A weekend of Labour

The holiday Labour Day weekend past was one I can only describe as “unbelievably crazy.” With no fewer than a dozen events to cover, I regrettably had to omit quite a bit, like The Ministry of National Security’s Fatherhood Fair, at Hasely Crawford Stadium; D Krewe’s C2K12 mas band launch at the Queen’s Park Oval, and Celebrating Allyson - Shine On, in honour of the late Allyson Hennessy, at Pier 1, Chaguaramas, on Saturday. I must commend Minister of National Security John Sandy on his initiative in staging the Fatherhood Fair which I thought was an excellent vehicle to engender and empower fathers nationwide, allowing them to bond with their children.

However, having completed work in the office late on Saturday night, I did make it to Bishop Anstey High School in Port-of-Spain for Reminisce…, the Old Hilarians’ Association’ Back in Times Fete. With patrons wearing retro fashions of the ’60s-’80s, this fund-raiser was off the hook, ending after four o’clock on Sunday morning, with music by DJs CG, Dr Ross and Howie T, the “Master of the Ole Skool.”
Sunday was Father’s Day and, as expected, I was besieged with invites from children and grands to spend time with them. Nonetheless, I did manage to make it to Woodbrook Brimblers’ It’s Pan & Laughter...with good Sunday Food, at De Nu Pub.

The popular Woodbrook showplace was filled to the brim with patrons, with Nu Pub chef Fraulein Ward cooking up a mean Sunday lunch of baked pork, chicken and fish, with macaroni pie, potato salad, savoury rice, provision and green salad. A lively programme, hosted by comedian Nuts Landing, followed lunch, featuring performances by internationally acclaimed pannist Earl Brooks, Sapophonics and Brimblers. In the evening, I was happy that I chose to attend the first ever Corporate Kings Go Forth Monarch Competition, staged by Vintage Kaiso Brigade, at the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA), Port-of-Spain.

This well produced competition, hosted by Mervyn Telfer, featured 17 monarchs from government and private sector entities, plus special guests reigning National Calypso Monarch Karene Asche, National Extempore Monarch Sheldon John and Junior National Calypso Monarch Aaron Duncan. On leaving NAPA, surprisingly I still had the energy to attend the 25th anniversary of The Mas Camp and its awards ceremony.

At this special event, recipients of awards, for their contribution to national culture, were Holly Betaudier, Joey Lewis and Ansel Wyatt. Other events I missed out on last weekend included CAL Invaders’ Father’s Day fund-raiser; PanGroove Production’s Gift II Dad 2: The Concert, at the St James Amphitheatre; and, La Flor’s Collage fete, at Aura Restaurant & Bar. It’s another crazy weekend this one, with, this evening, Pan Trinbago’s inaugural After Work Pan Lime, at The Grand Stand Courtyard, Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain; as well as the premiere of Peter Pan (in aid of Kids in Need of Direction-Kind) by Must Come See Productions, at Queen’s Hall; plus tomorrow’s St Mary’s College Past Students’ Union’s Dining With The Saints 2011, at, The Courtyard of the college, on Pembroke Street; and, Sunday’s Trinity College Alumni Association (TCAA) Family Brunch; and, The Basia Survivor Network (BSN) staging of the Beat Breast Cancer Music Festival 2011, feat Maxi Priest, Machel Montano, Bunji Garlin, Fay Ann, Shurwayne Winchester, 3 Canal, and Kevin Lyttle, in the Queen’s Park Savannah.

How many more must die?
How many more innocent lives have to be lost before the authorities post lifeguards on the beach at Salibia,Toco? One of the country’s most popular beaches, it is usually filled with bathers, especially on weekends and public holidays, yet the public bathes there at their own risk. Toco Sangre Grande councillor Terry Rondon has been advocating for life guards at this beach for several years but to no avail. In fact, as recently as last Monday’s Labour Day holiday, Rondon travelled from remote Toco to the T&T Guardian newsroom to repeat his pleas after 14-year-old Ismael Mohammed, drowned last Sunday.
Lives continue to be lost at Salibia while successive governments and private owners of the property haggle over who should pay lifeguards.

Lawless Trinis
Trinis blame the government and those in authority for everything when several of the ills in this country can be solved by the citizens themselves. For instance, after years of successive governments spending millions of dollars in advertising campaigns, pleading with locals to desist from littering waterways, and any and every available empty land space, we continue this reprehensible practice. So, when the rainy season comes around and our underground waterways, drains and rivers are clogged with debris, causing floods, we point fingers at the government or corporations, forgetting that when you point and accusing finger there’s always four fingers pointing back at you.

One just has to take a cursory tour through environs like Woodbrook, San Juan, Curepe and St James at night to observe some of the craziest parking imaginable. Wherever we see a space we park, regardless if there’s a No Parking sign, or a hydrant...we simply park. Parking is also a problem during the day and I am inclined to believe that wreckers no longer work in the nation’s capital given the kind of crazy illegal parking that pervades. For instance, I haven’t seen a wrecker working along St Vincent Street for the first six months of this year. If we really love this country as much as we claim it’s long overdue taking better care of Mother Trinidad.

Speaking of love for country, I am inclined to remember that classic single Save the World by the late Michael Jackson. By the way, tomorrow marks two years since the untimely death of the King of Pop. He might no longer be with us but we remember him fondly, especially through his music, and the messages in his songs.