Sustainable Me

As a fashion designer, I strongly believe we have to be aware of the story behind products and the people who are involved in the process of its production . Having been involved in the fashion industry for a number of years, I’ve gathered experience in a start-up and a few of the more recognised labels in Sri Lanka . Since we are now facing a pandemic on a scale that we haven’t seen the likes of for more than a century I thought it was important for me to talk about the importance of supporting local brands. I want to share the story behind my favourite type of fabric to work with. It is that of the handloom textile. The history behind traditional handloom weaving in Sri Lanka dates back to the times of the Indian Prince Vijaya and quite possibly before that. It is said that upon his arrival on the island in 543 BC, he witnessed a woman called Kuveni from the indigenous race “Yaksha Gothra” spinning yarn - she would go on to be his wife. The local handloom industry acquir...

A bright sunny afternoon in 2019 took a 180-degree shift to become a dark, windy, and scary one in just a matter of minutes!I remember this day very well as we were enjoying an event celebrating the Sinhala and Tamil New year organized by CIM Sri Lanka. We had perfect weather for an event like this (which started around 10 am that morning). But everything changed that afternoon. This is when I quickly snapped this picture! The rain got us soaked while we danced to the music. It was not the ideal weather to have, but we decided to have fun anyway.I know what you're thinking. We secured our mobile phones by putting them into polythene bags and keeping them under a hut by the DJ! The point I am trying to get at is that, you still can find happiness in adversity . Economic Effects I am sure you have heard enough about the adverse economic impacts that Coronavirus has and will bring about. Unemployment rates will soar, Gross Domestic Product or GDP (An indicator of the val...

COVID-19  smacked us in the face out of nowhere , didn’t it? The effects of the pandemic are unprecedented and so significant that the whole world is in a state of emergency. Economies are baldy impacted and this does have a rippling effect on all of us. It looks like the negative impacts will continue to be encountered in the foreseeable future. But, there’s a BIG But! Ups & Downs Where would the “Ups” come from without the “Downs”? Now if you start to keep the emotions at bay and start thinking logically, you will realize that adversity has brought out the best in us as we try to navigate through trying times. A quick glance at such events in history will highlight key inventions that came out of most trying times. So we can try to find peace in the fact that good things are coming our way! 😊 Focus On What Is In YOUR Control You control your emotions, your decisions, your feelings, your thinking, your motivation, your need to be better and the list goes on. Rather...

As an avid car enthusiast, I saw an opportunity when I heard that my friend Praveen Fernando joined the state-of-the-art Mercedes Benz Sri Lanka showroom (run by Dimo 800) as a Sales Consultant. He followed his passion for cars and gets to be with them most of the day! I so badly wanted a tour around the facility and told my friend about this. He was more than glad to invite me over. I even applied for leave (during the busiest times) to experience the new showroom! I remember driving to the location, and I was stunned seeing the architecture of the building with a massive structure of the “three-pointed star” badge right on top of the roof. Feeling at home I wasn’t going to buy a car that day although I do aspire to someday in the future. My friend was to meet me in 10 minutes (I was 30 minutes early as usual) and I sat down in the customer lounge overlooking an array of brand new Mercedes cars and SUVs. I was given a nice cup of coffee and was so lovely to see the Merce...

Winning a lottery can be attributed to “overnight success”, but in our daily lives the chances of winning a lottery is slimmer than the slimmest smartphone out there. What if I told you that there is a way to increase your wealth over time? All you need is focus and discipline! Here are some tips for you. What can’t be measured, cannot be managed You need to set your financial goals right at the outset. This means that you need to consider making a plan. A plan that would help you understand where you want to go and where you are at the moment. This will pave the way to understanding the gap between now and “then”. Say for example you want to save Rs.500,000. If you don’t set out a timeline for achieving the same, it would seem like a very difficult task, but let me simplify it for you. Plan it out Considering the above example, let’s look at a two-year plan to achieve this. 2 years, in other words, is 24 months. So, this is our first step. Divide the total amoun...

Try to relive that first interview of yours . It sure was scary, wasn’t it? Your heart racing, your palms sweating and you are engulfed with nervous energy. Well done though! Look where you are now? I am sure you are in a position to advise another on how to do a better job at their first interview right? It’s always good to have an open mind and learn new things. Even about something, you think you don’t need to know more about, or you think would not really help you in the future. Good News! Are you about to face your first ever job interview? Or are you thinking of switching company or role? If the answer is yes, I have laid out a few tips especially for you!   I I have been through more than 5 Job interviews in my life and I am fairly confident that what I think was important should really help you ace that interview with 100% confidence Know your company Be sure to research a fair bit on the company you want to join. You may use their website to get an understa...

Sahana Ravishankar is an Attorney-at-Law by profession who has an undying passion for helping all kinds of animals. Especially cats and dogs. I first connected with her on Facebook about a year or so back after seeing a post about two pups who were rescued and needed "furrever homes" as she affectionately refers to it. Feeding the hungry Most of her good deeds revolve around feeding street dogs and cats who would otherwise more or less suffer of starvation and die. Her feeding rounds are regular and require so much effort to carry out. My mom and I once gave a small treat to five street doggies a few months back and that required quite a bit of effort. Buying the food, transporting it, finding the dogs, giving them the food without inconveniencing the public, and ensuring you leave no waste behind. It's a process! Adoption and Re-homing Not only feeding, she adopts helpless cats and dogs too. Caring for them until she finds people she can trust to take care of ...