Tamaris Livera
Tamaris began her new member talk providing us with backgound into her home country Sri Lanka – formerly Ceylon. Sri Lanka, a tear drop shaped island, lies south of India in the Indian Ocean. It has a 3,000 year old documented history with its recent history marred by a 30 year civil war, which ended in 2009.
On December 26 2004, the Indian Ocean tsunami struck causing massive destruction on coastal areas of 14 countries. It was caused by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake – the epicentre near the west coast of Sumatra. Thirty-eight thousand people on the east coast of Sri Lanka lost their lives.
Sri Lanka is the world’s fourth largest producer of tea and boasts the finest. Its tea has a medicinal quality with four perfectly brewed cups per day recommended for helping combat indigestion and heart disease. Tamaris suggests Orange Pekoe tea – I’m off on a hunt this weekend!
The island is also famous for its gemstones – blue sapphires, rubies, cats eyes, amethysts and citrines. The blue sapphire in Diana, Princess of Wales’ engagement ring (now worn by Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge) is from Sri Lanka.
Monkeys, leopards, king cobra, spotted dear, elephants and bears also make their home on Sri Lanka, which has 50 national parks.
Sri Lanka has 61 Rotary Clubs with nearly 1600 members. In July 2015, Sri Lankan K. R. Ravindran was elected president of Rotary International.
Tamaris grew up in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka before emigrating with her family to New Zealand in her teens. Most of her career to date she has worked in banking with the Reserve Bank, Trust Bank, Westpac Trust – specialising in investment banking, brokerage, and mobile banking before becoming a Business Development Manager.
In 2015, she decided it was time for a change. She took a break, traveled and then decided to pursue a life time interest in real estate and is working with Harcourts.
Tamaris follows two guiding principles which serve her well in business and life:
The game is never more important than the people you play with.
Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the floor each morning, the Devil says ”Oh crap, she’s up!”
Ros Fogel
Club Reporter
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