Trinidad Lover

My Master Cleanse Experience

2011-03-31T07:00:00.000-04:00

I decided to to do the Master Cleanse for a number of reasons. First and foremost I gained a lot of weight recently. While most people seem to think I look fabulous with the extra pounds it is something that has really been bothering me for some time now. Additionally I found that my eating habits had taken a turn for the worst and I would just eat any and everything just for the sake of eating, not necessarily because I was hungry.

After doing a considerable amount of research I decided I would do the cleanse in July 2010. needless to say procrastination being the beast that it is I never started. Several times after that I set dates to start and just made excuses. Whether it was the wrong time for me to do it because of work or because I wanted to go to some random party. While all of this is going on I think I gained more weight and of course the numbers on the carnival countdown went from lots of months to two months. I never actually weighed my self but I could always feel myself and know that I was heavy.

Day One

The cleanse has something called the ease in which is supposed to prepare you for not eating solid food for 10 to 14 days. Again procrastination and lack of procrastination I did not do the ease in. Additionally on the morning I was due to start the cleanse I still did not have all of the items that I needed. However something happened when I got up that morning, I just felt determined to start. So I started I did not eat anything all day and sipped fresh squeezed orange juice. I did well all day until my friend who I was supposed to be doing the cleanse with suggested we have gyros for dinner and start the cleanse fresh the next day.

Day 2/New Day One

I woke up again determined to do the cleanse. I mixed the concoction of lemon juice (more like lime juice), cayenne pepper and organic maple syrup. The instant I drank it I knew I was in trouble. It occurred to me that I hate maple syrup. I don't know what I was thinking. Two things I don't like are maypole syrup and cinnamon. Anyways I opted to shot the concoction so that I would not taste the maple syrup. Then during the day I tried the salt water flush. Lord have mercy. I drank a litre of salt water. My belly is strange if I consume something that is not good my belly says what the hell is this shit get out and it comes right back up.

After that experience I started to think about why I was doing this thing. To lose weight obviously. Weight loss is something that I have achieved before and quite easily at that. So I cut out a lot of things from my diet. Things like the massive cup of coffee I drank every morning and the KFC I ate regularly. I lessen my portions and in general I ate less. I opted to have a salad or a soup for lunch and I never went hungry. Before I knew it, I was fitting into clothes that were previously too tight and people were telling me I lost weight. One person even told me I looking dry. I have no idea exactly how much weight I lost I estimate about fifteen pounds twenty at the most. Might I add that this is with very minimal exercise.

So if I keep this up and add some exercise I will have that hot smoking carnival body by next year. Slow and steady wins the race.

Have you ever done anything extreme to lose weight? What was your experience? Did it work?

Much Ado About Nothing

2011-03-27T09:18:00.002-04:00

It'd been so long since I posted something on this blog of mine. I guess it was a combination of work, carnival and laziness. So many things have happened and not happened at the same time. I am still single, this I am proud of I am not complaining. But I know now why I am single. It's because I can't bend over and put my head between my legs or randomly drop into a split. I can read though so I am holding out for the guy who would like me because I can read.

I still love my job. This is the first time that I am in a job and I am not looking for jobs daily. The one wish I have is that I get a pay raise. If I get fired I would be in deep shit. Because this is also the first time that I don't have some hussle going on the side.

I am still not pleased with the way the country is being run. But running a country is hard work so who am I to complain. Additionally, unlike the PNM the People's Partnership is new to this thing so they need to time to settle in and work out the kinks. Also while the PNM Members are fighting amongst themselves the government could take the opportunity to get away with maximum amount of shit.

I felt Iwer George should have won soca monarch only because the garbage he sang moved me more that the garbage that everyone else sang. And while we are on that what's up with advantage. I really didn't like that song. Illegal was the song I loved but after playing mas for more than twenty years what the hell do I know about a road march.

Anyways I am making a try at this blogging thing a little more consistently. Thank you always for the support.

What is Boxing Day?

2010-12-26T08:00:00.000-04:00

I did some research to determine what this thing we call Boxing Day is all about. And I discovered that it has absolutely nothing to do with a boxing match. I shame. I honestly thought that this was some day for a large annual boxing match for heaving weights around the world. I don’t know where I would have gotten that idea.

The real story is that back in the day an Alms Box was placed in churches for parisheners to place gifts for the poor. This box would then be opened by the priest the day after Christmas and that is how the day became known as boxing day. Another theory I discovered was that poorly paid workers were required to work on Christmas Day and when they were leaving their employers would present them with a Christmas Box. This is quite interesting, because I know many Trinis not taking no bonus after Christmas. That would infuriate Watson Duke for sure because “we wah we money now”.

So there you have it Boxing Day is actually a day for giving to the poor or giving in general. I guess I can stop looking for those tickets to that boxing match.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T08:01:00.003-04:00

I would like to wish everybody a very Merry Christmas. I sincerely hope you get all that your heart desires and more. Even if you don’t get what your heart desires always remember that God never gives us anything before we are ready for it. At the same time perhaps we should also try to give someone all their heart desires after all this is the season of giving not receiving.

Merry Christmas Everybody.

Free Mas for 2011

2010-11-09T02:00:00.001-04:00

The Minister of Arts and Multiculturalism has announced that there will be free mas for carnival 2011. As reported by the Express Newspaper the Ministry will sponsor music trucks for the People's Band, the only requirement is that masqueraders create their own costumes and not use costumes from China. The Minister is hoping that this initiative will bring back traditional mas. In addition, it would give the vendors on the street the opportunity to make money because when the bands with costumes for $3000 and $4000 pass with their premium bars the masqueraders pass the vendors straight.

This is a noble idea in theory, but in reality it sounds like total garbage. What nonsense is this? They cutting cost and fire Fazeer Mohammed former host of First Up but have money to put music trucks on the street for people to palance. Seriously though, I hope the Ministry understands that a modern carnival band must have security to control and protect the masqueraders. In addition there are carnival celebrations all over the country, would the music trucks be distributed throughout both islands? The People's Band must be represented in Port of Spain, Arima, Arouca, Tunapuna, San Fernando and Tobago.

Finally, we as Trinbagonians are great entrepreneurs we must always admit that. If there is a way to create a scheme in something we will find it. What is preventing some entrepreneur from creating costumes in bulk and selling them to John Public? Or what is preventing an entrepreneur from buying the same costumes from China that the Minister is so opposed to and selling them to John Public to play mas in the People's Band?

I would really like to see the details of this concept finalized. I would also like to see the proposed cost of this initiative and the actual cost after the fact.

Would you be playing mas in the People's Band for carnival 2011? Do you think this is a good way to spend tax payer's money?

Scorch DDI Review

2010-11-07T19:30:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I went down the islands to Scorch DDI. It was only after a good few drinks I realized that DDI was down the islands. Anyway that was one of my signature blond moments, its a good thing my friends and family love me. I am in a hot mess, because I can memorize the licence plate numbers of all the cars on my street but can figure out what DDI means.

Anyway the last couple of times I went out I didn't really have much fun. It was just a sad affair, boring as ever. From Zen, to 51, to Nikki Manaj I just felt like i am too old to be out this late taking night dew for no good reason. Now to truly paint a picture of how great Scorch was I have to describe my usual party behaviour. Usually I go to a party to pose and look cute. Yes I admit it I am poser. I like to look cute. At the end of the party I look the same way I did when I walked in and lord knows I don't dance. Very stooch, my idea of dancing is putting my hand in the air and waving it slightly.

Scorch was just right up my ally. It was day time so I didn't have to take night dew. I could have worn what I wanted, as there was no stupid bouncer telling me that I must be in heels to gain entry, a la 51. The only issue was hottt sun, but I viewed it as preparation for Tribe 2011. Anyway so minding my own business I started to dance and I even buss a wine. Then it started to rain and I did not even run for cover, I stayed in the rain dancing. When I tell you the vibes was real nice. I wine low, high, round and round, I wine to techno and all. It was pure niceness. Now once of the reasons that I don't dance much is because somewhere along the way I loose the beat and go off a bit. But the thing is since everybody was having a good time I felt confident that nobody would notice my outta timin wine. Now one day later I feel like I was in some aerobic class my body is aching. I never knew that wining was a full body workout.

Oh and how can I forget the guys. When I tell you the fellas came out in their full glory and of course it was raining so shirts had to come off. I have a feeling that active gym membership was the condition for entry into this event. I got whip lash from gaping, the guys were just divine. When I tell you, white, brown, chi nee, tall, short, even the chubby guys were looking good.

Do tell. Did you go to Scorch DDI? How was it for you?

Budget Day

2010-09-08T06:00:00.001-04:00

Today is budget day in Trinidad and Tobago. It is an exciting day usually, however this year it is even more exciting, because today is the day that the People’s Partnership will show us what they are about and how they plan to do it. The national budget is an annual plan of how the government intends to earn money and how they plan to spend it. The budget is actually an Appropriation Bill and goes through the same process as any other Bill. As a money Bill it can only be introduced in the House of Representatives and it must be done by the Minister of Finance. Usually there is a limitation on the length of time a Member is allowed to speak, however during the presentation of the budget by speech the Minister of Finance no time limit is imposed. Simply because the budget is important business. The budget usually spans a number of areas including Tobago, Trade and Industry, Tourism, Agriculture, Energy, Housing, Infrastructure, Environment, Education, Health, Social Protection, National Security, Sport, Youth, Culture and Community Development. I am specifically interested in Health, National Security, Education, Youth Development and Trade and Industry.

So tune in my dear friends to Channel 11 at 1:30 p.m. because today is the day that the PP government is going to put their money where their mouth is. What aspects of the Budget are you looking forward to today?

Ten Things I want the People’s Partnership to Do

2010-09-05T08:00:00.004-04:00

I was thinking about our new Government and there are a few things that I would like them to do as follows:

Stop campaigning. You all won, unless the new PM hires Patrick Manning as her political advisor you all will be there for five years. Get cracking.
Eradicate Corruption – don’t know how. Just do it.
Ensure that there is succession planning in the Police Service to ensure that we don’t have to hire another foreigner to be Commissioner of Police.
Recognize that crime is a social problem.
Use social media to get the message out. I love twitter.
Criticise in private, Praise in public. Especially in relation to public servants.
Elevate the content of debates in parliament. Let the younger one say something.
Don’t just make laws, enforce them too.
Do the right thing. Everybody may not like it, but its a good start.
Treat every citizen equally regardless of political patronage or affiliation.

What would you like the People’s Partnership to do?

How come we continue to believe in politicians and their promises, when so many fail to follow through and keep those promises?

2010-09-04T08:00:00.000-04:00

Recently in Trinidad and Tobago we have had a change in Government. We are now being governed by a new group of people. But how new are these people? And how different are they from the people that were there before? Politicians are elected or nominated officials who are supposed to represent the interest of the people who put them in the positions they hold. Let us think about the term House of Representatives. This implies that it is filled with Representatives, that is, persons representing us. When did we get the notion that these people were better than us in any way? They are supposed to be one of us chosen by us to represent our interest. How many of us feel that our representative truly represents our interest.

Every time this representative speaks they are speaking for us. They are not speaking for the political party. This is solidified by the fact that if an elected member of the House of Representatives leaves his party he can still hold his seat in the House. Why? Because we put him there and it is based on that authority he is a Member of the House of Representatives. So then why do we allow these politicians to do to us whatever they want? Is the system of choosing persons to represent us truly representative of the people in our society? Or is it just a bunch of sawaties coming together to seek their own interest to the detriment of the rest of us? How can we get them to truly represent our interest?

During an election we are presented with a candidate chosen by the political party. How do we know that the person is truly the best representative for our constituency? What gives the political party the right to screen candidates behind closed doors? On what basis do they accept some candidates and reject others? Are there financial considerations when choosing candidates? When did party politics become more dominant that representing the people? Section 47 of the constitution of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago sets out the qualifications for election as a Member of the House of Representatives, it states that a person must be a citizen eighteen years or upwards residing in Trinidad and Tobago for a period of two years prior to his nomination for election. Where does is say that the candidate must be vetted confidentially by a political party?

It seems that I only have questions. The more I think about it, the more I question it. So I end right where I started: How come we continue to believe in politicians and their promises, when so many fail to follow through and keep those promises?

Are Men really Dogs?

2010-09-02T06:00:00.002-04:00

Time and time again I have had conversations with women where we get together and bash men. Going through our experiences and agreeing with each other that men are horrible little creatures. However, I am really beginning to wonder if men are really dogs? Or is it that we as women allow men to treat us any which way they please? Honestly, can a man really do anything to us that we do not want him to do? How many times have we had dealings with a man who is no good, yet for some strange reason we ignore the signs and continue to allow this man deeper and deeper into our lives.

Recently I received a call from an individual that I have known for a number of years. We have always had a flirtatious thing going but nothing more than talk. We exchanged the new communication number of choice, blackberry pins. That should have been the first red flag. Anyways so a few weeks go by and we communicate via BBIM and everything is good. Minding my own business Mr. Man starts to tell me that he likes me and he wants to see me, telling me we could meet for breakfast or lunch. That was a first for me because those are both daytime activities and I was wondering why not dinner. Well a breakfast date for me is out of the question because I usually leave home at 8 to get to work for 8 if you catch my drift. By lunchtime I am usually swamped doing things so I usually don’t get to leave the office. We finally agreed that we would go out for drinks. After all of the talk he gave me he stood me up, which I have no problem with because I was home in comfort.

The thing that irritates me the most about this guy is that his excuse for not coming was that he was sleeping. The following day when I told him that I was not pleased he could not understand why I was upset. Apparently I was just supposed to be cool with being stood up. Subsequently, yes I continued speaking to him via BBIM no doubt, he told me he wanted to check me home. The concept of men “checking” me at home is a little pet peeve of mine for a number of reasons. Most often when men visit you at home they come empty handed. The woman then has to entertain the man by providing drinks and food. In other words it is a great way to freeload. Additionally, no one sees us together so it is a wonderful trick for womanizing men. Now nothing is wrong with staying in, but doing so in the beginning of the relationship is definitely not good because it sets a precedent.

Based on this scenario, are men really dogs? I honestly don’t think so. At this stage it is totally up to me whether or not I continue to interact with this man and what our level of interaction would be. If I continue to “date” him and then in a few months he is still up to these tricks I would have no one to blame but myself. In which case he wouldn’t be a dog, he would be a smart man and I would be a damn fool.

What do you think? Are men really dogs?

Happy Independence Trinidad and Tobago

2010-08-31T07:00:00.001-04:00

Trinidad and Tobago gained its independence in 1962, and 48 years later we are not doing too badly if I do say so myself. Prior to our independence we tried regional integration, which came to an end as a result of a referendum taken in Jamaica against the Federation. The Federation was made up of ten colonies and the great Eric Williams famously said one from ten leaves zero. Since that time we have grown and developed as an individual state. Our democracy has been tried and tested by a coup d’état and survived to become even stronger. In addition we have seen various forms of representation in our government and women have been playing an ever increasing role in the politics of our country. Our oil and gas based economy has had its ups and downs. As one of the countries that were subject to the strict Structural Adjustment Policies of international lending agencies during the late 80’s and early 90’s our economy has done pretty well since.

Today is a day to celebrate our freedoms, the rights given to us by the constitution and to be proud to be a Trinbagonian.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!

Happy Anniversary!!!

2010-08-11T23:16:00.002-04:00

Time really does fly when you are having fun. I cannot believe that today marks the one-year anniversary of my blog. While it is only one year later, my life has changed so much since I started this blog. Last year I was sitting in a job with a nice office with a view of Port of Spain and assigned parking with nothing to do all day long. It was quite a frustrating experience and that frustration led me to create this blog. One year later, I have a new job that keeps me extremely busy and it is very challenging. This is due in part to my boss who does not miss a beat. She holds the bar very high and you have no choice but to meet or surpass it. This is testimony that we often meet obstacles in our lives that seem insurmountable, however with God, time, patience and diligence we can all move on past a bad situation. Originally, I created this blog to express my opinion on any given topic related to Trinidad and Tobago. I think I have stayed within my original mandate so to speak. I have used this blog to express my disgust, my appreciation and even give praises to my loving family.

One year later I still enjoy blogging, although time does not permit me to do it as often as I would like, I am going to keep on blogging for as long as I possibly can. Thanks again everybody for the support.

Biased TV 6 Programme on the 1990 Coup

2010-07-28T05:30:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was the twentieth anniversary of the 1990 coup. This is an event in our history that I have always felt distant from for a number of reasons. The first is that I was out of the country at the time, and by the time I returned things had gone back to normal. The second reason was that I was very young so for me that was big people thing. As a result of this I have always enjoy coup stories from people simply because I have no story to tell. Minding my own business I realised that TV6 advertised a special feature to be broadcasted on the evening of the twentieth anniversary. The programmed was entitled News Special: 1990 Untold Stories – Cocaine, Conspiracy, Coup. This programme aired against the back drop of the Attorney General, Senator Anand Ramlogan saying that he was going to place the notice in the print media for the auction of the properties owned by the Jamaat-al-Muslimeen. As well as the announcement by the Prime Minister in the post Cabinet press conference that there would be an enquiry into the coup.

At the beginning of the programme I instantly got vex because I realised the presenter was Sasha Mohammed, so they start bad already. Then it is stated that the PNM and the UNC governments made no attempts to enquire into the events of the 1990 coup and flashed to a video clip of Mr. Manning and Mr. Panday shaking hands. You would swear they were shaking hands agreeing not to enquire into the coup. Of course mention was made of the Prime Minister’s plan to have a Commission of Enquiry. Ms. Mohammed then interviewed a number of people including Imam Yasin Abu Bakr and the Attorney General in 1990, Mr. Anthony Isidore Smart. Generally I got from the programme that the presenter who is obviously a strong supporter of the People’s Partnership was attempting to place the blame for the coup on members of the NAR, while implicating Mr. Manning and Mr. Panday. I am no fool I have no doubt that there were persons other than the Muslimeens backing the coup. However, I was expecting the programme to be unbiased, and a true record of the events of the coup. Something for me to look at to gain a true sense of the events that occurred. Rather that it being propaganda and a political advertisement for the upcoming Commission of Enquiry. I guess from the title of the programme I should have known. Even the inclusion of an interview of Dr. Tim Gopeesingh who is a gynecologist claiming that he assisted the Prime Minister ANR Robinson. Unless the Prime Minister got shot in some part of his female anatomy how Dr. Gopeesingh got involved. Like I said earlier, I was not around so perhaps the man was the Chief Medical Officer or something.

I am looking forward to this Commission of Enquiry to see what information it uncovers. I am also interested to see what this Commission of Enquiry is going to cost the tax payer. The programme also alleged that the current levels of crime and violence in the country are a direct result of the events of the coup. This tells me that the Partnership Government is already looking for something or somebody to blame for why they cannot stop the escalating rate of crime. Imam Yasin Abu Bakr made an interesting point, he said that there are a lot of guns on the street and nobody in Laventille have any boat to get any gun so they have to be getting help from somewhere. He also expressed his intention to call names in the enquiry implicating a number of top government officials, politicians, and senior law enforcement officers.

So we shall see how the story goes. How do you think things are going to unfold?

My Favourites for Tribe 2011

2010-07-26T05:30:00.002-04:00

It is that time of year again, Tribe has launched and the arguments have started. I am not too sure how Tribe registration is going to be this year but this is what I think about Tribe. I did not really give much consideration to Bliss because I got the impression that is the sawatie band so hopefully Max plays there or doesnt play at all. Let me say right off the bat that I got the pictures from Tribe’s Facebook page. I am not sure what the protocol is for reusing these pictures but I don’t want to get in trouble for plagiarism or copyright infringement. I also got one picture from Island People Mas. That being said I narrowed my picks to three options as follows:

I like the concept of the frontline of Mayan Eagle but the colour combination is a bit off. Mind you I could have been brain washed by Monique Nobrega because she designed Xi Ling Chi, which I played in and loved for 2010. While we are on this costume I wonder if the person modeling the costume has any effect on whether we like the costume or not?

After careful consideration I think I like Persian Gold the most, both the backline and the frontline. I like the relatively small headpiece and collar of the backline and the bra and belt are also quite nice.

As for the frontline I love the fact that the headpiece is like a tiara and I love the bra, belt, leg, arm and neck pieces. This is the same designer of Mystery of Loulan which I didn’t really like however, I must say I am really loving her contribution this year.
Xi'an, I must say it is different and it could only have been designed by Sandra Hordatt. The backline is nice however I do not like the headpiece and leg pieces. The frontline is way too skimpy for my liking even if I lose thirty pounds. Plus the frontline is a caged bra and I am not sure how that is going to work with big boobs. Finally my concept of a frontline costume is that it should be big and pretty. It must look outstanding and when comparing the backline to the frontline of this section you might as well save your money and go backline cause there is very slight difference and on the road non masqueraders will not notice. I have a serious problem paying more money for less costume.

This reminds me of Rays of Light of Island People 2009, where a sequined panty and a slightly fuller headpiece was considered frontline. After lunch when people ditch the headpiece they would just looked like a backline betty who lost her belt and is parading in a panty.

So there you have it. Like it. Love it. Leave it. What are your picks for Tribe 2011?

Strange Happenings

2010-07-24T03:27:00.003-04:00

I am awake at 1:00 a.m. in the morning. This is normal for me because I usually go to bed early and then get up at these hours like a jumbie. In moving around my house I noticed that there was some abnormal vehicular activity on my street. Some people may say that I am a maco, others may say I am damn fas, however I consider myself to be hyper observant. Just as I was about to call the police I saw blue flashing lights, but I was still a bit uneasy. So I continued to pace around the house. Next thing my gate bell rings, I look out and see police. It was the kind of police I like too, the ones that breastfed on dasheen and look like they could buss somebody ass. The officers told me they would like to come in to check the premises and I quickly obliged. The officer who stood with me while his colleagues checked the premises explained that there was an incident on the highway involving a stolen vehicle and the suspects shot at the police. He asked me if I saw anything unusual, so I explained that I was going to call the police earlier. The officers completed the search then instructed me to lock up and proceeded down the street to continue the search.

This incident led me to a broadcast I received from some fool earlier that same night. “Big exercise in curepe on the main road side at least 40 cops searching cars .” As civilians we are not privy to the rationale behind the operations of law enforcement agencies. Why would we want to assist criminals by sending these types of messages? Some of us have persons on our Facebook and BBM accounts that we barely know and it is difficult to control where this information ends up. When we circulate these stupid messages we make the work of the officers futile. This is something that i have written about before in a post entitled “Aiding and Abetting the Criminal Element” so I will not babble on because my feelings are still the same.

I must say that I found the officers to be quite polite considering the circumstances and I was really impressed with the way they operated overall. I just hope that the officers were either able to apprehend the suspects or to at least survive the night without injury.

To My Grandfather

2010-05-16T07:00:00.006-04:00

This thing called life is so strange. We often spend hours maybe even a lifetime trying to make sense of things that have happened to us. My life similar to anyone else’s has had some interesting turns which I appreciate because they all add up to make me the unique individual that I am today. My paternal grandfather has lived in Trinidad for as long as I have known yet still I have never seen the man. He and my grandmother divorced before I was born. I grew up not knowing either of my grandfathers and this was normal, I saw nothing wrong with it because it was what I knew. A few years ago I came to the realization that my mother also did not know who her father was. For some reason unknown to us my grandmother never divulged this information. It is not my place to question why my grandmother chose nondisclosure, that is her business. She was a strong, wise woman and I know that she would never act with malice or ill will. Therefore she would have done what she thought was best in the situation. My mother did some digging and discovered her father. So into our lives came this wonderful man who did not even know we existed. He accepted us with open arms and an open heart. Now I have a very cool Grandad (who reads my blog by the way). This has opened up a whole branch of my family tree. It is a new and exciting journey for us and we will cherish every moment of it because we definitely don’t have time for coulda shoulda woulda.

So Grandad today is your day. I want to wish you a very Happy Birthday!!! I wish you God’s richest blessings today and everyday and I hope you have a wonderful day.

Independent Women and the Role of Men

2010-05-14T10:53:00.002-04:00

Recently a friend of mine suggested Independent Women and the Role of Men as a topic for me to write about. I jumped at it because I am really trying to stay out of the politics. Independent women, feminist and a host of other terms have been used over the years to describe the new breed of women. It doesn’t take much to realize that women are coming to the fore as the leaders of the world. Two recent examples are the first female President of Costa Rica and right here at home for the first time we have a woman in the running for Prime Minister. With these changing roles for women, it raises the question of how men fit in. Traditionally as women we have been taught that a man has to be the provider and protector, while we as women are supposed to nurture and support. However if we are providing for ourselves and paying for our own security systems in the homes that we bought for ourselves, what is the new and revised role of men? Are women still supposed to rely on men to provide and protect?

I think the answer is yes, after all that is what they have been trained to do. However, I do not think that a woman is supposed to sit around doing nothing while waiting on a man to do things especially if there is no man around. But if there is a man in your life, sit back and relax. Women have to find the unique balance and know when to let go and allow a man to be a man. It doesn’t matter how much money you make if a man feels that you do not need him in your life he will just cease to be a part of it. Essentially while it is good to be independent and strong and all that good stuff, it is just as important to allow your companion to be a man. Let him do what he was socialized to do. Even if you make more money than him don’t belittle him and definitely don’t remind him of that fact constantly. He already knows this. Steve Harvey dedicated an entire chapter in his book Act like a Lady Think like a Man to Strong Independent Lonely Women. Essentially he believes that if a woman persists in being the Strong Independent Woman giving off the illusion that she has no need for a man then she is going to be lonely.

What do you think about the role of men in the lives of Independent Women? Do you agree that a woman should allow a man to maintain his traditional role as provider and protector even if she can handle things on her own?

Too Much Election Drama

2010-05-13T10:21:00.002-04:00

These days I just feel saturated. I feel like there is too much of everything going on. There is too much bacchanal. Politicians are fighting and obviously they are forgetting that they are supposed to be role models for the youth of our country. This is the worst set of name calling in an election that I can remember. I really don’t know what is going on with these people. The funny thing is that at the end of all this nonsense all of these politicians will be laughing having a time in their little rum shop to which the rest of us cannot afford to gain entry. This election is becoming a big joke and I would really like to know at what stage the running of a nation became a laughing matter. While I strongly support one party, I will admit that is both sides indulge in the stupidness. Issues are being pushed aside to discuss things such as Marlene Mc Donald’s weight and Nicole Dyer winning Mastana Bahar. I am well aware that picong is part of our Trini culture, I think things are getting a bit out of hand. I wish elections were this coming Monday so we could get this Election over and done with. I anxiously await election results so that the country can continue with its regular day to day activities with the winning party at the helm leading the way.

How do you feel about the way the Election Campaign is going? Do you think the Politicians are taking the insults too far?

Happy Mothers' Day

2010-05-09T07:00:00.001-04:00

Today is mothers' day, and I would like to take the opportunity to wish all mothers a Happy, Joyous and Blessed day today. In particular I want to give thanks to my mother for being the best Mummy in the world. I want to thank her for spoiling me rotten while somehow ensuring that I did not turn out to be a brat. I guess she could have done that because everything that she gave me was either a reward for an achievement or for general good behaviour. It was always clear in my mind that I was never entitled to any of the privileges she afforded me. I want to thank my mother for not allowing me to go to Water Colours when I fourteen (yeah obviously I was delusional to think I could have gone in the first place) but allowing me to part hard from sixteen (after CXC exams) onwards. Let me tell you that the parties were just as sweet I did not miss a damn thing. To think I was actually vex with her for not letting me go.

I want to thank my mother for getting me a job during the August holidays while I was awaiting CXC results because more than ten years later many of the things I learned on that job are still with me today. To think I was vex when she got me the job because I wanted to spend time with my boyfriend at the time who by the way is not around and I barely remember. I also want to thank my mother for supporting me through all of my academic attempts failed or otherwise. Lord knows that I have tried to study almost everything under the sun and continuously she has always stuck by me with words of encouragement.

In retrospect I think that my mother honestly did the best that she could have done for me at any given time. As a child I may not have recognized what she was doing and therefore may not have always been appreciative of her efforts. However as an adult I can safely say that I am where and who I am today because of the strong role my mother played. For this I thank my mother and although I may not always show it I am truly grateful for my Mummy in my life. So Mummy today is your day, have a great one and I love you dearly.

Mr. Right or Mr. Right Now?

2010-04-13T07:00:00.000-04:00

As a woman there have been several times in my life when I have felt that I was wronged by a man. However, is it really the man’s fault? Many times we as women meet a man who we know is no good for us, yet we continue in the hopes of some magic transformation. I am not saying that the sneaky lying men are not out there or that they don’t exist, because trust me they do exist. I am saying and admitting to the world that we as women create some of the heart ache and troubles that we encounter. For example, if you meet a man who openly tells you that he is not interested in a relationship at this time, then he isn’t. Nothing is going to change that man, unless you have a good script writer, director, producer and a hell of a theme song. So why stick around? Even if he does change his mind there is no guarantee that you are going to be the one he picks, because Lord knows you are not the only one that he is “not being in a relationship with”. It is ok to be alone, just move on. Use the time to do some abdominals and cardio because carnival is always just months away.

Then there are the men who we know are no good for us, we don’t even need them to tell us, we just know for ourselves. These are usually the really cute popular ones who like themselves more than God. The ones who live in their parents’ house, don’t have a dime saved, always by their favourite bar or liming spot, and always in the latest most expensive brand name clothing. This type of man is no good, simply because he is not interested in anyone but himself. He is never going to put any woman ahead of his lifestyle. Even if he commits to one woman he is not going to be involved financially, emotionally or even spiritually. However don’t get vex with the man, just see him for what he is. And that is the wrong man for you right now. He is not bad generally, he is just bad for you. Unless of course you are looking for penis escapades and want to have a good time then this type of man is just for you.

So ladies the next time you meet a guy and before you fall deeply in love and then go crazy on the man when it doesn’t work out. Ask yourself, is this really the right man for me right now?

Carnival Tabanca

2010-04-12T05:26:00.004-04:00

In the midst of all this election drama I found myself with a Carnival tabanca. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon and like the happy, childless, single person that I am, I decided to take a nap. I dreamt that it was costume collection time and for some strange reason I could not collect my costume for myself so I asked my Mother to collect it for me. When I received the costume from my mom the bra was too small. Not at all a problem because I am playing in Tribe so changing it should be a breeze. Somehow though I forgot to have the bra exchanged so Carnival Saturday comes and I rush to Cascadia to see a line going down the hill. This is where you know it is a dream because everyone is calmly standing in the line and I was allowed to cut in midway. While standing in line it occurs to me that my friend registered me for backline and I had no boots. I began a mad plot of how I was going to obtain boots carnival Saturday evening and make a back pack all before carnival Tuesday. Then the phone rang and woke me up. It was such a strange dream but thank the good Lord that it was just a dream. At least this means that regardless of the election results there is hope because no matter what we will have Carnival 2011 to look forward to, to unite all of us one wine at a time.

The Prime Minister is no Fool

2010-04-08T20:17:00.004-04:00

Sadly my prediction of the dissolution of Parliament has become a reality. I was wrong about the date for elections to be held. The Representation of the People Act mandates that a number of things take place prior to the election which would require thirty-five days. However the Constitution states that the election must be called within three months. Therefore the election can be anywhere between thirty-five days and three months from Friday April 9, 2010.

Our Prime Minister is not a crazy man and I think that this election is no fluke. It may seem like something out of the blue but it is not. The Prime Minister is going to use this election to get rid of some of the bad eggs that are in his party. I use the term bad eggs because usually looking at an egg you cannot always tell that it is bad. It is only when you attempt to use the egg you would realise that it is bad. For the last general election the PNM had a lot of new comers to the political arena, while many of the stalwarts were pushed aside. Many of the newbies won their seats because the PNM had a strong hold in the constituency and any PNM candidate would have won. The population vote according to the overall party they support, whether or not they think the actual candidate they are voting for will do well as a Minister.

The Prime Minister was left in somewhat of an embarrassing situation where if he admitted to having bad eggs in his administration it would bring his ability to screen candidates into question. The fact that there was no major Cabinet Reshuffle is testimony to the fact that little could have been done with many of the persons within the Cabinet. The Prime Minister was then left with no other option but to advise the President to dissolve Parliament for a general election to be held which could then be used as an opportunity to get rid of some of the persons within the party who were bringing the PNM into disrepute. Some of the trouble makers include the Flag Man, Gary Hunt, Nunez-Tesheira, who did not ensure that there was proper public consultation prior to the introduction of the Trinidad and Tobago Revenue Authority Bill. While Indra Sinanan Ojah-Maharaj and Roger Joseph were allegedly not representing their constituents well. With the trouble makers gone the Prime Minister could now make another attempt to win the hearts of the population while saving face. This is also why the Prime Minister has been walking around the country visiting various constituencies over the last few months because he has been preparing for an election.

What do you think about the upcoming General Election? Do you think a change in some of the PNM candidates would improve the running of the country? or Do you think another party is the answer?

Kamlamania

2010-04-07T05:30:00.002-04:00

The General Election that has been hinted by our wonderful Prime Minister has fed Kamlamania that was initially created by Mrs. Persad-Bissessar winning the post of Political Leader of the Opposition followed by her appointment as Leader of the Opposition. Everybody seems to be looking towards the new Leader of the Opposition to be the first female Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago. Personally I am not a fan of Mrs. Persad-Bissessar. I have doubts that she can continue holding the majority of the members of the UNC in order to maintain her post as Leader of the Opposition. I remember all too well this was the fate of Winston Dookeran not too long ago. This is a party that has been through it all with Basdeo Panday always coming out on top. I am not quite sure that he is finished with the party and it would be interesting to see what his role in this alleged election. For the UNC to succeed at any General Election and to be a stable government in power there needs to be unity within the party. Currently this does not exist as there is the back bench of Ramesh, Basdeo and Kelvin, (Ramdeovin perhaps?) with Ramesh acting as a pseudo chief whip. Until the Honourable Kamla Persad-Bissessar can bring unity to her own party and truly lead the entire party as opposed to a small majority, I am not impressed. Because if she cannot control her own members how is she going to control the country. Luckily for her we still have some limited time before the Prime Minister unleashes the final bomb, the election date. This will give Kamlamania some more time to grow and hopefully emerge as a viable option for some change in society and not just be another mouth piece.

What do you think about the Kamlamania that is sweeping the nation?

Prorogation and Dissolution of Parliament

2010-04-06T23:36:00.003-04:00

With election fever in the air there has been a lot of talk about the Prime Minister proroguing Parliament. At this time I would invite all citizens of Trinidad and Tobago to familiarise themselves with the Constitution of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It is truly an interesting document and is the foundation of our society. When we do not know something for ourselves it is so easy for us to be fed lies and wrong information. We are currently in the Third Session of the Ninth Parliament of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Sections 67, 68 and 69 of the constitution outline the prorogation and dissolution of Parliament. A session of parliament is simply the yearly intervals between general elections. There can be up to five sessions, of which sessions one to four have to be prorogued with the fifth session being dissolved for general elections to be held. Parliament can be dissolved at anytime but it cannot go beyond five years to the date of its first sitting. Additionally the Prime Minister cannot dissolve Parliament, it is actually the President who dissolves parliament on the advice of the Prime Minister. Simply put prorogue is the term used between sessions and dissolved is the term used between elections. Therefore the Third Session of the Ninth Parliament of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago essentially means that we are in the third year since the last election and there have been nine general elections since Republican constitution was enacted in 1976. I just thought I would clarify some of the nonsense that has been printed in the daily news papers recently.

Election Date to be Announced This Week?

2010-04-06T19:00:00.001-04:00

This coming Friday April 9, 2010 a motion of no confidence in the Prime Minister would be debated. This motion would be led by the Leader of the Opposition. The Prime Minister is the longest sitting Member of Parliament. Therefore he like Mr. Panday is no stranger to the world of politics. With the report of the Commission of Enquiry into the Construction Sector laid in Parliament today and a motion of no confidence looming, what better time to dissolve parliament and call a general election. The Prime Minister has previously stated that his hinting at a general election is no bluff and this week, either Friday or before would be the ideal time to dissolve the Parliament and announce the date for the general election. So look out people, because apparently the election is coming like a tief in the night. Since we are a follow fashion type of society I just have a feeling that our election would be sometime in early or mid May to follow our former colonial masters. I am thinking that perhaps May 10, 2010 might be the day.

When do you think Parliament would be dissolved to accommodate the impending general election?

Aiding and Abetting the Criminal Element

2010-03-30T14:39:00.002-04:00

I received a message via Blackberry Instant Messenger recently that was quite disturbing. I had previously spoken about this application concerning matters of the heart. Now I want to address matters relating to crime. It has become popular now for people to send broadcasts messages via BBIM. These messages range from stolen items to fete and club promotions to protest on the Beetham. My issue is when the messages involve the activities of the police. The message I received and I quote “Police road block on the bus route by aranguez savanah”. It is a quote so I had to spell Arranguez and Savannah wrong. The average citizen usually does not know the reason for a road block simply because the police do not need to indicate the purpose of a road block. Even if the road block is routine and they are not looking for anybody in particular the point is to catch people who break the law. That is the job of the police which would assist in them achieving their mandate of protecting and serving. Why would you want to alert people of this activity? Is it that we as Trinidadians are friendly with criminals and we want to help them avoid the police?

There are several implications of this activity that we often do not consider. The first is that supposed there is a rapist driving along his merry way. This person has gone undetected for several years, however his insurance happens to be expired. Stopped in the seemingly innocent road block he is apprehended and taken to the station where he is charged and his fingerprints taken. These fingerprints then happen to match a series of rapes in East Trinidad. Would the rapist have been caught if he was alerted to the road block in advance? Now don’t in your mind say this scenario is farfetched because the point is that we should not circulate this type of information as the only people who benefit from this are law breakers. We do not know where this information would end up. We do not know the motives of many of the people around us. The police already have a difficult time staying ahead of criminals who do not have rules, regulations and laws that govern their operations. Please I am begging everybody to be responsible in the information that we disseminate. Once the information leaves us we have no control over where it would end up. Finally people should question the type of friends they have that would benefit from receiving a message of that nature and possible have a chat with the person about their illegal behaviour or distance themselves from the person.

Needless to say the person who sent me the message to me got an earful. Admittedly she was not aware of the implication of transmitting the message. So my friends fix the ME in criME and stop making the work of the police more difficult.

Good Luck SEA Students

2010-03-18T08:44:00.003-04:00

Today a little over 17,000 primary school students would be taking the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) Examination. This reminded me of my big day. The amount of pressure that this test places on children is unbelievable. I wrote this examination when it was still common entrance and a place was not guaranteed to every student. There were various possibilities that could come from the exam including failure, not passing for a seven year, or five year school. This is too much pressure for an eleven year old to endure.

My experience was quite interesting in that the night before the exam I did not sleep. This by the way was my first memorable case of insomnia, which is something that has plagued my adult life. Tossing and turning the night before the exam I was thinking of all sorts of things as I was quite nervous about doing the exam. Needless to say on the day of the exam I fell asleep while writing the essay, which was the first section. The sleep I got during the exam was probably better than the sleep I had gotten the night before. I awoke to the sound of the bell signaling the end of that section of the exam and I had only written two paragraphs. The sad thing about that scenario was that the person supervising my room was my neighbour whose daughter was my friend. The lady saw me sleeping and did not wake me up. Anyways I went on to do the rest of the exam without major incident.

I passed for a five year secondary school. I remember being a bit disappointed but I was grateful because I honestly thought I was going to fail. My neighbour’s daughter who was writing the exam that year for the second time passed for the illustrious St. Joseph Convent a seven year school. This whole thing about five year and seven year schools is nonsense because in seven year schools entrance into the A’Level programme is based on performance at CXC. However at the time of common entrance I was given the impression that it is was a guaranteed placement. Strange enough the young lady and I ended up in the same Senior Comprehensive School to do A’Levels. Essentially what I am trying to say is that please don’t put any undue pressure on the students. Even if the results aren’t what we as parents and adults would like all is not lost. Keep in mind that many times what we want for our children is often what we did not achieve for ourselves so while we may want the best it is important to love and support our children regardless of the outcome.

I wish all the SEA students the best of luck today.

Water Problems in T&T

2010-03-15T05:30:00.001-04:00

This morning when I woke up it was raining. I don’t know how long it had been raining, but I was thankful for the rain. Although I am thankful, I am not naive to think that fifteen minutes of rain fall is going to solve the water problems in the country. I was thankful for the rain because I hoped that it would have extinguished some of the bush fires that have been burning for almost two weeks now, specifically the one on the southern side of the Beetham. I have been blessed in that I do not even have a tank and I always have an uninterrupted supply of water. Also strange enough my main problem would have been low water pressure but during this period of water restriction the water pressure has been excellent. Being mindful of the fact that there are a number of people who are without a regular supply of water I have followed the instructions of the Water and Sewage Authority. I have not washed my car, wash down my yard or use my hose for the year. However I cannot say the same for some of the people in my neighbourhood. Imagine that people are simply getting up in the very early hours of the morning to water their plants using a hose. This is not even a kitchen garden, I am talking about decorative plants and lawn. The beautiful thing about lawn grass is that it would withstand drought, winter and other harsh conditions and when the environment returns to conditions conducive to its growth, it grows back. Amazing isn’t it? The fact that people are getting up in the very early hours of the morning to wet their plants using a hose it tells us that they are aware that what they are doing is wrong. Pretty soon even the areas that traditionally had a constant water supply would be affected and these are the same people who would blame the government for not providing water.

How has the water shortage in the country affected you? Do you think that members of the public should report water wasters to the WASA Police?

Tim Gopeesingh the Disrespectful Woman Hater

2010-03-13T05:00:00.006-04:00

At the last Sitting of the House of Representatives held on Friday March 12, 2010, the Member for Caroni East, Dr. Tim Goopeesingh made possibly the most disgusting, inappropriate, and unacceptable statement ever anywhere.

This Honourable Member of the House said to the Minister of Finance that "You kill your husband to get the insurance money". This man mad or what? He has to be. He is obviously insane. How can he say something like that? The Parliament is the original place of 'ole' talk but there is a line that should not be crossed. I would like to express my disappointment in Dr. Gopeesingh who was one of my favourite MPs.If he had said that she used her position as Minister of Finance, with prior knowledge of the CLICO fiasco to withdraw any money she had in the institution before they went bust I would not have a problem. This is something that was debated and speculated by the press and members of the public alike. But to say the woman killed her husband, I expected better.

Finally Dr. Tim Gopeesingh should have said something about his alleged relationship with some TV 6 reporter who by the way is not his wife instead of talking nonsense.

And with that Honourable Bloggers I ask you what do you think of the statement made by Dr. Gopeesingh?

Blackberry Instant Messenger is the Death of Traditional Romance

2010-03-08T08:18:00.003-04:00

Forgive me if I am old, but I grew up in the age prior to cellphones. Cellphones became popular after I left secondary school. Recently thanks to Bmobile and Digicel the Blackberry has become the cellphone of choice for the masses. BBIM is an application that facilitates blackberry to blackberry messaging at no additional cost as long as both devices have a data plan. So for the last three years while I had five people in my BBIM contact list I now have about thirty. It has now become a trend when you meet a new guy to exchange pins instead of phone numbers. While this may be the modern thing to do, I think it takes away from the romance of a new encounter. Dating has actually been reduced to random disjointed messages. This is annoying on several levels. First Bmobile has proven itself to be probably the most unreliable mobile network in the universe hence there is no guarantee that the messages would be delivered in a timely manner, if even delivered at all. Secondly it allows womanizing men to carry on multiple conversations with various members of their harem. Therefore you no longer have the undivided attention of this man while chatting with him or in person because he is constantly tied to his phone. Third, men no longer feel the need to even pay for a phone call to make contact. And do not be fooled ladies the savings from these calls would not be seen in an improvement in the quality of dates. Finally, BBIM makes people think it is ok to message you all hours of the day or night. As opposed to a call where you would have to think about what the person may or may not be doing prior to placing the call. There is a reason that Machel did not sing “BBIM me anytime you want” and Jah Cure certainly did not sing “If you need a lover BBIM me”. That being said the next man to pick up the phone and call me I feel I will instantly fall in love simply because it has been so long. How has BBIM affected your dating life? Do you prefer dating life with or without BBIM?

Basdeo Panday – Politician or Actor?

2010-01-30T05:30:00.000-04:00

Many of us in Trinidad and Tobago take for granted the ingenuity of Mr. Panday, Opposition Leader of the UNCA. This man is a stalwart in local politics. Born in 1933, Mr. Panday worked as a cane worker, teacher and civil servant prior to obtaining three degrees. Now this is where it gets interesting, Mr. Panday has degrees in Law, Economics and Drama. Who does that? Who combines those subject areas and why? Mr. Panday is a brilliant man in that he understands that politics is drama in its truest sense. Politics has been our reality TV for decades and unlike many other politicians Mr. Panday is well aware of this. Without a doubt Mr. Panday has changed the political landscape in Trinidad and Tobago simply by the strategic skits that he has played out throughout his almost thirty years as a member of the Parliament. I will take the activities of the Parliament yesterday to prove my point. The sittings which are governed by standing orders start on Fridays at 1:30 p.m. unless the House otherwise decides. Therefore Mr. Panday being a Member of Parliament since 1972 very well knows this, yet he arrived late for effect. Mr. Panday very well knew that there would be a media circus and as such for maximum effect he arrived after his opponent in the “mother of all elections” held on Sunday. In case you live under a rock the UNC-A held internal elections on Sunday and Mr. Panday and Mrs. Persad-Bissessar vied for the position of political leader, Mr. Panday lost. Upon arrival Mr. Panday theatrically offered his seat to Mrs. Persad-Bissessar, then as reported he proceeded to sit and say nothing to Mr. Warner his former cohort who was appointed as chief whip on his right and Mrs. Persad-Bissessar on his left. With Mr. Panday seated between them “KamJack” talked to each other and pass notes to each other. Well I anxiously await the next phase drama from Mr. Panday, after all the man is well trained in the field. I personally wish that Mr. Panday remains a Member of Parliament for as long as he is of sound mind to do so.

Do you think the actions of the Leader of the Opposition are deliberate? Do you appreciate the drama and theatrics brought to the Parliament by Mr. Panday?

Teen attacked in KFC

2010-01-20T19:00:00.000-04:00

I would really like to know what is going on in our beloved country. We are all going crazy. People running into KFC to attack a 16 year old boy. Can you believe this nonsense? What can a sixteen year old do to enrage someone to attack him? Additionally I want to go back to the parents. When I was sixteen I had a clear mandate, go to school, learn, behave and go straight home after school. When I got into the house I had to call my mother to let her know that I was home. I never found out what would have happened if I did not go straight home because my mother made it abundantly clear that she was the boss and her rules were to be followed. Plus I am coward and I don’t like to get in trouble. So why was that sixteen year old in KFC at 2:45 p.m.? The news made no mention of him being a student of anywhere. We need to do something and we need to do it quickly. Additionally we as citizens need to stop waiting on the Government to find a solution. A simple start can be for us as adults to monitor the underage persons around us, provide guidance to them and act as mentors. That has nothing to do with the Government, it has to do with us being responsible citizens.

The Piss Poor Conduct of the El Do Blue Teachers

2010-01-20T07:00:00.001-04:00

Teachers in El Do Blue don’t want to work until 3 o’clock to facilitate the Ministry of Education’s attempts to curb the violence between El Do Blue and El Do Brown. I am totally disgusted with those bastards. Teaching is no longer a profession, it has become a job, something to do during the day to get money. For many persons teaching, it was not a first choice but a last resort after trying unsuccessfully to gain employment elsewhere. These same teachers give themselves a holiday for two months during July and August, and two weeks or more during the Christmas and Easter vacation periods. How much would it hurt to work an extra half hour. The Ministry of Education should start to make deductions from their pay for not showing up to work during vacation periods.

Originally El Do Brown was a Junior Secondary and El Do Blue was a Senior Comprehensive, with the former having younger students that the latter. When news of this violence between the two schools broke I wondered whether the change to both schools having students of the same age had something to do with the violence. I remember back in the day it was said that the reason for Tunapuna Government Secondary and Hillview College being dismissed fifteen minutes apart was because there were some fights between the two schools. I always felt that was urban legend though so don’t quote me on that.

My entire point here is that I am disappointed with the El Do Blue teachers who don’t want to give half hour of their time, which I am sure they are already being paid for. I think that the Ministry of Education has responded relatively well and the Teachers are now sabotaging the efforts of the Ministry.

What do you think about the El Do Blue Teachers? What do you think about the Ministry of Education’s response to the incidents between the two schools?

Bishops Carnival Fete 2010

2010-01-19T06:00:00.001-04:00

I had the opportunity to yet again attend a fete for 2010, which was Bishops 2010 production. This was my second consecutive year in attendance. First off I would say that the fete had noticeably less patrons than the previous year. Again I would attribute this to the hosting of another event on the same day, which was WITCO One. Last year One was held on the same day with QRC and I chose to attend One. My issue with one is that it is like a regular fete with food on the outskirts and there is no designated area to eat. So Trinis just walk all through the fete eating as they feel like. Additionally One fete this year was $800.00 (confirmed by a call made to Witco) and with no HD himself but just his wayward disorganized followers, not me, I good.

Anyway back to the matter at hand. Bishops was nice I was pleased with decision to attend. The entrance was nicely decorated with a white back drop and some splashes of colour here and there. The customer service from the Hilarians who were easily identifiable in their red t-shirts was excellent. The vibes was nice in that even though there was a wide cross-section of age groups, everybody looked like they were having a good time in their own way.

My only issue was that there were only two bands, a reduction from the previous year, Asylum and Roy Cape. Bunji and Fayanne were ok I guess I really was not paying close attention because I was liming. I saw their performance at Amnesia and it was good and it sounded like the same exact thing minus Fayanne talking about old ass people. Rita Jones caught my attention because she was wearing some ridiculous nonsense, but at least thank God she was wearing stockings. Jason and Blaze I love them. That is all I have to say and I hope to be palancing on the road.

What I essentially realized at Bishops was that a fete is about the lime, meeting new people and old friends. At Bishops there was a great combination of all the right factors and I had a ball of a time. Once there is a Bishops 2011 and I am alive and well, I will be there.

Where did you go on Saturday 16th January 2010? How was it?

Cabinet Reshuffle?

2010-01-14T07:00:00.002-04:00

Yesterday there was a Ceremonial Opening of the Third Session of the Ninth Parliament. It is quite interesting because a ceremonial opening is usually held at the beginning of Parliament, which is after a general election, not for the opening of a Session. It makes me wonder what our Prime Minister is up to and what prompted him to have this gala opening at such an unusual time. I am wondering if he is possibly going to announce a Cabinet reshuffle maybe today at the Cabinet Press Conference or at the next sitting of the House of Representatives. I have already indicated my opinion on this in a previous post, so let’s see what happens in the next few days.

What do you think our Prime Minister is up to?

Haiti Earthquake – We are Truly Blessed

2010-01-13T18:00:00.001-04:00

Once again Haiti has been affected by a natural disaster, this time an earthquake. It makes me wonder if that country is cursed or something. How unlucky can one country be? We as Trinidadians should consider ourselves to be blessed and thank God that so far we have been relatively untouched by natural disasters. I often wonder if our blessings come from the fact that so many religions are represented in Trinidad and Tobago. We just can’t help but be blessed.

In viewing the pictures of the earthquake, I questioned the soundness of some of the infrastructure in the first place. A country such as Haiti that has been through constant turmoil, building safety may not have been high up on the list of priorities. As such buildings may have been constructed without proper inspections being done. Additionally, with corruption of Government Officials being a major problem, even if inspections were done I am sure that the quality of inspection would be below standard.

So at this time when we Trinbagonians are feting and spending money on lavish ceremonial openings for Parliament, we also need to keep in our prayers our brothers and sisters in Haiti. What are your thoughts on the Earthquake and the general trials and tribulations that the Haitian people have been experiencing?

Outta De Blue XI - QRC Fete

2010-01-11T23:00:00.001-04:00

This year was my first time attending QRC’s fete. The set up was nice. I was a bit annoyed when I realized David Rudder was performing when I arrived. But I took the opportunity to eat. I did not even notice a band change as Roy Cape swiftly followed. I was starting to like Roy Cape last year, however I want to believe that it was really Trini Jacobs l liked, because I really not feeling the band this year. Rita Jones needs to realize that if the world famous Beyoncé could perform in stockings, it would not be a bad idea if she did the same thing. Dil E Nadan was great, what I like most about the band is that everybody has their little piece to sing. Contrary to what I thought they are not a Chutney band , they performed a nice mix of songs. There was one tiny band member with some interesting waist movements, very nice. Ladies you should check that out. They were followed by Kes the Band featuring Nadia Batson. Apparently Nadia lost some weight, she is looking very good. Left up to me, with a voice like Nadia’s she could look however she wants. Kes was wearing tights, I swear, but he could really move that tiny waist of his. I feel I want Kes to wine on me, I just have a feeling I would like it.

The food was the usual stuff, curry crab and dumpling (a favourite of mine), bake and shark, BBQ Chicken, main meal curry and fish broth. I am not too sure about the fish broth but it smelled really good when I passed. In addition to the regular bar there was a cocktail bar. I was the designated driver so I did not really explore the options at the bar. There was a sober zone though. I don’t really believe in that getting sober before you drive home. I really think the best option is to designate a driver.

Generally the vibes in the fete was a bit lacking. Although the DJ John Wayne tried his best to hype up the party it was just dead. Additionally I found that the fete was scanty and I wondered where were all the QRC old boys who are so proud to be a Royalian. I hope that the school was able to make a profit. This is not really a fete that I would go to next year. So I don’t know where I would be going on this fete night. I feel next year I will go to Blazing Fire Fete.

What did you think about QRC 2010?

Soca in Moka 2010

2010-01-06T05:30:00.003-04:00

Carnival officially started for me at Soca in Moka, which has been the case for the last few years since I have been doing the all inclusive scene. The fete was pretty nice. The price of the ticket increased to $500.00 from $475.00 the previous year. My instant observation about the event was that it was noticeably more crowded than the previous year. I would attribute this to the fact that last year Amnesia was held on the same day. Honestly I preferred the scanty version of the fete, but in the name of making money for the school it was better to be jam packed.

The styles and fashions were wide ranging. This is why I like to go to Moka, to get a sense of the styles being worn for the season. Essentially what I realized is that hoochy is always in style, so anything short tight and revealing will always look good. I did notice a lot of long dresses, skinny jeans, tights with shirt dresses and cute short dresses. People were looking good generally. What I realize is that there are many chubby women who look really good, and the reason they look is because they are confident. Confidence is a key factor to looking good. It helps you to stand proud and feel good about yourself. So for me this year thick chicks are in because they were looking great on Sunday. Then there was general eye candy. I do not know what it is about carnival but this is the time of the year to gape. The men were looking hot. If kidnapping was not an offence I would have taken home a few. I even saw some very hot women giving me competition but it’s all good. What I want to know is where are these people during the year, obviously they don’t live in Trinidad.

The entertainment for the fete was interesting. Jason the ‘palance’ man was host of the show. He and Blaze performed their hit for the season with Kes the Band. Their performance was great and needless to say the same for Kes and his team. Roy Cape however was annoying. Apparently Blacks has taken over the complaining about fight down from Destra. He had to tell everyone that he is off the market. Let me take the opportunity now to thank that lovely lady for that bit of community service and taking one for the team. Blacks needs to realize that the only persons fighting him down is his fat, out of breath self. Blacks’ hit song last year was performed by Kes in Girl Power and if that was Kes’ song it could have been road march. So if Blacks fight down the gym gets his breathing under control and performs the hell out of those wonderful songs he would see his way. This was his year to just relax and step out because Machel and Destra off the scene. Dil E Nadan also performed but I was not really paying attention because I walked in when they were on stage and I was observing the scene at the fete.

The food was nice as usual with curry crab and dumpling, creole, Chinese, and bake and shark. I personally think that fetes need to give the bake and shark a rest but that is me. The bars however were out of stock of a few things at one time. I would not really complain too much about this because as I said earlier the fete had a lot less people last year so I don’t know if they adjusted their catering.

All in all the fete was great and I will be going to the fete again next year. It was a great start to my season and I am looking forward to my next event. What are your thoughts on Soca in Moka 2010?

No More Illegal Immigrants in Prison

2009-11-13T16:00:00.001-04:00

The government is doing some good work and I want to give them kudos for it. Finally in Trinidad and Tobago we can boast of having an Immigration Detention Centre. Previously persons who violated our immigration laws were held in prison like common criminals, when it should only be the ones who also violate criminal laws that should be held in prison. The Government had been under fire for some time because this is a faux pas. Immigration offenders are not criminals. In many instances they are simply persons running away from their depressed lives in one country and looking for better opportunities in another. They only thing they are guilty of is illegally entering the country and other Immigration type offences.

Thanks to the hosting of the Commonwealth Heads of government meeting in a few weeks this much needed facility has been opened, obviously because the government does not want the bad publicity that would have come as a result of the imprisoned illegal immigrants. Especially since a number of the persons held for immigration offences are from African commonwealth countries such as Ghana.

The government has come under a lot of criticism for the hosting of the Summit of Americas and the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, however with all things in life there would be good and there would be bad. The Immigration Detention Centre is a good thing and it is a legacy item that would be here to stay for some time. This would be one less thing for Trinidad and Tobago to be blacklisted for by international human rights organizations and NGOs. So I don’t care why or how we got it the important thing is that we got it and it is something to make us look good.

The Stress of being a Single Woman in Trinidad and Tobago

2009-11-11T05:30:00.001-04:00

I had an interesting conversation with a young lady who is much younger than me. In general the conversation was about a goal she had for herself which was to get married and have children in the next two years. This is a twenty-three year old woman with her whole life ahead of her. She has a good job, she is educating herself, good looking, great bubbly personality. So why is she upset, worried or even depressed about the fact that she may not be married with children by twenty-five. The only thing I can think of is SOCIETY. Why is it that there is so much pressure on women especially to get married and squeeze out babies? This is a current reality. It is not something that existed in the past. Young women are being given subliminal messages about when they should start a family.

My advice to her was to relax and enjoy life. Live. Go out. Have fun. We do not know how long we would be here for and while it may be good to have goals, at times goals cause us to live in the future and neglect the present. Of course we should all have goals and a purpose in life. But we cannot be so caught up in achieving those goals that we end up missing out on living. I am living a good life and enjoying it. There are a lot of things that I want and don’t have and I am still living just fine. What happens and when it happens it happens. Many times we have a goal and we are so caught up that when we achieve the goal we cannot even remember why we want whatever it was.

A single person male or female should be enjoying every moment that they are single. It is a time given to you by God to prepare us for the rigors of living with a spouse and having children. Candia highlighted this exact point quite nicely in an interesting story on her blog.

I am single. I am happy. I have no children. I have no prospects to make any children with. But guess what? I am one happy bastard. So relax people. Take a breath. Live each day to the fullest because tomorrow is not ours for sure. Finally be conscious of the pressure that we put on each other to achieve and over achieve.

Can you afford to fete for Carnival 2010?

2009-11-10T05:30:00.000-04:00

I love carnival. If it wasn’t for carnival there would be no need for me to have a regular job. I am very serious about that. So every year I go through my ritual of fetes. Starting with Soca in Moka and ending with Lara. Anything else could jump up in between. With the average cost of fetes last year being six hundred hard earned Trinidad and Tobago dollars, I am wondering if for 2010 I would just be going to the first and last with nothing in between because that is all I could afford.

Like every true carnival lover, I have a budget to work with and every year it seems as though the prices are increasing faster than I can increase my budget. I estimate that the cheapest all inclusive would be five hundred with the most expensive being God only knows. Realistically I would average seven hundred and fifty dollars per fete. That is just my estimate for budgeting. That being said, I am obviously going to the fetes naked, because that budget does not include clothes. In light of this I have come up with some interesting ways to make carnival all I want it to be and more.

The first is that there are a number of events going on for carnival. Even if all the money in the world was available we would still not be able to go to all the events. So as soon as the list is published on Boxing Day decide which events you would be attending. Also have an alternate list just in case the promoter of the event of your choice is a St. Ann’s outpatient and prices the fete so ridiculous, it leaves you wondering if it is quoted in Guyanese currency. Then most important get the tickets early. The earlier tickets are usually cheaper. Remember also that there are several types of events from tents, to children shows. Many of the children shows are considerably cheaper and the artiste put on a very good show. Just try to at least to take along a child so you would not look like a paedophile.

Secondly, choose your clothes wisely. As much as possible use clothes that you already have. This can be done by making slight alterations to clothing. Removing sleeves from a dress, or cutting a long dress short. Dye a white dress red or drastically change the accessories so that the dress looks different. This year for carnival I wore the same dress to three different events. I mixed and matched that dress to death. It is important to visualize how clothes could be mixed, matched or adjusted after the first wear, before purchasing to ensure maximum use. Don’t even think about people who may notice that you are mixing things up because people with talk regardless. At least at the end of the season you would have money in your pocket.

Finally, try to go to as many places for free. I am serious. Ask a friend if you can get tickets for their company event. The trick is to ask early to ensure that you really get it. You may not get free tickets to every single event but with my estimated average of seven hundred and fifty dollars per fete, free or discounted is the best way to go. 3Canal has a cheaper version of their show the week before it actually starts for about half the price. I think it is like a full dress rehearsal. I don’t know, I don’t question I just go. There are several others that are similar in nature.

Essentially I think the key to surviving carnival financially is planning. It is also important to network to get stuff for free or discounted and also to get first edition tickets. In all of this I have made no mention of costume, boots, or carnival Monday wear. That is a budget by itself. We have been doing this every year, do we will get through this one and many more to come.

What is your estimate for the cost of fetes for Carnival 2010? What tips do you have to help make that money stretch a little further for Carnival?

Rituals Coffee Passa Passa Style

2009-11-09T17:00:00.001-04:00

Rituals coffee shop could have a thriving business with me alone buying from them. I usually don’t discriminate on which shop I go to because they are all supposed to be the same, even in Antigua. Anyway I have visited the shop on the western main road on two separate occasions and it was the worst service I have received in a long time from any business in the food service industry.

The first time I went in I was greeted by the sound of loud music blaring from one of our fabulous urban radio stations. My perception of rituals is a place to sip on your favourite cup of joe and relax. I guess I was wrong. If that was not bad enough there was a young lady dressed in casual street clothes behind the counter bending over and gyrating or dancing or whatever. Stupid me did not just leave immediately, instead I proceeded to go to the counter to place my order. The gyrating young lady simply steps to the side and continues her lewd movements in the corner in plain sight. The worker who is cashing and making the drinks unwillingly takes my order, all while singing the unedited version of the song playing on the radio. Remember Ms. Gyration still in the corner. So while the drinks are being prepared I take a seat. The radio station goes to commercial so Ms. Gyration comes out from behind the counter and plops herself on the couch and proceeds to have a discussion about where she is going later with the worker behind the counter. When I eventually collect my drinks I see another worker strolling from a room in the back looking like she just woke up and her pants are unzipped and her under pants showing. There were a couple of things wrong with the scenario. The first being I am yet to figure out whether or not Ms. Gyration was a worker, because she left right before me. Secondly why wasn’t Ms. Gyration wearing a hair net. Thirdly why was she dancing behind the counter, exciting as it may be Rituals Coffee Shop was not the most appropriate place for her to practice for her villa audition.

Stupid me again went back to the place. Yes I enjoy punishment. I walked in to the sound of a male worker shouting at a female worker (the same cashier from the last time) to come and do her job. He then proceeds to quarrel complaining that she is lazy and have him doing all the work. While this may have been a valid complaint I just was not interested in hearing it. He of course was not speaking to me, but he was annoying me all the same. Mind you Miss Lady’s response was that she is looking for an apartment and she has no time with that. After I paid for my drinks he tells me that she will fix me up and proceeds to sit and relax just like her. So I wait and she gets up at her leisure to prepare my drinks.
Of all the experiences I have had in Rituals that one was the worst. I am contemplating saving some money and reducing calories and not going there at all. But I love it so much. I know for sure I would not be going back to the one in St. James ever again. I think I have been scarred for life.

The Trinidad and Tobago Flag

2009-11-05T17:00:00.001-04:00

Today’s Express Online has an article outlining the cost for the flag and pole at the Stadium. The first amusing part of the story is that the Honourable Gary Hunt finds support for the flag on Facebook. I have a problem right there, as I cannot tell you the last time I went on Facebook because I have been so busy of late. Therefore as Minster of Sport and Youth Affairs he should have no time to be on Facebook.

The cost of the flag and pole was approximately two million dollars. This is no problem to the Minister because he obviously has a stock pile of money somewhere so that is small money to him. My concern is the maintenance cost for the flag. I am probably very cheap but if it cost two million in the initial stage then I think it should not need anything for the next three years. It should just stand there tall and erect billowing in the wind. However the flag would need to be replaced approximately every six months at a cost of 18,112.15. Thankfully they bought three replacement flags (not included in the two million) so for the next two years no more money should be spent on this flag. I just thought though that if they bought four flags they could have gotten a discount or something. Then there is consideration that this flag being replaced every six months would cost approximately 724,486.00 over the next twenty years. I am not sure whether I agree it is worth it.

The next thing is that I am confused as to the significance of hoisting the flag at this time. These days I really don’t have time to follow these people. So I am not sure if it was revealed previously. I would have thought Independence Day would have been a better time.

As far as I am concerned the real scamp in this thing is Fire One. When Fire One erected their flag in Macoya I wondered why a private company would want to do something like that. I wanted to know what profit they would get from doing something like that. Now I realize it was a ploy to chain up the government to do the same thing and possibly produce returns on their original investment. So I understand now. But why didn’t Fire One as great corporate citizens offer to erect the flag in the stadim in the first place.

Finally I remember growing up I always saw security officers lowering the flag at 6:00 p.m. I realize now that when we have big flag it does not come down. Flag Etiquette: Rules and Regulations Governing the National Flag of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago states: The National Flag should not be flown after sunset, except inside a building. However, on important ceremonial occasions the Flag may be displayed in the open after sunset when it should be floodlit if possible.

What do you think about this flag issue?

The Machine Readable Passport

2009-10-30T09:00:00.001-04:00

For some time now Trinbagonians have been making a mad dash to get the new machine readable passport. This was obviously based on an overzealous statement made in the Parliament by the Minister of National Security Senator Martin Joseph which announced that all citizens would be afforded the opportunity to obtain the new passport by December 2010. Now I think that a long standing man in the arena of politics should know his people better by now. We like new thing. So people hear that there is a new passport available and by 2010 everybody will have one. We Trinibagonians change that to you must have the passport by 2010. The information was not communicated to the public clearly by the officials. Once a passport has not reached its expiration date it is a valid travel document. It is that simple.

Currently there are more than Twenty six thousand (26,000) uncollected passports. Why we so? Obviously there are 26,000 people walking around comfortable with the fact that they clogged the system and applied for a national document that they had no use for. Mind you I am sure that there were other people who needed to travel urgently and could not be accommodated because the system could only process a certain amount of applications at a time. My passport has expired since November 2007 and exactly two years later I have made no serious attempt to obtain a new one. The main reason being, I have no money to go a damn place. Trinbagonians get on as though when they get a passport they automatically get a ticket to go somewhere. What many of us fail to realize here, is that there is a cost attached to storing those uncollected passports. Not to mention the obvious security risks involved. The next thing that is going to happen is that some innovative Trini working in the Immigration Division would realize that money could be made through some racket involving those passports. So please make an attempt to collect your passport as soon as possible.

What has been your experience with this change to the use of machine readable passports?

Criminal Deportees wreaking havoc in Trinidad and Tobago?

2009-10-08T16:00:00.000-04:00

Criminal deportees have been a problem in the Caribbean for some time now. When the great US of A realized that a number of the persons committing crimes were non-US citizens they started to get rid of the persons by sending them right back from whence they came. Some of them would be sent back immediately, while other would be sent back after serving time in jail. The government of Trinidad and Tobago has in the past blamed the upsurge in crime on the influx of criminal deportees. I agree and disagree with this to some extent.

I agree with the theory that criminal deportees who are returned to Trinidad and Tobago do indeed contribute to the levels of crime and violence in the country. But I really think that a lot of times they are doing the only thing they know to survive. Many deportees left Trinidad and Tobago as young children with their parents. They have very little if not no memory of Trinidad and Tobago. While living in the United States they for whatever reason turn to a life of crime. Subsequent to which they get caught and are returned “home” a place they barely know. On reaching Trinidad they would be left in the airport with nothing. And when I say nothing I mean nothing. Not even toilet paper or identification. Imagine being sent to a country to live that you don’t even know, not knowing anyone and not even knowing the cardinal points to be able to move around. Obviously these people would do what they have learned and know best and that is to do whatever it takes to survive whether it be legal or illegal. I spoke to a deportee who told me that he felt like a child in a candy shop when he came back to Trinidad because things he used to do years ago as a teenager for fun Trinbagonian criminals were now doing to make serious money. Essentially he became a master and started a particular trend in T&T (So the man say eh). The government is not to be blamed solely for this because the deportees would be sent back without local law enforcement being notified so the persons could be monitored. In order for the notification to be made there needs to be a memorandum of understanding between the two countries. The sad thing is that we cannot do that. You feel if we had a US citizen in jail in Trinidad we could put him on a plane and send him back with no identification. The person would not even be able to clear immigration and customs.

On the other hand I do not think that the local criminals need influence from deportees to make “advances in criminal technology”. Essentially our law enforcement agencies are too caught up in bureaucracies that cause them to be slow to react to the ever changing environment. Plus these days the internet can be used for both good and bad. So while we law abiding citizens using Google to find school work or to impress our boss they using it to find ways to outsmart the police. Let us face it criminals are not stupid. Well most of them at least. They are just using their creative energy in the wrong way.

Recently the government, through the Ministry of Social Development introduced a procedure to meet deportees on arrival. The standard operating procedure is that a social worker from the Social Displacement Unit of the Ministry of Social Development would be at the airport to meet deportees. Upon which a social history assessment and a needs assessment would be conducted to determine the level of assistance required in order to reintegrate the deportee into society. Provision of initial accommodation is not usually a problem, as well as transportation to the accommodation site. However until the assessments are completed it cannot be said what would be provided to the deportees.

I am in no way trying to make excuses for deportees because some of them left Trinidad and Tobago as adults to go and make confusion in the people country and then get sent home and bring their nasty ways back with them. I applaud the effort of the government to implement something to deal with the deportees who return with nothing and no family to turn to. If this initiative prevents one deportee from resorting to crime to survive then for me it is a success. Do you really think that deportees have contributed significantly to crime in Trinidad and Tobago?

The Highway Car Park

2009-10-02T09:00:00.001-04:00

For several hours per day highways in Trinidad become a car park, thousands of cars barely moving. I remember there was a time that I hated traffic. Not anymore. I have come to embrace traffic for one simple reason. On average my daily commute is FOUR hours. So I thought what can I do to stop alleviate the traffic. Not much. So I decided to just relax, because if I continued hating the traffic then I would be angry for at least four hours per day. That not making no sense. So woo saa. Although I may have come to terms with the fact that traffic has become a part of life I think that it may have debilitating effects on us as citizens that we may not immediately consider or take note of.

Traffic is physically unhealthy. Sitting in a vehicle for several hours per day could never be good for our health. I am no doctor but I know my body and I feel it, when I get out of the car all I want to do is spread out, get a good stretch. Additionally many of us leave home in the morning too early to have breakfast and then barely make it to work on time and rush to eat whatever we find and that may not be the best for our bodies. essentially don’t have a proper breakfast which is the most important meal of the day. Then there is the afternoon commute as many people are on the road until six or seven at night and would have eaten lunch sometime around midday, so we hungry so we have to indulge in the Highway Market.

Traffic could drive you to drink. How many times you get a call from a friend, “aye ah hear the traffic real bad let we go an lime nuh”. Several afternoons per week instead of going home we are in our favourite watering hole knocking back a few drinks. This may seem to be a fun going past time but it can quickly develop into a problem especially for those of us who have a history of alcoholism in our family. Not to mention the obvious fact which is the drinking is being done to kill time to drive home. Therefore drinking and driving, a deadly combination.

Traffic is not economical. Traffic encourages us to spend money that we did not intend to spend. How many people budget for their nuts, and drinks purchased on the highway on the day home. If this is a daily habit at a cost of ten dollars for the day for nuts and a beverage with an average of twenty working days for the month that is two hundred dollars. It may not seem like much until we look at the annual figure of two thousand four hundred dollars. Add to that the afternoons when we would go drinking and thanks to the budget that bill is even higher now. Then there are the phone calls that we make while driving. Many of us get on the phone to talk to friends and family as a distraction from the traffic. then at the end of the month your friendly mobile service provider buss your throat

Traffic has a negative impact on our social lives. Personally I am single partly because I spend four hours a day in traffic. Even if a see a cute guy driving alongside me I can’t flag him down because he probably vex he in traffic. Then when I reach home I too tired to go back out. On a more serious note though it limits the amount of time that families have to spend to spend together when they get home. When we get home it is a mad rush to do home work with children, feed pets, cook, put a load of clothes to wash, prepare for the next day. By the time we are finished doing that it is time to go to sleep. When are we supposed to relax? Probably while we are in the traffic!

While I think it is the responsibility of the government to provide proper infrastructure that would accommodate the amount of cars that they authorize to be on the roadway it is up to us as citizens both corporate and individuals to do our part to reduce the traffic. Look around at the cars in traffic new cars, old cars, luxury cars, economy cars, bling cars, vans trucks, big rims small rims and hub caps and most of them have ONE person in it. Today I did my part and carpooled with a friend. We Trinis too big for that because people will think you are a scrub if they see you in your friend’s car. More importantly how people will see the rims you pay twenty thousand dollars for if you leave you car at home.

Then there are the irresponsible corporate citizens who contribute to the traffic. Why should I be jostling a truck hauling a forty foot container on the road when I not wearing a costume and it not playing no music. Check how may of them are on the road in the morning or in the afternoon on the way home. Why don’t they haul those things in the night. Then the same container is going to stop on Frederick, Charlotte or Henry Streets to off load goods to create more traffic. Oh gosh better than that man. Then most companies in the Port of Spain area I am sure, and I could put my big head on a block for this, don’t need all their employees to be at their desk at eight o’clock. Flextime could be introduced so that all of us don’t have to make that mad rush to work for the same time then to all have to leave at the same time. There could also be decentralization of services both in the public service and in the private sector. How many companies really need to have an office in Port of Spain? Look through the telephone directory, how many companies are not providing a service that requires them to be in Port of Spain. I am no Real Estate agent but I am sure that companies could save a lot of money by moving out of the city.

I want to reiterate that traffic is our problem, created in part by us. Like many other things in society if we wait on the Government to fix it nothing will happen. I must credit the government though because attempts to fix the traffic problem have been made, widening the highways the over pass/interchange to south. However it just seems as though the number of cars on the road is increasing faster than the road expansion project. Hence the reason it is up to us to make the difference.

What have been the effects of traffic on your life? What are the ways in which you as an individual can help to reduce the traffic one step at a time? What has your employer done to deal with the traffic woes of employees?

Highway Market

2009-10-01T05:30:00.001-04:00

Over the past few years I have noticed an upsurge in the number of highway vendors. I am referring here to the vendors who ply their trade on the highway walking between the lanes of traffic. I have also noticed a proliferation of the range of products being sold. The products available in the highway market include but are not limited to newspapers, some mosquito tennis rack thing, hats, steering wheel covers, chow, chive, pineapple, a variety of drinks, kites, seasonal items for Christmas, mother’s day and father’s day and finally the ever popular nuts.

I respect and admire these entrepreneurs because Lord knows they could have opted to be criminals instead of the hard working individuals that they are. However I think this industry has gone too far. First off it is dangerous both for the vendors and drivers. I say this because you know how we Trinis love to change lanes randomly. Add to that the occasional motorcycle or scooter and it is an accident waiting to happen. Secondly, it is annoying, Trinis want to stop on the highway to browse the wide array of selections, negotiate a discount all while the traffic flowing ahead of them. I don't even want to talk about the drivers who want to pay for a pack of nuts with a hundred dollar bill and expect to get change.

While I applaud the efforts of these individuals in their attempt to make an honest living, I really think this needs to be stopped. But as long as it continues to take people two hours to get home the market for drinks and nuts and other items would remain vibrant, because people just plain hungry. Until we solve the bigger problem of traffic this booming business would continue to expand. Do you shop at the Highway Market? If yes, What items do you purchase? If no, why not?

Miss Intelligent Trinidad and Tobago Crowned

2009-09-30T10:00:00.001-04:00

Ashanna Arthur would be representing Trinidad and Tobago in the Miss World Pageant which is to be held in South Africa in December. Frankly I am not impressed. While I admit that it takes a certain amount of bravery to run in a competition such as this, I am not impressed. She is not going for the Miss Intelligent competition it is a beauty pageant. The theme of the pageant is Beauty with a Purpose, not Intelligence with a Purpose. Take a look for yourself at the other contestants from around the world determine whether or not she is in the running. Mexico, Namibia, India, Aruba, South Africa all have some stunners. Then look at pictures of Ashanna in the Express, Guardian and on Global Beauties. Maybe the new pageant franchise holder Michael Raghunanan has too much money and Giselle La Ronde West has too much time on her hands. But what do I know about beauty pageants? The franchise holder probably knows more about being a beautiful woman than I do. The fact is that we all know very intelligent people who are not so good looking and we all know very good looking people who are not so intelligent. The tricky part is to have the combination of beauty and brains. We will just have to give Miss Ashanna Arthur our full support and hope for the best.

No more Cane equals more Crime

2009-09-27T17:00:00.000-04:00

I did not realise that people from Laventille and Beetham were former cane cutters. According to the Express online our Prime Minister told the United Nations General assembly that the rising crime in Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean was as a result of the loss of preferential markets for the export of banana and sugar. Although this may have been a general statement to include all the Caricom countries, I don’t like it. This statement implies that the former farmers of the now defunct Caroni (1975) Limited are responsible for the upsurge in crime in Trinidad and Tobago. We all know that is utter nonsense. Unless the cane workers formed some kind of gang that we don’t know about and are currently wreaking havoc on the nation. I know of one farmer who was a known criminal and that was Dole Chadee and who knows if he was really a farmer, that story could have been urban legend. This is probably why the crime is also getting out of control because law enforcement raiding Beetham and locking down Laventille all the time and they leaving the former cane workers to run amok.

The other problem I have with the statement is that it sounds like we are blaming our former colonial rulers for the rate of crime in our country. When as a people we would learn to start accepting responsibility of our own action or inaction as the case may be. We have been independent for forty-seven years, it is time that we move away from trying to be dependent on our former masters for anything. It also seems like we are trying to guilt them into give us back some sort of preferential markets again. Why we so? Why do we need preferential markets? Preferential markets don’t provide incentives to develop competitive production, it limits diversification, and it promotes a focus on primary products as opposed to refined or processed products. So essentially what we in the Caribbean should have done was instead of stopping the production of banana and sugar we should have continued and found something to do with the produce, maybe candied bananas. That way we could have told those people to hull their skin with their preferential markets. While there were obvious benefits to preferential markets, if it is no longer available to us then don’t cry over spilt milk. Make something else work for us. We should be looking forward not backwards. I expected more from Prime Minister Manning.

Why is Martin Joseph still Minister of National Security?

2009-09-26T05:30:00.003-04:00

November 2009 would make it six years that Martin Joseph has been Minister of National Security. Why? Isn’t there someone else in the PNM administration that could take up this portfolio? Upon closer inspection the options are limited. The job of Minister of National Security is a difficult one. The Ministry of National Security includes Police, Fire, Regiment, Coast Guard, Air Guard, Immigration, ODPM, National Drug Council, Citizen’s Security Programme, Forensic Science Centre, Prison, Cadets, SAUTT and a few other intelligence agencies. So the Minister has to oversee all these agencies, divisions and departments. The Ministry of National Security currently has a Minister of State, Donna Cox. She is responsible for the Fire Service, Prison Service, ODPM, and Youth programmes. While this may be noble, if anything goes wrong with any of the units under her purview the media and citizens still hold Martin Joseph accountable for the mishap, therefore ultimately he is responsible.

In terms of the options for Minister of National Security within the PNM administration I think there are two. Colm Imbert and Conrad Enil. My rationale is simple, the other Ministers are just too new to the PNM. The portfolio of Minister of National Security is a powerful one that requires a certain amount of political maturity. The Minister would also be privy to pertinent information that could make or break the PNM. Of the two available options Conrad Enil is my pick simply because I personally don’t like Colm. Not to mention Enil is a member of the National Security Council and a handover to him would be smooth as he would have been aware of a number of the issues being faced by the Ministry.

That being said, I am predicting, praying, hoping and wishing for a Cabinet reshuffle after the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in November. I think this would be an appropriate time because of the ongoing security arrangements for the event should not be disrupted by a ministerial change. I do not expect this change to lead to a significant reduction in crime and violence in the country. But just to give somebody else in the PNM administration some pressure. Let’s give uncle Martin a rest, because it is not easy to wake up every morning knowing you doing your best and ignorant Trinis talking a pile.

In the lineup of Government Ministers, who is your pick for the next Minister of National Security?

Hard working Police Officers Raid Beetham Gardens

2009-09-25T10:00:00.001-04:00

This morning the traffic was moving slower than usual approaching the Beetham on the highway. As I got closer I realized the cause of the traffic. Apparently police and other law enforcement agencies were conducting a raid on the Beetham. But oh gosh boy. Trinis fas!! Because people slowing down to watch the scene. Because there were a lot of police vehicles both marked and unmarked more than fifteen including one of those twenty-five seater busses. Being the true Trini that I am I was also slowing down to watch, of course only because the cars in front of me were slowing down.

This is what I like to see police in large numbers working to fight crime. I also saw quite a few of the police officers that I like the big gunta ones that look like they breast feed on dasheen. I don’t like nashy police at all, the hungry looking ones. I find they should put the hungry looking ones to protect the President, Prime Minister, Attorney General and the like.

We must admit however that police work is hard work that many of us are not willing to do ourselves or even allow our children to do. How many of us are willing to go into the Beetham to look for criminals. I don’t even like driving past the Beetham. I commend the hard working officers who this morning left their families early or maybe were not even with their families for the Republic day holiday to show up knocking on doors before the crack of dawn. Hopefully some significant arrests were made. The sad thing though is that after the officers work hard in this raid some Magistrate would give these bastards bail to go back on the street. But at least the gremlins would be off the street for the weekend. I will definitely be on the lookout for stories of this raid in the news.

Police and their hidden Guns

2009-09-25T05:30:00.000-04:00

Sometime ago a story broke in the local media that a cache with arms, ammunition and narcotics was found the ceiling of the St. Joseph Station. Like most people I was appalled at this find and wondered what the officers were thinking. I also wondered what they were going to do with the items. Why were the items being stored, and of all places in the station. Following the daily updates on this interesting story I remembered that there had been a raid in Bangladesh (which is the settlement between Curepe Secondary and WASA on the Priority Bus Route) a few months ago. It was reported in the news that a raid was carried out in Bangladesh and it was apparent to law enforcement officials that the residents and targets of the raid were aware that the raid was going to take place. Upon investigation it was found that a call was placed from the St. Joseph Police Station to someone in the area and it was believed to be the tip off.

If an investigation was conducted and it determined that the tip off call came from the St. Joseph Police Station it means that somebody watching and monitoring the Station. Therefore it would only be a matter of time before there was a raid on the station. If I had things hidden in a cache in the ceiling I would get rid of it and go on leave, get swine flu or something to absent myself from that whole scenario. But I guess common sense not so common and thank God for that. Now it could have been that the officers thought that someone would have afforded them the same courtesy and give them a tip off. Or they just thought that nothing would be done to investigate the station further.

As to what the items were being stored for I am not sure but there are several options. The civilian view is that the police officers stored the items with the intention of passing it on to criminal elements in society. This is frightening to say the least. Imagine that they taking away guns from one set of criminals and passing it out to a different set of criminals. The second set being their friends so even more invincible than the first set. Frightening to say the least.

The Police perspective is different. There are some who believe that the Police when seizing arms, ammunition and narcotics do not report the full amount seized. This is because many times the person found with the items is not the actual owner but simply a petty transporter. However when searches are carried out on the known “big men in the business” nothing is ever found. The Police officers frustrated by this have to find crafty ways to hold the known perpetrators. So they use the unreported guns, ammunitions and narcotics found in previous raids to pin on “known” criminals to charge them. This would explain why they did not remove the items when they realized that the station was being monitored. While noble, this sort of vigilante justice is scary, because we have all heard the story of somebody son who was held with a small amount of weed, probably for personal use and when he get charge the amount mysteriously increased. So, where does the vigilante just stop? While I admire the fact that the police try their best to work with the system that they have but this leave the window open for abuse of power. Additionally it is hard for a police officer to charge a criminal and then to go before a magistrate to be released shortly thereafter.

The police service gossip behind the items found in the station was that a member of the Criminal Investigation Department which was the unit in the St. Joseph police station that was raided sold out the unit to the Anti Corruption Bureau. So it makes me wonder if that man had not gotten bad feeling about his co-workers this thing would not have been investigated because it seems to be the norm. Who knows if this gossip is true? But it does offer an alternative theory.

Is your belly Carnival 2010 ready?

2009-09-24T12:00:00.000-04:00

I realized today that carnival 2010 is four months and twenty one days away. Then I looked at my belly and wondered if I was four months and twenty one days pregnant. Now people love to say that there must be someone in the band who is fatter. My response to that is this, if a man tief one million dollars and you tief ten thousand does that make you less of a tief. So whether there is someone in the band fatter than me I would still be fat. So like a true Trini I am about to embark on a last minute healthy eating/exercise regime that would hopefully help to minimize the waistline in time for Carnival 2K10. I love Carnival, which is why I go to work, to have money to spend for carnival. So the excitement starts from today and Shurwayne Winchester’s new song Murder is not helping with my excitement at all.

www.trinidadlover.com

2009-09-24T05:30:00.001-04:00

I try a thing and registered www.trinidadlover.com so I big in the dance now. I just have to work out what to post on this blog every day. so that I nor my readers would get bored. I also have to figure out how to pretty up the page a bit so bear with me. Feel free to provide tips or suggestions for the enhancement of the blog by posting a comment or sending an email to trinidadloverblog@gmail.com

Should the Government “tap” the phones of Citizens?

2009-09-23T12:00:00.001-04:00

This is being raised in light of what was said by the Minister of National Security, Martin Joseph in his budget speech in the Senate on Tuesday. He indicated that this initiative was based on the recommendations made by Major General Cameron Ross, which included the Omnibus Security Bill that encompasses a few pieces of legislation that are anticipated to be a major boost in the fight against crime. The bill of concern to me is the one that would allow for the “lawful” intercept of communication, the Interception of Communications Bill. Now something about this announcement tells me that they have been listening to our conversations for some time now but they are now making an attempt to do so legally. Small thing, I could live with that because I can tell you this, the intercept of communication is not concerned with whether you horning your woman, or whether you telling your best friend how often you go to the toilet. This is an attempt by law enforcement to use a tool that they may or may not have been using in the past to gather information that could be used legally in court against criminals. There are two problems with this that I foresee.

The first problem is the stupid criminal who was previously unaware that Trinidad and Tobago law enforcement held this capability is now aware. So what these criminals are going to do is evolve and find some other means of communication or develop some code to communicate. That is what criminals do, they always try to stay one step ahead of the law. But that is nothing I have faith in T&T law enforcement that they would handle this situation well.

The second problem is the alleged use of this tool by the Government to “spy” on their political enemies. This in the wrong hands could make or break an election. It could be used by the ruling party to gain inside information in order to gain an advantage in an election. If this indeed happens and we may never know if it does, it raises the question of how democratic is the election process.

Overall I think this is a good move on the part of the Government and somewhat of a feather in the worn and tattered hat of the Minister of National Security. Because something has to be done to combat this minority of people that are wreaking havoc on the rest of the nation. So they could tap my phone any day anytime whatever it takes to deal with this crime. What do you think about the proposed “lawful” intercept of communication?

Who is you pick for the Miss World Trinidad and Tobago Pageant?

2009-09-23T05:30:00.002-04:00

I had previously expressed my views of the Miss World T&T hopefuls. But apparently I have to eat my words. The young ladies were put through some sort of pageant boot camp and they came out looking good. Now of course some of them just cannot be helped but for the most part there was some general improvement in their appearance. Now I must comment on the look of Michael Raghunanan, the Miss World Trinidad and Tobago Franchise Holder, because with those nicely shaped eyebrows he could be in the running too. Check out the Newsday article with a picture.

So my picks in no particular order are Sunita Dairam, Chinaka Nelson, Meagan Monsegue and Arveyann Thomas. Arveyann was the chick that modeled the Island People’s 2008 Zebra costume which I loved. Meagan was my previous pick, my concern however is that she looks a bit short but that is nothing some heels can't fix. Anyone of my picks if chosen would make me proud to be a Trini. I just hope the franchise holders are teaching the ladies to speak the Queen’s English properly. So what do you think of the ladies vying for the title of Miss World Trinidad and Tobago?

Trinidad Lover Blog to be or not to be?

2009-09-22T10:14:00.003-04:00

I have been missing in action for some time now. This is because after the T&T Budget was read I had to be heavily sedated by my psychologist. I was also advised to stay away from all Members of Parliament just in case I had some sort of break which would have resulted in me bitch slapping one of those Government Ministers. So I took some time to relax gather my thoughts on what is going on in Trinidad and Tobago. Also to figure out what I want to do with this blog of mine. I will admit though that when I started this blog I just thought of it as something to do in my spare time but I quickly came to realize that it is quite time consuming. But it is exciting all the same. Because if forces me to read, think formulate ideas, and it also gives me an opportunity to discuss things with people. For instance I found myself discussing with every police officer that I came into contact with the issues surrounding the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service. So here I go again with this blog thing. Feel free to let me know what you think.

What's up with the Miss World T&T Pageant Auditions?

2009-09-01T16:15:00.000-04:00

I saw a picture of some of the young ladies vying for the Miss World T&T Pageant. If these ladies are the best, we are in a hot mess and can no longer pride ourselves as having some of the most beautiful women in the Caribbean. Or it could just be that these women are a bit too ambitious and over confident. The thing is that if I can see your weave in a photograph then things really bad. Then three of them in the photograph their bra strap is showing. How can they represent this country with their underwear showing? There could be a cleanup exercise on one of these ladies and she could be transformed which has been done in the past. I am sure even megatron's creator would find this task to be difficult. But there was one young lady who caught my attention Meagan Monsegue. She stood out nicely her smile, pose, posture all lovely, not to mention she actually looks good because it is a beauty contest after all. I would be looking out for her in the future.

What do you think about the ladies vying to represent Trinidad and Tobago in the Miss World Pageant to be held in December 2009?

The 2010 Budget

2009-09-01T05:30:00.001-04:00

The Minister of Finance announced that September 7, 2009 would be budget day in Trinidad and Tobago. First things first as far as I remember she and her family got out their money before all the drama in Clico so she has no reason to look like she seeing the world of trouble in the Trinidad Express online article. Secondly I have zero confidence in that woman as a Minister of Finance. After the Clico debacle she should have been removed from government or made Minister of Tourism or Minister of Sewage removal because that is exactly what she is full of. Finally I anxiously await this budget to see what it is doing for me. Forgive my selfish ways. But I want to know what me the man in the middle getting, the group of people who are making too much money to qualify for a government house but not enough to purchase one on our own. Time will tell.

Independence Weekend Accident

2009-08-31T19:38:00.002-04:00

So apparently something was going on by the Gasparillo stretch of the Solomon Hochoy Highway, because there were four separate accidents in that area on Sunday, this is according to the Trinidad and Tobago’s Newsday Online. The most disturbing of the stories is one in which a one year old baby who was being held by her mother in the front passenger seat of the vehicle died. The story even indicates that the couple has a ten year old son and prayed for this second child who was born prematurely and spent one month in an incubator in the hospital. Now, how much of a front seat “ho” do you have to be to want to sit in the front seat with your one year old? First off one year olds are active and should not be so close to the driver because they can be a distraction. These distractions could be very simple from singing to making cute baby noises to throwing a toy so they should really be in the back seat especially if the two parents are in the car together. A child sitting in the front passenger seat is something that we in Trinidad love to do quite comfortably. Some parents even say the child don’t like to sit in the back. First off the child don’t pay no damn car loan and is therefore in no position to decide where they want to sit in the car. Something is probably wrong with my parents because I did not have a choice. The back seat was mine, I could not sit in the front, and as a matter of fact I sat in the back seat until secondary school. And the thing is that I did not venture to the front seat on my own I was told that I could now begin sitting in the front seat. I don’t remember ever crying to sit in the front seat because it was just one of those things that was not negotiable like bedtime and homework before tv, my tears would have been wasted. I have to remember to thank my parents for being “bad” and making me sit in the back.

These same children who cry to sit in car seats or in the back seat take them to America and the parents would force them to sit in the car seat because it is the law. In the US they don’t even allow you to take the baby out of the hospital without of a car seat. They have an option where they loan you a car seat until you are able to obtain your own. But Trinis watless no ass and just do whatever they want. I have no sympathy for Shamila Lolita Ramjit (dead) and Ivan Ramjit (hospitalised) because they were irresponsible parents. It is amazing that their first child lived to ten. They had foresight to put the cake for the baby’s birthday on the back seat but not the baby. Now the mother and the baby could have been sitting in the back and died the same way who knows, but the right thing would have been to sit in the back with the baby. I am waiting to see how Trinis would somehow choose to blame the government by possibly saying that a law should be passed to make car seats for children mandatory. That is shit in my opinion because there are several other personal safety laws that we Trinis don’t obey for example the speed limit, seat belts, drinking and driving and several others. Trinbagonians are just lawless and like to do our own think and avoid accepting responsibility for our actions. The constitution gives people the right to have children but that doesn’t give everybody the right to be parents. Hopefully other parents would see this and learn from the example but I somehow doubt it because baby Nevi was not the first and would definitely not be the last.

Ms. Emris goes to St. Anns

2009-08-29T07:35:00.001-04:00

Today’s Trinidad Express Online reports that Ms. Emris would be sent to St. Anns for a psychiatric evaluation. But the Trini in me want to know what is this unforgivable sin that she committed that caused her to jump off a moving vessel. Thankfully she is getting the help that she needs.

Woman Jumps off Ferry

2009-08-28T10:17:00.002-04:00

So I reading the Trinidad Express Online again because I refuse to pay Two Trinidad and Tobago Dollars for a document that would become outdated in less than twenty four hours. There is an interesting story of a woman Emris Simon jumping off the T&T Spirit because she allegedly committed some unforgivable sin. First off the story indicates that the vessel left Tobago one hour and twenty-five minutes late. So that means Ms. Emris had that much time to pray and ask for forgiveness or at least come up with a better suicide plan, one that would not inconvenience others. For someone to seriously attempt suicide they must be in some sort of personal turmoil battling with their inner demons. But I do not care what any psychiatrist or psychologist says but I think suicide is selfish, especially when it is a failed attempt that costs other people time and money. Can you imagine feeling so bad about life that suicide is the only way out then to wake up and realise that not even that you could do properly. i know i would feel like a turd.

In this specific instance the vessel had to be stopped, members of the crew had to disembark in a life raft, possibly putting their own lives at risk to save someone who obviously did not want to be saved. The vessel which was already behind schedule was made even later and I can well imagine how pissed the Trinbagonians onboard were. Upon arrival in Trinidad there was an ambulance waiting for Ms. Emris to take her to hospital to receive treatment. So imagine somebody somewhere calling for an ambulance and not getting assistance because an ambulance park up on the port waiting on Ms. Emris. Not to mention somebody gone to the Port of Spain General Hospital to receive treatment because they value their life and want to live and has to wait or be turned away because there are no beds available because Ms. Emris resting comfortably in a satisfactory condition. I was expecting in the story that she would have been taken to St. Anns to be evaluated. This is exactly why in some countries suicide, attempted suicide or assisted suicide is treated as a criminal matter. In ancient times many societies frowned upon suicide and the person’s estate was confiscated by the state or the person was not afforded a regular burial. Obviously if a person is successful they would be beyond the boundary of the law.

This raises the issue of mental health care in Trinidad and Tobago. This is an area of health care that is surrounded by stigma and discrimination. Trinis have a thing that a person has to be crazy to see a psychiatrist or psychologist. These and other myths about mental illness make members of the public scorn persons they perceive to be suffering from a mental illness. I am also guilty of ignorance when it comes to the issue of mental illness. The Canadian Mental Health Association has some interesting easy to read information that could shed some light on this matter. Hopefully Ms. Emris would get the mental health care that she needs to help her to recover.

Police Car Tief

2009-08-26T12:54:00.002-04:00

So I minding my own business reading the Trinidad Express Online and I was really trying not to say anything about this but the Trini in me I have to say my piece. How is it that a young seemingly sane man could pick up the government vehicle and go joy riding with it. I would really like to know what he was thinking. Did he think that he would not get caught? Well it really was that he simply did not think. Four months into a job you still green in most organizations people would still be on probation so they don’t even want to mash ants. This nut tief the vehicle and gone joy riding. He should not even be on suspension he should just be unemployed under some sort of twenty-four hour evaluation watch in St. Ann hospital because he is obviously a crazy man. i confused. I dont even know what else to say but I love my Sweet TnT.

Your contribution to crime in sweet T&T

2009-08-26T12:37:00.003-04:00

Trinidadians love to complain about the crime situation in Trinidad and Tobago. But how many of us realize how much we ourselves contribute to the crime. There are some ads that I love in the daily news papers entitled “Fix the Me in Crime”. The little things we do on a daily basis that are against the law. Driving on the shoulder, littering, illegal parking, blocking the intersection when there is nowhere to go.

Every police officer standing on the shoulder so that we don’t use it as an additional lane is one less to treat with “serious” criminal offences. The police force and other protective services that we have are only so big and are constantly facing challenges of resource shortages. when a man or woman abuses their spouse a police officer has to get involved in some why once a report is made to the Police Station.

Then there is the other angle where Police officers are sometimes not assisted by members of the public. If you do not work with the police then they cannot do their jobs effectively. For example we are aware of certain things happening in our neighbourhoods and we as responsible citizens do not make a report in the nearest police station. Police cannot be everywhere for obvious reasons and we have to do our part to help them.

I am of the view however that a lot more can be done by local law enforcement to reduce the levels of crime and violence in this country that I love. But I have no control over the decisions taken and the policies implemented to reduce crime. So for now what I can do is take control of myself and be aware of the little things that I may be doing to make the situation worst and put a stop to it. Even with our friends and family we have to encourage them to do the right thing. Too often doing the wrong thing is glorified while doing the right thing is frowned upon.

Things to consider when looking for a Job

2009-08-26T12:02:00.002-04:00

The Job interview is a time to determine whether or not the organization is the one of choice to be employed with. Many times we get caught up in the need for a job and are afraid to question our prospective employers. The actual call for an interview means that some basic requirements for the position were met. An interview should be considered a meeting to discuss possible employment with a company. Too often in interviews the prospective employer provides vague information and when asked questions they skirt around the answers. The thing is that a change in job is a big step. This is the place where most of our waking hours would be spent, and it is important to ensure that the environment is a comfortable one in which to operate. There are important questions that must be answered before accepting the offer for employment or even moving on to the second round of the interview process.

In most instances when applying for a job whether on www.caribbeanjobs.com or responding to an ad in the daily newspapers such as Express there is some sort of description of the position. It is important to ask whether this description was final or whether adjustments would be made. This description as simple as it may look is essentially the future job description. It is what the employee would be required to do everyday for the next two to three years or even more.

Time on the job is a touchy issue. Some employers expect employees to work strict 8-4 hours with one hour lunch with a system to monitor time spent on the job. This is extremely ridged. For me personally, I dislike strict working hours because I will work whenever and do whatever it takes to get the job done. It is difficult to have my time monitored with no concessions allowed and then be expected to work extra for no additional compensation. To me something is definitely wrong with that.

The benefits package is muy imporatante (my form five Spanish teacher would be proud of that inclusion). This would include salary, bonuses, pension plan, health insurance, after school day care, parking, lap top, mobile phone and gratuity to name a few. Now a question that interviewers love to ask is how much money you want. At this point knowing the company and the position that is being offered an answer should be ready to just roll off the tongue. It is also critical to get fair compensation for the experience and knowledge that we employees would be bringing to the organization.

Although a job description is provided there is a need to get a practical sense of what a typical day on the job is like. This would help to give a sense of the culture of the organization and the type of working environment. If there is a significant difference between the formal job description and what actually happens in the workplace then some sort of adjustment would be needed. Attempting officially or unofficially to talk to someone working in the organization would also provide insight into the organization. It would give a true sense of how things work. Many times employers present a perfect picture of the organization and it is their job to do that because after all they are trying their best to get us to accept the job. It is just like courting, you not going to tell your future life partner that you don’t wash, clean, cook, bathe or brush your teeth because the person will go running. It is after the person falls deeply in love that the true side is shown. it is the same with employers.

Essentially when looking for a job it boils down to being a typical Trini macco while seeking our own interest because no one else would do it for us.

CXC Results

2009-08-19T11:32:00.001-04:00

Young boys and girls around the country are receiving their CXC results today and I can only imagine the feelings of anxiety they would be experiencing. Many of them would have gone to countless hours of extra lessons and sleepless nights in an attempt to achieve the goal of the coveted one or distinction. The average age of the student writing the CXC exams is 16-18. I personally believe that this is a time in life to be happy and joyous. Parents, teachers, family and friends put an incredible amount of pressure on students to succeed. This may be fine but to what end. There are student who are afraid to collect results because of the possible outcome. CXC would be the first major exam that many of these students would have taken since SEA, which in itself is madness. Exams are tricky beasts, in that if you woke up the morning with a stomach ache or if rain fell and you were late it may affect your performance. I know for a fact that I do not do exams well. I hate them with a passion and I do not think that they are a true representation of a person’s ability, but we have to do it because our society recognizes it as acceptable form of performance measurement or assessment.

I want to explore as a parent, student or friend if a child does not get the grades desired by all there are options. The student can repeat the examination, which can be done in a number of ways. The student can go to the On-the-Job Training Programme to get a job for a one year period and repeat the exams in January or June of the following year. The student can go back to a secondary school and repeat the entire form five year. The former option allows for the individual to gain some working experience while figuring out what the next step in life could be. In the end we are all going to the same place to become responsible adults contributing to the good of society. Take for example your friends who went to the prestige schools got ones for CXC and A’s for A-levels didn’t we all end up in UWI or some University together struggling to get the same degree.

I am in no way against education at any level. However if a student does not excel at the traditional mathematics, physics, English, Biology then maybe the parents and need to review whether the child is following the right path, because everyone has a view for their child to be a doctor lawyer or an accountant. But that is not possible nor is it realistic. There are several other professions that are quite viable. For example, have you ever seen an attorney going to court with their hair in a mess? After that attorney makes their money they have to then give it to the beautician or barber. I am of the strong belief that my hairdresser makes more money than me and she is happier too because she works for her damn self and keeps her own hours.

With the results of young students you may know being announced. Keep one thing in mind that the child did their best and that is all that matters. The world is not going to come to an end. Everything will be just fine.

Sex in Commercials

2009-08-13T15:40:00.002-04:00

The original heading for this post was Sexual Innuendos in Commercials but after meditating a bit I realized that they are not even innuendos it is just too blatant. I am noticing a disturbing trend in some radio ads that I have been hearing. I am an avid listener of the Red 96.7 morning show. Those guys are the best and are always guaranteed to put a smile on your face to start the day. Of course I am jealous that they are having so much fun and they are still getting paid to do it. But that is a different story.

The main culprit and in my opinion the most annoying is Boomers. I guess we could say that Boomers is the local Subway. I must add here that I have never eaten at Boomers. The commercial starts off with a woman in a very seductive voice asking “Have you got the balls?” The guy responds “Who me? I am not sure what you mean.” This tells me that he and all think she talking about something else. I mean how is it that they came up with that for a meatball melt sub sandwich commercial. It does not even make the sandwich seem enticing or tasty. However I am not really sure which culture the ad was supposed to be targeting because maybe somewhere in the world “balls” are considered tasty.

I think corporate citizens need to be cognizant of the subliminal messages that are being sent in their advertising. They cannot realistically expect that these things would not have an impact the youths of our society. I am big and I have sense. But can you imagine a child hearing that commercial and going to school and asking a fellow student or even a teacher very innocently but in the same seductive voice “Have you got the balls?”

The other culprit that is worthy of mention in this nonsense is Full Throttle Energy Drink, which is a product of the Coca Cola Company. But I guess the old adage sex sells is being maximized by Corporate T&T. This is where I have to remind myself that I love Trinidad and have faith and know for sure that we are better and more creative than that. Pretty soon we would have to be giving parental advisory ratings to commercials. Boomers would of course get an NC17. I would hate to see the television version of some of these ads.

Why is your Tattoo distracting me in work?

2009-08-13T15:30:00.001-04:00

Why do people get tattoos in places where I would see when they are dressed in work attire and then get vex if I appear to be more interested in the Tattoo than whatever work related matter they talking about. I am sorry but if you want me to focus on you then don’t have a tattoo in a visible area. Secondly if you have to put it on your neck, forearm or calf make sure I could read it at a glance. That means that it should be in large block letters not tiny cursive looking like a six year old practicing in a Vere Foster.

I have no problem with tattoos in general. I myself do not have one and will not get one. But in the workplace it really could become a distraction. Because the macco Trini in me every time I see the individual I have to take a peek until I figure out what the tattoo says. But hey I guess this could add some excitement to my day.

Twelve Year Old Raped by Sixteen Year Old

2009-08-13T11:15:00.001-04:00

So this morning on the news (red 96.7 and corroborated by a similar story on Express Online) there was a report of a 16 year old boy raping and sodomizing a 12 year old girl. I don’t even know where to start. Let me start with the ages 16 and 12. Where did this 16 year old boy get the thought in his head to rape somebody? When I was sixteen, I will admit sex was on my mind but I certainly wasn’t bold face enough to demand or take it from somebody who did not want to give it to me. What are we coming to? Now I always have to bring things back to my life as it is the one that I know best. This exact time of the year when I was sixteen I was anxiously awaiting CXC results, working my first job and begging to go out occasionally. Don’t be fooled to go out I have to answer, who, where, to do what, why, for how long, where the other children’s parents, and what their parents do for a living. Sometimes after the interrogation to leave the house I tired and just want to go and sleep.

I have to ask the obvious, where were the parents? These were obviously two unsupervised children. At twelve I went nowhere by myself unless it was to the toilet and I could not even stay long because there would be a knock on the door to ask what I doing so long. So I ask where were the parents of the 12 year old? However I put no blame on them as yet, because something about the story sketchy I believe some details are missing.

Now I believe the mind of a rapist is a very sick and demented one and for a 16 year old to rape someone it says a lot about him and his environment. It tells us that he as little or no respect for women or girls. It tells us that he does not have God in him life, whether Jesus, Allah, Jehovah etc. It also tells us that he has too much idle time on his hands to become obsessed with sex or rape fantasies. It also tells us that his parents did not instill the fear of God in him that they would buss his tail if he embarrasses them or the family. It also tells us that the young man himself could have been the victim of some form of abuse himself and is just acting out what was done to him.

All we can do is pray that this young woman overcomes this turbulent time in her life and receives the required counseling that would help her to readjust to become a teenager (because she is not one yet) and later contribute positively to society. We also have to pray for the young man and hope that he could be rehabilitated. Those of us with children, make a call to find out where they are, what they are doing and who they are with because things don’t seem to be as nice as they used to be.

Nepotism in Trinidad

2009-08-12T14:20:00.002-04:00

As a Trini we all have at some point been on the sour or the favourable end of some type of nepotism. Nepotism is so engrained in our culture that we look for a link or hook up before going through the proper channels. Now is this good or bad? And how can it be avoided in a society as small this one?

Now I think nepotism is good to a certain extent. For example I may have a friend who is qualified for a particular job and I may be in a position to ensure that my friend gets hired. But there are instances where favouritism is pushed too far and people are placed in positions that they either have no clue about or are simply not qualified for. I know for a fact that I have benefitted on several occasions and will, without a doubt give someone I know a chance over a complete stranger. But where does it stop?

There are times when nepotism is so bad that it is almost impossible to get something done unless you know someone in the department or agency. Sadly this is usually the case in many government agencies. There are numerous horror stories of persons trying to get their passport or birth paper to no avail. Now I draw the line at nepotism when it comes to the delivery of government services, especially because these services cannot be provided by an external party. Additionally some of these services that are provided by the Government are essential to conduct business in our everyday lives as law abiding, tax paying citizens in this country.

Now nepotism in private entities is a whole different issue. I will use the example of the pre-registration issue in the Carnival Mas Band Tribe. As far as I know Tribe is a private entity and is free to do whatever with their registration process. As a paying client or customer you have a choice not to partake in the provision of their service especially since there are several other options to play mas.

Nepotism in our little place called T&T is like many other things, we have to take the bitter with the sweet. When it is favourable to you take it and smile, when it is not cuss as much as you can and hopefully you will get what you want. It is part of we culture and it helps to make us lovers sometimes or haters other times of sweet T&T.

Dating in Trinidad

2009-08-12T12:41:00.003-04:00

As a young single woman in Trinidad I have found myself many times on a date and wondering to myself while smiling sweetly at my companion how the hell I end up here with you. This one guy in particular started things off bad before the date so I have no one to blame but myself for the eventual outcome.

So normal thing meet a guy exchange numbers and we talk on the phone a bit before going out. So in conversation prior to the date he tells me that he is of the opinion that when he dates Indian women they are usually more willing to pay as compared to young black girls who usually expect a man to spend his money all the time. Now being a young black woman myself I was offended and took the opportunity to put him in his place. I told him that as far as I know dating or courting as I would like to call it is an opportunity for a man to show me that he can provide for me and any offspring that we may produce together. How in God’s name do you expect to provide for a family if you cannot provide for a date which involves a meal and some form of entertainment.

Now I want to be very clear these cheap, irresponsible locho men are the worst kind. Because I am sure if I was an Indian woman the fable would have been the opposite. Mind you this is a grown man in his late thirties seemingly intelligent, reasonably good looking but just full of tricks. It is not that I expect that a man must spend his money all the time but oh gosh try to impress me in the early part of the relationship a little bit.

Now stupid me still went out with the man because obviously I am a sucker for punishment. My date complained that the bill was $277.00TT at Fridays and did not tip the server. Needless to say first and last dates rolled into one are the best. I love my Trini Men they are so innovative and never cease to amaze me.

Employment in Trinidad and Tobago

2009-08-11T14:39:00.002-04:00

I do not understand and I am constantly baffled by employers in Trinidad and Tobago. There is some history that I must get into before I could make my point. A few years back when in his Budget Speech the Honourable Prime Minister announced that the government would bear the full cost of tertiary education tuition I was one of the few people who were not pleased by this initiative. I must admit though that I may have been selfish in wanting the government to remain paying for only half of the tuition cost. The reason for my point of view is that I felt that this initiative cheapened the entire tertiary education system in Trinidad and Tobago. As no longer were persons committing to programmes because they really wanted to do it but more because they could now afford to do it. In my opinion it caused people to attach little value to the tertiary education experience. Institutions were then in a mad rush to enroll as many students as possible in order to cash in on the governments payment.

Now as a University student myself at the time I was really disappointed with this initiative because I was always one of the students who demanded quality in what I paid for. Now this GATE initiative brought with it the belief that school was free. But exactly what is free, there was no direct cost to the student but in the long run we as citizens would all be paying for it. Whether we pay for it by our monthly pay as you earn tax contribution or by not getting the health care system we need because money is being spent on tuition. I personally saw the difference in the performance of some lecturers, as there were no explanations given for missed classes, and extra assistance that was already minimal ceased.

Now bear with me as I tie this into my frustration with employers in Trinidad and Tobago. With the large number of degree holders persons in society I don’t know if employers feel that they now need make a degree a requirement for some existing jobs. For example how is it that it a requirement to have a degree for a job that entails photo copying and filing. Now any University of The West Indies student would be familiar with photocopying on the ground floor of the library waiting in line and the machines sticking and stealing your money. But come on, no student when sweating on fourth floor of the library (literally because the AC was not working for some time) did not envisage using their three year degree to photocopy, type and file. How are the young ambitious people of this society expected to be challenged to achieve their full potential. This is the situation I find myself in currently. Now don’t get me wrong I am nicely compensated and I am grateful to God for that great compensation but come on we can do better than this. Needless to say I am employed in the public service. So I am here feeling like I tiefing the government money in these times of a looming recession. The sad thing is that if I am sitting here with little to do how many other people are there in this same building who are also being paid well to do little or nothing at all. Now let us expand that how many people do you think there are in the entire public service sitting around doing nothing and being paid tax payer’s money. Now I have two options I could sit here and do nothing and be a tief or I could look for another job and quickly escape this torture. I choose the latter.

Introduction to Blog

2009-08-11T08:59:00.003-04:00

I must be honest my decision to start this blog was based on the fact that I usually have a lot to say and lately I have a lot of time on my hands ( I will explain the reason for the extra time in a later post). This is just a forum for me to express my sometimes crazy thoughts on any and everything that I see happening in my country. For example: Why the Ministry of Works and Transport started working on the Bailey bridge in Macoya in the rainy season again? Which Carnival band are you playing mas in? What Section? Why Boomers feels the need to use sex to advertise a sandwich?

Now this may turn out to be a phase or it may turn out to be something longer, who knows. But I will continue to express myself for as long as I enjoy doing it. Now there are some topics that I will not discuss simply because I have no interest or clue about them, these include but are not limited to Sports, mechanics and some others. Essentially I can only talk about what I know or what I feel I know.

Now like a true Trini I intend to voice My Opinion. About whatever I feel like. I am not doing this to please anyone or to gain friends I am really doing this out of pure idleness. The rationale and content for the blog may change over time but the one thing that would always remain constant is my brutally honest opinion.