Blog Archives

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year – by Placidus Gomez Placi Gomez, now retired, anAirbnb host and part-time cricket commentator on radio, reminisces and shares his childhood memories of the Christmas scene in Pettah – where his parents ran a grocery shop in the 60s – and the joy of Christmas carols. Amidst the hustle and bustle of city life at Christmas time, one of the busiest shopping precincts in Colombo in the 50s and 60s was Main Street in Pettah. Our family-run grocery shop and pharmacy, M.P. Gomez & Co., was on Main Street and in the weeks leading to Christmas there was frenzied activity at the shop which was filled with those stocking up for the festive season. The flurry and commotion inside the premises made it necessary for extra hands to be hired. My elder siblings helped out too, but with most tasks undertaken manually before ...