Miss Don't Miss This Time!

At last we have found a suitable beauty to export for the big show of beauties due this year. Since we pulled out a promising candidate in support of the apartheid cause in South Africa that Subramaniam girl and later fell short again because the tall and lissome beauty that hails from Ruskin islands played a dumb beauty at the finals; this year's panel made a wise choice. Though the girl looks more Hollywood than from Colombian's Colombo the main thing is that this isle of ours gets somewhere.

Since the Hingert girl and lady Rose who walked away with the best Mrs title sometime back, the franchise holders have not been able to send any Miss, Mrs or Ms. but only the ones that miss.

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Toy Boy Mania

We look over our shoulder Darlings with a frown at Madonnas and Joan Collins of the West when they have to do their rambling with young studs almost 1/3 of their age (not that anyone can guess until the first wrinkle appears).

But dear friends! here in Colombian's Colombo it's not much of the actresses who are committing the mortal sin as much as some of the female singers, both pop and non-pop but thinks it's hip to hop around with young studs around the 'Sangeetha Raathriya' scene.

It is reported that one singer has gone 'extensive shopping' where the Bai's Du in the Middle East. The young man has been seen buying some of the best labelled stuff at larger than 'his' life departmental stores.

The singer, who is considered a Rajini of Sinhala pop was seen cooing in the young man's ear with encouraging notes in it. How deaf can these lasses be? or dumb, is it?

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Traditional Veils

It was more like 'Wails' at the show of Veils, which was organised by the department that looks in to the industries of the small fellows that weave. Not that Colombian had any idea of marrying any one of those beauties that paraded from one end of half a stage to the other.

The 'Wailing' is all about how every time a new regime comes to power this particular department and its ministry gets geared to pull out the ones that weave from the mess they are in owing to the importation of fabrics on a grand scale. We have become a nation covered in synthetics from the cradle to the grave.

The new concept that the officials are trying to promote is seen as a correct step in the right direction. But many are wondering whether the 'veil show' will be the full stop to all things that are preached on the subject, which weavers think will leave them wailing for improvement all their lives.

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Ads Are Works Of Art?

At the recent Pola that sells Kala visitors were drowned in advertising material of the organisers of the fair.

It was a vulgar sight to see how the banners were overtaking the artists' creations; which in fact is supposed to play a focal point in the whole affair. But it is only natural that sponsors want their product information displayed for visitors to see, in this case Colombian thinks it is a bad deal that participating artists are given.

Whoever who is handling the advertising for the principal sponsors should have a taste good enough to know how to blend product promotion with the event that is being sponsored.

If this notion is not taken into account then it will be more an annual event of 'Jara Mara Assey Bara Karaththa' than an event organised to foster the arts.

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All Nap And No Play

Some big establishment in the USA has decided to let their employees take turns to have a catnap in the noon time.

The principals said that they have observed that many workers' lifestyle allows them to hit the bed long after midnight even on week days. So instead of getting into loggerheads with the workers the management has decided to let them take a 'SHORT' break for a snooze.

Now, now Colombian thinks that we here should follow the same rule (not because me Colombian has a busy nightlife and needs a nap in between typing this column), but looking at the idea in terms of the public service (which sleeps on the job any way) or the private sector.

Colombian thinks that even though so many Governments tried hard to make Colombian's Colombo the 'No-nidi Nagaraya' (The city that never sleeps) of the Indian ocean, with this new sympathetic concept started by the Americans we will have a 'Sadahatama Nidigath Nagaraya' (A city that is permanently asleep).

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Beira Banks

No, no this is not about the banks by a river as much as the ones that are always having a syndrome about being privatised. Well! this incident happened to one of our colleagues (In fact it is still happening) who like all of us by the Beira Lake patronise the ones that are by it. All for the convenience, one must think.

However this colleague of mine has finished his cheque book and had made a request 3 WEEKS ago while he still had the last 4 leafs in the old book. But every time he goes to the bank and inquires about his request the staff ends up issuing a single leaf 'for the moment'.

Now the moments have accumulated to hours and days and weeks but there seems to be no cheque book in sight. Colombian thinks a private bank would have attended to the matter easily and over the counter.

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The Broke And The Bountiful

Oh! this is Colombian's Colombo and a beggars' paradise too. Now that it is New Year time pickpockets too have made this their heaven. Its swarming with people and vehicles jam the streets during traffic hours.

Like any other festival time the National New Year which was merely an auspicious affair has however been transformed into a commercial event by the establishments that await all year to turn anything into a shopping spree.

Colombian's Colombites are takers at a drop of a hat. So in addition to Christmas, New Year, Deepavali, Ramadhan, Vesak, Poson etc; There is Mother's Day, Father's Day, Valentine's Day and many more days than the days in the calendar year to celebrate an event.

As one veers through the many shopping malls or through the jammed pavements of Pettah, it is a scenario of outstretched palms begging for a dime and arms embracing parcels and baggages.

Reminds me Colombian of that saying 'The world is full of sorrow, if somebody thinks otherwise he is selling something'.