LW

ASKS SIROHMI GUNESEKERA
(Teacher, Attorney-at-Law and Researcher into Human Relations & The Family Unit)

Is the above headline confusing? Do you put children first or do you put Christmas celebrations first?

The spiritual meaning of the birth of the Baby Jesus among the poor and the destitute is often lost in merrymaking. The children are caught up in the adult frenzy to eat, drink and be merry.

Let us ask little children what they understand by Christmas.

“It is the birthday of Baby Jesus,” replied six-year old Shenuka.

So how do you celebrate it?

”With Christmas cake and roast chicken Yummy”cried the little girl.

So the deeper significance is lost in the trappings and you cannot blame the child.

Six years is not too small to understand the beautiful story of Christmas.. Parents and teachers should explain about the Nativity and the birth of the baby Jesus in the manger.

Santa Claus brings gifts at Christmastime and children are naturally excited. But it must be made clear that to Baby Jesus there was no question of Santa Claus as He lay shivering in the cold manger.

Perhaps the Christmas song “Drummer Boy:” can be used to give a wider significance to the event.

“I am a poor boy too Par-rap-erum-pum”

I have no gift to bring par-rap-erum-pum…”

Children will understand and want to give what they can to the needy which is part of the Christmas spirit of loving and giving. This will help bridge the gap between the Haves and the Havenots, bringing about a spirit of togetherness.

Children can also be taught that Christmas is the time of Reconciliation and that old emotional wounds can be healed by forgiving and forgetting.

Family disputes can be resolved and innocent children can help clear the air of past misunderstandings.

Children can also be taken on visits to orphanages and homes for elders. That will help broaden their understanding while assuaging the loneliness of the destitute. Children will learn that not every child is lucky enough to have a father and a mother and that many old people are sad and lonely.

But children can also join in the fun and bring their own special flavour to Christmas merrymaking. Writing a letter to Santa Claus can be part of the fun and a child can be trained to ask for something small because there are so many needy children in the world who deserve Santa Claus.!

Parents who can afford it should think of contributing towards a special gift for a needy child.

There are lots of ways in which children can be co-opted to make Christmas truly meaningful for others.

Sri Lanka is a multi-religious and multi-ethnic society. Christmas can be one season when non-Christians can be invited to partake of Christmas Cheer and join in the fun and games.

The Christmas Tree can be a focal point where Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims too can be invited to help decorate and receive gifts from Santa Claus. This can apply to adults as well as children.

Let this Christmas see a change where children are given pride of place and taught the true meaning of the birth of the Christ child.

[by Shabnam Farook]

Let’s face it, like it or not the World Wide Web is now a permanent part of your kid’s life. They spend most of their time glued to the computer playing video games or surfing the web, exploring the infinite wonders of the internet which seem to multiply by the day. For a kid the World Wide Web has become a portal that’s full of magic which keeps them spellbound.

As parents one must not be ignorant of the dangers that exist when surfing the web, therefore it is your responsibly to protect your kids from the risk of cyber bullying and help your child use web sites safely under parental control.

Here are few basic online safety rules that you can apply when your child is surfing the internet.

Encourage kids to keep passwords secret- Kids create online user names and passwords for school, game Web sites, social networking, posting photos, shopping and more so teach them not to reveal passwords to others and avoid typing passwords on computers that they don’t control.

Communicate with kids about their experiences. Encourage your children to tell you if something they encounter on the Internet makes them feel anxious, uncomfortable, or threatened.

Establish Internet rules.-as soon as your children use the Internet on their own, establish rules for

Internet use

Educate yourself.

Teach your children never meet anyone in person that they’ve communicated with online only. Kids are in real danger when they meet strangers in person whom they’ve communicated with online only.

Ensure your kids don’t use full names- Teach your child to use only a first name or nickname, but not a nickname that would attract inappropriate attention.

Be smart about details in photographs. Explain to your children that photographs can reveal a lot of personal information. Encourage your children not to post photographs of themselves or their friends.

Teach your children about cyber bullying.

Decide where your child can and can’t go on the Internet.

Block inappropriate content.

Increase your security and privacy -In addition to blocking inappropriate content, it’s a good idea to block sites and downloads that might be a risk to your security and privacy.

Set limits on downloads- Free games, free music, animated toolbars, and other downloads can expose your computer to spy ware or other unwanted software.

Monitor where your kids go online- It might not be possible to be present whenever your children are online. But it is possible to check later to see where your children have spent their time online.

SLAHAB Founder President Nayana Karunratne with the OMC Prestige Club Medal of Distinction.Standing next to her is OMC World President Mr. Salvatore Fodera.

Adding another important milestone to the local beauty industry, renowned beautician and Founder President of SLAHAB Nayana Karunaratne was recently awarded the Organization Mondial Coiffure (OMC - World Federation of Hairdressers), Prestige Club Medal of Distinction.

Karunaratne was awarded the medal in recognition of the contribution and the services she has rendered for the beauty industry in Sri Lanka. She is already a member of the OMC Board of Directors and is also the President for the Asia zone. “I believe it is a great achievement not just personally, but also to the local beauty industry,” she said, speaking of her latest accomplishment.

OMC Prestige Club which was founded a year ago is an exclusive gathering of all the prestigious salons worldwide. Among their activities include creating collections for seasons and also organizing competitions for the best global hairstylist, both in gents and ladies hairdressing. Being one of the largest events of the international fashion calendar, this was held at the Concorde Lafayette hotel, Paris and the collections for Spring/Summer 2010 had also been launched on the same day. “These events are not simply about glamour. They are good learning platforms,” pointed out Karunaratne.

Before long, the Sri Lankans are about to have the opportunity of witnessing an event of similar magnitude where top beauticians from all over the world will gather – OMC Asia Cup Open 2010 which will be held on March 7th & 8th at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel.

According to Karunaratne, OMC has recognized the vast talent that’s emerging from the Asian hairdressing community. They are also aware of the financial constraints they face at international competitions due to the existing economical situation. Taking this factor into consideration, the OMC Asia Cup Open 2010 has introduced competitions in mannequin heads not only for the junior categories, but even for the seniors. The event is taking place in Sri Lanka for the first time and Karunaratne welcomed all the fashion and beauty enthusiasts to join them in the venture.

The event is open for the competitors as well as observers. “We are granting access for everyone at almost no-cost. The knowledge that they gain through even the simple observations in two days of activities is invaluable,” she added.

“This is a field that is constantly evolving and is based on practical skills. Keen observations and an eye for fashion is vital for success,” she said adding that since this event brings together the latest fashion happenings of the world as well as the most renowned and experienced hair dressers, it will eventually become an excellent learning opportunity even for the observers. 0777261015.

Apart from the competitions for ladies and gents hairdressing categories, bridal hairstyles and make up, stage make up, fantasy hair styles and nails will be some of the other categories in the competition. She also added that emphasis would be given to the juniors under 25 years.

“Even at the OMC Paris Cup Open I attended last week, I noticed that the best talent came from the juniors in countries such as Russia, Germany, France, Spain and the UK. It is a marvel to watch them compete and I have noticed the same enthusiasm in the Asians, especially the Sri Lankans. I am hoping that more youth will participate and carve a place for themselves in this ever growing field,” Nayana said.

Organised by the Sri Lanka Association Hairdressers and Beauticians (SLAHAB), the event will conclude with a grand hair and fashion show and an award ceremony. Over 15 countries including Japan, South Korea, Philippines, India, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Pakistan, Indonesia and Malaysia will send in their teams.

The SLAHAB/OMC Sri Lanka members will be entitled for free entrance to the OMC Asia Cup Open 2010 on both days, on producing their membership cards. More information and applications for OMC Hair Asia Cup Open 2010 can be obtained at slahab12@gmail.com, nayanna@salonnayana.com or contact 0112-596221.

[Lenard Ranjith Mahaaraachchi]

Sri Lankan Christmas

It is Christmas once again. In Buddhist Sri Lanka this festival of Christ’s birth has been celebrated for over 500 years now. The genesis of Christmas celebrations can therefore be traced to 1505 AD when Lorenzo de Almeida ‘s armada touched the shores of our Southern beach accidentally due to a storm in deep sea. The Portuguese team that came here, celebrated the first X’mas on 25th December that year just over a month after their arrival here. This explains why the celebrations by local Christians are Portuguese in origin, but many are similar to how it is celebrated the world over.

It is children who take centre stage at Christmas, and most of the customs therefore naturally are wound around Christian siblings. In Sri Lanka like elsewhere, children receive presents from their parents, mainly new clothes. But children throughout the globe, have customs that are unique and native to that land. Let us take a brief look at some of them.

Latin American Christmas

To start with Latin America in general and Mexico in particular, Christmas commences on 16th December and goes on till 24th. They visit houses at night fall, singing carols.

The custom is associated with a strand of legend which reminisces the door to door visit paid by the parents of Jesus, in search of a place to spend that first Christmas night. The choir is in two parts. While one sings lamentations on how Joseph in a sad tone asked for some room to spend the night, with the other party singing how the holy couple was refused help. A crib displaying the nativity scene is part and parcel of every home.

Chirstmas in Venezuela & Germany

In Venezuela celebrations concentrate on snow as it is winter. Christians in Caracas walk on snow to church however far it is. The Christmas tree is said to have originated in Germany. It is said to resemble the forbidden tree that was in the middle of the garden. Children in this Christian country celebrate the feast of Adam and Eve on Christmas eve. They dramatize the events of the garden of Eden, from where our first parents were chased after they sinned. It is a reverse of roles in that, whereas sin originated via the forbidden tree, salvation was bought back by the birth of Jesus. The Germans were also in the habit of mounting a hill and firing shots. The game is said to scare witches and drive them away before the august event dawns. The catholic church banned these customs which are not in vogue today.

Christmas in Sweden Holland & Italy

For the Christians of Sweden Christmas is associated with St. Lucy who takes a prominent place in their X’mas customs. Girls dress like St. Lucia and visit houses singing carols. Meanwhile the Dutch seem to have a funny custom in that they shun giving presents as distinct to the rest who delight in giving presents at Christmas time. In fact in Holland they belittle those expecting presents and go to the extent of writing verses on their bad character and posting them to the offenders. They even certify the poem with the signature of Santa Claus. In Belgium, children believe that Santa comes on horseback as early as 6th December.

They go far as to keep buckets of water to the horse. Pales of water and carrots are kept at the door to make the animal happy and win good presents from Papa Santa. Italian children have the habit of writing letters to their parents promising that they would just as Jesus did, obey their parents in the new year. The letters are kept under the plate of the father who has to read the letter loud for the rest of the family to hear at the traditional Christmas lunch table, where a dressed turkey adorns the table..

Turkish Christmas

Turkish Christians have a different custom in that they do not celebrate the birth of Jesus but His baptism. Part of this custom is to throw a cross into a river. This is done by the church leader and three children attempt to retrieve it from the water. The first one who finds it will receive a treat with presents showered on him or her and he or she is invited to enjoy a sumptuous meal. The Chinese Christians who are also a minority like the Turks also take part in Christmas customs that are unique to them. They do not have a Christmas tree but a Tree of Light which is heavily illuminated. Acrobats display their skill before this tree while children enjoy every item of it. In the continent of Africa, Christmastide drags on for four weeks. Not only the churches even homes are gaily decorated with flowers and palm branches. Children sing carols on the night of 24th going round streets in the city. They chant “Jesus Christ is coming again” at every door step.

Lithuanian Christmas

Christians in Lithuania have a curious custom in that they décor their dining tables with hay. It is to recall the birth of Jesus in the discomfort of a manger . In Syria children do not expect presents from Santa Claus. They believe that the youngest of the three kings would bring them presents. They keep 3 buckets full of water for the camels on the morning of Christmas day at the entrance to their homes. On the morning the next day they find the buckets sans the water but full of presents. Spanish children believe that the Magi are going through Spain to Bethlehem on the 5th of January. This has its background in a folk tale native to the Spanish. They fill their shoes with hay and later find them with presents but no hay. They call the night of 5th January, as “12th Night” this is based on their belief that the three kings visited Jesus on that night. Meanwhile Greek children are apt to believe that the shepherds of Christmas night were screaming in pain due to the cold. So they light a fire and feed it with wood and dance round it singing carols. A custom similar to this also takes place in Bethlehem where Jesus was born on the first Christmas day.

Czechoslovakian Christmas

Christians in Czechoslovakia do not eat fish or meat on Christmas day. They visit relations wishing them a happy Christmas and enjoy a vegetarian lunch . In France the crib is made in advance but the statue of Baby Jesus is not placed till midnight on December 24th. The Poles celebrate the event in a different way with less extravagance. In Poland Christmas is very simple and lacks the glitter seen elsewhere. They concentrate more on the religious side of the event. They do not celebrate Christmas till the morning star is sighted. They do not partake of the Christmas meal till that moment. They also leave an empty chair which is only meant for a visitor. In Finland the Christmas tree is decorated at the beginning of December to mark a full four week celebration.

Jamaican Christmas

The Jamaicans celebrate the birth of Jesus with song and dance recitals where Calypso music becomes prominent. All shops are kept open every night and shoppers are treated to music till the finale on the 24th night which is called the Grand Trade Night.
In Singapore every nook and corner is gaily illuminated and decorated too. The Singaporeans treat Christmas as a Feast of Light, because the Light of the World Jesus Christ was born on Christmas day.

[by Lakmini Wijemanne]

Having lived most of their life amidst the hustle and bustle of Ratmalana, Sunethra and Dulip looked for peace and quiet when they were looking for land to buy, to build a new home. Ideally, they wanted an affordable piece of land where they could build a twin house for them, and for their youngest daughter who, being an independent soul, wanted to live on her own. Since their other children were living abroad, Sunethra and Dulip liked to have this daughter nearby, yet giving her the freedom of living her own life, in her own home, but close to her parents. After much searching, they found the ideal tract of land near the historical old temple of Kotte Raja Maha Viharaya. In a 7 perched land extent, their Architect Mr. Cyril Fernando designed twin houses with space and work-efficiency foremost in his plans.

Though built on extremely simple lines, Sunethra-Dulip’s home has its own elegance and beauty. The main entrance to the house is through the car port which is common to both houses. From just near the main entrance, the staircase, fashioned with wood topped stays an elegant iron railing that leads to the upper floor. On the left is the pantry and behind the pantry is Sunethra’s old fashioned village type kitchen. It’s walls are of the rough clay-finish, and the long wooden bench resting against the wall, and the old reed bag mounted on the wall gives an authentic rustic village look to the Kitchen. Here, everything is done in shades of brown to match the colour of the clay walls.

Facing the Pantry is the Dining area, right near the stairway. In the pantry, the fittings and the cupboards are done in pale cream which adds a lot of light and a sense of space to the area. A set of windows opens out from the pantry to the outer kitchen. Off the dining area is the sitting room. A set of tall French windows separates the outer courtyard from the sitting room. When the windows are all opened, they can be pushed aside so that the outer garden and the interior merges seamlessly. The little garden area provides the house with ample breeze which keeps the inside cool all the time.

The floor of the house is done in polished tiles in cream to match the walls as well. The furniture is in deep dark brown with upholstery and cushions done in shades of brown. Splashes of red, pink and green in the form of flower arrangements strategically placed around the area, liven the spaces adding a splash of colour. Carefully chosen pieces of ornaments adorn the little nooks and table tops and this gives the rooms a comfortable feeling.

A single room is situated off the sitting/dining area with a washroom outside the room, so that the visitors could use the washroom without the room being disturbed. The staircase leads upstairs, where the single bedroom occupies the pride of space. The vast bedroom is fashioned in such a way that the attached bathroom, the laundry room and the TV lounge are also in this room, each in its own special corner. Long French windows open out to the large balcony which overlooks the quiet lane. Across the landing, on the left, Sunethra has her special shrine room. Tubs of jasmine plants line the balcony wall, and the soft breeze brings in the smell of jasmine to all the rooms upstairs.

The little garden outside the drawing room downstairs is a most serene place. A huge breadfruit tree occupies the centre-stage in the garden with a water feature beside it, which gives out soothing music of flowing water. A couple of steps down from this area is Sunethra’s kitchen garden where she has her special herbs planted, for she is also an avid cook. Her limited garden space has been tastefully designed for her by Mr. Ranjan Mathews who has provided the house with a tranquil garden which is also easy to maintain.

The economical and efficient use of the limited space (7 perches) of the land to provide well-balanced and spacious living spaces to his client, was no mean fete by their Architect. It just goes to show that less can be more and beautiful, if well managed !!.

[by Shehara Rajapakshe]

As the season of festive cheer nears, we thought of featuring a lady that initially started a hobby which has now expanded into a business. Being a wife, mother of three children and on top of that to be an independent entrepreneur is no easy task in this day and age, but for Kshanika de Silva, it is another part and parcel of life that is rewarding at the end of the day, as she shares her knowledge and experience with all the house proud ladies in our beautiful motherland. Home Basics is a fusion of charm and affordability. A charming young lady and mother of three kids shared her views on her business which started off as a hobby.

Initial years in life

Kshanika was educated at St.Bridgets’ Convent Colombo and after completing her Advanced Level examination was married and then left the country with her husband. She is a mother of two sons aged fourteen and eleven and a six year old daughter. All her life she has been a house wife as they were in Bahrain for over eight years. When they returned to Sri Lanka, eight years ago, the two boys were about six and three and the daughter was born in Sri Lanka two years later.

Inspiration and knowledge in Bahrain

She used to spend her time walking around the many shopping malls and home décor shops around the city they lived. She used to always think just how great it feels not just to admire something and then be disheartened that it was too costly but to be in a position to be able to make purchases and gather many novel and innovative ideas on the basics or the essentials of the home front that brings great joy and pride to a home maker just like her. She gathered up all these little nitty gritties and today she runs a beautiful store at Kohuwela that is especially dedicated to making all those house proud ladies interested and gather ideas to follow suit.

Creative streaks in the family

When you step into this charming lifestyle store, you basically step into a whole area of innovative ideas that could add more value to your lifestyle. Home Basics, is the name of the store located at the third floor of the Thisara building in Kohuwela and just like the name, the basics but pretty, functional and affordable to any house proud lady who walks in. Kshanika has two sisters in her family and all of them are creative in different spheres. She was always house proud and wanted to incorporate any novel or pretty and functional little piece to her collection that makes it more attractive. The store recently celebrated its first anniversary with the ushering of the Christmas season. She always had a flare for home ware and this led her to put her ideas into practice.

Kshanika says, “in Bahrain, there was a home centre and I used to just spend a lot of time browsing and gathering ideas. We returned to the country six years ago and about two years ago I was just thinking that the children are now growing up and very soon they will be out of the house and I will miss them very much. Therefore, I thought it was best to share whatever knowledge I gathered with all the house proud ladies and keep myself occupied as well as do something for myself and become more independent. I was never a business woman and I have been a house wife all my life as I said before.”

A fusion of charm and affordability

“We just built our house three years ago and what I found is that there is no place to buy anything that is both functional and affordable. Most of the time, we found very difficult to collect items that could be decorative and affordable, instead they were very costly and not very practical for most homes and most of the time people have to save up nearly half a year’s salary to purchase one item. This made me realize the potential for pretty little house ware that adds more value to your standard of living. The vaccum created for this niche market prompted me to begin this home ware store where anyone could purchase functional and affordable decorative items to make their homes more presentable and beautiful. Therefore, I started this first as a hobby and now I’m trying to establish this as a business to enable more people to enjoy the benefits of having a perfect and pretty home that would benefit their lifestyle,” commented Kshanika.

Rapidly Growing Clientele

What initially begun as a hobby for Kshanika showcases a large variety of home and gift items ranging from exquisite linen, kitchenware and artifacts, to bath ware, crockery and cutlery. A vast majority of the items are sourced from different cities in the South Asian region and are replaced frequently thus ensuring an unbroken supply. With its steady reputation for very reasonable and competitive pricing, Home Basics today enjoys a continuous flow of clients ranging from housewives and corporate clients to foreign airline crews and diplomats, many of them ‘repeat-customers’. The boutique’s cozy interior and appealing ambiance seamlessly lends itself to the different display areas, each one showcasing a facet of life and living…be it to the colourful kiddies corner, the bar area or attractive coffee displays.

Seasonal Décor

Home Basics just launched a glittering array of Christmas décor covering the entire gamut of household requisites for this time of the year. Taking pride of place is a variety of delightful Christmas wreaths, cushion covers in festive colours, an assortment of candles, tree ornaments, table décor and Christmas themed linen. Enthused Kshanika, “one year’s successful operations have now inspired me to further expand. I believe the time is now opportune. I’m initially looking at a branch in the Battaramulla, Thalangama and Thalawathugoda areas with its growing concentration of resident expatriates. Thereafter will be forays into both Kandy and Galle. One must realize that with the world shrinking at a rapid pace and constant access to foreign television programming, people living out of Colombo are also becoming more aware and acutely conscious of different lifestyles, incorporating elements of those lifestyles into one’s own has become quite a norm,” she added.

At LW, we believe in adding value to the lifestyles of our avid readers, therefore, we wish Kshanika all the very best in her endeavours and will strive to support her. Do stop by at Dutugemunu Street Kohuwela, at the third floor of the Thisara building and experience a truly charming array of beautiful and essential home ware at an affordable price.