To my dearest little brother,

For this Sunday, it's been 2 years and 4 months since you left us for good. It's been a rough 2 years. I'm doing better as long as I don't talk about you or see our memories. Aren't I making progress? I did the mistake of going through your photos yesterday, and memories were refreshed. You'll never leave my heart. How can I forget the person I loved the most?! You knew that and you still left me. I feel like I've failed to be a good sister. I couldn't save you from anything that happened to you. 

I wasn't even with you for the last two years.
If only I made a serious effort to come see you when you begged for me to come, a week before you left. I came to see you anyway, but then all I got to see was your ashes in a pot. I'm sorry, I didn't come to see you that time. You told me you'll come to see me in August that year. Nothing matters anymore. 

I remember every little incident that made you cry. If I had known that we had very little time together I would have never made you cry. I would have even let you borrow my things, even if I don't like anybody touching my things. When the depression hit you hard, I prayed god to take you sooner. I couldn't see you suffer. Every time you got violent, I sat outside and cried. I didn't know what to do. 

I wanted you to get better sooner, and call me 'akki.' That's the only thing I wanted. Some days your voice over the phone raised my hopes up, but some days you had hit the rock bottom. But, you were always the sweetest kid I ever knew. You gave me the best hugs ever. 

Even when you had social anxiety, you still bravely sat at my wedding. Because you knew it was important to me. I was very proud of you that day. I still am. 
You were very brave. You conquered a lot of things in life and finally found peace. But, I love you and miss you like crazy. I know I'm being selfish to not to let you go. You are mine. You are my sweet little brother forever. 
I Love you malli, 
Akki. 

Festival Latino 2014

Majority of last week, I was down with a terrible flu. As soon as I realized I'm getting the flu, I didn't even bother to wait to get an appointment from my physician, I ran to urgent care. Waited for almost two hours, only to get a prescription for an antibiotic dose. I don't know how much it helped though, because the next two days I was too weak to even to get out of the bed. My situation got better by Thursday, and by Friday I was almost back to normal. 

So, during the weekend I wasn't ready to sit back and relax. I knew the summer is coming to an end soon and wanted to reap the benefits of the longer sunny days before mother nature throws us another Polar Vortex. The moment I had my energy drink, that is my well made tea, I searched through the internet, looking for the events happening around Columbus. I came across "Festival Latino 2014". 

"Do you wanna go?," I asked my husband. 

"Sounds like fun, we can go," he said, "but, before that I have some work to do," he added. 

"It's alright. Even I have to walk the dog and do some other stuff." 

"We'll plan to go after 1pm may be," he suggested. 

 The agenda said all the entertainment events start after 1pm at Bicentennial Park in Columbus, OH. I looked for more information about the festival. This is event that has been around since 1996 and held every year since then. It did sound good. 

By about 2.30pm, we managed to get ready and leave the house. It was a beautiful day, the sunshine was exactly the way I liked; not too hot with a touch of soothing warmth. 

"Perfect day for a festival," I thought. 

To some weird reason, we parked our car 1 mile away from the Bicentennial Park and walked. I didn't regret that even a bit. I like walking. Downtown Columbus was almost deserted and we could get a nice up close view  of many buildings. Though Ara kept pointing at empty car parks, regretting the decision to park further, I enjoyed our walk across the city. 

By the time we got to the Scioto River we heard the music and saw the tents.It made us walk a little faster. Stopping by the lookout place near the Scioto River, we checked the festival grounds through the built-in binoculars. It looked fun. 

"I can see something very Latin from here," Ara pointed to a tent. 

'5-hour energy drinks' We both giggled. 

By the time we reached there, a Latin band was playing on stage. Looking at the agenda I assumed it was Herman Olivera. I didn't understand a word he said, but I thoroughly enjoyed the music. I, anyway, love music and dancing. Though, I didn't know Latin dancing, I couldn't stand still. 

We spent few minutes enjoying the music and looking at the couples who did well in latin dancing. Then we headed towards the stalls. There were many stalls with crafts, which I thought native to latin America. Ponchos, beaded jewellery, wooden toys and arts were the best among all. 

Ara offered to buy me anything I wanted. But, I couldn't picture myself going around wearing those heavy pieces of Jewelry. So, I had to decline that offer. Thinking about it now, I should have asked for a rain check. :-)

We slowly headed for the food area,it was the fun area. I'm not a big foodie, but, Ara was excited. They had mainly Mexican, Peruvian and Brazilian food. I could tell those were authentic, not because I couldn't pronounce a single name, because I have never even heard about those before. I thought Mexican is all about Tacos, Quesadillas and Tortillas. But, these vendors had much more variety. Salt level was a bit more than I would have liked, but everything tasted good. 

I treated myself with a nice Pina Colada, served in a Pineapple. It was fun, refreshing and tastier. I liked it so much, I forgot all about sharing until I got to the last bit. All Ara got was the bit of juice soaked to the pineapple. My bad!

This festival was a unique experience for me. For the first time in the three years I lived in USA, I felt like a tourist; a tourist visiting South America. I think it was the effect of the food, music and the people at the festival. 

I still don't know what I ate, or what they announced on stage, but I know if I have a chance I'll be going next year too!

For more information visit: http://www.festivallatino.net/

Arthur's day out

After tossing and turning for almost an hour, I decided it was finally time to wake up. 

"I think I also have got the sore throat," I mumbled to my husband who was awake with just one eye open. 

"Then no ice cream today," 

"Oh yes, we are going for the ice cream party and I think I'm feeling better already," I sat on the bed. 

The shelter we adopted Arthur (my dog) from, have organized a charity event. I kept reminding about the event to Ara for the past couple of weeks, and yesterday I practically announced that to everybody we met during the evening walk. 

Of course! I was pretty excited; it is the first time Arthur is going back to the shelter after we brought him home and I think it would be a fun outing for him. 

I've been wanting a dog since the day we landed in USA. But, Ara was always skeptical about it, so, I had to suck it up. In December 2013 I had enough, and demanded that I needed a baby or a dog. He immediately agreed to get a dog. ;)

Our plan was to adopt an adult dog from a shelter, because the idea of training a puppy in our small apartment didn't fancy us, and I knew I would be probably saving a life by adopting. The search for a suitable dog wasn't easy, I scoured the internet looking for one. When I saw Arthur's photo, in the pet finder site, it was a love at first sight. I knew I needed him.  

It wasn't an easy process. We had to submit adoption papers with references and they actually called them to check our background. The process made us feel like we are adopting a baby. It was an emotional roller coaster ride too. They told that there is another application for him, so getting Arthur wasn't certain. I called the shelter almost every other day (I can be a little persuasive sometimes). Finally, they decided we will be his owners. :)

However, the gloomy Saturday morning went by faster than I anticipated. We were supposed to leave by 12.30, but, even by that time I was still in my PJ's checking pinterest. Anyhow, instead of getting up I kept reminding my husband that we should leave by now, which made him a little annoyed. (A wrong move :/) 

By the time three of us got ready, it was almost 1.30 and pouring outside. 

"Do you still want to go?" Ara asked me looking out the window.

"Of course, why not?," I frowned. He made a face and I decided to ignore. Because, although my gut told me something wasn't right, I really wanted to go there. 

So, the journey didn't start off on the right foot and just as I expected, it turned out to be a complete disaster. A small heated argument resulted us coming back home, and me taking Arthur to the shelter in a cab. Nevertheless, Arthur and I made it to the shelter a little late with a 'chatter box' cabbie. I still got ice cream, and Arthur managed to display his best puppy face and get at least 5 cookies. All of the people at the shelter, were happy to see Arthur and admired how cute he looked. 

It was a long day. I won't forget that for a while and most importantly, at the end of the day, I learnt a $50 lesson and Ara learnt a $21 lesson, on how we shouldn't be fighting over small things and not to act in anger. (If you didn't guess, $71 is the cab fare I paid. :)

It's Friday...Not that I cared...

"How dare you challenge me in my own house, within an hour you must vacate the house with your entire family," I barked at the weird looking man who was staring at me across the room. I was angry, ready to turn the world upside down, when I sensed a tap on my hand. 

I looked down to see my darling little dog, Arthur, is trying to wake me up... I had slept too long.. I turned around, my husband is already up and meddling with his dearest phone.

"Hey, you are up?" Turned to me with a big grin on his face. 

I wasn't ready to face the world yet. I had battled enough in my dreams, so, I turned around to catch a few more minutes of sleep. Fifteen minutes might have passed, when I sensed another tap. This time it was my husband, gesturing me to make tea. I ran my hand under the pillow, trying to find the phone. After a few tries, I managed to find it.. 8.20 AM. Time to wake up, after 5 more minutes, of course! This time Arthur was determined to get on to the bed and continue his sleep, literally on my chest.

"Like owner, like dog," My husband, Ara, shot with a rephrased an idiom. 

It was time to wake up and face the world, not that I had any serious work to do. 

Just a quick note: I take my tea very seriously, it is my, sort of, energy drink. The amount of sugar, milk and the strength of the tea has to be exact, therefore I often end up being unhappy with the tea other people make for me, including my mom. When I leave almost half a mug of tea, she always complains, threatening me that she'll never make me tea again. But, she always does. 

So, as a practice I ask for coffee if I know I'm not getting a good cup of tea, simple as that. :)

So, after 15 minutes of sleepwalking/appreciating the nature/making tea, I went back to bed with Ara's cup of tea and my energy drink, to kill next half an hour trying to fully wake up while going through my mail and checking the latest on Pinterest. 

This is more or less my daily routine, unless I decided to go for a run. I hadn't run since Wednesday. I wasn't in the mood and even the last run I had was a pathetic failure. I barely ran 1 mile without stopping. Last week, my husband caught a viral fever/sore throat, so he suggested, my body might be fighting the disease and I should rest a couple of days before running again, which I agreed immediately. 

I waited until Ara comes out of the shower to start making breakfast. I'm not a breakfast person, so it is always breakfast for one and if I'm hungry, I would always make my self another tea. 

Yesterday, I got the email from the University saying that I am accepted. It was a big deal for me (though my dad and Ara argued, they'll take anyone who is willing to pay). While reading the offer packet yesterday, I came across a sentence about applying for financial aid. I stopped reading right there and clicked the link for the application and made myself a mental note to fill the application today. 

First thing, after Ara left to work, I filled the application, dedicating at least an hour from my precious time, not that I had anything important to do the entire day. 

At the end of the application a line appeared that I'm not eligible. 

"What??!! Why did they want me to fill the application then?," I screamed in my head.

I went back to the offer packet and read the next line. It said 'Masters degree Students are not eligible for financial aid.' Lesson learnt: Always read the entire thing before you act. 

However, morning went by faster than I thought. I promised my reporting manager (I'm a freelance writer for a solar company in Sri Lanka) that I'd send the long due article, today. He even joked that it might have been the cause for the rain in Colombo. 

However, it started raining in Columbus, OH too. When it stopped raining it was still gloomy. I justified that I really deserved to catch a few winks, before I start writing the article and Arthur seconded it. That's all I needed! :)

Random thoughts on a random day....

It's pouring outside... Tiny water drops ran down the bedroom window as I watched two children running for cover... The roar of the air conditioner broke the stillness of the apartment and stopped me from sinking too deep into my thoughts...

It had been a stressful week....responsibilities, heartbreaks, anticipation, arguments and silent treatments took over a good part of the week, leaving me just a few traces of happiness here and there... Going through this emotional roller coaster, got me thinking about life, how much lost are we in this never ending rat race...

Every morning we wake up with a bundle of desires and demands... throughout the day, every unfulfilled desire and unmet demand drag us in a path filled with sadness and sorrow, leading to an unhappy life... Expecting too much out of life leads to a life full of disappointments.  Life is short... days go by faster than we want... before we know it, the best things in life are lost among the others...

We are humans... we love being loved, cared and pampered... and expect people to be understanding and treat you for who are...but when they have other things in their agenda, you get nothing but an agony of a broken heart in return...It takes a good couple of days, weeks or years to mend the heart and move on .... Still the scars make you cringe at the slightest sign of hurt....

I have been there, many a times,...done that...I am ready to move on... I am ready to look at life in a positive perspective...This life is too short to depend on others to make you happy...

As I watched the rain subsides, last teardrop ran down my cheeks and dropped silently on the floor... I looked up at the sun,
smiling through the clouds......

Niagara Falls, A magical creation of mother nature

It is the weekend after the Independence Day in the United States. In a country where holidays are rare, we realised that it was the best time to take advantage for a long road trip. We drove for nearly five hours, a distance of nearly 330 miles towards the North, or in other words, towards the Canadian border.

Passing vineyards, blossoming cornfields and forests alongside the road, it was a beautiful drive. Though it was not apparent, we drove alongside Lake Eerie, half of the way - one of the five great lakes of America.

Throughout the journey, the first city we crossed was Buffalo. We passed many closed down and nearly dilapidated factories and long and massive bridges. Suddenly our peaceful journey turned into an adventure.

The woman inside the Global positioning System (GPS) unit nearly screamed directing us to rapid turns. After a while we were back on to a road with waterways on either side.

After about a half an hour drive, I saw something like smoke coming up in the distance.

“Hey, do you think something is on fire?” My voice was shaking and I felt a sudden adrenalin rush.

Instead of answering my question, everybody laughed.

“Why, did I sound like I was joking?”

“I think you will find the answer when we get closer,” one of them replied.

We got closer to the city, and then with the talk of looking for the hotel we booked and with the number of Asians we saw in the city, I got distracted from the incident. Later, we refreshed ourselves and went out to see what we actually wanted to see.

After walking a few metres from the hotel, one of us said, “Can you see the smoke coming up still?”

When I looked up it was still there. However, it was not really smoke. It was the mist coming up from the Niagara Falls. From the place I was standing, I could clearly see a rainbow across the fountain of mist.

We went closer; it was close enough to see the beauty of the constant stream of water falling down to the Niagara Gorge. According to one of the tourist guides there, nearly 75,000kg of water falls down from the Niagara Falls each second.

Though we call it the Niagara Falls, it is a collective name given to three water falls - American Falls, Canadian Horse Shoe Falls and Bridal Veil Falls - that straddle the international border between the Canadian province of Ontario and the US state of New York. They form the southern end of the Niagara Gorge. At one end of the Horse Shoe Falls is the American flag, while the Canadian flag is at the other end.

The best view of the Niagara Falls can be seen from the Canadian side as it faces Canada. The citizens of the United States have no problem entering Canada without a visa. Unfortunately for us, unless we obtain Canadian Visa, we had to be satisfied with the side view of the falls.

Apart from the beauty of the falls, Niagara Falls has some records too. Located on the Niagara River which drains Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, the combined falls form the highest flow rate of any waterfall in the world, with a vertical drop of more than 165 feet (50 m).

Horse Shoe Falls is the most powerful waterfall in North America, as measured by vertical height and also by flow rate. The falls are 17 miles (27 km) north-northwest of Buffalo, New York and 75 miles (121 km) south-southeast of Toronto, between the twin cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario, and Niagara Falls, New York. The visit to Niagara Falls is one of the most memorable visits in my life. The whole experience and the things I saw can hardly be summed up in a single article. Expect more in the coming weeks.

Pix: Aravinda Dassanayake

Tour de Cincinnati

Cincinnati is one of the major cities in Ohio State situated at the North Bank of the Ohio River near the Ohio – Kentucky border. Known for its large collection of historic architecture, Over-the-Rhine, a neighborhood just to the north of Downtown Cincinnati, boasts among the world’s largest collections of Italianate architecture, rivalling similar neighbourhoods in New York City, Vienna and Munich in size and scope. Cincinnati was founded in 1788 by John Cleves Symmes and Colonel Robert Patterson.

I am not planning to tour all around the city of Cincinnati in one day. Because of the Ohio Buddhist Vihara, which is in Cincinnati, it has become a regular destination of late. The journey is about two hours drive from where I live. Two hours may not sound much, but the distance matters. It is a little more than 100 miles away. However, how much we love to make it a regular trip, practical issues make it difficult for us.

Therefore, to compensate we make sure that a visit to the temple is always combined with some sightseeing.

As a result during our latest visit to the temple, we went sightseeing. Unlike on the other trips, this time, we did some research before arriving at the destination.

After reading some online reviews, a decision was made to visit a place called ‘Krohn Conservatory’ in Eden Park within Cincinnati, Ohio.

We were excited by the thought of being able to see more than 3,500 plant species from all over the world. After some hassle of finding the way, even with the GPS, we arrived at a building that looked like a green house. The Krohn conservatory was completed in 1933, and named in honour of Irwin M. Krohn who served on the Board of Park Commissioners.

The garden landscaped to a butterfly theme was a love at first sight. A bench, shaped like a butterfly in a bikini, welcomed us. A man made 20-foot waterfall with a goldfish stream was the first vista from the entrance.

Yes! I am from a country where there are many waterfalls and yes again, I paid a visit to the Niagara Falls recently. However, I was in love with that artificial waterfall.

The sound of water flowing down those fiberglass stones was Beethoven music to me. My friends practically dragged me out of the place to see the rest of the green house.

The Tropical House was the first section to see. Built like a small rain forest, it contained a large variety of ferns, both terrestrial and epiphytic; cycad, bromeliad, and begonia collections; and important economic plants including a cacao tree, Pomegranate, vanilla vine and dwarf banana.

The moment we walked through the door, everyone went hysterical after seeing familiar plants such as banana, Papaya, Araliya, Erabadu, Crotons and hibiscus. That was something unexpected.

The entire section was full of plants we find in Sri Lanka. Some of those we plant and some grow in our gardens whether we like it or not. It was like going back home. It was familiar territory; everyone enjoyed the ability to recognise each and every plant in the green house.

The ‘Desert Garden,’ the next popular attraction of the house is where they kept succulents and cacti including agaves, aloes, crassulas, and yuccas, as well as cereus, opuntia, and pereskia.

The Golden barrel, a plant shaped like a barrel, stood out from the rest. It was fun to see how two little daughters of our friends’ ran around the area hugging themselves and yelling after seeing the thorns of those plants. They gestured as if all the thorns were pricking them while they ran around.

The Conservatory also owns a good collection of Bonsai as well. This is a collection of Bonsai trees from the conservatory itself, the Bonsai Society of Greater Cincinnati and private individuals. Some of the Bonsai trees date back to the 1980’s. Well grown branches and fat trunks evidenced how old they were.

The Palm House, another attraction of the house which is a 45-foot high central house with palm trees, rubber trees and bananas, shrubby plants and ground cover.

This is where the waterfall lies. When a visitor enters the green house, the waterfall in palm house is what catches his attention. If you pass through it, you will be treated with a gorgeous collection of orchids.

The Kandyan Dancers were missing, but the collection had other different varieties. In a corner of the section were Pitcher Plants. I wonder whether they had been tamed or whether I did not try hard enough, I could not get the lid of the plant to close.

Inside the Krohn conservatory is a good experience. The efforts they had taken to recreate an environment from around the world definitely deserves a big round of applause!

Pix: Aravinda Dassanayake

A talented Anulian

A day at the Olentangy trail

 by Janani Amarasekara

The Saturday was glorious. Unlike the earlier days, the atmosphere was filled with a cool breeze and warm sunshine. It was the perfect day for an outdoor stroll. Weekends here in Columbus are usually sunny. We, along with some other Sri Lankans who live in Columbus, decided to take advantage of this perfect day. “It is the tail end of autumn.

Before the snow begins there’s something we should see,” suggested one of the Sri Lankans who had been living here for a while. I being a novice had no idea where to go and what to see. By about 10 in the morning everyone gathered at the hotel where we stayed. We packed snacks and drinks in our picnic bags, and armed with enough warm clothes, everyone was ready to leave.

Within a few minutes, everybody was in the vehicle and with the aid of a global positioning tool (GPS); we were on our way to our destination. Since it was Saturday, the road was full of vehicles. However, to my surprise I did not hear any honking at all.

There were queues of hundreds of vehicles, but I could hardly call it heavy traffic unlike Colombo. People were in their lanes, following the traffic lights. It was a smooth journey. We were driving along a river, and by the side of the road were trees of different hue.

“Hey, look at those trees. Those are beautiful. Don’t they grow in our country?” My voice was rather loud, almost everybody in the vehicle started giggling, and my husband’s flushed face turned towards me. It showed signs of discomfort. I realised that I said something stupid. “Idiot, those are not a special type of trees,” my husband whispered slowly into my ear.

“Then, what are they?” I was inquisitive and still loud. “Shush, haven’t you heard that in autumn leaves take different colours?,” “Oh! I know. But, I never thought they would be so amazing,” I tried to cover up and fake a relaxed smile at the others. What a shame! “We are going to Olentangy trails to see the Fall colours,” said a fellow traveller to rescue me from the difficult situation. “I heard we can see striking Fall colours in that locale.” He added.

Thanks to the GPS tool, we reached our haven soon. After parking the vehicle near the entrance, we unloaded our picnic bags and warm clothes. Though, it was a bright and sunny day, a slight chilly weather made us stick to our warm clothes, something unusual for me. In the morning, I was so delighted with the sight of sunshine, and was ready to leave my warm clothes behind at the hotel. However, luckily I listened to my husband and brought them with me.

If not I would definitely be freezing while on the trail. Finally, after the preparation, we were ready to see the Fall colours at the Olentangy trail. This is a beautiful greenway-walking path along the Olentangy River. It is one of the most popular greenways in Ohio. This trail offers an unspoiled 22 kilometres, from Worthington Hills to downtown Columbus.

This well-liked bikeway winds through several neighbourhoods, with trailheads at several major city parks. We did not walk until the end of the trail. However, we hiked quite a distance. On our way through, we passed a few artistic bridges, picturesque multi-coloured trees and a massive playground. By the side of the playground there was a Skateboard Park too, something we do not witness in our country.

A few boys on their skateboards were playing on the cement structure. Bikers and runners were a usual site on the trail.Unfortunately, we were a little tardy to see the Fall colours at that spot. To our relief there were some amazing trees, although the majority of the trees had already shed their leaves. One of the members of our crew said, “We came here to see the Fall colours, in vain all the colours have already fallen.” It was the joke of the day. However, it was a pretty good day outdoors, out of Columbus!

Pix: Aravinda Dassanayake

 

All Saints Church, Borella

A short drive along Punchi Borella via Ananda Rajakaruna Mawatha brought us to a glorious church with a tall spire and an unusual bell tower. Next to All Saints Girls’ School was the All Saints Church, which is one of the two All Saints’ Churches in Sri Lanka. Galle Fort houses the other All Saints’ Church. The environment in the church at Borella is completely different. Some priests at a nearby mission house felt the need for a church at this area and the construction was carried out with the help of devotees. When we reached there, the Tamil mass was going on. This is the only church in Sri Lanka, which has Mosaic Art on Royal glass paintings. The church was designed using the techniques of Gothic Architecture, on June 28 1886 Parish Priest Bonjan laid the foundation stone for the church. Fr. Collin, one of the initiators, was very enthusiastic about building a church. He succeeded in acquiring the land of two acres with the help of Lady Pies Johanna Wenham Thomson and Lady Arthur Gordon, the wife of the then Governor of Ceylon. At the auspicious moment of laying the foundation stone, Governor, Sir Arthur Hamilton Gordon brought some documents written in Latin. It is said the documents described the construction of the church. Those were put into a tiny glass bottle and then buried with the foundation stone. A result, number of carnivals and fairs were organised to collect funds Fr. Conrad was one of the priests who was eager to put up the church. Later, Fr. A. M. B. Jayamanna further developed the church. As a result of a vow he had made for the successful completion of the church, now there is a cloth with a scenery from the life of Jesus painted on it. It is fixed on the roof above the main altar. The first service after the completion of the church was held on September 24, 1938. Painted glass windows and doors add an extra colour to the already glamorous church interior. In keeping with the Sri Lankan culture, there are a few lotus flowers painted on the ceiling of the church. Among the other attractions at the church premises are the cave and the bell tower which have taken a prominent place. According to legend some devotees had seen Mother Mary near the cave here. The bell tower, which was built in 1957, is the only one in Asia that has 25 bells in one place. The tower was erected to commemorate the 300th Novena of the church. These bells were brought from Bokum City, in West Germany. They were especially made from a metal unique to that particular factory. The largest bell of the tower weighs 2000kg. Operated manually at first, the bell tower was later converted to an electronically operated one. There is also a mission house at the back of the church. Words ‘Pax Huic Domu’ is written at the entrance. It means ‘Peace to this House’.

Alls well that ends well!

 It was a fine Sunday morning, I should have woken up earlier. I had to sit a very competitive examination at an examination centre I had never gone and never heard of before. It was at 9.30 in the morning, and I woke up at 8’o clock. At the first glance on the wall clock, I was convinced that the clock had stopped last night at eight.

Oh no, seeing the same time displayed on the mobile phone and my mother’s scream hit me hard, I nearly fell off the bed. Nothing was ready. “What had I been doing last night? Oh, Aishwarya was gorgeous in that lovely red dress and Sharukh was really handsome.” Another one or two minutes was wasted in pensiveness until my father also screamed at me. Wearing a wrinkled top and not at all matching denim, dishevelled to the maximum, I got into the car with pens and pencils in one hand and a sandwich in the other. “Oh, I forgot the bottle of water,” I screamed. “I cannot turn back. Buy one from a nearby shop,” father exploded. I sat back and tried to loosen up. The morning was a complete disaster; I hope that at least the examination will be a piece of cake. “Dad, do you know the place?” “I think so. I asked my peon for directions,” he replied. I was relieved. I admired the striking colonial type buildings along the road. Turning left and right, finally dad brought me to a place which looked like a school. “The building over there with a high green wall is your examination centre,” he pointed. “Right, then after the examination I’ll have to come home by bus?” I asked praying he would say he would come. “Yes, you better. Walk down this lane and what you see over there is the main road,” he rekindled my hopes. I walked into the premises, without wasting even a millisecond to confirm that the place was correct. “Could you tell me where hall number 01 is please?” I inquired from one of the girls there and they pointed to me the direction. As I was on my way to the hall, another candidate asked me, “Is this Wolvendal School?” I was flummoxed, because it was not my examination centre, “I’m not sure. I didn’t actually check the board, however, my centre is Kotahena Central College,” Shocked as I was, she suggested, “Shall we ask somebody else?” “Yes, sure” At the end of all the inquiries, I realised that it was I who had come to the wrong centre. I hurriedly rang my father while those girls lamented that I had to go a long way to find the centre in a limited time. My furious father virtually flew to the place and as soon as I got into the car he said, “Didn’t you ask directions to the school?” “They said I need to go to Kotahena,” I stuttered. “No, it should be somewhere around here,” he screamed. He took a nippy turn to the next byroad, and asked a person about the school, “Go straight on this road, and take a right turn and then a left turn.” We followed his directions and it brought us nowhere. Time was ticking fast and there was precisely 10 minutes for the examination to begin. Highly frustrated, I was almost in tears. My father kept scolding me about my messy life. He dashed at of the car to ask directions, on his way back he asked another. He said, “Kotahena! My Gosh, you need to go to Kotahena what are you doing here?” We silently came up to the main road. The admission card had the address of the centre as Maha Vidyala Veethi. We were both convinced that the lane should be somewhere around here. I actually could remember passing that street when we were on our way to the earlier place. We gave up asking for directions for the school. We asked for the street. Within a few minutes, we were standing in front of the school. As always, I have been lucky, it was exactly 9.30 and the examinations had not yet begun. By the time I entered the school, the candidates were still loitering. The morning was full of action and within seconds, my mind was at ease to write the examination in style.

Southern express way of Sri Lanka

An evening at Galle Face Green

The sun was at the edge of the horizon and the Galle Face green was warming up for a long night despite the slight drizzle. It was a busy Sunday evening at the Galle Face Green. An array of old and new models of vehicles filled the car park and the ticket officer was busy issuing parking tickets. Through the barricade, we entered the breezy stretch of green, the walkers’ paradise, which graciously welcomed us to the arena.

Though it was just 5 o’clock in the evening, the promenade on the sea face stretching one and a half kilometres was swarming with families, children, vendors, lovers and merrymakers.

The largest open space in Colombo used by many hundreds a day was a donation of the British Governor Sir Henry Ward. He laid out this land in 1859. It was used for horse racing a hundred years ago and it is now a paradise for high-spirited citizens.

Two major Sri Lankan hotels, the Ceylon Continental and the Galle Face Hotel, mark the boundaries of this picturesque green turf, while Taj Samudra overlooks the stretch. Many Romeos and Juliets were huddled under umbrellas were dreaming and in their own world. At the same time, some children along with their parents raced across the stretch with their toys and while some flew kites.

The tantalising aroma of fast food vendors was too inviting to ignore. Unless you are a hygiene freak, there are enough and more food choices to make. My favourite has always been the prawn vade, without sauce though. These vendors have everything you need to pile up some fat on your tummy. If you are not into snacks, they will even give you dinner. The famous of the fast food joints is the Nana’s. There were three shops with the same name; however, the inauguration years were 1979, 1987 and 1988. The Nana’s food stall of 1979 boasts of being the pioneers. Galle Face Green hardly goes empty during any time of the day.

It attracts many locals as well as tourists. It is the best spot in town for vendors. Merrymakers strode on to the beach from the steps, which lead from the parapet wall, under the vigilant eyes of lifeguards, these merrymakers enjoyed the experience of the rolling waters. The giggles of the girls echoed on the walls and the men followed the hum to check out on girls. Those who wanted to remain in dry clothing cheered the rest. The evening was vibrant!

A little walk towards the Continental brings you to the 100 metres tall remote operated flagpole and to the newly built bridge, which spans up to the deep waters. The experience on this observation point is wonderful. The deep waters circle around the supporting pillars, as if they are ready to drag them to the seabed. This is the ideal spot to watch the divine view of the sunset.

The mesmerising colours of the evening sky hold you to a step closer to nature. The view of the sea is magnificent; it calms down a tensed mind and eases the pressure. However, the situation on land is pathetic. Among vendors and visitors are piles of garbage thrown here and there. There are garbage cans kept at some points. Maybe these are inadequate and the public are not educated enough on the proper disposal of garbage.

At one point there was a board displayed to warn the public of a fine, unfortunately, someone had changed the lettering and it read ‘If you keep the environment clean, Rs. 500 will be fined.”

However, it is the responsibility of all of us to keep the place clean, so that future generations can benefit from this invaluable landscape.

Self-discipline for cyclists, a must

Road accidents are on the rise and every day the country loses five to six valuable lives on the road. Who takes the blame? People point fingers at officials, but how fair is it? Every citizen should take responsibility. Upholding road laws by users make the experience on the road pleasant for all of us. On a previous week we enlightened you on some best practices, pedestrians need to follow. Today we are educating you on some rules and regulations cyclists need to follow. According to Sri Lankans, the cycle is the vehicle of the poor.

However, now many youngsters use cycles to commute to school. Intentionally or unintentionally, sloppy cyclists cause many accidents on the road. The first step of safe cycling and in avoiding accidents is checking the bicycle, to see if it is in good condition. Ensure that it is mechanically good, the height of the seat and the handle suits your height, and the fixed revenue license is visible.
The number of accidents, related to cyclists, occurs during the dark hours can be more, when compared to daylight hours. Therefore, a white lamp infront and a red lamp or a reflector at the back is essential. Painting the mudguard in white is also important. When the light is dim, always activate these lights and wear light coloured clothes to make it easier for other vehicles to spot you.
The wisest action is using the dedicated cyclists' lane if present, as it is safer than on busy roads. However, in the absence of a lane, ride closer to the left edge. Riding in vertical lines, rather than going in pairs is secure for the riders. Some modern day youngsters do perilous stunts using bicycles. Unless they are professional stunt performers, this action would lead to many accidents.
Therefore, riding using both hands is the best, while not giving hand signals. Even when signalling, do that early allowing sufficient time for drivers to prepare. Never carry anything extra, which will disturb proper handling of the cycle. In some areas, especially in villages, people hold other cyclists and chat while riding. This practice is dangerous and should be avoided. Unlike other vehicles, bicycles have the benefit of taking less room on the road. Then cyclists are tempted to overtake other vehicles in a bad manner.
This could surprise other drivers, and could lead to accidents. When it comes to mishaps related to cyclists, always it is not the fault of the rider.
Therefore, it is better to be cautious than be regretful. While passing parked vehicles, see if a careless passenger has opened a door, or may be another motorists might hastily overtake the parked vehicle and you. Be careful about your surroundings.
Another fatal moment in motor traffic is when a vehicle enters a main road, since this is an unexpected movement for drivers on the main road, it is better to stop and watch the traffic. When the highway is clear, entering is secure.
On a one-way road or at a roundabout avoid taking the opposite way. Sure, you notice vehicle come to your face, but these motorists do not anticipate you. Thus, the result will be an accident.
Arresting accidents is easy if we act cautiously on the road and follow road rules. Let us aid the country to minimise the number of lives lost unreasonably. In another episode, we will elaborate about road rules applying to motorists.

Sri Kailasanathar Swami Devasthanam: The oldest Hindu temple in Colombo

Sri Kailasanathar Swamy Dewashthanam

The deafening sound of Ketti Melam, music played at Tamil weddings, filled the atmosphere of Sri Kailasanathar Hindu Temple, and the grandly dressed crowd rushed around the kovil to ensure a perfect nuptial ceremony. Not wanting to barge in, we wandered around the place to find the kovil office. A man appeared from nowhere and offered us to help. "Show us the office please?" "Come I will show you," he signalled us to follow. "There, at the blue painted building." We thanked him and followed his directions. We were stunned to see the board 'wedding hall.' The man had assumed we too were invitees. After another round, around the kovil, we found the correct place and managed to meet the kovil officials.

The decorated roof

The astrology chart

A bull statue

The decorated Gopuram

Sri Kailasanathar Swami Devashthanam is a kovil hidden inside a bushy surrounding behind the Fort Railway Station. Built during the Portuguese era, it was a family kovil. Apparently, it is the oldest Hindu temple in Colombo. Although it is Sri Kailasanathar, Swami Devashthanam, many still identify it as the kovil at the Captain's Garden. Though I presumed it as an unseen and unknown kovil, we later realised that it is popular even among non-Hindus. The number of Sinhala notices displayed there makes it obvious.

The entrance to the road leading to the kovil is near the famous second-hand bookstores at D. R. Wijewerdene Mawatha. Turn right from the main road and kovil Veethi, leads to the kovil over the Fort railway lines. As soon as you take a right turn from the kovil Veethi, to the kovil grounds, there are two kovils in the vicinity; a new building and an old colour-faded building. According to the kovil Manager, the faded building is the Ganapathi Kovil and the new-fangled building is the Easwaran Kovil.

Though the two kovils are adjacent the management of the two is different. Construction of a new kovil was under way at the place. A man who hid behind the stone dust was carving beautiful sculptures from the stones brought especially from India. Nowadays with the use of machines, cutting and polishing a stone into a sculpture is an easy task. However, the life of the artisans who originally built the kovil would have undergone many difficulties. The clerk of the kovil office, Nesarajah, took us on a tour around the kovil. Starting from the intricate lotus-carved main door, the tour covered almost all corners of the kovil. As soon as we entered, Nesarajah pointed to the roof. Oh! A gorgeous carving of an astrology chart, adorned the roof entrance. Magnificent paintings of Gods and Goddesses decorated the entire roof of the kovil. The kovil is full of statues of various gods. Shrines dedicated to various gods filled every empty slot of the temple.

The Vel Cart

"Easwaran kovils usually have shrines for almost every god," said the manager. The kovil has shrines for almost every god whom I have read in Tamil folk tales. Sri Kailasanathar Swamy Devashthanam is the starting point of the Vel ceremony, which later went up to Bamabalapitiya on the Galle Road. The kovil has two major festivals, in March and August.

The March festival is dedicated to goddess Pattini, while the August festival is dedicated to God Easwaran.

There is a beautiful Vel cart, decorated with intricate wooden carvings. In June 2010, the kovil Management had organised the most recent Kumbabhishekam ceremony. The kovil offers different special poojas for various gods during the week.

Beginning the week on Monday with a pooja offered to Goddess Pattini, the kovil has a unique set of poojas to Goddess Durga, Bahirawa, and nine planets. On Poya days, the Sri Sakkara Pooja is followed by an almsgiving to the devotees.

The Kannagi Amman festival began on May 25, and it will last for 10 consecutive days, Nesarajah said. The shrines of Goddess Pattini and God Easwaran had two carved bronze flag poles in front.