Colombo - early 1900s
Friday 12 September 2014
Recollections of a bygone era in Sri Lanka by the 70 plus
Count all the ones that you remember, not the ones you were told about..
1. Bulto toffees
2. Alerics Ice chocks
3. Home milk delivery in glass bottles and a few bread deliveries too.
4. Wrack denims
5. Newsreels before the movie and the National Anthem
6. TV test patterns that came on at night after the last show and were there until TV shows started again in the evening (This was after 1979)
7. Catapults
8. 33 rpm records/ 45 rpm’s
9. Enid Blyton/Hardy boys books
10. Record players instead of High Fi’s
11. Metal ice trays with levers
12. Kerosene Fridges
13. Cork popguns
14.Hardly a Jap car on the road. First Japanese car was the Datsun Bluebird.
15. Cops in long Khaki shorts (ha! ha! ha! that was a sight with their skinny legs!) and hats. At big matches kids loved to tease them as "Kossas'
16. Same goes for Grade 10 students in mini shorts with their skinny legs (ha ha ha, -another sight was when they were made to stand on their chairs by teachers for not doing their homework to be teased by primary school kids, after school )
17.Imported apples sold were wrapped in purple tissues.
18. Full meal of wadai at Saraswathie Lodge for a large family for less than two bucks.
19. What was served at kid's birthday parties were, sandwiches, ribbon cake, marshmallows, kebabs in a half pineapple and iced coffee.
20. Elephant House Ice Palams in triangular cardboard cases for 15 cents
21. Those privileged to go overseas brought home as gifts Wilkinson blades and Parker refills.
22. Imported popsicles sold at Perera and sons, were delicious.
23. Soft drinks were delivered to homes.
24. Many had accounts with Cargills and Elephant House
25. Clothes were laundered by Dhobies who called at home to collect dirty linen and deliver cleaned ones The clothes were heavily starched so much so that when school kids were administered corporal punishment, the cane strokes on their starched shorts sounded like balloon bursting.
26. Repeating groves on 78 rpm records were so funny to hear.
27. The best gift a kid would expect for their birthdays are Meccano sets
28. When a kid gets through his/her OL's, the normal gift the kids get from parents is a Raleigh bicycle from Hunters costing Rs 100/.
29. Black and white striped candies for 2 cents.
30. A hundred Rambutans sold at Alexandra Place costs Rs 2 and 50 cents.
31. School kids were allowed only fountain pens to class. 'Fights' among kids were spraying of 'Washable Royal Blue' ink on others' uniforms.
32. Cial fountain pens used by school kids was Rs 2/50.They carried their books in suitcases, which were used as chairs after school and also as wickets for cricket.
33. Naughty children used to cut school and go for 10.30 shows.
34. Pocket money, about 25cts, given each morning is sufficient to buy 10 string hoppers or 2 thosais with 'hodi' and a wadai with a plain tea for 20 cts. at the school 'tuck shop'. Balance 05 cts. is for a ice palam from the vendor at the gate
35 One cent toffee sold at Cricket matches.
36. England Vs Australia cricket commentaries on Short Wave radio typically waxing and waning with something like the rush of wind always screeching in the background.
37. Mobile “Bothal karayas” (Bottle collectors) who used to go from house to house collecting empty bottles for which he paid a small sum of money.
38. “Cheena redi velenda” wearing Khaki shorts and safari hat selling textiles plying on bicycles and calling at homes.
39. The Maalu velenda with two round flat baskets at the ends of a flexible pole which was balanced on his shoulder selling fish and calling at home.
40. The "sastara karaya", sarong clad with leather shoes and black umbrella calling at homes to read horoscopes and advice on best times to embark on new ventures etc.
Count all the ones that you remember, not the ones you were told about..
1. Bulto toffees
2. Alerics Ice chocks
3. Home milk delivery in glass bottles and a few bread deliveries too.
4. Wrack denims
5. Newsreels before the movie and the National Anthem
6. TV test patterns that came on at night after the last show and were there until TV shows started again in the evening (This was after 1979)
7. Catapults
8. 33 rpm records/ 45 rpm’s
9. Enid Blyton/Hardy boys books
10. Record players instead of High Fi’s
11. Metal ice trays with levers
12. Kerosene Fridges
13. Cork popguns
14.Hardly a Jap car on the road. First Japanese car was the Datsun Bluebird.
15. Cops in long Khaki shorts (ha! ha! ha! that was a sight with their skinny legs!) and hats. At big matches kids loved to tease them as "Kossas'
16. Same goes for Grade 10 students in mini shorts with their skinny legs (ha ha ha, -another sight was when they were made to stand on their chairs by teachers for not doing their homework to be teased by primary school kids, after school )
17.Imported apples sold were wrapped in purple tissues.
18. Full meal of wadai at Saraswathie Lodge for a large family for less than two bucks.
19. What was served at kid's birthday parties were, sandwiches, ribbon cake, marshmallows, kebabs in a half pineapple and iced coffee.
20. Elephant House Ice Palams in triangular cardboard cases for 15 cents
21. Those privileged to go overseas brought home as gifts Wilkinson blades and Parker refills.
22. Imported popsicles sold at Perera and sons, were delicious.
23. Soft drinks were delivered to homes.
24. Many had accounts with Cargills and Elephant House
25. Clothes were laundered by Dhobies who called at home to collect dirty linen and deliver cleaned ones The clothes were heavily starched so much so that when school kids were administered corporal punishment, the cane strokes on their starched shorts sounded like balloon bursting.
26. Repeating groves on 78 rpm records were so funny to hear.
27. The best gift a kid would expect for their birthdays are Meccano sets
28. When a kid gets through his/her OL's, the normal gift the kids get from parents is a Raleigh bicycle from Hunters costing Rs 100/.
29. Black and white striped candies for 2 cents.
30. A hundred Rambutans sold at Alexandra Place costs Rs 2 and 50 cents.
31. School kids were allowed only fountain pens to class. 'Fights' among kids were spraying of 'Washable Royal Blue' ink on others' uniforms.
32. Cial fountain pens used by school kids was Rs 2/50.They carried their books in suitcases, which were used as chairs after school and also as wickets for cricket.
33. Naughty children used to cut school and go for 10.30 shows.
34. Pocket money, about 25cts, given each morning is sufficient to buy 10 string hoppers or 2 thosais with 'hodi' and a wadai with a plain tea for 20 cts. at the school 'tuck shop'. Balance 05 cts. is for a ice palam from the vendor at the gate
35 One cent toffee sold at Cricket matches.
36. England Vs Australia cricket commentaries on Short Wave radio typically waxing and waning with something like the rush of wind always screeching in the background.
37. Mobile “Bothal karayas” (Bottle collectors) who used to go from house to house collecting empty bottles for which he paid a small sum of money.
38. “Cheena redi velenda” wearing Khaki shorts and safari hat selling textiles plying on bicycles and calling at homes.
39. The Maalu velenda with two round flat baskets at the ends of a flexible pole which was balanced on his shoulder selling fish and calling at home.
40. The "sastara karaya", sarong clad with leather shoes and black umbrella calling at homes to read horoscopes and advice on best times to embark on new ventures etc.
Sunday 7 September 2014
Seeking solace
The angry wind sweeps across the sea unceasingly
Line after line of surging waves searching land eagerly
Waves rise and rumble forwards like moving walls of water
Breaking with a foamy splash bathing the shore further
She cuts a lonely figure silhouetted against the orange sky
Hair fluttering aimlessly as strong breezes pass her by
Staring into the distance in a thoughtful gaze
Whatever she is thinking is not seen in her face
Wave upon wave forming and breaking unceasingly
And rushing in spreading around her feet lovingly
With each wave deeper and deeper her feet sink in
As she stood alone on the shore in a dream gazing
The expansive and choppy sea is nearly empty
Just a lone boat bobbing up and down gently
A swarm of birds now interrupts the vast sky
A thousand black specks in transient patterns fly
She stands motionless erect with arms at her sides
Seemingly lost in thought as tears well in her eyes
They run down in streaks on her soft proud cheeks
She takes a deep breath, her feelings she conceals
The sky becomes darker as the sun dips into the sea
Now a bright orange crescent peering over the sea
Soon a bright red speck beneath a darkened sky
Radiating a ripple of bright light on the sea nearby
Is there a raging fire inside her that we cannot see?
Soon darkness sets in heralding such calm and serenity
Just the soothing sound of gentle waves lapping the shore
Is she too calming down just like the sea for sure?
She raises her shoulders with a long deep breath
Face etched with grief, a matter of life and death?
Then drops them slowly with an agony untold
Turns and walks away to face her troubled world
Fading away, a tiny speck in the bleak horizon.
The angry wind sweeps across the sea unceasingly
Line after line of surging waves searching land eagerly
Waves rise and rumble forwards like moving walls of water
Breaking with a foamy splash bathing the shore further
She cuts a lonely figure silhouetted against the orange sky
Hair fluttering aimlessly as strong breezes pass her by
Staring into the distance in a thoughtful gaze
Whatever she is thinking is not seen in her face
Wave upon wave forming and breaking unceasingly
And rushing in spreading around her feet lovingly
With each wave deeper and deeper her feet sink in
As she stood alone on the shore in a dream gazing
The expansive and choppy sea is nearly empty
Just a lone boat bobbing up and down gently
A swarm of birds now interrupts the vast sky
A thousand black specks in transient patterns fly
She stands motionless erect with arms at her sides
Seemingly lost in thought as tears well in her eyes
They run down in streaks on her soft proud cheeks
She takes a deep breath, her feelings she conceals
The sky becomes darker as the sun dips into the sea
Now a bright orange crescent peering over the sea
Soon a bright red speck beneath a darkened sky
Radiating a ripple of bright light on the sea nearby
Is there a raging fire inside her that we cannot see?
Soon darkness sets in heralding such calm and serenity
Just the soothing sound of gentle waves lapping the shore
Is she too calming down just like the sea for sure?
She raises her shoulders with a long deep breath
Face etched with grief, a matter of life and death?
Then drops them slowly with an agony untold
Turns and walks away to face her troubled world
Fading away, a tiny speck in the bleak horizon.
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