Life style

The story of the Ceylon spice: harvesting ‘true cinnamon’

Published

2 months ago

2023/03/26

By Zinara Rathnayake

It is 9am in the Carlton estate in Thihagoda, a small town about 160km (100 miles) south of Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo, and the July sun hides behind inky clouds. The air is thick and hot. Two men walk to the main estate building carrying piles of cinnamon branches. Inside, a group of women sit on the cement floor, chatting as they peel cinnamon.

Since 2000, workers here have planted, harvested and peeled cinnamon, sending batches of the fragrant sticks to a factory in Kamburupitiya, a 15-minute drive away, where they are cut, packed and loaded onto shipping containers for export.

Cinnamon harvesting usually takes place from June to December when the monsoon skies burst into downpours. But here at Rathna Producers Cinnamon Exports, it is produced throughout the year on the 42-acre (17 hectares) estate. “When we are done harvesting one acre, the next acre is ready,” says Chamara Lakshith, 28, the estate’s visiting officer, whose job involves coordinating between the estate and the main office in Kamburupitiya. “But sometimes for a few weeks, the bark is so hard that you can’t peel cinnamon. We know it by looking at the trees; young leaves turn striking red.”

The family business that began in 1985 is run by Ravindu Runage, whose late father started in the cinnamon trade with 7,000 Sri Lankan rupees ($35) to buy cinnamon from small farmers and sell it to bigger traders.

Now, Runage says the company is one of the largest cinnamon producers in Sri Lanka, exporting cinnamon and other spices like nutmeg and black pepper to 56 countries. Apart from growing organic cinnamon, the company also sources it from 8,000 individual and small-scale farmers and exports more than 30 containers of cinnamon a month.

“We grew up with cinnamon,” says 36-year-old Runage, at his office in Kamburupitiya, surrounded by several industry awards his family has won over the years. “We lived in a two-bedroom house. We slept in one room. In the other room, my thaththa [father] stored cinnamon.”

Once they were in the business, the Runage family learned that Mexico is one of the biggest cinnamon consumers. “So thaththa learned English and visited Mexico in 1998 to find a buyer,” says Runage. “But they spoke Spanish. So thaththa sent his business cards to companies he found in a telephone book.”

“Five months later, we sold our first container of cinnamon to Mexico.”

The world’s best cinnamon

There are two types of cinnamon in the Western market: Ceylon cinnamon (named after the title British colonisers gave to Sri Lanka) and cassia. Ceylon cinnamon is native to Sri Lanka; it has a lush, inviting scent and a sweet taste, and its quills are soft and light brown in colour. Cassia comes from other Asian countries like China, Indonesia and Vietnam; its bark is sturdy with a rough texture, it is dark brown in colour and is stronger and hotter in taste. Cassia is considered lower quality, while Ceylon often triumphs as the pure, “true cinnamon”.

The process of producing this cinnamon includes several laborious, time-consuming steps. This is also why Ceylon cinnamon is expensive in the market while cassia is cheap, Runage says.

At the estate, seeds are planted in grow bags. After one year, saplings are cultivated. Harvesting begins four years later.

Ravindu Runage’s late father started Rathna Producers Cinnamon Exports in 1985; they have now won several industry awards

For harvesting, farmers cut down the branches of cinnamon trees at an angle, which allows cinnamon bushes to regrow, Lakshith says. Young and tender twigs are thrown away. Once branches are soaked in water and are moist enough, peelers remove the outermost layer of the cinnamon bark. To produce thin cinnamon quills, they spend hours stripping off the inner bark of the cinnamon branch in sheets.

Once produced, Ceylon cinnamon quills are graded based on their width; the thinner the quills, the higher they are in value. Alba is the highest form of cinnamon, with a diameter of 6mm. H1 is a lower grade of cinnamon, with a diameter of 22mm. In the export market, Alba costs twice as much as H1.

A generational craft

With a hearty smile, Suduhakuru Piyathilake holds a large batch of cinnamon quills. Piyathilake and his wife have been living in an old, dilapidated house next to the estate’s main building for 10 years now.

At 5am every day, Piyathilake heads off to the plantation. After collecting branches from about 15 trees, he plods back to the water tank in the main building, drops them off for soaking and returns to the plantation. He must make several trips back and forth before he begins peeling.

“When it’s moist, it’s easy to peel,” says the 55-year-old. “That’s why we cut them early in the morning and soak them.”

When the clock hits 10am, Piyathilake comes back with the last batch. After five hours, he has collected the branches of 200 trees. Sweat trickles down his forehead. A resident kitten swats at his feet, but Piyathilake ignores it and rushes in for a shower.

After a two-hour break, he sharpens his knife by scraping the outer bark of the branch and then he gets to work. “This is what my father and his father did,” he says. “Now my sons are cinnamon peelers.”

Piyathilake has been peeling cinnamon for the last 43 years. He learned the craft from his father in their village in Elpitiya, 70km north of the Runage family estate, where his children live with his mother. At home, cinnamon trees adorn their back yard, Piyathilake says. “But it’s a small garden so we can’t harvest cinnamon every day of the year. We don’t make much money there. So I work here with my wife. We only see our children once in every four months.”

Piyathilake is so adept at work that he can masterfully strip off extremely thin barks of the cinnamon branch by merely measuring them next to his index finger. After peeling the outer bark, he makes two cuts on two opposite sides before peeling off the inner bark. A half a length cut of your smallest bone is for Alba, Piyathilake says. For “rough” or H1 cinnamon quills, Piyathilake uses the length of two bones of his index finger.

However, even for experienced generational peelers like Piyathilake, making extremely thin Alba cinnamon is profitless. By 10pm – when he sets off to sleep – Piyathilake can have peeled about 5kg of lower grade cinnamon, earning about 2,500 rupees ($12.50) per kilogramme. “But I will only make just one kilo of Alba for the whole day,” he says. “Alba is smaller and lightweight so you need to make more quills to make up a kilo – that earns me only 4,300 rupees [$21.50].”

When Piyathilake removes the inner bark, it curls up within a few minutes under the shade. These barks are then stuffed with small cuttings of the bark called quillings to make one 42-inch (1 metre) quill. Quills are placed on ropes under the roof for drying. After three days, peelers pack them into bales and send them off to the factory.

For Piyathilake and his family, cinnamon is their bread and butter, but it is also much more than that. “It’s a craft you have to master for years. I started peeling cinnamon when I was 12. It took me several years to strip off thin layers of the inner bark without damaging it,” he says.

Skills shortage

For producers like Runage, however, it is not always easy to find skilled labour. At the Carlton estate, Piyathilake is one of their last experienced peelers. Runage feels that finding generational peelers is one of the biggest challenges in the business today.

“Peeling cinnamon requires hard labour, so the younger generations don’t want to do it any more. They prefer office jobs. It doesn’t necessarily mean that these office jobs will pay you more than peeling cinnamon, but an office job has a better social image today,” says Runage. “People consider peeling cinnamon as a low-level job, so it’s difficult for us to find experienced peelers now.”

Back at the estate’s main building, grey-haired Heenipellage Chandra sits on a floor mat, her eyes focused on the cinnamon bark she peels. For 10 years, the 62-year-old has walked to the estate daily to peel at least 3kg of cinnamon. Chandra recalls Runage’s father visiting her house in the late 1980s. “He came to meet my father-in-law and buy cinnamon from him.”

Chandra has been peeling cinnamon at home since she was married. “Somewhere in the late 1970s,” she says, trying to recall her wedding day, “Husband’s father and his father, all of them peeled cinnamon.”

But Chandra’s children do not peel cinnamon any more. Both her 20-something sons do office jobs, says Chandra as her eyes twinkle with a smile. She is proud of her sons. They have climbed the social ladder.

When the coronavirus pandemic began, most resident cinnamon peelers left for their homes during the months-long lockdowns. Runage had to shuffle his staff around to find labour; women from the factory were relocated to the estate to peel cinnamon.

– AL JAZEERA

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Life style

Live healthily and say yes to avocado

Published

13 hours ago

2023/05/28

Thilina Walpola

What Is an Avocado? An avocado is a bright green fruit with a large pit and dark leathery skin. They’re also known as alligator pears or butter fruit. Avocados are a favorite of the produce section. They’re the go-to ingredient for guacamole dips.

Avocado or more popularly called ‘Butter Fruit’ in India is a rich creamy flavoured fruit that has loads of health benefits associated with it. This super fruit is available in different varieties and all of it has one thing in common i.e its creamy taste. This is considered a super fruit because it improves digestion, prevents cancer, helps in weight loss and good for your heart.

Apart from this, this super fruit also aids in good skin health and helps improve your vision. The lutein content found in this fruit protects your skin from ageing. Thus, this super fruit comes packed with antioxidants, fibres, vitamins and minerals including a high source of potassium.

Worldwide, this fruit is known as ‘Alligator Pears’ and this fruit is treated as a luxury in most countries of the world. This is because it contains low levels of cholesterol that can do good for your heart as well as aids in weight loss. Moreover, this article will focus on the health benefits that this super fruit offers including some of its nutritional facts that can make this a luxury fruit.

Facts about Avocado (Butter Fruit):

Apart from the fact that this fruit offers loads of health benefits, there are certain interesting facts that you need to know about this fruit. Here are some must-know facts about butter fruit.

This sacred fruit has the ability to maintain sperm quality and this is because it houses healthy fats, vitamin B6 and vitamin E. Moreover, its content of vitamin B6 and selenium is said to prevent sperm damage.

This super fruit is low in cholesterol that can prevent you from the risks of developing heart diseases.Avocados contain four grams of protein that makes this fruit the highest of protein content.

Avocado trees bear fruit and survive only when there is another avocado tree next to them. This means that these avocado trees do not self-pollinate and do require another of its kind close to them in order to grow.

Health Benefits of Avocado for Health and Skin:

There have been numerous studies in the past that have listed out some of the health benefits of butter fruit and why this fruit is considered a super fruit. Thus, here are some health benefits of avocado that you should know.

Rich in Potassium:

Potassium is much-needed for the human body but most people do not get it enough and this is because of the sort of food we get today. This nutrient helps your body’s cells in numerous ways. Just 100 grams of butter is more than enough for your body to reap all of its benefits. It said to have a much higher source of potassium than bananas meaning this fruit is said to have a high source of potassium that is usually found in bananas. Potassium levels maintain a healthy blood pressure level.

Good For Your Heart:

Beta-sitosterol is the major compound found in avocados and this helps in maintaining good cholesterol levels. In some studies that involved lab rats, avocados that were given for 5 weeks continuously witnessed 27% lower triglyceride’s plasma levels in HDL cholesterol which is a good thing. Based on this finding, it is said that consuming at least 100 grams of avocado can protect you from many heart diseases.

Good For Digestion:

Avocados aids in good digestion as this super fruit is said to be good for your intestine. This is because this fruit contains soluble and insoluble fibres that maintain and keep your intestines functioning with ease. These fibres are necessary for digestion as they ensure that you have bulk stools and normal bowel movements through the intestinal tract.

Good For Skin and Hair:

This super fruit comes packed with nutrients that can help you maintain a healthy skin texture. So if your skin is dry, then you need to drink some avocado juice and this helps your skin develop a glowing texture. This will also nourish your hair and treat dry hair.

You can also prepare an avocado face mask and this will benefit your skin in a much faster manner. You can also use avocado oil that is available in the market for treating psoriasis. The two major components found in avocados are beta-carotene and lycopene and these components help improve your skin tone and prevent premature ageing.

Improves Your Vision:

Avocados help keep your eyes healthy as they contain carotenoids that help protect your eyes from developing cataracts, age-related eye issues and macular degeneration. This fruit is rich in antioxidants and this helps to neutralise the effects caused by free radicals. Moreover, in order to develop your vision, you need to consume some avocado juice every day. Just 100 grams of avocado can do the trick.

Natural Painkiller for Arthritis:

This super fruit comes packed with loads of antioxidants that can relieve you from joint pain and muscle pain. How difficult would it be to drink a glass of avocado juice? So, here is what you need to do. Simply drink a glass of avocado juice every day and you can ease out the joint pain that you are suffering from.

Prevents Bad Breath:

Consuming avocados can prevent you from having a breath that is caused due to indigestion or an upset stomach. So how does this super fruit do this? Well, this is because of the antibacterial and antioxidant properties in the fruit that manage to kill bad bacteria in your mouth. Also, butter fruit can prevent oral cancer too.

Prevents You From Cancer:

Avocado is said to prevent you from cancer due to its carotenoid and monosaturated fat content. Glutathione is the major antioxidant that protects your cells from cancer and other free radicals that can cause cancer. Medically speaking, this sacred fruit can prevent you from prostate cancer, oral cancer and skin cancer. So all you need to do is to make it a point to just consume a glass of avocado juice and this will do you good.

Reduces Cholesterol:

One of the most striking diseases that most people around the world are facing is heart diseases. Some of the reasons for people developing heart diseases are cholesterol, inflammation and blood pressure. Moreover, avocado prevents heart diseases by:

Reducing cholesterol levels

Reducing blood triglycerides by 20%

Reduces LDL cholesterol by 22%

Increases HDL or good cholesterol by 11%

Aids in Anti-Ageing:

Avocado contains zeaxanthin and lutein decreases signs of premature ageing by protecting your skin from UV radiation. Applying avocado oil or consuming it can benefit your skin and prevent it from ageing. Its high source of antioxidant properties such as lutein and zeaxanthin play an important role in maintaining skin from the sun’s rays and aids in better and younger skin.

Good For Your Bones:

The lutein and zeaxanthin content present in avocado reduces your chances for cartilage defects. Zinc, copper and phosphorous, calcium and selenium reduce your chances of developing osteoporosis. Instead, these minerals help in improving bone density. So all you need to do is just sip a glass of avocado juice and this will help keep your bones strong.

Aids In Weight Loss:

Avocado is called a super fruit because this can also aid in weight loss and this is because avocado curbs your appetite. One glass of avocado juice can curb your appetite and this will stop you from munching now and then. Constant munching and crunching of food can lead to weight gain and as a result, this sacred fruit can curb that. Adding this healthy fruit to your everyday diet can help you consume fewer calories and this will make you feel full.

FAQs

Now that you know that avocado or butter fruit is a healthy fruit that can a lot more good to your health than you can ever think of, here are some frequently asked questions that will shed some insight into the negatives of consuming this fruit in excess.

What happens if I consume too much butter fruit?

You need to understand that what is good for your health may turn out to be a nightmare for you if it is consumed in excess. So the excessive consumption of avocado causes:

Migraines

Vomiting

Sensitivity to light; and

Nausea

Note:

It is advised that you consume at least 100 grams of avocado every day and this will do good.

What are the benefits of avocado oil?

If the avocado has loads of benefits, then avocado oil is said to be even more beneficial, especially for your skin. Here are some of the benefits of avocado oil.

It moisturises and nourishes your skin.

Fights inflammation in the skin, especially psoriasis and eczema.

It is the best natural treatment for acne.

Prevents premature ageing.

Keeps your scalp healthy.

Can avocado oil be used for cooking?

Avocado oil can be used for cooking purposes like frying cooking etc. It is considered healthy as this will reduce your risks of developing heart diseases. This will add to your healthy lifestyle and will benefit your health in multiple ways.

Avocado is a seasonal fruit similar to mango and this is considered a super fruit that can benefit your health in multiple ways. You need to keep in mind that excessive consumption of butter fruit can cause other medical complications such as migraines, nausea and problems with eyesight. In order to get the best out of avocados, all you need to do is to consume at least 100 grams of it daily. Live healthily and say yes to avocado. –The Health

Life style

The ‘ right way to eat suchi

Published

13 hours ago

2023/05/28

Thilina Walpola

tips from the experts on suchi rules to follow

With the recent spate of sushi pranks that have rocked Japanese society, we set the record straight on the “right way” to eat one of the world’s greatest food delights. In February 2023, a video surfaced online showing a man licking a communal soy sauce bottle as it rolled by on a sushi conveyor belt. The man went on to tamper with other sushi dishes as well, to the dismay of restaurant onlookers. That should’ve been the end of the story, but like most viral trends (emphasis on virus), sushi-ruining copycats sprang up, showing videos of people licking chopsticks, rubbing saliva on sushi and putting wasabi on other people’s orders.

Three of the perpetrators have been arrested by the Japanese police, hopefully putting a stop to the sushi-destroying shenanigans, but it still shocked a nation that’s known for its rules, regulations, cleanliness and etiquette, especially with food. Additionally, sushi restaurants in Japan have begun to disable their conveyor belts or install sensors and cameras to catch the “sushi terrorists” red-handed (or red-tongued as it were), possibly putting an end to one of the world’s great sushi eating experiences.

Obviously, the offense of licking conveyor-belt sushi, known as kaiten restaurants, is limited to extremists, but there are still a bevy of sushi rules to follow if you want to avoid any fishy faux pas.

On the fine-dining end of sushi consumption, there’s Sukiyabashi Jiro, the impossible-to-get-into restaurant made famous from the documentary, Jiro Dreams of Sushi. On their website, they have a list of 12 rules that range from how to use your chopsticks and cleanse your palate to timing on when to eat the fish that’s splayed out in front of you. This writer has eaten there and has been admonished for taking too much time between bites.

According to Kazunori Nozawa, the co-founder of the famed SUGARFISH sushi restaurants and veritable Sushi Shokunin (Master), there are a handful of dos and don’ts in the world of sushi. First, Nozawa says, “Don’t rub your chopsticks together after you split them apart, that is seen as inconsiderate.” He continues with a surprising note that, “eating with your chopsticks is preferred, but eating with your hands is also acceptable. If you need a fork, it’s ok, just ask for one.”

Additional etiquette rules from Nozawa include:

“Eat your sushi when it arrives, it’s best right away. This is especially true so the nori does not lose its texture for hand rolls or gunkan style (gunkan means “battleship” in English and is similar to a handroll that’s shaped more like a boat and usually topped with roe).”

Dipping the rice in soy sauce is controversial, as is the use of chopsticks

“Eat nigiri in one bite.”

“If you are adding wasabi, it’s okay to add it to your soy sauce, but you should have another soy sauce that does not have wasabi. Not all dishes are best with wasabi.”

“Don’t add ginger on top of your sushi. It’s meant as palate cleanser between dishes.”

“If sushi is sauced, don’t dip it in soy sauce. When dipping nigiri in soy sauce, I believe you should lightly dip the rice side, not the fish side, although many others believe differently. Try it and you will taste a difference.”

“Not an etiquette rule, but when eating a hand roll, take a bite, flip the hand roll, and take a bite from the other side. This helps keep the hand roll intact.”

Nozawa and Jiro would probably have a very long conversation about whether to dip the rice in soy sauce or not, as it’s number six on Jiro’s “don’t” list.

But continuing in the world of super fine-dining sushi, unspoken rules abound. Andrea Fazzari, the James Beard Award-winning photographer and author of Sushi Shokunin as well as an upcoming book on Japanese culture, says, “when dining at a fine sushiya (sushi restaurant), it is essential to respect the sushi master, the ingredients and everything about where you are. If you are dining with someone else, conversation should be muted and hushed; the sushi master and what you are eating should be the focus.”

She also explains that you “do not ask for extra anything: shoyu (soy sauce), wasabi, ginger. You will not be given a small saucer for extra shoyu in which to submerge your nigiri. The nigiri are already perfect as they are, prepared the way the master intends.”

With all this said, the experience of eating sushi in Japan shouldn’t be daunting. Sushi chefs want you to enjoy your experience as much as you do, but the rules and language barrier can be a hindrance. That’s where Sushi University comes in. To solve these problems, Sushi University partners you up with a translator who accompanies you on your sushi-eating journey so you can get the most out of the experience. They help you chat with the chefs, explain the history of the dishes and, of course, get you comfortable with the rules.

While Sushi University has a long list of sushi rules, Tetsuya Hanada, its founder and managing director, adds a few etiquette nuggets to consider, like “mak[ing] sure to only use a small amount of soy sauce on the topping only. Sushi rice (shari) absorbs soy sauce very quickly, so dipping the rice side of the sushi will make the piece fall apart. Also, do not use too much soy sauce so as not to inhibit the delicate tastes of the fish.”

Another quirk to the saucing rice debate.

Hanada also explains that, “Aojiso (green perilla), used a lot as tsuma (garnish), leaves a strong flavour in your mouth once you eat. This makes you lose the sense of the flavour of sushi, and therefore it is better to avoid it unless it is already prepared inside nigiri sushi or sushi rolls. The ginger is there to refresh your palate after eating a fatty topping. If you eat too much of it, it will affect the flavour of the sushi.

He adds: “Also, there is no specific order to eat the dishes in. Eat in the order you like. However, because their sweet tastes will affect your palate, it is better to leave anago (eel) and tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelette) to the end.”

One of Hanada’s more unique pieces of advice is about the sushi counter itself. “The counter scratches easily so please do not place your phone, watch or other items on it. A cypress counter can cost several hundreds of thousands of dollars. What you should do is remove your watch and place your smartphone on top of a handkerchief. And if you do accidentally spill some soy sauce, don’t clean it up yourself, but call over a staff member to wipe it up.”

To get back to where we started, there are also unspoken rules for conveyor belt sushi restaurants. For starters, hygiene is critical and you should always sanitise your hands. Hoarding plates is a no-no; just grab a plate, eat that piece then grab another. Once you’ve taken a plate, you keep the plate, never put it back on the belt. Never ever touch the conveyor belt or place anything on it. And finally, when it’s time to pay, stack your plates in an orderly fashion; they’re colour-coded to indicate what you ate and how much each piece costs.

Look, it wasn’t cool when Ariana Grande licked those doughnuts, and it was equally uncool when the sushi pranksters licked the fish on the conveyor belt. So, if you follow the basic rules, be considerate of others and the chefs and keep your tongue to yourself, you’ll be eating well and enjoying every sushi moment in the way it was intended – whether you dip your rice in soy sauce or not. (BBC)

Life style

Modern and contemporary styles in keeping with today’s trends

Published

13 hours ago

2023/05/28

Thilina Walpola

Chairman Primal Wijaynayake with other members

Managing Director of Widac Commercial Interiors, Chandi Alles is a pioneer in the field of Design. She started her career in New Zealand and returned to Sri Lanka at which point Widac ventured into offering its clients a total interior solution from design to fit out.

Steering Widac’s Projects Division, the Company has participated in many exhibitions and have won prestigious awards locally and internationally.She has an experience of 30 + years in the industry, and has been involved in working with clients that span over all segments of businesses in the commercial sector. Her passion for designs has helped to transform spaces to functional and practical working environments.

To mark 50th anniversary of partnership with Steelcase,Widac organised a CSR project to distribute wheel chairs prostatic legs and dry rations to the needy.

(Q) Your multi-faceted design firm not only deals with design but handles manufacturing of unique detailed products as well. Could you elaborate your unique design philology and how it reflects the key works done by your firm?

(A) Our designs are based mainly on modern and contemporary styles in keeping with today’s trends reflecting the business of the client. As such we work with processed timber and engineered surfaces which can be transformed to bring out unique creativity.

(Q) What made you opt for designer as a career. How has your work evolved over time?

(A) I enjoyed creative work from a very young age and when I went to New Zealand had the opportunity of working with an experienced designer. Her inspiration and my interest in “Design” created a career path for me. I have enjoyed 35 years of work to the fullest, and I gain satisfaction when I saw my creativity transformed into reality.

(Q) Luxury does not mean fancy construction materials or flamboyant installation but spaciousness, diverse usability and availability of options.Your opinion?

(A) Agree to your statement. Luxury can be achieved with less expensive materials. Use of colour , lighting and texture are key elements for the final product.

(Q) What in your opinion what are some of the loopholes that the designers get trapped in while designing luxury projects?

(A) Limitation of materials available at present in the market

(Q) A project close to your heart why?

(A) All projects are close to my heart as each and everyone is given a lot of time from start to finish. Being in love with my work is always the key to achieving better results

(Q)Your most challenging design project? Share the challenges and how you overcame them?

(A) Practicality is fundamental in my design. The biggest challenge I have had is to achieve precision in the final product. Design is a way of living,enjoying lifestyle to the fullest is my forte.

(Q)What is your dream project?

(A) Convert a complex that looks rather rundown to the best making it an icon for others to admire

(Q) How do you combine beauty and function? What do you see for the future of design?

(A) Beauty can be achieved with the correct use of materials, colour and light Nevertheless day to day maintenance needs to be considered as well to let the “beauty” last!

(Q) What are you working on at the moment?

(A) A VIP Lounge and Staff Cafeteria in a Commercial Building

(Q)What is your favourite project date and why?

(A) Etisalat – A well known name in the Telecommunication Industry. Dates back to a decade. It’s considered favourite for reasons below

a. Total design and build was by WIDAC

b. The first in the country to depict the same “Concept” of the Flagship Store and other forty outlets

island wide

c. The 40 outlets that it is spread out in the country were completed in one year.

d. Gave us real satisfaction to see our work showcased in main cities and little towns through out Sri Lanka

(Q)What fuels you to do what you do every day?

(A) I need constant excitement and challenges in my work to keep me motivated. I take pleasure in working on turnkey projects which are fast-paced; also anything stereotypical and conventional brings boredom.

I am highly passionate about what I do. There were times when I was not very enthusiastic about some things, but I worked on it by discovering small ways to keep the level of excitement high. Despite the challenges, the show must go on!

(Q) What is your definition of success?

(A) Success is subjective. According to me, it means having a name, fame, recognition, and appreciation for the work done. To have made it in the industry without anyone to endorse me has been my mark of success. I also believe that being able to grow and adapt to the trends and to evolve, yet staying afloat despite hitches, is a success. Although the monetary aspect plays an important role, hard work and honesty are something to be treasured.

(Q) What advice would you give to professional women?

Working women need to be respected as they are the embodiment of the art of balancing work, home, their lives, everything.

(A) I believe that time management is essential to being an organized person, so delegating and outsourcing must be made use of wherever possible.

More importantly, love and trust yourself, also be motivated by setting aside some time for self-care and enjoyment with friends. Learn to laugh and to let go, as there are some situations that are beyond your control and you cannot please everyone. Furthermore, never ever compromise on your self-respect and dignity, because you are worth a lot more than you think.