Thoughts of a minibus traveller

  Some placards from residents of Chenapou Village, Region 8, Guyana as they protested on Monday 22 May, 2023 after the fire at the Mahdia Secondary School dormitory. Images taken from Facebook post shared by Michael McGarrell.   On the night between Sunday 21 May, 2023 and Monday 22 May, 2023, Mary and Martha Dandrade, Bibi Rita Jeffrey, Sabrina John, Loreen Evans, Belnisa Evans, Omefia Edwin, Natalie Bellarmine, Andrea Roberts, Lorita Williams, Nickleen Robinson, Sherena Daniels, Eulanda Carter, Lisa Roberts, Cleoma Simon, Tracil Thomas, and sisters Delecia Edwards and Arianna Edwards along with five- year-old Adonijah Jerome died in a fire which at the Mahdia Secondary School. On 30 May, 2023 - Sherana Daniels died at GPHC. The days since the fire had politicians spotlighting themselves as they exploited the grief of the survivors, the angry and sad reactions to the stories of the grilled windows and doors, the memories of other fires , the hosting of vigils and prayer ser...

Busy day ahead. Got tasks lined up. Cook roti to put in freezer and so. Yoga routine, other things. Grateful that I seem to be moving on with things.  Strange week as pleasure in reconnections and new connections comes with the sadness and loss of  what might have been as the reasons for disconnections come up. But spending some time in reconciling the 'I told you so' to myself with the 'It doesn't matter now' Mix up roti Mindless and mindful. New mix from the days when I used to cook roti for my parents. Special mix, and the anxiety that it would be soft and manageable for them. Until it no longer was soft and manageable and I stopped.  As I piece out the loi, roll it imperfectly as it doesn't matter to me.. memories of calling my mother to say 'it is ready'. As she would then stand and use her hands to make the same sized round smooth balls and call me to say she is done.   I took a picture one time. Laid out in neat rows. I have done this for myself ...

Media Credibility A media worker told me one time that the media sets the agenda. She was always pushed me to be careful. To be careful not only about when the issues I was concerned about did not get into the media, but to be careful too when people might seem to 'support' the things I support. I am a citizen who checks headlines and reads some stories daily, and shares some stories. I do not bother with some news outlets which might have nice stories from time to time , but who tell stories in ways which I do not agree with. I use the print media mostly to share opinions.  I actively engaged the media between 1997 and 2016 or so to support the advocacy work of organisations and groups with which I was involved. One journalist and I had personal problems and he told me he would not report any story in which I was involved. I would like to think he wanted to avoid unconscious bias, rather than a way to silence me. I ensured that I stayed away to avoid any lack of reporting. Ano...

  745am. I am relieved that I have finished the weekly cleaning ritual in time so I could get on with work. Rain is falling and place is humid. Water is coming out of the open gutter. I go and stand up under the water .. it is heavy, cold, enough to pound head and shoulders.  I have forgotten how the rainwater , soft, feels almost soapy.  Remembering the woman in the book who had gone to the waterfall for healing.  The cold water is good, wake me up properly.  I look up at the red flowers on the tree which is supposed to be cut down, with promises to grow back straighter. I could pretend I am in some waterfall in a garden. Gift of shifting thoughts  away from the madness in the week. Gift of the joy at random connections with people even as disconnections with others.  Gift of access to nice pineapple and oats to shift brain mouth buds away from yearning for junk food.  Gift of not having reason to go out in the rain and flood because if I did ...

  ( The contents of this report are konfidenshal . Please do not throw this report in the garbage because you don't know when City Council will clear i. Please also do not burn this paper as it is made from high grade marijuana . Please also do not eat this report. ) From: GuybaiIA To: Pappa Prezzy and Baba Prezzy (we are still to work out who is the President to send our reports to) Subject: Report on Month 1 1. Recruitment of Direktor The Direktor has been recruited after some difficulties as Baba Prezzy wanted an intelligent person who was versed in the art of espionage, while Papa Prezzy wanted someone who would take orders and be loyal and have dirty secrets.  They then agreed on a suitable person who had worked on a Ponzi scheme and know how to convince everyone that they have what they want.   2. Recruitment of Agents Somebody thought that since this was an 'intelligence agency' that we wanted the bestest and brightest that Guybai has to offer. We tested all appli...

  Book  Nice cool afternoon of 5 May, 185 years after the first indentured labourers arrived from India in the Indian Monument Gardens. The Indian Commemoration Trust has their annual Pushpanjali "You still like your books " the former student laughs after spontaneously hugging me. She is wearing Indian wear. I have come to the event ,  improperly dressed in wear that is not Indian , well the cloth for the pants was bought from an Indian owned store - to buy Dr Seeta Shah -Roath's book. Petamber Persaud   has the book stall. He will be selling books and displaying books from his collection of books about Guyana.  Pushpanjali might be the only 'cultural' event for Indian arrival Petamber's personal labour of love with books is a cultural tribute which is often not recognised when we hear culture. Culture seems to be clothes, food, dance and maybe some other performances. His collection includes books which are out of print. The Gardens make a nice venue to pi...

  (This is not a review of either ' Pleasantview' by Celeste Mohammed or ' What storm what Thunder' by Myriam J. A Chancy There might be some spoilers )  Domestic workers May Day morning and I stand with Red Thread for an hour or so to make up for the privilege which includes being in a book club where we discussed two books the day before.  Red Thread is part of the Caribbean Domestic Workers Network   .  Red Thread and the Network use May Day to advocate for rights of domestic workers and to highlight the value of caring work.  We chat about caring work, experiences of domestic workers, women who work as security guards while we wait for the May Day parade to pass. The conversation about domestic workers' experiences is similar to what Sonia says in What Storm What Thunder "My mother had always told me that she wanted me to do something more with my life than work in a rich man’s house. It was too much work, she said, tiring work, she who had worked as...