Joanna Adams Jayawardena

In conversation with  Ashwini Vethakan

 JOURNEY OF LIFE

Born
24 November 1985

Alma mater
Holy Family Convent

Family members
My father (Christopher), mother (Romaine) and sister (Stephanie)

Driven in
A Suzuki Jimny

Would like to be driven in
A monster truck!

Wanted to be (but isn’t)
A journalist

Is (but never thought you’d be)
An entrepreneur – a part of me always wanted to be one and I’m glad that I am

Most used word
Absolutely!

Motto in life
Live life to the fullest in all aspects of everything

INTIMATE AND INSPIRING

Most unforgettable event
My first art exhibition

Purpose in life
To maximise the time I have – not only to fulfil my own needs but reach out to as many people as possible

In order to…
Inspire people and help them get their foot in the door – like the way people helped me

Success is
Doing something without waiting for others to give you a thumbs-up or telling you whether you can or can’t achieve it

Response to negativity
When someone says you can’t achieve a goal, take the feedback with a pinch of salt and remind yourself that it’s you who’s achieving it – not him or her

Saddened by
People begging with children in tow

Impressed by
Determination

Challenged by
My moods

Happy place
By the beach with a cup of coffee and good book

Three items on the bucket list
Elevating my latest venture to the greatest heights possible, my next art exhibition and losing weight

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL

Role model
My mum

Ideal romantic date or outing
Curling up on a couch at home in my pyjamas while watching Casablanca with some good food

Likes to watch
Practical Magic (over and over!) and The Green Mile

Mantra to unwind
Hopping into my jeep and going for a drive – and driving out of Colombo and onto the highway

Why this works…
The process is about taking a moment to absorb what’s around you – everything is so serene and then you realise that nothing can really touch you

Three peeves
Messy environments (whether it’s a house or an office), noisy people and unkempt vehicles

Obsessed with
The TV show Scandal – I find Olivia Pope amazing

Most hated chore
Washing the dishes

Three hobbies
Painting, travelling and sleeping – things that I’d love to do but have no time for

Three items on your bucket list following retirement
Settling in a cosy house in Nuwara Eliya or some far-off place outside Colombo, owning a vegetable patch and adopting a corgi

A cause you would like to take on following retirement
I would like to dedicate my time to helping young children and women find a sense of belonging – and realise that they can do things on their own terms

Three must-haves
Sanitiser, a packet of tissues and wet wipes

Three ‘would like to haves’
A little more patience, better control over the sweets I consume and a few more minutes with my mum once again

Likely retirement destination
Lindula – because it’s unpopulated


FAVOURITES

Local destinations
Nuwara Eliya and Jaffna

Overseas destination
Singapore

Days of the week
Friday and Saturday

Colours
Shades of blue, white and nude

Chill out spot
Reef Villa & Spa in Wadduwa

Desserts
The tiramisu at the Paradise Road cafes (it’s to die for!) and lemon meringue

Savoury food
Chicken pot pie

Drinks
Lemon iced tea and king coconut water

Leisure wear
Toga dresses

Office wear
Pants or jeans and a shirt with loose jacket

Brands
Zara; I also like the selection at Fashion Market.lk

Quote from a movie
‘I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul’ (Invictus) – because it’s true and you’re the only one who can master the course of your future

Song
Video (by India Arie) – where the lyrics are about how you don’t have to be set for a video or be a model or superstar because you’re a queen in yourself

 Movie
Invictus

 Author
Maya Angelou

Actors
Denzel Washington and Jason Statham

Musicians
Simply Red; Earth, Wind and Fire; David Bowie; and Fourplay

International political figure
Jacinda Ardern

PICK ONE

Memory skills on a scale of 0 to 10
Between eight and nine

Computer ability in one word
Average

 Last liked post on social media
It was a motivational post: “If you’re able to make someone’s day, then do it. The world needs more love.”

The most delightful word you can think of
Fantastic

Most productive in the morning, noon or night
Night

A leader or follower by nature
Leader

Foodie or cook
Both

Student or teacher
Teacher

Quality or quantity
Quality

The glass is half  full or half empty
Half full

Work or play after retirement
Play

COMPLETE THE SENTENCE

When you dance, you look like…
Mick Jagger mixed with Michael Jackson

The first thing you notice when meeting someone
The way in which he or she communicates – as well as his or her body language

Recently laughed out loud when…
I was eating a lemon tart at Ramada Colombo and had frosting all over my face after biting into it

You know it’s going to be a bad day when…
I begin the day on a not so positive note

The worst haircut you ever got was…
Bangs!

 Colombo is…
A beautiful city that is filled with lovely people and has a lot of potential

You would describe Sri Lanka as…
A one of a kind destination where hospitality is truly being defined as it should be

The world is…
Made up of many highs, lows and wrongs but it still has a lot of hope… for rights and positives

A new technology you would like to see in the future
An app to find your phone (when it’s on silent)

A little-known fact about you is that…
I’m straightforward, cut-and-dry: what you see is what you get