Short-term placements are available with established businesses, nonprofits, and government departments. Participate in local social and economic initiatives and organizations, while discovering yourself and gaining a deeper understanding of contemporary Sri Lanka.

Candidates can learn more and apply at www.lankacorps.org

Updates are available on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/AsiaFoundation

New Canadian Buddhist Temple in Mississauaga, Ontario. (Pictures by Mahesh Abeyewardene)

Venerable priests thanked community members who helped build a new Buddhist temple in Mississauga, Ontario in the western part of Greater Toronto Region (GTA).

“When we began the Building Project in earnest, less than three years ago, the first step was taken; the old property and Temple were sold at a fair price and the new property was bought,” wrote Ven. Kulugammana Dhammawasa Thera Viharadhipathi Incumben and  Bhikkhu Saranapala, Chair, Building & Fund Raising Committees in a letter on behalf of monks in residence.

The new temple will be home to the Halton Peel Buddhist Cultural Society, West-End Buddhist Cultural Centre. Formed in 1992, the temple moved from high-rise apartment to a large house on a lush one acre property in Mississauga to serve devotees in 1994.

Ven. Kulugammana Dhammawasa Thera Viharadhipathi Incumben and Bhikkhu Saranapala, Chair, Building & Fund Raising Committees.

Moving from the residential property to a bigger temple was necessary as the number of devotees grew steadily in Mississauga.

In the letter sent to The Sri Lanka Reporter, the Venerable Chief Priest paid tribute to the fundraising effort in the massive project.

“Bhikkhu Saranapala harnessing the goodwill of the devotees, particularly the young, upcoming Canadian youths of Sri Lankan origin, never stopping for a moment to look back. Being not ashamed to beg for Buddha’ s sake his team forged ahead in an attempt to solicit for funds and succeeded in nearly tripling the monthly intake of the temple from a paltry, lethargic $ 5,000.00 per month, thus paving the way to begin in earnest the construction work of the new Temple.”

Miss Sri Lanka Canada USA 2011 Andrea Michaely Sriskandarajah flanked by 1st Runner-Up Bianca Rasathurai (Right) and 2nd Runner-up Noeline Pereira (Left).

Eighteen-year-old Andrea Sriskandarajah, a university student who harbours ambitions of working for the UN, beat 13 other contestants to claim the coveted crown of Miss Sri Lanka Canada USA 2011 at a glittering beauty pageant held at the Hilton Suites Conference Centre in Markham Ontario.

The event, the only one of its kind being held in Toronto among the members of the Sri Lankan community in Canada and the USA on a regular basis was presented by the widely-read monthly Sri Lanka Reporter and sponsored by Meleni David Law Offices, Meleni Homes and Sorkkam.

Andrea won the top prize of $5000, a return air ticket to Sri Lanka offered by SriLankan airlines, a free return air ticket to Los Angeles and all-expenses-paid four-day stay.

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Rasathurai, First Runner up of the bevy of 14 young hopefuls, who wants to study psychology in Chicago, Illinois, received a return air ticket to London, England, offered by Globe Air Travel and a host of other prizes.

Miss Sri Lanka Canada USA 2011 Andrea Michealy Sriskandarajah poses for a photo at Hilton Suites Toronto Conference Center.

Twenty-one year old Noeline Pereira, a student of Human Resources, was the Second Runner-up received a return air ticket to Cuba offered by VMS Travels and Tours.

All the contestants were subjected to tough scrutiny by a panel of judges with wide-ranging international and national experience and having expertise in a variety of professions.

This was the fifth beauty pageant staged by the Sri Lanka Reporter since 1998 and judging by the public response and meticulous presentation the events have matured over the years keeping pace with changing trends of technology, yet keeping the original ideals of helping aspiring young women to discover their beauty and enrich latent talent.

Sri Lankan entertainer Desmond de Silva specially flew from Australia for the pageant.

The Showcase, the backup band led by Sampath Edirisinghe, began the proceedings with a number from the Ventures, a US band popular in Sri Lanka in the 70s, pointing to the direction the music would be heading in the evening, the only exception being the bouncy pop number from the recent charts sung by Hashani Welikala.

Roshan Gabriel’s rendition of the Tamil version of Golden Chimes hit Kanda Suriduni drew the revelers to the dance floor and since then was no pause to dancing. With Desmond’s appearance things took a different turn. He sang his own originals, along with cover songs of western pop stars. There were more and more bailas that made the audience restless and crave for even more till the early hours of the morning. Desmond gave everything that was expected of him from his wide repertoire.

Desmond de Silva kept the massive crowd on their feet.

The success of the show did not rest on a few individuals alone. It was a massive collaboration with many people selflessly devoting their time and energy to bring the community together for an unforgettable evening and those involved were offered bouquets in appreciation of their services. The 2011 pageant was not something limited to Canada. The whole show was webcast on the Internet along with running commentary and live interviews.

Dr. Ramya Fernando was adjudged the most fashionably dressed lady. Mali Perera won the gate prize, a return air ticket to Sri Lanka, offered by SriLankan Airlines.

A scene from Suseendran's satire Azhagarsamy’s Horse.

Azhagarsamy’s Horse directed by Suseendran is a Tamil movie screened at the 36th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) under the Special Presentation category.

The film begins with a picturesque backdrop of a tiny village, Malliyapuram, in Southern India. When the sun rises over the hills breaking the dawn, the drummer announces the feast of the village temple.

The message goes around mouth-to-mouth and the excitement and the enthusiasm of people of all ages show they are longing for this great event. They get ready for the big day of the year by stitching new clothes, preparing special food and cleaning up their gardens.

Temple president and his helpers start collecting charity going from door to door. Villagers give generously for the temple collection.

On the festival day everybody enjoys meeting each other freely. The following day, the wooden horse which supposed to carry the statue in the temple goes missing. It used to stand in front of the temple in an open space (verandha).

People think this would bring bad luck to the village and start looking for it everywhere and even report to the police station in the city. At the same time, group of people fi nd a real horse abandoned near a waterfall. They think the wooden horse has come to life and take the horse to the temple, tie it and look after it until the day of the festival.

The bride says she will not marry anybody else other than the horse owner.

Director Suseendran who was born in South India unfolds very successfully a real life story which took place in the 1980s in very lively and warm rural settings. He highlights the beauty of the nature as well as good and bad sides of human nature in a very realistic manner without excessive cinematic and artificial gimmicks. Azhagarsamy’s Horse is his third Tamil feature film. Suseendran unfolds another story going on in a nearby village in the mountains.

A horse owner has gone to see a bride and daydreams of his wedding day to bring home his beautiful bride. His horse goes missing and he goes to inform the bride’s family about the misfortune. There isn’t any sympathy waiting for him in brides home. Bride’s father says, “How can you take care of my daughter without your horse. The horse is your livelihood…Go and find your horse and come back before the next full moon day to fix another  day for the or I will have to find another groom for my daughter.”

Heartbroken, the horse owner climbs to the top of the mountain and calls the horse at the top of his voice. Disappointingly, only the loud voice echoes through the valleys. He walks to the nearby village and sees his horse tied up in front of the temple. When he tries to take his horse back, villagers beat him mercilessly. One kind-hearted woman comes up and stops the beating. She says,” You Godfearing people beat this man in front of the temple?”

Ultimately, villagers compromise with horse owner to return the horse after the final rituals of the temple. Former president of the temple arrives with his men to grab some money from the collection and he sees the horse and plans to kill the owner on the eve of the festival to get the horse after the festival.

There is also a limit for injustice and cruelty. Even an animal cannot stand it anymore, the horse owner’s devotion, sacrifice and honesty overpowers evil. He bravely faces obstacles on his way in an undefeated manner to get his horse back.

At the end, when the horse owner returns home he fi nds his horse in the front yard. He is dancing in joy to the accompaniment of Illiyaraja’s haunting music. The festive type of song is sure to stay alive for some time.

One person in the village watches all the chaos happening just before the final day of the temple festival and decides to return the wooden horse which he robbed from the temple.

The festival takes place carrying the God’s statue on the horse to the nearby river. Temple president’s son gives money to a father who is in tears waiting to give away his daughter in marriage and he gets married to the girl as promised.

When the president of the temple hears the story of his son’s marriage he raises his hand to the sky and says, “Oh! What happened? This marriage is not compatible. We will never get the rain this year too”.

As soon as his words end the rain starts with a thunder storm.

This reminds me the saying in Pali “Devo wassathu kalena raja bavathu dhammiko.” (When the administration is just and fare, God sends showers in time)

Sri Lankan filmaker seen here in Toronto during the 2009 festival is expected to return this year for his Bengali film "Mushrooms". Picture by Mahesh Abeyewardene

Sri Lankan filmmaker Vimukthi Jayasundara’s Bengali film Mushrooms will have a North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in September.

“With Mushrooms, Jayasundara continues to explore South Asian psyches contorted by massive social forces, but this time he makes a significant leap north. This is his first film set in India,” writes TIFF co-director Cemeron Bailey.

The film is set around a Bengali architect, Rahul who had gone off to build a career in Dubai, returns to Kolkata to launch a huge construction site. He is reunited with his girlfriend, Paoli, who had long awaited his homecoming. Together, they try to find Rahul’s brother, who is said to have gone mad, living in the forest and sleeping in the trees. Despite appearances, the two brothers might have a lot in common

This year’s film festival begins on September 8th and opens opens with the world premiere gala presentation of From the Sky Down, Academy Award winning filmmaker Davis Guggenheims documentary about Irish band U2.

On its 36th year TIFF announced the selection of films in the 2011 Galas and Special Presentations. Ten Galas and 43 Special Presentations, including 31 World Premiers will take place in Toronto this September. TIFF will be celebrating its first anniversary of its own home at the Bell Lightbox and organizers thanked its 50 returning and 18 new sponsors for their generous support of the 36th Toronto International Film Festival.

Slumdog Millionaire star Freida Pinto is expected in Toronto for the world premiere of Trishna based on Thomas Hardy’s novel Tess of the d’Urbervilles. Pinto stars alongside Riz Ahmed of Centurion  in the film that is set in contemporary India, which tells the tragic love story between the son of a wealthy property developer and the daughter of a rickshaw driver.

Top Bollywood stars Shahid Kapur, Sonam  Kapoor and Anupam Kher are expected for the world premiere of  Pankaj Kapur’s  Mausam. The film is described as “a story of timeless love in the face of political hostilities and religious conflict, between a proud Punjabi air force officer and an innocent Kashmiri refugee.”

Closer to home, Vinay Virmani, Russell Peters, and Anupam Kher are among the principal cast of Indo-Canadian romantic comedy Breakaway. Icons Akshay Kumar and Drake add flair to a love story line that promises surprises and ice hockey.

Frieda Pinto at the Ryerson Theatre in 2010 is expected to return for "Trishna". Picture by Mahesh Abeyewardene

Galas

Albert Nobbs Rodrigo Garcia, Ireland World Premiere

A witty Irish-set period drama about the lives of staff at Dublin‟s most luxurious hotel: the illegitimate child of a maid, a beautiful couple‟s impossible love, and Albert…a woman who pretends to be a man to survive. Nineteenth century Ireland: for a woman to be independent and single, she must deceive everyone – by pretending to be a man. Albert, a shy butler who keeps to himself, has been hiding a deep secret for years – „he‟ is a woman who has had to behave as a man all her life in order to escape a life of poverty and loneliness. When a handsome painter Hubert Page arrives at the hotel, Albert is inspired to try and escape the false life she has created for herself. She gathers her nerve to court beautiful, saucy young maid Helen in whom she thinks she‟s found a companion – but Helen‟s eye is on a new arrival: handsome, bad-boy Joe, the new handy-man. As Albert dares to hope that she might one day live a normal life, we catch a glimpse of a free-spirited woman who is caught in the wrong time… Stars Glenn Close.

Butter Jim Field Smith, USA World Premiere

Set in the highly competitive world of championship butter carving, Butter blends social commentary, outrageous comedy and heartfelt drama in telling the story of the ambitious Laura Pickler (Jennifer Garner), the self-anointed First Lady of Butter Carving.

Refusing to accept that her husband (Ty Burrell) wants to step down after his 15-year run as the “Iowa State Butter Carving Champion,” and therefore end the Pickler family‟s reign in the spotlight, Laura takes a stab at the title herself. But her bid for glory is

complicated when two unlikely contestants enter the race – one, her husband‟s hard-living mistress (Olivia Wilde), and the other a 10-year-old foster child named Destiny (Yara Shahidi). Enlisting the help of her high school sweetheart, Boyd (Hugh Jackman), Laura will stop at nothing to be crowned champion, even if it means resorting to sabotage. Part political satire, part Capra-esque comedy, Butter is a story about what it means to win at all costs and against all odds.

A Dangerous Method David Cronenberg, France/Ireland/United Kingdom/Germany/Canada North American Premiere On the eve of World War I, Zurich and Vienna are the setting for a dark tale of sexual and intellectual discovery. Drawn from true-life events, A Dangerous Method takes a glimpse into the turbulent relationships between fledgling psychiatrist Carl Jung, his mentor Sigmund Freud and Sabina Spielrein, the troubled but beautiful young woman who comes between them. Into the mix comes Otto Gross, a debauched patient who is determined to push the boundaries. In this exploration of sensuality, ambition and deceit set the scene for the pivotal moment when Jung, Freud and Sabina come together and split apart, forever changing the face of modern thought. Starring Michael Fassbender, Viggo Mortensen and Keira Knightley.

A Happy Event Rémi Bezancon, France World Premiere

She turned my life upside-down, drove me into a corner, pushed me beyond my limits. She taught me about self-renouncement, tenderness and sacrifice in their most extreme forms.” “Why didn‟t my mother ever tell me? Why doesn’t anyone ever mention this?” A Happy Event breaks the taboo of pregnancy through the tragicomic diary of a young woman who becomes a mother. Stars Louise Bourgoin.

The Ides of March George Clooney, USA North American Premiere The Ides of March takes place during the frantic last days before a heavily contested Ohio presidential primary, when an up-and-coming campaign press secretary (Ryan Gosling) finds himself involved in a political scandal that threatens to upend his candidate’s shot at the presidency. Also starring George Clooney, Paul Giamatti and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Bollywood star Akshay Kumar seen here in this December 2010 photo is an executive prodoucer in the Indo-Canadian hockey romanatic comedy "Breakaway". Picture by Mahesh Abeyewardene

The Lady Luc Besson, France/United Kingdom World Premiere

The Lady is the extraordinary story of Aung San Suu Kyi and her husband, Michael Aris. It is also the story of the peaceful quest of the woman who is at the core of Burma‟s democracy movement. Despite distance, long separations, and a dangerously hostile regime, their love endures until the very end. It‟s a story of devotion and human understanding set against a backdrop of political turmoil that continues today. The Lady was written over a period of three years by Rebecca Frayn. Interviews with key figures in Aung San Suu Kyi‟s entourage enabled her to reconstruct for the first time the true story of Burma‟s national heroine. Stars Michelle Yeoh and David Thewlis.

Moneyball Bennett Miller, USA World Premiere Based on a true story, Moneyball stars Brad Pitt as Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland As and the guy who assembles the team, who has an epiphany: all of baseball‟s conventional wisdom is wrong. Forced to reinvent his team on a tight budget, Beane will have to outsmart the richer clubs. The onetime jock teams with Ivy League grad Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) in an unlikely partnership, recruiting bargain players that the scouts call flawed, but all of whom have an ability to get on base, score runs, and win games. It‟s more than baseball, it‟s a revolution – one that challenges old school traditions and puts Beane in the crosshairs of those who say he‟s tearing out the heart and soul of the game.

Peace, Love, & Misunderstanding Bruce Beresford, USA World Premiere Directed by two-time Academy Award nominated Bruce Beresford, Peace, Love, & Misunderstanding stars Academy Award-winning Jane Fonda, two-time Academy Award-nominated Catherine Keener, international heartthrob Chace Crawford, and Sundance’s breakout star Elizabeth Olsen. The film is a comedy about an uptight New York City lawyer who takes her two spirited teenagers to her hippie mother’s farmhouse in the countryside for a family vacation. What was meant to be a weekend getaway quickly turns into a summer adventure of romance, music, family secrets, and self-discovery.

Take this Waltz Sarah Polley, Canada World Premiere Swelteringly hot, bright and colourful like a bowl of fruit, Take this Waltz leads us laughing through the familiar, but uncharted question of what long-term relationships do to love, sex, and our images of ourselves. Starring Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen and Luke Kirby.

W.E. Madonna, United Kingdom North American Premiere

W.E. is a romantic exploration of the mysterious connection across decades between two women confronting the consequences of desire. Caught in a loveless Manhattan marriage, abused and frustrated Wally (Abbie Cornish) obsesses over Wallis Simpson (Andrea Riseborough), the stylish American divorcee who captured the heart of Edward the VIII (James D‟Arcy) who abdicated the throne as King of England. As the Duchess of Windsor, Wallis spends the rest of her life in the glare of celebrity exile. Inspired by the Duchess‟ determination to pursue love in the face of social exile, Wally escapes into the arms of another man (Oscar Isaac) whose love sets her free. Madonna and a world class team of collaborators present a passionate tale of the search for love and the meaning of happiness. W.E. (for Wallis and Edward, forever entwined in the love story of the 20th century) is a rich, cinematic portrayal of two strong women resolved to find romance.

This year, the 12th annual Indian Film Festival was held at Rogers Centre in Toronto. Toronto is the first city in North America to host the Indian Film Awards and it became a huge success with all tickets been sold out long before the event. The magical power of the Indian cinema removed all the barricades which separated the East and the West in Toronto. IIFA Weekend events had plenty of powerful tools to remove the barricades, such as music, dance, fashion, compassion and the most powerful tools, humanity and understanding.

Anil Kapoor, who hosted the ceremony at the very beginning, introduced the Premier of Ontario Dalton McGuinty as the brilliant and the biggest star of the night.

Anil praised and thanked the Premier on behalf of IIFA for all the support given to make the event a great success.

It was a remarkable and significant event in the history of IIFA to see the number of Hollywood stars walking on the green carpet. Two-time Academy Award winning, (Best actress in 2000 and 2005) Hilary Swank walked on the Green Carpet with Anil Kapoor and handed Shahrukh Khan the award for the best actor for his role in the film ‘My name is Khan.’

The glamorous Hollywood star looked stunning on the Green Carpet wearing a red embellished sleeveless and backless gown. On stage she greeted the audience with Namaste and said, “Holywood and Indian cinema must bring the world closer together. I believe in IFA’s mission – One people, one world.”

Cuba Gooding Jr. came on stage with actress and model Bipasha Basu to present the award for best director. Canadian actor Tom Green and Australian cricketer Brett Lee also graced the occasion.

Another memorable event in this year’s awards weekend was IIFA Rocks Extravaganza which took place at Ricoh Coliseum at CNE grounds on the eve of the awards show. At that event, late pop icon Michael Jackson’s elder brother Jermaine Jackson performed with popular Indian playback singer Sonu Nigam. The song was written by Sonu in the wake of Michael’s tragic death in 2009 and said he never dreamt he would be performing with Jermaine on the singer’s second death anniversary. In 2004, Sonu was awarded the National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer for Ho Naa Ho. He has lent his voice for a number of movies in Punjabi, Bengali, Kannada, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and Marathi Another memorable moment in IIFA is the presence of few stars of the yesteryear.

mendra with his two sons, Bobby and Sunny Deol, came on stage and performed with a dance group.

Dharmendra was given an award for being in the cinema for 50 long years. Hema Malini, well-known dancer and actress in the sixties and seventies, walked on the Green Carpet with her daughter Esha Deol. Sharmila Tagore was awarded for being in the cinema for 40 years. She remembered the beginning of her acting career in Sathyajith Rai’s movie Apur Sansar.

Beautiful and charming actress Sri Devi walked on the green carpet wearing a red, strapless fish-tailed gown with her young daughters and husband. Sri Devi who was known as Queen Bee of the Indian Cinema was very popular for acting and dancing in Bollywood for over two decades. She came on stage to give away the Award for Best Story to Shibani Bhatija for My name is Khan.

For me, the most unforgettable and memorable moment in IIFA is the presence of Asha Bosley and Priyanka Chopra, who earned the Miss World title in 2000, dancing for Bosley’s favourite numbers. Rogers Centre was rocking with loud sounds of modern music and dance. When Asha Bosley appeared on stage it was very quiet and soothing. She invited the audience to join to sing along with her very popular numbers.

Thousands of voices joined and echoed at the Rogers Centre. Once again I wiped my joyful tears remembering the past growing up from childhood to youth listening to the wonderful voice of Asha Bosley. Coming on stage two or three times changing her costumes for each song, Priyanka came on stage and said to Asha, “Thank you Asha ji for inspiring my generation and many more to come.”

Bathiya and Santhush (BnS) were among headline performers at Masala Mehendi Masti (MMM) South Asian festival at the scenic Harbourfront Center in Toronto.  It was the first time Sri Lankan talent was flown-in for a free music festival in Canada. BnS performed for one hour on the main WestJet stage overlooking Lake Ontario and Toronto’s impressive skyline.

BnS formed a celebrity guest line-up which included Bollywood actor Abey Deol, nephew of acting legend Dharmendra who received a special citation from Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Canadian television personality Monika Deol was also honored by festival director Abhishek Mathur  for lifetime achievement as a South Asian female pioneer in mainstream television.

Jack Layton speaks to reporters about the situation in Sri Lanka in this April 2009 file photo in Toronto. (Picture by Mahesh Abeyewardene)

Canadians are invited to pay their respects to Jack Layton, Leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition and Member of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada, according to a media release from the government of Canada.

The Lying-in-State for Mr. Layton will take place in the foyer of the House of Commons in Ottawa on Wednesday, August 24 and Thursday, August 25. It will be open to the public from 12:30 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday and from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Canadians can also pay tribute to Mr. Layton as he lies in repose at Toronto City Hall on Friday, August 26 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Saturday, August 27 beginning at 9 a.m. until 11 a.m.

The funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, August 27, 2011, at Roy Thompson Hall in Toronto. For more information on the State Funeral or to convey condolences to Mr. Layton’s family, Canadians can visit www.commemoration.gc.ca.

Dancers perform at IIFA weekend in June. (Picture by Mahesh Abeyewardene)

Shiamak Davar International’s much anticipated dance extravaganza  Stars of Bollywood – a Journey of Indian Cinema Through Dance – will be featured on stage once again on August 26, 2011. The one-night-only show will be held at Markham Theatre at 8 p.m.

This large-scale stage show produced by Bollywood’s most respected and globally renowned dancer and choreographer Shiamak Davar, promises to bring a unique cultural experience to audiences in the GTA.

“Stars of Bollywood is a vibrant, high energy show performed by my Canadian dance team,” says Davar. “My dance company has   performed all over the world including India, China, UK and USA. They are an incredible group of performers and I can’t wait for the audience here in the GTA to experience their energy,” he said.

Shiamak Davar is one of India’s leading dance choreographers and a pioneer in the international dance world known for his unique contemporary style known as the “Shiamak Style”. His creativity is apparent in numerous Bollywood films as well as live performances across the globe including the annual IIFA Awards which were held here in Toronto this summer.  All of the performers of this show also recently shared the IIFA stage with the Bollywood stars.

Toronto’s mayor and sports enthusiast Rob Ford attended the annual CIMA Mayor’s Cricket Cup. The mayor is seen here bowling at Sunnybrook Park, with his brother and city councilor Doug Ford on the left. Ford is an avid sports fan coaching a West Toronto football team for years. (Pictures by Wimal Elawela)

Mayor Rob Ford receives a warm welcome from traditional Sri Lankan dancers.

Mayor Ford shares a light moment with tournament organizer Ranil Mendis.