Her inspiration to write a book came from the road. A friendship between man’s best friend and a 12 year old girl was the result of a book based on a true story.

Bruno was a stray dog adopted by Udara Devindi Perera. But unlike other street dogs Bruno became the centre of attention in the Perera household and is today the main star in a children’s story book.

Having developed a friendship with a stray dog Udara wanted to tell other children about her friendship with the dog which is now part of the Perera family.

Today Bruno is also a popular name among other children who are interested in reading about this special friendship between Udara and her stray dog.

Apart from being a writer Udara is a talented artist and singer. Her talents as an artist can be seen by the illustrations in Bruno.

"Bruno is still with us" says Saman Lema, Udara’s mother who has encouraged her through the years to write a book.

Udara having studied in Abu Dhabi returned to Sri Lanka and is studying at the Regent International School in Miriswatte, Yakkala.

The introduction for Bruno was written by Phabraji Mahinda Jayatilleke. The book is available at M.D. Gunasena’s and Sarasavi book shops.

Irangani de Silva and Doreen Dias Bandaranayake having seen Bruno have encouraged Udara to write her second book.

"My daughter is working on her second book with great interest," Lema said.

Little did Chandi Jayawickrema know she would make waves almost
a decade ago, when she visited her country of origin for a month, on the way to China.

She ended up staying for three years, and made so much noise, when she came back after a few years a couple of weeks ago, people were still recognising her voice on the street!

Remember all the controversy about a young MTV newsreader with the ‘fake’ British accent somewhere in the late ’90s? Well, that was Chandi, and not much about her, accent included, is fake. Many were the chirps and chants by local pundits about the authenticity of Chandi’s speech. And admittedly, not without reason, given all the local media personalities who seem to think a ridiculously put on American or British accent is the height of hip!

But in Chandi’s case, the poor girl is the child of expat parents, had been in England most of her life, and so had no choice about the accent!

Not that the poor girl today is, or ever was, a candidate for pity! After making her mark as a newsreader, presenter and major television personality here in Sri Lanka, she went over to Singapore to found her own production company.

The company today successfully produces documentaries for the likes of National Geographic, which are aired around the world (except unfortunately in Sri Lanka).

"The success behind my efforts is my team, which includes people from various nationalities," Chandi said. One of her most acclaimed productions for National Geographic was a documentary on bees in Sigiriya.

"The idea just came to me during a visit to the place. The guide was telling us about the ancient belief that the bees are the reincarnationed souls of Kasyapa’s armies, and continued to protect the place. The combination of fact and legend seemed perfect to weave a story," Chandi said.

An ardent, no holds barred soul herself, Chandi is constantly looking for stories in the world around. Of all the unusual things about this woman, her love for Sri Lanka comes across as the most powerful component. "I just adore this country and its people: the passion and the fervour are out of this world. Despite all the problems, I love this country and I have hope that things will look brighter in the future," she said.

Sathsara 2007 – a talent quest for those who have fair knowledge of oriental musical instruments – harmonium, violin, flute and tabla organised by the Moratuwa Arts Forum was held on January 30 at the Holy Emmanuel Church under the patronage of the Co-Chairman of the project, Asoka Peiris and Lankika Perera.

Lankika Perera told The Sunday Leader that those who qualified at the preliminary round were selected for the semi-finals which were held at the Sripalee Hall, Moratuwa on February 11 and the grand finalwill be held on February 24 at the Buddhist Hall, Moratuwa under the patronage of Kalasuri Victor Ratnayake.

"We are happy to see the dedication of the principals and music teachers in Moratuwa in encouraging their children to take part in these contests to show their talents which would help them immensely in their future endeavours. However we regret to note that some leading schools in the area did not take this golden opportunity to give their students a chance to exhibit their talents before a distinguished panel of judges" Perera added.

All the semi finalists were given certificates and the winners would receive cash rewards at the grand finals and the panel of judges will include Kalasuri Mahanama Wickremasinghe, Neela Wickremasinghe and Edward Jayakody.

Embattled pop star Michael Jackson wears a prosthetic nose and once paid $150,000 for a ‘voodoo curse’ to kill Director Steven Spielberg despite being deep in debt, Vanity Fair magazine reported on last week.

Vanity Fair, in an article for its Aprilissue, reports that Jackson bleaches his skin white because he does not like being black. The 44-year-old singer sometimes refers to black people as ‘spabooks,’ the magazine said

Jackson’s manager did not immediately return phone calls and a faxed request for comment on the article. Jackson’s London publicist could not be reached for comment.

The onetime King of Pop has been dogged by controversy for months, first over his odd appearance in a California courtroom last November. That same month, Jackson stunned fans in Berlin by briefly dangling his young son from a hotel balcony.

And in February a British television documentary that aired to blockbuster ratings both in England and the United States caused a stir when Jackson told his interviewer that he slept in the same room, and sometimes the same bed, as young boys.

Vanity Fair reported in the article that in 2000 Jackson attended a voodoo ritual in Switzerland where a witch doctor promised that Spielberg, music mogul David Geffen and 23 other people on the entertainer’s list of enemies would die.

Jackson, who underwent a ‘blood bath’ as part of the ritual, then ordered his former business adviser Myung-Ho Lee to wire $150,000 to a bank in Mali for a voodoo chief named Baba, who sacrificed 42 cows for the ceremony, the magazine reported.

Vanity Fair reported that Jackson wears a page-boy wig and a prosthesis that serves as the tip of his nose. The magazine interviewed a source close to Jackson who said that, without the device Jackson resembles a mummy with two nostril holes.

According to the magazine, Jackson’s extravagant lifestyle and declining record sales have left him $240 million in debt.

The article, which relies in part on court filings in a $12 million lawsuit against Jackson by Lee, said that since the mid-1990s the reclusive entertainer has relied on a series of multimillion-dollar loans to cover his expenses.

In addition to the lawsuit by Lee, Jackson is also enmeshed in a $21 million court battle with German concert promoter Marcel Avram over canceled Millennium concerts and has been sued by Sotheby’s auction house for $1.6 million.

The magazine reported that Jackson must pay off the principal on a $200 million loan within a few years, which will be nearly impossible unless he sells his most valuable asset, the Beatles song catalogue. He owns only half of the catalogue while Sony Corp. owns the other half in an arrangement that might make selling his share difficult, Vanity Fair reported.

Jackson has also run up nearly $4 million per year in expenses from his Neverland Valley ranch in central California, where in April 2001 his amusement park equipment was nearly repossessed for late payments, the magazine said.

A short adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet sponsored by the
British Council will be staged at the Hilton Colombo Garden (ballroom entrance) on February 24 and 25 at 6.30 p.m.

Shortened to just one hour, this version of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet arises out of a five week workshop focusing on developing skills for actors in voice and approaches to classical text.

This version will use Shakespeare’s text in English and in Sinhala translation.

The cast, of mainly young actors, comes from both English and Sinhala speaking theatre traditions.

The outdoor production will be bold, energetic and hard hitting.

The director, William Scott Richards, has been training actors for over 12 years at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) as well as directing and teaching internationally.

He has directed for the BBC, in the West End and regional theatres in the UK. As voice and text coach, he has worked for Royal Shakespeare Company, National Theatre, within opera for Royal Opera House and English National Opera, within dance for Cando Co and DV8. He was director of training for Billy Elliot the Musical in London as well.

Audience members should be prepared to move around during the show and wear sensible footwear for a garden! Bringing a blanket might be a good idea if you want to sit on the grass. A limited number of chairs can be provided for those less firm of foot.

The Hilton Garden performance will be followed up by performances at outstation schools and British Council Regional English Support Centres.

Tickets will be on sale at the British Council and the Hilton Colombo Sports Centre reception.

The Commons Coffee House now presents some divine temptations that will only leave you wanting more. Sip on some delightful milkshakes and frappes and sink your teeth into some of the yummy desserts.

You will find a cool concoction to satisfy your cravings with the wide variety of milkshakes. With established favourites – banana, chocolate and strawberry and funky new flavours like chocolate peanut butter, butter cookie and grape you will enjoy a smooth creamy treat that’s absolute heaven.

If you feel like something fruity you can try some of the frappes. Watermelon, peach and strawberry are just some of the flavours to choose from. Enjoy a blend of fruit, milk that’s made fresh to order and just the way you like it.

No meal is complete without dessert and the chefs at Commons have put together a diverse and delightful selection for your pleasure. Dig in to Mississippi Mud Pie, Chocolate Fruit Tar, Teramisu, Blueberry Cheesecake, Lemon Freeze, and Bread Butter Pudding with cinnamon sauce, Blueberry Trifle or Kahlua Meringue. The Commons has four surprise items on the daily menu.