A faint promise of spring smiles through the blinds. The wind is less repelling though not yet warm enough to be embracing. It feels like Kandy in December and makes me nostalgic. Long forgotten memories compel me to split a spent out bamboo torch in the garage to make a kite, but I am dissuaded by a grown up ...

7:49am Because, for every cold, cloudy, rainy day or two in winter that dampens your spirit in the slightest, there is also a day that just rises up to meet you at your most cheerful and energetic; for every barren tree that shiver in the cold winds, having submitted months before to the impending midwinter’s gloom, there is one ...

There is something about a quiet early morning walk through the mist that whispers to us of secrets we have long ago let slip out of memory and thought. Trapped in a bubble that moves with us as we move, the immediate seem pure and fathomable to us even as the air itself is consumed by grey shadows and ...

TRY by halwis. A reflection on the Bradby Shield and what it stands for History and tradition are great mentors. History assures us of who we are, and if we are brave enough, it can also teach us where we have failed or triumphed, behaved honourably or been disgraced. Tradition, for it to be useful, must be wisely chosen ...

Traveller, originally uploaded by halwis. Dear Godchild, Being probably the first person apart from your parents, grandparents and uncle, to wish you on your very first birthday, is a great responsibility. It is the sort of thing that keeps Godfathers up well past bedtime; not out of obligation of course, but out of duty. Today, you mark the first ...

Photo credit: unknown He felt something formidable rise in front of him and paused; undecided, hesitant, unhurried but weary of languishing. The dark moonless night engulfed his senses completely. Not knowing which way to go, he just stood without any recollection of what he was doing there. He could no longer remember or imagine where the next step might ...

Split Sky, originally uploaded by halwis. Like the grains of sand on the seashore... the glittering snowflakes that float through the air and melt away in the sun... like the subtle prints on a fingertip and the intricate patterns of tea leaves in a cup, each of us are unique in creation. There are those among us who seek ...

Photo credit: unknown If you are meeting her for the first time, do not submit your first impression to the shallow assessment of your senses. Instead, be guided by your imagination which will uncover a more faithful picture, true to the character of the person in front of you, than the sickly portrait your eyes would project in your ...

Photo credit: unknown Home calls. Sometimes. Perhaps we share the longing with all of life – whatever it is that makes the Salmon persevere against raging white melt waters; birds migrate over mountain ranges; wildebeest cross perilous waters in search of the familiar green pastures – also draws us to the place of our birth, the memories of our ...

Flame, originally uploaded by halwis. Glory beckons;Be humble at heart and graceful in your ways.The moment will not be preserved in time's embrace forever,But swept by its currents, a fragile memory, floating in eternity.If you must vanquish others, deny not their inherent dignity. Remember, only worthy adversaries make a worthy victory.Failure beckons;Be resilient and of indomitable faith.Fail not your ...

An intimidating, plump book lay helpless on her lap; its spine pinned down on her right thigh. Stubborn pages of its chapters read were parted from those yet unread and held back by her slender fingers. He kept the seconds with each blink of her eyes and minutes with the rhythmic flip of pages. She did not seem engrossed ...

Originally published in TCK Family News in June 2008 I am not a Latin scholar to define the actual meaning of the college motto with any scholarly authority, but a recent discussion between a few young Trinitians about the meaning of “Respice Finem” brought out a few interesting facts that I felt was worthy of broader contemplation. ‘The Gesta ...

Life and work had got in the way of my reading for a while. Last year was probably one of the worst in recent memory. I did read the unabridged ‘Chinaman’ (four stars out of five) and ‘Tamil Tigress’ (also four stars) in the last quarter and even managed to squeeze in ‘The Lost Dynasty: Uncovering Sri Lanka's Secret ...

Voyages (c) Harendra Alwis It is never a question about moral or virtue, what is right or wrong; it is about being able to bear witness to your life and be proud; being able to say it and know you mean it; being able to give of yourself knowing it would be a worthy gift; being able to love and bear only the reflection of your lover - clear and beautiful without haunt or shadow - in your eyes.

Power to the idiots, power to the fools! The tattered shed full of rusted, blunt tools Power to the ignorant, obnoxious jerks! To their misguided lives with unlimited perks Power to the unimaginative and blatantly crude Their bird brained followers and deluded brood Power to the beautiful, intelligent and wise Their desecrated hearts and dysfunctional minds

Blessings (c) Harendra Alwis Go back to sleep, oh restless heart Doze not in the abyss of fragile dreams Mind the sting of that infectious dart Add no more tears to brackish streams Go back to sleep, dread not the night Her eyes will carry the first rays of dawn Wake not till that smile on her lips doth bloom And the mountains echo her mermaid song ~ October 2011 ~

Geometric Asymmetry (c) Harendra Alwis I see you change form, take on a myriad faces In my dreams, thoughts and everyday places You are in every cup of tea and woollen sock But most often I see you on the face of my clock You are in everything I touch, from cradle to cemetery So this is my ode to you, oh non-geometric symmetry!

Workbench (c) Harendra Alwis Isolated by International and local travel bans because of a civil war raging within its jungles, the northern region of Sri Lanka offers contrasting views of life and adventure to those who dare cross the Forward Defence Lines (FDLs). This week, Harendra reports from behind enemy lines, about the lives of those who have been ...

Paddling accross the Milky Way (c) Harendra Alwis Time’s flow carried her, half drowning in its currents, half buoyed by bygone memories, projected from the recesses of her mind, with a blue tint, until she found herself washed up on its western bank, half conscious, at a bend half way in its path, just before dusk on an ordinary ...

Bad news makes good news. This is quite true for mass media, but only because people consume bad news better and more willingly than good news. Bad news is sensational by itself and has a slightly longer shelf life. What do disaster warning systems, SMS messages about bomb-blasts and network monitoring tools have in common? They all alert us ...