First Lady President, Rotary Club of Kandy
Director, Sun & Asoka Group of Companies, Gowri Rajan, created
history as First Lady Rotary and the youngest President of the Rotary
Club of Kandy, the 4th oldest Rotary Club in Sri Lanka, in its
68-year-old history. Rotarian Gowri Rajan is the daughter of late
eminent industrialist and Rotarian PHF T.R.R. Rajan, the 51st President
of the Rotary Club of Kandy and she also is the niece of Rotarian PHF
Suri Rajan, the 62nd President of the Rotary Club of Kandy, and is the
current District Governor Elect for Rotary District 3220 Sri Lanka.
****
Excellence in Architecture
 Rev
Dr. Mervyn Fernando, a personal friend of renowned architect the late
Deshamanya Geoffrey Bawa, will be the Chief Guest at the inaugural
Geoffrey Bawa Award for Architecture 2008. The Awards – to be held at
the Galle Face Hotel on Wednesday, July 23, 2008 – will be the
profession’s highest recognition of work to exemplify excellence in
architecture in the country.
****
Sports complex, auditorium, swimming pool for
Musaeus College
Ajitha de Soysa Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Musaeus College
laying the foundation for a new building comprising a 1750 seat
auditorium , sport complex and a swimming pool at the College premises
recently. Looking on is the Musaeus Principal, N. K Pilapitiya
****
Fruit, vegetable carving at RIC
Ronan International Centre (RIC) held a Fruit and vegetable carving
art (Garde Manger) demonstration on July 3 by Chef Ari (who has been
presenting his talent to audiences across The Republic of Hungary.)
The purpose of fruit and vegetable carving was to make food more
attractive and appetising. Among the materials at the demonstration used
were apples, melon, papaya, orange, mango, grapes, kiwi, banana,
pumpkin, leeks, red radish, tomato, lettuce and spring onions. Various
techniques were designed for each type of materials. Each piece of fruit
and each vegetable were artistically carved into various shapes and
forms such as birds, flowers, leaves (flower basket)…etc.
****
Aspirations Education 2008
An International Education and Training Centre was held at the BMICH
on July 4 and 5. For more details visit www.aspirations.edu.lk
Pic by Ravindra Dharmathilake
****
Training of law enforcement officers on
counter-trafficking
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) organised a series
of training workshops on counter-trafficking for law enforcement
officers under a project funded by the US Agency for International
Development (USAID) to strengthen national efforts in addressing
trafficking issues. To date, over 300 law enforcement officers have been
trained in identifying, tracking and prosecuting cases of trafficking in
Sri Lanka, during workshops held in Colombo, Kalutara, Galle,
Anuradhapura, Badulla, Ampara and Kurunegala.
Following an assessment on the process of identifying and prosecuting
cases of trafficking in Sri Lanka, IOM, in consultation with
stakeholders -- the Sri Lanka Police Department, the Attorney General’s
Department and the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment -- developed a
curriculum for the training.
An international consultant, engaged by IOM, trained 50 police trainers
from the Police Department representing all the districts. These
trainers will continue to support institutional training of the police
systematically. IOM is assisting the police in incorporating the
training curriculum on trafficking, into their existing training
programme to ensure sustainability of training.
The project targets to train a total of 500 law enforcement officers,
including police and immigration officers, by July 2008.
****
Help save his life
Specialist, Kidney Diseases, Kandy General Hospital, Dr. G.W.N.
Vasheel, has diagnosed P.A.L. Antoney of 10th Mile Post, Passara,
suffering from a severe kidney disease, in need of an immediate kidney
transplant. His wife, K. V. Shriyani urges charitable hearts to donate a
‘B’ Negative or ‘O’ Negative kidney and monetary assistance for the
surgery. Donations can be made to People’s Bank, Passara: Account No:
207-3025357. For kidney donation please call: 0552288509.
****
South Korean
philanthropist meets President
A South Korean delegation in Sri Lanka to donate 153 houses to
terrorism affected people, met with President Mahinda Rajapaksa
recently. They arrived on an invitation by Ven. Manampita Aggadhamma
Thera of Theju city, South Korea. Chairman, i-net TV Company, Korea,
Jung-hee Park, donated the funds for this project at Rs 1.3 million per
house. Drs. Ven. Omalpe Sobitha, Ven. Nagoda Amarawansa, Ven. Akuretiye
Nanda Theras, Gamini Kumara, Seneviratne and Mangala Jayasinghe also
participated at the meeting.
****
Hand Work
An exhibition of paintings and sculptures by Nimal Silva, at the
Alliance Française de Kandy, will be declared open on Friday, July 25,
at 6:30 p.m. by Prof. A.S.B. Wijekoon, Professor of Paediatrics, Faculty
of Medicine, University of Peradeniya. The exhibition continues till
August 1, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m
****
Staff Appreciation Day at
Overseas School
The Parent Teacher Association (PTA) of the Overseas School of
Colombo, organised the annual Staff Appreciation Day recently. There was
a curry lunch for the service staff and an international buffet for
teachers and administration staff. All food was provided voluntarily by
the parents, who also helped serve the food.
****
PhD for Palingu in Anatomy
Palingu Maduka Aponso (nee Dhanapala) recently received her PhD in
Anatomy from the University of Auckland, New Zealand, at the graduation
ceremony at the Auckland Town Hall.
Palingu’s PhD research, supervised by the Head, Neural Repair &
Neurogenesis Laboratory, Professor Bronwen Connor, was supported through
the prestigious W.B. Miller Scholarship, awarded by the Neurological
Foundation of New Zealand. Her research investigated neural progenitor
cell proliferation and differentiation in the Parkinson’s Disease.
Upon completion of her PhD studies, she was granted entry into the
Postgraduate Dean’s List, a privilege extended only to a select few on
laudatory comments of the examiners. Parkinson’s Disease is a common
neuro-generative disorder, struck by the progressive neuro-generation of
the dopamine neurons leading to debilitating motor dysfunction. The
current treatment options available far Parkinson’s Disease are mainly
symptomatic and not preventive,
Palingu’s research focused on the use of endogenous adult neural
progenitor cells as a potential treatment strategy for neurodegenerative
disorders such as Parkinson’s Disease.
Palingu, a past student of Musaeus College and Vishaka Vidyalaya,
Colombo, is the daughter of Swarna Dhanapala and Dr. Andra Dhanapala
(former Senior Lecturer, University of Colombo and University of
Auckland), and the wife of Dr. Dihan Aponso. Palingu intends to pursue a
career in neuroscience research in the future.
****
Flood Relief
Disaster Management and Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe
donated a metric ton of high nutrition biscuits, 2000 mosquito nets,
10,000 bedspreads and towels to chikungunya patients and flood affected
people in the Ratnapura district.
Minister Samarasinghe hands over the donation to Minister, Power and
Energy, John Seneviratne. District Secretary, Ratnapura District, Mrs.
Malanee Premaratne also participated
****
Ravi meets Jyrki
Ravi Karunanayake with the Deputy Prime Minister and the Finance
Minister of Finland, Jyrki Katainen
****
Safra Deen tops Trinity
Guildhall prize giving
 Safra
Deen, pupil of Late Ms Ruwani Seimon graduated with Distinction at the
Licentiate Examination (LTCL) in Vocal Recital and received several
prestigious awards at the recent Trinity Guildhall Prize giving held at
the Bishops College Auditorium Colombo 3.
Safra was awarded the prestigious Earle De Fonseka Memorial Trophy for
the most outstanding Diploma candidate who obtained the highest mark of
91 at her Practical examination, The Yamaha Trophy for her consistent
record of achievement as a Prize winner for 3 consecutive years, and the
inaugural award of the Late Ruwani Seimon Gold Medal for obtaining a
Diploma in Singing at the highest level.
She was also awarded the Trinity Trophy for obtaining the highest marks
at her LTCL examination in Sri Lanka in addition to the M. Pestonjee
Memorial Prize under the same category.
Safra an old girl of Bishops College Colombo 3 excelled in Music during
her school career and was the Choir Leader and Best all round Student of
the College in 2006 in addition to her numerous other achievements.
A notable and very poignant moment during the Trinity Awards ceremony
was Safra’s dedication of her Prize winning performance to her late
teacher Miss Ruwani Seimon, who was instrumental in guiding her to reach
this very high pedestal in music at a very young age.
****
Films
July 22 & 23
La Vie Moderne by L.F. Barbosa (1999, 123 minutes) at the Alliance
Française, 11, Barnes Place, Colombo 7, at 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
July 26
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, at the Russian Centre, 10,
Independence Avenue, Colombo 7, at 5 p.m.
Exhibitions
July 20 – 24
July… Life After 25 Years - An exhibition of photographs by Anoma
Rajakaruna, at the Alliance Française Auditorium, 11, Barnes Place,
Colombo 7.
July 24 – 31
Femme/Homme Portraits Croisés - An exhibition of photographs by Hélène
Moreau, at the Alliance Française Auditorium, 11, Barnes Place, Colombo
7.
Concert
July 22
An evening of Carnatic vocal music recital by Nishshanka Abeyarathne,
Graduate, PS Telugu University, Hyderabad, at the Indian Cultural
Centre, 133, Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 4, at 6 p.m.
Drama
July 20
Macbeth by Ravibandu Vidyapathi and Samanthi Art Circle, at the
Lionel Wendt Theatre, Colombo 7.
July 26
Sihina Rangahala by Dhananjaya Karunaratne, at the Elphinstine Theatre,
Maradana, at 3:30 and 6:30 p.m.
July 20, 26 and 27
A Bedtime Story by Jake Oorloff, organised by Fun-Duh-Mental, a
community service project by the Interact Club of Royal College, at the
Namel Malini Punchi Theatre, Borella, from 7 p.m. onwards.
Public lecture
July 20
Salvaging The Brain, organised by the Krishnamurti Centre, at the Public
Library, Colombo 7, at 10:30 a.m.
Lecture
July 22
A lecture/discussion on Sinhalese Merchants in Tamil Nadu and Tamil
Traders in Sri Lanka: Cultural, commercial, religious and political
interactions between ancient Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu by Professor
Osmund Bopearachchi (Director of Research, French National Centre for
Scientific Research, Paris, and Professor of Central and South Asian
Archaeology of the Paris IV-Sorbonne University) organised by the
International Centre for Ethnic Studies (ICES), Colombo, at 5:30 p.m. at
ICES, 2, Kynsey Terrace, Colombo 8.
****
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