The Community We Miss

Colombo being Colombo is full of get-togethers, where either you have a good evening or sometimes a long drawn out boring evening or one from which you wish you could slip out from as fast as possible. Annually, I get the feeling that it is better to stay at home rather than attend these arduous evenings.

That said, recently I went to a get together to celebrate Tan’s birthday, known to me for many decades.  Miraculously, I found that I had perked up and was having the best time ever. Loads of laughter, great meaningless conversations and arguments that did not mess one’s head, was how the evening was spent.  It then dawned on me that this was simply because the majority of the guests were Burghers. 

The Burghers are a community that always dresses well and are ready to party with zero complications. A community we lost owing to the majority being made to feel that they were outcasts with the enactment of the Sinhala Only Act. Most immigrated to Australia, with some to Canada and the United Kingdom seeking greener pastures and they have found it.  In our childhood we used to have such fun with our Burgher friends who celebrated Christmas jubilantly. The community was always welcoming and looked forward to people visiting them. One was assured of a great time when entertained in their homes as they were such a hospitable community. As soon as you set foot through their doors they would happily whip up a meal, which turned out to be a super enjoyable lunch or dinner.  We rarely heard the word ‘no’ from them when giving.

We were lucky that we had a number of Burgher families living in our neighbourhood and nearby areas. They were very good looking; both the girls and boys broke many hearts. It was mostly super house parties which they had in super style, where people dressed smartly and had a great time dancing till the wee hours in the morning.  They always churned out super tasty meals, be it beef patties or a dinner, enjoyed with a good drink of mostly the local brew. 

I have nothing but wonderful memories of my childhood.  Fortunately, I am in contact with a number of my close Burgher friends who are in Australia.  I look forward to them visiting Sri Lanka because when they do we have an amazing time. The Community is sadly missed.