Ah just feel in the mood to Big Up this week. First ah have to Big Up the new look ACE Home Centre, traditionally Corea’s Hazell’s Inc. Management has placed ah lovely souvenir stamp on ah part ah de town that was long overdue ah face-lift.

The bigger facility and wider range ah products mek shopping more inviting. And some Big Up stuff foh Gibson Contractors who did the construction. {{more}}

Big Up foh Aunt Jobe’s, the new Supermarket foh Ken, his son and riding partner Luke, and who else in it, it’s ah ‘welcome sight. Ah say ‘welcome sight’ but not in terms ah competition foh the other Supermarkets because in this Global battle, all ah them Supermarkets got to shop in one container.

Aunt Jobe’s comes at ah time when our import bill will be approximately EC$496 million, ah steady increase of some $86 million since 2001. What’s alarming is that our export bill like it stuck under $120 million, ah me-gah increase of $3 million since 2001. What to expect when we prefer to buy ah US grown apple fuh $2, but will push up we nose at lovely home grown Bananas and Wax Apple for 15 and 20 cents each.

So this could be the biggest challenge foh Aunt Jobe’s and we. Not by buying chicken at this store because it is five cents cheaper; that’s’ not as effective as what commodity we buy, the junks dumped on us. Saving ah penny here or there is no way as important as supporting all ah the Business, because every lickle two by two “buy-and-sell business” means employment fuh at least one member in ah house-hold. The bigger the “buy-and-sell business”, the bigger the wuk-force,

And when ah pass by Miss Jobe last Sunday to mek me first shop-in, as ole people uses to say, ah went to Krissen-it. De first thing ah notice there was the large number ah uniformed wukers on duty on ah Sunday morning, and ah give Aunt Jobe’s ah ” ten out ah ten”! But then ah was saddened with whispers that thieves tried to enter the building the night before. No wonder local people so reluctant to invest money here.

There are too many people who mek dog eat dey conscience, dey sitting idly by, just waiting till someone start ah Mauby Cart, to either bad-mouth them, criticize them or beat off de door-lock and bail them out! Ken and Luke have ah nice thing going, ah don’t know who dey Aunt Jobe’s is, ah wish them every success. Why de place ain’t name Aunt Betty, Aunt Ann or even Aunt Ken, Aunt Keith, Aunt Kally or just Aunt Luke, yuh overs way ah coming from, nevertheless ah Big in Up Aunt Jobe’s.

K.O. FUH DEM

It’s not too late to Big Up K.O. Cruickshank. The lickle lady with ah Big Voice. Ah not leaving out her Mom and Dad and her Church members, together they managed to instill great values in K.O. She stuck to her Christian Conviction and sang with implicit faith in her Gospel Music, round after round; even at the final when she was asked to sing Caribbean Rhythm, she sang Gospelipso. Well done K.O. and Big Up to Fidel Taylor and de gang, and Minister Rene foh pushing Gospel Fest. Is who did say we cant eat Culture?

UNCLE SID

And the biggest Big Up goes to Uncle Sid, (Sir) Sydney Hazell, who gets to Sid-down in the Governor General’s chair fuh ah week. Uncle Sid reminds us of de late Sir Charles: Humble, unassuming, very private individual who prefers to be inconspicuous. He hails from ah respectable family in Paget Farm, traditionally ah fishing village on the island of Bequia.

The most experienced Insurance Salesman who, over the years has dignified the fraternity with numerous Awards foh Best Seller! And as the saying goes, if yuh got dignity people will honour yuh, so very true fuh Uncle Sid. In the days when Grammar School uses to hold Aquatic Sports at Harbour Club, Uncle Sid walked away with all the swimming prizes.

Ah competent Wind-surfer and ah late starter in the game ah Tennis, never mind that Monty Yuh-stash who say Uncle Sid wuk on his Back-hand till he finally ended up with ah Tennis Arm. But ah warning Uncle Sid with that same Monty, Jack Joke-him and my son Collin, they planning to visit Government House in short pants, to beg him to pass ah Bill to mek Short Pants the legal wear at official functions.

And even Lie-Za must jam in she mouth, how Uncle Sid is the most Faithful and Loyal man she ever knew, how he drove that one Volkswagon foh so long, that after ah while the association grew into ah kind ah look alike, when Uncle Sid passed and gave his permanent cute smile, the Volks had the smile too. So Big Up to de Max foh yuh Uncle Sid, all ah we happy foh yuh!

And with all ah that, ah gone again.

One Love Bassy.