Winner:

Tea plantation in Sri Lanka

Tea is an important export of Sri Lanka. The tastiest tea in the world is Ceylon (Sri Lanka) tea. Tea is good for the health. Most people like to drink Ceylon tea. There are various types of tea.

When we plant tea, we must pay attention to factors such as the fertility of the soil, temperature and rainfall. It is a very important cultivation in Sri Lanka. It is the main crop grown in the hill country.

Tea grows well in mountain slopes, so there are many tea estates in the hill country. When the tea bushes grow estate workers, especially women pluck the tender tea leaves and take them to the factory.

The highest tea plantation area is in Nuwara Eliya. Other tea planting districts are Kandy, Matale, Thalawakelle and Badulla. Sri Lanka earns a lot of foreign exchange from tea.

I have visited the Tea Museum and read a lot about tea plantations in the country. I saw many machines at the Museum. One of them is the ‘Little Giant Tea Roller.’ I also saw a structure of a factory and some old filters.

There were many old instruments that were used during the early days of the industry.

At the museum. I saw green tea, black tea and various kinds of tea.

In 1867 a Britisher named James Taylor started planting tea at the Loolkadura Estate in Kandy. I saw some pictures of James Taylor at the tea museum.

There was a machine which was used to dry tea leaves in ancient times. We must protect our tea plantations because it is an important foreign exchange earner.

Many foreigners come to see our tea estates.

K.A. Usitha Kodithuwakku Arachchi,
Sri Chandananda Buddhist College, Kandy.

God’s precious gift

Winner:

Everyone has a precious gift from God and that is a ‘mother.’ She is the most noble person in the world for all living beings.

‘Mother’ is referred to as the God at home. After our religious or spiritual leaders the person we honour and worship, is our mother . She gives birth to us, nurtures us with unlimited love affection and provides everything that we need to lead a happy life. She shares everything such as joy and sorrow with us.

A mother devotes her precious time to educate us, teach us good morals and principles and to mould us into good citizens.

Caring for and protecting her children are the main objectives of all mothers . Every mother plans, dreams and works for the well-being of her children. She plays different roles during the various situations her children face in life. She acts as a mother, a teacher, a friend, a doctor and even a nurse. She tolerates all their naughty, playful indulgences and burdens herself with their problems in life. Her only dream is to make a prosperous future for her children so that they could live in comfort.

As children it is our duty to obey and respect our parents and make their dreams come true. When they reach their old age parents should be looked after by children with much love and care. They are priceless treasures in our lives.

A mother’s love is beyond compare and we must never do anything to be deprived of such a precious gift.

Fathima Zahara Thaslim
Newstead Girls’ College,
Negombo.

Balance your activities

Winner:

“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”, is a famous saying. If we take all the students in a classroom we can separate them into three groups. Those that always play, those that always study and those who play and study at the right time. Who is better? They are those who play and study at the right times, but there are very few students who belong to this particular group.

We can see how some children study the whole time without engaging in any play. Studying is good, but not always. No doubt we can improve our knowledge and also our language skills by studying, but can we stay healthy, improve our talents and also our good qualities? The answer is no.

We need to play and engage in extra-curricular activities to become a fully developed person.

Some children play all the time. They don't study and do their homework. They cannot improve their knowledge by neglecting their studies. But they can improve their talents, leadership qualities and even maintain good health. However, without building up our knowledge can we have a good future only with these qualities ? The answer is once again no.So, it is evident that both forms bring good and bad results. We need to strike a balance so that only the good results from these are taken to build a good life. The best way to lead a successful life is to indulge in both play and study . So, let's balance our activities and have a good childhood, enjoying the best of life.

Charitha Chathuranga Bandara,
Dharmaraja College, Kandy.

Haste makes waste!

Winner:

Friendliness, leadership, patience, punctuality, courtesy, honesty and kindness are among the major virtues of any good person. Buddhism and all other religions guide and teach us how to develop these virtues.

As human beings who live in a society, we should also try our best to develop them so that we could live peacefully. Our parents, teachers, priests, elders and good friends pave the way for us to develop these valuable virtues.

However, it is difficult and sometimes impossible for us to stick to these good qualities because we live in a society that consists of people with numerous qualities and personalities.

On some occasions we tend to develop bad qualities and get into trouble. Haste is one such negative quality we should never develop because it can lead us into numerous problems.

What exactly is haste? The quickness of movement and decision making can be simply defined as ‘haste.’ Some people take hasty decisions and do many things without thinking of the consequences. In our homes, schools, offices and public places we can witness many things done in haste. Hastiness can be seen within many of us. Haste only leads to waste or loss of things.

Dozens of examples can be given where haste has resulted in waste.

For example imagine that your mother is preparing a lovely dessert, like a chocolate pudding which is your favourite. As you are eager to have it done quickly you try to expedite the process.

In your haste to do so without your mother's advice, you add salt to the mixture mistaking it for icing sugar. When your mother comes she realizes what you have done and blames you for ruining the dessert.

All this happened due to haste! Your favourite pudding is spoiled. What a waste!

You must never act in haste ,especially when taking decisions.

Be patient, never be hasty! Remember that haste will only lead to waste.

Your future could be darkened by your hasty decisions. So think before you leap!

Binu Medhya Ranatunga,
Devi Balika Vidyalaya, Colombo 8.

Life in Year 2050

Winner:

As the years go by many changes will occur. Some of them would be population growth, pollution, food shortages and a badly depleted natural environment.

Today we have over 7 billion people living on Planet Earth. By 2050 it will grow to about 10 billion. A growth in the population means an increase in the demand for basic needs. More houses will be needed and so forests will be cleared to build them.

There will be no wildlife and many animals including elephants, polar bears, leopards and lions may not be around for us to see.

After about three decades the country would become a concrete jungle. There will be houses and other buildings but no gardens. Many people would live in skyscrapers.

As there won't be any gardens, flowers too would become a rare sight. Artificial flowers would become popular among the people.

Even the food we eat will not be the same .It may take the form of tubes or tablets as land for cultivation will be limited.

We would not be able to taste the nutritious food we have today. We would also not have the opportunity to taste fruits in the wild as there will not be any fresh ones grown except for the artificially made fruits.

With the population growth, the number of vehicles too would increase. Roads will be filled with various types of ultra modern modes of transport. As natural resources of fuel will be exhausted the vehicles will have to be operated with hydrogen fuel cells.

As day-by-day the technology advances there would be more machines performing the duties of man in 2050. There won't be any work for us to do using our brains as machines or robots would do everything for us .

Wind, solar and hydrogen power will meet most of the world's energy needs.

The most notable change would be that of nature.

Today there are plenty of paddy fields and we are self-sufficient in rice. When there are paddy fields and grasslands there is plenty of fresh air and a lovely breeze that we all enjoy. Children can fly kites when there is a breeze. However, with the loss of paddy fields and vast areas of land due to the construction of houses for the ever increasing population, all these wonderful things we enjoy today, especially in a village environment would be lost forever.

I wish that people would learn to value nature and all its valuable resources and use everything wisely so that 2050 will be a better one than what it could be, if we continue to destroy the environment.

Isuri Dulanjala Rajapaksha,
Regent International College.

Importance of breakfast

We should eat a healthy breakfast without skipping it as it is the main meal of the day. Eating breakfast on time helps us in many ways. Breakfast kickstarts our brain which helps to improve our daily performance.

It has been found that children who take breakfast regularly have developed in their studies, especially mathematics and reading.

The breakfast that we eat everyday should be a nutritious one.

When we fail to eat breakfast we could fall ill.

Sometimes students don't eat breakfast because of some problem or the other. On such days they are not able to concentrate on the lessons taught at school by the teachers. Many behavioural problems too can be seen among them.

We have often witnessed how schoolchildren faint during the morning assembly because they have not eaten breakfast.

Then there are some students who complain to our teachers that they have tummy aches due to lack of food – they are generally affected by gastritis. This proves that breakfast is an important meal . So, we should make it a point not to skip breakfast any day.

Vishaka Gangoda,
Grade 8–A,
Udadumbara Secondary School.

Animals are our friends...

Animals have been living on Earth from ancient times. They started life on Earth long before man. Many animals have their own inherent wonders.

Animals are distributed all over the world. They live in a wide range of environments such as in the air, water and land.

Some animals such as cats and dogs who have been domesticated live in our homes with us and are our special companions. Many other animals too have been domesticated and they are used by man for various purposes.

What most of us do not think of is, that animals live in our hearts ,because we are all connected in a mysterious way. We should treat all animals in a good manner.

We should care for them and protect them. We must also protect their natural habitats.

People clear jungles and destroy their natural habitats.

This is the main threat for many an endangered species. Today the death rate of endangered animals is very much higher than their birth rate.

In the near future endangered animals will face a very high risk of extinction, due to poaching, pollution and the introduction of foreign species.

We must be more alert to the needs of wild animals and ensure their survival .

Animals are our friends. It is our duty to protect and save our animal friends.

Maryam Nayeem, Grade 9E,
Badiud-din Mohammed Girls College,
Kandy.

[Your poems]

Never content

“I wish I had a pair of wings!”
Exclaimed the tall giraffe.
“I wish I had a long, long neck!”
Replied the wobbly calf.
“I wish I had a wiggly trunk!”
The fat round hippo said.
The zebra spoke: “I wish I had
sharp horns upon my head!”
“I wish I had two bumpy humps!”
The leaping kangaroo cried.
“I wish I had a pocket pouch!”
The giant elephant sighed.
The owl, who listened, answered them;
“Your grumbling makes me sad.
I wonder was there ever a beast
Content with what he had!”

U.G. Nimesha Ruwanara Wasundara,
Grade 8,
Sussex College, Nuwara Eliya.

Life is sweet

Though many obstacles we meet,
Repentance, sadness, depression,
Trials, tribulations and defeats,
Though you face all these difficulties,
Never abandon yourself
To be depressed and worried
If you can face these challenges,
With an energetic mind,
Strong will and courage
You can reach any goal
And make your life sweet!

Maheshi Shashikala,
Holy Family BMV, Kurunegala.

If there is a will...

This is a famous English saying
Practising it in life is always paying.
Hard work, dedication and self confidence are what we need
For all dreams and expectations to lead
Whenever we try to do anything
Let this saying in our ears always ring
With the spirit to achieve our goals when we cling
How wonderful it 's to think of the joy success can bring.

Tharin de Silva,
Royal College,
Colombo.

My pet

My pet is a little cat. Its name is C.C. It likes to eat meat. C.C. Plays with me in the flower garden. I take it to the flower garden every evening. C.C. is very close to my heart. I love my pet very much.

H.H.K.R. Ridmi Hettiarachchi,
Mahapitiya College,
Kurunegala.