Life style
Adolescents of today
by Zanita Careem
Our teenagers have a beautiful shadow to their lives. Today, they are more aware, more health conscious, and they are regulars at the gym, they are also masters of self defence and strike gold in martial arts.
They know everything about protein and carb intake and tons of eating junk food.
They grow to be fitter, thanks to media awareness. They are conscious of substance abuse. At this age reducing weight is tried just for the fun of it. They even have their own ways of spirituality! They realize that God isn’t just in a mosque or temple but also within their hearts. They connect to whatever they need to connect. Romantic relationships are more common – something every spiritual school of thought encourages. Understanding sexual relationships is a chapter that is no longer taboo. It is respected and understood by teenagers with the repercussions it may bring.
Namith Swarnasinghe and her sister Savisha Swarnasinghe from Kandy are living examples of two beautiful teenagers in modern society,
They have a relationship with their own ego and they no longer see it as a mask. Besides that, they share a loving relationship with their family and in all this they are trying to create an identity in every sphere of life and mark and space for themselves. When this generation become the citizens of tomorrow, they will be healthy in body, mind and soul. The quote by Annanis Inn says it all: ‘And the time came that the pain it took to remain in a tight bud was far greater than the pain it took to bloom!’
The two adolescents namely Namith Swarnasinghe and Savisha Swarnasinghe I met spoke about their teen years, how their lives have been shaped by their parents, their education and their life styles.
They are no different to other young people whose lives are saturated by mobile technology and social media, but they never go out of the box.Brought up in a Kandyan conservative family their teenage years were shaped by family values and social ethos.
Our parents are our role models said the tall and swanky Namith and beautiful Savisha who is an icon of beauty. A fashionista in the making Savisha is lovable and pretty and versatile.
How do you feel to be in the millennial generation?
N&S:
Honestly, I think Mil
lennials are a very lucky bunch of people. We’ve got to experience so many things during our short period of existence.We mean we can remember waiting patiently while the cassette rewinds on the VHS player to watch movies. And today we have movies on demand on the palm of my hand at the click of a button. We’ve sent letters, postcards, SMS, MMS and even used telegrams faxes. So, we’ve experienced both sides of the tape so to speak and we think that’s a good thing. There are many changes going on in the world and personally we think it’s a very interesting time to be experience.
– A time of opportunity
and risks
N&S: High risk, high reward. If you quantify the risk, it’s always correlated with competition. So competition is very high, be it from existing players or newcomers. This is a perfect situation as far as we’ve concerned. The higher the stakes the more motivated we are to improve our business and to make sure we carry forward our 70 years of history.
Are u both move buffs who is your favourite icon in cinema
?
N&S:
Oh yes! we both are a big fan of Martin Scorsese and Christopher Nolan. I think Scorsese is a very clean story teller while Nolan has this mesmerizing ability to push the limits of what is and is not possible in film. They’re both artists of the highest order as far as I’m concerned.
– Do you both feel anxiety and depression at any time
N&S:
Karl Marx predicted this long ago. Alienation is unfortunately an inevitable by-product of capitalism, and we are living in the most capitalist time of human history. Also its no longer taboo to say you’re suffering from anxiety or depression. There’s lot of research that has gone into mental health that has proven how harmful it can be if left untreated or neglected. So while we’ve been lucky enough not to through depression, we’ve handled our fair share of anxiety well.
– How do spent your
leisure hours
N&S-
We’ve got several hobbies that keep us busy whenever we have some free time. I love to cook, it’s always been a passion of mine. I also spend time playing my guitar, watching movies and sports.
Are you into serious reading
N& S
. I’m deep down reading Polemicist Rabbit Hole these days. I love reading Richard Dawkins, and Christopher Hitchens and these days I’m reading Jordan Peterson’s books. I like people that question and provide cohesive arguments against the status quo.
The best movies you both enjoy
N&S:
The Dark Knight Arrival
The Terminal
You Dietary plans, are you both conscious of a particular dress code and do you both passionate about specific brands?
S:
– Our diet has always been kind of top priority at home with a little indulgence in our guilty pleasures once in a while. But we have pushed ourself to be more serious about it lately, with my big day approaching. Well, our dress code defines who you are, and yes, quite conscious of it. I love branded stuff; you could say I am obsessed with it.
N&S:
Your schooling in Kandy
We both schooled in Kandy, I went to Hillwood College and my brother went to Trinity. For my higher studies I obtained my degree from the Excelsior University in Albany and my brother pursued his higher studies at the University of London and later at the Chartered Institute of Management Accounting.
Your international exposure in Malaysia
N:
It has been a very interesting experience for me so far. The ability to live in a completely foreign country made me to be independent and broaden my knowledge.Meeting people from different cultures was a benchmark in my career
Your vision for the future?
S:
My vision is to see Sri Lankans designers,artisans, jewellers, designers are well known. Our designs are universally accepted and we hailed from a business family. Our gem industry and gem business are part of our life. We had business in our blood so it was natural for us to follow our father’s footsteps and carry the business forward.
Institute of Hospitality Sri Lanka
The 32nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the UK-based Institute of Hospitality’s Sri Lanka Chapter was held recently at the Ramada Hotel Colombo,.The event provided an evening of camaraderie , reflection of the past and present achievements,setting new benchmarks for the future
The AGM had the presence of two distinguished guests, the Chief Guest Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, and the Guest of Honour British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Andrew Patrick. Their inspiring speeches were lauded by all hoteliers who were present at the occasion
A special thanks was extended to Robert Richardson, CEO of the Institute of Hospitality UK, along with his team, sponsors, committee members, and all attendees for making the event memorable.
Dr. Harsha Jayasingh, Past President of the Institute of Hospitality (UK) Sri Lanka Chapter, emphasised the Institute’s longstanding history and the strength of its Sri Lankan branch. “The Institute of Hospitality (IH) UK has a history of 86 years, and we are proud to be the Sri Lanka Branch. IH Sri Lanka is much stronger now with many members from all areas of the hospitality industry,” he stated.
Dr. Jayasingh highlighted the significant role of tourism in Sri Lanka’s economy,. He said tourism it is the third-largest source of revenue for the country. “Tourism accounts for about 13.3% of total foreign exchange earnings and employs 450,000 people directly and indirectly. The hospitality industry in this island of pearl holds tremendous potential for economic growth, job creations, and cultural exchange,” he added.
He also pointed out more women should be attracted to the industry and advocated for the use of technology in hospitality sector to attract the younger generation.
The newly appointed Chairman Ramesh Dassanayake spoke about the challenges faced by the industry, including the reluctance of youth to join the sector. . Dassanayake expressed concerns over the migration of staff between hotels and the overall ‘brain drain’ in the sector. ” We must maintain high standards in the hotel We must try to attract tourists to Sri Lanka, we must have with many facilities Hence, hotel schools and other professional institutions involved in skills development mustincrease their intakes,” he pointed out.
Chief Guest Sajith Premadasa emphasised the importance of eco tourism and said “We need to have an environmental policy related to tourism in place,” . .
The 32nd AGM of the Institute of Hospitality UK, Sri Lanka Chapter, was a testament to the strength and potential of Sri Lanka’s hospitality industry. The insights and commitments shared during the event set a new benchmark for the future.(ZC)
Pix by Thushara Attapathu
Life style
He recognizes human identity beyond boundaries of gender, race, nationality and religion.
Visit of Sri Gurudev to Sri Lanka
Humanitarian, spiritual leader and Global Ambassador of Peace Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (Sri Gurudev) was in Sri Lanka on a three day tour on the invitation of the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Dinesh Gunewardene. Gurudev who inspired a wave of volunteerism and service to moot one of the largest volunteer-based organisations in the world – The Art of Living – visited the various projects under the aegis of the foundation and launched twelve vocational and technical centers around the island. He was accompanied by thousands of followers from Sri Lanka and around the world.
Gurudev who visited Sri Lanka for the sixth time also had a first day cover launched in honour of his visit. He is a strong proponent of spreading happiness, using the unique Sudarshan Kriya, yoga, meditation and practical wisdom to unite people, empower individuals and transform communities. His programmes provide techniques and tools to live a deeper, more joyous life, while his non-profit organisations recognize the human identity beyond the boundaries of gender, race, nationality and religion.
The Art of Living which has more than 30,000 teachers and over one million volunteers across 180 countries has touched in excess of five hundred million people around the world. CNN called it “Life Changing” and The Washington Post headlined it, “Fresh air to millions”.
In Trincomalee, Gurudev met with war victims and had a heartwarming engagement with the children from the children’s homes run by the Foundation. He also visited the Koneswara Temple in Trincomalee and graced the Kumbhabhishekam at Seetha ecogPnize the human identity beyond the boundaries of gender, race, nationality and religion. Amman temple at Nuwara Eliya. He held discussions with the trustees on the progress of the foundation’s social service projects, while also holding a special event – Ekamuthuwa – attended by a large number of dignitaries and his devotees from around the world.
His time with the Prime Minister was spent discussing the prospects of unity in diversity and uniting Sri Lanka by adding happiness into the formula of living. In addition he had discussions with the Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, prominent business stewards and civil society leaders.
by Zanita Careem
Envison your dream wedding day come to life at the Epitome Hotel, a prestigious city hotel in Kurunegala offering an unrivalled luxury rendors experience for weddings.
The venue is designed to embody opulence and luxury from all quarters for a spectacular wedding in kurunegala,Thier ballroom is the largest banquet facility in Sri Lanka It can be divided into six luxurious pillarless wedding halls on the ground floor and 25pax smaller banquet halls.
It can be easily named as a five star heaven in the heart of the city contributing to a myriad of immense experiences tailored to inspire and delight wedding experiences.
From opulent décor set up to exquisite table decor, lavish food, every detail is meticulously curated to spark your imagination and ignite creativity for a perfect wedding. The previous prestigious wedding shows season one and season two attracted large crowds
were unique events which gave the wedding vendors and potential clients had an opportunity to connect and interact with each other. Beyond being a showcase it was a chance for the wedding vendors to unite and contribute to the vibrancy of the wedding industry. The wedding show covered all area of the bridal industry providing a comprehensive variety of bridal supplies from Sri lanka and became the most popular bridal exhibitions in Kurunegala.This bridal exhibitions allowed brides and grooms to experience first hand the products and services available from suppliers in Sri Lanka
These wedding shows held at The Epitome created a benchmark and gave an opportunity for vendors to create connections to the utmost satisfaction said Harshan Lakshita Executive Director. of the magnificent Hotel
Our wedding shows featured experts and professionals in every field‘ It covered all areas of the bridal industry provided a comprehensive variety of bridal supplies from Sri lanka and became most popular bridal exhibition in this region.We are always open to everyone to join us at our wedding shows in the future. It is an opportunity to discover the incredible talent within our local wedding and bridal vendors to make meaningful relationships and plan thier special day at our breathtaking hotel The Epitome said General Manager Kavinda Caldera
The Epitome Hotel’s bridal show which will be held end of June will buzz with great ideas,advice and inspiration for all those who plan thier dream wedding
…….
The Hotel Epitome’s Wedding Season 3 will marked excellence, celebration and inspiration for those in the wedding industry. The exhibition halls will resonate with ideas on exquisite bridal wear to decor, florists , photography etc and showshowcase the rich tapestry of talent within the local wedding industry. .
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