Last Sunday, hours after 2012 had dawned; life was lazy in the streets of Colombo and suburbs. Traffic along the main highways, choking even during holidays, had trickled down to a few vehicles. Most shops remained closed. Revellers who danced their way into the New Year in crowded hotels seized the holiday to sleep it out. So did most of those who watched the New Year dawn on television programmes. Some of the overtly enthusiastic contributed to the unprecedented rise in accidents. They had either consumed too much alcohol and begun another year with brawls or hurt themselves lighting crackers.
Sunday January 08, 2012 