And Still I Rise

Creole and proverbs

2012-01-25T21:10:00.003-05:00

According to Wolfgang Meider a proverb is a short, generally known sentence of the folk which contains wisdom, truth, morals, and traditional views in a metaphorical, fixed and memorizable(sic) form and which is handed down from generation to generation. Proverbs date back to Biblical times with the book of Solomon being a prime example.

As can be expected they are often a mixture of diverse languages and cultures. Creole proverbs are colourful and rich with their own distinctive features mixed with British, European or African origin. They are a rich part of our oral cultural heritage handed down by our elders who seemed to have a saying for every occasion. West Indian proverbs differ from those of other societies in that they seem to have a strong negative element i.e in form, meaning or context. In contrast to English proverbs many of ours seem to have a strong emphasis on bodily harm. Some examples that come to mind are:

What sweet in gout mouth sour in he bambam( Too much of a good thing can be bad)

Chicken merry,hawk deh near (In the midst of merriment danger is lurking)

Fowl that doh hear shoo will hear bap (Who don;t hear will feel)

Crab walk too much,im lose im claw(Overdoing things will cause breakage)

Across the region there are several different proverbs which convey similar meanings but are linguistically different. Hence the Guyanese saying “one one dutty mek dam" and the Vincentian "one one does fill basket" are both saying slowly but surely you will get the job done. Other examples are the Grenadian "Yuh evah see monkey on top gru gru tree" which is the variation of "Monkey know which tree to climb" used in other Caribbean islands.I can still hear my grandmother saying "little donkey got big ears" when our presence prevented her from sharing a juicy story with her friends or other family members. Another favorite was "sea don't have back door"(be careful) which was drummed into our ears every time we went to the beach. Many of them I never understood then but for some reason they stuck with me.I am glad they did because I consider them to be expressive and beautiful in a way that is so Caribbean

No! Sister G

2012-01-15T22:18:00.002-05:00

Every now and again politicians make comments that are mind numbingly stupid. In that respect they are not unlike "regular" people but given their visibility and responsibility the comments attract greater attention. The latest in a long line of silliness came from the female Deputy Prime Minister who exhorted Vincentian females not to dress in a manner that tempts men. All of this against a back drop where violence against Vincentian women is quite alarming.

Yet, her strongest words of admonishment were reserved for the victims. I wish I could be surprised but sadly she is not alone with that archaic thinking. Far too many of us(females included)look at a scantily dressed female and wonder aloud if she's begging to get raped. Many times I've felt like screaming when seemingly intelligent persons look me in the eye and link rape with mode of dress when nothing could be further from the truth.
Rape is an act of dominance and power that has absolutely nothing to do with what the victim was wearing.
Rape is the responsibility of the rapist alone.
Women, children and men of every age, physical type and demeanor are raped.
Opportunity is the most important factor determining when a given rapist will rape.

These are truths that need to be constantly repeated until everyone gets it. Therefore, the goodly Deputy PM would be better off by telling would be perpetrators that a scantily dressed woman is not issuing a rape invitation. She cannot and should not be held responsible for the actions of men who disregard the whole notion of consent. Anything else is plain and simple BS

Yes to SVG

2012-01-08T11:14:00.004-05:00

There is a St Vincent we love. The one of the breathtaking scenery, verdant mountains,fertile soil and that warmth that sets us apart. And to our delight CNN, New York Times Travel and Travel and leisure have placed our island paradise on their top spots to visit in 2012. These billings are bright spots for a nation desperately in need of a lift following a damning Toronto Star report which examined violence against Vincentian women.

So, I'll take any positive news that comes our way. However, the challenge is to prepare ourselves should there be increased tourist arrivals. Kingstown at best is a cluttered town which at times is hard to navigate. Many days I feel as if I'm in an obstacle race as I dodge vendors who seem to pop up in every imaginable area. I'm not sure how the authorities plan to correct this as previous efforts were strongly opposed. To borrow a phrase from the Prime Minister "we have to get the little things right" if we are to benefit from this welcomed publicity. After all,the Tourism folks have told us over and over that repeat visits and personal testimonies that encourage others to visit are the ideal. The ball is firmly in our court to create a favorable impression since we'd only have once chance to get it right.

Changing of the guard

2011-12-30T08:07:00.002-05:00

It is with wry amusement I note Andrew Holness has gone the way of Vaughn Lewis and Arnhim Eustace. At least two of these men took over or were chosen to replace larger than life personalities whose names were synonymous with their respective nations. And as was to be expected after receiving the poisoned chalice they predictably led their parties to huge defeats. Two short months ago Holness was celebrated as the Caribbean youngest Prime Minister relegating my "sweetheart" Dominica's Roosevelt Skerritt to second place. Now he has the dubious record of being Jamaica's and possibly the Caribbean's shortest leader.

I feel a little sympathy for Holness who as we say was given basket to carry water. Bruce Golding, "smart" fellow that he was had to have seen the writing on the wall after the bungled Dudus coke affair. For months he and his administration dragged their feet on Coke's extradition going as far as contracting a US firm to lobby Washington to have the extradition revoked. Then in a turn of events they waged war against Coke and his supporters creating a tense standoff in the nation's capital.The JLP was never going to recover from that situation and as it turned out even a changing of the guard made no difference. Additionally,the JLP which held a slim majority was plagued by dual citizenship challenges against some of its members.

So the Jamaicans went back to Portia Simpson Miller, a leader whose educational background is not as brilliant as her competitors but one who has that something which draws people. It comes back to my view on how people seem to identify with a leader-the leader which would have made Holness,Lewis and Eustace non starters.I guess there is something about building a base and making your own political name before being asked to lead parties.Then again I am the furthest thing away from a political analysis but the irony of another short lived Caribbean Prime Minister is too good not to note.

Nine Mornings Festival in St. Vincent & the Grenadines

2011-12-13T19:31:00.001-05:00

Come on down Dec 16th-24th

Getting to Zero

2011-11-30T19:35:00.003-05:00

At 17 years old her body shows promise of the woman she is becoming. Her eyes sparkle when she talks and you can feel the excitement when she explains her current passion. Lately her eyes are dull and her mood sombre because positive is the last word she expected to hear. They tell her that living with AIDS is possible but her mind has not yet accepted her status.

Sadly, she is one of the large number of persons worldwide who have tested positive for HIV. According to the UNAIDS World AIDS Day report at the end of 2010, an estimated 34 million people [31.6 million–35.2 million] were living with HIV worldwide, up 17% from 2001. This reflects the continued large number of new HIV infections and a significant expansion of access to antiretroviral therapy, which has helped reduce AIDS-related.

The Caribbean has the second highest regional HIV prevalence after sub-Saharan Africa, although the epidemic has slowed considerably since the mid-1990s. In the Caribbean region, new HIV infections were reduced by a third from 2001 levels. HIV incidence has decreased by an estimated 25% in the Dominican Republic and Jamaica since 2001, while in Haiti it has declined by about 12%. Slowing HIV incidence and increasing access to HIV prevention services for pregnant women have led to a steep decline in the number of children newly infected with HIV and in AIDS-related deaths
among children. Unprotected sex is the primary mode of transmission in the Caribbean. The number of people living with HIV has also declined slightly since the early 2000s.

Increased access to antiretroviral therapy has led to a considerable drop in mortality associated with AIDS deaths, especially in more recent years. The theme for World AIDS Day 2011 is "Getting to Zero." with the focus aimed towards achieving 3 targets: Zero new HIV infections. Zero discrimination. Zero AIDS-related deaths. In other words wrap it up, get tested, dismantle the AIDS related stigmas. Get the facts and act on them

Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T22:13:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow my American friends will celebrate Thanksgiving Day. For me though, each day I try to find something to be thankful about even on those days when nothing seems to go right. That's because at some point I realise there is the hope of a better tomorrow and so I give thanks. Today I am very grateful that all my senses work and most times I am able to make the right decisions.

I am grateful for a job that I truly love and the children who continue to bring out the best in me. I've heard it said that the children I teach are lucky to have me as their teacher but I am the lucky one for having them. They have taught me patience and to look at life with their sense of wonderment and less of my cynicism. And so I give thanks for the joy they bring to my life.

I am thankful for the special people in my life. The ones who offer encouragement when all I want to do is give up, provide a listening ear when it's needed or simply join me in silliness. I am so grateful for the balance you bring to my life. So while turkey and cranberry sauce will not fill our homes tomorrow we can still be thankful for the breadfruit and saltfish.

Happy Thanksgiving to my North American friends who observe the holiday.

Happy Independence SVG

2011-10-27T09:22:00.002-05:00

There are so many things I wanted to say about our 32nd Independence. I was toying with the idea of writing a post that examined the similarites between myself and the nation of St Vincent and the Grenadines. After all we are the same age though I precede her by little over a month. And while for some 32 is not so young it is also not so old either. In fact I think it is that wonderful stage where you begin to understand and find yourself after leaving the often confusing twenties behind.

So while we are grown and have ventured into the world on our the challenges are no less. We are often rudely awakened to the fact that despite our independence we still need helping hands. Many still do not respect our fledgling steps as we seek to create our own space and make our marks. So we get the voiced displeasure when our friends do not fit the script others have written. Or our actions bring cause our older friends to get noastalgic about the good old days.

Then I thought of our resilience and how despite all the adversity we have not given up. That's because we believe in the rainbow at the end of the storm or so I like to believe. After all the anthem says "what e'er the future brings our faith will see us through"

God bless st Vincent and the Grenadines, the prettiest 32 little islands in the world

Vincy nice still

2011-10-07T05:14:00.002-05:00

Lately, I've been feeling out of sorts with my island nation. From one murder to the next, newspaper headlines of sexual crimes to constant politicking it's been a bit much. Yesterday though while on my way to work Beckett's "St Vincent I love you" was playing on the airwaves. After all it's Independence month when patriotism is so thick you could cut it with a knife. Anyway these lines caught my attention

Lovely beach, tropical breeze
Always there within my reach
Can look at the sunrise, can look at the sunset
Sweet Mother Nature, such beauty such splendour

Mango, guava jelly, early morning fish tea
Coconut water, farine and zaboca
Pelau, crawfish and callaloo
Souse, dumpling and manicou
Roast breadfruit, black fish crisps and much much more deliciousness

St Vincent I love you.

The little reminder that says despite the bad there's more to who/what we are was needed. Bless up St Vincent and the Grenadines.

When will it end?

2011-09-25T20:13:00.002-05:00

I had no words when on Sept 13th George Franklyn gunned down two women one of whom was his wife and left two young men also nursing injuries. At least nothing that didn't sound trite or contrived. So I sat quietly and listened to the voices around me relay a tale of horror. An all too familiar tale where the players differ but the script remains unchanged. Women are increasingly under attack with no let up in sight.

I made several attempts to write on the events but once more words failed me.So instead I shed tears for the victims and all the nameless,faceless women for whom violence is a part of their lives. This morning I woke to the news that 83 yr old Marion John was raped and killed. Something has to be seriously wrong with our society when old women are targeted for violence. If we agree that rape is more about dominance than sex then how do I wrap mind around the rape of an old woman? What kind of man seeks to exert dominance over a woman whose advanced age has already made her helpless? Is it even necessary to violate her to prove some point?

I don't have the answers so I am wondering how could women protect themselves. My friend Debra Providence put it nicely when she said " it's open season on women it seems and sometimes the coppers are just too far away to hear you scream". I would go a little further and add those close to us often do not hear our cries silent or otherwise either. So where does that leave us? My friends have offered up ideas ranging from self defense classes to acquiring weapons. Yet while this is real talk we know that the underlying issues driving this violence remain unaddressed. And so the killings and maimings continue. I am officially scared.

Memories of 9/11

2011-09-12T15:02:00.001-05:00

I had awoken that morning still revelling in the fact that I was back in St Vincent. Three weeks earlier, after 4 years of big city/country life I had packed my bags and left JFK for home. It was an unpopular decision-at least to my US relatives who tried their utmost to dissuade me. I listened to their best pitch knowing I was tired of the loneliness, the emotional abuse, homesickness and feeling unappreciated. Sometimes, you simply need to be where everybody knows your name.

My reverie was interrupted by a phone call that demanded I turned to CNN. There it was, an airliner crashing into one of the World Trade towers. It looked like a movie scene but it was shockingly real. For some reason Malcolm X 's "the chickens have come home to roost" statement came to mind. Who had the US pissed off this much? We would soon find out. Passenger planes had been terrorist targets before but this attack was literally changing the landscape. Like most people the following days were spent watching horrific image after image. The grim images made me even more grateful to be home far removed from the carnage. My heart ached for the innocents who had lost their lives and their grieving relatives and friends. It was somewhat surreal too as in April 2001, I had flown from Newark to California. What if my plane was a weapon of mass destruction?

Ten years on I still think of all the innocent lives lost in that attack and those who died in the subsequent wars on terror. 9/11 made Talibans, Iraq, Afghanistan,the axis of evil and Osama Bin Laden household words. The master mind of the attack is no more but I don't believe the world is any safer. However, for me 9/11's enduring legacy has been the transformation of travel. Now it's a nightmare with endless security checks, restrictions after restrictions and earlier arrival times. On flights I have sometimes wondered if hijackers are on board quietly biding their time. I guess the days of innocence are really over.

Those Wikileaks

2011-09-07T08:50:00.005-05:00

PM Gonsalves is once again the subject of a Wikileaks exposure. This time Peter Wickham of Cadres is alleged to have said that a "sudden injection of $350,000 in the last two weeks of St Vincent's December 2005 election campaign allowed the ruling ULP to sway voters in a handful of hard fought parliamentary races by helping people pay overdue bills, fix leaking roofs and buy groceries. Additionally, Wickham offered the belief that the ULP flew about 400 people from the USA for the elections. Unsurprisingly, Wickham is quoted as saying that Caribbean political campaigns are awash with money from a variety of sources, particularly wealthy expatriates seeking to influence governments. Most interestingly, given the claims by a purported drug dealer that he gave monies to the ULP campaign; Wickham according to the cable thinks there is some truth to the rumors that certain individuals tied to the drug trade provided funding to Gonsalves's party. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm! Wickham has since denied ever making these claims to Embassy officials, however I suspect the fall out will be great. In fact Wickham has already been dismissed from his position as CBC's analyst.

I don't know where to start but Caribbean politics being awash with money is stating the obvious. Who funds the tshirts, stickers, fliers, billboards, buttons etc? Some will say the Government's treasury but what about the opposition parties who are just as gaily decked out as the ruling parties? Added to this is the new phenomenon of "free"concerts featuring some of the biggest regional names. Somebody has to be paying for all of this and demanding their pound of flesh in return. However, no questions are asked and parties are not compelled to declare their source of funding so the beat goes on.

Back in the day I've heard the choice of "bribes" was bully beef and galvanise. My Dominican friend Caribbean Man declares that today's bribes are more sophisticated ranging from scholarships to Housing schemes. He may have a point as the idea is to satisfy some needs that will hopefully translate into votes come polling day. I am not a fan of politics by any stretch of the imagination. Maybe I am jaded,cynical or something or the other but politically I believe that the more things change the more they remain the same. So i really do not get excited about these politicians and their parties.That aside if any party wants to buy my vote please leave a message here.

By the way, I'm loving these leaks. Nothing like some good ole "commess"" concerning public officials. PS was Glen Jackson a US spy or I'm totally misreading the newspaper story?

Daegu 2011

2011-08-28T21:19:00.004-05:00

The big news from the IAAF
World Championships in Daegu was Usain Bolt's shock exit from the 100 metres. I always thought that the new false start rule which immediately disqualified the offender was stupid. Nothing was wrong with charging the first offence to the field then to the person if there was a second infringement.So thanks to the "wisdom" of the IAAF the biggest star of the games could not defend his crown. Johan
Blake,the eventual winner who ran brilliantly found his golden moment overshadowed by Bolt's mishap.

However,the main purpose of this post is to give props to Kim Collins the bronze medallist.Under rated but with big game temperament the old man of sprinting showed he was far from being a spent force. I like athletes like Kim Collins;the ones who perform better that expected and force you to take notice. They remind me of those people who are under the radar but nevertheless get their stuff done.

Nuff respect Kim Collins for doing yourself proud. So far the region is looking good and I think greater things are in store.

New Link

2011-08-25T09:38:00.003-05:00

Check out this aspiring writer over at The Abeng. His specialty is Caribbean themed prose and poetry so give the brother a look in.

No Kamla No

2011-08-22T08:50:00.001-05:00

Desperate times they say call for desperate measures. And so Trinidad's Prime Minister Kamla Bissessar has announced a limited state of emergency in crime "hot spots". This limited state of emergency, a response to Trinidad's rising crime rate took effect from midnight (sun 21st). There is still no indication as to when it will end or the hours of this limited state of emergency. I have never heard of

1) a limited state of emergency or

2) a state of emergency not brought on by national disasters,war etc-unless Trinidad has decided it's warring against itself.

While I agree that escalating violence in the region is cause for great concern this move strikes me as being panicky, ill thought out and silly. It may be that there will be some short term gain but when this limited emergency is lifted I am sure it will be business as usual. So rather than place limited state of emergencies and interfere with people's basic rights Caribbean leaders better sit down and identify what is driving this upsurge of violence in their respective islands. Having done this they can/should put programmes in place to arrest this situation. It is quite possible that we have lost a significant portion of our youths to organized crime but surely the aim is to prevent their ranks from swelling. Limited states of emergencies may sound good, they may look as if Government has balls but its really a limited response to a dire situation.

No 18

2011-08-15T11:33:00.004-05:00

Another day and news of yet another female homicide assaults the airwaves. Only 25 years old, her neck slashed by her lover. Murder #18 they say. Somehow I find it hard to believe.

I listen and a weariness fills my soul. Tired of saying the same old things. Tired of reading the many inane comments that populate the social networks like Facebook. Sickened by the pictures of the deceased lying in her life's blood making the email rounds.

Then I happen to over hear parts of NBC's call in show and more weariness as I listen to women express sorrow at a system that continues to fail them. To hear them tell it, the Police seem uncertain or lackadaisical in treating domestic disturbances. Meantime, these women live in constant fear harassed by ex-lovers bent on establishing their dominance.

And so it continues and within my weariness is a growing despair that we are a long way from turning around this situation. Sometimes it is hard being a woman.

Belated 7th anniversary

2011-08-08T14:10:00.007-05:00

If it were not for my friend Jdid I would not have realized that my blog turned 7 on August 2Nd. It seems like just yesterday when I followed two of my friends and started this blogging journey. They have since quit.

Back then I had no idea where I was heading but it seemed a pretty cool thing to do. In retrospect writing down thoughts had always been a feature of my life since I was about 9 years old. In my teenage years I wrote numerous angst filled "feeling letters" and kept diary after diary. Diaries a medium to make sense of my often troubled life continued up to my early twenties. So transferring thoughts to an Internet audience seemed a natural progression.

And so I write but now the focus is less personal. After all I am a Sally Jesse Raphael type of girl living in an Oprah world. From interacting with commenters s (many of whom have become friends), travelling to Jamaica in 2006 for the Bloggers meetup it's been quite the ride. In a strange way I felt "honored" when a fellow blogger "borrowed" 2 of my posts and made them his. Likewise it is an honor when Global Voices considers my scribblings worthy of a wider audience.

So here I am 7 years later still writing not as often as before but writing nonetheless. The burning issues of sexual and domestic violence, HIV /AIDS and its prevention still dominate my space as I feel these are issues that need constant attention. Even though I have neglected my spot drawn by the lure of Facebook, Twitter or plain old lack of motivation I have invariably found my way back. You see I love the freedom to be me, all me. Many thanks to you who have passed by,commented or given me some word of encouragement. The journey continues.

Farewell elders

2011-08-02T05:52:00.001-05:00

In recent weeks the village where I grew up has lost several of its senior members. Referred as "salt of the earth" by one of my relatives these people were simple, hardworking folks who mainly made their living off the land. Yet they carried with them an aura of dignity that commanded respect.

As children and young adults we accepted their reprimands with grace because it was unthinkable to answer back. In fact most of us felt we had let them down with our bad behaviour. To complain to your household was futile since your relatives seemed to have complete trust in the disciplinary methods of Miss Mattie and company.However, they were not only disciplinarians but gave willingly from choice fruits, to remedies for aches and pains to just plain advice for healthy living. "Study your book" was drummed incessantly in our ears which meant that our academic successes in particular were met with great pleasure.

These people were of a generation who understood that it took the whole village to raise a child; a concept they wholeheartedly embraced. Nowadays, sadly the village's role in child raising is fast disappearing. Nevertheless, I would like to salute the stalwart men and women who impacted on our lives during our formative years. Our lives were enriched by knowing them, by their genuine concern and love.

So long Amy Winehouse

2011-07-24T17:58:00.002-05:00

Amy Winehouse the talented but troubled singer who rose to fame in 2003 with her "Back to Black" album was found dead at her London home on Saturday 23rd. For years she struggled with drug addictions that she couldn't or didn't have the will to conquer.From one public meltdown to the next her live seemed to he heading to its predictable and inevitable end.

No one seemed able to reach her. Her frustrated mother in an effort to save her begged fans not to buy her music. Neither that plea nor Amy's attempts at rehabilitation worked as she slid deeper and deeper into her drug abyss. My last image of Amy Winehouse, a clip from her Serbian concert where she was booed off the stage was painful to watch. The frail looking singer, stumbling across the stage,unable to even remember the lines to her song was a far cry from the girl who caught my attention eight to nine years ago.

Now her tortured soul is finally at peace. I've read some harsh comments on the net but few seem to understand or acknowledge that addictions could control the best of us. We think they are easy to beat and we never understand why people continue that road of destruction. We just never understand that addicts are sick people fight in the grip of a disease. RIP Ms Winehouse,forever 27 like Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix and James Morrison. You had mad talent.

Open season on women

2011-07-19T22:02:00.002-05:00

According to figures presented by Yasmin Odlum at the Regional Colloquim of Women Leaders as Agents of Change St Vincent and the Grenadines is the OECS state with the most female homicides between 200-2011. The Searchlight newspaper in conducting its own research found that there were 45 female homicides recorded during that period as against 43 in the Odlum report. A further break down of the figures showed that 17were from intimate partner violence, 8 involved rape or some other form of female directed aggression, 6 from vehicular accidents, 4 drug related, 3 from other family disputes and the remainder from unconfirmed cases. Based on the Searchlight's research 2007 was a particularly bloody year with ten female homicides, eight of which were committed by a male lover or spouse. As if this was not damning enough the rape statistics for St Vincent and the Grenadines are just as horrifying. Odlum cites 802 rapes for the period while official police reports put the figure at 540. Despite the disparity in numbers we can all agree that the figures are alarming and places tiny St Vincent at 112 rapes per 100,000 persons second only to Bahamas' 133. We should also note that many rapes remain unreported which means the figures could be significantly higher.

I cannot say with any certainty the reason/s for this escalating violence that is being perpetrated against our women. A couple days ago the news reported a 34 year old man was given 15 years for the rape of a 73 year old woman, this after yet another man was given the same sentence for the rape of a teenager. I believe that violence is something that is largely learnt and the first opportunity to learn it comes from our homes, parents, siblings and those we view as role models. Unfortunately, one of the ways by which children are exposed to violence is as a result of aggressive behaviour by parents as well as parental abuse of children in the name of discipline. Far too many children have grown up seeing violence as the only way to resolve conflicts while too many sport the physical scars left by the rod of correction. Children who ae abused and who witness it will grow up with a greater chance of being violent. Of course not all children thus affected turn out to be perpetrators but studies have shown the link between exposure to violence and later involvement in some form of violence.

This violence is most often transmitted from the home to the public arena giving rise to increased intolerance and in a way lowers inhibitions against violence. Doesn't the news of someone being murdered fail to shock as it once did? It's as if slowly but surely we are becoming desensitized while offering up thanks that our loved ones are safe. Clearly,the situation is unacceptable but how do we reverse it or do we even have the will to come up with solutions? It may sound simplistic but going back to the basic concept of respect for each other is a step in the right direction.

Sex nice but....

2011-07-13T22:16:00.002-05:00

This morning I went into Kingstown wearing a "Got it Get it" t-shirt. Sex nice was emblazoned in bold letters across the front followed by a smaller print that read "but the aids thing". From the older man in the bank who remarked "these young people and sex eh", to the disapproval in the eyes of others the reactions were as illuminating as they were puritanical. Very few saw beyond the bold print headline and rushed to cast judgement on me for what they saw as overt sexuality. How dare a young woman proclaim to the world sex is nice? my male counterparts wearing a similar t-shirt would not have encountered the latent hostility to which I was subjected.

For the life of me I cannot fathom the prevailing attitudes to sex. Many of my acquaintances for whom every other conversation is loaded with sexual references or details about their sexual practices were uncomfortable with my "boldness" in publicly wearing the t-shirt.This even though they knew I was heading to conduct a theatrical presentation on HIV/AIDS education. The reactions encountered further highlighted the need for persons to have adult discussions about sex. As I stopped to top up my phone two young girls struck up a conversation based on the words on the t-shirt. The older who I judged to be about 11 to 12 years old and the younger about 9 told me my t-shirt was bad. According to them sex could not be nice if it gave you AIDS and belly/baby. Never one to miss a teachable moment I began explaining that HIV could be prevented if condoms are used effectively. In quick time, the older girl shot off questions ranging from female condoms to the strength of male condoms. At this point, the mother berated the girl for her "womanishness" and told her to shut up. Meanwhile an older woman whose distaste for our conversation was evident decided to go elsewhere to purchase credit for her phone.

As I walked away with a wry smile on my face it hit me that HIV education has to overcome so many prejudices. The reluctance to talk about sex in a holistic way forces the young and not so young to accept myths as the gospel. Next week my group's topic will be HIV/AIDS discrimination. I plan to wear a custom made t-shirt that says in bold print "I am HIV positive" with "will you have lunch with me?" in smaller print. I can already see the incredulous looks and hear the collective gasps from passersby. I may even be briefly stigmatized but unlike the persons living with AIDS it would be fleeting. Well a girl can only hope

Congrats to the winners of Vincy Mas 2011

2011-07-06T10:48:00.009-05:00

Miss SVG :Aviar Charles
New song :Queen B
Ragga Soca :Skarpyon
Miss Carival: Miss St Kitts Iantavian Queeley
Calypso Monarch: Maxwell "Tajo" Francis
Soca Monarch: Fireman Hooper
Panorama:Sion Hill Euphonium
Junior Queen:Renisha Rose's portrayal of Alice in Wonderland from Player's International's production "At The Movies
Junior King:Jelani Niles portraying Tsunami from Blondie Bird and friends "Nature's Fury
Queen of the Bands:Jenilee Glasgow portraying Snow White and the Seven dwarfs from Players International
Junior Panorama: Girls'High School
Section of the Bands: Avatar by Player's Intl
Individual of the Year: Avalanche portrayed by Semone Richardson from Blondie Bird's Nature's Fury
Junior Band of the Year: Blondie Bird and Friends
Junior Calypso Monarch: Primary School:Kristina “Singing Kristie” Christopher
Junior Calypso Monarch: Secondary School:Shade Barker
Junior Soca Monarch: Ottis “Flipper” Cain
Band of the Year: Nature's Fury by Blondie Bird
Road March: Gao's Sheep

Highlights

Skinny Fabulous: He infused new life into the festivities with his Coney Island style carnival complete with clowns,bouncing castles, magicians and cartoon characters like Dora, Elmo and Sponge Bob. The overflowing Victoria Park in rainy conditions showed how much the event captured the imagination of children and adults.

Tajo: Strong lyrics,good diction and a not too shabby voice combined to produce a masterful performance which saw him lifting the crown for the first time.Those of us who follow Fancy's winning performances at the Carolling Competition know that Tajo is the man behind their compositions. Well done Tajo!

Skarpyon: He demonstrated his versatility by competing in all 4 ""calypso" Competitions.His second place in the Calypso finals should put to rest the notion that persons like himself and Bomani's style of singing does not belong in a Calypso competition.

GAO. The Son of Man returned to competition after a 10 yr absence and stole calypso lovers hearts with his monster hits "Noonie Juice" and "Sheep".

Panorama: Starlift threw down the gauntlet and Sion Hill Euphonium responded by upping their game to play their way to first place.

Lowlights

The Soca Monarch show is one of the most highly anticipated and best attended shows on the carnival calender. However this year's version brought with it a Gaza/Gully type element.The camps/fans of the two biggest names in the competition brought some unseemly behaviour that needs to be quickly stamped out. A class/status aspect is creeping in with one camp labelled the other as hooligan while claiming sophistication for theirs. Along with this elitism is an introduction of the town vs country element where to like Fireman means you are from country and vice versa. Sadly Soca monarch seems to be simply a competition between Fireman and Skinny Fabulous with the others just there to make up numbers. Ps can the artistes just sing and lessen the theatrics?

Panorama : An electric malfunction that saw the cancellation of the Panorama finals being rescheduled to the Dimanche Gras.

Crowd participation:Low crowd participation at shows like Dimanche Gras. Is it that the shows are just too long? Kiddies carnival had the smallest crowds I've seen in a long time. Did Uncle Skinny steal the show's thunder?

Smutty Songs: I like a double entendre as much as anyone but some of this year's offerings left nothing to the imagination.Have the artistes run out of creativity? Snapshot anyone?

Until next year, that was Vincy Mas.

Not the way to go M.O.E

2011-07-01T18:46:00.003-05:00

The Girls' High School has a clear policy with respect to cell phones and their usage at school. One such policy states that if a phone goes off during examinations the offending student gets zero for the paper. students are aware of this and some have already suffered for failure to observe this rule.

The school's authority is being undermined now that the Prime Minister's daughter has found herself on the wrong end of the rule. It is not the first time the young lady has found herself in the middle of a firestorm. From all reports her failure to submit a needle work project triggered off calls for the subject to be removed from the curriculum. Thankfully, common sense prevailed and needlework remained on the school's curriculum. The Headmistress Mrs Bowman is under pressure from the Ministry to rescind the rule and give the student a 10% deduction on her final mark, The situation seems to be heading for a strong conclusion as the headmistress is adamant that the rules should be applied across the board and not shifted to accommodate certain students.

The Ministry should hang is head in shame for laying down the law to the school and in the process make a mockery of the school's authority. Apart from this it appears to have ignored the vital aspect of classroom management which is imperative for the day to day running of any educational institution. Is the Ministry rescinding its own directive which stated that cell phones are not permitted in the nation's secondary and primary schools? Are they even aware of the CXC regulations which state that if a phone rings during exam the student is disqualified and if three or more students flout the rules the entire center is disqualified?

It is not by accident that Lady Justice is portrayed as a blind lady. Rules ought not to be shifted to accommodate persons depending on class/status.It sends a terrible message to the offender and to other students at large. We often complain about the breakdown in society but then we facilitate and excuse our children's misdemeanors. How are our young people to learn to take responsibility for their actions?

Back off the GHS, the Headmistress is correct. I feel sure the GHS alumni and well wishers would love to take to the streets and "protest for that" Oh yeah proud of my school for its guts.

Father's Day

2011-06-19T09:38:00.003-05:00

For years I was estranged from my father. Not because I got angry with him and decided to shut him out but because I was a pawn between two persons whose love had died. At times I felt angry at him, angry that he could so easily walk out my life. Wasn't I worth fighting for? How could he not know his little girl needed him? Although my memories of him had diminished my child heart longed for the safety and security that a father offered. Then one day he was there and my little heart exploded. My daddy had come back. He couldn't stay away any longer, he had missed his baby girl.

Given that my childhood was nomadic involving migration I missed out on a lot of memory making. However, he was always the affectionate parent,given to the hugs and cuddles that I couldn't seem to get enough of. For the first time I understood where I had gotten that loving nature. Apart from being his mirror image over the years I saw more of me in him, the simple, uncomplicated approach to life, the love of nature, the reclusive side that so many miscast as aloofness or snobbishness. Yes I am my father's daughter in so many respects.

There is nothing left to say but thanks for the love and support even when obstacles were put in your way. We may not always see eye to eye and truth be told at times you drive me up a wall. I guess I do too and would have disappointed you many a time. However I think it is fair to say that we have grown to respect our differences. Happy Father's day and if I have learnt one thing from you it is that forgiveness is a beautiful thing.

Virginity checks

2011-06-03T13:29:00.001-05:00

The CNN report where members of the Egyptian army admitted to conducting virginity checks on female protesters took me back to my teen years. Back then one of the threats issued by adults was a visit to the doctor to be checked for "chasteness". This was an indication of how zealously mothers guarded their daughters virginity, cognizant of societal standards that said "you keep your heifer home, while allowing your bulls to roam".

Additionally, a pregnant daughter was a source of great embarrassment to the family. Unfortunately, sex education in most cases was couched in either vague terms or threats to life and limb if girls strayed from the straight and narrow.I don't recall ever being issued, my threats were more subtle but enough to give you pause. However, several of my friends,tired of being labelled as sexually active, took it further and demanded their mothers take them to prove their innocence. I often wondered how these checks were even a possibility. It seems to me that the unfortunate girl would have to be a compliant partner. Wild horses would have had to literally drag me, restrain me and anesthetize me before any such procedure could take place.

The report was distasteful on so many levels. The attitude towards women's sexuality was as dated as it was frightening but sadly not surprising. Read the following quotes attributed to the perpetrators:

"We didn't want them to say we had sexually assaulted or raped them, so we wanted to prove that they weren't virgins in the first place"

What am I missing here? Isn't the definition of rape sex without consent? So could somebody please explain to me why these idiots are associating rape with virginity?. Wait I know, it's totally impossible for a non virgin to be raped.

It gets worse:

"The girls who were detained were not like your daughter or mine.These were girls who had camped out in tents with male protestors in Tahir Square and we found in the tents Molotov cocktails and drugs."

How lovely! There you have it.You can't blame the poor soldiers because after all the girls forced their hands.Those girls were just begging to be stripped and searched. Hmmm, where have I heard variations on this before? Oh I remember,it goes something like this: Did you see the short skirt she wore? Where she was going that late? Does she not know men she is tempting the men? Yes,I've heard it so many times.

In all of this I wonder if these virginity checkers realise that a virginity check is simply a nice way of saying sexual assault?

New species of bat in SVG

2011-05-30T05:35:00.003-05:00

So a new species of bat has been discovered by researchers in St Vincent. The bat has been named Micronycteris Garifuna in honour of the Garifuna people. However, this is one bat I would not like to run into. The thing ugly!

Read more

HIV Awareness

2011-05-17T09:05:00.001-05:00

Sunday 15th May, World HIV awareness day passed by without much fanfare on the local front. HIV awareness is an issue that is dear to me since beating the disease involves continuous education. Anything that is HIV related always puts me in an introspective mood. I think of the young women whose vulnerability exposes them to situations where they cannot negotiate sexual encounters, the young girls whose first sexual experience is borne out of violence,those who refuse to use condoms and those who fear testing lest it exposes them to discrimination.

While the attitudes are slowly changing re people living with HIV/AIDS there is still a long way to go. I believe the attitudinal changes can be partly attributed to those brave persons who have made their status known and continue to live and work amongst us. So I found Will.I.Am's comments re women who keep condoms in their homes as being "tacky" to be full of male/societal double standards. The sexual reality is that some people are going to have casual sex, chance encounters, multiple partners and engage in behaviours that others would frown on. Does it therefore mean that their lifestyle excludes them from being proactive in guarding their sexual health? Methinks not!

I think the judgmental stances do very little to help the issue at stake which is HIV transmission/infection. Not everyone is going to subscribe to the one partner ideal and truth be told I often wonder if fidelity is a word only found in dictionaries. For that matter even if you are in a long term relationship it is still wise to keep your stash on hand. Therefore Will.I.Am's comments were at best irresponsible if not idiotic. Yes it is his views and his stance on sexual behaviour but when you command a following your views carry more sway with some sectors of the population. The reality is that women are the ones most affected by this disease and the onus is on them to protect themselves. Their very lives depend on it.

100 years of excellence

2011-05-10T21:21:00.004-05:00

When persons turn 100, they are the toast of the nation. The Governor General visits and presents the centenarian with a bouquet of flowers and a congratulatory message from the queen. The subject, if able is quizzed on reasons for theeir longevity and life of yesteryear. All of this is fed to an awestruck audience. After all a life of 100 years is a phenomenal event.

On May 8th, my alma mater the St Vincent Girls' High School celebrated her 100th birthday. Like those before her, she was the toast of the nation as she showcased her considerable talents. Under the theme "100 years of excellence where tradition meets tomorrow", the week of activities that led up to May 8th featured sports, talent explosion, career and arts showcase, awards dinner, the blue and white affair which saw fireworks heralding the 100th year and ended with an ecumenical service at the the Kingstown Methodist Church.

In 1911, when the GHS opened its doors it was a bold step given that education of girls was not a priority at the time. Over time, the school has evolved from a private school catering to elites to a public school that embraces girls from diverse backgrounds. For me, entering the GHS was the realisation of a dream that many thought was beyond me. At age 11, already burdened by pain and a shattered self esteem entering GHS was my confirmation that I could be numbered among the best. I have written before that the joy I felt on passing for GHS remains my happiest moment.

Life at GHS was not all bed and roses. Many times I felt I stuck out like a sore thumb as I struggled at times to learn and adjust to new rules, new ways of teaching and the subtle hostility that was directed at you depending on your stream. I cried bitter tears when my best friend widened her circle, made new friends, suffered panic attacks when CXC drew near. A male teacher crossed the boundary, friends moved away, Moffett House won sports, classmates became mothers and we took shaky steps towards womanhood. Yet through it all I was proud of the blue and white and the way the simple act of getting dressed every morning gave my spirits a lift.

Looking back 15 years after graduation (how time flies!) my wish for GHS in the next 100 years is for continued excellence. Time and seasons change and GHS must change to fit the times. At the ecumenical service on Sunday the minister called for Religious Education to be reintroduced. At the risk of being labelled heathen I believe we need more practical subjects that contribute to nation building. Let religious education be the responsibility of the church and the home.

Happy 100th GHS.May your 2nd century be way better than your first.Per ardua ad alta.

Dry season?

2011-04-12T14:03:00.001-05:00

On the eve of the 32nd anniversary of La Soufriere's eruption the nation awoke to news of flood damage on the Windward coast.Georgetown has been particularly hard hit with one bridge totally destroyed and several homes flooded and/or destroyed. In fact, skimming through the pictures on Facebook it looked as if Tomas had paid us another visit. Despite having significant rain over the past few days it was still a shock to hear of and see the extensive damage. All of this in what has been an extremely wet dry season. It's almost as if Mother Nature is making up for the drought we suffered last year. One thing for sure is there are no half measures with our Mama Nature.

These sudden disasters never fail to remind me of how very vulnerable we are."Two little breeze blow"and our agricultural sector takes a dent, a "little" rain fall and our infrastructure suffers. We are so very powerless in the face of nature's fury and our resources are so slender. Ever lurking in the background is the slumbering La Soufriere volcano which could rumble to life at any moment.Yet some idiots think it is cool to steal and /or damage equipment which monitors volcanic activity.How foolish does one have to be to tamper with instruments that could save your very life. Apparently, very very foolish.

So while I'm loving the unexpected holiday many of my compatriots in the north eastern part of the island are suffering.To them I say, take comfort in the words of the national anthem and remember what ere the future brings our faith will see us through. We will rebuild.

Children in crisis

2011-04-01T21:46:00.001-05:00

Little Zoya Garraway was just six years old. I believe like most children she was full of life, inquisitive.loving and brought joy to those around her. Yesterday, while she slept Zoya's mother slit her throat. As is to be expected public condemnation has been heaped on the unfortunate mother. After all, a mother killing a child is a chilling occurrence that forces us to reevaluate a relationship that is associated with unconditional, protective love.

Since then I've heard the mother has a history of mental instability. Even before I heard of the mental issues my immediate reaction was not one of condemnation but deep sorrow and bewilderment. My heart aches for a slain child and a mother who can offer no explanation save "the devil made me do it".If nothing else, I hope Zoya's tragic death forces us to have a mature discussion on mental illness.Ironically, this henous crime came on the eve of Child Awareness month which begun today with a march in Kingstown.

More and more the children of our nation are suffering.According to this week's Searchlight there were 1014 reported cases of child abuse in 2010,the figure stood at 380 in 2008, rose to 420 in 2009 and climbed by 594 in 2010.These are alarming statistics that should make us all take notice of what is happening around us. Last week Justice Gretel Thom , while suspending a sentence on 23 yr old Kellecia Sutherland, charged with causing the deaths of her children was quite scathing with her comments. She was dismayed that villagers knew the children were abandoned for long periods yet failed to alert the authorities.In what I consider her most telling comment she was concerned that despite the presence of so many churches we are lacking when it comes to showing love and concern.

As damning as her comments were, I think she was right on the money.It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see how selfish we have become.The camaraderie I knew as a child and teen is gone.We appear oblivious to our surroundings, hardly socialising with our neighbours preferring instead the virtual world and cable tv.The judge has issued a wake up call. Will we heed it? If not for ourselves ,let's do it for the children's sake.

National Heroes Day

2011-03-13T19:21:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow Vincentians will celebrate National Heroes Day. When I was a child there was no National Heroes Day but we celebrated January 23rd; the day we were supposedly discovered by Christopher Columbus. from time to time I would read arguments put forward by columnists and other learned people disproving the discovery claim recommending instead a day that celebrated us. The name of Carib Chief Joseph Chatoyer who had kept the imperialists at bay was the name often mentioned as being worthy of hero status. It took the Gonsalves administration to finally abolish the January 23rd holiday, create a National Heroes Day and elevate Chatoyer to his rightful status.

Naturally, there were those who scoffed at the choice. To them it was sacrilegious that a "naked skin" man should be accorded such high honor. In their disdain they fail to understand the impossibility of the Carib Chief dressing in European garb. Apart from the grumblings with respect to dress there is still too much ignorance of the life and times of Chatoyer. It's as if we only take him out on March 14th, lay wreaths at his obelisk and then put him away until another March 14th. From what I can see there is not enough visibility given to one of his stature. Is it so hard to erect a statue?

This is why Friday night on SVG TV, a woman could boldly declare to all that she has a hard time believing the stories ascribed to Chatoyer. According to her,such events happened so long ago and nobody is alive to confirm them. Yet, it's my belief that she totally embraced Columbus's claim to the New World. So the challenge for all of us on National Heroes Day is to play our part in educating others on Chatoyer and why he is important to our sense of self.

Cool the hatred

2011-02-22T04:52:00.002-05:00

In 2010, 11 Vincentian girls between the ages of 10-14 gave birth; a statistic which has ignited little or no debate leaving me to believe these occurrences are not seen as particularly heinous or even as crimes. None of these young ladies, according to the law of the land can give consent to sexual intercourse but still no charges were laid against those responsible for impregnating them. It would appear that these crimes are sidelined by an underlying acceptance in the wider society that female sexuality is a commodity to be traded.

In contrast to the muted tones with respect to the child mothers, the hot story in this country is centred around a story carried by at least two newspapers which reported that three male teachers were questioned/detained on charges of gross indecency and acts of lewdness with their male charges. Since then the vitriol and condemnation have spewed forth on social media and talk shows. One blog vincikalalloo took it a step further and published photos of the teachers at the centre of the firestorm igniting calls for blood and the extermination of these men. This even though the men to the best of my knowledge have not been charged. The entire blog site has since disappeared from cyber space leaving me to wonder if the site owner has suddenly realised that he/she could face law suits for their irresponsible actions'

As usual when such stories break we are quick to show our hypocritical,judgemental sides. In the hysteria over a story that is yet to be proven we cry death to all homosexuals conveniently forgetting that

1.Homosexuality and paedophilia are two separate issues.

2.The bigger issue would be the crossing of boundaries in a teacher/student relationship

And in all our righteous indignation we should not forget that male heterosexual teachers crossing the boundary is not uncommon and equally worthy of condemnation. For that matter I would not be surprised if female teachers have also overstepped the line. However, in all the talk I am particularly disturbed by the ease with which we seem willing to pass judgement before being in possession of the facts. It is neither here nor there whether question marks have been raised over the sexuality of the men. In my humble opinion we should examine the issue at hand for truth and if proven then appropriate action should be taken. Failing that everything remains just an allegation. Hence the mean spiritedness behind the publication of photos was unwarranted and uncalled for.

Given the smallness of our society we ought to be really more circumspect with our approach to things. Our response over the last few days did not really show us at our finest. And as much as we hate to admit it, homosexuals are people too.

Another letter to my heart on Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T07:52:00.002-05:00

Dear Heart

Here we are with still only each other for company. Along the way others have wanted to join our world but no matter how they packaged it we recognised it as just offers of sex. And while others have laughed and looked at us strangely we've kept rolling along. You see I've learnt to take better care of you. Gone are the days when I knew what the outcome would be but still hoped to be surprised.

Yesterday, I had a sort of an epiphany. There I was lying on my bed "webcamming" with my aunt, wearing nothing but my morning face when all of a sudden I noticed how positively beautiful my face was. It was just beautiful in its natural state, unadorned by any makeup, just as you are whether alone or unaccompanied.

So I'm thinking rather than dwelling on what is absent I should give thanks for all the growing I've done, for knowing it's not all about sex, for patching up old hurts and living on my terms. And guess what? You know I think some secretly envy us..not that they would admit it but that's our little secret.

Here's to love whether single or not.To those whose love has kept us through the years, who put up with us when we were hardly loveable but loved us still. Happy Valentine's y'all.

Beni

Happy Birthday Marley

2011-02-06T11:04:00.001-05:00

On this day sixty six years ago Robert Nesta Marley was born. Like all mothers, his no doubt dreamt that his future would be brighter than hers.I believe that never in her wildest dreams did she envision her baby boy would become a mega recording star and quite possibly the greatest lyricist of our time. For me Bob Marley is an inspiration, a giant of a man despite his tiny stature and an example of the sublime talent that Jamaica and by extension the region possesses, He remains my musical hero although he was taking hi last breath when i was just learning how to form words.

His music is at once militant exhorting us to "Get up, Stand up for our rights", conscious as he entreats "Africa to unite",spiritual as he contemplates "Exodus" the movement of Jah people, loudly proclaiming the Rastafarian faith as he encourages his brethren to grow their dreadlocks, don't be afraid of the wolf pack, highly aware of social injustice and certain of the knowledge that "someone would have to pay for the innocent blood they shed every day", hopeful that one day we would emancipate ourselves from mental slavery and sing our own "Redemption Song". And for good measure the showed us he was tender too with the soulful "I wanna love you".

So while I feel cheated that he died before I could attend one of his concerts in his honor I'm having "a punky reggae party cos it's alright".Happy Birthday Bob, you made a difference to this world!

Contract killing

2011-01-21T08:52:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, speaking from Parliament Dr Ralph Gonsalves informed the nation that a plot to assassinate him had been unearthed. It's not the first time the Prime Minister has spoken about such a threat but it was certainly the most details he has given. According to him security forces had indicated that within one week of the December 13,2010 elections, the conspiracy to kill him was hatched by two cocaine traffickers.

A man who had previously been acquitted of a murder charge was was contracted but was apprehended after a man hunt that lasted little over a week. Acting on a tip, police were able to arrest him as he sought to flee the island via a speedboat. The Prime Minister went on to say that the man was subsequently charged for serious offences unrelated to the conspiracy of murder to protect intelligence sources. A high powered assault weapon was also recovered during the exercise.

Within 24 hours of the arrest another "hit man"was recruited but got cold feet when he learnt of his prime ministerial target. The services of a Trinidadian was then procured but remains at large despite police searches.For now I have no other comment save to say these are interesting times.

Women and Politics

2011-01-17T15:54:00.001-05:00

When I was a little girl politics and my world collided.Back then "upful' was the word and a relative was on the platform boldly going where few women had dared to go. Always a maverick, she had defied the conventional wisdom of the day by throwing her hat not only into the political ring but for a third party burdened by the dreaded communist stigma. I speak of course of the tireless Nelcia Robinson to whom I owe a debt of gratitude.

Women in politics or lack thereof is a topic that attracts considerable debate. While women are always at the forefront vocally supporting their parties the parliamentary representation remains minimal.Ivy Joshua blazed a trail as the first woman to win a parliamentary seat and went on to hold it in five consecutive elections. yet despite this phenomenal achievement she remains a name that is hardly ever mentioned or given the respect it deserves. In fact, too many believe that women in government began with Yvonne Francis Gibson or Rene Baptiste. The trailblazing Ivy Joshua, was to many a social outcast, with little or no formal education and a figure of ridicule.

Today with more access to education the put downs are more subtle. However, they are present. Women's lives are dissected, mocked for their weight and their dress in a way that most men are not. This sexism or violence as one family member calls it probably accounts for women's reluctance in entering the fray; although last election saw 7 women on the Green Party's slate. However, that occurrence is an exception more than the rule. Despite all of this even as an apathetic political follower I believe more women's voices are needed in parliament.

So with much interest I followed the GHS lecture series where one of our distinguished alumna Ambassador Betty King,appointed by Barack Obama was delivering on said topic. Given that we had just come off a testy election campaign where one woman was elevated to the post of deputy PM and two others were appointed opposition senators interest was high. While I appreciated her shining the light on violence against women I came away feeling cheated because the reasons for women shying away from politics were not explored.

Neither were the challenges women face in a male dominated field explored.For that matter the Vincentian context was not even touched. To me it was not enough to put the figures out there without offering up some theories. While it is true that for every Eugenia Charles et al many others fail on the flip side did they succeed by trading in (in the public's view) their femininity. So pardon me if I felt shortchanged because I just didn't think the debate went far enough.

Drop...cover..hold

2011-01-04T20:25:00.001-05:00

Lately I've been thinking a lot about earthquakes. Almost one year ago a massive earthquake caused widespread devastation in Haiti.Sadly, the lives of its inhabitants remain chaotic. The pledged aid has not materialised- well not in significantly large quantities. As if tent cities were not bad enough the embattled nation has had to contend with cholera. It's really a dire time for our neighbours who must be wondering when normalcy will return.

If the other Caribbean islands thought they were immune from major earthquakes they/we were given a wake up call. Following on the heels of the Christmas Eve earthquake that hit Trinidad, Dr Joan Latchman of the Seismic Unit UWI has alerted the region to the possibility of being hit by a major earthquake. With images of the Haitian earthquake still fresh this news is chilling to say the least. As if to guard against complacency, on the 31st Dec Dominica was rocked by a 5.0 earthquake. So excuse me if the "Drop..Cover..Hold on" jingle keeps playing in my head.

However, are we really prepared or are we sitting ducks waiting for the worst? Some will say our buildings are sturdier than Haiti's but do we have a disaster plan? I hope we don't have to find out soon.

PS: Happy New year

Three terms for Labour

2010-12-14T09:23:00.002-05:00

Dr Ralph Gonsalves and his United Labour Party have been returned to office. The 2010election was billed as the mother of all elections and it sure lived up to its billing as the ULP squeezed home by the slimmest of margins. When the dust had settled the ULP had won eight of the fifteen seats at stake with the Government's website showing the difference in popular votes between both parties to be a mere 1417 votes.

Politics is not my thing but I could not see the ULP keeping the four marginal seats they won in the 2005 elections. So the result does not surprise me in the least because it was also quite clear that the ULP had lost substantial support in the 2005elections despite winning twelve seats. There are some issues on which I will most likely talk about in subsequent posts but I must give some props to the beleaguered Ralph Gonsalves. During the campaign everything but the proverbial kitchen sink was thrown at him. From the alleged rape, sexual assault charge, the communist bogey to the devil incarnate it was an anti Ralph campaign. When you consider hat little over a year his party had suffered a crushing defeat in the referendum it is remarkable that he was still able to stand.

so the people have spoken, not in a loud voice but spoken nonetheless. If nothing the next few weeks, months could be quite the ride. Congrats to all the winners, we have a country to build.

WORLD AIDS DAY

2010-12-01T10:18:00.001-05:00

One evening as I made my way home I saw a wizened looking figure sitting at the roadside waiting for public transport. His entire skin was as black as if it had been painted contrasted by a blood red mouth. Something about him looked familiar and as I watched closely I realised he was from my old village. I later learnt he was the unsanitized face of AIDS.

The truth is given the access to antiretroviral drugs and the strides made in stalling the disease it was a shock coming face to face with that picture of AIDS. I think of him with sadness, not because he is part of the village in which I grew up but that he probably didn't know his status until it was too late. It is possible to live productive lives even if you have contracted the disease. Get tested people! It could be the difference between the unsanitized face of AIDS and your healthy looking one.

I know my status.Do you?

Stop the Violence

2010-11-24T14:05:00.000-05:00

Violence has reared its ugly head int he 2010 elections campaign. Since the Dec 13th date was officially announced stories of intimidation, physical violence and attempted murders have made the rounds. The Searchlight newspaper of Tuesday 23rd, ran as its cover story the beating of three young women by men who shared political views different to theirs. According to the story the perpetrators were throwing sand on a freshly painted ULP symbol which caused one of the young ladies to stand on it as a form of protest. As a result she was physically assaulted as were her friends who came to her rescue. In the same newspaper, a calypsonian who performed at an Opposition meeting believes the attempts on his life were politically motivated. In that instance he was shot at as he returned home from the village meeting.

Over the years I've been noticing a growing lack of tolerance in our society. We are quick to lash out at, degrade and ostracize persons different to ourselves. As I write I am wondering if a life or two would be lost to political violence in this silliest of seasons. When did we become so intolerant that we are unwilling to grant people the right of association? The political parties have to shoulder much of the blame for this ill will that is threatening to explode with more dire consequences. They have willingly positioned themselves as the sure way of survival, the ticket to the gravy train and all its related benefits. Small wonder then that these misguided people feel that by all means necessary they must defend their turf. It's high time that Vincentians realise that politicians are flawed persons like us and certainly not worth dying or killing for.

Not surprisingly, I have noticed that the story of the assaulted women has shifted to the PM's alleged use of swear words and threatening language to persons in the area where the attack occurred. I know it's too much to expect that political affiliations will be shelved and a spade called a spade but nobody ever said silly season was made for rational thoughts. Still, I live in hope that one day violence against women will not be treated with indifference, trivialised or simply paid lip service. One of the Opposition's slogan is Ënough No more", a slogan which I believe aptly speaks to the political violence that is seething. "Chill People, CHILL!

We Voting

2010-11-14T23:53:00.001-05:00

It's official. Nomination day is November the 26th and Vincentians will vote on December 13th. Prior to the PM's announcement the Opposition leader stating that he was in charge had "announced" that polling day was December 15th. Never in my life had I heard an Opposition leader call elections but then again nothing should be surprising in silly season.

From here on the silly season will get even sillier with seemingly rational persons acting more and morelike idiots.I am already bracing for the loudspeakers,the increased mudslinging and name calling that is part of the political landscape. The ruling ULP is seeking a third term but must be cognisant that history is against them. On the other hand the NDP buoyed by the results of the November 15th referendum have smelt blood and are moving in for the kill.

The next few weeks are surely gonna be frenetic as the election fever takes hold.Some are going to be very unhappy that their Christmas preparations have to compete with political meetings, rallies and general campaigning. Others I suspect will see it as one big party leading into Nine Mornings and the other Christmassy things. As for me,unlike my neighbour I may not even be voting at all.

Hurricane Tomas

2010-10-31T16:37:00.002-05:00

Like a thief in the night Tomas made his appearance;catching most if not all of us unawares. On Friday afternoon We heard we were under a storm watch but early Saturday morning news broke that we were under threat from Hurricane Tomas. Still there were those skeptics who chose to ignore the warnings preferring to remain in Kingstown to continue their vending. I guess they believed we would once again be spared the brunt of a tropical storm/hurricane.

He huffed and he puffed but couldn't blow my house down or remove one sheet of galvanize. From the safety of my bedroom I watched as the great trees in the yard swayed and dipped to Tomas's Latin beats.I hoped that the trees would withstand his fury and they did. Some of my neighbours were not so lucky as a walk through the village revealed houses with partial roofs,uprooted trees lining walkways or resting on roofs.Breadfruit trees seemed particularly hard hit looking every bit as forlorn as discarded rag dolls.

Nation wide, stories of destruction continue to flood the airwaves.At one point they were reporting that 514 persons were in shelters with approximately 300 in Mustique. Twenty one shelters were active. Areas like Georgetown, have reported extensive damage to personal property as well as schools. Elsewhere, the damage seems just as grim with many reporting loss of property,landslides and road blocks caused by fallen trees. The utilities seem not to want to be around at the same time which I consider really bothersome.. Despite all this I enjoyed my first hurricane. It was simply awesome watching nature at work. I'd do it again but for the loss of my electricity and water-things I don't wish to live without for more than 2 hours.

RIP David Thompson

2010-10-23T09:07:00.000-05:00

At around 9 a.m my friend called to tell me that the Hon David Thompson,Prime Minister of Barbados had died. Even though I knew he was fighting the batttle of his life against an unyielding competitor the news of his demise still caught me by surprise. For close to half an hour I sat quietly and thought about David Thompson, his family, his political journey, his illness and his death.

I didn't know David Thompson beyond a chance meeting in Kingstown where we discussed cricket and Brian Lara in particular. At that time he was not PM Thompson and Brian Lara was going through a barrage of attacks from seemingly every one. It was a tough time to publicly declare your loyalty to the cricketing ability that Lara possesed so it was a pleasure interacting with one who shared similiar views. The thing that struck me most about that encounter was his approachable, no frills, down to earth manner. A couple years later I was to meet him at my uncle's house in Barbados and again the same character traits were present. Like the earlier meeting he was not yet PM Thompson.

Slowly the tears came. Tears of anger that cancer had once more wreaked havoc and taken yet another life. Tears of dismay that a cure still seems so distant.Tears that a young vibrant man had been cut down just when he had finally attained his dream of leading his country. Tears of longing for my aunt and friend who had fought valiantly only to lose their battles as well. Through this medium I wish to express my heartfelt sympathies to his family, close friends and the nation of Barbados who must be quite disconcerted and grief filled.

May the soul of David Thompson rest in peace.

Miracle in Chile

2010-10-13T07:39:00.001-05:00

I wish I could stay home and watch as the Chilean miners are pulled from the earth to the arms of their loved ones. "Breaking news" is usually followed by stories of death and human suffering. So it is such a joy to be following a story that is filled with the triumph of the human spirit. I have no time reference for momentous world events save Mandela's walk to freedom and the fall of the Berlin wall which I was too young to understand. However, watching the emotionally charged scenes in the early hours of this morning were enough to bring goosebumps on my arm and tears to my eyes. I can't begin to comprehend what it was like for those 33 men trapped in the bowels of the earth, unsure if they would ever see daylight again and the horrors that they may never reveal to the world. That long nightmare is now ending and by time I get home my hope is all 33 would be above earth. Much respect to the entire rescue team and all family members who rallied with their men to the end.

Congratulations Natasha

2010-10-10T17:25:00.004-05:00

In the middle of this frame is St Vincent's very own Natasha Mayers en route to winning this country's first ever medal at the Commonwealth Games. This is a tale of redemption since in 2005 Miss Mayers was slapped with a two year ban after testing positive for banned substances in out of competition testing at her home in California.

Back then she was remorseful about the incident and looked forward to returning to competition after serving her sentence. She showed that she was back with a bang when she recorded the fastest time in the 100 metres heats.In the finals ran on Thursday 7th October she finished third behind Sally Pearson of Australia and Osayemi Oladumola of Nigeria. However, an appeal launched by the English saw Pearson being disqualified which meant Natasha was now the silver medalist. I would have thought this achievement would have generated more excitement but then again it's the season of red or yellow.

Nevertheless, I want to take this medium to say congratulations to Natasha for making yourself and your country proud.

Little people big problems

2010-10-05T13:26:00.002-05:00

Eleven year old Aldan Richards became this country's mst recent suicide after ingesting gramoxone, following an altercation involving him and another student. Richards consumed the toxic substance last Wednesday, Sept 29, following an incident at school. He died at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital, Saturday October 2nd shortly before 7 pm. (Excerpt from Searchlight's mid week paper). A week or so ago, a thirteen year old girl was also admitted to the hospital after a botched suicide attempt. In that instance the young lady tied a belt around her neck and attempted to hang herself. Little people, big problems. Problems that appeared more than their little beings could bear.

A further reading of the Searchlight's article highlights a tale of a child being bullied by students, deathly scared of a teacher who was too liberal with the belt, terrified of a father who he thought would beat him after the school summoned him to highlight an altercation he was involved in. The story did not delve into the fact that the child was unsuccesful in the Common Entrance Examinations but I feel it impacted on his sense of self. I also believe that failure was also a source of ridicule, given that practically every child gets a place at a secondary school.

I feel gutted that an eleven year old was so overwhelmed by life that he felt suicide was the only answer. Likewise, I worry about a thirteen year old child facing adult problems, most likely not of her making but ones she still has to try and figure out. While these are just two cases I worry about the countless others whose cries for help go unnoticed. Too often, children battle abandonment, sexual molestations, emotional and physical abuse in a period of their development that should be carefree. Little or no attention is paid to the deviant behaviour of our children preferring instead to pass it off as "rude","womanish" or "mannish". Instead, those who are supposed to be their caregivers have become their abusers leaving behind damaged little ones. How many more children must we fail?

RIP Arrow

2010-09-15T21:19:00.002-05:00

Born on the tiny island of Montserrat Alphonsus "Arrow" Cassell's talent was anything but tiny. He gave us hits such as "Pirates","Long time" and the monster hit "Hot,Hot,Hot". In fact, "Hot,Hot,Hot" became the song that pushed soca on to the international stage. It was to enjoy more success following Buster Poindexter's remake in 1987. Years later,St Vincent's Kevin Lyttle was to enjoy unprecedented success with his hit "Turn me on". So, it is I think fair to say that Arrow paved the way for other soca artistes to realize that soca could be marketed to non traditional markets.

I think it was on the weekend I read that he was airlifted to Antigua for medical attention.However, I didn't really pay much attention to the news item because I didn't realise it was a life threatening incident. I couldn't be more wrong because today (September 15th) I learnt he had succumbed to brain cancer. My condolences go out to his family and the people of Monsterrat who are mourning his loss. If it's any consolation he will always be "hot,hot,hot".

Wake up call

2010-09-07T21:18:00.003-05:00

Kellisha Ollivierre from Kingstown Hill St Vincent, just 24 years old and most likely had dreams of a long happy life. Those dreams were rudely interrupted by the fires that raged through the Barbadian store Campus Trendz as robbers/arsonists turned a business place into an inferno and taking with them 6 lives. I didn't know Kellisha Ollivierre beyond the cursory interaction at "Lady J", the food establishment in Kingstown where she once worked. In fact, I never even knew her name until new of her death filtered through the community and the inevitable pictures popped up on people's Facebook profiles. I don't think that there is anything else I could say that has not been said already; but it is my hope that their loved ones find solace.

Coming out of this horrific story is the need for buildings to be built with more than one exit/entrance. It is as if we never imagine that disaster would befall us only to react when it does happen. Some of the buildings in Kingstown that have additional exits actually have these doors padlocked. Mind boggling isn't it? The earthquake that shook the Caribbean in Nov 2007 saw terrified persons jostling each other to escape via a single point. It's a miracle that persons were not injured in the chaotic scenes that were played out in some business places in Kingstown.

I've long remarked on the lack of preparedness during the Hurricane season. There is a stark absence of hurricane shutters on Vincentian homes despite the ever present threat of hurricanes. Yet we go along merrily, holding our collective breaths when a storm threatens only to exhale when it bypasses us. In fact, Vincentians have adopted a cocky approach to the hurricane season proclaiming loudly to all who would listen that we are Hairoun-Home of the Blessed. Left unsaid is those who were battered by Mother Nature's fury are cursed for want of a better word.

It's too late for Kellisha and the others but my hope is that their deaths will drive home the need for strict adherence to building codes. This laissez -faire attitude with respect to people's lives has to end. I certainly do not want to see another mother covering her grief with dark glasses and trying to make sense of the senseless.

Match fixing

2010-09-06T05:41:00.002-05:00

For quite some time cricket has been plagued by allegations of match fixing. The sight of the late South African captain Hansie Cronje being grilled before a Commission remains etched in my mind. That, I think is when the ICC was forced into realizing that cricket was at times not a gentleman's game. The fallout of that scandal was a life ban for Cronje and the Indian batsman Azharuddin who had introduced him to the bookmakers. Two other South Africans who were implicated were given 6 month bans. Since then the allegations have continued with the actions of several cricketers being questioned. In the past week or so, the Pakistan cricket team has found itself under scrutiny for agreeing to bowl no balls at a specific time in the Lords test. Sadly, match fixing claims have long plagued the Pakistan cricket team culminating in a life ban for former captain Salim Malik.

With all the allegations swirling around some are openly questioning if the West Indies cricket team has succumbed to the lure of match fixing.This no doubt is borne out by the endless losses recorded by the team, the occasions when defeat was snatched from the jaws of victory and the involvement of Marlon Samuels with an Indian bookie. A few persons I've spoken to have brought up several matches that definitely made them think the games were thrown. While I agree that those mentioned were remarkable results, I suspect that many persons are still reluctant to accept the demise of the once great West Indian cricket team and prefer to accept reasons rather than the obvious. This is not to say that I believe West Indian cricketers are made of better moral fibre and will have the moral fortitude to resist temptation. The truth is, they like all others before them are vulnerable and likely to succumb if the price is right.

Still games like this prompt questions against a backdrop where one can never be sure what is happening. That is the match fixing legacy.

Vote Welectricity

2010-08-29T18:37:00.002-05:00

Welectricity, an innovative, award-winning tool for delivering energy efficiency via social networking is in contention in the GE Ecomagination Challenge, a global search by one of the world’s largest companies for the best ideas in the world that will help power the 21st century ‘smart grid’.

The Ecomagination Challenge, backed by a US$200 million fund and launched by GE earlier this month in collaboration with leading venture capital firms RockPort Capital, KPCB , Foundation Capital, and Emerald Technology Ventures, is a global commitment to build an innovative clean energy future.

The first round of the challenge is based on open voting – and Welectricity, the brainchild of Vincentian energy consultant Herbert A (Haz) Samuel, is now ranked in the top ten of over 530 ideas submitted to GE from all corners of the globe.

Subsequent rounds of the challenge will be adjudicated by GE’s panel of experts and several ideas will be selected for cash prizes and for the development of commercial working relationships with GE

Continue here

15 or 17 seats?

2010-08-26T10:25:00.001-05:00

On November 25th, the national referendum on Constitutional reform was defeated. That defeat was a body blow to the ruling United Labour Party who anticipated a much better showing than the 43+% it received. On the other hand, the Opposition New Democratic Party buoyed by the results and sensing blood have been relentless in their attacks on the ruling party. Although the referendum was supposedly non political I believe many used it to vent against what they perceived as shortcomings by the ULP. With elections due by March 2011,the atmosphere in little st Vincent is highly charged.

Very recently a damning report( leaked to the Opposition) by the Audit office on the mishandling of funds at the Ministry of Health has been all over the media. It's publicity the ruling party could do with out as they have been forced to do damage control on a civil service matter. Then on Tuesday, the High court upheld an opposition injunction to prevent the publication of the Constituencies Boundaries report. This after parliament had approved an amendment to increase the parliamentary seats from 15 to 17. However, the NDP felt that the increase in seats amounted to gerrymandering especially as the Opposition Leader stood to lose a portion of his constituency that is a stronghold. While I am not certain what this ruling means I believe that 17 seats are too many for this small country. If I had my way, for sure the Grenadines seat would be one instead of two as we have a situation where subject to correction the Southern Grenadines has a voting population of less 3000. But then again politicians usually act in a manner that is expedient to them with little or no thought to what is best for the country. Can we really afford two more ministers and more senators? I think not, to borrow a phrase from the Republicans we need smaller government. If people have to tighten their belts in harsh economic times then government can't be getting bigger.

Most times, I just wish the Prime Minister would call elections and let the country get back some normalcy as I'm convinced this limbo state does nothing for us. Ring the bell PM,ring it,

Wyclef denied

2010-08-22T22:05:00.000-05:00

For weeks I've been following with interest Wyclef Jean's bid for the presidency of Haiti. As a fan of the Fugees, I always knew he was Haitian but had left the country at a young age. So, I was rather surprised that he had thrown his hat in the ring given that there was a stipulation that prospective candidates had to have been resident in the country for 5 consecutive years prior to election day. Apart from that hiccup, Wyclef and his Yele foundation have been under fire for the alleged misappropriation of funds. Yet his candidacy was met with such exuberance especially by the youth that you dared to dream he could do the impossible. After all,Schwarzenegger who had never held public office and whose political views were unknown to most californians had won the Californian gubernatorial race.

However, following the ruling of Haiti's electoral council it appears that there is no fairy tale end for Wyclef. Still the problems that plague the Haitians,chief amongst them lack of leadership are ever present.I believe it's this desperate need for leadership that made Wyclef and his superstar persona so attractive despite him not having a manifesto that detailed how he intended to take Haiti forward. Apart from the hope his candidacy bid ignited there is no doubt it also brought the attention of the international media right back to Haiti. As was to be expected after the at times indecent coverage Haiti slowly slipped off the radar, almost forgotten by all as we slipped back into our comfortable routines. With the media 's renewed interest we learnt that conditions in Haiti remained dire and many of the international donors had reneged on their promises.

Now that Wyclef's candidacy has been stalled it will be interesting to see how the media responds. I do suspect that their focus will point elsewhere especially if Wyclef's legal challenge fails. Maybe, Wyclef's next bid should be ensuring that the media continues to shine a light on the Haitian situation. That might just be more rewarding than any presidential office.

Remembering LI 319

2010-08-03T21:44:00.002-05:00

Twenty four years ago the nation was plunged into mourning when LI 319 disappeared off Cane Garden point taking 13 souls to a watery grave. If ever there was a case when thirteen was an unlucky number then this was it. Not only were there thirteen persons on board but if you were to add the flight number it takes you right back to thirteen.

Over the years, we have been jolted by plane accidents a little too often for my liking. From my memory in 1997 or 95 after a cricket match between the West Indies and Sri Lanka a private plane filled with Trinidadian cricket lovers lost their lives shortly after takeoff. In 2006 an SVG airliner en route to the ET Joshua airport from Canouan disappeared taking two to their deaths. In the early 90's(subject to correction) a plane heading to Bequia crashed in the Ashburton area killing all on board.Lastly, In 2007 as the Australians were engaged in a CWC07 practice match a light aircraft crashed in the Arnos vale river. Thankfully, no lives were lost.

However, none of those crashes shook the nation like that of August 3rd 1986. On board that ill fated plane, amongst others was the popular and beloved beauty queen Donna Young, former government minister Hudson Tannis, his wife and young son. As far as I know there has never been any official reason given as to why LI 319 dropped from the skies but like most things rumours abound. Whatever the reason,on what I was told was a very stormy night the lives of several persons were changed forever on this dark day in Vincentian history. May their souls rest in peace

Happy Birthday Nelson Mandela

2010-07-18T18:37:00.002-05:00

When I was ten years old, I like the rest of the world watched Nelson Mandela walk to freedom. Back then, I didn't understand his story or why his steps to freedom caused so many wet eyes in my household. In retrospect it was quite the emotional weekend as hours earlier my family was in the depths of despair following Mike Tyson's shock defeat to Buster Douglas. This time though I sensed those tears were happy ones.

As I got older I became fascinated with the story of the man who spent 27 years in jail for daring to speak out against apartheid in South Africa. The more I read, the more my admiration grew for this man who gave up so much of himself for a greater cause. Places like Soweto, Robben Island and names like Oliver Tambo, Walter Sisulu and the ANC came alive. Many people have written glowing tributes and deservedly so about Nelson Mandela but for me his capacity to forgive stands out.

How many of us could endure unjust imprisonment and harbour no ill will or bitterness? I would say not many of us given that we find it so difficult to move on from hurts real or imagined. Even though it's been years or months, too many of us still harbour ill will towards the coworker, lover, friend or parent who did us wrong. Yet, this giant of a man who endured so much only preaches a message of forgiveness and inclusion.

On this his 92nd birthday, I cannot wish for him long life because he has already attained such. Instead, I'll thank him for living his life in a manner that inspires many around the world. Thank you Nelson Mandela for making this world a better place.

PS..Still on the road to recovery so excuse my absence.

A whale of a time

2010-06-24T20:28:00.002-05:00

Hey Sea Shepherd do you have proof that we are bribe takers? If not is real out of order business that.

Viva the vuvuzela

2010-06-15T11:03:00.002-05:00

In 2007, the ICC Cricket World Cup came to the Caribbean. For a cricket loving nation hosting this championship was a remarkable achievement. countries, egged on by the WICB responded to the call to upgrade and in some case build new stadiums to host these games. Despite the home team's cellar status, fans were still excited about seeing the big teams in action whilst holding out hope for their beleaguered team. This was before the ICC rules threatened to wipe the excitement off the faces of the cricket loving public.

No longer were the conch shells, bugles, horns, drums etc which were integral to the Caribbean cricketing experience allowed. Added to that, the picnic baskets and the accompanying beverages were a no no. CWC 2007 turned out to be a sterile affair lacking the flair and verve that characterises the West indian experience. Not surprisingly fans stayed away. Realising the folly of their ways The ICC T20 World cup hosted had no such restriction and the fans were encouraged to "bring it". The "it"" being the horns, bugles,drums and conch shells that made the cricket grounds come alive.

Fast forward to 2010, South africa and by definition the African continent is hosting football's world cup. It is the first time the football world cup has gone to that part of the world and excitement is fever pitch. Most if not all of us have seen the exuberant Africans decked in their country's colour proudly declaring allegiance. Football fans the world over have their unique tradition that is associated with the game. The Brazilians beat their samba drums, the Mexicans introduced us to the "wave", the English chant non stop at their games and the South africans blow vuvuzelas. However, these vuvuzelas have come under fire from footballers, media and fans for what they term its annoying buzz. The exclusion of vuvuzelas from stadiums was gathering such momentum that FIFA was forced to make intervene. President Joseph Blatter in his ruling had this to say "it is african culture, we are in Africa and we have to allow them to practice their culture as much as they want to. Vuvuzelas, drums and singing are part of African celebrations, it is a part of their celebrations,part of their culture, so let them blow it".

Those are sentiments I totally endorse and I only wish the ICC had the sense to relax the repressive regulations they imposed on CWC 2007. Whilst it was not a West Indian world cup and it is not an African World Cup, there are certain aspects that should not be dictated by outside powers. Kudos to Sep Blatter

Fast Food Central

2010-06-10T17:05:00.002-05:00

Almost overnight a proliferation of fast food outlets have sprung up in St Vincent. With the arrival of Mario's, Church's chicken and Subway lurking in the wings the landscape as we know it has undergone huge changes.Prior to these chicken was king as KFC ruled supreme until Bickles specialising in Jamaican patties threatened their stronghold. The throngs of people jostling each other to partake in the promotional samples offered by Mario's and Church's tell its own story.

Some people are already lauding the appearance of these fast food outlets as progress even as longingly list wish for others. I myself am partial to Dunkin's Donuts which so far has not made any one's list. This progress though will demand a heavy price if the lines at these establishments are anything to go by. I remain amazed at the number of school children who buy their breakfasts daily at fast food places. It's almost as if the styrofoam cup and the white paper bag are now a part of the school uniform. Despite the cries of poverty the breakfast and lunch clubs membership is not dwindling at all. The sight of people buying fast food on a Sunday caused a friend to declare that pots and pans will soon be artifacts in the home.

While it may sound drastic in reality we are probably closer to abolishing home cooked meals than we really think. I often wonder if the shifting gender roles where women are more and more the primary breadwinners are too tired to prepare meals so it becomes easier to sacrifice better nutrition on the altar of fast food. These days too grandmothers are younger and younger so you can hardly rely on granny to fill a breach. Something to ponder on. Meantime, as our nation gorges itself on fast food and channel surf to our leisure we get fatter and fatter placing more burden on the shaky health system. What a price to pay for progress.

Soon come

2010-06-09T18:24:00.003-05:00

Recovering from a fairly serious illness so most times the will was just not there to focus on anything that needed a little thought. Actually, there are a couple unfinished posts in my inbox which are probably not even relevant anymore. Nevertheless, I am beginning to feel more like myself so I should be back to posting sooner than later.

See y'all soon

Downsides of the digital world

2010-05-20T12:36:00.000-05:00

Some pictures of a Vincentian woman performing sexual acts are making the rounds electronically. By all accounts, the pictures of the young woman, who is a public figure have been photoshopped. Prior to this a beauty queen contestant also suffered the same fate. As we are inclined to to do when there is something juicy the "forwarding"is frenetic. I hope nobody sends them to me as I have no desire in being a part of a plot orchestrated to humiliate someone. In my humble opinion, the persons doing the "forwarding"are no better than the perpetrators as they are aiding and abetting the spread of malice.

While I have no knowledge of where the pictures were lifted from social sites like Facebook are fodder for these malicious acts. In this age of sharing and oversharing most of us have been sucked into posting pictures of ourselves, our friends and relatives enjoying moments. It then becomes so much easier especially if we are careless with our privacy settings for someone to copy a photo for their devious plans. Sometimes too, the people we "friend"" turn out to be anything but a friend. That is why I totally understand those persons who are are fearful of putting their pictures on these sites. As a person who has had to deal with someone tampering with my FB page I often feel like removing all photos or deactivating the account.

Anyway, I am longing for the day when these acts are traced to the point of origin and the perpetrators hauled before the courts. Maybe I 've watched too much CSI, SVU and the like but it can't be rocket science to follow the electronic trail. The weight of the law needs to descend on these villains to deter others from being copycats. It is unacceptable for persons to sit and devise ways to defame others and then get away with it. While we pore over the images and make our remarks we should be aware that one day some sick individual may decide to make us their target. Seriously people, get a grip and put away the pettiness because utlimately you are in worse shape than the person you seek to defame

Musing along

2010-05-04T09:28:00.002-05:00

In the wake of my friend's murder in New York, I thought I'd share this little reminder to all of us. Sometimes, we never realise how precious a friendship is/was until it is gone for ever. Then you wish you had done more, spent more time with the person, loved them a little more. Sadly, death gives no second chances. So do it right with the only chance you have.

Sometimes, what we care about most gets all used up and goes away...never to return. So... While we have it, we should love it, care for it, fix it when it's broken, heal it when it's sick. Be it friendships, marriage, children with bad report cards, dogs and cats with bad hips, aging parents and grandparents.

We keep them because they are worth it, because we are worth it. Some things we keep. Like a best friend that moved away or a classmate we grew up with.

There are just some things that make life important, like people we know who are special.... And so, we keep them close.

Dance Off

2010-04-17T06:07:00.002-05:00

For the past week or so a storm centred around a "dance off" has been raging. It has become the practice for promoters to host these shows where the nation's youths vie for top honours in cheerleading, dance etc. This year's version was thrust into the spotlight when SVG TV aired a clip showing a group of dancers performing some lewd routines. Since then every man jack ranging from the Ministries of Education, Culture,Youth affairs to the man on the street has weighed in with their two cents. As is to be expected, the students and to an extent the promoters have been roundly castigated.

While I found the clip in question to be overly sexual the outrage smacks of knee jerk reactions and more than a fair dose of hypocrisy. One group pushed the limits too far and the entire "dance off" is painted as a breeding ground for lewdness? Nonsense! None of the outraged folks seem aware that that there is a growing culture of vulgarity aided and abetted by the media, parents and society. As it stands the more out there you are the more props you get.

I found the Ministry of Culture in particular to be quite hypocritical. Where are these officials during carnival when young and not so young ladies wearing next to nothing simulate sex for all to see? Where are they when children are encouraged by parents and adults to go infront the cameras and wine as if their little lives depended on it? Where are they when the adult women outdo each other with the lewdness in an attempt to be captured by the camera? Where are you Ministry of Culture and why are you surprised when the youngsters exhibit the learnt behaviour?

These acts, good people are not born in isolation. The young may not listen to what they are told but make no bones about it they sure emulate what they see. Who then is to blame? PS.I expect to hear the Ministry of Education,Youth Affairs and Culture express their outrage over the bar that is to be constructed in the vicinity of GHS, SVGS, KPS and the TSS. As a matter of fact SVG, let's hear you.

"Remembering" La Soufriere

2010-04-13T05:34:00.002-05:00

Today marks thirty one years since Vincentians awoke to the news that the La Soufriere volcano had erupted. Having not yet graced the world with my presence I have no first hand information of the sights and sounds of the eruptions of 1979. However, I have heard numerous stories of the angry looking cauliflower clouds that that preceded the loud explosions, the forked lightning,sulphur,heavy ash fall, the evacuation camps and aid that was nicknamed "bodow" in tribute to the sounds of the explosions.

As a teenager I saw the awesome power of volcanoes when the Montserrat Soufriere Hills rumbled to life forcing a mass evacuation. In quick time the word pyroclastic flow became a part of my vocabulary helped in part by the amazing but horrifying footage captured by television or satellite crew. Since then I have looked at our dozing mountain with more than a little fear and respect. In fact every time news of Montserrat's volcano hit the airwaves I would cast anxious thoughts on our volcano.

Despite the presence of warning systems I often wonder if we are really prepared should there be a major eruption. By that I mean if evacuation centres are well know, if transport will be readily available, if there are plans to look after livestock etc etc. While a part of me wishes to experience an eruption I would not be unhappy if the mountain stays in a deep slumber.

Shameful

2010-04-10T18:57:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, on CNN's home page I read the horrifying story of the Yemeni child bride who died of internal bleeding following sexual intercourse.

The practice of marrying young girls is widespread in Yemen and has drawn the attention of international rights groups seeking to pressure the government to outlaw child marriages. Legislation that would make it illegal for those under the age of 17 to marry is in serious peril after strong opposition from some of Yemen's most influential Islamic leader. Read more

Awful,just awful. That's all I can say now.

Donkey Wedding

2010-03-31T21:52:00.002-05:00

Growing up I would hear stories of mock hangings. This fate would usually be reserved for men who had incestuous relationships with their daughters/stepdaughters and those guilty of bestiality. For weeks the community would organise a trial with several witnesses called to testify. My older relatives have said it was not uncommon for trial dates to be broadcast as Public Service Announcements on the radio. So mock hangings were assured of large numbers showing up to follow the proceedings.

Following the trial, the climax was the mock hanging where the effigy of the offender was hung. The village tribunal never wasted any time with appeals so cases were speedily disposed. It's been a while since I heard of any such hangings and I assumed that the tradition had quietly died. I equated the disappearance of such things(rightly or wrongly) as a signal of how apathetic we have become in the face of evil.

However, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that over the weekend a "Donkey Wedding" was held in a North Leeward village. This time the groom was forced to make an honest"lady" of the buxom donkey with whom he allegedly had sexual relations. In the presence of a large audience vows which were preceded by a motorcade were exchanged. Alas there was to be no wedded bliss for the groom as he was dragged off to face court proceedings. He, inevitably was found guilty-perpetrators always are and the death sentence was pronounced and speedily carried out.

Some friends have scoffed at it calling it village silliness.I beg to disagree as it is really society's way of heaping scorn on persons who had committed distasteful acts. By publicly shaming and ridiculing them the villagers are sending a message that some things are just not acceptable. Call me silly but I like the mixture of the ridiculous and the serious. Bring on the mock hangings and preserve a little more of who we are.

Farine anyone

2010-03-23T06:00:00.001-05:00

Sometime last week I tweeted that Farine is another food of Champions. Somehow I assumed that farine was a well known staple throughout the Caribbean. However a fellow blogger shot off a tweet asking what was farine. Since then I have asked asked some other Jamaican friends if they are familiar with farine but none seem to know what I 'm talking about.

For the record Farine is a by product of cassava. Cassava is harvested when it is mature and and scraped to remove the skin. It is then washed thoroughly before it is ground by the cassava mill. Aloma Williams writing for says The ground cassava is then removed or “bailed out with calabashes” - small bowls made from the hollowed-out shell of the fruit from the calabash tree -and transferred in manageable portions into a sack, in which the liquid is wrung out. This drier material is called meal and this is what is used to eventually make farine.

The liquid which is squeezed out is caught in buckets and later put to evaporate in the sun.It's now time to get down to the real farine production. While much attention was being paid to the cassava, other essential tasks were taking place in the background. The copper in which the meal is baked had to be made ready and this included getting it hot. A wood fire was lit under the copper itself and wood fed into it at intervals to ensure that the copper maintains the right temperature to bake the meal into farine.For the salt or original farine, the meal is dished into the hot copper with a bit of salt and stirred vigorously for about half an hour, until it forms into minute, hard grains.For the sweet farine the ingredients make the difference; with a bit of sugar and various spices replacing the salt.

So any Jamaicans know what I'm talking about?

And the rains came

2010-03-16T05:58:00.004-05:00

Yesterday the skies opened and rain fell all over the land triggering rejoicing akin to win West Indies won something really big. Like most Vincentians the sound of rain on the roof had me in a daze until it registered that rain was really here. I ran outisde looked up to the heavens and let out my version of the war cry. Okay, I jumped up and down like a little kid getting her favourite toy. I wanted to run into the rain the way I did when I was a child and feel the drops in my face and all over my body. However, reason set in since I didn't relish dealing with my hair after the rain escapade. Somethings never change.

Everybody seems a little bit happier as our water woes have been temporarily assuaged. Even the parched earth seems relieved and my plants have perked up a teeny bit. Here's to the rain and may you continue to grace us with your presence.

Innocence lost

2010-03-15T08:38:00.002-05:00

Sometime ago, a friend asked my why so many of my postings were centred on violence against women and girls. Left unsaid was that I was wasting time over situations in which women were not as "innocent" as I thought. Instead, I was given a range of topics that I should consider exploring. How can I be expected to keep quiet when on no less a day that International Women's Day a 10 year old girl child was sodomised by a 26 year old animal and left bleeding on the floor of her school's bathroom. If the reports are true the child was held at knifepoint for close to two hours by her abuser until she was rescued by some some adults. This should really put the issue of school security into sharp focus especially as it seems the teacher was less than responsible in ascertaining the child's whereabouts when she failed to return to the classroom.

"I'm hurting". Haunting words attributed to the victim as recorded by The News nespaper. And hurt she will. Long after the physical scars are healed the emotional pain and confusion will continue. I suspect her life from hereon will be divided into pre and post rape. It shouldn't have to be this hard being a female. Far too many of us are violently introduced to sex and then discarded like yesterday's trash. Something is wrong when adults who should know better use these innocents to act out their sick fancies. Parents should not have to fear evils like this could befall their children and children's innocence should not be so brutally stolen from them. And like Minister Baptiste I fear that advocacy is dead. Maybe it is that violence is so commonplace that our senses have become dulled since lately we have seen it all.I know I can never forget 12 yr old Lokisha Nanton raped and hung by her own clothing or Stacey Wilson decpitated at the bus terminal and now this unnamed little child.

This is a blog post I wish I didn't have to write. However,I am mindful of The Hon Rene Baptiste's words as she delivered a feature address to commemorate Women's Day. So speak I must in the hope that we are shaken from our complacency and know that violence against females is a clear and present danger. If only we could put some of our political energies into addressing these ills then SVG may yet recover her soul.

No cricket holiday

2010-03-09T21:55:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow,the West Indies cricket team plays the first of three One day International matches scheduled for Arnos Vale. According to Parnel Campbell this is a record since based on his research no other country has hosted three consecutive games versus the same opposition. This record gives me mixed feelings given how abysmal the West Indies performances have become. Hands up to all who anticipated the trouncing Zimbabwe handed down in the Twenty20 and that Windies would lose the first ODI. In a heartbeat I'd trade two of these matches for a semi decent team. I suppose I should be happy for Arnos Vale-one of the most beautiful grounds in the world and a happy hunting ground for the West Indies team. Let's hope for Windies the sake the ground goes back to its winning ways as losing the series to Zimbabwe is unforgivable.

Contrary to popular views I find it quite pleasing that the Govt has not seen it fit to give the customary public holiday whenever the West Indies cricket show comes to Arnos Vale. The one exception I am prepared to make was when the first ever ODI was held here. Other than that I have long argued that that granting a public holiday should be abolished. For one it is not a common feature in other islands even those with smaller populations than others. So why should a struggling economy like ours close down the country for cricket? We really making sport. Most of us don't even go to the ground preferring to relax at home or find other entertainment that excludes Arnos vale.

Let those who really want to go take a vacation day or work out some arrangement with their employers. For those who argue that the ground will be empty I say the empty grounds around the Caribbean are simply a reflection of the product. Maybe if the product improves then you will see more people going through the gates. PS: Good luck West Indies and judging by the performances thus far a little luck could turn out to be quite handy.

Things brown

2010-02-28T12:47:00.002-05:00

Boy, things real brown in St Vincent and the Grenadines and I'm not talking about the economic or political scenes. My once lush, green beautiful mountain sides are beginning to look as if they would be at home in the Sahara desert. Right now I not so comfortable with drinking tap water as the water pressure is so low that I feel I'm drinking the reservoir dregs. Uggggghhhh! And is so the place hot-a kinda heat that makes you want to haul off every piece of clothes and stand up in front the fridge. Since everybody knows Haiti is being punished for its voodoo then we must be getting punished for voting against the referendum. I mean something must explain why rain suddenly hates us,right?

Despite all the warnings we are getting from CWSA there are idiots starting bush fires and annoying the hell outta me when I see fire trucks racing to quell them. So you can imagine how happy I was when I woke up this morning and saw some big fat rain clouds lurking about. Little did I know they had a strange sense of humour cos all now not one drop of rain fall on the earth. So I am figuring it's time to learn some rain dances because things beginning to look very grim and desperate times call for desperate measures.

So while I'm learning the steps to the rain dance I hope Rain is getting homesick and is packing her bags(as I type) to head home to SVG. We promise not to whine when we think you showed up at an inconvenient time and wet we new hairdo.You've made your point so come home now.

Dear Blog

2010-02-22T22:31:00.002-05:00

Hey Blog

It's been some time since I paid you and your friends a visit. Remember the days when I used to visit you and your friends practically everyday to chat or just say hello? Yeah, those were the good old days and back then there were so many people in the neighbourhood but plenty of them like they pack up and move out. Despite that I still used to make it my business to come by and make sure everything was going good with you. Today it hit me that I haven't been around here in more than 2 weeks. I bet you feel deserted and all that but you were always in my thoughts if that makes you feel any better. Yes, I know I owe you a better explanation but hear me out even if it's something which not make you happy since we've been together for about 5 years..

I wish I had some fancy words to use like lack of motivation, writers block or all them other fancy thing people say when thoughts dry up. However, it hard to lie to you especially when I know that you know I always have an opinion on something.

The truth is the thing called Farmville has got me all wrapped up. I never had any intention of falling to it but the mistake I made was to start helping a friend. Now it's like if I am the owner and not an apprentice as the owner has reached the point of making guest appearances. As if that is not bad enough another thing called Twitter where I can only use 140 words max per post has intruded on our time. Some people may say you got horned but it's not like that all at all.The truth is I just becoming very lazy and those distractions that need little formulating of thoughts are capitalising.

Anyway, I promise to make it up to you and not continue to forsake you and your friends for the new. I hope y'all can forgive me.

Much love
Me

Justice served

2010-02-06T08:50:00.004-05:00

"I have no other recourse than to fine each of the defendants guilty of assaulting Jemark Jackson" Those were the words of Senior Magistrate Donald Browne as he ruled on the fate of the three police officers who were charged with assaulting Jackson on November 18th 2008 at the Criminal Investigations Department. (excerpt from the Searchlight newspaper of Feb 5 2010).

I couldn't be happier that these police officers were found guilty of the heinous assault on the then 15 year old Jackson. An assault that landed the youngster in the ICU for seven days in a comatose state. Not surprisingly the officers claimed innocence suggesting instead that the youngster had fallen down the stairs. Despite all the publicity around this case I never expected the officers to be found guilty simply because it has become commonplace to hear about police excesses but then it goes back to business as usual. I have no doubt that some officers feel they are above the law a feeling borne out by the disrespect shown to the Director of Public Prosecutions. So for me this is a landmark ruling that should serve to remind all officers that they are not above the law and that they are duty bound to respect the rights of all citizens.

Some people have suggested that rather than the $1500 fine charged they should be jailed. In a different world and if the charge was attempted murder they probably would have been. According to the Commissioner of Police the officers have intentions of appealing which I hope they lose so that they could get their marching orders.As far as I am concerned they have proven they are not fit to serve and citizens need to be protected from them.

The single story

2010-01-31T22:39:00.002-05:00

It's a bit long but it is enthralling. So take your time to listen and digest what she is saying. I think it is so apt especially with the way so many of us spout stuff about Haiti oblivious to the fact that a coin is many sided. That is the danger of the single story

Haiti again

2010-01-19T09:14:00.002-05:00

I feel so helpless and heartsick watching these images of post earthquake Haiti.I wish I could do more than text "Help" to Digicel's 5151 and go beyond involving myself with organising supplies for the dispossessed. I wish I had the means to be on the ground in Haiti even though I suspect the scale of the disaster would further overwhelm me. I want to help to pull people from the rubble. I want to hold a terrified child and tell him/her everything will be okay and make them believe it. I want to mourn with the people who have lost loved ones and so much more.

Instead, I am here pondering how life could be so unbelievably harsh. How for many living is an art as they struggle daily to beat enormous odds. It sobers me that that even though I am no better than the displaced my house is intact and my loved ones are safe. I can't make sense of why Mother Nature is battering Haiti like this and maybe there is no rhyme or reason. Maybe it just is.

Lately though, I am becoming turned off by CNN's coverage which is becoming too sensationalist for my taste. While it's a given that networks thrive on ratings and disasters are guaranteed to spike them it's a bit much. I surely don't need to see the same scenes being played over and over again and the gratuituous back patting. Enough already!

I hope that sooner rather than later we will see a semblance of a distribution sytem that will get aid to the suffering people. Until that is addressed desperate people will take matters into their own hands.

Haiti I'm sorry

2010-01-12T22:15:00.002-05:00

As I type this I am wondering how much more Haiti can take. From being the richest colony in the world Haiti has degenerated to being the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. We look down our noses at Haiti preferring to see them as nothing more than those evil voodoo worshippers. We choose not to remember or don't know that once upon a time Haitians dared to dream of self rule and in the process carried out a successful slave revolt. Many of us don't even know that when Haiti gained her independence the only other Western country to be independent was the USA. Do we even know that Haiti became the first black republic following the slave revolt?. That was years ago and many of us remain ignorant to the pressures exerted on the young nation by its former rulers- pressures that contributed to the Haiti we know today.

The Haiti of despair as portrayed by the boat people who risk their lives in search of a better day.. The Haiti that takes an almost yearly pounding from hurricanes. The Haiti of political unrest and coups and counter coups. The Haiti where soil erosion has left the hills bare. And now an earthquake of 7.0 magnitude has come to further crush the depressed people. I really don't know what else to say since sorry seems so inadequate but I really am sorry. I know there is much to be said about the strength of the human spirit so I'm really hoping that the people can find some inner strength to deal with this disaster. Meantime, let's all do our bit to help our Caribbean brothers and sisters.

Don't give up Haiti.

Dear Prime Minister

2010-01-11T06:08:00.002-05:00

I've finally built up the courage to send you a few lines. You see Prime Minister, I like your story- the one of being in the political wilderness until 1994 when you got a seat in parliament. I admired your fierceness and tenacity that toppled two Attorney Generals in the persons of PR Campbell and Carlisle Dougan. Yes Prime Minister, you were the man, the vibrant Opposition leader who kept the government on its toes.

I wasn't here in 2001 when your government came into office but they tell me the streets of Kingstown were jubilant. One person related that he was in awe at the way you had the crowd eating out of your hands at the victory rally. Yes Prime Minister, you were really the man. Later on, I was at the GHS compound when you attended a function put on by the school and witnessed the rousing reception you got from the student body. Prime Minister,I thought based on the reaction that you had this thing locked down for a good while.

However, by 2005 the cracks were showing. Your party won the elections but it was clear its popularity was slipping. Now,if we are to judge by the referendum then your days as Prime Minister seem to be numbered. So Prime Minister, I am wondering how a man who came into office with such public goodwill has lost his appeal so fast. Sir, many before me have identified many things varying from arrogance, victimisation and the fallout from the rape charges brought against you. And that may very well be so but even though I am no fan of politics I realise that governments get judged on the state of the roads, hospitals, bread and butter issues and corruption charges which are either perceived or real. So I figure a man of your shrewdness would know this too and make sure you fly as straight as possible.

I am not sure if you really listening but people have serious issues with the roads especially the Leeward road. As a matter of fact I remember you taking the Ministry of Works to task for failing to fix some roads but it's like all your words falling on deaf ears. Prime Minister, the NDP knew that the "gouti tracks" that people laughed at meant the world to the persons who walked on them. So ,if I could borrow a line from you it's not getting the small things right that is making you lose your appeal. Don't get me wrong, the resource centres, new schools etc are fine but at the end of the day if the people are jobless then discontent will grow.

I am going to end now but before I do the increased security detail around you seems synonymous with your distance from us. It seems a bit excessive and even though times have changed you could go easy on the security. I suppose I should really be offering you some more solutions but I am wondering if it's not too late for you to make a turn around because PM the mood out here has really changed. Anyway, I figure some of the tenacity has to be still there so I am watching to see how you make your moves as elections near. Over to you Prime Minister.

The year in review

2009-12-31T09:04:00.002-05:00

For the first time in as long as I could remember there were no hurricanes or storms that terrorised the region.Yet storms of a different type made their presence felt across the world. On a cold Washington day in January the world watched as the 44th president of the United States, Barack Obama took the oath of office.The ascension of a black man to the highest post of the land was something many thought they would never see in their lifetime. Despite the hope engendered by Obama's rise the world's global health suffered as the word recession took centre stage.

2009 would end with a tale of deceit and the smashing of a carefully crafted image as Tiger Woods'private life became all too public. Terror reigned in the skies with the attempted bombing of Northwest airlines Flight 253 by Umar Farouk. A few days earlier relieved American Airlines passengers miraculously escaped death when their plane crash landed at the Norman Manley Int'l Airport in Kingston.

In between, 2009 was the year when larger than life personalities none bigger that the king of pop Michael Jackson departed this life. It was the year when Rihanna became the new poster girl for violence against women triggering a debate that was as illuminating as it was sad. Truth is there are far too many of us willing to offer up excuses for this type of behaviour. Swine flu or H1N1 as it was later called was on the lips of everyone as the media threatened to scare the living daylights out of us. Eygptian pigs were among the biggest casualties thanks to an overzealous administration. For weeks we were enthralled with the situation in Iran after the results of the general elctions sparked off protests.

The summer Olympics were owned by the irrepressible Usain Bolt who like Jesse Owens before him made sure Berliners and the world at large would forever remember his name. Unlike the Jamaican athletic team the the west Indies cricket team was characterized by tales of strikes and the muddling off and on the field that has become part of the cricket landscape. To be fair though, the series in Australia showed some fight that was pleasing.

Closer to home the Government failed in its bid to have the Constitution reformed leaving in its wake a money trail of millions of dollars. Given our polarity it's safe to say Constitutional reform will remain a dream.

2009 also had its bizarre moments like Marge Simpson gracing the covers of Playboy and the jaw dropping ones like Obama being awarded the Nobel peace prize. Thankfully, Jon , Kate and the annoying eight's reality show came to an end. Here's to much blessings in 2010 and many many thanks to all of you who dropped by in 2009.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T12:36:00.002-05:00

I want to take this opportunity to wish all my readers a merry and blessed Christmas. We public servants did not get the accustomed Christmas bonus but hopefully some of us will learn that we are blessed beyond $200 or $250. I know I am.

My wish is that along with all the sparkly shiny gifts we give each other the gift of tolerance, the gift of love, the gift of laughter and the gift of kindness. Let's leave behind the judgmental stances, the petty jealousies and all the negative things that threaten to derail us.

Merry Christmas from St Vincent and the Grenadines, home of the Caribbean's best Christmas festivities.

Government Boots

2009-12-14T23:05:00.000-05:00

I hear them boots, boots, boots and more boots
On the feet of young trigger happy recruits
I see them boots, boots, boots and more boots
Marching threatening......Gabby

Yesterday, I went to the funeral of yet another man shot and killed by the police. I find it quite alarming that so far this year at least six(6) persons have met their deaths at the hands of police officers. Sometimes, I can't help but think there is a war being waged between police and civilians which judging by the body count the police is winning. Before anybody gets the wrong idea I am not advocating that civilians try to settle the score but I worry that things could escalate.

This latest incident has left a bad taste in my mouth given that the deceased was a known mentally ill person. The disconnect for me is whether or not the right institution was called to handle the situation. Additionally, SVG TV's newcast and one newspaper that I read gave a different account of the incident. I suspect that some where in the middle lies the truth but going by past history the police officer will be vindicated. As we are prone to do some sections of the public have reasoned that since he was mentally ill and a menace to his mother it somehow validates being shot in the chest.

And it is the placement of the bullet that is further disturbing. Naturally, I have no beef with police officers defending themselves if the need arises but the shoot to kill mentality is all too common. It's as if these officers are trained to kill and when presented with a real live target they just cannot control themselves. Police officers are crucial to our security and well being but they simply cannot be given a licence to kill or become law unto themselves.

The HIV/AIDS Strugle continues

2009-12-01T05:46:00.001-05:00

Mi want a jook offa Jacqueline
But mi haffi draw for my rubbers,for my rubbers
Sex nice but the AIDs thing Wi mek yuh die out like flowers
Frisco Kid.

TOday December 1st,is designated as World Aids day. This day serves as a reminder to let us know that HIV is a very present threat that is hellbent on making its presence known.

According to UNAIDS estimates, there are now 33.4 million people living with HIV, including 2.1 million children. During 2008 some 2.7 million people became newly infected with the virus and an estimated 2 million people died from AIDS. Around half of all people who become infected with HIV do so before they are 25 and are killed by AIDS before they are 35.

HIV/AIDs is now the leading cause of death among women aged 15 to 44. For many women societal values prevent them from negotiating the use of condoms and others are often forced into non consensual sex. Couple years ago the world heard the chiiling stories out of SOuth Africa where children and babies were brutally raped by HIV ridden men on the premise that sex with a virgin will cure them. So many myths still prevail despite HIV being part of the world's vocabulary since the eighties.

On this World Aids day my plea is for persons to educate themselves about this disease and act accordingly. Those amongst us who continue to discriminate and stigmatize need to stop and re examine our stances. Pushing the blame game and ostracising persons affected By HIV does nothing to limit the spread of the disease. Instead the continued discrimination and stigmatising will only reduce the effectiveness of the HIV prevention programmes. Get tested,know your status abd learn how to protect yourselves and others.

Oh West Indies

2009-11-30T08:41:00.001-05:00

There was a time when I used to love West Indies cricket bad bad bad. You know like when you have a new love and you just can't get enough of him/her? Like when you want to spend nuff time with them and get sad when they are not around? That was me and cricket until like all/most relationships things went sour. I mean a girl can only take this much of underperformance if you know what I mean. So from this red hot passion; things cooled off until it got to the point where indifference took over.

After the humiliation suffered at the hands of the Bangladeshis I started feeling some pity for West Indies cricket. I guess it is always sad to watch something that once brought joy reduced to a shadow of itself. If not for Bolt and company Caribbean sports lovers would be glum because nutten nuh deh deh to smile bout at all when you think about cricket. So with the contract issues solved albeit temporarily the team left West Indian shores to engage in a test series versus Australia. true to form the campaign has began in a disastrous manner with the West Indies losing within three days. Sad to see it was only the new members in Barath and Dowlin who brought a little joy to the West Indian faces. Much congratulations to young Barath for scoring a century on test debut and becoming the youngest West Indian to do so. West Indians can only hope that he like one Brian Lara who scored his first century in Australia can go on to great things. Failing that it's even darker days for the beleaguered West Indies.

The No's have it

2009-11-26T05:47:00.003-05:00

The people have said a resounding no to the proposed new constitution. As I write the No Vote has earned 55.64% of the vote with 43.13% going to the Yes Vote. If this were a general election the ruling ULP would find itself in opposition with just two of the fifteen seats. This is a most remarkable result given the resources of the state machinery.

On the ground it was quite clear that the no vote was winning the war but I doubt many were prepared for the scale of their win. Even the commentators on national television were taken aback by what was unfolding before their eyes. Despite it being a referendum on the constitution the consensus always was that people were going to vote along party lines and so it really was a referendum on the government. If this were the case and I have no reason to believe otherwise the ruling party is in serious trouble. I've long maintained that the death of Glen Jackson former press secretary left a gaping hole in the heart of the Gonsalves government. I believe he more than any had the pulse of the people and the guts to let the Prime Minister hear the harsh truth.

No doubt the reasons for the Government's poor showing will be debated incessantly in the upcoming days. More than likely the rape charges levelled against the Prime Minister, the uproar over the 4 million dollars, the document detailing monies deposited at the NCB that made the rounds and the gifting of money to school children will all feature. Not to be forgotten is the unease over the Govt's foreign policy which has convinced many that communism is a threat. One thing for sure is the months leading up to the general elections will be action packed. They say a day is a long time in politics but the ruling party has a mountain to climb if it is to regain any respectability at the polls. Throughout all of this I'm saddened that the leaders refused to put political ambitions aside and cooperate on something that was bigger than general elections. It really did not have to go down the road that was taken where it became all about politics and less of the matter at hand. On the other hand I am thankful that the so called bribe money did not influence the vote which suggests that as a people we have gone past such. This is pleasing and tells me there is yet hope for our people's continuing maturity.

Broken Mirror

2009-11-25T17:25:00.001-05:00

You see a perfect smile
I see the hidden tears
You see the ideal life
I see a life of pain
You see a role model
I see a broken person
You see what you want
And what I let you see
Beneath my smooth façade
Lies a shattered individual
And no one knows she’s there
The scars are well covered
The tears, perfectly hidden
Don’t tell me you understand
When you don’t even know
Continue thinking I’m perfect
That’s what you’re meant to think
....BY Shirly

On this day to mark Violence against women I thought it best to post one woman's account of the scars abuse has left.

Weighty issues

2009-11-16T22:36:00.003-05:00

Couple months ago I watched an episode of the Tyra Banks show that featured young children who had body image issues. These girls-and note they are most always girls had internalised their mothers views on weight, diet and exercise and found themselves wanting. In my eyes and those of the hostess they were normal healthy looking children who were already seeing critical flaws in their young bodies. Back then it didn't cross my mind that children here in St Vincent and more so children that I know could be carrying around these weighty issues.

That was until today when my friend told me her daughter was barely eating since some "well meaning" adults have been constantly telling the child she is getting too fat. Now the child in question is not skinny but it is a stretch to call her fat but I guess she does not fit their image of what a six year old should look like. The whole thing had me annoyed for a considerable part of the day. It's bad enough having adults starving themselves, trying every fad diet in the book and working out with a vengeance to attain whatever size the fashion industry et al tells them is acceptable. To mess up children's mind with their ill advised chatter is unpardonable. It's as if they forget these children's bodies are still growing and developing and if they refuse to eat it can mean serious damage to their health.

Of course we need our children to grow up healthy which entails proper nutrition, sleep and more outdoor activity. What they do not need is to worry about adult issues. Their concerns should be centred around test scores, longings for a particular birthday/Christmas gift etc. Most of all they they need to learn from the get go that there is no perfect body shape

Thank you Rihanna

2009-11-05T23:08:00.002-05:00

I thought I was done with the whole Rihanna/ Chris Brown story but news that Rihanna finally broke her silence has once again grabbed my attention. Plus anybody who has ever read my blog knows that the issue of violence is my platform. I did not see the interview but caught a soundbite or two on the TV guide channel and read and heard other people's comments.

The thing that annoys me the most is the number of young girls and women who by their comments are giving Chris Brown a pass for his vicious attack on Rihanna. Could you imagine a bunch of teenagers best defence was Rihanna was lying about the attack and if it did happen she asked for it. Sorry but this is as stupid as saying a woman asked to be raped because her clothes were too revealing or any of the other assorted bullshit that people say. For the miseducated here are some chilling facts from the UN Org site.

At least one out of every three women around the world has been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime. The abuser is usually someone known to the victim.

In 2002, the Council of Europe declared violence against women a public health emergency and a major cause of death and disability for women 16 to 44 years of age. A World Bank report estimated that violence against women was as serious a cause of death and incapacity among women of reproductive age as cancer, and a greater cause of ill-health, than traffic accidents and malaria combined. A 2003 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that the costs of intimate partner violence in the United States alone exceed $5.8 billion per year: $4.1 billion in direct medical and health care services and almost $1.8 billion in productivity losses.

If I am to believe all the nonsense that is spouted then I must believe that all these women asked for it. Is this really the way we want to address this scourge by making the victims the criminal? Enough already! Go and re-read those statistics and tell me if violence against women is not an issue that demands urgent attention. We already know that fear and shame keep the abused silent but I'd add that a judgemental society also aids in the silence. Therefore any voice out there that calls attention to this epidemic is welcomed. Thank you Rihanna for speaking out and I truly hope you are strong enough to keep walking.

Santa Ralphie

2009-11-01T11:08:00.002-05:00

Well I had planned to write on the Independence goodies that The Pm delivered at Victoria Park On October 27th. However, my fellow Vincy Blogger has already taken up the mantle. So I invite you to read her humourous account.

Vincentian Life.

On another note I am loving this new Vincentian blogger. Check her out too.

Discuss SVG

Happy Independence

2009-10-26T05:40:00.004-05:00

Tuesday October 27th will mark thirty years of Independence. This year's independence celebrations will see the culmination of The Vincy Homecoming activities. This excerpt from the Vincy Homecoming site explains the rationale . Over the years, we have had a voluntary migration of Vincentians to other lands in search of opportunities to uplift themselves and their families. They have contributed tremendously over the years to our economy in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and so we are extending an invitation to all Vincentians, wherever we reside in this universe, to journey to St. Vincent and the Grenadines during 2009 as we reflect on who we are and to celebrate our achievements.

Vincy Homecoming 2009 presents an opportunity for all Vincentians to rediscover St. Vincent and the Grenadines as we are placing a premium on showcasing our various communities. Thus far this independence month has seen the following

Vincy Homecoming Conferences which took place from 21st to 22nd Oct
23rd October Miss Heritage hosted by the Girls' High School
24th International Music Night
25th Nostalgia( featuring acts who have reunited for this moment)
26th Musical Xtravangaza featuring strictly Vincentian acts

Happy Independence SVG. We still have far to go but I live in hope that the generations to come will get it right.

RIP Cutty

2009-10-22T05:23:00.003-05:00

Lately, my blog has been a bit glum but today I'll attend a funeral for a slain classmate. We sat together at the Kingstown Anglican School and like all children we dreamed big dreams that would take us to the top of the world. Never did we imagine that death would visit one of us at the tender age of thirty.

In 1991, we parted ways when I went to the Girls High School and he to St Martin's Secondary but still the friendship remained. It took a log in to Facebook to realise that Cuthbert May was the man shot in a bar whilst playing his favorite game of dominoes. I don't know why he was shot and I'm not going to speculate. The tragedy is a young vibrant man was brutally taken from us and increasingly there is scant respect for the sanctity of life.

As I write I am thinking of how our lives become interwoven with the persons we meet on our journey. While we were not best buddies in our adult lives the news of his death has made me nostalgic for a time when life was simpler. I remember Kingstown Anglican School when the most important thing was passing tests, playing games in the school yard and trying hard not to offend Mrs Ackie and Mr Kirby. I remember crying my eyes out because I had to kiss Olson on his birthday and how some the boys teased us mercilessly. Not Cutty though, he was always cool; to me at least. I remember how excited we all were when we passed Common Entrance but sad to be separated from each other. On another level it forces me to look at my own mortality when someone my age passes. It just doesn't feel right.

My heart goes out to his girlfriend a fellow Kingstown Anglican and GHS classmate, and the people who knew and loved him. I will have this abiding image of him with his glass of red wine and playing the game he loved dearly. Blessings Cutty, so sorry you had to go this way and I hope somewhere there is a safe game of dominoes waiting for you.

We voting

2009-10-19T05:25:00.002-05:00

I keep expecting to see the party shirts because we have already had the rallies or gatherings of the faithful. Silly season has come a little earlier and persons are bleeding yellow and red. These days it is so hard to find a Vincentian as people prefer to identify themselves as NDP or ULP. All of this as come November 25th it is referendum day on our proposed constitution.

On a basic level I like the idea of a constitution created by Vincentians but I also wish I could make the time to read more of it. As it is I am anti queen so the removal of the Queen and her representative as head of state sits well with me. As a side note I've posted here already that national awards should have long replaced MBE's, OBE's and all other E'S. I don't really follow the death penalty argument because as far as I know hanging is very much on the books but the drawn out appeals probably allows for these death sentences to be reduced to life imprisonment. That aside I am in favor of the CCJ as it is high time for Caribbean people to legislate for ourselves. I am not in favor of the increasing the constituencies. Why does a 2x4 place with about 105 or 110 thousand citizens need more constituencies?

I fear though that the whole exercise would turn out to be one waste of funds.The preparation of this final document did not happen overnight and there must have been significant costs attached to its creation. Getting 66% is going to be a very tall order and more than likely would not be achieved. It would be a brave government to resurrect the constitution debate if this one dies at the polls so effectively I think we would stuck with the old one. This makes me wonder if there was the need for a Vote no and a vote yes campaign. Is it naive of me to think that educating people about the proposed constitution without all the drama was the way to go? By that I mean use the airwaves, the town halls but steer away from telling us how to vote. Then again what do I know?

Kidnappings reach

2009-10-11T06:23:00.002-05:00

I didn't know Agasssi Fraser but I know with the discovery of his body a household in Green Hill will never be the same again. Apparently, the 18 year old Community College student went missing on Thursday and at some point his kidnapper/s demanded ransom. I am in shock that kidnapping has come to our shores. Kidnapping is what I associated with Trinidad and Tobago, not St Vincent and the Grenadines. In my naivety I reasoned the country is too small, everybody knows everybody hence the ridiculousness of carrying out kidnappings. Now, my theories have been thrown on their head because kidnapping is here and most likely will have an extended stay.

I hate to say this but lately I have problems with fellow Vincentians referring to this country as "Home of the Blessed". Yes we are blessed with natural beauty and fertile soil but we are not acting like blessed people when raping, killing and maiming one another seems as easy as breathing. Couple weeks ago the list of murder cases for the Criminal assizes gave me the shivers. No doubt the assizes would have had its share of woundings and sexual crimes as well. Where are we going?

Something has got to give. I don't know about others but at times I feel so uneasy here. So many people seem to be so tightly wound that you avoid bumping into them for fear of being on the receiving end of their frustrations. As a woman, given the prevalence of rape I find myself worrying about my safety a little too often for my liking. Strangers in the neighbourhood give me cause to pause and I feel uneasy when men give me more than the passing glance. Ever so often the unthinkable-leaving St Vincent comes to my mind all because at times I feel as if I'm walking on a tightrope. My heart goes out to the Fraser family whose grief was so hard to watch. I have no quick fix remedy to offer but I trust with time healing will begin. As for my beloved St Vincent I am just not that optimistic.

Let's Farm

2009-10-04T22:12:00.002-05:00

In case you didn't know Farmville is one of the biggest games on Facebook. Every man jack seems to have been infected by the fever including yours truly. So far, I've not set up my own farm but have been busy reaping and helping to maintain my friends farms. Apart from being highly addictive my friends and I acknowledge that there are some life lessons to be learnt from the game.

Lessons like the value of team work as farmers are expected to help their neighbours by sending gifts and helping in the general upkeep. Neighbours in turn reciprocate. It also teaches commitment since you must invest time ensuring that crops come to fruition.The old adage what you sow you reap comes to mind. It also shows that a little healthy competition is not all bad as it inspires you to work harder. After all there are many farming ribbons to be earned. Lest I forget, Farmville forces you to save coins and dollars if you want to jazz up your farm with vehicles, barns, cottages and the like. Oh yeah, Rome wasn't built in a day.

However, the irony of the Farmville craze is that despite the exuberance we show for our virtual farms not one of us has a kitchen garden. This despite our constant moaning over the cost of vegetables. Earlier today, I mentally chose some spots in the backyard where a garden could be started but procrastination will be the death of my ideas. It's beginning to look like I will be a farmer with spotless hands.

Lesson in courage

2009-09-29T21:21:00.002-05:00

On a couple of occasions I've run into this woman. She's just a regular woman save for the fact that she obviously has one breast. It's not that I don't know women with mastectomies but never have I seen a woman in public minus a prosthesis. No doubt she has seen the stares(mine included) of curious persons unaccustomed to a woman boldly telling the world she has one breast.

Since then, I've been thinking about her and the mindset that allows her to go about her business unfazed. In my mind that speaks of courage and a woman comfortable enough in her skin to not be defined by breasts or the absence thereof. It could not have been an easy thing given the obsession with breasts-big breasts as a sexual object. That makes me offer up so much applause for a woman who has battled a terrible disease and knows the essence of a woman is not her physical appearance but something much deeper. Something called confidence that says this is who I am world. Something I wish had a lot more of.

Poor Semenya

2009-09-23T05:34:00.001-05:00

Long before she was thrust into the spotlight in Berlin her looks would have created a stir of the unfavourable type. In fact, the President of the SAA has admitted that she not only underwent a gender test prior to Berlin but the team's doctor had recommended her omission from the team.

It could hardly have come as a shock to the SAA that the IAAFF ordered same after Semenya's heroics in Berlin coupled with her physical appearance. Yet, they reacted as if they never had a thought there was anything about her to warrant concern. This is not to absolve the IAAF for it's shoddy handling of the whole affair but I can't help but feel Semenya was poorly handled by all concerned.

Unfortunately women, driven by the media's definition of beauty and the images we are fed are judged by their appearance despite their achievements. How many times have you heard Condoleeza Rice described as ugly? In my opinion her looks should be secondary to her amazing achievements but such is life. I won't even get started on the hoopla over Princess Di's death while Mother Theresa's was just a footnote.

I feel for Semenya whose world has been thrust upside down and made to pose for a magazine looking like a caricature of womanhood. At 18 and having lived all her life as a female she now has to deal with the knowledge(if the reports are true) that she is intersex. It's a situation I can't even begin to fathom and she didn't know it before she now knows that being different can be almost unbearable.

Swine flu is back in town

2009-09-15T16:37:00.003-05:00

Swine flu has hit close to home-very close. One student at the St Mary's a section of the RC is confirmed as having contracted the virus with several others complaining of feeling unwell. As a precaution a section of the school will be closed until September 21st. However, I suspect that pretty soon the entire school will be closed.

Somehow in recent time swine flu/H1N1 was not a subject that I paid any attention to. Sure I knew SVG had recorded one case but that was just a blip on the radar. Life, after a few panicky moments quickly went back to normal. With children now involved it's a whole other dimension given their contact with other classmates, teachers and the general public.

I should be worried about exposure but I'm not. I am more worried about the children's well being and the public's obsession with having the child's identity revealed. I fail to see why the child's identity is such a huge issue when the concerns should be measures the school and the Ministry of Health have put in place to reduce further transmission of the virus. In my humble opinion exposing the child serves no real purpose unless we want to place the child in a fishbowl for all to stare.

Vincy funerals

2009-09-09T21:52:00.002-05:00

Every Wednesday on local television news there is a segment called "This is who we are". With all the funerals I've attended in the past five days the evolution of the Vincy funeral is foremost in my mind.

With death came the third night, ninth night and forty days wakes and buns and hot chocolate. As a child I recall accompanying various relatives to wakes and being admonished for mimicking the movements of the Spiritual Baptists. It's been a long time since I've heard of any wakes being held so I want to believe they are no longer a prominent part of the funeral culture. These days apart from listening the death announcement on radio you can also view it on television which I find a little offsetting.

Funerals were always a social event which saw persons rekindling old friendships. This was more pronounced when persons who had migrated came back for the funeral. No funeral was complete without the obligatory gathering at the rum shop where the men would down their grief in one, two, three or four drinks. I am not sure when things changed but these days funerals are synonymous with a big feast rivalling those at weddings.

It is not uncommon for the "after party" to be held at a community centre or some other place that can comfortably accommodate the guests. On hand will be lots of food such as sandwiches, curried goat, baked chicken, callaloo and whatever else the relatives choose to put on the menu. It goes without saying that a well stocked bar is a common feature of the celebrations. Despite the obvious cost to this activity it seems as if it is here to say. As one friend said the funeral budget has to incorporate the "after party" or it's just not a budget or a funeral.

So hard being a woman

2009-08-30T21:10:00.002-05:00

Her name was Debbie. She loved life, worshipped her son and absolutely adored all the children she came into contact with. She was pretty and took pride in her appearance.

She was ambitious enough to know that not even an early pregnancy could derail her. So even though she began working at Bonadie's supermarket she knew that the only way was up and up she went. Her quest for self development would take her all the way to the Cave Hill Campus and to a job with the Govt of St Vincent and the Grenadines. She dreamt huge dreams and was on the verge of following another-the beginning of the Masters programme in Banking and Finance when her life was brutally taken from her,

I am still having a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that yet another woman has been the victim of appalling domestic violence. It worries me as a woman because it is possible I too could miss the warning signs or choose not to see them. I worry that I and others like myself may find ourselves making excuses as to why we should remain in a relationship long after it has died. It worries me that the possibility exists that some man may see us as property and inflict bodily harm should we outgrow the relationship or dare to dream dreams that may move us beyond his reach and grasp. I worry that we may be incapable of protecting ourselves and neither would society.

I wish we didn't have to cry for Debbie Shallow, Lokeisha Nanton, Stacy Wilson and all the other women who met such gruesome ends. I can only hope that Debbie's biggest impact will be to mobilise Vincentian women into meaningful action and just maybe we will be more supportive sister to sister. It is time to ban together to find new ways to raise women who will recognize the signs and be strong enough to walk in the other direction. We simply cannot afford to pay lip service to this latest murder and then go back to business as usual. This scourge of domestic violence can be lessened if not eradicated if only we have the will to aggressively tackle it.

Remembering Walter Porter.

2009-08-26T09:39:00.002-05:00

At the time of his death he was 35 years old. He was a son of the Vincentian soil, calypsonian, musician and unfortunately the person seated in number 25C on Pan Am 103. I didn't know him personally but at some point I was aware that the bombing of the airliner had hit home to Vincentians. With the release of Al Megrahi I decided to do a little investigation into who Walter Porter was and got this information from some one who knew him well.

Walter was a quiet Guy. Our paths first crossed when I was the President of VINCI , which is the Acronym for Vincentian Independent National Charities Inc . He was the President of The Vincentian Calypsonians Guild , an organization that he founded , and allowed the Presidency to go to Scorcher , which in my opinion was a great gesture .

I remember getting a phone call from Yolande Richardson who was a member of both VINCI & GHS , and meetings of those two Organizations were kept at her house . She was the first person to tell me that Walter was on the plane. I did hear about the bombing, but never in my wildest dreams did I consider that Walter was on the plane. When I had spoken to him , he did tell me that he was going to England to perform at a Vincentian Organization's function there. I told him that I would see him when he returned , because the Guild was having a dance , around Christmas time . I was stunned since the main purpose of the Guild was to cut out the middleman , so that the Calypsonians would produce their own records & tapes. They didnt have CDS then and at a meeting , we all had decided that we would go up on the Parkway on Labour Day , with Vincentian Calypsonians , Mas Bands and Pan Sides to distribute literature from the Tourist Board . Unfortunately all those ideas died with Walter.

It was the first and only time that I went to a funeral Service , and instead of a Coffin , a picture of the person was on view . Annice Carew sang the best rendition of " HIS EYE IS ON THE SPARROW " I have ever heard , and I & others said a few words about Walter . I was devastated by it all.

RIP Walter Porter.

19.19

2009-08-20T19:40:00.000-05:00

I had planned to write about Al Megrahi the man behind the bombing of Pan Am 103 . That was before the phenonemal Usain Bolt stopped the clock at 19.19 in the final of the 200 metres in Berlin. Long before there was Usain Bolt, Berlin had seen the magnificence of Jesse Owens who upset Hitler's race supremacy claims. This time around Bolt left the whole athletics world dazed and totally awestruck by his brilliance.

I am still wrapping my mind around his feats. There was a time I thought Michael Johnson's 200 metres record was virtually unbeatable until Bolt erased it in Beijing. One year later and for a moment I thought the new record was going to be sub 19. This is running the like of which the world has never seen. Suddenly, you expect to see record after record fall eveytime this man participates in a final and thus far he has not disappointed.

What's next for Bolt? Can we expect to see him line up for the 400 metres? I have no doubt he can make it his own as well. In a Championship where the IAAf is conducting a gender test on South Africa's Caster Semenya to prove she is woman they will soon try to establish if Bolt is really human

Island Ferry on the way

2009-08-19T06:04:00.002-05:00

On October 1st, 2009 an inter island ferry service based in Grenada will be officially launched. However, the actual voyages will begin on October 20th. The ferry seats over 200 with the rates falling between 120 to 140 USD for the average three hour trip. Travel, from what I gather will be between the islands of Barbados, St Lucia, Grenada, Trinidad and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Given our disgust with LIAT it should be interesting to see the response. Their rates are certainly cheaper than LIAT's disgustingly high offers and three hours is a shorter trip than one to Union Island. I assume that passengers would also be allowed more weight than the 40 0r 45 lbs given by LIAT. By the way I must find out the estimated time of arrival at each port. I don't imagine it will take 3 hours for each destination so I am hoping that it will take less than three hours for some port.

I wish the BEDY Corporation well.

Poor Caribbean

2009-08-16T15:05:00.003-05:00

According to the Washington-based Population Reference Bureau (PRB)a surprising 41 per cent of St. Lucians live on less than US$2 a day, and that 27 per cent of Surinamese, 17 per cent of Guyanese and 14 per cent of Trinidadians live on the same amount a day. Haitians top the chart with a whopping 72% of them living on less than 2 USD which translates to a situation I can hardly imagine. Given that the smallest child probably knows Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere their numbers would more arouse pity rather than shock. Also, Haiti's problems are well documented. Trinidad does not shock me since in places where there is wealth there are also pockets of appalling poverty.

On the other hand St Lucia's statistics are mindboggling. In the Windward Island(and maybe the OECS) St Lucia is often seen as the beacon with respect to development so those findings have thrown me for a loop. Having lived there I have seen levels of development that far outstrip St Vincent's but I have also seen poverty that I haven't seen here. Yet, I find it incredulous that 41% of the population is living on about $150ECD per month.That must mean a lot of persons depend on remittances or are reduced to depending on handouts or worse. Even more shocking is their numbers are even higher than the much maligned Guyanese. Can we expect to see an exodus from Lucian shores?

If this report is true then the governments and people of the Caribbean have a lot of work to do. It is unacceptable that so many people are existing on paltry wages. I think it is necessary to remind our leaders that real development is people centred.

Ps. I have been forced to use comments moderation since I've been flooded with Spam.

Happy Emancipation Day

2009-08-01T07:35:00.003-05:00

Massa day done but some say we have just replaced the old masters with new ones.

We got colour in the White House but we saw a black child in tears because he and others weren't allowed to swin at a Philadelphia pool.

A beer summit was held on the White House Grounds after claims of racial profiling filled the airwaves.

Black people still think there is good hair and the more Eurocentric your features are the better.

Vincentians rue the fact that Aug 1st fell on a Saturday.

Despite all this we have overcome great odds. There is much to be proud of, we have indeed come a long way. Happy Emancipation Day!