Life style
The Heirloom
by Rukmini Attygalle
Standing on tip toe, Premila reached for the small box hidden under the pile of neatly stacked saris on the top shelf of her wardrobe. She kept it separate from the rest of her jewelry. She peeked at it occasionally. Take it out of the velvet box, polish the pendant with a soft cloth, put the necklace on, and admire herself in the mirror.
In Sri Lanka, she was able to show it off at numerous weddings, engagement parties, and other special gatherings; but here in London, such occasions were rare. Premila remembered the emeralds sparkle on her grandmother’s neck. Now the necklace was hers! She wished she had a daughter who would love it as much as she did and enjoy wearing it after she was no more. Now, she must pass it on to her grand- daughter via her daughter -in-law. The trouble was she did not have one -as yet. Sanjay at 35 was still a bachelor with no signs of a future daughter-in-law in the horizon.
This caused Premila anxiety; but there was no support from Gamini. “Let Putha just be – for God’s sake. He will settle down in his own time. He is a grown man!”
“Exactly!” the dog startled and cocked up his ears. “Yes! Bury your nose in your books and forget the rest of the world including your only son!” Premila huffed. “You should talk to Sanjay about the importance of getting married before it is too late. What sort of a father are you?”
“An uninterfering one.” Taking a deep pull on his pipe, Gamini laid back in his chair and closed his eyes. Premila was about to return the precious box to its hiding place when the phone rang. Gamini will answer – he is downstairs, Premila closed the wardrobe door.
“Prem…Putha called” yelled Gamini. “He is coming to London next Saturday. Will he be here for lunch I suppose so I didn’t ask.”
“You should have asked!”
“By the way, he said he was bringing someone he wants us to meet.”
“Who?”
“Don’t know. He didn’t say.”
“And needless to say, you didn’t ask!”
“No. But, I think it could be someone special.”
Premila’s annoyance at Gamini’s lack of interest and curiosity did not overshadow her excitement. This was the best news she heard for a long time. Yes, there had been a few girls he had brought home for curry meals during his undergraduate days. Sanjay always insisted they were “just friends”. Premila was not born yesterday! One of the girls was an Indian. Why would an Indian girl go out to eat curry when she probably ate it every day at home?
Premila had noticed the girl’s sly glances at her son. She was good looking too. Slim and tall with big eyes and a long neck. She would carry off the necklace with panache! However, nothing came of it. Premila had given up hopes of getting a Sri Lankan daughter-in-law long ago. Sanjay was born in England and lived in a cosmopolitan society and, as Gamini pointed out, it was unrealistic for Sri Lankan parents to expect their children to marry their own kind. She had deliberately curbed her imaginings of the necklace on Sri Lankan necks. Premila had with Gamini’s help, broadened her vision over the years and was now able to see beyond the narrow confines of “us” and “them.”
What she really wanted was a girl who would love her son and make him happy. She and Gamini both agreed that what mattered most was Sanjay’s happiness. “I am so excited Gamini, I can’t wait for Saturday! Shall I call Putha and ask for details of the girl?”
“No don’t! you will see her in two days. What’s the great hurry?”
“I have done the prep in the kitchen department and the house is ship shape. I just don’t know what to do now.”
“Go for a walk and calm down!”
Saturday arrived. Premila kept running to the window every few minutes. She noticed that one of her flower arrangements had toppled. Frantically she put it right just as the bell rang. She quickly checked her hair in the hall mirror and opened the door. “Hi Amma!” Sanjay hugged, his mother. His shoulders blocked Premila’s view although she craned her neck to see the figure behind him. “Thatha is here too I hope,” Sanjay took a few steps into the house as Gamini came with outstretched arms towards his son.
A tall well-built man stood before Premila, with tattooed arms, well-trimmed beard, and hair tied back in a pony-tail. Her body jerked as she involuntarily took a sharp in- breath. Something inside her jarred and needed to be clinked back into place. “Hello Mrs. Amarasena – I am Bruno. So glad to meet you…”
“Yes…yes so am I.”
She was surprised to hear her own voice. Her innate politeness had taken control over her conscious mind. “Do come in” and guided him into the living room in a dream-like state.
“I brought you something which I hope you will like. Sanjay has been talking about your passion for flower arranging.”
“Thank you.”
As they sat down, she noticed that Bruno was eagerly awaiting her response and she opened the neatly wrapped parcel. “Oh! how lovely! I’ve always admired the Japanese art of flower arranging and wanted to learn Ikebana…” Premila’s genuine delight brightened Bruno’s face and she saw joy in his eyes.
Premila overheard Gamini in the background talking to Sanjay in Sinhala. “Of course, Putha we understand. All we want is, for you to be happy.”
Premila was slowly regaining her equilibrium; but conversation was not coming easily to her. She listened to the others, nodding and smiling her way through while her fantasies of grand weddings and granddaughters slowly subsided. She knew deep down, that if she wanted to be in her son’s life, she would have to accept him as he is, not as she wanted him to be.
She must accept the reality of Sanjay’s sexuality. Premila tried to talk but her throat was too dry. She noticed Bruno’s good looks and more importantly his pleasant manner and good humour; and willed herself to warm towards him. She noticed the glow on Sanjay’s face. One thing she was sure about – Bruno would look ridiculous with the emeralds round his neck. She would have to find another recipient.
(Rukmini Attygalle’s debut collection of short stories Of Sarees and Grapefruit is now available at all good bookshops)
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Sri Lanka is a land renown for stunning natural beauty. Yet, LUXASIA still managed to usher in a different kind of beautiful to the market through its expertise in luxury beauty retail and omni-distribution.
In November 2019, LUXASIA unveiled its inaugural classy beauty counters at Odel, One Galle Face. Since then, it has brought enchanting fragrances from luxury brands such as Burberry, Calvin Klein, Gucci, and Marc Jacobs, as well as trendy skincare from KORA Organics to beauty-lovers in an exquisite and captivating retail format.
Now, having successfully overcome the challenges in 2020 imposed by COVID-19 and related lockdowns, LUXASIA is ready and excited to thrill Sri Lankan consumers again. This time, it is with the launch of both skincare and make-up collections from the prestigious Japanese beauty brand, Shiseido. Arriving with a glamorously magnificent pop-up at One Galle Face from 8 to 14 February 2020, LUXASIA promises to bring memorable consumer experiences and a feast for the eyes that showcases the best in Japanese beauty.
Leading up to this pop-up, LUXASIA partnered the Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and top influencers of Sri Lanka to excite the beauty community with a sneak peek of what Shiseido have to offer. This campaign garnered more than 100,000 social interactions, with over 1.2 million social media impressions, piquing consumers’ fascination in Shiseido’s award-winning and best-selling serum, The Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate.
Looking ahead into 2021, LUXASIA aims to continue delighting consumers with even more fresh retail innovations to spice up the luxury beauty scene in Sri Lanka. Soon, fragrance enthusiasts can expect a unique pop-up of all the scents that Luxasia carry, featuring new launches from Davidoff and Calvin Klein, as well as other interesting novelties. Beauty-lovers can also expect more limited edition products and gifts-with-purchases, interesting workshops, as well as seasonal offerings in the coming months. Concurrently, LUXASIA also aspires to continue grooming the Sri Lankan beauty community through more entertaining collaborations with KOLs throughout 2021.
LUXASIA sees immense potential in Sri Lanka’s fast-growing beauty market and has been its voice in the international beauty industry. For some time now, LUXASIA has been relentlessly reaching out to numerous luxury beauty brands across to world to interest them in Sri Lanka. While it is encouraging to see the first-fruits, LUXASIA is aiming much higher. Forging ahead, LUXASIA strives to champion and lead the growth of luxury beauty in Sri Lanka, through even more partnerships with great brands, and by continuously delighting consumers.
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by Ifham Nizam
Shipping lanes to the south of Dondra pose the threat of ships colliding with whales as the area has very rich marine life which also attracts whale watching boats, says prolific wildlife writer and photographer Gehan de Silva Wijeyeratne, author of the recently published ‘A Naturalist’s Guide to the Mammals of Sri Lanka’.
He says international shipping industry organizations have written to the government to push back the existing shipping lanes and if no action is initiated, there is the danger of whale watching boats colliding with vessels.
Dr. Susannah Calderon and her colleagues at the University of Ruhuna have recommended the shipping lanes be moved 15 nautical miles south. The cost impact to all concerned will be negligible, but it significantly improves safety at sea, especially at night when the sea is dotted with the lamps from hundreds of small fishing crafts in the path of giant container carriers.
“It is primarily a safety issue though an important secondary impact will be that it reduces fatal collisions with whales, while generating favourable publicity for the government of Sri Lanka. It boils down to moving the shipping lanes further south and saving lives, Wijeyeratne stressed in an interview with The Sunday Island.
Asked what’s special about his latest publication, he said: “This is the first photographic field guide which covers nearly all of the mammals found in Sri Lanka. It covers 96 per cent of the land and marine mammals. The book, which is portable and affordable, also contains a large number of images from 40 photographers which are practically useful in the field to identify 
a mammal to species level. It also covers a number of small, discrete, nocturnal mammals whose existence that even many local wildlife enthusiasts will not be aware of.”
On the book’s coverage of the marine mammals, Wijeyeratne said there are two noteworthy aspects. Firstly, it covers all the species recorded in Sri Lankan waters expect for one, the Omura’s Whale. This will be included in a second edition. Secondly, it uses images of the whales and dolphins (cetaceans) which will show the animals the way a whale watcher will see them on the surface.
Artwork that shows the whole animal is important, but in field conditions, they are often of limited value to identify cetaceans which only show a little of their upper body in sections at a time they surface.
Q: You were the first to publicize that Sri Lanka was the best location for Blue Whale sightings and offered the best chance to see a superpod of Sperm Whales. Can you explain briefly how you set about branding Sri Lanka as a top international destination for whale watching?
A:
I started with field work to ascertain the facts and launched a media campaign initially with Jetwing Eco Holidays and Jetwing Hotels which was supported over many years by the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) and others in the media and tourism business. I have published 37 articles on whale watching in Sri Lanka. The first, in May 2008, was pivotal as it boldly stated that Sri Lanka was best for Blue Whales. This set everything in motion. My articles give due credit to many people who were a part of this amazing story. This includes Dr. Charles Anderson who first told me it would be feasible to see Blue Whales from the South.
A Belgian millionaire philanthropist who prefers to remain anonymous and helped create the infrastructure for whale watching by 13 tsunami affected fishing youth who set up Mirissa Water Sports and Sue Evans who was important for connecting all of us and Anoma Alagiyawadu (the Jetwing Lighthouse Naturalist) whom I tasked with collecting the initial data for the Encounter Rates I publicized in the media.
Remarkably, no Sri Lankan marine biologist played any role in publicizing whale watching in the early years. However, soon after, they benefited by being thrust into the media spotlight by film crew researchers who had read the publicity which began with my various widely disseminated articles. Having read them, and sometimes after conversations with me, the film crews and the press came to Sri Lanka and incorporated local marine biologists into their story.
At the time I broke the first story, I do not think any of the local marine biologists had even one image of a Blue Whale of a publishable standard or had any idea that Sri Lanka was the best place in the world to see Blue Whales. Hopefully, the increased profile of local marine biologists has made it easier for them to raise the funds needed for their important research.
Q: Did the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau help your efforts with publicity and branding?
A:
Yes indeed. At the start of the publicity campaign, we produced a series of informative and attractive publications designed by Chandrika Maelge. These were printed and distributed at key consumer and travel trade fairs such as the Bird Fair, WTM and Destinations where a number of important press and tour operators were informed about Sri Lanka being a good place for whales. At some of the press drinks events in London hosted by Jetwing Eco Holidays, around 35-45 press people would attend. These events were held in collaboration with the London Office of the SLTPB.
In some years, As many as three of these press events were held allowing personal interaction with a wide pool of media people. Another important and later development is the role played by Nalin Perera who ran the SLTPB office in London for several years and attended many consumer and travel trade fairs. I had developed media briefs for him which he would print and distribute. In one conversation, he estimated that he had printed and distributed over 10,000 copies of this material.
There were others who also disseminated my stories to the international press; a notable example being Chitral Jayatilake who shared my publicity pdfs with various wildlife documentary makers he invited to Sri Lanka.
Q: Did everyone readily embrace your ideas?
It took a couple of years. I remember even into the second year of the publicity campaign there were doubts from the big companies in tourism.
I remember Srilal Miththapala who was then President of The Hotels Association of Sri Lanka speaking to me and joining a celebrity whale watching event I was leading with Shyamalee Tudawe. This was organized by Olivia Richli of the Amangalla in Galle.
Srilal wanted to report back to the association if there was any truth to the claims being made by me about how easy it was to see Blue Whales. On the coastline, the people running small guesthouses readily embraced the story as tourists who were reading my stories turned up with copies of my articles and asked for boats to take them whale watching. The international press also readily took it on as I provided credible data.
Q: What do you say to criticisms that whale watching needs better regulation?
I agree on the need for better regulation and higher standards. The tourism industry has played its part in publicizing whale watching. Other state agencies also need to step up their efforts to regulate the industry in a way that is good for the welfare of the animals and provide a good visitor experience.
Q: What do you expect ‘A Naturalist’s Guide to the Mammals of Sri Lanka’ to achieve?
I would like people to understand that there is still a lot to be discovered about Sri Lanka’s mammals and I hope this portable and affordable guide will find its way into the hands of local naturalists and inspire more research and more practical steps to conserve habitats and species.
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Brides and Grooms of Sri Lanka – Reimagined
“Together we’re creating moments of happiness and cherished memories for the new couple and their families” said Founder and CEO of LOVI Ceylon, Asanka de Mel, as he introduced LOVI Ceylon’s Groom collection. Each groom’s look was paired with extraordinary creations from Sri Lanka’s top bridal designers, jewelers, florists, hair and make-up artiste and was captured by story-telling photographers.
The presentation graciously hosted by the Taj Samudra and Shangri-La hotels saw 30 leading designers working hand in hand to infuse fresh ideas, celebrate cultural diversity and show-off Sri Lankan couture—the island’s hand craft heritage.
The stunning bridal costumes were painstakingly made by renowned designers Messrs. Dhananjaya Bandara, Rishard Raheem, and Michael Wijesuriya as well as Mses. Indi Yapa Abeywardena of Brides by INDI, Sonali Dharmawardena, Darshi Keerthisena of Buddhi Batiks, Ramona Oshini, Sandani Perera of IKIGAI Bridal, and Jaish Parathalingam of Aashkii. The newcomer, Ms. Anusha David also presented her couture creations under the label Gabriel.
“We want our Groom and all of the men in the wedding including the groomsmen, dads, young boys and friends, to be themselves–to feel rooted in culture, well dressed and at ease on the wedding day,” says Asanka. Celebrating the religious and cultural traditions including Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Kandyan, Malay, Muslim, Sinhala, Tamil and western traditions of the island LOVI Ceylon’s Grooms’ range presented modern sarongs paired with formal shirts, jackets, kurtas and more. They were paired with sarees, dresses, lehengas, pant suits and an array of breathtaking outfits. There were many looks offered for the Sri Lankan diaspora, as well as couples seeking inspiration for destination weddings.
As the designs progressed from sketch to stitching, our jewelry partners Careems, Lalitha, Mallika Hemachandra, Tiesh and Vogue jewelers added their brilliant sparkles with handcrafted fine jewelry made of precious metals encrusted with diamonds, sapphires and rubies. And what wedding would be complete without flowers? Bringing the latest floral creations were florists Designer Flowers, Flowers by Joan and Karen Forbes, Lassana Flora, and Supreme Flora who made the spectacular bridal outfits blossom with their creations.
Breathing life into these wonderful creations with superb hair and make-up was anchor of the shoot, Ms. Nadiya Fernando and her collaborator Omesh, while Ramani Fernando Salons, Shane Perera, Viran Peter, Brides by Leena and Talia designs, also worked magic on the models.
The father son duo Dinuka and Dineth Fonseka of Studio3000 took on the herculean task of capturing all the creations as the anchor photography partner. The works of Ashene Bernard, Amarante Studio, Geeshan Bandara, and Portrait Culture were also presented in imaginative and artistic captures.
De Mel expressed his thanks to the wonderful models who brought the visions and fancies of the designers to life, as well as poet and author Ashok Ferrey for being the MC of the shoot and providing an eloquent commentary, delivered with his inimitable panache!
“We have world class craftsmanship here, it’s fun to work with so many experts, who just happen to be friends, to present a beautiful collection that could nudge the course of Sri Lankan clothing identity” said Asanka when asked about the work that went into this.
As he rightly reminded the gentlemen to choose wisely, “on that special wedding day, when all eyes are on her–her eyes are on you!”
