LW

UNDERSTANDING WHAT BLOOD PRESSURE IS-

Blood is circulated throughout our body by the pumping action of the heart and the blood pressure is the amount of force exerted by the blood against the walls of arteries. At the height of pumping action the pressure is maximum and is called the SYSTOLIC pressure, and when the heart rests the pressure goes down to its resting level and is called DIASTOLIC pressure. Therefore the blood pressure has two values and is written as eg 120(Systolic)/ 80(diastolic).The normal average blood pressure is 120/80 millimeters of mercury(mmHg) but any value less than 140/90 is normal. Low blood pressure is almost always normal and does not give rise to problems in healthy people.

WHAT IS RAISE BLOOD PRESSURE IN PREGNANCY

Raise blood pressure is just one event of the spectrum of a disease condition peculiar to pregnancy called ‘ hypertensive disorders of pregnancy’. If it is ‘pregnancy induced ‘high blood pressure ,it usually occurs after 20 weeks of your pregnancy .If your blood pressure is high before 20 weeks it is more likely to be chronic hypertension(ie preexisting or occurring before pregnancy).Therefore it of paramount importance to check your blood pressure within first 12 weeks of pregnancy. The mildest form is elevated blood pressure as an isolated finding mainly in the latter part of the pregnancy and is called “pregnancy induced hypertension” . The most severe form is called eclampsia with seizures (fits, convulsions)in mother endangering life of both fetus and mother. In between condition is known as “preeclampsia”.

Preeclampsia is a condition where there is appearance of protein in urine, with swelling of feet , ankles and face in addition to raise blood pressure. This condition ranges from mild to severe form. Severe form is called impending eclampsia. Most of the vital organs in the body can get affected in this condition.There can be abnormal liver functions , abnormal blood clotting , abnormal
kidney functions and symptoms like severe headache visual disturbance, abdominal pain etc…Preeclampsia commonly occurs in the late pregnancy but symptoms may appear for the first time after birth. Also, pregnancy induced hypertension can progress to any of the above conditions eventually.

HOW COMMON IS THIS CONDITION

About 8-10% of all pregnancies are affected by this condition and 70% of them are in their first pregnancy. Many of them do not have any complications and belong to pregnancy induced hypertension (5%-6%) and about 1-4% have preeclampsia and in about 1 in 2000 pregnancies women have eclampsia which is the most severe form.

WHAT IS MY RISK OF GETTING THIS?

1. If you are in the first pregnancy (primips) you are at a higher risk .It is rare to get this for the first time in your second pregnancy .
2. Family history- If your mother or sister have had this disorder before you are at a higher risk. There is some tendency for this condition to run in families.
3. Age- The older you are the higher the chance. Usually it’s more common above 40 years.
4. Multiple Pregnancy (twins or higher order)- Are at a higher risk.
5. Other associated medical conditions- Chronic diabetics, chronic kidney disease, pre existing high blood pressure are risk factors.
6. Obesity- If the body mass index(BMI) is more than 35 you are at a higher risk. BMI is a ratio of your body weight to your height. Normal BMI is between 20 – 25 .

ARE THERE ANY TESTS TO PREDICT THIS.

Unfortunately there are no reliable tests to predict this condition. Only test you have is an Ultrasound scan done at 23 weeks of pregnancy to look for the blood flow in the vessels to the womb to see if it is normal. If this is abnormal we can predict some patients who are risk of developing severe form of disease.

IS THERE ANY TREATMENT TO PREVENT THIS

Unfortunately there is no treatment to prevent this condition in the first pregnancy. But giving low dose aspirin is believed to have some effect in preventing severe complications only in patients who have had severe form of the disease. Lot of research is been carried out in this area currently. Calcium supplementation, fish oil, vitamin E etc have been tried with no evidence to prove they are effective.

WHAT IS THE CAUSE OF THIS DISORDER.

The cause is not known clearly. It is thought to arise primarily due to some hormonal imbalance in the first half of the pregnancy resulting in some defect during the formation of the placenta.

WHAT ARE THE SIGNS AND THE SYMPTOMS OF THIS DISORDER

Signs-Swelling of feet, ankles, hand and face, abdominal tenderness, raised blood pressure and appearance of albumin (a Protein) in urine. Symptoms – Headache, visual disturbances, heart burn, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and seizures.

Some of the symptoms are commonly seen in normal pregnancy (Eg- heart burn and swelling of feet)

Caring for your feet is the main focus at the Nail Spa situated at TransAsia Hotel Coilombo. The general pedicure treatment allows you to be confident and relaxed after all the hectic days in your life. Indulge yourself at a treatment and feel the difference!

1. Soaking the feet with warm water and pedi tablets that takes away all the germs and softens the feet.

2. According to the client’s wish the nails are then filed.

3. Take out the nail polish and then buff the nails.

4. Cuticle cream is applied and massaged in to the cuticles. Then the cuticles are pushed back. The dead cells that form around the cuticle are taken out, this gives

5. Then the dirt is taken out from inside the nail.

6. If the client has extra cuticles they are cut out using a cuticle nipper.

7. With a cuticle cutter the dead/hard skin on either side of the nail is taken out.

8. After the cuticle cutting process the sanitizer is sprayed.

9. Depending on the client’s wish and if she has a lot of hard skin, the dead/hard skin is razored by the use of a razor.Thereafter by the use of a scraper, the hard/dead skin is further scraped off.

10. Then the scrub is applied on the foot. With the help of the pumice scrubber the whole foot is scrubbed.

11. Feet are then put in to the water and rinsed off.

12. The feet are massaged.

13. If the client requires nail polish is applied.

Recent research reveals babies/infants know much more than what we assume them to know.

The caregivers’ understanding of their volume of knowledge undoubtedly contributes towards the babies’ overall well –being. Knowing their powers of perceptions allows the parents to stimulate their babies in a more sensible manner; manner in which babies would develop their emotional and cognitive repertoire.

All over the world, medical and behavioural experiments are trying to solve one of the most fundamental and fascinating riddles of human life: what do newborn babies know when they emerge into this world? How do they begin organizing and using that knowledge during the first years of life? The basic answer, which is repeatedly being demonstrated in new ways: babies know a lot more than most people used to think. They see more, hear more, understand more and they are prewired to make friends with any adult who cares for them. The implications of this research challenge standard beliefs on how children should be reared, how they should be educated and what they are capable of becoming as they grow up.

Babies and their Acute Perceptions

Babies as small as few hours are able to perceive many things without the knowledge of those adults around them. Systematic testing shows that babies not only perceive a good deal but have distinct preferences. More mysteriously, a newborn will smile beatifically when a piece of cotton soaked in banana essence is waved under its nose, and will protest at the smell of rotten eggs. Other infant prejudices: vanilla (good),shrimp (bad). This type of tests help mothers and all caregivers to be alert on the baby’s surroundings and be aware of such strong perceptions that babies possess.

Babies can differentiate among shapes of objects as well as colours (generally preferred red and blue);at three months,they begin to develop stereoscopic vision.What babies see during this period may have positive or negative repercussions on their physical and psychological growth.For an instance, seeing a happy,cheerful family around him and seeing anger,wrath and constant disharmony, would make the baby in return be calm and settled or uneasy and restless.(so, be alert and behave as adults.)

The baby’s ears function even before birth. As early as the 1960s, tests indicated that babies go to sleep faster to the recorded sound of human heartbeat or any similarly rhythmic sound. More recent studies indicate that, by the time they are born, babies seem to prefer female voices; within a few weeks, they recognize the sound of their mother’s speech. This understanding naturally promotes bonding between the mother and child. Some mothers who are oblivious of this type of spontaneous bonding fail to interact with the baby, hence resulting in maternal deprivation syndrome in children.

Infants as young as one month also have a very sophisticated ability to organize sounds into categories. Their intellect is at work long before any language is available as a tool. Babies only 12 days old could imitate an adult sticking out a tongue.

If a pacifier in a baby’s mouth prevented instant action, the baby is capable of remembering what it wanted to do until the pacifier was removed; then it would stick out its tongue. Such experiments demonstrate infants’ very early capacity, for what psychologists refer to as “inter- modal perception”- the ability to coordinate the perceptions of two different activities, in this case vision and muscular action-which is virtually the first form of thinking.

The researchers on speech and language development once showed infants two films of faces saying “ahh” and “eee,” and then placed between the two films a loudspeaker that could make either sound. The vast majority of the babies invariably looked towards the picture that fit the sound. This means that babies can detect the relationship between mouth movements and the sounds they hear. Babies are essential lip readers. Therefore, when talking with the baby, eye contact is of utmost necessity.

Message in the genes

Babies repeatedly demonstrate skills and actions that seem to have no basis in their previous experience. At Harvard’s Centre for Cognitive Studies, infants as young as two weeks were confronted with a shadow of a cube that began moving slowly toward them. When it seemed about to hit them, they turned aside and squirmed to avoid being struck,even though they had no previous experience that would make them think the approaching object would hit them.

When such a shadow approached on an angled path that would miss them, however the babies followed its motion with their eyes but showed no signs of anxiety. The consummate skill of these infants in predicting the path of a moving object is astonishing and their evident wish to avoid objects on a collision course is even more so.

How babies do any of the things they do is a matter of considerable complexity.Some experts believe that infants begin learning behaviour patterns in the uterus and assume that the genes still carry messages that primitive humans once needed for survival.The so-called Moro reflex, for an example, which makes newborn reach out their arms in desperate grasping motions whenever they feel themselves falling, implies some monkey-like existence at the dawn of time.

One of the oldest elements in their development is that infants soon lose many of the skills they had at birth. Newborns held upright on a table are nearly able to walk while suspended;immersed in water,they make fairly impressive tries at swimming.Those abilities deteriorate within a few months.Two months,eight months and twelve months seem to mark major periods of change in children’s skills and perceptions.At about two months, a baby is awake much longer,smiles a lot and stares with fascination at a new discovery.

At eight months, the infant is acquiring the important sense of its separate identity,and even understanding that an object hidden from sight is still there. At twelve months, the golden age, the child has begun to walk and talk, and knows that the whole world awaits.Sometimes the one-year-old will throw back its head and crow in sheer delight.

Unspoken Dialogue

What the new research demonstrates is that babies’ mental growth can be as early and as striking as the rest of their development.

What a baby basically needs is someone who is consistently there and who behaves in a caring manner. Indeed much of the new research emphasizes the extreme importance of the infant’s relationship with its mother. She must not only feed it and love it but talk to it, play games with it, show it what is happening in the world.(Working mothers must make the best of the time they spend with the baby.)

This extremely important emotional interplay or “bonding” between mother and child is now seen as a kind of wordless dialogue. The baby not only understands what the mother is communicating, or not communicating, but it is trying to tell her things, if she will only listen. We now know that babies in their first years of life, are good students. They are also good teachers, but they have to have someone to interact with them, obviously someone who is able to give them unconditional love.

If we could increase the number of unspoken dialogues between our mothers and babies, we could in the long run reduce the number of relationship problems; relationship between parents and adolescents or teenagers: between teacher and student: between the two spouses etc.,

When babies’ abilities are not well understood and complemented by their caregivers many of their needs (both physical and mental) may not be materialized. This eventually leads to dissatisfaction on both parties. Therefore knowing what actually babies know is not at all a “baby act.”

[by Lakmini Wijemanna]

From Galle Road, when you turn to the Hotel Road, your first turn to the right is Samudra Mawatha. After a few turns on the winding road, at the end of it, hidden well behind a tall wall, resplendent in all its beauty, is Mount Lavinia House. Owned by David Thomson and Teresa Church, both Food Scientists resident in UK, the house is where they rush to escape from the demands of their busy cosmopolitan lives.

At the end of the road, just a few feet shy from the glorious blue ocean, only the rail tracks and the sandy beach stands between the house and the waters of the Indian Ocean. Though they had to pull down the original house that stood there as a result of long neglect and disuse, another new structure was built along the same local colonial style using all locally available material as well as local expertise. The project took them three years to complete, but nevertheless, the result is beautiful, at the end of it.

The house is built in three floors. The ground floor houses a formal drawing room, dining area, a visitors room with an attached bathroom, a huge pantry, a breakfast nook on the verandah and a lagoon pool which starts from the indoors and runs the total length between the dining and sitting room and extends well into the garden. This allows for total enjoyment of the pool both indoors as well as outdoors.

The first floor houses four other bedrooms built along the lines of four different themes. The Master Suite, Fantasy Suite, Palm Room, Peacock Room and the Lion Room. The rooms all carry their en-suite bathroom facilities, wood floors, king-size beds and air conditioning. A winding staircase made out of Kumbuk and Teak wood with a beautiful railing leads to the first and second floors.

The third floor houses one bedroom – the Fantasy Room, fitted with all circular furniture a round bed, round table and round chairs. The room has an adjoining fantasy bathroom as well, which abounds with much greenery so that the user feels as if you are in the woods!! On the side facing the sea, a long deck with comfortable lounges and huge cushioned chairs invites you to spend many relaxing hours, with a clear view of the ocean through the long windows which could be wide opened.

The vast pantry downstairs is fitted with cupboards along the side which houses kitchen impellents and utensils. A middle island is fitted with a granite worktop table which can also be used bar-fashion if one so desires, to have meals.

Well, the difference the house offers is that, if you so desire, it is available for your use as well. It is a house which offers its guests all modern facilities including WIFI/Internet phone conveniences for business purposes as well. If you wish to avoid the monotony of a hotel, Mount Lavinia house is an ideal choice for a memorable stay. All their guests would enjoy discreet yet attentive service and delicious food from their ample kitchen.

And efficient laundry service is available for the guests if they so require. It is situated within easy walking distance to supermarkets, restaurants, shopping complexes and many other convenience stores and is in easy reach of Colombo. To rejuvenate your energies, the walled-in garden allows you much walking space, or the pool for cooling off, simply cross the rail track to reach the white sands and the blue ocean for a jog or a salt-water swim.

(We thank Mrs. Daisy Vittachchi for arranging for us to view the Mt. Lavinia House and share it with our readers).

Mount Lavinia House can be reached at Tel: + 94112739554,
e-mail:laviniahouse@sltnet.lk or mountlaviniahouse.com.

[by Shabnam Farook]

Set in the idyllic sun kissed Kaluthara coast where the palm trees sway merrily and the magnificent Indian Ocean glistens brightly, Hibiscus Beach Hotel is an unique resort where tropical splendor meets tranquility.

Time stands still at Hibiscus Beach Hotel where its natural landscape harmoniously blends with the earthy architecture, combining the essence of comfort and simple elegance along with traditional Sri Lankan hospitality that make you feel pampered up to the hilt.

Small and cozy, Hibiscus Beach Hotel greets you with a comfortable and pleasant atmosphere that truly makes the guest feel at home.

The hotel provides facilities such as 50 A/C deluxe rooms, eight villas, two fresh water swimming pools, a kiddie’s pool, a restaurant that specializes in Eastern and Western cuisine, a bar, a gym, laundry and room service etc.

The rooms which are tastefully decorated in keeping with the hotels simplicity boast of luxurious views of the relentless Indian Ocean and offer basic amenities such as Satellite TV and a minibar.
If you’re the sporty kind, the hotel also offers recreational sites that allow you to test your skills and flex your muscles.

If you worship your privacy ,the Villas are the best place to be for each exclusive Villa provides just that by offering you refined elegance and total privacy for you to savor those cherished moments with your loved one.

The Villas named after Hibiscus varieties have amenities such as plunge pools, a Jacuzzi, a sun deck, outdoor restroom, DVD player and tea and coffee making facilities for your total convenience and comfort.

It is truly haven for those yearning to get away from the stress everyday life dumps on you.
In addition, if you are celebrating your honeymoon a scrumptious seven course candle light dinner will be laid out under the canopy of stars, overlooking the luminous blue pool, a special treat for those who treasure life’s golden moments.

The three star category hotel also offers you a variety of enticing dishes which include fresh seafood delicacies for lunch and dinner. Hibiscus Beach Hotel moreover has a banquet hall that has a capacity to accommodate 150 people for weddings and 200 for conferences.

Hibiscus Beach Hotel Manager Darshana Kumbukage says, that the hotel is a family resort that caters to a more matured clientele and added that their attentive staff is at your beck and call providing you personalized attention to compliment your stay.

A regular guest Peter Fisher from Holland who has visited the hotel many a times since 1985 and has fallen in love with the cozy atmosphere, panoramic view, delicious seafood and wonderful service, assured me that there is no place like Hibiscus Beach Hotel and promises to return soon to feel the warmth of their hospitality and the grandeur of the spectacular Indian Ocean.

[by Lakmini Wijemanne]

On the way to Kandy, in Kiribathkumbura, right beside the main road is Mlesna’s Tea Fortress. To anyone, the name “Mlesna” has always been synonimus with good tea, packaged in very innovative packaging. Mlesna also introduced tea with different flavours. In our last issue, we took you on a journey in Mlesna’s Tea Castle, today, we propose to open up the doors of the Tea Fortress to you.
In the Kandy district, there are three tea outlets run by Mlesna. That is, the fortress, the tea shop at Dalada Veediya, (right next the People’s Bank) and at the Tea Museum in Hantane. Of these, the fortress offers the tea drinker an exclusive ambience.

It also offers other amenities to travelers to Kandy. The Fortress houses an elegant and well-stocked tea shop, tea garden, a restaurant and a fine jewellery store, not to mention the relaxed and comfortable atmosphere within, which is most conducive to the traveler on the road. The backdrop of the building consists of a large mural depicting the olden days methods of tea transportation and tea harnessing. From beneath the mural flows a water-creak right into the central pond in the main lobby area.

The Tea Shop provides the buyer with an astonishing array of more than 50 products in various packages. These packagings vary from Cloth Bags/Sacks, small wooden chests, triple laminated packs, reed boxes to very elaborately made ceramic containers in very different shapes. Some of these early packaging items have become collectors items already. The tea kiosk serves hot/cold regulator tea, flavoured teas, iced tea, green tea, and tea shakes. For the first time I experience a long cool glass of tea shake and I can honestly tell you it was really very tasty and memorable.

The restaurant manned by Chef Keerthi Ekanayaka has quite a long menu for you. It serves you with your choice of sandwiches, cakes, yummy desserts (you must try their specialty – the Mandarin Mousse and the cheese cake) and an la carte menu as well as a set menu for Eastern and Western cuisine. The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and tea. Since they have quite a big restaurant, they can accommodate about 50 pax and they do entertain small groups/executive groups for meals. Since the Fortress is built around the natural water creek, the restaurant and the tea shop is joined by a wooden draw bridge which adds to the charm.

The lobby area open to the sunlight is an ideal spot to relax with a cup of tea with the sunshine to cheer you up and the melody of falling and flowing water to lull you

The Fortress Fine Jewellery Creation provides its customers with fine gems and pieces of beautifully crafted jewellery in 14 or 18 carat gold as well as silver and white gold. In all pieces, they exclusively use local precious and semi-precious gems. Every purchase would be issued with a certificate by a Gemmologist registered with the Sri Lanka Gem & Jewellery Authority vouching for its authenticity.
The tea garden at the back has about 1000 plants which yields “silver tips”. Every other day they are plucked and sent to a factory to prepare foe packaging.

Everyday, the Fortress would be opened from 8.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. to welcome you. The Tea Shop on Dalada Veediya opened in July 1991 is housed in a very prominent location.
One can purchase all Mlesna products as well as enjoy a cup of tea or a long cool glass of iced tea which is available in five different tastes. The tea shop is open all 365 days of the year. Among the young people, I was informed, that the iced tea has become a favourite as well as the little porcelain figurines of animals containing tea as gift items.

Next time on your way through Kandy, stop at the Fortress or any other tea outlet of Mlesna’s in Kandy, and enjoy the true taste of a cup of tea or a tasty meal in comfortable luxury of peace.

Vanilla Butter Cookies

Ingredients
500g Unsalted butter
250g Icing sugar
04 Nos. Egg white
600g Flour
10 ml Vanilla Essence

Method
Cream unsalted butter and icing sugar and add egg whites. Fold flour into butter icing mixture and add vanilla essence. Take a piping Bag with a star nozzle and put the butter cookie paste into the piping bag pipe rossets on baking tray. Bakes at 1500c about 25 minutes.

Hannah’s Dream
Diane Hammond

An irresistibly touching tale of devotion, love and commitment to an animal that is hard to come by. The book was a pleasure to read for old as well as young. For forty years Sam Brown has been taking care of the lone elephant at Max L. Biedelman 200, having vowed not to retire until a caring keeper was found to look after Hannah. The keeper was found, but their dream of finding a friend for Hannah is proving to be difficult with the zoo’s new director. A book rich in heart, humour and intelligence.
The Front

Patricia Cornewell

State Investigator Win Garano is given his most challenging case. A British woman was murdered 40 years ago who was assumed to be victim of the “Boston Strangler” with no DNA and only sketchy police records, Garano tries to unearth, truths that were buried with the help of latest innovations in forensic technology and a newly formed partnership with New Scotland Yard.

Marriage a Duet
Anne Taylor Fleming

Through Caroline’s and David Sanderson’s marriages and all emotions and upheavals tangled with the union of marriage, the author brings about a thoughtful insight into marriage. They are two stories of love, trust and infidelity which forces the characters to truly examine the complexities and forces that binds individuals together.

The Brutal Art
Jesse Kellerman

In a New York slum, a tenant has mysteriously disappeared leaving behind a huge collection of sick but brilliantly executed paintings. Art dealer Ethan Muller discovers the lot and exhibits them in his gallery. The prices sky rocket overnight. The police suddenly had to investigate the disappearance embroiling Ethan in a discovery of shame and death and leaving him fearing for his own life.

The Shape of The Beast
Arundhati Roy

Her latest book, she presents the readers with fourteen interviews conducted between January 2001 and March 2008. Through the interviews she tries to examine the nature of state and corporate power as it has emerged during this period also, the resistance movements that took flight during this period is examined. It is deeply political but at the same time, the author asserts, it is also personal. It examines the fates of the displaced due to erections of dams and industrial zones, maoist rebels, genocide in Kashmir, global war on Terror, and raises questions about democracy, justice and non-violent protests. A deeply thought provoking, candidly written book destined to interest the reader deeply.

Special Review

Moments of Truth in The Wilderness
Chitral Jayathilake

Chitral Jayatilake is passionate about what he loves to do and does it with passion. He feels deeply about the Sri Lankan wild life and laments about what wild life we have lost todate to “development” and the civil war. Thus, he earnestly tries to record as many enchanting wild moments as possible for the future. In quest for this, many were the unique moments he was able to capture in his lenses and through his second photography publication “Moments of Truth In The Wilderness”, he shares these once-in-a-life time moments, with you. The majority of his photographs are more than just a still picture of a wild animal staring at the camera. They are “life in motion” in the wilderness of Sri Lanka’s dry zone areas covering Yala National Park, in and around Minneriya tank and many other spots off the beaten track which are special haunts of the nature lover.

The author has, for many years been among Sri Lanka’s best known wildlife photographers and had presented his work at numerous national exhibitions since 2001. Having been a passionate nature photographer, he won his first award in photography when he was just 17. His daughter Ashvini who a is also following in the footsteps of her father, goes one better and won her first award when she was ten years in 2006!! A beautiful photograph taken by her also adorns the book, showing a dragonfly feasting on a wasp.

The book is a rare treat to anyone who can enjoy wild life and the captions and words added to each photograph makes it that much more poignant and memorable.

Feng-Shui
Thilangani Herath

Thilangani Herath is considered to be an expert on the art of Feng-Shui. Through this book, she has tried to enlighten the reader about the powers of Feng-Shui and how to use these powers to live life successfully with much happiness. It is written in simple language with many diagrams to make it easy to understand basic fundamentals of Feng-Shui on many different key-topics that are important to have a successful ife.

A passionate mother and daughter combination are rewriting the rules, breaking the norm and nurturing talent with the hope of creating a niche for budding local fashion designers.

LW dropped by LIFT (Lanka Institute of Fashion Technology) to speak to this gutsy mother and daughter duo to discover the story behind their inspirational journey of honesty and hard work.

LIFT which began as a BOI project was established in the year 2000 becoming the country’s first ever local institute to teach Fashion Technology.

Roshini Leanage Chairperson /Managing Directress said “this year our main focus is developing the entrepreneurial skills of our students by encouraging them to promote the Sri Lankan identity.”

LIFT accepts two intakes per year and offers weekday and weekend classes for their courses which include the Diploma in Fashion Design, Advanced Diploma in Fashion and BA (Hons) Fashion.

“Our success rate has been high. We started off teaching eight students and we now have more than 100. So all I have to say is if you want to learn something the right way come to LIFT and fulfill your dreams,” said Roshini who added that they take pride in providing the students a conducive environment to learn, with strict discipline adhered to at all times.

An important event in the LIFT calendar is the year end fashion extravaganza which sets the stage for the students to showcase their talents among a distinguished gathering whereby giving them an opportunity to find job placements.

She also notes that most of her ex students are accomplished designers at reputed companies such as MAS Design, Hidramani’s and Timex while several others have successfully launched their own designer labels.

LIFT is also working collaboratively with Careezza, where the designing of the exclusive collection is done by the students and the profits are shared proportionately between the designer and the company while 25% of the income is donated to the Ability Foundation.

This attempt is aimed at promoting local design talents whilst contributing towards social welfare.

Roshini who manages the administration and finances says that its smooth sailing between the mother and daughter adding “we have no conflicts between us. It’s easy to get along with her and I support her by giving the right ideas to invest.”

“If we are committed to work we do in god’s eyes, then he will reward us”, she concluded with a smile.

Meanwhile, the Director for Studies at LIFT Niroshini Leanage says, she was at crossroads trying to decide which field she should follow to continue her higher education and the obvious choice for her was Arts, which led her into the glamorous world of Fashion Designing.

The young and vibrant achiever says that her dream was not to become a renowned designer but to nurture local talent by creating a space for them to create their own labels.

Upon the completion of her higher education she embarked on an unforgettable journey by establishing LIFT as a franchise of the JD Institute of Fashion Technology in Bangalore.

“After two years of being a franchise I wanted to stand on my own and create my own identity which was welcomed by the JD institute. LIFT has now successfully linked up with the University of Northampton in UK and broadened links with the Robert Gordon University Scotland and Raffles Design Institute Singapore,” she mentioned.

The LIFT consists of a fully fledged local faculty with former students given an opportunity to share their expertise, a commendable step taken by LIFT. However, there are foreign Guest Lecturers who visit often, while an External Examiner is invited to evaluate the grades each year.

Niroshini passionately adds “We are in our ninth year and my future plans include taking this effort beyond education by fostering Fashion Entrepreneurship in Sri Lanka.”

She further explained that the courses offered at LIFT aren’t confined to a specific aspect of Fashion Designing but empowers the student with an abundance of knowledge on Fashion Education, laying the foundation for them to pursue their dreams and ambitions.

“I want to build this new concept of Fashion Entrepreneurship among women. Our courses give them in depth knowledge on how to put their ideas to good use, which in turn supports the country’s economy,” said the bold Niroshini who set up the institute at the age of 22.

She dwells on upholding quality thus each batch has no more than twenty students, giving the lecturers the liberty to pay attention to the students’ individual needs.

Niroshini finally emphasized “What Sri Lanka is missing is originality; we have plenty of creativity that needs to be channeled in the right direction.”

LIFT Gallery was launched by Niroshini to encourage graduating students to develop and improve their own designer identity and labels by the way of promoting their collections.
It’s a valiant attempt to convert creativity into profitability while simultaneously endorsing Fashion Entrepreneurship locally and internationally.

“Through the LIFT gallery we hope to teach the students how to understand market requirements and give them an opportunity to reach out to their target audience. LIFT handles the promotional aspect of their collections while also encouraging them to get the experience and exposure.” said Niroshini the livewire behind this novel concept.

Hair & Make up by : Shalini Siriwardena
Photographs by : Krishan Shashika Ranasinghe
BY Shabnam Farook

Kalyani Karunaratne has the perfect family every woman dreams of having, a devoted husband, a talented son, an understanding mother in law and a job that satisfies her hunger to be with people.
Kalyani is the Business Process Re-Engineering Consultant at Vogue Jewellers (Pvt) Ltd.

She is responsible for the IT Division and Sales Division, Business Processes / Systems implementation and is the Management Representative for ISO standards implementation. “My job requires me to develop strategies and formulate plans for the future. We identify the latest trends, develop a marketing strategy and create a product range that suits the market. Vogue Jewellers has always been a trend setter in the local jewellery industry,” she said as we sat down for an interview at her cozy home in Nugegoda.

She is particularly proud that Vogue Jewellers received standards in the Quality Management Systems by obtaining the ISO 9001:2000 certification in 2005 and ISO 9001:2008 in 2008 which she considers as a great achievement as the company became the first Company in Sri Lanka to be certified with the latest revision of ISO 9001:2008 and first jeweller in Asia to be awarded this prestigious certification. She appreciates the commitment and support given by the Board of Directors and the Management, she also noted that without this team effort that she would not be able to achieve this goal.

“At Vogue, customer feedback and the eagerness to excel in quality play an integral role as it has helped us develop our products to suit international standards. Our sales team act as consultants who educate the customer about the wearability aspect of a piece of jewellery and if it suits the purpose and occasion. Our staff is trained on the technical knowledge of a piece of jewellery so the customer is educated about the product they buy and it’s not just bought for the look alone. Every piece goes through a quality check by our Managing Director and I’m proud to say that our jewellery has the best finish,” she enlightened.

When buying a piece of jewellry Kalyani advices the ladies, especially those hoping to tie the knot in the future to choose a piece that could be worn throughout your life time. She also pointed out, as the value of gold keeps appreciating; your jewellery will become an asset and an investment for the future.

What makes Vogue Jewellers uniquely different?

“We offer the best product and service in the market and our sales team is the best team in the industry. We offer bespoke jewellery that suits your taste and requirement. At Vogue, we cater to everyone from the new born to the elderly and offer both the traditional and the trendy. Our bridal collection is very popular among the brides with many of them going for white gold, diamonds and rose gold.”

Interestingly, they also customize your gold jewellery by colouring it according to the dress and the occasion giving it a totally new look. The colours can be altered whenever the need arises.
Kalyani added “At Vogue Jewellers it’s not all about business it’s about building a long term relationship with the customer; our plus point has been our excellent customer service. We work as a team to give our customers the best that money

can buy and also teach them how to use the jewellery and care for it.”
At Vogue, the day begins with prayers, the national anthem and a yoga exercise to increase their productivity and focus.

Kalyani a former student of Anula Vidyalaya, and Visakha Vidyalaya, is an Associated Member of both CIMA and the National Institute of Accountancy in Australia.

She started off her career in IT and then shifted to Accountancy. When she joined Vogue Jewellers in 2002, she was assigned to oversee the development of the company’s IT division.

I was curios to know how she manages to juggle being a mum and a career woman.

“My family supports me wholeheartedly; my mother in law helps me by taking care of our six year old son Shane and Dharshana too looks into Shane’s studies. After work I completely switch off and maintain a balance between work and life by spending my time productively with my family. I try to teach my son the values of life and also help my husband in his business matters and contribute with my knowledge whenever possible. I love music and I am learning how to play the piano accordion,” she said enthusiastically.

Kalyani says that she is a cheerful person, a real go getter and loves working under pressure which makes her focus better.

Thoughts Kalyani wishes to share with our readers…

“We women have a lot of strength but we must understand that certain aspects of life cannot be changed while there are things that can be changed. If we are flexible and focused we can make a difference. I would also advice you to work with passion and I motivate my staff to do so. You should go to work every day as if it’s the first day and give it all you’ve got. Most of our staff work for the company as if it’s their own. This is the change we need to see. I’m happy at the end of the day that I have achieved something which gives me much satisfaction.”

Her husband Dharshana admires his wife’s determination to succeed and proudly adds that she does a very good job of balancing both her career and family.

“She is a good daughter in law and my mother agrees with that. This is a rare quality and one should be lucky to have a wife like her. She is also a very good cook,” he added with a smile.

Kalyani’s mother in law Vinitha Karunaratne, a famous poetess says, that her daughter in law is truly a wonderful person who has filled her life with happiness.