What might make you scream loudest in the lonesome depths of a long Sri Lankan night?

Does the future have a past in Colombo?

How can a mysterious Arthurian heroine, remembered by a Victorian stay-at-home, ever bring Sri Lanka to mind?

What choices might Sri Lanka make to fortify its heart? And what choices were made long ago?

Despite all temptations, Sri Lanka has never been very good at merely waiting for the end of the world. But why is that, and what does it have to do with barbarians and a Hollywood monk?

No other thing, except perhaps Buddhism itself, water technology or Sri Lanka’s island status, has had so marked an impact on the country as cinnamon. But what did Michael Ondaatje have to say about it that will set you free?

Lord Buddha is famous for his many-faceted hand gestures - or mudras. But which were the main ones, and what do they actually mean?

Few other countries are currently producing as much world-class literature as Sri Lanka. So which novels should you read?

What really makes Sri Lanka tick? Perhaps these 5 very local cameos might provide a clue.

How long is life, and what might you usefully do with the later bits?

Is it possible to reverse-engineer the last 5 decades and make Sundays special again? Perhaps.

Whatever else is happening in the world, here there is a cake for tea, and birdsong from dawn to dusk. But what else might you find?

Enochlophobia may be one of ageing’s more agreeable symptoms – but what do you do about it when the Kandy Perehera is in full swing?

He hooted when least expected and claimed his rightful place in Sri Lanka. But who was he, and what made him proud?

In Sri Lanka, the expert is there right next to you - on the train, in the street, everywhere in fact. But what happens when you seek one in a doctor’s waiting room?

If too many cooks spoil the broth, what ingredients best make it all up?

Sri Lanka’s gems are as perfect a thing for first nights as they are for crowns, thrones, diadems - and even my missing tiara. But should it be enough to merely murmur their magical names, or must you wear them too?

Sri Lanka may have lost its last king in 1815, but since Independence, its leading families have more than made up for the difference. Who are they – and what are they up to today?

Despite its understated fame, Galagedera’s high street, like those of most Sri Lankan towns and villages, is booming. As high streets die all around the world, how is it that this one is so alive and well, and bursting with shops, shoppers, services, and action?

With over 75 gemstones - from Hot Pink Sapphires to Sherry Topaz - found in its ancient rock strata, where can you see them and when should you wear them?