The story of how I met Bruce is also quite intriguing: my brother, who happens to live in Austria, was reading a German travel magazine that was featuring a story about Bruce, so he called me up and said that there is this guy that is doing all these neat walking tours through Toronto and that’s how I connected with Bruce – through a European detour. Over the past couple of years I have taken two of his tours, covering the downtown area and featuring a culinary exploration of Toronto’s famous St. Lawrence market. I have always enjoyed the experience and wanted to do another tour with Bruce for a while.

Well, I figured it was definitely time for more entertaining and informative explorations of Toronto; this time it was going to be Chinatown-Kensington, one of Toronto’s most vibrant and fascinating neighbourhoods. So I called up Bruce and said let’s do another tour. To share the experience I brought out six of my friends and we met yesterday at 6:30 pm at one of Toronto’s modern architecture icons: the OCAD Building at 100 McCaul Street, just south of the University of Toronto campus. The OCAD Building, I call it the “gift box on stilts”, is part of the 2004 redevelopment of the Campus of the Ontario College of Art & Design. The Sharp Centre for Design has a unique “table top” structure which has quickly become one of Toronto’s most recognizable landmarks.

The Grange, undergoing renovation, situated next to the AGO

We met in the Butterfield Park area, surrounded by the stilts holding up the table top of this extraordinary building. From there we headed west into a green space that features Toronto’s oldest house: “The Grange” was built in 1817 for D’Arcy Boulton Jr., a member of one of early Toronto’s most prominent families who owned about 2000 acres of land in the area. The classical mansion reflects the British architectural traditions of the 18th century. Today, the Grange is owned by the Art Gallery of Ontario and is in the process of being renovated and integrated into the AGO’s Frank Gehry-led redesign.

After leaving this park we walked north on Beverley Street which features several yellow-brick mansions of some of Toronto’s most pre-eminent families, the “Family Compact” – the true power brokers of the early 19th century. Families such as the Cawthras and others owned huge tracts of land in what is today’s downtown Toronto. The Bolton family even owned a private racetrack near the intersections of Dundas and Beverley and many formal social occasions were celebrated on their enormous estate. We also passed by a former hotel which dates back to 1822, one of the very few hotels left from that era which today is a men’s residence.

Our stroll took us westwards on Baldwin Street, a street with a mix of imposing mansions, historic apartment buildings and narrow Victorian homes with attractive architectural details and amazingly intricate woodwork. Bruce stopped at a mansion of one of Toronto’s most influential historic figures: George Brown (1818 to 1880) was a Scottish-born Canadian journalist, politician and one of the Fathers of Canada’s Confederation. He was also the founder and editor of the Toronto Globe newspaper which today is known as the Globe and Mail.

Bruce enlightened us that George Brown was an important figure in the Underground Railroad, a network of secret routes and safe houses that allowed African slaves to escape from the United States to Canada in the 19th century. Ironically, as much as George Brown supported the cause of freeing black slaves, he remained a staunch anti-Catholic. Bruce elaborated that while the United States was characterized by an ongoing conflict between Blacks and Whites, early Canada’s conflicts mostly unfolded between Protestants and Catholics. Bruce added that in 1880 George Brown was shot by one of his former employees at the Globe newspaper, a certain George Bennet who had been fired from his job for drunkenness. Although George Brown only suffered a leg injury at the time he died about 6 weeks later from the wound.

Just a few steps further west we saw the mansion of Robert Baldwin, a member of the Parliament of Upper Canada and a key public figure around the time of the 1837 uprising of the Toronto population against the entrenched British power structure. The unsuccessful Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837 was an uprising against the British colonial government, particularly about the issue of land allocation. Most of the land in and around the old City of York was owned by the “Family Compact”, a group of extremely wealthy Anglican conservative families that represented Canada’s elite at the time. Robert Baldwin was instrumental in establishing Responsible Government, which advocated increased independence from Britain and self-government for Upper Canada.

We had finally arrived on Spadina Avenue, the expansive north-south artery that is the centre point of Toronto’s Chinatown. This historic neighbourhood, one of three Chinatowns within Toronto’s city boundaries, is centered around Spadina and Dundas and is the largest Chinese shopping area in the city. Old Chinatown is actually one of North America’s largest, not surprisingly as Toronto features the second largest Chinese population in Canada after Vancouver.

Recent years have seen a migration of Chinese immigrants to the suburbs which has led to the closure of some of the local restaurants. Many former Chinatown residents, originally from mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong have moved outside the City’s boundaries and the void has been filled by many ethnic Chinese people from Vietnam. As a result an increasing number of store signs are now in Vietnamese, in addition to the well-established Chinese stores.

Goods sold include fruits and vegetables, meat and seafood, low cost clothing and general merchandise, all of which are sold at very reasonable prices. Recently there has been a noticeable local increase in Latin American immigrants, testament to the fact that Toronto’s demographics continue to be in flux.

The same story applies even more to Toronto’s Kensington area, roughly bounded by Spadina Avenue, College Street, Queen Street and Bellevue Avenue. As Bruce explained, it is one of Toronto’s most ethnically diverse and eclectic neighbourhoods and has been attracting immigrants from different countries of origin for the last 130 years or so. Originally the Denison estate, the Kensington area became a residential area for Irish and Scottish immigrant labourers. The small working-class houses in this historically inexpensive area have been inhabited by successive waves of immigrants from different places. From 1910 onwards, Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe as well as some Italians started to stream into the area. The entire Kensington area became known as “the Jewish Market”, and about 60,000 Jewish residents lived here in the 1920s and 1930s who worshipped in about 30 local synagogues.

We stopped at the Minsker Synagogue at 10 St. Andrew Street, home of the Congregation Anshei Minsk, Toronto’s Downtown Synagogue. Construction of the synagogue commenced in 1922 and was finally completed in 1930. As a result of the out-migration of many of the Jewish residents from Kensington, today it is one of the few synagogues still in active operation in downtown Toronto.

To select just a few destinations in Asia is not easy. Many very different countries with a multitude of customs, traditions and several different religions makes for very interesting and enjoyable travel experiences at good prices.

I have visited many Asian countries and found something special and many really worthwhile experiences in them all. Value for your dollar, or Euro etc, varies, but in general, costs are lower than in the USA or Europe. Of course, it depends on what “value” means to you. A very low price for sub standard service or dirty and very basic living conditions is not what I look for.

Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai and Kuala Lumpur are worthwhile stop-over points with lots worth seeing at reasonable costs in all of them. It is not always advisable to look for the cheaper hotels since some of the top class hotels offer real luxury at very attractive prices. Kuala Lumpur is my favourite and also where I think the best value for your hard earned cash can be found. I have stayed a few times in the new Hilton, where two people can have an Executive room for about 145 dollars per night. This includes really luxurious and spacious accommodation, with buffet breakfast, daytime non-alcoholic refreshments, evening hot and cold buffet with small but very tasty examples of Asian food, deserts, fruits, cheeses and chocolates, accompanied with unlimited wines, beers and spirits of your choice. Using a cheaper hotel with inferior facilities and not including food and drink could prove over all more expensive. Although many restaurants offer good low priced food, alcohol can increase the bill considerably. The city is expanding and being improved rapidly but in a well planned and attractive way. Shopping possibilities and value could soon be the best in the world. It has, in my opinion, already left Singapore far behind.

There are bargains to be found in other areas of Malaysia and overall many very good fairly priced hotels. The “tax free” island of Langkawi is particularly good value for money.

Vietnam is a land where much can be seen and enjoyed for a very low outlay. Flights from Kuala Lumpar to Hanoi or Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) can be quite cheap and internal travel costs are very low. A 120 mile trip by train from Phan Thiet to Saigon cost me under 6 dollars in the “soft seat” class. Like everywhere else in Asia, get a few quotes before deciding on what to do. A private day tour to the Mekong Delta was first quoted at 85 dollars per person but

When you are planning a wedding, there is no doubt that you will be facing lots of things to do, and most often pressures. Once you have decided to get married, you need to prepare yourself for a tremendous list of task that you will need to accomplish. These include deciding for the wedding venue, wedding cake, guest list and other essential details that a typical wedding should have. However, it will be less stressful if you really plan everything well.

As you are definitely sure of getting married, the very first thing you need to do is to settle the wedding day. It may seem to be as easy as choosing the date and venue of the wedding. But in reality, this is in fact not as easy as you think it should be. There are several issues that needs to be considered.

First, the wedding day should be convenient for you and your partner. It will be better if it falls on a Saturday since most guests will have holiday on Sundays. A wedding on a Saturday can let the guests to enjoy the celebration until very late at night. Also, consider to schedule your wedding date that shouldn’t be crashing with public holidays or festivals. Though is may be very romantic for you and your partner to have your wedding on the Christmas eve but problems are most likely to occur.

If for instance you are in Hong Kong, you will need to take even more care about your wedding day. Traditionally, no one will get marry in July of the Chinese calendar because this month is the month of ghost and death for Chinese. Getting married in this month will render bad fortune not only to the couple but to their guests as well. Except July, you should also avoid having your wedding on festivals such as the Chinese New Year, this is if you are in Hong Kong.

After you have decide on your wedding date, next is you have to decide what kind of wedding you would like to have. Having a beach wedding will be different from a wedding reception in a hotel. The choice can be very personal but you will need to plan it ahead of time, as it will greatly affect your choice for other items needed in your wedding.

For instance, you choose to have a beach wedding, it may require you and your guests to walk on the beach bare foot. You will need to inform your guests about that. Since it is a beach wedding and it is most likely an outdoor celebration, you should could consider not to choose an ice-cream wedding cake as it easily melt in an outdoor environment unless it is a winter beach wedding, which is often not the case.

Moreover, you will need to define your budget. This will not only require you to define the total budget but to breakdown the it for each wedding item as well. Consider asking wedding vendors if the price will change when the specifications are different from what you originally ask for. This idea will help to prevent you fro paying for something you do not plan to pay for. Some of the elements you will need decide the budget on are the menu, wedding and reception venue, photography, invitations, gown and dresses, wedding cake, hiring a wedding planner (if needed) and also honeymoon.

When the budget is concerned, you should approach as many shops as possible to get an idea of the prices for you wedding ornaments, wedding favors, wedding gifts, wedding flowers, etc . Certainly a wedding planner will charge you for the service but at the same time he or she can help you to save time and money on other items.

E-learning is expanding worldwide. It is estimated that corporate training will grow from $2.2 billion to $18.5 billion. Due to shrinking budgets and decreased interest in travel, meetings and training sessions, which depend on airplane flights, hotel reservations and time away from home, are being replaced by e-learning.

A number of reasons can be attributed to why e-learning has become a mainstream activity engaged in by most countries, practically all educational institutions and a large number of corporations. These include:

- Increasing demand for equitable education for everyone;

- Providing education for those whose needs can not be met by the formal educational process;

- Establishing sufficient physical locations for learning are difficult, due to the increase of the world’s population;

- Desire for nations to be involved in e-learning and compete with other nations; and

- Additional sources of revenue which are anticipated.

Finding Success in E-Learning

Not all programs are economically successful, even though universities and corporations are investing large amounts of money for curriculum development and presentation strategies. Online learning requires more instructor time per student than classroom learning. A number of for-profit e-learning institutions have found they must either charge more or provide an inferior product.

Successful e-learning programs succeed because of the following reasons:

- They satisfy a real need. Philadelphia University in Pennsylvania says its online midwifery course is in demand around the world.

- Good research, financial support and extensive marketing. The Open University of Hong Kong, using the U.K.’s model, attributes its success to an open-access policy, a large range of programs, emphasis on curriculum development, program planning and quality assurance, credit transfers, a provision for student support, research activities, and international outreach and collaboration. Learners outside of Hong Kong are located in Great Britain (57 percent), Australia (31 percent), the United States (7 percent), China (4 percent), as well as Macau and Ireland.

- Almost all revenues come from student fees. Capital expenses such as buildings, labor and electronic libraries are provided by the government. Large endowments from business and commercial organizations are ongoing.

Online programs should also consider the following:

1. The need for interaction is imperative. Courses with little interaction have high drop-out rates. E-mail, chat rooms and discussion boards remove the feeling of isolation and provide opportunities for discussion.

2. Instructors who know how to interact online with students, and are willing to give the time and effort involved, are successful. Too many students in any online activity destroy the relationship required between instructor and student. Also, responding to a great deal of e-mail almost becomes an impossibility. There is a need for professional development for online instructors.

Conclusions

E-learning is not a passing fad. Students indicate online courses can be as effective and even better than campus courses.

Generally, e-learning programs are successful and are expanding. E-learning opportunities will continue to grow as well. And for some learners, it may be the only option.

Material excerpted from “Online learning” by Dr. Sylvia Charp. The original version can be found at http://www.thejournal.com

These are few approaches you can use when starting your online learning program. E-learning combined with creativity, good research & extensive marketing can give good results and help to build successful learning community. As you can see all you need is imagination, some knowledge and business skills to realize your ideas. Good luck!

Preparation

Before the wedding day, usually the family of the bridegroom sends gifts (cakes, preserved seafood, abalones, fresh chicken etc.) and a sum of money to the bride’s parents to thank them for bringing up the bride. This also means the bride is precious to the bridegroom’s family. On the other hand, the bride’s parents send their relatives some Chinese cake to let others know their daughter is going to get married. Parents also buy the bride trousseaux such as blankets, long ruler, spittoon, teacups and teapot etc. The bride will bring these things to her new house after marriage. Actually many of these things are dumped aside and are never used. They are just symbols of happiness and eternity of the marriage. Some families nowadays do not care much about these traditions and they just do any they like.

Night before Wedding Day

Traditionally the bride and bridegroom cannot meet each other the night before wedding. They stay in their parents’ homes with relatives and friends. There is a rite that parents help them to comb their hair three times (three strokes) while saying auspicious words like hoping their marriage is everlasting and they will have many descendents. Afterwards, they eat a kind of dessert called Tang Yuan. It is stuffed dumplings made of glutinous rice flour served in sweet soup. Then, the bridegroom may go out for party with friends because it is the last night being single.

Wedding Day

In the morning, the bridegroom and his groomsmen drive to pick up the bride. Usually the bride stays in her parents’ house or hotel with relatives and friends. Before letting the bridegroom and groomsmen enter the house, the bridesmaids play games with them. They hope the bridegroom would treasure the bride as it is not easy to get her. Then, they drive to the home of the bridegroom’s parents. On the way, they may stop for taking photos. Nowadays, people like wearing western wedding gowns and suits for photographing. People believe that the drive would bring good luck to the marriage.

When they reach the home of the bridegroom’s parents, the bride and bridegroom wear

Beautiful snowy peaks! green hills! Sunny days! Friendly people! Local organic food! Locally brewed alcohol sipping with herb marinated organic hen. Be in the lap of nature. Relaxing environment. Away from the noise and crowd of vehicles of the city and people. Anything more…

This is the perfect travel or holiday in the Himalayan nation of Nepal. Fly to Kathmandu from Europe or Asian cities. You can catch a flight from Gulf or Qatar direct from London to Heathrow or if you are flying from other Asian cities then there is the direct flight from Bangkok, Hong Kong, Singapore and Seoul. Or you can fly from New Delhi or other cities of India to Kathmandu. Stay one night or two in Kathmandu then take a taxi to Pokhara or fly there.

Then you can have an enjoyable trek to Kagbeni in Mustang district bordering with Tibet. Take a fun trip either riding in the horse or mule. Or you can enjoy the ride donkey if you are not so heavy. Only people of small size like me can enjoy the donkey ride.

Then comes the heaven of the earth. You will reach Kagbeni, a small local market with beautiful scenes. Small traditional hotels provide local food and you can also get the taste of continental food if you cannot change your eating or drinking habit.

Relax in the wooden chair just outside the hotel which were known as Bhatti, tavern, in the past. Drink a glass of locally brewed Jand, beer. The mighty snowy Himalayas are in your side. Big hills are there everywhere.

The snowy mountains seem to be very close to you. You will think that it can be reached within a few minutes walking distance, however, it is not so close. It may take a few days walk to reach and touch the snow.

And look at the menu. What you want to eat and drink. Cold or hot drink or some alcoholic drink. It is there in your service. Relaxation. No noise. No sound. No pollution. No hectic and stressed life of the cities. You will think that you are not in this earth- somewhere in another planet or in the dream. It is the perfect heaven, the paradise of the earth.

Then comes the snacks of locally prepared organic food. Bread, noodle, momos,rice or whatever you like.

Local hen is being prepared for you. You will be smelling the naturally gifted herbs. Sandheko Kukhura,chicken marinated in the local herbs. The mouth watering food and drink is coming towards you. You will certainly forget your days in the big cities and think that you want to be there forever.

Cheap but healthy food and naturally gifted beautiful place of the world. Relax, smile and dive into the depth of happiness with your friends.

If you plan to find a Bangkok hotel, you have tons of choices.
Stay at Kaosan road if you’re a backpacker. If you’re not one,
then stay close to the skytrain if you love shopping. If you’re
into good atmosphere and don’t care much about getting around
the city, then stay close to the Chao Phraya river, which is the
main river of Bangkok.

If you want to stay at Kaosan road, you don’t even need to book
in advance. You can just walk around to see the guesthouse you
like, and then just walk in. They always have a vacancy.

If you prefer to stay in the city center in order to get around
easily for shopping, (and let me tell you, Bangkok is shoppers’
paradise — Hong Kong isn’t cheap… but Bangkok is) then I
suggest you check out Patumwan Princess hotel. It’s right in the
MBK shopping center (fake jeans, watches and bags) and also
right at the Siam Square skytrain station. Erawan hotel, Le
Meridien and the Four Seasons hotel are more luxurious. They’re
right at the intersection where you can see Zen and Isetan
shopping malls right across the street. The Siam Square (where
they sell funky clothing) and the Chidlom (Central shopping
mall) skytrain stations are within minutes away.

A lot of tourists like to stay at the Asia hotel, which is right
at a Rajdevi skytrain station (one station away from MBK
shopping center). It may be cheap, but it’s kind of old. Well,
very old actually. I don’t recommend it. But it’s totally up to
you.

If you don’t care much about shopping in Bangkok, then I’d
really suggest you stay at the Sukothai hotel. It’s a classy and
luxurious Thai-styled hotel –but you’ll have to take a taxi if
you want to go anywhere. Or even better, stay by the Chao Phraya
river if you can. It will give you a different feel of Bangkok,
especially at night. It’s rather expensive though, especially if
you want to stay at the world-renowned Oriental hotel or the
Peninsula hotel. If these two are too expensive for you, try
Shangri-la hotel. It may be a little bit cheaper. And don’t
forget to book a Bangkok river cruise dinner at your hotel. The
Chao Praya river is glamorous at night — with a view of
well-lit Wat Arun.

To get around town from your Bangkok hotel, you can ask the
hotel’s doorman to help you get a taxi. It’s not expensive at
all.

Since lot of hotels are often completely booked during the peak season from November to March, it is advisable that visitors go for advance reservations if they are contemplating to visit during this period. Accommodations cost lesser compared to Hong Kong and Singapore and inexpensive by Western standards, specifically because of the degradation of the Thai currency due to the Asian economic crisis of 1997.

The major hotel districts are based around Siam Square and Ploenchit Road; close to the Chao Phraya River, along Silom Road, Suriwong Road and Sukhumvit Road. There are other places such as Banglampoo for modest guesthouses accessed by backpackers, along the river where some modern high-rise hotels are expected to come up; and Chinatown, which is among the most energetic and typically Asian parts of Bangkok.

Around Siam Square, you will discover some very admirable places to live in. You can also find variety of shops, restaurants and nightspots. The less costly places are centered on Soi Kasemann 1 and near Jim Thompson’s House and Museum. These places, such as Bed and Breakfast, provide a guesthouse atmosphere coupled with hotel comfort.

The areas of Chao Phraya River, Silom Road and Suriwong Road enclose some of the older sections of Bangkok. The area around Silom Road and Suriwong Road is recognized as the financial district, and has numerous hotels and restaurants. You can find enough entertainment and shopping options in the Patpong Night Market. You can also find centrally placed top-class hotels suitable for both business and leisure. The luxury establishments, characterizes a distinctly Thai character and boasts an elegant design.

If you travel further towards the west, you will arrive at the riverbank, where some of the outstanding hotels in Bangkok are to be discovered. Hotels here deliver riverfront luxury biased toward tour groups. Most hotels here offer you world-class facilities along with exceptional views from its rooms. There is a handful of other hotels overlooking the Chao Praya River.

Sukhumvit Road is another area popular for shops and nightspots. The area also boasts of some extremely attractive bars. There is good enough presence of mid-range hotels and inns here. But the better four-star and five-star hotels cater more for business travelers than tourists. Even if they lack in character, they more than compensate for that in the facilities they provide.

There are some brand-new hotels oriented toward the business traveler and also possesses most modern fitness centers. There is no shortage for luxurious hotels either on Sukhumvit, while there are also old hotels having their own tradition to show for. People who love modern-sized, unpretentious topnotch accommodation are not disappointed either. Some of the hotels also have rooms affording you nice views of the Bangkok skyline.

No matter wherever you decide to stay in Bangkok, the hospitable people here in the “Land of Smiles” will provide you everything needed to relax and enjoy your time in this fantastic city.

With the negative media coverage that wrongly portrayed the post tsunami situation on the island of Phuket, people assumed that the property industry would crash, prices would fall and demand dwindle. Quite the contrary has happened.

The reality is just 5% of the coastline was damaged and educated investors realized it was a freak of nature and an unprecedented natural occurrence. In 2005 prices remained stable and in 2006 they continued to grow again on the same level as pre-tsunami – 100% every three years (according to local property industry sources). The statistics are almost identical to that of Bali after the bombing. In the longer term there is a lot more potential in Phuket than Bali to, as there are more facilities and choices of accommodation. Phuket is more advanced in terms of getting there than Bali too.

The market in Phuket is very buoyant and demand for luxury holidays on the island is growing significantly. Lured by the attraction of a strong economy, Phuket being the wealthiest province in Thailand, an International airport that has direct flights to Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Indonesia and Europe and an abundance of beautiful natural features, people from all over the world are renting out lavish dream properties, which cater for their every need.

Marinas, world class golfing and excellent shopping all adds to appeal of this island. Hong Kong and European markets continue to drive demand; however there is a strong increase in American visitors. Positive images of the booming property market are filtering through the worlds media, combined with the coverage of Phuket just after the tsunami means that Phuket is firmly on the world map.

Currently demand for luxury villas is equally mixed between families, honeymooning couples, and retirees, however the older age group is set to become the most significant market in the industry and this is being shown with new developments centered around golf courses and marinas, with the East coast in particular seeing a lot of development as this is the site of the Royal Phuket Marina. The developments in this area are set to rival that of popular resorts in Spain, popular with the older age group, not just in terms of excellent amenities and accommodation but the relative costs too. Why rent out a hotel room in Spain when you can rent out a luxury secluded villa in Phuket?!

Property style various tremendously, Europeans in particular are fond of the traditional look with quality local natural finishes, traditional Thai roof designs, but like incorporating this with every modern amenity one could desire. Other properties offer sleek aluminum and glass finishes giving an ultra modern feel. From Phuket’s north-west coast to the length of the east coast, private villa estates are increasing in popularity, with international variations of villa design attracting a discerning guest. There is a desire to have a holiday of a lifetime in a unique property, totally distinguishable from everything else and Phuket has this in abundance.

Each beach resort in Phuket has it’s own distinctive atmosphere which is reflected in the property design. As 2006 comes to an end, property developments of note drawing to a close are around Cape Yamu on the east coast and another upcoming area, Chalong Bay at the North East point again demonstrating the incredible choice for visitors to have an incredible Phuket vacation.

In Asia, ASIAD Rugby tournament supposed to have originated in mid nineties is a grand event. The twentieth ASIAD Rugby Football tournament that was to be staged from the 18th to 25th of November in Sri Lanka now stands postponed due to participating teams, particularly, Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan expressing concerns over the prevailing security situation in Sri Lanka. However, the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union, the Sri Lanka Olympics Committee and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have assured VVIP level security at the host hotel Galadari, Colombo and at the three venues for the twelve participating teams. It was also pointed out that no sporting event in Sri Lanka had come under attack during the two decades or more of conflict and foreigners are never a target in this war.

The tournament was to have got off the ground with the first fixture to be played on the 18th November at the Royal Complex between China and Chinese Taipei. The Chairman of Singer Sri Lanka the principal sponsors of this tournament said in an interview that rugby could attain a similar status as cricket in the country during the forthcoming twentieth ASIAD to be staged in Colombo from November 18-25. Incidentally, it was Singer Sri Lanka that was the sponsor of the Sri Lanka Cricket Team when it won the World Cup in 1996.

Participating countries like Thailand, China, Chinese Taipei, India and Kazakhstan have pledged their support and confirmed their participation in the tournament. In fact the Chinese Taipei and Kazakhstan had already bought their air tickets to come to Colombo. Meanwhile, the International Rugby Board is yet to announce a new host city for the Asian qualifiers. The top team will qualify for the Rugby World Cup to be held in France next year.

It is a shame that conflicts have endangered the sporting activities of peace loving people. Sporting activities or tournaments are promoted to bring out the best in individuals and/or a group of individuals playing together as a team while promoting friendship and discipline among teams and individuals. However, vested interest fighting for narrow ideologies disregards moral values in sports. This affects the very fabric of society.