ඔබට මතක නැතිවුනාට

ඔබට මතක නැතිවුනාට

• ඉන්දියන් හමුදාව එලවන්න කියලා කොටින්ට ආයුද දීපු හැටි,
• චන්දේ දිනන්න කියලා කොටින්ට ඩොලර් දීපු හැටි,
• කොටින්ගේ කොඩිය වතිකානු මාලිගාවට අරන් ගිය හැටි,
• දළදා මාළිගාවට බෝම්බ ගහපු එකාට පක්ෂේ උප නායක කම දීපු හැටි,
• විල්පත්තු වන විනාශයට රාජ්‍ය අනුග්‍රහය දීපු හැටි,
• දැන් කොටින්ට වන්දි ගෙවන්න උත්සහ කරන හැටි.

Sweet Cinnamon - Sri Lanka

Cinnamon

Ceylon Cinnamon (Cinnamomum Zylanicum) a plant indigenous to Sri Lanka.

Cinnamon was one of the first traded spices of the ancient world and was a popular spice in the ancient Arab world.

The Arab traders have paved the way for Cinnamon to travel a long distance through the spice route to the European market.

Cinnamon has motivated many historical voyages leading to the discovery of New World by Christopher Columbus and Vasco De Gamma.

Introduction

Taxonomy

Family                            –          Lauraceae

Botanical name           –          Cinnamomum zeylanicum

Common Name           –          Cinnamon

Cinnamon grown and produced in Sri Lanka has acquired a long-standing reputation in the international market due to its unique, quality, colour, flavour and aroma.

Cinnamon is used in bakery products, Asian foods and flavoured tea with its distinctive aroma & flavour.

With growing concern on health hazards associated with synthetic flavouring agents used in the food industry, there is an increasing preference for natural flavours worldwide.

The Ceylon Cinnamon belongs to the family Lauraceae and it contains about 250 species and subspecies.

‘Ceylon Cinnamon’ (Cinnamomum Zeylanicum) and Cassia are the more important ones that are traded in the international market.

Cassia is originated from different countries such as China, Vietnam region, Java region, Indonesia and India.

‘Ceylon Cinnamon’ referred to as “sweet cinnamon” and “true cinnamon” is considered superior to the variety known as Cassia.

The unique method of processing and curing of cinnamon entices the characteristic Flavour over Cassia. 

The preparation of Cinnamon quills involves a combination of art and skill unique to Sri Lanka and has been handed down from generation to generation over centuries.

Health Benefits of Cinnamon

•    High Source of Antioxidants

•    Anti-inflammatory

•    Protects Heart Health

·         Helps Fight Diabetes

•    Helps Defend Against Cognitive Decline & Protects Brain Function

•    Help Lower Cancer Risk

•    Fights Infections & Viruses

•    Protects Dental Health

•    Help Prevent or Cure Candida

•    Benefits Skin Health

•    Helps Fight Allergies

•    Used to Sweeten Recipes without Added Sugar

•    Used as a Natural Food Preservative.

King's Trove Exporters

The KING of Spices

Pepper ( popularly known as the " King of spices " ).

Pepper is the fruit of the pepper plant from the Piperaceae family and is used as both, a spice and medicine.

The chemical piperine, present in black pepper, causes the spiciness.

Introduction

Taxonomy

Family                            –          Piperaceae
Botanical name           –          Piper nigrum
Common Name           –          Pepper

Sri Lankan black pepper has higher piperine content than product from other parts of the World.

Health Benefits of Black Pepper

•    Anti-inflammatory
•    Antioxidant
•    Antiasthmatic/anti-COPD
•    Immunomodulatory
•    Chemopreventive (prevents cancer cells from growing)
•    Controls progression of tumour growth
•    Anticancer
•    Assists in cognitive brain functioning
•    Boosts nutrient absorption and bioavailability of herbal and conventional drugs
•    Improves gastrointestinal functionality
•    Antimicrobial
•    Antiulcer (gastro-protective)
•    Antidepressant
•    Antiamoebic
•    Weight Loss.
•    Skin Care
•    Respiratory Relief.

Preparing grounded pepper powder at home is better than buying it ready-made.

However, even home-made powder retains its freshness for only 3 months, while whole peppercorns can keep their freshness indefinitely.

Thus, adding a pinch of black pepper to every meal helps to improve both, taste and digestion. It also improves your overall health and well-being.


Word of Caution: Pepper may cause sneezing. Patients who have undergone abdominal surgery should not add excessive pepper to their diet because it can have an irritating effect on the intestines. 

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Sri Lanka Telecom Shoddy Service

Has anyone recently tried the Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) Hotline 1212?

First, you will be forced to listen to one of their latest and insipid Ad before an agent come online.

The Ad says in (the nutshell) that “We are different than others and that is why they provide different types of internet packages”.

I agree with the first part of their statement that they are different.

Because, unlike any other service-oriented industry, they do not care for their customers’ complaints.

For the last four days, I had been battling to get my internet connection to a decent level without much success.

The agents have a different story to tell you each time for the reason of disruption.

Now I am confused which one to believe.

The Agents are happy to give their maintenance section number which had been ringing for the last four days but no one was there to pick up and give us the true picture.

How long more I have to wait I have no idea and I think it is the time to think of an alternative arrangement soon than rely on their shoddy service.

මේ සාහිත්‍ය මාසයයි - HUGE book exchange

Hello there!

Looking for people to participate in a HUGE book exchange.

You can be anywhere in the world.

All you have to do is to buy one of your favourite books ( just one ) and send it to a stranger.

The book doesn't have to be a collector’s item; second hand is fine too, just as long as it's in English.

Hopefully, you'll receive many books back to you, to keep.

And they'll be favourite books from strangers around the world!

And the recipient’s details will be sent in a private message.

If you're interested in being part of this, please comment “ IN “ below (Please leave your email in the Comments column). and I'll send you all the details in a PM.

Happy reading!

An Open Letter to Mr Rohan Pallewatta.

Dear Mr Pallewatta,

• Surround yourself with people who have achieved something in their life than surrounding with people who have inherited something,

• Do not Surround yourself with those who had been "Clock Watchers", "Paper pushers" and "YES men",

(Sadly, most public servants fall into one or all three categories above),

• Surround yourself with real academics who have proven past track records than not mere title holders,

• I am yet to see that you are blaming any of the past regimes for all our misery and it is a superb quality, so please maintain the same approach,


Once you are elected,

• Give all those who had been accused of misappropriation of state funds a general amnesty,

(You need not follow Mahathir Mohamad or Mikheil Saakashvili’s styles),

(Start with a clean slate so waste of more public funds spent in the form of Investigations & Commissions can be saved),

• However, ensure Treason, Murder, drug-related crimes, rape/sodomy and stealing and or destroying state properties and funds are crimes punishable with a Life sentence without parole,

• Set up a Big Tax Office immediately (help is available with many well-known International World bodies and well-known donor entities to set this thing up from the scratch) and once the wheels started moving the results will be visible

• Make it mandatory for all above the age of 21 to submit their income tax filing,

• Recruit good Investigative team (kind of Eliot Ness calibre guys/gals) and create enough revenue within to meet our recurrent expenditure,

• Borrow externally only for much-needed Megaprojects needed to develop and take the country to the next level than for "Legacy creating White elephant" projects and schemes (scams),

• Create opportunities than trying to create more jobs,

• Create an atmosphere for educated Sri Lankans who are currently serving other nations to come back and participate in the Nation Building Effort, even on an Ad-hoc basis,

Finally; 

Do not associate with people with "Tribal mentality" in politics as they would become dead weight later in your political life,

(Have seen many pledging their support simply because they and you have attended the same school.  And to me, this is no valid reason to pledge support),

Good Luck!

Sasanka De Silva

Ode to සුදු හාමිණේ ( Sudu Hamine).

Accidentally or destiny

You walked into the neighbourhood 

Some years back.

Became the Pet of all

The Protector of the 

Cul de sac.

Escorting neighbours 

And chasing away the unwanted elements

Day or Night.

Like all of us

Even you must have wished

If you had wings too when monkeys

Invade your own Domain.

You left us on a very auspicious day

And were buried with so much care

By your neighbourhood friends.

Your eyes were closed then

So you may not have seen

But there was none 

Who did not shed tears?

Among the crowd.

You gave us protection

And Joy and

Most importantly

An Opportunity for us to

Earn more merits 

In this journey of Life.

May you be blessed with

A better Birth

Next time around

With all the accumulated 

Merits.

Until we meet again

In a better place 

And in better circumstances

We say Good Bye

සුදු හාමිණේ