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 UK
Pop Idol Michelle McManus in The Rise And Fall of Little Voice
2003 UK Pop Idol phenomenon Michelle McManus takes centre stage
as “Sadie,” in the British Theatre Playhouse production of Jim Cartwright’s The
Rise And Fall of Little Voice which will go on boards on Friday, February 1 and
Saturday, February 2 at the Hilton Colombo.
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Book launch
Janamadya Aviyak Lesa, Magic Bulet Nyaya Nawa Drushtiyakin by
Dinesh Vihagun Fernando was launched on January 4 at the Mahaweli Centre
Auditorium.
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Ehela Ablaze
Ehela Ablaze, a collection of short stories and poems by Snireen
Senadhira was launched on January 4 at the National library Services and
Documentation Board (NLSDB), 14, Independence Avenue, Colombo 7.
The stories and poems show how the author feels about Sri Lanka’s natural
beauty, her landscapes, flora and fauna as well as the charms and foibles of her
people and the country’s violence and indifference.
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A pool for Weeraketiya Central College
The pool was donated by the D. A. Rajapaksa
Foundation. Ministers Chamal Rajapaksa, Mahinda Amaraweera, Gunarathne Weerakoon,
Chief Minister Shan Lal de Silva, Principal N. G. Vidyarathne also attended the
ceremony.
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Community Centre opened
Minister Ferose Haaj, Municipality Councillors and the former
Municipality Councillor, A. R. M. Arus also attended the ceremony.
The community centre was built at the cost of Rs. 2 million upon a request by
the public.
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 Wine
and Book Tasting Event
As a part of the British Council’s Animating Literature
Programmes, the Wine and Book Tasting Event promoting an exhilarating collection
of new writings from established and new writers will be held on Monday, January
21, at the Hilton Colombo Residence at 7:30 p.m.
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Book Buzz in Colombo
Don’t miss this Book Buzz event on January 22, at 5:30 p.m. at
the British Council Colombo. It features Sophie Hannah (short listed for the
2007 T.S. Elliot prize), Louise Dean (winner of the Guardian First Book award
for 2004) and Susan Elderkin (winner of a Betty Trask award in 2000 and short
listed for The Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prize in 2005.)
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January 23
Airplane! (1980, 88 minutes) at the American Centre, Colombo at 6 p. m.
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January 23
Madame Brouette by Moussa Sene Absa (90 minutes, 2002) in French with English
subtitle at the Allaince Française at 6:30 p.m.
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Japanese Special Peace Envoy Yasushi Akashi with the UNP
MPs, Ranil Wickremesinghe, Ravi Karunanayake, Lakshman Kiriella and the Former
Presidential Secretary Bradman Weerakoon
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Ananda College centenary
year celebrations
Organised by the Ananda College Old Boys’ Association, the significant events
are to be held as follows -
February 9 - Alms Giving for 100 monks
February 23 - Centenary Walk
March 1 - Centenary Ball
March 29 - Centenary A.G.M
Appreciation of OBA ex-office bearers
A.G.M Annual Report
1st week of May - Educational Exhibition
All island Centenary Essay Competition in English/ Sinhala/ Tamil
Centenary Essay Competition among Ananda students in English/ Sinhala
June - Centenary oratorical contest in Sinhala among Ananda students
July - Presentation of policy document “ WHAT ANANDA SHOULD BE” and
Centenary oration
August - Declaration of a health /life insurance scheme for the present
staff members
October 18 - Commemoration of our fallen heroes
November 8 - Centenary blood donation & eye donation camp
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A Waffle Week will be held from January 21 to 26
at the Café 64, Galadari Hotel, Colombo.
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90th Anniversary Celebrations of Presbyterian
Girls’ School Colombo 10 (Regent Street)
The Thanks Giving Service will be held today, at the Christian
Reformed Church (Regent Street) at 9.30 a.m.with the participation of teachers
and students, both past and present.
The service will be followed by a lunch at the Rajabojun Restaurant, Seylan Bank
Towers, Colombo 3.
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PostcART, an exhibition of paintings presented by kOOii, at Sudu
Gallery - 32 Church Street – Fort, Galle will end today.
PostcART is a fringe event of the Galle Literary Festival 2008.
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3rd Biennial General Meeting
National Association for Trade Union Research and Education (NATURE)
The 3rd Biennial General Meeting of the National Association for Trade Union
Research and Education (NATURE) was held on December 20, at the Hotel Renuka in
Colombo.
Constituent unions in the membership of NATURE participated at the meeting which
was attended by the Country Representative of the International Labour
Organisation (ILO), Tine Staemorse.
The following Office Bearers were elected for the period 2008 - 2010.
President: Palitha Atukorala
Deputy President: Nath Amerasinghe
Vice President: H. Kotikawatta, S. Saravanapavanathan
General Secretary: T. M. R. Rasseedin (Re-elected)
Deputy Secretary: Gerald Lodwick
Treasurer: D. C. Weerasekara
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CCC Foundation launched
The Sri Lanka arm of the Courage, Compassion and Commitment
Foundation (CCC) was launched on January 10 at the Royal Colombo Golf Club.
It was an initiative to raise funds to build the CCC House, a 140 bed transit
home for underprivileged cancer outpatients at the Maharagama Cancer Hospital
which costs approximately Rs. 175 million.
Sarashi Samarasinghe
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Appreciations
Corinne Lawrence - Another bright star in
God’s galaxy
It was with great sorrow and deep shock that I heard of the
death of my dear friend Corinne. She was a close and loyal friend. She was
generous to a fault and she never failed to do her best for anyone in distress.
She was deeply involved in spreading the gospel and it was only recently that
she handed over this work to another friend. She also helped in the work of the
Mother Teresa Home and the Bible Society.
She was a very cheerful person and always enjoyed a good, hearty laugh. When
ever troubles came her way, she used her deep faith and complete trust in God to
overcome them. I do not doubt that by now she has heard the words of the Master,
“Well done.”
I have lost a dear friend and so have many others scattered across the globe but
we can draw some consolation from the fact that Almighty God has added one more
bright star to His galaxy.
Farewell, my dearest friend. May your soul rest in peace.
- Freddie Schoorman
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SHA Razaqh- A wonderful
human being
The passing away of SHA Razaqh on Dec 25 2007 brought back many
memories of a wonderful human being who was instrumental in initiating my life’s
career in IT that has now spanned almost 37 years.
I came to meet, and know, Sha Razaqh of SHARAZ, in 1970 when he was the Project
Chairman of the first ever training course in Computer Programming organised by
the Rotary Club of Colombo West and conducted by IBM in Colombo. The then GM of
IBM, G Santhiran was also a Rotarian from the same club and part of the project.
The course, spanned over three years and involved training in Assembly Language
Programming and Basic IT Fundamentals. The minimum requirements for enrolment
was a degree and I had not completed mine as yet at that time. He discussed the
matter with Santhiran and agreed to let me appear for the Aptitude Test which
was given to about 600 applicants out of which only 25 were selected. I was one
of them having passed the test, successfully. I was allowed to enroll and thus
sparked my long and successful IT career in life.
Razaqh was one of the most kindest of souls I have ever known. He could have
easily shooed me away amongst his busy business schedules. He didn’t. He
listened to me quietly and patiently,a young university student, 22 years of
age, yearning to learn the tricks of modern technology. His compassion saw no
bounds. They don’t make people like him anymore, sadly.
It was unfortunate that I missed seeing him when I was in Colombo last December
as my stay was short and I had to attend to many domestic and personal chores
during that visit. My sincere condolences go out to his loving family.
May he attain the greatest bliss of Paradise.
Fazli Sameer
Saudi Arabia
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W. P. Wickremasinghe - He was a friend to all
W.P. Wickramasinghe of Weeramawatha, Depanama, Pannipitiya,
passed away recently and his funeral took place at Kottawa Public Cemetery
before a large gathering.
I have associated with Wickremasinghe for nearly 20 years as he was a prominent
member of the Suhada Subasadha Sangamaya, Pannipitiya. I am also one of the
members and he was the auditor of our society. He was a retired officer of the
Building Material Corporation.
Wickremasinghe was a kind-hearted person and religious person. I have never seen
him in angry mood.
At the same time he was a leading figure in Buddhist temples in the area. His
children were well educated. He was born in Weligama and later resided in
Pannipitiya once he entered the government service.
I never expected Wickramasinghe’s sudden death. But he had to go, according to
sansara gamana. It is a great loss of a friend to us. May he attain the supreme
bliss of Nibbana.
M. G. Asoka Karunaratna
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Rama – Benevolent banker
with the longest service record
V. Ramachandran, a pioneer banker and popular banker, passed
away on November 28, 2007 after a brief illness at the age of 73, passing the
Biblical age of three score and 10.
He joined the Bank of Ceylon at the age of 18 in 1953 and retired in 1995 after
serving the bank for 42 yrs, which record is yet to be broken. He hailed from
Atchuvely in the Northern Province, but completed his education at St. Peter’s
College and joined the Bank of Ceylon as a junior clerk. Through sheer hard work
and dedication, he rose step by step on the ladder of success and finally
retired as Northern Province Office Assistant Manager.
He was rather unfortunate that although he was qualified for the Manager’s Grade
at the time of his retirement, due to the delay in finalising the promotion
list, he retired before the promotion was effected. Further, he was also an
unfortunate victim of the Black July 83 violence, losing almost all his personal
belongings and household effects. He then left to serve the bank in his
hometown. While most of those who were affected by the violence fled abroad for
greener pastures, he went to serve his home station.
However, he returned to Colombo after two years and served in the Supplies
Department and finally in the Northern Province office until his retirement.
After his retirement he became a full time social worker, helping the needy, the
elderly, the sick and his former colleagues.
He converted his residence to a ‘consultancy office’ where people with all their
personal problems came to seek his assistance and he rendered his wholehearted
assistance and was able to mitigate their worries and give them the needed help.
Rama was a friend in need not only to his family members but also a friend to
all who crossed his path. His popularity in the bank was amply demonstrated by
the large crowd who attended his funeral, even from far off places, composed of
all races and religious and all grades of staff.
“Old bankers never die, they only depart, for the exemplary performance and
remain evergreen,” and so with Rama, he will be in the hearts of minds of all
those who came to contact him.
He will be fondly remembered by his beloved wife Pavalam, who contributed
immensely to his success as a veteran banker and loving children Surenthiran,
Sutharshini and Niranjan. May he attain supreme bliss.
An ex-banker
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Film
January 26
Singing Nun by Henry Koster at the Russian Centre, Colombo 7 at 5 p.m.
Drama
January 25
Agni by Pemasiri Khemadasa, at the Lionel Wendt at 7 p.m.
January 25
Hunuwataye Kathawa by Henry Jayasene at the Hindu Cultural Cenre, Kandy at 8
a.m.
Public talk
January 20
On The Nature Of Love, organised by the Krishnamurti Centre, Sri Lanka at
the Public Library, Colombo 7 at 10:30 a.m.
Exhibition
January 13 - 24
An exhibition of paintings by Rubert Soysa at the Paradise Road Galleries,
2, Alfred House Road, Off Alfred House Gardens, Colombo 3.
Until January 31
Loot From The Loft, at the Barefoot Gallery, Galle Road, Colombo 3.
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