The approach is simply breathtaking. And the place itself, picture perfect. But all this beauty hides the harsh reality that Arugam Bay really isn’t what it should be. Located on the long forgotten east coast of the island, Arugam Bay is world famous as a surfers paradise and with the end of the war, tourists [...]
The events of last week confirmed the one thing we did not want to know; Sri Lanka’s degeneration is happening at a rapid pace. In which country today will one find a government minister tying a public official to a tree while a contingent of policemen nonchalantly looked the other way? In which country will [...]
It has been in the news all week, but it has been a case of stating the obvious as to why Rienzie Algama decided to immolate himself in front of Sirikotha, the UNP headquarters in Kotte. Various opinions have been offered as to the reason why Algama did what he did and not a ‘WW’ [...]
He came, he conquered and yes, he retired. Quite not in keeping with what is now the national tradition of hanging on when the going is good or by marketing past performance. For this reason in particular and his stupendous achievements in general Muttiah Muralitharan will be long remembered as the Sri Lankan who was [...]
Sri Lanka is supposed to have a high literacy rate — in the 90s at the last count. Yet the so-called educated people keep getting suckered by politicians’ day in and day out and things don’t look like they are about to change any time soon. And the media has much to do with this. [...]
The electors in Sri Lanka operate on a very simple principle – they vote for those who work for them or at least pretend to work – and many do just that. The term ‘work’ in the Sri Lankan context, especially where elections are concerned is where those that seek office are seen as having [...]
There is a pithy proverb in Sinhalese that goes something like — nangiwa pennala akkawa dunna. In essence, what is meant is that having promised the beautiful younger sister in marriage, the not so good-looking older sister is presented at the wedding ceremony instead to the unsuspecting groom. This basically sums up what is happening [...]
Since when did taking loans become fashionable? Especially when it is done mortgaging the very people whose burden you are supposed to ease? Call this scribe old-fashioned or whatever else, but in my book taking loans to build mansions just to impress the Joneses or to boost personal egos is simply out of the question. [...]
The Bollywood glitterati now swarming Colombo’s five star hotels may still be recovering from a heavy bout of partying at all the after-parties Colombo hosted following the Indian version of the Oscars held in Colombo last evening. Sri Lankans who have got an overdose of stars in the recent past with back-to-back ‘superstars,’ ‘megastars’ and [...]
The extended Wesak holiday had its effect on Paththarakaraya hence the philosophical mood. We were just thinking that there was not a day that passes in this most resplendent island where some commemoration or the other is being held. Everyday, one glance at the newspapers or TV news will show someone or something being commemorated [...]
Recent Comments