This summer, I started my journey to Colombo by Jet Airways from Guwahati. Since there are no direct flights to Colombo from our city, I had to stay at Mumbai for a night. I felt very bad having had to leave all my friends, relatives and colleagues in Asom., but at the same time my heart was filled with joy as it was my first journey abroad. I was accompanied with my husband, Ekanta Bordoloi and my two children. We decided to stay at Colombo as my husband used to work in that city.
The sun was shining brightly when I entered the Chatrapati Shivajee International Airport in Mumbai at about 1.50 pm the next day. After observing all the formalities which are required for traveling overseas and after our passports were checked, we got abroad the flight of Sri Lankan Airlines. The flight took off at about 3.10 pm and after two and a half hours, we arrived at the Bandaranaike International Airport, situated at Katunayake, some 30 km North of Colombo. There are bank counters, a few duty free shops and a cafeteria in the departure lounge, but the prices are high.
The airport was full of visitors and foreigners. After completing the formalities of our arrival in Sri Lanka and after converting our currency, we joined one of my husband’s colleagues — Arup — who was waiting for us. It was getting dark outside the airport. Coming to a foreign land for the first time in my life, I was highly excited the whole way to the Taz Samundra Hotel. We stayed at the Taz Samundra Hotel for 4 (four) days, and all the days I got up very early in the morning to hear the waves of the Indian ocean lashing against each other. Really, those were beautiful moments — hearing the birds of Colombo sing in their own language though at that moment I also remembered my own home in Asom. Offering a splendid view of the sea, the Taz Samundra is a vast edifice with some particularly elegant public areas and a well-tended garden. The dining hall wore a beautiful look and it was a blend of Sri Lankan, British and Dutch culture. A variety of global cuisine, including continental, local Sri Lankan delicacies as well as Dutch cuisine were served in the hall. On Saturday evening, I left the hotel to encounter Colombo’s life at Horton Towers, which situated at Horton place.
Colombo is Sri Lanka’s capital, the biggest city of the country and a major port located on the western coast of the island. It has supporters and detractors also. Most people appreciate its colonial heritage, its fine dining and shopping opportunities, the dash of urban buzz in an overwhelmingly rural country, while some others quickly tire of the diesel fumes and the identical modern buildings that can be seen on Galle Road — the city’s main artery. Colombo is the gateway of Sri Lanka from abroad. Colombo is a vibrant city with a mixture of modern life and colonial ruins. It was captured by the British in 1796 and they made Colombo the capital of their newly created crown at Ceylon. Sri Lanka was formerly known as Ceylon. Unlike the Portuguese and the Dutch, the British began constructing houses and other civilian structures around the fort giving rise to the present city of Colombo. The influence of the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British is clearly visible in Colombo’s architecture, names, clothing, language and the attitude of the people. Buildings from all the areas stand in their glory as reminders of the turbulent past of Colombo. The city and the people show an interesting mix of European clothing and life styles together with local customs.
On February 4, 1948, Sri Lanka or Ceylon, as it was still known, because independent member of the British Commonwealth. The island hangs like a pendant from the ear of India — both physically and culturally. The main languages and religions were inherited from India, but Sri Lanka’s culture and society have unique, district qualities. The three languages of Sri Lanka are Sinhalese, Tamil and English. Colombo is a mixture of the Sinhalese, Moors and the Tamils. There are small communities of people with Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch, Malays and Indian origin livings here. Colombo is more modern than most of the other cities in the neighbouring countries and continues to be a blossoming metropolis of the East. Cannons used during war time in the colonial era are still laid out for display at the Gall Face Green, giving a colonial touch to the city.
Colombo has an area of 37.31 square kilometers. It is the political, economic cultural centre of Sri Lanka. The city is home to a majority of Sri Lanka’s corporate offices, restaurants and entertainment venues. There are plenty of cultural and historical attractions in areas such as Fort (the center), Cinnamon Gardens and Pettah — South Asia’s second tallest building. The World Trade Centre is the most recognized landmarks of the city. The city has many canals and the Baira Lake is located in the heart of the city. The famous landmarks in Colombo include the Gall Face Green, the Viharamahadevi Park, as well as the National Museum.
Gall Face Green is a long stretch of lawn facing the sea. It was originally cleared by the Dutch to give the cannons of the Fort a clear line of fire. Today it is a popular rendezvous spot, recently upgraded with fresh lawns. At the opposite ends of the Green are the delightful old Gall Face Hotel and the Ceylon skyscraper. The Viharamahadevi Park, originally known as Victoria Park, is notable for the superb flowering of its trees in March, April and early May. There are many Buddhist Temples in the city which depict the Art and statuary styles of the Buddhist revival in the 19th century.
Climatically, Colombo does not have an off season. The average temperature hovers around 27o celsius. Bright sunny warm days are the rule and are common even during the wet season. The sky turns deepest thundercloud black before a replenishing downpour fills the hundreds of lakes and rivers. The temperature goes down as the land rises to the hill country to as low as 10*c.
I have already passed 30 days here and have got a residence visa for a year just a week back. I haven’t seen every nook and corner of Colombo, but I still make a small walk everyday around the place where we stay and it has been given me much more knowledge about the common people of the city. Cinnamon Gardens, about 1 km east of our flat, is Colombo’s ritziest address, full of overgrown residence and embassies. A century ago, it was covered in Cinnamon plantations. Today along with the elegant trees that line the streets and the posh mansions of the wealthy and powerful, it contains the city’s biggest park, several sports grounds and a cluster of museums and galleries. As I will stay here for a long time, I would definitely have to make trips to other provinces of Sri Lanka. Colombo was never Sri Lanka’s tourism trophy before the ethnic problems cropped up, but it was at least a stopover point for travelers. The tourist would, more often than not, spend a day or two in the city using it as a base for day trips. So, why don’t you plan your own trip to Colombo?

A New Revolution in Medical Science
Sumana Paul
Stem cells are versatile cells of the human body that have the ability to grow in any kind of tissue –– skin, heart, liver or any other organ. Stem cells These cells can be procured from adult patients through the bone marrow and blood. They can be introduced into the human body by injecting them intravenously directly. Stem cells play a critical role in normal growth and development by providing new cells for growth and for replacing and repairing used and damaged tissues. This unique character of stem cells in very useful for some incurable diseases, like Alzheimer’s Disease, cancer, spinal cord injury, stroke, heart disease.
Stem cells are used to generate specialized healthy and functioning cells, which can then replace diseased or dysfunctional cells. Replacing diseased cells with healthy cells is called cell therapy. This process is similar to the process of organ transplantation. There are three main types of stem cells that are being investigated for their potential use in research and medicine. On the basis of their use, stem cells can be broadly divided into three types:
* Pluripotent: Stem cells that have the potential to develop into any of the cell types found in adult organisms are called Pluripotent. Embryonic stem cells are Pluripotent.
* Multipotent: Stem cells that can make only a few cell types in the body are called Multipotent. Adult stem appears to be Multipotent.
* Totipotent: Stem cells which are capable of forming a completely new embryo that can develop into a new organism are called Totipotent. A fertilized egg is Totipotent.
The most promising use of stem cells is their ability to be modified into different functional adult cell types and their ability to replace damaged cells to treat numerous diseases. Thus retinal regeneration with stem cells isolated from the eyes can lead to a possible cure for damaged eyes, and may one day reverse blindness. This therapy could also help check the hair loss problem of people by allowing hair cell regeneration.
Stem cell research in India: In India, the researchers of the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) in Bangalore and the National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health (NIRRH) have finally succeeded in producing Stem Cells. Patients with diabetes, neurological disorders have been shown to respond to this treatment. AIIMS has set up an umbilical blood Stem Cell bank. Cells are collected from the umbilical cord at the time of birth and then preserved for as long as 90 years.
In this manner, Stem Cell Therapy brings new hope of life for those people who are suffering from diseases which are known to be incurable through genuine medical treatment.

Does your Brain get Old?
Neilay Khasnabish

Scientists of California have recently proved successfully that there is no connection between age and the power of the brain. That the power of the brain gradually decreases when a man grows old is basically s wrong idea. The power of the brain of an old man is not lesser than that of a young man. If a man thinks that the power of his brain has decreased with the increase in his age, he is actually suffering from mental inertia, according to the US research scholars. The interdependence between mental and physical fitness cannot be ignored. When a man guardedly remains in happy mood, like a posiholic, he will never feel the brunt of mental inertia.
The weight of the brain starts increasing ever since a child becomes 18 months old. The brain, which has extraordinary repairing and regenerating power, can correct the damaged cells smoothly and perfectly on its own. The weight of the brain goes on increasing from 18-22 years, and finally its weight becomes 1.35 gram, and, after 70 years, its weight decreases by 10 grams. According to scientists, this loss of weight does not affect the power of the brain at all. But sometimes a brainstorm may occur. A brainstorm is caused by faults, mainly in the cerebral cortex. The brain synthesizes neurotransmitters. When a man grows old, the amount of neurotransmitters considerably decreases without affecting the brain even a little bit. After carrying out an exclusive survey on the power of the brain of some respondents in the age group of 78-81 years, Dr Ski has found that the power of the brain may also increase with the increase in age.
The loss of memory can occur at any age. The hypocampus part of the brain stores a large amount of memory. The germs, the viruses, the hit or the hormone can cause the loss of memory. The disproportionate mental pressure from mainly tough competitive examinations in case of students and anxieties in case of adults may cause the loss of memory. The brain needs relaxation. Continuous use of some high power medicines also causes loss of memory.
If the adrenaline gland is cut, the secretion of its hormone stops, and the ageing process of the brain gets delayed. Being inspired by the success of the scientists of Luned University, Sweden, who have replaced the brain cells of one mouse with those of the other one, other scientists devoted to the research of the brain feel very confident that they will be able to restore a man’s lost memory power one day. They are also confident of finding a cure for Parkinson’s disease — the primary symptom of which is uncontrolled shaking of the limbs. As of now, the US scientists have been successful in finding a cure for Alzeimer’s disease.
The weight of the brain is half kilogram at the time of the birth of a baby. The human brain absorbs about 20 per cent of the total oxygen intake. The brain generally contains 10-100 billion neurons. Eighty-five per cent of the total weight of the brain is the weight of the cerebrum. The hypothalamus of the brain regulates a man’s body temperature and appetite. According to the US scientists, to keep the brain fit, one should take nutritious food punctually, as memory power highly depends on the body clock. To increase the power of the brain, a man should keep away from anxieties and excessive use of medicines. While the regular exercise increases the power of the brain, the regular intake of alcohol lessens its power. Playing a limited number of video games, listening to classing music, reading fiction and positive and creative thinking increases the power of the brain. Dr Thomas Harvey dissected Albert Einstein’s brain into 240 parts and carried out an exhaustive research on them and found that the weight of Einstein’s brain was exceptionally low and that the brain contained high-density neuron of different patterns, which resulted in his excellence in mathematics.