My name is Joel George and I worked as a carpenter on the whole Waterfront project.
If you look at the top of the Hyatt, you could see some marks at the top of each floor, in the yellow paint section. I made the template that made them marks.
I from Belmont, St Francois Valley Rd. (Recording artist) David Rudder from on Belmont Valley Road side, but I know him going to school, Belmont Intermediate. I do a little singing in church but I could not out-sing David.
I sat Common Entrance but I was not successful, so I went to a paid school, Ideal High School. But I left in form three because it was a little hard on my Moms. So I went in working life.
The first place I work was Frederick Jones, right on Nelson Street corner. "See Jones for everything." I was passing on a morning and saw the bossman sweeping the pavement. So I say, "Let me sweep that for you." He hand me the broom. I came back next day, sweep it again. When I done sweep it, he tell me to help one of the guys to bring out the goods. And that continue. And I was employed.
When I reach 18, my uncle get me a job in the bauxite place at Alcan. They had a carpenter shop and I normally will go and have a little look. I even got a carpenter to make a little wood hammer for me. At this present time, I still have it! That was 1977! I went into a joinery up by us, making furnitures, for two years. I am now the courier for the company that built the Waterfront.
I had the experience bowling against (former TT & WI batsman) Bernard Julien at Carenage recreation ground and I happen to get his wicket. Third ball. He was on 60-something and beating all the other bowlers.
God give man a will. And the will is for man to show the Devil he will be defeated. The time will come when God will defeat the Devil.
God judge you on what you know. Praise the Lord, I will lime with BC Pires in Heaven!
I might drink a little ponche de cr�me for the Christmas or a little homemade wine. Before Christianity, I know 'bout rum and all different kind of thing.
I like a little long distance running. I like the passion. I did the half-marathon just before Carnival. I made it in two-and-a-half hours.
I have three children, Jovan, Jonelle and Jenisse. My wife is Bernadette. She's a seamstress by trade. We honeymooned in Barbados in '83 and we still married so the little week we spent must have been good.
I saw the whole Waterfront project come from nothing to everything. Every time I pass it, I's feel proud. Also, when I bring in the foreigners, driving for the company. When you reach from the Beetham, you seeing the tall buildings and you tell foreigners, "You are in Port-of-Spain!" If they didn't have the project, how they go know when they reach Port-of-Spain at night?
A carpenter was supposed to work the first day but he didn't reach, so they call me. I was in South. I tell them I would reach by 11 o'clock. And I did. The fella give me a safety boots, a overall, a hat and I sign up. From Tuesday, July 5, 2005, I came from there, to now.
The best part of working on the Waterfront project was learning the entire project. Every evening, after my work, I used to walk around the project and watch. Meeting all the foreigners was good, too. We had Africans, Indians from India, we had Portugal, Spanish, the Venezuelans, the Perus, Fillipinos. The bad part was it used to have a lot of stealing. If you rest down your tape by mistake, as you turn around, it gone. But my hammer stayed with me.
Roti; pelau; doubles; bake-and-shark. These are things that tell a Trini is a creative type of person.
In Trinidad and Tobago, we have a lot of freedoms. But it have some things we get away with.
Certain things we don't take serious (that we should.)
�2 Read a longer version of this feature at www.BCRaw.com