The Christmas Cottage
Putting the sparkle back into the season
by Linda Rutherford
Guyana Chronicle
December 21, 2003
IT'S much too overpowering to take in all at once - the subdued lighting; the red brick fireplace, replete with burning logs, ornate gild-edged mirror and assorted porcelain ornaments; the huge faux fir sitting in the corner; the décor....
It's the kind of place you'd want to go back to, time and again, the child in you wanting to touch; to savour; to make-believe; to recapture, if only fleetingly, long repressed memories of Christmases past when the mere sound of a Christmas carol or whiff of freshly opened imported grapes and 'ice-apples' - as we in Guyana call that luscious red fruit native to temperate climes - would be enough to send sagging spirits soaring.
It's just the thing he had in mind, says proprietor Basil Parmanand, when, with a little bit of imagination and a whole lot of savvy, he decided to put the sparkle back into Christmas by transforming what on a regular shopping day is 'The Party Store' into a veritable fantasyland just for the Yuletide season.
Speaking with the Sunday Chronicle two Thursdays ago, his eyes alight with the sheer excitement of it all and some amount of pride, the young entrepreneur said: "I wanted to bring something new to Guyana; to do something totally different from what we have presently; to bring back the true feeling of Christmas. I want that when people walk in here, they must be impressed. There's nothing like seeing that sparkle in their eyes... I also want them to be comfortable; take in the lights; spend all day if they wish; relax; enjoy the music...."
Kids are especially welcome, he said. "After all, this season is all about them. I allow them to come in and touch and be amazed."
"Take your time," he called over his shoulder as he hurried off to attend to a customer. "I'm just a holler away if you need me."
Taking him at his word, we started with the western section which is where you'll find all the bric-a-brac you need for the tree and elsewhere like the decorations; the little hooks you need to hang them by (which people often forget to buy and have to substitute with thread); the little thing-a-ma-jig they call a 'Christmas Tree Skirt' which is becoming increasingly popular here; your Christmas stockings so Santa will have no trouble finding something in which to put in all those goodies he's brought that little boy or girl when he shinnies down the chimney at the dead of night come Christmas Eve; not to mention your decals and just about everything you need to wrap that gift - from the tags, to the bows; right down to the scotch tape.
Still in the western corner and studiously avoiding the pull of the assortment of toys over on the opposite side, we moved next to an area tagged 'Gift Ideas' and there we found something we felt would indeed make a lovely, if somewhat unusual, Christmas present - large ceramic cookie jars in the shape of Santa Claus and the ubiquitous Christmas Tree. And all they cost is just $4 000 each.
Another unusual gift idea, we felt, is the lighted garden arch in rust-resistant white enamel finish, an item that is going fast but is sure to come in handy for that Xmas wedding or other special occasion. That is priced at $6 800. Then there is the 24-piece stoneware dinner set in holly and poinsettia we just couldn't resist, and that is priced at $4 400.
In the line of scents, we came across a product called 'Apple', nicely packaged in pink, and offered in matching hampers comprising your usual shower gel, hand and body cream, and yes! Bath crystals.
Unusual too, but practical, is what is called a 'Doll Travel System' found over in the toys section and comprising a doll's pram, playpen and carrier. The price: $14 400.
Other toys include the 'Tonka' range for boys; the 'Leap Frog' educational series; and the perennial 'Barbie', who has gone from being just a plain ol' fashion doll to a 'Princess'; to a 'Ballerina'; and of all things: A 'Mermaid'. The latest in this series is 'Swan Lake', and it can be found at 'The Christmas Cottage' - for as long as stocks last; that is.
Parmanand warned that when the last item leaves the shelf; that's it! Until next year!
The next event he'll be preparing for, he said, is Valentine, when he'll again transform the shop to suit that theme. This will happen throughout the year in observance of all the major events, he said.
As we spoke, he said: "There goes the last of the reindeer."
Our next stop was down at the back, which is where you'll find all the party items, from sanitary ware; to balloons of every description and every colour, including gold and silver; candles; confetti; you name it. They even have in stock all you need for the traditional 'Ol' Year's Nite Ball', from hats; to noise makers; horns; etcetera.
Our favourite party item is the piñata, native to Mexico but now popular among kids across the border in the U.S.A. Made almost entirely of cardboard, it comes with a blindfold, party favours called 'piñata fillers', and a specially-made stick called a piñata stick. The entire set-up comes up to roughly $5 000.
According to Parmanand, the box-like apparatus is first filled with party favours then beaten, usually by the host of the party who is, of course, blindfolded, with the piñata stick until it bursts and spills its contents, whereupon they are pounced upon by the rest of the kids.
By this time we were ready to take our leave, starry-eyed, but content.
It was two hours since we set foot in 'The Christmas Cottage' on lower North Road, just a stone's throw from the St George's Cathedral.