Thoughts of a minibus traveller

Image derived from OpenClipart Hot sun  3pm and sun hot bad on the railway line outside CARICOM headquarters.    There is a gathering , a protest, to call on CARICOM leaders to break diplomatic ties with genocidal Israel if they really serious about ceasefire on Gaza. No trees for shade, lots of concrete and glass and some token plants. I imagine this is what heat must be like in the Middle East. There is breeze here, but the tent - tents can also be hot as well. Israel has uprooted olive trees in Palestin e as part of the genocide. (In Guyana, though DDL has tied bundle with the genocidal Government to do agriculture ) The Government of Guyana has started destruction of a Samaan tree in my area which has provided shade for people. Tree apparently standing in the way of progress and development, and near to community land being invaded by private sector interests without objection from the Government.   Guyanese for Gaza  British traveller waves the Palestinian...

Sharad Navratri 2023 .  A prominent young Guyanese Pandit is clear. He asks those protesting Israel's response to the Hamas terrorist attack on Israeli citizens - "what about the other side, those who were raped, beaten and murderd, no one is talking about them" Never ending problem as terrorists who describe themselves as Muslim or Islamist have attacked others who are not, including Hindus, so people invoke the 'selective outrage'. Many from Guyana who protested the Israeli response during Sharad Navratra 2023 in Guyana condemned Hamas.  Some like me stayed far from the janjhat in the Middle East. Out of my sphere of control. A Guyanese Muslim woman agreed with me.. the Middle East is complex, hundreds of years of living together and living apart, with layers of religion and other divisive structures. And friends turn enemies and then turn friends  (Hamas and Israel, against the PLA) again and so on Not our problem.  We have other problems   Sharad Navratri 20...

Extracts from "The Dream of the Monkey Pot Tree(2025)" by Cosmata Lindie (L); and "Laced in Victory (2025)" by Maharani Jhillu (R)    ( Moray House Trust is hosting 'Beyond the boundary: what is art?" until Sat 20th Sept, 2025 11am to 2pm each day )    Monkey Pot and Mandala  There is cricket playing on the phone on the desk. The cricket fan explains that 'Warriors playing '. I had no idea really since I don't follow cricket but I like to watch people watch cricket.  Moray House Trust is hosting a second exhibition related to cricket. They  sent bats and balls this year 'throughout the land' and invited artists to create pieces. The exhibition invokes the writings of CLR James.  The pieces are all fascinating, with different representations of cricket's importance to Guyana. The exhibition has artists from different backgrounds, located in different parts of the country. I could imagine that some of them voted differently in the rec...

  Acid Attacks in the week of PPP/C Victory  Someone inside a white car threw acid on Nirmala Sukraj and Jilicia Leitch at midday on the Wednesday of Guyana Elections 2025.  In April 2025, two people threw acid on pupils and teachers of Chateau Margot Primary School as they walked home. Politicians and the ERC and other condemned and visited the students. There are no reports yet of any condemnation of the recent acid attack or visible support to the survivors. The throwers of acid in April 2025, like the killers of Adrianna Young, have not been found.  Three acid attacks on women and girls in a year.   Bullets in the week of PPP/C Victory  On the night GECOM declared victory for the PPP/C, someone on a bike shot Lolita  Callender. outside her home. The shooter was waiting on a bike for her,. Another man shot and killed Gavin Major on the Thursday after elections when the PPP/C supporters were confident of victory. Other men have shot and killed ...

Disconnecting Ishwar Singh killed Paula Abraham the day after news that 240,000 or so people voted back for the PPP/C. Ishwar Singh killed Paula Abraham the week after another man shot and killed his wife , and shot his son. In a year when the PPP/C Government had said they would 'reduce' the femicides to 10 , and we now at 21 , 240,000 people or so voted for progress to continue. Ishwar Singh and I have one thing in common, we were disconnected from the elections, could see no connection with those who voting and winning including those men who have abused women and children and the women who enable them. Real Majority "Good afternoon, checking to see you if you vote"  5pm or so Elections afternoon and a young black man and a young coolie man (yes, I use the word coolie to refer to those like me who are descended from indentured Immigrants from India as distinct from 'Indian' meaning those citizens of India who voted as 'Commonwealth'  ) at my gate,...

Guyana Hot afternoon , I jump in a bus and sit next to man shorter than me, wearing short pants just like me.  He is on his phone. Language sounds like one of the Indian dialects We come off at the same stop. He is walking behind me slowly as he finishes his conversation. I stop at a junction and he comes next to me. "Hello sir, you look like you are a North Indian Hindu" - he tells me . "Yes, yes.. I am Hindu but from Guyana.. which part of India are you from?" "Bangalore.. but I live here .. my great-great-grandfather came here .. .. are you born here? " I say yes. I try to find out more about the great-great-grandfather.. did he come, leave family behind, or did he come and go back..  He repeats.." yes yes.. great great grandfather came here.. hundred years ago".   "I walk with you , I go in the same direction.. "    We cross the road and he is walking with me.  Astrology  "I am a pundit.. I do astrology.. very good reading...