‘Painting’ with words to bring Lanka to life

Roma Tearne shortlisted for Costa First Novel Award:

When Christopher Ondaatje calls your debut novel ‘heart-rending’ you know you are on to something big. The Costa First Novel Award, no less.

Sri Lankan painter and writer Roma Tearne’s powerful new novel Mosquito has been shortlisted for the prestigious Costa Prize, second only to the Man Booker. The winners will be announced shortly.

Roma may have left Sri Lanka at 10, but the country is portrayed vividly in her critically-acclaimed novel. Her second novel, Bone China, also set in Sri Lanka, will be out in April 2008.

“Every writer’s dream is to be short-listed for a literary prize. Last week I was short-listed for a first novel award, but far from a dream, I would say it was more like a nightmare. Until the moment I heard about the prize I had been writing the third draft on my next book.

I had been working since September, rising early, writing until midday, walking along the Tow-path after lunch, then working again in the afternoon, pairing down and polishing sentences as though they were precious stones.

I was now only three chapters from completion. But from that morning, hearing of the shortlist, I could not settle,” Roma writes in her widely-followed blog.

“I am a writer who is happiest only when I am working on my next book, grappling with my characters, breathing life into them. What I want, more than anything in the world, is to be able to continue to write. Indeed, I now see, existence itself is impossible were I not able to do so,” Roma says.

Roma’s life story is one of courage and determination. She is a multi-faceted personality, also having a reputation as an excellent painter. She gained her Master’s degree at the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art, Oxford, and was Leverhulme Artist in Residence at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford.

In 1998, the Royal Academy of Arts, London, highlighted one of her paintings, Watching the Procession, for its Summer Exhibition.

As a result her work became more widely known and was included in the South Asian Arts Festival at the Ikon Gallery, Birmingham in 1992. In 1993, Cadogan Contemporaries, London, began showing her paintings, then in 2000, the Arts Council of England funded a touring exhibition of her work.

Entitled ‘The House of Small Things’, this exhibition consisted of paintings and photographs based on

 childhood memories.

They were the start of what was to become a preoccupation with issues of loss and migration. She was recently awarded a fellowship in the visual arts by the Arts and Humanities Research Council of Great Britain.

For nearly 20 years her work as a painter, installation artist and filmmaker has dealt with the traces of history and memory within public and private spaces. She lives and works in Oxford.

In the meantime, Mosquito continues to earn accolades.

“Tearne brings her skills as a painter to her writing, creating some extraordinarily lovely portraits of Sri Lankan land and seascapes, a stunning backdrop to the changing horrors of the country’s 20-year war. Anyone who has visited, or has a passing interest in Sri Lanka, should read this beautiful novel,” wrote the Sunday Telegraph reviewer.

“Mosquito plays with sensuous mixes of human bestiality and natural beauty...It is in this continuing agency of remembered love - presented as the colours, sounds and smells of art, in dialogue with beauty and horror - that the uplifting politics of this fine novel lies,” said the Independent. And as Ondaatje told the Spectator, the book is also about hope, which Roma herself thrives on.

Courtesy: Harper Perennial

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Mosquito: The sting is in the words

After writer Theo Samarajeeva loses his wife, he moves from England back to his home in Sri Lanka. Just as his grief threatens to undo Theo, Nulani Mendis - a young artist - arrives on his veranda, and begins to draw him.

After a time, Nulani’s presence starts to heal Theo, and their friendship blossoms into something more. But the conflict in Sri Lanka steps in and interferes. But all too soon, the violence that casts an ominous shadow over their love explodes. No-one, it seems, is safe; only the sea and the land remain breathtakingly lovely.

The reader is drawn further into the story, wondering how Nulani and Theo’s newfound relationship could possibly survive. Ultimately, each of them will be tested in the most terrible ways...

Henna

Nature’s gift to sprinkle colour:

Sachitra Kalubowila

Among herbals, henna is much popular and considered a wonderful gift of nature.

It comes from the dried leaves of Lawsonia inermis and called “Mehendi” in India, “Marathondi” in Sri Lanka, “Madayantika” in Sanskrit. Its active ingredient lawsone is one of the nature’s richest sources of colour.

Henna also acts as a cultural symbol in India. Before a wedding, the bride’s palms and soles are decorated in designs with henna paste. In some regions the bridegroom’s palms are stained with henna to symbolise the deep love between the husband and wife. Cleopatra was said to have anointed her hair and palm with henna before bathing in the river Nile.

Medicinal use

The original colour of natural henna is yellowish green. In Ayurvedic medicine it is considered an anti irritant agent to heat rashes, skin allergies and also as a body cooling agent.

How it works on your hair

Natural henna works differently depending on the gray/black ratio of the hair. It imparts dark- reddish brown color to the gray hair and a beautiful natural reddish color to the black hair with repeated application.

It’s a very good treatment for those seeking the gray coverage at the early stage. According to experienced professional hairdressers this works well when the gray hair percentage does not exceed 20 per cent of the total hair. If you are a beginner it is always prudent to use natural herbal henna since it does not contain any chemical ingredients.

But if the percentage of gray hair exceeds 20 per cent of the total hair or the hair is bleached or highlighted, the resultant colour given by henna will be orange. Henna products mixed with a small percentage of chemicals in the market are called black henna or treated henna.

How to apply

Make a smooth henna paste with hot water. Adding 2-3 drops of lime juice will make the red colour brighter on your hair. Mixing with beet root and hibiscus extract create lovely deep burgundy shades that can add deep reddish highlight on black hair. This is very trendy these days.

If the purpose is to cover the gray hair, it is better to mix with strong tea or coffee which result dark brown rater than red.

The mixture should be thoroughly applied to hair and cover the head with a polythene cap or shower cap to accelerate the reaction and to prevent the paste from dripping. Leave for 30- 45 minutes to develop the colour. Finally rinse the hair well with warm water.

The paste should not be kept for another application. You can easily prepare this pack at home.

(Store natural henna powder in a cool and dry place to avoid getting damp.)

As a natural conditioning agent

To use as a conditioning pack mix the henna paste with curd or yoghurt. (But the addition of more conditioning agents may results less intensive colour)

As a protein pack

Add an egg white to the conditioning pack. It nourishes the hair and scalp rather than giving the colour.

The regular use of these mixtures prevents dandruff.

After care treatment

Henna shampoo and henna conditioners in the market help increase the tone of the colour and reduce the rate of colour fading .

As henna makes a thick coating around the hair fibres it acts as a barrier to other chemical treatments such as permanent dyes, perming and straightening. If you wish to apply any chemical treatment, wait at least 2-3 months to remove the henna coating.

To choose good quality henna powder, look for the colour of the powder. It has to be yellowish green. Sometimes you may find henna powder in dark/bright green. It contains some artificial ingredients.

Eggplant in Mustard Sauce

Country -Bangladesh

Ingredients

- 1 large Eggplant

- 3 tbsp Mustard seeds

- 8 Green Chili

- 14 stalks Cilantro (corriander)

- Salt to taste

- 5 tbsp cooking oil

- 1 Tsp turmeric powder

- 0.5 cup water

- 1 Tsp sugar

Instructions

1. Slice eggplant into 1/2 inch thick pieces that look like half moons.

2. Rub some turmeric powder, salt and sugar on the eggplant pieces and set aside.

3. Grind mustard seeds along with four green chilies, ten stalks of cilantro and salt to fine paste in a blender, adding half a cup of water. This will take up to five minutes depending on the power setting on your blender.

4. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry eggplant pieces to light brown.

5. Strain the ground mustard paste, adding directly to the fried eggplant. At the same time add four sliced green chilies and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about eight to 10 minutes.

6. Garnish with some chopped cilantro and serve hot with chapattis, parathas or rice.

Punch embroidery - Clement’s Way

Punch embroidery Clements Way - embroidery exhibition displaying different kinds of new designs for blouses, table cloth, cushion covers, wall-hangings and dresses has been organised.

The exhibition will be held on November 30 and December 1 - Negombo Bertha Association, December 2 - Chilaw Sudasuna Hall, December 6 - Galle Co-operative Building, December 15 and 16 - Kandy Sampath Reception Hall from 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Miracle Wings

Hilda Herat, Nelum Munasinghe, Sherine Munasinghe and seven other women will hold Miracle Wings - their annual exhibition of household linen, artificial floral arrangements, cakes, wines, plants and many handicraft items on December 1 at the All Ceylon Women’s Buddhist Congress from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Shadow embroidery, embroidery done on the reverse side of the cloth will be a special attraction.

Cottage craft, embroidered kurtas and sarees will be the special attractions this time. Food stalls and a variety of pickles and sweets will also be part of the event.

Handicrafts sale

Sarath Malalasekera

The Lanka Mahila Samithi held its annual sale of handicrafts at the Girls’ Friendly Society, Kollupitiya, on Tuesday. The Canadian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka Angela Bogdon was the chief guest.

A variety of attractive handicrafts produced by members of the Rural Mahila Samithi in several districts were on sale.

Fine crochet and beeralu lace, table cloth and teapoy covers, as well as cushions with traditional Sinhala embroidery were brought from the South. The Kalutara district Samithi sent in sleeping mats, sewing boxes, wallets, coasters and other products.

Baskets of various types and sizes, table mats and other household articles made of rush, reed ekel and cane from Kegalle and other districts arrived whereas wall hangings, wallets and letter holders from Kandy also graced the event.

Another attraction was smocked children’s frocks, night dresses and baby dresses from Bulathsinhala. There was a variety of Batik items including kaftans, shirts, sarongs, wall hangings and table cloth with napkins to match.