The World Triathlon Corporation has announced that the island nation of Sri Lanka is set to host 2 new triathlon events in 2012. Colombo which is situated on the western coast of the island will be host city for the new Ironman 70.3 Sri Lanka event as well as the 5150 Sri Lanka Triathlon. Both triathlon events will take place on the same day. The New York Times named Sri Lanka the #1 place in the world to visit in 2010.

Triathlon: Ironman 70.3 Sri Lanka
When: Sunday, February 19, 2012 @ 7:00 AM
Where: Galle Face Green , Colombo, Sri Lanka
Divisions: Professional, Age Group, Relay
Website: www.ironmansrilanka.com 

The events will be staged from the Galle Face Green promenade in the backdrop of the Indian Ocean and downtown Colombo. The Ironman 70.3 event will feature a 1.9km Swim, followed by a three lap 90km Bike and finishing with a two lap 21km Run. The 5150 Triathlon will feature a 1.5km Swim, followed by a one lap 40km Bike and finishing with a 10km Run. The Ironman 70.3 race will start the day at 7:00 AM and the 5150 race will start an hour later at 8:00 AM.

This will be the seventh Ironman 70.3 in the Asian market and one of possibly two 5150's in area and the newly announced series. Both these races will offer qualifying slots for the Ironman World Championship 70.3 and 5150 Series Championship races.

Shannon Kurek from HFP Racing is a co-race director and states "Sri Lanka is an incredible destination location. Colombo is a very athlete-friendly host city that will bring everything conveniently together within walking distance from the host hotels for this inaugural Ironman 70.3 and 5150 race."

The event website is still being worked on, so no further details are avaialble at this time. More race information will be available in the coming weeks at www.ironmansrilanka.com 

Registration is now open for the two new events set to take place next February in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It's unclear if the race limit of 750 is a total limit for both events or for each.

Source: 

http://www.trijuice.com/2011/03/sri_lanka_to_host_2_new_world_triathlon_corporation_events_in_2012_ironman_703_n_5150.htm

Sushil Kumar's win this week drew comparisons with the plot of 2008 Oscar-winning film "Slumdog Millionaire" and, like its fictional protagonist Jamal, the 27-year-old also watched the TV show as an escape from penury.

This is the first time a contestant has won a million dollars on the popular TV show hosted by Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan. The episode will be broadcast next week and Kumar takes home 3.5 crore rupees (about $720,000) after tax.

Kumar, who watched the show at a neighbor's house because his family was too poor to afford a television set, said he had not made any grand plans for the money, a fortune in a country with a per capita income of $1,265.

"I'm going to repair my house, fulfill a few basic needs and then move to Delhi to study for the civil service exams," he told Reuters in a telephone interview.

Kumar works as a computer operator in a government office in the impoverished eastern state of Bihar and earns 6,000 rupees (around $120) per month.

"Our house has almost broken down and we have a lot of loans that have to be repaid," he said.

"If it hadn't been for this money, I would have gotten old before I sorted out my life."

"I've been getting a lot of suggestions about what to do with the money, but right now I can only think about my dream of getting through the civil services exam," he said.

"Slumdog Millionaire," shot in the teeming slums of Mumbai, tells the story of a young orphan who wins the TV game show against all odds.

Source: 

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/28/us-india-millionaire-idUSTRE79R65Y20111028

Visit the magnificent domed La Trobe Reading Room and highlights of the exhibitions "Mirror of the World: books and ideas" and "The changing face of Victoria".

Meet in foyer every Mon-Fri, 2-3pm (except public holidays). Bookings not required. Free!

When:
28 October 2011 to unlimited date 
2:00 PM to 3:00 PM

This Event repeats:

Every 1 week on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday

Where:
State Library of Victoria
328 328 Swanston St , Melbourne, VIC
Org: State Library of Victoria
Tel:             03 8664 7099      

Email:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Web: www.slv.vic.gov.au/event/dome-galleries-tour

Autism is said to be the fastest growing special-needs disorder in the world. Although it is hard to find exact statistics on autism, researchers estimate that autism affects about 1 in every 110 children. It has also been estimated that approximately 40,000 children and adults suffer from autism in Sri Lanka and the numbers are increasing each year. Unfortunately, unlike in other countries autism is unheard of by majority of the population in Sri Lanka. Hence, there are hardly any facilities or proper treatment provided for these children and due to lack of awareness they are often misunderstood by the community.

In order to address this issue Colour My World has organized a 3 mile charity run commencing and returning back to Independence square on the 22nd of October at 08.00am in order to create awareness in Sri Lanka. This would also be a stepping stone in their long term goal in introducing the Son-Rise® Programme as a powerful and effective method of helping children and adults diagnosed as autistic. An information stall will be available at the event.

Registrations close on Thursday 20th October. For registrations please go to this link: http://www.ticketslk.com/event/autism_awareness _charity_run/

Facebook fan page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Autism-Awareness-Charity-RunWalk/228768223840507

You can e-mail them on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 0776 531 499/ 0777 040 125 for further information.

Autism is said to be the fastest growing special-needs disorder in the world. Although it is hard to find exact statistics on autism, researchers estimate that autism affects about 1 in every 110 children. It has also been estimated that approximately 40,000 children and adults suffer from autism in Sri Lanka and the numbers are increasing each year. Unfortunately, unlike in other countries autism is unheard of by majority of the population in Sri Lanka. Hence, there are hardly any facilities or proper treatment provided for these children and due to lack of awareness they are often misunderstood by the community.

In order to address this issue Colour My World has organized a 3 mile charity run commencing and returning back to Independence square on the 22nd of October at 08.00am in order to create awareness in Sri Lanka. This would also be a stepping stone in their long term goal in introducing the Son-Rise® Programme as a powerful and effective method of helping children and adults diagnosed as autistic. An information stall will be available at the event.

Registrations close on Thursday 20th October. For registrations please go to this link: http://www.ticketslk.com/event/autism_awareness _charity_run/

Facebook fan page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Autism-Awareness-Charity-RunWalk/228768223840507

You can e-mail them on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 0776 531 499/ 0777 040 125 for further information.

Rediscover family fun at Heritance Ahungalla with the introduction of their all new Kids Club.

An action-packed list of activities is guaranteed to keep the kids entertained, which will enable parents to enjoy a much deserved relaxing break. The Kids Club offers a balance of fun and education for kids ranging from ages three to 12, including face painting, kite making classes, story time, magic shows, dance competitions and movie time, a few amongst a list of many activities available. A professionally trained team will be on hand to ensure the utmost safety and security of children.

Lakshmi Rai has become a red hot sensation after delivering two mega hits - Kanchana and Mankatha. Her negative role in Mankatha especially has made people sit up and take notice. There is a demand for the actress all of a sudden, but suddenly she is unavailable and says she cannot sign any new Tamil films for the moment.

The reason is simple. She has already committed her dates for films in Malayalam, Kannada, and Telugu and has to finish these projects first before taking up any new ones. Besides, she feels the break will do her good as the fans will miss her and want more of her. Lakshmi Rai is definitely sitting pretty at the moment.

An enchanting musical evening

to mesmerize all music lovers,

when MLH turns to a musical

theatre this October !

The Teatro alla Scala Academy of Lyric Opera is an excellence in the educational proposal of the Accademia Teatro alla Scala, an institution of international level which, through its four departments - Music, Dance, Stage-Workshops, Management - forms all the job profiles related to the opera theatre, thanks to the finest Teatro alla Scala professionals and the most highly qualified experts in the theater sector.

Presided over by Pier Andrea Chevallard and directed by Luisa Vinci the Accademia offers high level training programs for opera singers, orchestra musicians, opera coaches/assistant conductors, dancers, set designers, hair and makeup artists, costume technicians, property builders/set decorators, lighting designers, stage photographers, videomaker, managers, audio engineers.

The educational process, based on a mode of teaching that emphasizes the direct contact with the world of work, allows students to acquire daily "hands on" skills that are enhanced through intensive internship experience.

The realization of the "Academy Project", an opera that is included each year into the Teatro alla Scala season program, realized by many students of Accademia courses, is an important opportunity for comparison and verification, which takes its place alongside the great educational opportunities offered by the teaching programs: concerts, performances, exhibitions, seminars.

The Academy of Lyric Opera was founded in 1997 thanks to the initiative of Riccardo Muti, with Leyla Gencer (who passed away in 2008) as Artistic Director. The Academy’s mission is to embody the heritage of the glorious "Cadetti della Scala", founded by Arturo Toscanini in 1950. Thanks to the contributions of numerous internationally recognized artists, such as Luis Alva, Renato Bruson, Mirella Freni, and Luciana Serra, and opera coaches as Vincenzo Scalera and James Vaughan, the Academy provides young singers with solid vocal and musical training for professional careers, improving participants’ technical and interpretative skills in a two-year course. In addition, a number of masterclasses have been held, with artists like Teresa Berganza, Enzo Dara, Christa Ludwig, Leo Nucci, Renata Scotto, and Shirley Verrett. Daily study is interwoven with student participation in Scala productions, where soloists work alongside performers, conductors and directors of international fame. Particular importance is also given to concert performances in Italy and abroad, as well as participation in opera productions, such as the "Academy Project". Many works have been performed at the Scala and at other major Italian opera houses: among the latest productions were operas from the Mozart collection, including Ascanio in Alba (2006), Così fan tutte (2007), The Marriage of Figaro (2008), as well as Donizetti’s Le convenienze e inconvenienze teatrali (2009), Rossini’s L’occasione fa il ladro (2010) and L’italiana in Algeri (2011).

Many former students are now admired in the major opera houses and theatres in Italy and abroad: the sopranos Serena Farnocchia, Carmen Giannattasio, Anja Kampe, Irina Lungu, Nino Machaidze, Teresa Romano, Pretty Yende, the mezzosopranos Ketevan Kemoklidze, Anita Rachvelishvili, Nino Surguladze, the alto Sonia Prina, the tenors Thiago Arancam, Leonardo Cortellazzi, Giuseppe Filianoti, the baritones Simon Bailey, Fabio Capitanucci, Massimo Cavalletti, Christian Senn, Vincenzo Taormina, and the basses Simon Lim, Carlo Malinverno, Jong Min Park, Giovanni Battista Parodi, Dejan Vatchkov.

The show is organised in collaboration with the Embassy of Italy in Colombo, with the support of Calzedonia Group, and the sponsorship of Qatar Airways. Tickets are priced at Rs 3000 nett, and will be available at MLH, BMICH and Barefoot. Be there on 16th October when Mount Lavinia Hotel converts back to a classical era to bring in one of the best sort after Italian performers right here at the Empire Ballroom.

For more information on the event pls call 2711430.

Kiran Atapattu the winner of many business awards exudes an aura of style and elegance, a perfect role model for the fashion conscious. His business acumen and his sound business sense have been focused many a times. To him style comes naturally, his fashion sense is the envy of many. At every social event he attends makes a statement of style with his debonair suits and accessories.

"I get all my clothing from Italy" says Kiran. Note the trendy outfits worn by Kiran at a recent party. Groovy indeed!

Call it my borrowed life: From cruising around Singapore in a Lamborghini to wearing the latest fashion, to looking great in chic maternity wear to having new toys for your kids, you can rent many things these days.

A host of rental services have sprung up offering a variety of goods, and they say business is brisk.

This is because Singaporeans are shedding their reluctance to hire items used by someone else.

One businesswoman who is cashing in on the desire for hire is Catherine Xie, 27, the owner of gown rental service i-dazzle.

The original idea for the enterprise when it was set up a year ago was to sell gowns online. But after a year, she ditched her initial business plan when feedback from customers showed that there was a demand for renting gowns.

She said: "We received many enquiries for gown rental, as women would wear their gowns only once."

So in August this year, she pumped in nearly S$40,000 to set up her brick-and-mortar store at Victoria Street in Bugis. She now has more than 100 dresses for rent.

The shop rents out cocktail dresses from S$35 for three days and evening gowns from S$75 to S$250 for the same period. Dresses are updated every two to three months.

Demand for gown rentals is increasing 10 to 20 per cent every month and is expected to be even stronger as the year ends, with many companies holding dinners and functions then, she said.

The craze to borrow rather than buy perhaps picked up about a year ago when stores popped up online and around town renting out designer bags, some of which can cost up to tens of thousands of dollars to buy.

The fashion pack showed you could still tote a branded bag on a budget.

Of all the eight rental shops LifeStyle spoke to, six said that they are seeing an increase in demand of between 5 and 30 per cent every month.

Deborah Ng, 33, founder of maternity wear rental shop Maternity Exchange, noted a 20 per cent year-on-year increase in turnover in her four-year-old business.

Rent That Toy!, which loans out toys, did not give specific figures but said that demand is growing constantly.

Over at Luxe Car Rental, which rents out high performance cars such as Lamborghinis, Porsches and Maseratis, demand peaks at the year-end, a popular time for weddings and other festivities, said sales director Denny Koh.

Customers range from white-collar workers and expats to tourists and local celebrities who are willing to splash out on one of the fast cars, he said.

It makes the dream of driving an exorbitantly priced car more affordable for customers with a taste for the high life, he added.

Luxe has a fleet of seven cars including Porsches, Maseratis and Bentleys. The most popular cars are its yellow Lamborghini and flaming red Ferrari.

The company plans to add more cars to its line-up by early next year due to growing demand.

This is despite rental charges ranging from S$788 for a Maserati to S$2,988 for the Ferrari for a day. But it is a price people are willing to pay for a spin in a car that costs at least half a million bucks.

While some rental services give a taste of a dream lifestyle to those who cannot afford it, others help people save money and room space, and also offer them more variety.

Mother-of-one Elsie Tan turns to Toys 4 Rent, which loans out toys for babies and tots, whenever she plans playdate parties for her and her friends’ children.

The parents pool money to get a huge blow-up castle that their kids bounce around in, and toy cars to ride on.

"Kids grow out of toys easily and there’s not enough space in the house to keep such big toys," said the 40-year-old marketing manager who has a four-year-old son. She and her husband and their son live in a three-bedroom condominium apartment in Ang Mo Kio.

She also said that such big toys easily cost between S$200 and S$300 and so are too expensive to buy—but are more affordable if rented.

"At least my son and his friends can get a chance to play with them for a few hours," she added.

Financial planner Annabella Tan, who used to splurge between S$500 and S$2,000 on Louis Vuitton purses and bags every year, now spends less than S$500 a month, depending on her budget, at website Bag For It to rent different designer bags and jewellery.

The 35-year-old, who likes to change her bag every month, said: "I felt I was putting so much money into bags that I was not getting much mileage out of."

She also does not like to splurge on jewellery, which she said is hard to maintain. So she rents pieces from Dior and Tiffany & Co from the website www.bagforit.com.sg.

The mother of two, who dresses up for special occasions such as brunch parties, said the elaborate and expensive pieces that she rents "helps break the ice" when she meets new female friends.

Such demand is why Tan Ho Ching, owner of That Bag I Want, does not intend to stop at just renting out bags, jewellery and sunglasses on his website.

His next goal, he said, is to put up shoes, belts, hats and even gowns for rent.

The Great British Beer Festival is being held at Earls Court for 2011 in a huge showcase of beers and ales in London. There will be pints aplenty and more than enough to quench your thirst this summer, with varieties from all over the world. Cheers!