And Still I Rise

Like most of us I have been fed a steady diet of American politics. I can rattle off so many things about Hillary, Obama, Mccain and Palin. In fact, I know more about them than my local representative and have certainly heard more from them than him.

Don't ask me about the EPA though unless you want the meaning of the acronym and some vague mumblings. I guess I could be proactive and do the finger work so I would at least be able to sound intelligent on things EPA. After all, based on the little I have heard there is no doubt that the EPA is going to affect us more than the US elections.

So how come there has been no media blitz to inform us about this new deal? I am not a radio person so it is possible there may have been some programming. I know for sure that there has been a dearth of information on the television. A daily two (2) minute slot just before the nightly news would have done a lot to get the message across. Until then, am off to educate myself. I need a new diet as my stomach is resisting the American political scene.

Morgan Heritage's "Nothing to smile bout" is my new favorite song. Everytime I listen to it; I realise how I could easily apply it to the Vincentian reality cos these days very little deh deh to smile bout.

I can't help but screw up mi face when I hear rice and flour price gone up again. How in God's name we reach to be paying $1.83 for a pound of rice and $1.48 for a pound of flour? Nutten really nuh deh deh to smile bout. Gas prices went down by one dollar and I didn't even smile.

All now,I still can't find one item that is cheaper since VAT was introduced. Nutten nuh deh deh to smile bout.

The sight of your electricity bill at the end of the month is enuff to drive you nuts. Vinlec says there is no increase but yet still the surcharge higher than the actual rate. I know is not me alone frowning because couple days ago there was a protest outside Vinlec's office. Definitely,nutten deh deh to smile bout.


When you hear and see youths dying like animals on the streets-nutten nuh deh deh to smile bout.

Women living in fear because the serial rapist got we captive..Nutten nuh deh deh to smile bout. When the Courts place a would be rapist on a bond then nutten nuh deh deh to smile bout

When I see increasingly we are forced to live behind bars when just a few short years ago open doors were the norm then nutten deh deh to smile bout.

I passed by Stacy Wilson's grave a few days ago(Yes people, my neighbour dragged me to walk)and it looked so forlorn that I felt like crying all over again. Nutten nuh deh deh to smile bout when her killer keeps wasting the time of the court.

Thank God Vincy got breathtaking landscapes that I can look on and smile when dem depressing realities hit me.

Sometimes,I long to experience an hurricane and my Grenadian friends and Jamaican cousins are quick to beat sense into me. Last week for about three days rain fell continously and by Friday nature had wreaked its terrible havoc taking with it one life and leaving considerable damage. The pictures below tell their horrific, heartbreaking tale of the poor lady who never stood a chance.





















I hope her family finds some solace and the owners of the retaining wall as well. After seeing this carnage, I will be extremely happy if I never experience the fury of the hurricane.

Ralphie boy, be careful the big bad US bomb we little St Vincent. We friends with Chavez who done gone and throw out the US ambassador outta Venezuela. To mek matters worse we sweet wit them Castros over in Cuba. Never mind that Cuba give we nuff scholarships, help we blind people to see again and wukking hard to give we the international airport. The US say dem is bad people and if dey say so then is so it go.

I notice we sweeting up wid Libya too although that probly not so bad because ah tink the US doh hate them so much nowadays. But,how yuh expect to be friending up with Iran even though the US say them real bad wid dem nuclear things they mekking. Like you doing a Sarah Palin on we and playing yuh ignorant of the Bush doctrine? Next ting you hear dem say we training terrorist in the Soufriere hills and bam preemptive strike in we tail.

But yuh kno ah proud of yuh still. Ent America is friend wid China and we know dem human rights record not so hot. Not becos we small and unimportant mean we must let big people bully we. After all we is independent

Thanks to National Geographic and its series "Lockdown" I now have another person to worry about. I admit to being fascinated with prisons and their stories so much so that I have lost count of the number of times I watched Shawshank Redemption. Anyway,last night Nat'l Geo introduced me to inmate Donovan Green and his attempts to fit back into society after 14 years of incarceration.

I celebrated with him when he obtained his college degree and agonized when his job searches were fruitless. Even though I knew on some level that society is unforgiving to ex cons it was quite eye opening to see how would be employers used his past against him. Small wonder then that recidivism occurs so often since it is all too easy to fall back into bad ways. My guy,though dispirited had ignored the lure of the street up to the programme's conclusion.

Now,am busy wondering/worrying about whether or not he has landed a job or the street won. Maybe,am a bit of a bleeding heart but why can't we give a person who has paid his or her debt a second chance?

Over 7 million dollars spent on scholarships for thirty three students. These include the national scholars, exhibition and bursary winners plus the 9 scholarships allocated to teachers or aspiring teachers. I hope I got all the information correct but I do know this is a record breaking number of awards given by the authorities. Looks like the Ministry of Education was correct when they said the A level results were very good with the science students redeeming themselves.

This is one revolution that will get my full support especially when I watch the youths fighting and dying in senseless turf wars. As cliched as it may sound education is still the way out of poverty and a vehicle to better conflict resolution. More than ever we need a well trained workforce equipped to handle the challenges of today's world. It is inevitable that the brain drain factor will take away many of our best but some will stay.

Congrats to the Government for the foresight. Long may they provide avenues for students to improve their lot.

The Wellness Revolution will be officially launched tomorrow at the Arnos Vale Sports Complex. I suppose in keeping with the spirit I should really be making resolutions if I am to enlist in the army. However, exercise is a bad word to my ears and the word gym is an even worse one. I console myself by saying the elders never went to any gym or counted calories while conveniently ignoring that their lives were more active than mine.

Green leafy vegetables are pure evil so am ruling them out as well. Okay,if you twist my arms I will grudgingly eat a few and some carrots for good measure. Soft drinks,fudge,tamarind balls and the like are really very good friends of mine that I would hate to see less of. It looks like I really have to avoid this draft or be doomed to a live of suffering. Hmmmm,wonders to self if cruel and unusual punishment be a good enough defence.

In case y'all are thinking am real terrible there is a little redemption coming. I eat fish and lots of it too. In fact, am writing this blog after coming home from Fish Fest so at least am doing something right. Hooray for me!

Serioulsy though, am wishing the Revolution success despite the monetary constraints associated with eating well. Here's to a meaner,leaner SVG. I, of course will watch from the sidelines and report:)

I think there is something about me that attracts "professionals" gone wild. Some time ago, I blogged about a doctor who made me feel very uncomfortable during a breast examination and now the optician and hairdresser have joined the show.

During the eye examination and subsequent discussion the optician was acting all flirtatious. I easily deflected all conversation about him liking pretty and offers to call when it is time to pick up the glasses. Couple hours later I went back to collect and this time the flirtatious chatter had moved to actual touching. I have to wonder why men persist even when the object of their desire is clearly showing disinterest.

Later that same day,am at the hairdresser's and the chemical is burning the life out of me. I signalled the woman to wash out my hair only to be asked "if I not accustommed to feeling hotter pain that that". Some people have told me it was humourous but I definitely failed to see the humour since not only was my head on fire but she was showing a distinct reluctance to wash it out. It took me blowing my cool to get the matter taken care of. Apart from that,she isn't the regular person who deals with my hair so we have not built up any rapport that would lend itself to her idea of a joke. Guess who is not touching my head ever again.

Spare me lord from these "professionals"