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| Sunday, 09 April 2006 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Happenings / People Lavish bicentenary celebrations by Mahes Perera
Mention the name Mount Lavinia Hotel and your mind switches to all the good things a true heritage hotel represents. Considered "a national treasure and centrepiece of Sri Lankan tourism and travel," Mount Lavinia Hotel with a brand new logo will be celebrating its historic bicentenary celebrations with a series of activities throughout the year, commencing with the dawn of the New Year on Friday, April 14. At a media briefing on Tuesday April 4, Sanath Ukwatte, Chairman of the hotel proudly claimed that "Mount Lavinia Hotel now belongs to the class of world historic hotels, offering guests top quality accommodation with an appealing taste of history combined with romance." On the theme "Celebrating our Past Present and Future" Director Bazeer Cassim outlined the events lined up for the year. A special Sooriya Mangalaya will be telecast live on ITN from Polonnaruwa and Maskeliya on Friday April 14, to usher in the New Year with Publis the doyen of Mount Lavinia Hotel cuisine preparing the meal to be eaten at the auspicious time at 8.24 a.m. Also on that day as Avurudu Thaegi 200 balloons will be released from five different locations with cash prizes amounting to Rs. 1 million. Each location will have one lakh of rupees as prizes and one thousand rupees as consolation prizes. In the month of May the Governors High Tea Promotion in true British tradition complete with an array of tiffin and fine Ceylon tea will be served to the patrons. The Hotel will be expecting many British tourists during this season to participate in the celebrations. The high point of the Bicentenary Celebrations will be the launch in July of the book which lavishly illustrates the 200 year history of the Mount Lavinia Hotel compiled by Eshan Goonesekera and Sanath Nanayakkara of Paradise Isle Publications. In July, a signature meal from Mt. Lavinia Hotel will be served to passengers travelling Business Class on SriLankan Airlines. Other F and B delights will be the Lavinia cake and the signature ice cream. For Rs. 200 you can enjoy a meal at the Hotel which will be limited to 100 persons on reservation. For camera enthusiasts the Hotel will run a photographic competition to capture the stunning sunset from Mount Lavinia Hotel. There are more events on the cards. In September, the attraction will be the British Pub with cod and chips and a British jazz band too! The Little Hut will go back in time to feature musicians and bands who made the Hut popular. The end of the year highpoint will be the Governor's Ball - a costume ball - on New Year's Eve. Be a part of all the exciting happenings at the "legend that is Mount Lavinia Hotel". Lyrical artistry
A familiar figure at many corporate functions and weddings, pianist Shane Blok is a musical attraction at the Harbour Room of the Grand Oriental Hotel as he entertains the patrons with his wide repetoire of many well loved melodies. Shane performs today, Sunday, from 7.30 p. m. onwards and could also be heard on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. "Besides the Harbour Room, I'm kept busy the whole week as I play at the Cinnamon Grand on Tuesdays and Fridays from 5.30 p. m. I'm enjoying myself playing the requests of patrons, and at the recent felicitation dinner for the Pakistani cricket team which was held at the Galle Face Hotel, I was happy at the response from the large gathering of guests", says the simple and unassuming Shane. Music is now a mode of relaxation and meditation for Shane Blok who is deeply involved in the subject of Buddhism, including the psychology, philosophy and the cosmologies of Buddhism, and gives talks on these subjects. "I completed my basic studies in Buddhism at the Buddhist and Pali University and also at the University of Peradeniya. I still continue furthering my studies at the Buddhist and Pali University and to me the interested areas are 'Nature of the Human Mind' and 'Cosmologies of Buddhism', comments a cool headed Shane. A multi-talented personality, Shane is qualified in Business Management, Sales Management and Marketing and runs his own small business of marketing complimentary items. And if that is not enough, he has made body building a part of his life and still continues to train at the Central YMCA Fort. A member of the Royal Astronomical Society UK, and the Sri Lankan Astronomical Association, it is music that gives him those esoteric flights of relaxation and meditation. Catch his performance today at the Harbour Room. M.P. Dilruk heads beauty salon
Dilruk Wijesekera is a young man who has achieved most of his dreams within a short time span. He has contributed his make up skills in several teledramas including Daru Upatha, Mamath Geheniyak, Gini Siluwa, Damini, Bedde Senehasa, Keerakotuwe Gedera, Rangana Vijithya, Ginikirili Kooduwa, Deveni Bhavaya, Gini Weluma and a teledrama scheduled for the New Year Suba Nekatha and also the film Asani Warsha. His talents as a makeup artist were rendered to the film weekly Sarasaviya, women's weeklies like Tharunee and Navaliya and weekend supplements such as Meevitha and Sandella for their cover artists. He is very pleased about his make up contribution to Roshan Pilapitiya and Kanchana Mendis to pose for the 2002 Sarasaviya film festival souvenir cover. Dilruk had his education at the Weluwana Maha Vidyalaya, Dematagoda. Being the youngest in the family he was having hopes in becoming a dancer and had a brief stint under Channa Wijewardena and later studied under Ragini Selvanayagam. However, he made up his mind to become a fashion designer and a makeup artist. He has come on a long and hard journey and is sincerely grateful to those who gave him a helping hand in this competitive career, and has no grudge against those who were not that co-operative. He especially thanks all those who helped him in so many ways to lay the foundation for a successful future. He is the head of a fashion school - Dil Ridma and a beauty salon - Dil Roo. IAA World Congress
Sri Lanka was represented by an eighteen member delegation headed by IAA President, Ranil de Silva of Leo Burnett. Sixty eight countries participated, and the programme showcased excellent speakers who motivated and showed their experiences and case studies with one another. |
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| Produced by Lake House |
The 40th International Advertising Association World Congress organised
by the IAA - UAE Chapter was held recently at the Dubai International
Convention Centre. 
