Just got back from a trip home to the UK, and noticed a massive change in what once was. I was there for the London 2012 Olympics, and had a great time. However, beyond the commercialized events, the people, the language, the environment all seemed very different. What used to be a White, Asian and…
Laud Sen Help
When I close my eyes I can still see and hear Uncle James endless chatter about life, his experience with others, what happened and what will happen. You actually never knew what he was going to say, but he always had something to say, drunk or sober he was never lost for words, or a…
Forever Young
Today I caught up with the oldest person I know. 95 years and forever young. I have been blessed with knowing Mrs. Liburd, aka “Granny”, for almost half of my adult life. Granny was a friend to my Parents and would often take the yearly flight from St. Kitts to Canada with Mum. I remember…
All Aboard
Some time ago, I was sat having a chat with Dad about his life before I was born. He spoke about a moment in time when most of us weren’t even a twinkle in his eye. It would be a story recounting and an unforgettable event that would change his life and shape the lives…
Claim to Fame
A few events that took place that I can recall are personally quite memorable. There was the time that my sisters appeared on ‘Opportunity Knocks’, a UK talent show as a Limbo Dancing act. A proud moment. There was also, the release of a Rod Stewart single, which featured the Tropic Isles Steel Band, which…
Lights Out
Much of my early years were spent out and about at after-hours house parties, known to the UK massive as a “Blues”. The typical layout was a musical sound system located in the basement of a house, where the selector played the latest reggae music and occasional dub plate. If you loved music and dark…
Act One Scene One Take Two
Ever had a flashback in time, to a moment in your life that you cared not to remember or tried terribly hard to forget. Last night I attended my soon to be eight year old son’s school concert, where various classes performed a number of short musical acts, some in English and some in French…
Dropsy
The next time someone says that you have “DROPSY”, be concerned because what it really refers to is “an excessive amount of watery fluid accumulated in the intercellular spaces, most commonly present in subcutaneous tissue”. I heard it from one of you the other day and I use it myself on occasion when I cannot…
Hard Times
In the last year of junior school, (1972) many of my friends were able to start wearing long trousers to class. Up until then, we were held to sporting only short trousers, which was part of the uniform at Montem. No matter what the season or the weather, it was always short trousers. There was…
Soup of the Day
Across the West Indies, you will find a wide array of dishes synonymous with each of the beautiful islands. However, for most of my early life I thought that soup (su-up) was a national dish of most West Indians, particularly those from St.Kitts. Why, because every week without fail, my Mum served up a piping…