LA WEEKLY: MAY 2, 2023 Chitral Jayatilake didn’t set out to become an ecotourism guru and nature photographer featured in some of the world’s most prestigious media, but a combination of a zest for wildlife and the emergence of Sri Lanka, his home country, as a global mecca of biodiversity found him well-suited in the role. Now as a tourism head at Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts, one of Sri Lanka’s top hospitality companies, he regularly takes groups of travelers to the wilds of Sri Lanka to experience the country’s beauty and stunning ecology. That’s if he’s not shooting stunning photos…
Author: LMD International
Extracted from interviews published in LMD. Q How do you view the brain drain – and why is there still no reversal of it, in your opinion? JUNE 2022 Gaddafi Ismail Founder and PresidentDe Lune Corp Springfield (Virginia) As someone who left Sri Lanka for opportunities elsewhere, I can hardly fault young, educated Sri Lankans for moving out. However, there are many who – given the chance – would prefer to stay but feel hopeless about the future of the country and how valued they would be. Sri Lanka needs a visionary road map that reverses the brain drain and…
A TASTE OF SRI LANKA Cultural celebrations across the seas ARALIYA Melbourne Araliya was re-established in February last year by the Sri Lanka-born couple Sam and Dee Wedande. Moving to Melbourne in 1981, they established the original Araliya in 1985 in Hawthorn to offers contemporary Sri Lankan inspired cuisine. While Dee manages the front of the house, Sam is the executive chef of the kitchen. He creates his own recipes and refines his country’s cuisine. Araliya serves contemporary dishes curated from high quality Sri Lankan ingredients, complemented by the island’s popular spices such as coriander, cumin, fennel, cardamom, cinnamon and…
A TASTE OF SRI LANKA Cultural celebrations across the seas THUSHANIS RESTAURANT & CAFE Dubai Thushanis Restaurant & Cafe in Dubai is an amalgamation of two fiercely passionate women, Thushara and Ruwani, along with the goodness of affordable home cooked Sri Lankan food. The organisation opened its doors in May 2015 with an interest in preparing food for their customers’ needs. Thushara and Ruwani strive to maintain and preserve the authenticity of their Sri Lankan heritage cuisine, which has been hailed by customers as making them feel ‘just like being at home.’ As Thushanis Restaurant & Cafe caters to a…
Sri Lanka embassy in Washington DC hosted an evening reception to commemorate it’s 75th year of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and the US, while promoting Sri Lanka as a key tourist destination among US nationals. The Embassy of Sri Lanka in the United States, in collaboration with the ‘Things To Do DC’ Club, hosted a vibrant evening reception on 19 May 2023 at the Embassy premises in Washington D.C., promoting Sri Lanka as a key tourist destination among US nationals during the summer season in the Northern Hemisphere. A large number of members of the Club attended the event.…
A TASTE OF SRI LANKA Cultural celebrations across the seas CUCINI XPRESS Whitby and Toronto Siblings San and Mirna – who are passionate about food – founded their first take-out restaurant in 2020; it is now a local favourite serving authentic Sri Lankan food along with fusion dishes in Ontario’s Whitby. San has worked in the restaurant sector for 20 years while his younger sister Mirna has a lifelong passion for cooking. She enjoys trying new foods and creating her own recipes. In addition, the restaurant has cloud kitchens that operate for delivery and pick up through its commissary. The…
CNN: May 24, 2023 Tina Turner, the dynamic rock and soul singer who rose from humble beginnings and overcame a notoriously abusive marriage to become one of the most popular female artists of all time, has died, her family announced in a statement. She was 83. Turner died Wednesday at her home in Küsnacht near Zurich, Switzerland. “With her, the world loses a music legend and a role model,” her family said. “With her music and her boundless passion for life, she enchanted millions of fans around the world and inspired the stars of tomorrow. Today we say goodbye to…
LMDers OVERSEAS Home sweet home LMD’s Sri Lankan writers living overseas have their say Sanjeewaka Kulathunga Niigata Though I’ve been away from Sri Lanka since 2011, I always want to return and spend time with my dearest and nearest at least twice a year. Hailing from Pinnawala, I still treasure the beautiful memories of serene country life that I truly enjoyed as a youngster. And despite living and working in an economically and technologically sophisticated country, I miss the simplicity of the stress free Sri Lankan lifestyle. Apart from this, what I really miss about Sri Lanka is the mouth-watering…
Source: The Age One of the reasons I’m not really a fan of big, organised tours is that you never get the chance to go free range in a destination. Everything you see and do is packaged and proscribed. The story is worked out ahead and you have to fit into it. It’s the people you meet spontaneously who make the experience wonderful, more than beautiful vistas or wiggling your toes in white sand. At least, for me. I’m just back from Sri Lanka, a country where the hospitality and friendliness of local people to strangers is off the charts.…
LMDers OVERSEAS Home sweet home LMD’s Sri Lankan writers living overseas have their say Saseena Haleem Dubai In addition to the beauty of its natural surroundings, delicious food and fresh well water; and of course, the passion for cricket, the warmth and friendliness, and most of all, smiles of our Sri Lankans all wrapped up in a rich culture make Sri Lanka unique – and ‘home’ will always be missed. No matter where you are, home will always be home! It is an honour to be involved in this new venture and I am excited to continue collaborating with Team…