Expressions

Winner: Myself

My name is Sahanya. I am seven years old. I live in Bandarawela. I am in Grade 2. My school is B/Kuda Kusum Balika Maha Vidyalaya. I have one sister. Her name is Omesha. My father’s name is Anura. My mother’s name is Sagarika. My favourite colour is pink. I like to eat oranges and drink milk. My hair is long. I like to play chess. I have a beautiful doll and a pet dog. My best friend is Maris. My favourite subject is English. I hope to be a doctor one day.

Sahanya Yethmi Gunasekara,
Grade 2,
B/Kuda Kusum Balika Maha Vidyalaya,
Bandarawela.

Winner: My hobby

Everyone has a hobby. A person who pursues a hobby will never be bored or idle. Hobbies help us to spend our leisure in a meaningful and useful manner. There are many hobbies.

My hobby is gardening, it is very useful and has many advantages. I have planted fruits and vegetables in my garden. Some of the fruits are gauva, pomegranates and woodapples. I spend about two hours in my garden every evening. I use only compost manure.

I love to see the birds, bees and butterflies in my garden. I feel happy when I see them and I love my garden.

K.M. Budmi Janithi Senethma,
Bandarawela Dharmapala Secondary School.

Winner: Jaffna

My family went to Jaffna by train. We stayed at Thalsevena. We went to Dambakola Patuna, where Sangamiththa Theri landed with the Bo Sapling.

There is a beautiful statue of her. We also visited the Nagadeepa Vihara on Nagadeepa Island. The stupa was painted in silver. It was very humid in Jaffna. There are many palmyra trees in this area. I like Jaffna very much.

Nethra Bulankulame,
Grade 2,
Ladies’ College,
Colombo 7.

Winner: Prickly heat rash

Prickly heat rash is caused by high temperatures and humidity which prevails in tropical countries. In Sri Lanka, the highest recorded temperature was 38 and 39 degrees Celsius in districts such as Kurunegala, Hambantota, Anuradhapura, Ratnapura, Jaffna and Vavuniya. In Karnataka, of India the highest recorded temperature was 40 degrees Celsius.

Environmentalists, meteorologists and scientists said these high temperatures could be due to the El nino-La nino effect which is an extreme environmental condition. They said this environmental condition could last longer than the North East monsoon.

High temperatures can cause prickly heat rash and many physicians and dermatologists have reported cases of skin rashes and blisters. The extreme evaporation of water vapour from the body can also cause instant dehydration, heat stroke and cramps. Prickly heat rash can be prevented by staying in water for about two or three hours per day, avoiding the sunlight from nine in the morning till five in the evening, drinking large amounts of water, wearing cotton clothes and staying under a fan.

Dewmini Sirithunga,
Sacred Heart Convent,
Galle.

Winner: May Day

May Day also known as Labour Day in some countries is celebrated by labourers and the working class. The first day of May is celebrated as May Day or Labour Day. The date was chosen for international workers to commemorate the Haymarket incident in Chicago on May 4, 1886. May Day has its origin in the labour union movement advocating eight hours work, eight hours for recreation and eight hours for rest. May Day is a national holiday in many countries.

In Sri Lanka, demonstrations and marches are organised by the workers and their labour unions. It is a day that is reserved to help promote workers' rights and uphold labour laws. However, in Sri Lanka, May Day rallies have moved from the arena of workers rights to political parties to promote their political agendas.

Sri Lanka celebrated its first May Day in 1927 under the leadership of Alexander Ekanayake Gunasinha who was known as the father of the Labour Movement. Since then Sri Lankans have been celebrating May Day on the first of May each year with rallies and meetings around the country.

Savinduni Dahanayake,
Grade 10,
Vishaka Vidyalaya,
Colombo 5.

My best friend

My best friend Kithumi is eight years old. She likes to eat cakes. She is slim and fair and lives in Horana. She doesn't like milk. Kithumi can sing and run fast.

Thiruni Thimasha,
Grade 4,
WP/Hr/Taxila Kanishta Vidyalaya,
Horana.

An umbrella

You hold an umbrella over your head to prevent you from getting wet in the rain. It also protects us from the hot sun.

There are many kinds of umbrellas in different colours. There are small umbrellas for children.

Bhikkhus do not use the same type of umbrellas that people use. Their umbrellas are yellow in colour. In the good old days people did not have umbrellas to carry in the rain. They carried banana leaves over their heads.

In countries such as Thailand and Myanmar bhikkhus use beautiful umbrellas made of Palmyra leaves. People in Jaffna use Palmyra palms to protect themselves from the rain.

Thusvi Liyanage,
Grade 3,
Royal Institute International School,
Nugegoda.

New Year vacation

The Sinhala and Hindu New Year falls in April every year. People celebrate this festival after reaping their harvest. Adults clean and paint their houses and housewives prepare sweetmeats.

Children enjoy the New Year vacation playing. The lighting of the hearth, partaking of milk rice, anointing oil, doing transactions and set off for work at auspicious times.

People visit friends and relatives, offer betel and play traditional games such as tug-of-war, climb the greasy pole, playing the rabana and ride swings during the New Year. Youngsters and adults alike enjoy themselves.

E.M. Thiwanka Thathsarani,
Grade 9,
Humbuluwa Central College,Alawwa.