolver to rapt jurors, telling them her tests had linked it to the murder and to bullet fragments taken from Cosby's head. She also showed the jury five unfired bullets that had been taken from the gun.- Reuters

The spy who loved children

As James Bond in the 1970s and 1980s, Roger Moore played a martini-sipping secret agent seducing women for queen and country. Last week he was simply the spy who loved children.

Now a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), to promote Checkout for Children, a fund-raiser for a U.N. programme that vaccinates poor kids in the developing world.

"I know the expression on a child's face when they see water come out of a tap for the first time. It's as if they have seen a miracle," Moore said.

This fund is sponsored by the Sheraton hotel chain, Checkout for Children adds a dollar to the bill of willing Sheraton guests in parts of Europe, Africa, Asian and now Latin America.

The programme has the potential to raise $3 million a year, or enough to vaccinate 200,000 children for preventable diseases like measles, polio, tetanus and tuberculosis. Jose Carlos Cuentas, the UNICEF representative in Mexico City, said he expects the eight Sheratons in Mexico to raise at least $150,000 this year.

Lives are at stake as 900,000 children die of measles each year, Moore said.

He chided the U.S.-based Sheratons for not participating, saying he was unsure why they have yet to take up the challenge. "It's been approached area by area," Moore said. "I really hope when they see what happens with their affiliates, what their brothers and sisters are doing for the children of the world, I'm quite sure they will come aboard."

Moore said UNICEF has had trouble raising funds from

governments, "So we've turned to the private sector."

He also said UNICEF "was not top-heavy with bureaucracy," with only 9 percent of money raised going toward administrative costs and 80 percent of all UNICEF employees working in the field.

"So much can be done with a dollar, and a lot more with $2 million," Moore said. -Reuters

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