Foot problem nah head problem

One of our greatest setbacks as ah Nay-shun is our failure to take full advantage of de expertise of our men and woe-men of Wisdom, our older folks. Wid all dey years of experience and knowledge we set dem aside foh ah while and den dump dem completely. Solomon whose name is synonymous wid wisdom had dis to say: “Who is a wise man? He who sees what is going to be born!” Immediately me mind runs on Arm-in Eustace de politician whose running feet are no longer as nimble as his brain, Lie-Za telling me to write ‘no longer as swift as de lips of his colleague “de Major.” Now Arm-in is not ah Solomonitis but he has vision, could see beyond de naked eye. Slow to utter comments, but very firm and vocal on positions of principle, to de point of intolerance, when it comes to state matters, bread’n’ butter of de workers.
He must ah bin driven into bouts ah frustrations trying widot success, to revitalize our Banana Industry in SVG. Interestingly, during his stint in Go-venom-mint, he secured and purchased foh de farmers benefit, de shipping company dat transports Bananas from de region to de UK; today dat company is de only arm of de failed Banana Industry dat brings in a pittance. One of his many pet pickmey, was de NIS Hell’t Benefit plan foh workers dat was shelved by de ULP on assuming offfice, incidentally ah heard on de news, dat PM Mitchell of Grenada is about to introduce ah Hell’t Benefit plan foh Grenadians dis year. Even in de closing stage of his pull-it-tek-ill sojourn, Eustace is a major advocate for, and ah firm believer in de Citizenship by Investment Program that is making In-roads, Highways, Airports, Low income homes and major projects among our Carry-Beyond near-bars.
As an experienced Economist and former senior worker wid de CDB, Eustace knows as much as any and more dan many about Finance and Development Projects. He is not ah doom and gloom prophet, he willingly shares his expertise in debates on matters of Finance in de House.
So let us not allow our pull-it-tek-all frustration to cloud our faith, and cause us to beat-up on Arm-in innocently; nah kick down de ladder we used before we got concrete staircase. Ah would settle foh Arn-in wid his weak knees dan some ah fleet footed, quick lips in d House.

INDIAN ARRIVAL DAY

In 1977, when de late John Horne and I went searching foh whatever bits and pieces of our Folklore material, dance and music that was still around, we found remnants of Quadrille Dance brought here by de French settlers, dey was Maypole or Fertility Dance brought by de British, and dey was African drumming, Bum Drum, no Dance not even Shango or Massai, we found ah 60 year ole Moco Jumbi dancer name Minerve; and dey was Monkey Man Kong (dancing). Dey was de Carib Community above de Dry River, dey danced Quadrille and Maypole, played string instruments. We were disappointed wid de local East Indian community, is either dey had left everything behind, or dey had given up everything dey brought on dat first trip of Indentured workers 158 years ago. We found back den no evidence of East Indian culture, traditions or music, was like everybody joined de Christian Religion, Seventh Day Adventists. But our East Indian brothers and sisters have proven to be progressive and thrifty. Dey have bonded and formed two strong communities, one in Calder de other in Richland Park/ Bonhomme. Farmers to de core, did ah lot ah “swap or exchange labour” and “share cropping!” today East Indians own some ah de better homes in SVG. But something was missing, de Culture! De Dance, de Dress, Food and so on. My take is dat travelling to other Carry-Beyond countries caused our Vincy East Indians to wake up and catch up wid dey Trinidad and Guyana family who was also on de famous Indentured Workers trip. Today, we have ah vibrant East Indian Heritage Foundation in its 15 th year. Ah doh kno who started it, who is who on it, but ah intend to find out on Sunday, as de Foundation celebrates Indian Arrival Day. And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy