Tell me will I be normal again?

Looking around me, I fail to realise what I see.
I wonder if I am back, or if this is only a dream.
I try to understand what these feelings are,
If they are mine or from a fairytale.

I fail to understand what reality is.
I seem to float about, and
I am told I am distant.
I wonder what it is that I feel?

Jet lag? they tell me,
Ship sick some say.
I see many faces around me,
But fail to put a name on them.

At night I dream of scores of faces,
Living parts of the dream we shared together.
The mornings are the worst,
As I have to face the inevitable world!

I feel like I am in dreamland or a fairytale
As you please.
I fail to realise what normalcy is,
Or what it use to be.

Tell me will I be normal again?
Will I ever be me?
These are some questions I ask,
Unable to wake up from this dream!

** Something that spontaneously came to my mind, right now**

Candlelight Memorial In Nawalapitiya

By: Bhagya Senaratne

Sleepy-eyed and running with half packed bags, the volunteers of 'Together We Are The Solution' drove to the Nawalapitiya town to prepare for the World AIDS Day Programme on December 1st 2009. We planned a day full of surprises for the town's folk. Situated, in the hill country, Nawalapitiya is one of the coldest areas in Sri Lanka, and is prominently known for its tea plantation.

Having decided to make a different approach from the usual AIDS Day programmes held in the metropolis of Colombo, 'Together We Are The Solution' team, upon the invitation of the Nawalapitiya local police, decided on its new location, because it is a locale where issues of HIV, sexual and reproductive health are less discussed, and also a place where, according to the local police, a high rate of rape and sexual abuse takes place.

The event was made colourful with many innovative creations, such as the Stigma Tunnel, the 'Knowledge Dansala', and Street Theatre. The Stigma Tunnel was created to depict the life of a Person Living with HIV. The Tunnel consisted of five sections and provided the entrants to the Tunnel with a glimpse of stigma, the People Living with HIV (PLHIV) have to face. The five section were divided in to the clinic, the home, the road, the office, and finally the most important section was the counselling section by PLHIV who are part of the team. The entrants were briefed on correct information such as HIV transmission, and was provided with the opportunity to express their views on the stigma they encountered through the Tunnel journey.

The team began street theatre that included slogan shouting in Tamil and Sinhalese, awareness songs to popular folk tunes such as 'surangani malu genawa', again in both languages, and the distribution of leaflets in Sinhala and Tamil. With the supported of the police, it was possible for us to target commuters at the bus stand and train station, consumers and owners at shops and markets, public outside religious places of worship. The team was even able to enter the Nawalapitiya Base Hospital. The street activities conducted team was well appreciated by the pedestrians as they stopped and enthusiastically watched to see what happened; while some eagerly questioned us to know what the commotion, created by the street drama was all about.

The Chief guest for the event was DIG ,Central Province, Pujitha Jayasinghe. A local threatre group performed a stage drama after which, DIG Pujitha Jayasinghe inaugurated the 'Knowledge Dansala' and the Stigma Tunnel. The DIG left with the words that we have to replicate this programme across the central province and beyond. Enduring the weather conditions, the volunteers were energetic in making sure that this event was successful. This was made a reality, when after the DIG's inauguration, more than 100 members of the public individually and later in groups through the Stigma Tunnel, despite the heavy downpour. Having listened to some of the responses by those who went through the Stigma Tunnel, it was seen that this innovative creation was effective, and much approved by the public.”One participant of the Stigma Tunnel stated “I can’t believe that families treat each other like that just because they’re HIV+”, while another stated “It was awful. I never want anybody to go through that experience."

Despite being physically exhausted, 'Together We Are The Solution' team, with a strong will power, made sure that the World AIDS Day Programme in Nawalapitiya was as successful as they had planned it out to be. The team will be planning to hold a similar event in a different locale in a few weeks time.

**This was written to the Daily News. You can see the article here.**

Am I Different?

Am I different from him,

To not be given the same opportunities?

Am I less important that him

To not be treated equally?

Why don't I get the same healthcare.

Same nutrition opportunities?

Is it because I am less special?

Am I less important?

Why do you treat me differently?

Why do you do this tome?

What did I do to deserve this treatment?

Is it because I am not him?

**Dedicated to all the women out there, who are discriminated due to their gender**

Shakespeare comes alive

The final round of the All Island Interschool Shakespeare Drama Competition was held on October 2 with the competitions of the girls' category. Ave Maria Convent Negombo, Girls' High School Kandy, Ladies' College and Visakha Vidyalaya competed in this final rou nd.

From stomach splitting laughter to downright seriousness, the audience - those who had not been to the semis - were kept on the edge of their seats in wonderment, at how the plays were to proceed. The Shakespearean dramas were given a twist and turn and the schools gave off an overall stunning performance.

A scene from the Shakespearean Drama Competition

However there were a few slips to be seen in the four plays. From projection to blunders in lighting, it was felt that the casts and crews needed to brush up their parts before they came on stage. Despite all that the contestants presented a spectacular performance.

Starting the final round of the competition with Ave Maria's 'As You Like It' saw the play making use of the entire stage. It was visible that some of the props used during the play were inconvenient to the actresses. The overall performance of the cast was commendable.

Witty gestures

'A Midsummer Night's Dream' performed by Girls' High School Kandy was an extremely unusual performance. With a switch from Greek to Kandyan the cast made the play more Sri Lankan. With Shakespearean language and the Kandyan attire, the overall experience was extraordinary.

This was deemed apt considering the choice of scenes and the focus of the play. Laying weight on the comic elements of the play and the witty gestures used left the audience drowning in laughter. Another rare feat was the involvement of a canine on stage.

Ladies' College performing 'Much Ado About Nothing' was entertaining while at the same time well directed. It was a play which portrayed strong characters and unusual human sets. The dancers used in the play instead of sets is worthy of mentioning, as the flow of the play was maintained due to this. Even though nothing out of the ordinary was perceived within this play, the subtle humour, the mastered use of lights and the overall performance were entertaining.

Polished and expert look

The final play 'Romeo and Juliet' by Visakha Vidyalaya was neatly presented. The scenes were cleverly edited which gave the play a polished and expert look. Though the play was slightly overacted the performance was outstanding with good sound effects.

Ladies' College went on to win the Girls' category of the Interschool Shakespeare Drama Competition, while Visakha Vidyalaya was the Runner-up. Ave Maria Convent Negombo came in as the second Runners-up and Girls' High School Kandy were the third Runners-up of the night. Girls' High School Kandy also won the Best Outstation Schools Award. As for individual awards, Best Actress All Island was awarded to Tehani Welgama of Ladies' College, while the Best Supporting Actress was awarded to Naveka Karunarathne of Visakha Vidyalaya. The Best Actress Outstation Schools was awarded to Niroshi Perera of Ave Maria Convent Negombo.

The boys' schools competitions, held on October 4, were equally entertaining. D. S. Senanayake College, Maris Stella College Negombo, St. Joseph's College, and Wesley College competed in this final round.

The plays ranged from mediocre to excellence, while the schools had interesting innovations up their sleeves! There are a few criticisms to be made of the overall performance of the plays. As the panel of judges noted 'there is room for improvement'. It was felt that the casts needed to pay more attention to aspects of drama such as voice projection and diction. Other than for which the overall plays were well enacted.

Excellent diction

The competition started with D. S. Senanayake College's 'Romeo and Juliet'. Character-wise, Mercutio was well played. The comic aspects were strongly brought out. However, Romeo's role should have been improved.

In terms of the entire play, the audience felt it was too long. The lapse of time was felt with the emphasis, the scenes chosen had on the entire play. Therefore, the audience thought that it was less entertaining.

Maris Stella College's 'A Mid Summer Night's Dream' was much liked by the audience. The funny actions and the punning had the audience in tears with laughter. Puck's role needs special mentioning as it was well enacted. In terms of criticism, they need to work on voice projection, but the overall performance was excellent.

'Hamlet' performed by St. Joseph's College was quite exceptional. With a cleverly edited script the play was neatly directed. With excellent diction and a good use of the entire stage, they pulled off a exceptional performance.

Wesley College too performed A 'Midsummer Night's Dream'. Their use of sets was limited to chairs which were pilled high, which paved way for the smooth flow of the play. Here too the character of Puck was well played.

A big shout-out

In terms of individual awards the Best Actor All Island was awarded to Daminda Wijayaratne of Maris Stella College Negombo. The Best Supporting Actor was awarded to Prathap Kumarapperuma of St. Joseph's College and the Best Actor for Outstation Schools was awarded to Daminda Wijayaratne of Maris Stella College Negombo. As for the schools awards, the Best Outstation Boys' School Award was awarded to Maris Stella College, Negombo.

The third Runner-up school was Wesley College; the second Runner-up was St. Joseph's College, while the Runner- up was awarded to D. S. Senanayake College. The Winners of the Interschool Shakespeare Drama Competition- Boys' Schools was awarded to Maris Stella College, Negombo.

Hemaka Amarasooriya of Singer Sri Lanka was the Chief Guest, while Singer Sri Lanka was the sponsor for the event. The Awards were handed over by Rtn. Dulip Jayamaha, President of the Rotary Club of Colombo North and D. R. A. Kannangara, President of the Colombo YMCA. Last but not least, a big shout-out to the YMCA and the Rotary Club of Colombo North for organising a successful event of this nature annually.

**This was written to the Daily News. To see the article click here.**

The Glory of Gold

While the sun bears down on us and the beach near by was burning hot, we listened to the waves crash on the rocks, as we walked in through a white picket fence to the cozy home of Mary Anne David and Andrew David. The sweet aroma of food and the warmth of their home welcomed us. Greeting us with a bright and affectionate smile Mary Anne made us feel right at home.

Mary Anne David Pictures by Ruwan de Silva

Having been awarded the State Music Award for her contribution to Western vocal music this year, Mary Anne David along with her vivacious students are preparing for their concert ‘Glory of Gold’.

Mary Anne states that this event is exclusively organized to acknowledge the talents of the students of The Mary Anne School of Vocal Music, who took part in the competitions of The Sri Lanka Festival of Music, Dance and Speech which is affiliated to the British and International Festivals of Music, Dance and Speech.

She states that the talents of these students who went on to bag seventy two of the awards of the competition should be acknowledged.

The school won approximately sixty awards in the previous year’s competition and the school winning at a larger scale this year goes on to illustrate that there is abundant of talent within her students. With this achievement, Mary Anne goes on to set a record by being the first Choral Director in Sri Lanka to win the highest number of all island awards.

Competition

Last year, after the students had displayed their talents in the same competition, Mary Anne had organized a small scale production to celebrate the talents of her students at the Russian Cultural Centre. This year, she states that the students have performed extraordinarily and that they deserve recognition for their outstanding talents which were displayed. Therefore, she will be organizing Glory of Gold in a much larger scale at the Lionel Wendt.

Speaking about the upcoming concert, Mary Anne becomes very animate, as she boasts –very rightly- about her students’ talents. She states that all the students who competed in The Sri Lanka Festival of Music, Dance and Speech will be performing at ‘Glory of Gold’. When inquired about special spots in the program, Mary Anne grinned and said she intends to keep that a secret till the performing nights and surprise her audience. However, she did go on to reveal that there will be performances by quartets, duets and trios. ‘Glory of Gold’ has a variety of features on its program ranging from hits from the past, famous songs from broadways, and a selection of sacred and gospel music.

Vocalists

Mary Anne said one of the main features of the up coming concert would be the guest spot that she will be giving to three young female vocalists from the senior section of The Mary Anne School of Vocal Music. She stated that this will be the only guest item during the concert and that these singers are also members of the Merry An Singers.

Being a bubbly, energetic person by nature Mary Anne’s joyful voice echoed through the house, as she became animated in reminiscing her childhood days. She spoke endearingly of her mother, and how she had giving her mother a scare or two during her youth.

Music

As a lady who has been a Choral Director for the past forty years, she has trained many renowned voices in Sri Lanka; so much so, that some of these vocalists have gone on to establish their own names in the music industry in the form of choirs, bands or as soloists. It can be said without a doubt that Mary Anne has trained and unearthed the talents of many of the contemporary Sri Lankan soloists.

To name a few, Kishani Jayasinghe, Gayathrie Peiris Patrick, Bathiya and Santhush, Rajitha-leader of the band Misty, Suni Perera-leader of Gypsies, Piyal Perera- member of Gypsies, Ashanthie, Soundarie David- Vocal Director of Soul Sounds, Sanjeev Jayaratnam- Director of Revelations. Speaking of Bathiya & Santhush, she states “the crowd today does not know their real voices.

They do not need mikes to sing!” She states that they have very powerful voices. According to Mary Anne, Bathiya & Santhush will be performing with her, sometime mid next year and she adds that they have agreed to sing “without mikes” and that will be “selecting the songs for them to sing.”

Colourful

In addition, the concert will be accompanied on the drums by Christopher Prins and Neranjan De Silva will be in charge of the sound works. Another specialty of this concert is that it will have Mary Anne’s book titled, ‘Merry Voices Raised in Song’ for sale. This book which has colourful photographs covers stories about Mary Anne and her choir- The Merry An Singers and the forty year’s journey through the paths of music. The money collected by both the concert and the sale of books will go towards the fund to build Mary Anne’s studio.

For Mary Anne, the journey through her life has been memorable with the assistance of her loving husband Andrew David. She chuckles as she says that Andrew manages the nitty gritties of the school and who is also the producer of The Merry Ann Singers. She goes on to state that “Andrew brings me back to earth, when I am in my fantasies.”

The couple’s son, Andre too has become part of the School and trains the lower grades. Mary Anne chuckles while she says that Andre is also the choreographer for the school. She states to a side that we should see him in action, when he is teaching the children their moves. She further states that if we happen to walk in to The Dutch Reform Church in Wellawatte, we will be able to catch the vocalists in training. Giving us details about her goings-on, Mary Anne states that she has started a choir for those above the age of forty years.

The ‘Young’ Ones as they are known are a fun loving crowd who has much talent within them that is not tapped in to. She says she is hoping to start similar choirs around the island as she knows that the elderly are neglected in society today.

The concert Glory of Gold will be on October 10 and 11 at Lionel Wendt and the concert will commence at 7pm.

**This was written to the Daily News. To see the article, click here.**