A Night at the Theatre in Colombo

I’m not the most qualified person to comment on Sri Lankan theatre. Probably because for me, partaking in theatre has been limited to a few school productions. Other than going to see plays that everyone’s talking about in Colombo, I haven’t really…

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Sri Lanka – the more food, the merrier

I’ll tell you one thing about Sri Lankans. We love large quantities of food. If we can pay a little and a get lot, THAT’s what we call value for money. Do we not care about quality? Yes yes, we…

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Kala Pola – a celebration of art

Sundays are usually when most people do their grocery shopping for the week in Sri Lanka, and often you’ll find them at roadside markets. The best deals, especially for vegetables and other perishable items, are generally available towards the end…

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Sri Lanka – Ishara Naotunna

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Ishara Naotunna (or Ishi) is eccentric, talkative and a slow thinker. Her best comebacks arrive 5 minutes after the conversation has ended.

I was born in…Colombo, Sri Lanka….I have spent most of your life in….Colombo, and now I live in.…Colombo. My favourite film from my country is….this Sinhalese movie called “machan”, quite controversial but hilarious. My favourite books / novels about my country are….Chinamen by Shehan Karunatilake and Colombo by Carl MullerWhen I need a reminder of home, I listen to….I don’t technically need a reminder, as I live here. I eat a lot of kottu (Sri Lankan dish made from a Sri Lankan roti called Godhamba roti and vegetables, egg, and/or meat, and spices), does that count? My favourite time of the year is....December – more slacking off time compared to the rest of the year ( this country has a LOT of public holidays). My all time local hero is….no one person in particular, but I admire strong women who rise up in quite a patriarchal society. My favourite local phrase is…..”maara fellow”. My favourite words of wisdom/words to live by are….every second counts. It really does. I often think yikes I’m 24, 25, 26, what do I have to show for it? So seize the moment and all that jazz. What I love most about my home (country) is….Kottu. And also the friendly/helpful people. So friendly and helpful that you wonder whether they just might be a little too inquisitive.

Seeking solitude in a crowded city

As the sun sets, signaling the end of another day, the scenery that surrounds me is one of the hardest to describe. Galle Face Green* in Colombo is where the hustle and bustle of city life meets the vast Indian…

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Sri Lanka – Thilina Weerasekera

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Thilina Weerasekera is a chemical engineer, a die-hard fan of Sri Lankan cricket, and a classic car enthusiast. He also loves travelling around the world as it gives him the opportunity to observe and experience different cultures and how they interact with each other in this world that we share.

I was born in….Sri Lanka, where I have spent most of my life. As a child I spent a year in Kenya and then went to University in the United States. I have also had the pleasure of visiting several other countries in Asia and Europe as well. I live in.…..Colombo, Sri Lanka.  When I need a reminder of home, I listen to……songs by Clarence Wijewardene, who was a prominent musician in Sri Lanka in the 80s and 90s and hence a favourite of my parents. They would play a lot of his tapes when taking us on trips around the island and as a result his music is the fastest way to get me back home from wherever I am. My favourite time of the year is…….Christmas. My all-time local hero is…….the late Mr. Laxman Kadirgamar, the former foreign minister of Sri Lanka. My favourite local phrase is…….“what to do men”. My favourite words of wisdom……a quote by Sir Winston Churchill: “Success is going from one failure to another without loss of enthusiasm”. What I love most about my home (country) is……our diversity. The fact that we celebrate the customs and traditions of multiple ethnicities and religions. I believe that we are strongest as a nation when we unite while respecting our diversity and this is best seen when we unite to support our beloved cricket team.