Thoughts of a minibus traveller

Presentation delivered at Research Seminar organised by the Centre for Communication Studies at the University of Guyana , 28 May, 2011

This letter was published on 27 May, 2011 in Stabroek News Dear Editor, I write very briefly in support of Vidyaratha Kissoon’s call for ‘ Feminition ’ to be alcohol free. This is not because I don’t like alcohol; I do. So what? Everyone who spends time with women who live with or die from violence committed by men knows – whatever research findings to the contrary anyone dregs up – that whatever causes male violence against women, alcohol often fuels it. What this means is that all these public events we organize to celebrate ourselves whether as women or youth or on the basis of our race/ethnicity should be alcohol free both to make a point to the producers and sellers of alcohol, and to reduce the likelihood that the moments of celebration will be followed – somewhere in Guyana – by violence stoked by alcohol. Priya Manickchand is reported as reminding us that alcohol is legal. So are cigarettes but Leslie Ramsammy preaches against smoking every chance he gets. ...

Sammy Braff ask when he gun see de review of dese plays an i gat wuk fuh do.. but den meh head like tek on stupidness instead of de real wuk I supposed to be doin'. I been on de Monday nite.... an' all I hear is how I miss a good play "Shadows" how I would ah like it. Fus.. to big up Theatre Guild fuh trying fuh keep ting from slipping.. an' bigging up de yute dem, all ah dem fuh wuking pun dis play.. when dey could ah deh pun de road karner limin' or smoking coke or tiefin' or whatever it is dat yute who aint gat nuttin fuh do , does do. So big up to dem. since I nevah write a play review before.. I guh online an I see a ting hey..  part ah me prablem is dat i was too cheap fuh buy de programme so I aint know who de actors dem is in de play dem. God De fus play was Pious, by Kojo McPherson an' directed by Mosa Mathifa (gyurl look cool an' calm de nite.. ). De cast include a big woman who come on stage fuh de fus time.. an' dat was goo...

Tonight I was reading the Brokeback Mountain story while drinking hot chocolate.  The Russian Embassy compound has always been this weird space to some of us residents in Subryanville.. given that usually people's fences had spaces in them and you were able to see their gardens and bottom houses and so on. A few months now, there was a sign board talking about Night Cap coming soon and you wondered whether it was going to be a members only thing or what - that kind of mysterious thing in the walled up compound. I saw the ad on Facebook and went the first night they opened. My friend and I played Scrabble , and the first night blues meant that my hot chocolate was cold by the time it arrived.. the staff are hospitable enough. I had seen the Anne Proulx book there and thought to go back to read the famous story. Meanwhile.. Guyana Chronicle gives it a nice review So tonight, I go back.. one of the guys remembers me even though it is over a week and it was a short time. The ho...

Robert Carr died in his sleep on the night of Monday 9 May, 2011. He worked hard in the HIV/AIDS field and was never afraid to stand up for what he believed in. In 2006 he made email contact with me and others in SASOD - always encouraging and celebrating our successes with us, via email.. and in 2008 I had the chance to meet him when he insisted on showing hospitality to me with all the other JAS and JFLAG crew.. they loved SASOD he said.. all of this remotely as they gradually met other members. Robert then said they worked very hard... It was Easter Sunday night and he and Rohan were working on some paper that was due. I have a memory of him, lying on his couch.. half asleep on insisting that i do not have to go home because he was glad to gaff.. film festival, human rights, asylum, police , church.. We all will die, and we are not sure how we die. I grieve as I learned that he died in his sleep alone in a flat.. given the warmth he extended to many people. We did not agree on ...

hey man Thanks for making contact and asking me if I am the person in trouble with op.. As you said, you are a PPP supporter and you are enjoying benefits from the PPP. You also said that " everyday I c wrong doings with the government and certain stuff right in the op....sometimes I just get depressed bout all this...but is good that u speak out" About speaking out.. People say I brave and  I have guts to speak out and so on, but I friken bad. I am hoping that my livelihood would not be affected. However, as I learned from this woman.. my silence would not protect me. I hope you read Audre Lorde's essay about Transforming silence into language and action   and tell me what you think of it and whether it would apply to you and your friends who you say are also frightened. Speaking out also means that you have to put yourself in the other person's shoes for a bit as well. It does not mean writing like how the authors on Propaganda Press write - cursing, ranti...

The bus driver seh dat de Royal Wedding is a big ting.. and dat since he doan turn off he tv, he gun see de wedding. I ask he if he gun watch de divorce, he seh nah man, dis wan gun las'.. because dey know wan anoddah lang an' dey been tru' dey up an down aready.. he seh he watch de news.. I aint know nuttin' about married life.. I know dat I does sit in Help & shelter sometimes and watch de weddings in de garden an' say .. oh oh.. moh wuk fuh help and shelter.  I think a lot of people when they get married and fall in love and so on , they are hoping for long term arrangements. Til death do them part. Some of the men I know decide that they have no intention of being faithful though.. to their partners.. must have a lil ting on de side, while other men (and women) hope to be faithful and Family Values I am a conservative family values man at heart.. so if I know two married people having problem which does not have violence or abuse, and if I tink is tw...

so after moving off from the picket , i head down to bourda market .. I saw a man reading a book at one of the stalls.. with the continued decline in literacy in Guyana especially among men/males/beings with penises .. I am always feel that I need to tek a picture if I see a man reading a book anywhere - saw a man reading while waiting for an appointment at Ministry .. and now at the market, see a man with a tattoo throw back reading a book.. saw that it was a book stall and the man is the owner. His collection of books included a lot of romance novels - he said 98% of his clients are women - and included clancy, grisham and so on - and then toni morrison, terri mcmillan, alice walker.. The man said that he trying to keep the thing going, and that he believes it is necessary to keep the book stall open, even though it rough but he said he could do with more space. He has a lot of Nancy Drew.. I bought two  which I have not read (for my niece) When Guyana was a backward oppr...

MARCH ON MAY 1ST WITH UNWAGED, LOW-WAGED AND UNRECOGNISED CAREGIVERS TO DEMAND OUR RIGHT TO A LIVING INCOME! Organised by Red Thread and endorsed by Grassroots Women across Race, the Red Thread Domestic Violence & Rape Survivors Self- Help Group, The National Woman’s Organisation of the Guyana Presbyterian Church and UG Students for Social Change. _________________________________________________ On May 1st, Labour Day, workers of all races march in the streets to claim their rights. We are workers too! • We are mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters who look after our loved ones without pay. • We are vendors who are prevented from making a living by local and central government who push us into corners where we can’t get customers. • We are old age pensioners who can’t eat or pay our bills on $2.42 a day. • We are mothers on public assistance, many with disabilities, who struggle to survive on $1.78 a day. • We are domestic workers, cleaners, security guards...