Good Design in Sri Lanka
It’s intermission at the Savoy and they put ads up on screen. I don’t feel like a 50 rupee beer or packaged popcorn so I’m sitting, watching the ads on screen. This one’s for Keells Sausages, and they wouldn’t, yeah, I think they just scanned a flyer for Keells Sausage and put it on screen. And the flyer is dirty. It’s brownish colored and covered in fingerprints, like somebody wrapped a sausage in it. That’s one example of Sri Lankan design.
Another example is Geoffrey Bawa‘s architecture in Kandalama or the Parliament Building. Bawa was a Sri Lankan Burgher, like Ondaatje, except no other nation has dibs on him. His design sense was impeccable. So, there is a side of Colombo which places a high premium on design – Barefoot, Gallery Cafe (Bawa’s old office), Odel’s, basically the people that advertise in Leisure Times.
Today me and Amma met with Deshan Tennekoon – the Editor of Leisure Times, and the new Student Times. Right now Student Times has descriptions of schools, but we talked about possible ranking system like US News and World Report’s College Bible.
Vocational schools aren’t such a big thing in the Etats, but in SL about 90% of students can’t get into the few universities, so they go to vocational ed and try to get a j-o. The issue is that there are 18,000 courses and degrees and nobody has any idea what’s worth what.
I was thinking you could set up two databases – one for the courses and one for job postings – and cross reference them. When you’re looking at a course that promises certain skills (say, MS Office and Access) the database would automatically pull up the employers looking for those skills. Also, when you look at jobs the database would pull up the courses that give you the skills they’re looking for. Data structure wise it’s pretty straightforward, though it could get slow with thousands of data sets. To test the idea I’d have learn the 2 new languages, but I figure I can learn mySQL and php in a few weeks.
But back to the point, Leisure Times and Student Times are cool magazines cause the design is good (Vectors!) and the headlines aren’t in stilted pseudo-posh English like most of the papers. It’s refreshing to read them, and Deshan’s cool. He’s about 4 years older than me and he set up his own successful media company (hybridmedia) after graduating from uni in UK. I would like to be in a similar position in 4 years, but who knows.
The Mahavamsa (a history of Sri Lanka) is full of conflicts between generals and kings. Usually, the more bloodthirsty and unscrupulous would win. Our current (elected) ruler Mahinda Rajapaksa has had his own general conflicts, namely with one Sarath Fonseka. In the old days Fonseka would have staged a coup, as in literally try to cut of Mahinda’s head, and Mahinda would – if that failed – tie him to four elephants and split his parts asunder. Can’t do that shit anymore. Instead Fonseka ran for office and lost and Mahinda tossed him in jail.
Today on the 
Janith has updated 
This is highly dubious. Miss Travel is a travel/social networking site that connects ‘Generous’ and ‘Attractive’ travelers. To, like, travel together, I guess. It all seems a bit like arranged prostitution and trafficking. This is part of a broader online trend to connect rich men to younger, attractive women. Sites like 
to whoever this may be … thought i should comment … as i knew deshan tennekoon …
i’m malaysian and we knew each other in uni in london … he is indeed a very cool chap … i am also the nephew of the late mr. neelan tiruchelvam … he was also a very cool chap
… pity what happened … great site …
Yeah, man. I, too, know Deshan Tennekoon. And indeed he is a very cool chap. In fact, he might one of the coolest people I know. I am not related to the late Mr. Neelan Tiruchelvam.
Damn shame about Neelan. No relation either. I knew Deshan before any of you did. His father knows my father too. So bugger off! His sister is fit.
This is like a wall you guys are peeing on to mark territory. I’m going to give Thaya 2 points for knowing both Neelan and Deshan, J Buddy gets 1, and Shanaka gets 1 despite trying to trick me with extraneous information.
I know deshan, and think he’s a guy full of bull shit. The LT is mainly full of ads and the articles in it lack good writing and flair. He gets a bunch of young ass brats to write who have no writing talents . he does most of the editing,so all the articles are basically in his words. If u actually go to read them, you can see that there is no talent is his writing skills. Only good thing is he can describe something in detail, such as a detective will do on a case. But totally boring! Those mags are all about ads ads and more ads ! Totally a crappy mag!
Dear Gabriel,
Thank you for your well reasoned and articulate feedback. I am always keen to hear from readers of The LT.
I have segmented your devastating criticism of the publication and addressed each point individually. I have avoided words with more than three syllables as far as possible.
I KNOW DESHAN, AND THINK HE’S A GUY FULL OF BULL SHIT.
I don’t know you so I’m not sure if you’re full of bullshit but I have my suspicions.
THE LT IS MAINLY FULL OF ADS
Actually, our content to adverts ratio rarely breaches the 50:50 mark. 50% is hardly ‘full’. Do you know what ‘full’ means?
AND THE ARTICLES IN IT LACK GOOD WRITING AND FLAIR.
We r currently working to correct our flair-deficiency issues by studying ur critique of the magazine. we hope to pick up many many many totally enlightening tips! And stuff!
HE GETS A BUNCH OF YOUNG ASS BRATS TO WRITE WHO HAVE NO WRITING TALENTS .
I shall convey your asinine observations to my young-ass brats. They will no doubt be gratified that you took the time to point out their chronic inability to write properly. (Tangent – ‘young-ass brats’ will probably read better with the hyphen).
HE DOES MOST OF THE EDITING,
I do all of the editing actually, on account of my being the Editor. Strange that.
SO ALL THE ARTICLES ARE BASICALLY IN HIS WORDS.
Do you actually know the difference between a Writer and an Editor?
IF U ACTUALLY GO TO READ THEM, YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE IS NO TALENT IS HIS WRITING SKILLS.
Maybe, but then I’m not a gifted writer like you.
ONLY GOOD THING IS HE CAN DESCRIBE SOMETHING IN DETAIL, SUCH AS A DETECTIVE WILL DO ON A CASE.
It’s weird but I can’t seem to locate a single source that defines a detective as someone who describes things, in detail or otherwise.
BUT TOTALLY BORING!
Like, totally!
THOSE MAGS ARE ALL ABOUT ADS ADS AND MORE ADS !
And punctuation.
TOTALLY A CRAPPY MAG!
A clever point, well made.
Deshan I think Gabriel may have meant young, ass-brats, thereby implying that you are having your wicked anal way with them. This is the horror of ambiguos punctuation, or lack thereof. No wonder I’ve seen some of the LT staff walking funny. Gabriel you’re spot on man. Deshan is a dick (says Shanaka inflammatorily).
I was going out on Saturday and I almost panicked cause I couldn’t find my LT. I don’t know what or where anything is so I’m pretty crippled without it. As far as Colombo culture goes it’s a pretty vital publication. People always steal mine, if that tells you anything.
Sri Lankans often cut down anything new (with criticisms similar to Gabe’s). Desh and Tracy have done a lot to support and bring up Sri Lankan art, culture, alcoholism, etc and I think it’s good.
the descent into normalcy is slow but uncertain
chaps, i think the laughter’s louder in the other room
LT has been a shot in the arm for Sri Lanka, a much needed listings magazine with excellent reviews. Whenever I am in the country, it is in my bag all the time. I think rather than (fairly incompetent) criticism, some constructive ideas may be a good one, Gabe (if that is indeed your real name, hmmm?)
Anyway, Deshan. I have known him since we are young kids, even though (thankfully) we live on different continents – after all, you can’t choose your parents’ friends, can you? He was a fool then, and he’s a fool now. And leave his sister alone, whoever you were. She’s got a mean right hook on her – trust me, I know. Lovely girl, of course.
S.