Wish List

Also known as Things I Want For My Birthday But Will Not Get. Alternately, Must Get A Job That Pays More.

Whenever people ask me what I want for my birthday I always say I don't want anything, mostly because I'm embarrassed at how grossly extravagant the things I want are. Like the following:

Flowers. A garden's worth, if possible.

This bag. And this bag. And these shoes.

An iPad. Or a Samsung tab. I'm not picky.

This and this, because I read their blogs and love their food.

A luxurious spa day.

A 50mm lens. But hey, since we're dreaming big, lets make that an f/1.2

An all expenses paid vacation to, including but not limited to, any of the following:

1,2,3,4

Dream big or go home, I say.

10 things I love - Art Collections

This edition of 10 things I love covers collections of art I've discovered on the interwebs, mostly on twitter, and a large portion via Vindi, curated for your viewing pleasure.

1. This gorgeous Frida Kahlo sketch is part of a series titled A Peek Inside the Notebooks of Famous Authors, Artists and Visionaries. Special mention: Kurt Cobain and da Vinci's diaries.

Link Love

Fresh from an action packed weekend, I needed a little downtime, so Monday was dedicated to "internet research". I share with you my findings..

* Anoma Wijewardene is having an art exhibition that opens tomorrow and will run until July 18th. Titled Deliverance, it is about nature, water and oceans specifically, and depicts the relationships between man and water. It also ties in with Rio+20, so expect to see some science at the event, as well as poetry by Ramya Jirasinghe, which I'm quite excited to read. Anoma does some really fantastic work with mixed media, and pushes the boundaries of what can be achieved through art. Listen to her interview on Groundviews and read this article for more info. The art will be displayed at Saskia Fernando Gallery and Paradise Road Galleries.

Ps. they are looking for volunteers for the exhibition. If you're interested, get in touch and I'll link you up.

* Rio+20 is happening in a few days, and their website has a breakdown of the discussion topics which you can vote on to recommend as top priority. I include this link not because I think this conference is going to make much difference (hey, Copenhagen!), but for the environmentalists and researchers out there, it gives a good indication of areas that need study and advocacy.

* Moving into writing, do read this delightful piece by Smriti Daniel about Charles Dickens visiting present day Sri Lanka. Love her writing!

* I debated whether or not to link to this article but decided to after all, as an example of completely non-constructive criticism and an equally juvenile response. Instead of debating the critic's (rather harsh) comments, the commentators resorted to foul language and personal attacks, thereby rendering the whole exercise pointless and open for ridicule. If you wonder why there is no thriving review culture in Sri Lanka, at least in English, here's why; the criticism is neither given nor taken in the kind of spirit that leads to self evaluation and improvement.

* The Celtics lost to the Heat on Sunday. I don't want to talk about it. BUT if you're a fan, you might like this article I found on Grantland titled Understanding Rondo. And just for fun, KG being KG. You can knock him down but you can't knock him out!

* If you're a photographer, especially into street and travel photography, this article has some good tips for you. Also consider buying this book, Lonely Planet's Guide to Travel Photography which has good reviews on Amazon.

* Speaking of photography, love love this album I found on facebook done by Life Times SL, breaking down LGBT stereotypes. The concept and photography are so creative and hats off to the production team. I wish more activism was approached like this. 

* Batman fans, here's a treat for you: a series of epic posters for the upcoming movie. 

That's all folks. Happy reading!

Musicmatters Colombo Festival 2012

Back to back musical treats! If you missed last week's Melomanic Sessions, I pity you, but you can redeem yourself this Satuday at the Musicmatters Festival.

Musicmatters, for those of you who don't know, is a group of exceptional musicians, headed by the wildly talented Eshantha Peiris and Sumudi Suraweera, who teach kids to love music. They are also the organisers of the always fantastic Big Ears music series.

On Saturday, 9th June, they will be having their, I want to say annual, music festival at Park Street Mews. The last time they had a music festival it was so phenomenal that you would be a fool to miss this one. As a long time follower of Thriloka ( a blog search tells me 5 years!), I have seen them put on some exceptional performances and produce some scintillating music. Though they haven't performed together for ages, all the band members are playing at the festival, and they are all amazing performers. They are also bringing in international musicians and will feature music ranging from jazz to folk to rock. Without further ado, and before I run out of adjectives, here's the lineup.

Lifetimes

Vesak weekend was amazing; everything a holiday should be. The weather, after weeks of rain, was sunny and breezy, there was a beautiful poya moon; it was calm, relaxing, inspiring, invigorating and in the end, a close to a chapter of my life that I will always hold very dear.

Galle Fort at sunset

Long walks under a beautiful moon

 Comfy beds and great food

 A hike to Jungle Beach. That first view always takes my breath away.

 The poetry of an ocean in motion.

It was a special time that I want to bottle up and preserve forever. A perfect moment in time that lets you see what life could be like if not for all the things we complicate our lives with. The comfortable silences shared, the familiar feel of skin on skin, the new memories and old..

Maybe in another lifetime.


* title from Next Lifetime - Erykah Badu
*panoramic photograph by G.