A talented Anulian

A day at the Olentangy trail

 by Janani Amarasekara

The Saturday was glorious. Unlike the earlier days, the atmosphere was filled with a cool breeze and warm sunshine. It was the perfect day for an outdoor stroll. Weekends here in Columbus are usually sunny. We, along with some other Sri Lankans who live in Columbus, decided to take advantage of this perfect day. “It is the tail end of autumn.

Before the snow begins there’s something we should see,” suggested one of the Sri Lankans who had been living here for a while. I being a novice had no idea where to go and what to see. By about 10 in the morning everyone gathered at the hotel where we stayed. We packed snacks and drinks in our picnic bags, and armed with enough warm clothes, everyone was ready to leave.

Within a few minutes, everybody was in the vehicle and with the aid of a global positioning tool (GPS); we were on our way to our destination. Since it was Saturday, the road was full of vehicles. However, to my surprise I did not hear any honking at all.

There were queues of hundreds of vehicles, but I could hardly call it heavy traffic unlike Colombo. People were in their lanes, following the traffic lights. It was a smooth journey. We were driving along a river, and by the side of the road were trees of different hue.

“Hey, look at those trees. Those are beautiful. Don’t they grow in our country?” My voice was rather loud, almost everybody in the vehicle started giggling, and my husband’s flushed face turned towards me. It showed signs of discomfort. I realised that I said something stupid. “Idiot, those are not a special type of trees,” my husband whispered slowly into my ear.

“Then, what are they?” I was inquisitive and still loud. “Shush, haven’t you heard that in autumn leaves take different colours?,” “Oh! I know. But, I never thought they would be so amazing,” I tried to cover up and fake a relaxed smile at the others. What a shame! “We are going to Olentangy trails to see the Fall colours,” said a fellow traveller to rescue me from the difficult situation. “I heard we can see striking Fall colours in that locale.” He added.

Thanks to the GPS tool, we reached our haven soon. After parking the vehicle near the entrance, we unloaded our picnic bags and warm clothes. Though, it was a bright and sunny day, a slight chilly weather made us stick to our warm clothes, something unusual for me. In the morning, I was so delighted with the sight of sunshine, and was ready to leave my warm clothes behind at the hotel. However, luckily I listened to my husband and brought them with me.

If not I would definitely be freezing while on the trail. Finally, after the preparation, we were ready to see the Fall colours at the Olentangy trail. This is a beautiful greenway-walking path along the Olentangy River. It is one of the most popular greenways in Ohio. This trail offers an unspoiled 22 kilometres, from Worthington Hills to downtown Columbus.

This well-liked bikeway winds through several neighbourhoods, with trailheads at several major city parks. We did not walk until the end of the trail. However, we hiked quite a distance. On our way through, we passed a few artistic bridges, picturesque multi-coloured trees and a massive playground. By the side of the playground there was a Skateboard Park too, something we do not witness in our country.

A few boys on their skateboards were playing on the cement structure. Bikers and runners were a usual site on the trail.Unfortunately, we were a little tardy to see the Fall colours at that spot. To our relief there were some amazing trees, although the majority of the trees had already shed their leaves. One of the members of our crew said, “We came here to see the Fall colours, in vain all the colours have already fallen.” It was the joke of the day. However, it was a pretty good day outdoors, out of Columbus!

Pix: Aravinda Dassanayake

 

All Saints Church, Borella

A short drive along Punchi Borella via Ananda Rajakaruna Mawatha brought us to a glorious church with a tall spire and an unusual bell tower. Next to All Saints Girls’ School was the All Saints Church, which is one of the two All Saints’ Churches in Sri Lanka. Galle Fort houses the other All Saints’ Church. The environment in the church at Borella is completely different. Some priests at a nearby mission house felt the need for a church at this area and the construction was carried out with the help of devotees. When we reached there, the Tamil mass was going on. This is the only church in Sri Lanka, which has Mosaic Art on Royal glass paintings. The church was designed using the techniques of Gothic Architecture, on June 28 1886 Parish Priest Bonjan laid the foundation stone for the church. Fr. Collin, one of the initiators, was very enthusiastic about building a church. He succeeded in acquiring the land of two acres with the help of Lady Pies Johanna Wenham Thomson and Lady Arthur Gordon, the wife of the then Governor of Ceylon. At the auspicious moment of laying the foundation stone, Governor, Sir Arthur Hamilton Gordon brought some documents written in Latin. It is said the documents described the construction of the church. Those were put into a tiny glass bottle and then buried with the foundation stone. A result, number of carnivals and fairs were organised to collect funds Fr. Conrad was one of the priests who was eager to put up the church. Later, Fr. A. M. B. Jayamanna further developed the church. As a result of a vow he had made for the successful completion of the church, now there is a cloth with a scenery from the life of Jesus painted on it. It is fixed on the roof above the main altar. The first service after the completion of the church was held on September 24, 1938. Painted glass windows and doors add an extra colour to the already glamorous church interior. In keeping with the Sri Lankan culture, there are a few lotus flowers painted on the ceiling of the church. Among the other attractions at the church premises are the cave and the bell tower which have taken a prominent place. According to legend some devotees had seen Mother Mary near the cave here. The bell tower, which was built in 1957, is the only one in Asia that has 25 bells in one place. The tower was erected to commemorate the 300th Novena of the church. These bells were brought from Bokum City, in West Germany. They were especially made from a metal unique to that particular factory. The largest bell of the tower weighs 2000kg. Operated manually at first, the bell tower was later converted to an electronically operated one. There is also a mission house at the back of the church. Words ‘Pax Huic Domu’ is written at the entrance. It means ‘Peace to this House’.

Alls well that ends well!

 It was a fine Sunday morning, I should have woken up earlier. I had to sit a very competitive examination at an examination centre I had never gone and never heard of before. It was at 9.30 in the morning, and I woke up at 8’o clock. At the first glance on the wall clock, I was convinced that the clock had stopped last night at eight.

Oh no, seeing the same time displayed on the mobile phone and my mother’s scream hit me hard, I nearly fell off the bed. Nothing was ready. “What had I been doing last night? Oh, Aishwarya was gorgeous in that lovely red dress and Sharukh was really handsome.” Another one or two minutes was wasted in pensiveness until my father also screamed at me. Wearing a wrinkled top and not at all matching denim, dishevelled to the maximum, I got into the car with pens and pencils in one hand and a sandwich in the other. “Oh, I forgot the bottle of water,” I screamed. “I cannot turn back. Buy one from a nearby shop,” father exploded. I sat back and tried to loosen up. The morning was a complete disaster; I hope that at least the examination will be a piece of cake. “Dad, do you know the place?” “I think so. I asked my peon for directions,” he replied. I was relieved. I admired the striking colonial type buildings along the road. Turning left and right, finally dad brought me to a place which looked like a school. “The building over there with a high green wall is your examination centre,” he pointed. “Right, then after the examination I’ll have to come home by bus?” I asked praying he would say he would come. “Yes, you better. Walk down this lane and what you see over there is the main road,” he rekindled my hopes. I walked into the premises, without wasting even a millisecond to confirm that the place was correct. “Could you tell me where hall number 01 is please?” I inquired from one of the girls there and they pointed to me the direction. As I was on my way to the hall, another candidate asked me, “Is this Wolvendal School?” I was flummoxed, because it was not my examination centre, “I’m not sure. I didn’t actually check the board, however, my centre is Kotahena Central College,” Shocked as I was, she suggested, “Shall we ask somebody else?” “Yes, sure” At the end of all the inquiries, I realised that it was I who had come to the wrong centre. I hurriedly rang my father while those girls lamented that I had to go a long way to find the centre in a limited time. My furious father virtually flew to the place and as soon as I got into the car he said, “Didn’t you ask directions to the school?” “They said I need to go to Kotahena,” I stuttered. “No, it should be somewhere around here,” he screamed. He took a nippy turn to the next byroad, and asked a person about the school, “Go straight on this road, and take a right turn and then a left turn.” We followed his directions and it brought us nowhere. Time was ticking fast and there was precisely 10 minutes for the examination to begin. Highly frustrated, I was almost in tears. My father kept scolding me about my messy life. He dashed at of the car to ask directions, on his way back he asked another. He said, “Kotahena! My Gosh, you need to go to Kotahena what are you doing here?” We silently came up to the main road. The admission card had the address of the centre as Maha Vidyala Veethi. We were both convinced that the lane should be somewhere around here. I actually could remember passing that street when we were on our way to the earlier place. We gave up asking for directions for the school. We asked for the street. Within a few minutes, we were standing in front of the school. As always, I have been lucky, it was exactly 9.30 and the examinations had not yet begun. By the time I entered the school, the candidates were still loitering. The morning was full of action and within seconds, my mind was at ease to write the examination in style.

Southern express way of Sri Lanka

An evening at Galle Face Green

The sun was at the edge of the horizon and the Galle Face green was warming up for a long night despite the slight drizzle. It was a busy Sunday evening at the Galle Face Green. An array of old and new models of vehicles filled the car park and the ticket officer was busy issuing parking tickets. Through the barricade, we entered the breezy stretch of green, the walkers’ paradise, which graciously welcomed us to the arena.

Though it was just 5 o’clock in the evening, the promenade on the sea face stretching one and a half kilometres was swarming with families, children, vendors, lovers and merrymakers.

The largest open space in Colombo used by many hundreds a day was a donation of the British Governor Sir Henry Ward. He laid out this land in 1859. It was used for horse racing a hundred years ago and it is now a paradise for high-spirited citizens.

Two major Sri Lankan hotels, the Ceylon Continental and the Galle Face Hotel, mark the boundaries of this picturesque green turf, while Taj Samudra overlooks the stretch. Many Romeos and Juliets were huddled under umbrellas were dreaming and in their own world. At the same time, some children along with their parents raced across the stretch with their toys and while some flew kites.

The tantalising aroma of fast food vendors was too inviting to ignore. Unless you are a hygiene freak, there are enough and more food choices to make. My favourite has always been the prawn vade, without sauce though. These vendors have everything you need to pile up some fat on your tummy. If you are not into snacks, they will even give you dinner. The famous of the fast food joints is the Nana’s. There were three shops with the same name; however, the inauguration years were 1979, 1987 and 1988. The Nana’s food stall of 1979 boasts of being the pioneers. Galle Face Green hardly goes empty during any time of the day.

It attracts many locals as well as tourists. It is the best spot in town for vendors. Merrymakers strode on to the beach from the steps, which lead from the parapet wall, under the vigilant eyes of lifeguards, these merrymakers enjoyed the experience of the rolling waters. The giggles of the girls echoed on the walls and the men followed the hum to check out on girls. Those who wanted to remain in dry clothing cheered the rest. The evening was vibrant!

A little walk towards the Continental brings you to the 100 metres tall remote operated flagpole and to the newly built bridge, which spans up to the deep waters. The experience on this observation point is wonderful. The deep waters circle around the supporting pillars, as if they are ready to drag them to the seabed. This is the ideal spot to watch the divine view of the sunset.

The mesmerising colours of the evening sky hold you to a step closer to nature. The view of the sea is magnificent; it calms down a tensed mind and eases the pressure. However, the situation on land is pathetic. Among vendors and visitors are piles of garbage thrown here and there. There are garbage cans kept at some points. Maybe these are inadequate and the public are not educated enough on the proper disposal of garbage.

At one point there was a board displayed to warn the public of a fine, unfortunately, someone had changed the lettering and it read ‘If you keep the environment clean, Rs. 500 will be fined.”

However, it is the responsibility of all of us to keep the place clean, so that future generations can benefit from this invaluable landscape.

Self-discipline for cyclists, a must

Road accidents are on the rise and every day the country loses five to six valuable lives on the road. Who takes the blame? People point fingers at officials, but how fair is it? Every citizen should take responsibility. Upholding road laws by users make the experience on the road pleasant for all of us. On a previous week we enlightened you on some best practices, pedestrians need to follow. Today we are educating you on some rules and regulations cyclists need to follow. According to Sri Lankans, the cycle is the vehicle of the poor.

However, now many youngsters use cycles to commute to school. Intentionally or unintentionally, sloppy cyclists cause many accidents on the road. The first step of safe cycling and in avoiding accidents is checking the bicycle, to see if it is in good condition. Ensure that it is mechanically good, the height of the seat and the handle suits your height, and the fixed revenue license is visible.
The number of accidents, related to cyclists, occurs during the dark hours can be more, when compared to daylight hours. Therefore, a white lamp infront and a red lamp or a reflector at the back is essential. Painting the mudguard in white is also important. When the light is dim, always activate these lights and wear light coloured clothes to make it easier for other vehicles to spot you.
The wisest action is using the dedicated cyclists' lane if present, as it is safer than on busy roads. However, in the absence of a lane, ride closer to the left edge. Riding in vertical lines, rather than going in pairs is secure for the riders. Some modern day youngsters do perilous stunts using bicycles. Unless they are professional stunt performers, this action would lead to many accidents.
Therefore, riding using both hands is the best, while not giving hand signals. Even when signalling, do that early allowing sufficient time for drivers to prepare. Never carry anything extra, which will disturb proper handling of the cycle. In some areas, especially in villages, people hold other cyclists and chat while riding. This practice is dangerous and should be avoided. Unlike other vehicles, bicycles have the benefit of taking less room on the road. Then cyclists are tempted to overtake other vehicles in a bad manner.
This could surprise other drivers, and could lead to accidents. When it comes to mishaps related to cyclists, always it is not the fault of the rider.
Therefore, it is better to be cautious than be regretful. While passing parked vehicles, see if a careless passenger has opened a door, or may be another motorists might hastily overtake the parked vehicle and you. Be careful about your surroundings.
Another fatal moment in motor traffic is when a vehicle enters a main road, since this is an unexpected movement for drivers on the main road, it is better to stop and watch the traffic. When the highway is clear, entering is secure.
On a one-way road or at a roundabout avoid taking the opposite way. Sure, you notice vehicle come to your face, but these motorists do not anticipate you. Thus, the result will be an accident.
Arresting accidents is easy if we act cautiously on the road and follow road rules. Let us aid the country to minimise the number of lives lost unreasonably. In another episode, we will elaborate about road rules applying to motorists.