Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Malaysia - diversity with promise... An Alliance of Civilizations. One Malysia concept.
To be filled in.... Look out for the post of my experience of Malaysia... :)
Friday, August 13, 2010
An un-started journey before 'd journey really start'.... SO hear this na... WELL YES!!! And the saga continues...
Sorry but this post is belated. I ws travelling for 2 days so I couldn't update it.
Well yuh know how we do it in Trinbago!!! Things never get done until.... Hmmmn until.... ANyway so you would have read my last post... But hear this one, relating this to my earlier experiences.. Thank God things finally came together; I had the most hectic day of my life on Tuesday 10 August... See checklist: come into Port-of-Spain; get trip health insurance; go pennywise; get a suitcase; get to da bank; get yellow fever vaccination and malaria propholyxis; go to travel agent; put together cultural presentation; get haircut; do laundry; pack; sigh sigh sigh... and loads more according to my facebook 10 August.
Anyway so that was done with and ah was ready mentally and had all intention to get packing and really start preparing myself in terms of the material and so on.. But then, the friend whom I had made arrangements to drop me to the airport 2 days before decided to cancel close to 3am and my flight was scheduled at 7am.. SO I was livid. I eh dig no horrors cuz ah reach this far, NOTHING and ah MEAN NOTHING eh getting in my way... SO I say alright cool... nice delete from eveything for you and so said so done!
SO then it's to organise transport. SO I called around to directory assistance to get a taxi. Finally got through to one at some minutes after 3am, requesting a taxi for 4am, then soon after changed to 4:30 am (cuz ah was still doing laundry! SHAME) Anyway, so the taxi arrived at 4:15am. I responded after receiving another call at 4:35am and told the driver that I would be down soon. About 5 minutes after I receive a call from the 'Boss man": "Like you eh wah this taxi awa... (Silence)" Then I said: "Yes, of course, I'll be there in 2 mins." So said so done, den bram... When I go downstairs to see what's going and pack my stuff in the car, there was none!!!! SO I start to panic, palpitating... "Oh lawd, what I going to do and it's minutes to 5?!"
So desperation took me and I standing in front my gate. I see a neighbour pulling out in the area, I start flagging down like crazy... "Oh gosh, please ah have a flight at 7 and the taxi gone," I said with little breath due to serious anxiety and panic. I further stated that I would hire him for the journey to the airport. So like good samaritan the gentleman, whose name I forgot to ask because I was so out of it at that point took me up and took me to the airport. I arrived about 5:30am. Systems were down and the check-in agents for American Airlines were manually entering information. SO I stood in the Business Cabin line and it was alright more or less. Then went to do a transaction and headed upstairs... Refer to facebook status (Wednesday 11 August) :
"Aye like they wanted meh to burn meh tongue... Ah hadda gorge down dis hott chocolate
look thing even tanty in wheelchair getting pat down...so I'm by the gate now! Waiting..." Then hear the thing, FLIGHT DELAYED!!!!
To be continued.... (In Malaysia now, will update accordingly. Conference Registration about to start).
Blessing :)
Well yuh know how we do it in Trinbago!!! Things never get done until.... Hmmmn until.... ANyway so you would have read my last post... But hear this one, relating this to my earlier experiences.. Thank God things finally came together; I had the most hectic day of my life on Tuesday 10 August... See checklist: come into Port-of-Spain; get trip health insurance; go pennywise; get a suitcase; get to da bank; get yellow fever vaccination and malaria propholyxis; go to travel agent; put together cultural presentation; get haircut; do laundry; pack; sigh sigh sigh... and loads more according to my facebook 10 August.
Anyway so that was done with and ah was ready mentally and had all intention to get packing and really start preparing myself in terms of the material and so on.. But then, the friend whom I had made arrangements to drop me to the airport 2 days before decided to cancel close to 3am and my flight was scheduled at 7am.. SO I was livid. I eh dig no horrors cuz ah reach this far, NOTHING and ah MEAN NOTHING eh getting in my way... SO I say alright cool... nice delete from eveything for you and so said so done!
SO then it's to organise transport. SO I called around to directory assistance to get a taxi. Finally got through to one at some minutes after 3am, requesting a taxi for 4am, then soon after changed to 4:30 am (cuz ah was still doing laundry! SHAME) Anyway, so the taxi arrived at 4:15am. I responded after receiving another call at 4:35am and told the driver that I would be down soon. About 5 minutes after I receive a call from the 'Boss man": "Like you eh wah this taxi awa... (Silence)" Then I said: "Yes, of course, I'll be there in 2 mins." So said so done, den bram... When I go downstairs to see what's going and pack my stuff in the car, there was none!!!! SO I start to panic, palpitating... "Oh lawd, what I going to do and it's minutes to 5?!"
So desperation took me and I standing in front my gate. I see a neighbour pulling out in the area, I start flagging down like crazy... "Oh gosh, please ah have a flight at 7 and the taxi gone," I said with little breath due to serious anxiety and panic. I further stated that I would hire him for the journey to the airport. So like good samaritan the gentleman, whose name I forgot to ask because I was so out of it at that point took me up and took me to the airport. I arrived about 5:30am. Systems were down and the check-in agents for American Airlines were manually entering information. SO I stood in the Business Cabin line and it was alright more or less. Then went to do a transaction and headed upstairs... Refer to facebook status (Wednesday 11 August) :
"Aye like they wanted meh to burn meh tongue... Ah hadda gorge down dis hott chocolate
look thing even tanty in wheelchair getting pat down...so I'm by the gate now! Waiting..." Then hear the thing, FLIGHT DELAYED!!!!
To be continued.... (In Malaysia now, will update accordingly. Conference Registration about to start).
Blessing :)
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
GMUN 2010 from a trini perspective - We eh easy nuh!
Hi _______, (UN official; (trini as well )
Enough is enough!
Today has been quite a trying time. I was at the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs for 4 hrs trying to expedite and push things along!!! The public service is the worst! Sigh I'm actually considering conducting an ethnographic study of the bureacracy in the T&T's public service... One Director was not there so nothing could happen. Who tell you that?! I left and went up to the Permanent Secretary. I didn't get an audience with her but I spoke with and told every Ministry employee down to the guard; any one who would listen. Oh my lord aye this some experience... I had to be running up and down the Ministry's offices and divisions to get them to generate the check. Wow!!! Finally I met up a fellow QRC old boy and he started getting things done and actually took the book and files t get signatures and even talked to the PS and got it signed off.
It was finally approved and have to collect tomorrow morning... This was a horrendous, testing, but humbling ordeal, but I'm very thankful and know I'm blessed. So wow hmph things are coming together.
I have everything to do tomorrow as well as to prepare myself substantially and put together a cultural presentation. Can you slot me in? I was trying to find the email that was sent but couldn't.
Enough is enough!
Today has been quite a trying time. I was at the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs for 4 hrs trying to expedite and push things along!!! The public service is the worst! Sigh I'm actually considering conducting an ethnographic study of the bureacracy in the T&T's public service... One Director was not there so nothing could happen. Who tell you that?! I left and went up to the Permanent Secretary. I didn't get an audience with her but I spoke with and told every Ministry employee down to the guard; any one who would listen. Oh my lord aye this some experience... I had to be running up and down the Ministry's offices and divisions to get them to generate the check. Wow!!! Finally I met up a fellow QRC old boy and he started getting things done and actually took the book and files t get signatures and even talked to the PS and got it signed off.
It was finally approved and have to collect tomorrow morning... This was a horrendous, testing, but humbling ordeal, but I'm very thankful and know I'm blessed. So wow hmph things are coming together.
I have everything to do tomorrow as well as to prepare myself substantially and put together a cultural presentation. Can you slot me in? I was trying to find the email that was sent but couldn't.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
One trini experience in Malaysia - Global Model United Nations 2010
Representing Trinidad and Tobago must the most difficult thing; though a small what they call a twin-island state, some a 2 x 4, some say "banana republic", but regardless of what category or description yuh give it it is by far a complex and very diverse place; we are a very complex people, some say we "happy" other we eh know what we want. But I was mulling over in preparation for this conference how I am going to represent? Should I give as much background and tell people f the wonderful, warm fun-loving people we have here, the warm climate nowadays (significantly affected by climate change; some refuse to acknowledge, others just ignorant about the reality), the warm political goings-on in our parliamentary democracy; the warm gyrations we display when "takin whine" or on Carnival Monday and Tuesday and well everyday of the year, even during tropical storm watches, or should I just be me, the warm personality, often misperceived, but confident and with a mind that's growing and making personal strides. But more than that, whatever image or identity I portray, people would leave with their own impressions, be it stereotypical (often occurs when meeting one person from a culture) albeit nevertheless positive and let dem know we hav ting here too!
Even in setting up this blog, I ventured to download pics from the internet about Trinidad and Tobago culture and soca, musical icons, leaders, flora, fauna, artistic works etc. but I realised that there a loads and hundreds and thousands of artifacts but these still would not full represent All ah WE Trinis! It would be a snapshot or some iota of representation but there is so much to us, so much intangible things, vibes and idiosyncracies that only us can understand. This often leads us to be insular at times but we could put on a show; we does know sometimes but we good at pretending we eh know. I fed up get that from mummy, who used to know what going on with her child growing up but she always used to say nothing, till teh right time to res it on meh! And then it wasn't nice....
Anyway, back to representation, so how do I go about representin' (black American twang)? That's the other thing too, we not oneof this or one of that, we this that and everything; as they say like salt we in everything! In other words, we're hybridized, even that too simplistic or as the modern day creolists might argue that just not good enough, to represent people who have come from so many ancient places in the world, Asia, Syria, Lebanon, Africa, India, China, etc. etc. etc. So to avoid, all of that bacchanal, I just going to be myself, take me as you get me, what yuh see is what yuh get and boil dat dong like bhaggi and call that george! :)
Yuh hear!
Even in setting up this blog, I ventured to download pics from the internet about Trinidad and Tobago culture and soca, musical icons, leaders, flora, fauna, artistic works etc. but I realised that there a loads and hundreds and thousands of artifacts but these still would not full represent All ah WE Trinis! It would be a snapshot or some iota of representation but there is so much to us, so much intangible things, vibes and idiosyncracies that only us can understand. This often leads us to be insular at times but we could put on a show; we does know sometimes but we good at pretending we eh know. I fed up get that from mummy, who used to know what going on with her child growing up but she always used to say nothing, till teh right time to res it on meh! And then it wasn't nice....
Anyway, back to representation, so how do I go about representin' (black American twang)? That's the other thing too, we not oneof this or one of that, we this that and everything; as they say like salt we in everything! In other words, we're hybridized, even that too simplistic or as the modern day creolists might argue that just not good enough, to represent people who have come from so many ancient places in the world, Asia, Syria, Lebanon, Africa, India, China, etc. etc. etc. So to avoid, all of that bacchanal, I just going to be myself, take me as you get me, what yuh see is what yuh get and boil dat dong like bhaggi and call that george! :)
Yuh hear!
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