Sri Lanka Day 2006 Experience the Culture

It’s Saturday. It’s August 26th. You’re spending the day with your family, your friends, your co-workers, your neighbors – everyone you know. Where? At the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica! You’re at the first annual Sri Lanka Day, organized by the Sri Lanka Foundation. You walk up to a booth selling string hoppers. You look up and there’s another booth, and another. There’s kottu rotti, there’s rice and curry, and so much more. You want to taste it all. But wait, there’s even more around you. Artists with paintings and photographs, young people singing and dancing. You hear baila, then a bit of R&B – all the different styles of music and dance – Sri Lankan culture intertwined with the American. A new fusion of two societies – the talents of young Srimericans who are born and raised in the American society. Some displaying American culture, and others going back to their roots – be it Sinhalese or Tamil, Muslim, Malay, Moore, or Burghur.

You’re experiencing our exotic culture, spicy food and an awesome display of talent. In the meantime, beauties are parading the tree-line sidewalks for the two pageants: Miss Sri Lanka – USA and Miss Teen Sri Lanka-USA. All of this while you shop at Ambercombie & Fitch and GAP, or while taking a sip of cool beer at Yankee Doodle’s.

Is that Mr. Right over there? The one you’ve been looking for? It’s been a good day. It’s been Sri Lanka Day! Why not volunteer and help in your area of expertise? Call the Sri Lanka Foundation on (213) 483-0126 or email info@srilankafoundation.org for more information and specify your specialty!!!

US: Tigers sought SA-18 missiles

The US embassy in Colombo on Tuesday said that the LTTE tried to acquire Russian made SA-18 surface to air missiles and missile launchers.

The following is the full text of the embassy statement: Two complaints were unsealed August 21 in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn charging thirteen defendants with multiple crimes, including conspiracy to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization, the Liberation Tigers

Colombo most expensive tea auction centre in the world ‘True, but buyers get a top product’ – TASL CEO

The Colombo tea auctions are the most expensive in the world. Perhaps another ‘World beater’ citation, but this time not a pleasant ‘First’, or ‘Best’, term to laud the Tea Industry, or for that matter general penchant to be the best this that or other, and revel in such self praise, which in any case gets us nowhere, said 2 Tea Brokers who preferred not to be identified.

‘War won’t solve problem’ By Chinthaka Fernando

Ven. Maduluwawe Sobitha Thero

Chief incumbent, Naga Viharaya, Kotte, Ven. Maduluwawe Sobitha Thero said that even if we could win this war militarily we couldn’t win the underlying political problem by military means. “War is only one part of this whole issue. There is an underlying political problem. We might win the war. But that won’t solve the underlying political problem. Even some war veterans like late Gen. Kobbekaduwa said that he could win the war, but political negotiation should take place to solve that underlying problem,” he said.

He also believes that the support of the UNP is inevitable in arriving at a solution.

Andrew fights officialdom to win more gold by Rex Clementine

Fifteen year-old US-based swimmer Andrew Abeysinghe obliges photographers after winning his second gold medal in the men’s 100 meter backstroke final at the Sugathadasa Swimming Pool on Monday. Local authorities’ decision to allow the swimmer only two events has upset many a supporter of swimming.

(Pic by Kamal Wanniarachchi)

Teenage swimmer Andrew Abeysinghe thrilled local supporters as he won his second gold medal in successive days, at the 10th South Asian Games at the Sugathadasa swimming pool on Monday. The 15-year-old fought off India’s Arjun Muralitharan and Sandeep Anthal in a closely contested race in the men’s 100 meter backstroke and finished with a time of 1:00:11, a new South Asian Games record and a Sri Lanka record.

 

The local hero broke the record that had stood for 11 years, set by India’s Banu Sachdeva. Abeysinghe got off to a good start, maintained the rhythm throughout and did well to finish ahead of the two strong competitors from India. Sri Lanka’s national record holder Heshan Unambuwa, from Trinity College and only 14, finished fourth.

 

Abeysinghe won his first gold medal on Saturday whey he won the men’s 200 meter backstroke. Unfortunately, the youngster will not be able to win anymore medals for Sri Lanka in the games as the swimming governing body has allowed him to compete in only two events.

 

Abeysinghe, who resides in Ohio, United States, took part in many local championships last season, but could not make it for the SAG selection trials early this year which made authorities to ignore him for the games. But Andrew’s father, Manoj Abeysinghe, who is also his coach, fought for his son’s cause as he had taken part in other national championships and on Monday, proved a point as his son won two gold medals.

 

“With Andrew’s studies he couldn’t make it for the trials and we fought as he had competed in some of the national events last year. He was given only two events and he has won gold in both. Who knows what would have happened if he had been given a free hand,” Manoj Abeysinghe, a contemporary of local swimming legend Julian Bolling told ‘The Island’.

 

“The country’s top swimmers like Conrad Francis, Maumi Raheem and Daniel Lee train out of the country and when they were asked to take part in these trials it didn’t make any swimming sense,” he added.

 

It was further revealed that President Mahinda Rajapakse had to intervene to allow Andrew to take part in the event and he didn’t disappoint his supporters.

 

“I don’t think I have swum in front of a massive gathering like this ever before. It was quite an experience and indeed a proud moment when the national anthem was sung,” Andrew told ‘The Island’.

 

“My next aim is the Asian Games. I am looking forward to it. I have had a tough training schedule during the last three years where I had only three weeks off. I am enjoying the fruits of hard work,” he further said.