Fort resident and student at All Saints Primary School
- Punto, 42 Pedlar Street, Galle Fort
I love living in the Fort; My brother and I have a lot of friends on Pedlar Street. After school we play cricket, hide and seek and football in front of our houses. Some friends are Muslim and some are Buddhist.
Fort playground
It’s fun to live near the sea. At the weekends I swim off Sea Bath beach, close to the Lighthouse, with my father or grandmother. My brother and I have a lot of friends on Pedlar Street. After school we play cricket, hide and seek and football in front of our houses. Some friends are Muslim and some are Buddhist – I’m happy to help everyone, no matter what their religion. In future, I hope to become a doctor. I already know how to treat colds and a few other common illnesses. At my school, which is only 10m over the road, the subjects I enjoy most are Science and Maths.
Personal favourites
My favourite building in the Fort is the Dutch Hospital because of the grand architecture. My grandfather’s homemade red rice and fish curry is the meal I most look forward to, as well as the strawberry ice cream at Pedlar’s Inn Gelato. Another thing I like about the Fort is meeting people from different places. It has changed a lot since I was small – I remember when the roads were sandy and there was a large bougainvillea and jam fruit tree outside the police station. People used to come around selling halipa (a type of sweet) which they carried in baskets.
Street gardening
Since I was about 7, I have been growing plants which I keep at the side of the street. My favourites are the orchids but I also have a lemon tree, as well as spinach, tomato, mint, and mung bean plants. When I’m not gardening or playing with my brother and our friends, I enjoy reading old Sinhala comic stories.