This is Christmas

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” This extremely popular Christmas song was written by Edward Pola and George Wyle in 1963. The song is a celebration and description of activities associated with the Christmas season, focus

Christmas in the Pandemic

Round yon virgin mother and child, Sleep in heavenly sleep… This Christmas carol captures the essence of the festival which is held to celebrate the Nativity of Baby Jesus who Christians beli

Quarantine Home Bakers

In this series, we talk to people who turned their passion for food and baking into a business idea amidst lockdown and COVID-19 fears. Some have been in the market for years and others saw the new opportunity and took it! These home b

Hot Smoked Salmon & Thai Green Mango Salad

Ingredients for six as part of shared meal

’Tis the Season for iving

Christmas is the season for giving, sharing and spreading love. Almost all communities are engaged in some sort of giving during Christmas. Giving back to your community or society is as good for you as it is for those you are helping becaus

All I want for Christmas

We are just days away from Christmas, one of the most joyous festivals of the year which brings hope and happiness to many. Christmas for Christians is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ while non Christians use the occasion to get together with family and friends and celebrate the message of love and hope. 2020 has been a year that can be described as “ann

Rev. Fr. Benedict Joseph 50 years as a shepherd of God

On December 19, Rev. Fr. Benedict Joseph, the writer, TV, radio and print media personality, celebrates the Golden jubilee of his priesthood. On December 19, 1970 the late Thomas Cardinal Cooray ordained Fr. Benedict as a Priest of the Catholic Church at St. Lucia’s Cathedral, Kotahena. Since then he has served as a TV, radio, cinema and print media personality in Sri Lanka. At present he is working as a lecturer and consultant at the Aquinas Uni

Remembering Dharmadasa Walpola

Yester-year singing hero Dharmadasa Walpola’s 37th death anniversary falls on December 25. Despite his absence in the singing scene for such a long period, he is yet a favourite among tens of thousands of Sri Lankan music fans.

Mental Health Allies Are we helping create a safe, judgement-free space?

“I told my parents I was struggling. That I felt like I was drowning. I tried and tried to explain to them that I was depressed. They laughed and told me I was being dramatic like everyone in my generation” Namali* shared. “Then one day, I self-harmed.”

Miracle Cures

As we approach the end of the calendar year it appears that those with crazy ideas in Sri Lanka are coming out of the woodwork faster than wood lice after a dry rot treatment. With the world in sea

Festive dishes for vegetarians…

CARROT GINGER SOUP

Vegetarian Pate en Croute

In a large pot, over medium heat, sauté the onion in the margarine for a few minutes. Add

How to raise a good parent

I have been writing this column for many a year and as my four children have grown over the years, so has my input into th

Powerful symbols

The energy in our bodies, the energy of our minds and the energy of our surroundings have a deep and profound impact on our lives. Accumulating clutter and waste, ignoring your bed orientation and directions, unknowingly introducing artifacts, plants and décor which are negative Feng Shui, disturbing the energy of the premises by repairing and renov

Spotlight on SPOTLIGHT

With the recent rise in child abuse in Sri Lanka, I believe it is as good a time as any to put in my two cents regarding the matter. Here’s a side to abuse most of us don’t talk of and some of us don’t know of. John Joseph Geoghan was born to an Irish Catholic family in 1935 in Boston where he later attended local parochial schools. After graduating from Holy Cross College, he joined Cardinal O’Connell Seminary and was ordained in 1962. In an ass

Leaving No One Behind in New Normal

The book launch of ‘LOCALISING THE TRANSFORMATION IN THE NEW NORMAL: A Domestic Resource Mobiliza

Simply Giving

It was in early November that I read a story of a very selfless woman in Thanamalwila. Known as Buth Amma, she is Nandama

Timeless and priceless vinyl records...

Breaking all assumptions and predictions of many people around the world, vinyl records still remain treasured collectibles and fast-selling in this twenty first century. This would be a surprise for the 80’s people as there was a staggering decline i

QUARANTINE HOME BAKERS

In this series, we talk to people who turned their passion for food and baking into a business idea amidst lockdown and COVID-19 fears. Some have been in the market for years and others saw the new opportunity and took it! These home busin

Million-dollar bash for Bob Dylan

Universal Music Group’s publishing arm has bought Bob Dylan’s entire back catalogue of more than 600 songs, from towering classics such as 1965’s “Like a Rolling Stone” to this year’s 17-minute epic “Murder Most Foul”. “The deal is the most

The family of Roald Dahl apologises.....

The family of Roald Dahl, late author of children’s classics such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, has apologised for anti-Semitic remarks he made, saying the comments were ’’incomprehensible to us’’. The Brit

The Truth in their Lies: A detective mystery thriller novel

Upcoming fiction writer Amanda Wickramarachchi recently published her debut novel titled ‘The Truth in their Lies’. A story of the detective mystery thriller genre, it contains themes such as the consequences of violation of law, rape, child abuse, police violence, and betrayal. The plot has been described as fast paced and cinematic with unpredictable twists and turns by the readers.

Patta History Making History Accessible and Fun to Watch

“The study of history is a window into the past that provides understanding of the present-day, and how individuals, nations, and the global community might develop in the future. Historical study instructs how societies came to be and examines cultu

Wealth Enhancer

Prosperity and happiness have a subtle link to our wealth. Although many would say that wealth is not important and happiness is the primary need, it gets difficult to live a normal happy life without sufficient wealth to meet at least our daily needs.

IRAJ GOES VIRAL ON TIK-TOK INDONESIA

A challenge hash-tagged as the #AdambaraiChallenge featuring Iraj’s hit single, Adambarai Baluwamanam has gone viral on TikTok in Indonesia. As of Sunday, the 29th of November 2020, the challenge had over five million (5m) views and over one hundred and forty thousand (140,000) videos uploaded by TikTok users across Indonesia. Social media experts predict that the viral challenge will spread across East Asia in the coming weeks with Malaysia and

Kangana pays tribute to jayalalithaa

Indian actress Kangana Ranaut has shared a few pictures from her upcoming movie, Thalaivi, to pay tribute to late actor-turned-politician J Jayalalithaa. Kangana will be seen essaying the titular role of the former Tamil Nadu chief minister in the f

Honorary titles for Joldersma (Podi Jothi)

The National Foundation for Peace and Unity in Sri Lanka recently bestowed the honorary titles of Kalakeerthi, Lankaputhra and Deshabandu to well-known artiste T. M. Joldersma who is widely known as ‘Podi Jothi’ among music fans.

A New Lifestyle

It is unimaginable how our lives have changed in a matter of months. With the pandemic spreading wildly in the Western Province, and more so in Colombo according to the Mayor and PHIs, it is quite unnerving. Covid fatigue h

How knowledge was spread….

Memory - as much as it’s a blessing we also blame our memory when we forget something important. But what would it have been like to store information at a time when man barely knew how to write? Even after man learned to write,

Dish It Out Wayne Onrey Seneviratne

How do our food experts cook and eat? This week, The Dude with the Food takes our Q&A! It takes a lot to be titled ‘The Dud