Thoughts of a minibus traveller

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...

    Writing "I know you like to write.. you are kissoon right.. hope you write about this " the woman told me, 730am as she leaves the OneGuyana Immigration Office. She and others 'have to come back.. , another day , earlier, try than 4am perhaps when some OneGuyanese had first come to apply for passports A PPP man had posted on his social media that 'Guyana going places and all who don't like it should book their ticket and leave' . I had wanted to ask so why yall doan mek de passport ting easy so we could go long we way, but is pointless 'yes we still working on the bad things which the PNC had broken and so" May 2017, the PNC led coalition had fixed the PPP's mess at the Passport Office , decentralising services and reviewing the obstacles in the processing.  I had gone in and handed in application during a normal working day and not taking long. PPP man told me  'yeah.. APNU did one or two good tings but you know.. de SOPs and de rigging a...

Image designed by Nigel Niix Butler Nine Nations held Indigenous Imaginations III in two parts. This is not a review of the Fashion Show held on Sat 9 August, 2025 -World Day of Indigenous Peoples .  Scarlet Ibis on the plantation Body feeling tension still from the interactions at the workshop - 'women wearing sexy clothes are harassing men because men will feel uncomfortable around them' .  The unexpected reminders of the sickening culture of violence and legacies. But listening of course is part of the engagement with the men who think they women they abuse are responsible for the violence. Many know that clothes don't make a difference when people want to be violent. Walk on to the UG campus, campus on a former plantation. Brilliant red spots on the open fields - scarlet ibis colours showing in afternoon sun.  I walk slowly.. not sure if scarlet ibis would have been here before the land was plantation. Flashes of red on the grass, and low in front of the sun.  I...

(Guyana: The Stories She Told Me, curated by Pekahiah James,  continues until 21 August, 2025 at the National Gallery of Art, Castellani House ) Pottery  "Come, come this is my favourite" my friend tells me.. the pot with the children playing 'chinese skipping' . She touches the rope , and I look around as I am pretty sure you not supposed to touch the pots but the thing with these pots is that it is hard to resist touching.. as a way of kind of moving back in time and connecting with happy memories.  The Greek and other pottery from ancient times show scenes of war and violence;  daily life (including sex life sometimes ) and religious symbols.  Lisa B. Thompson's tribute to the happy childhood memories might be the first time there is a focus on children's activities.  There are bright colours , the outdoor colours of blues of the sky, greens of the trees and plants, browns of the earth and the dried branches, and items used in making play.  And a se...

Screen shot from " Items used in research into Coolie Woman: The Odyssey of Indenture"   (Re) writing ..  "How can all this work on the archives ,,, help us ?" the man asked in the discussion during the Launch activity for the digital collection of  Items used in research into Coolie Woman: The Odyssey of Indenture"  by Gaiutra D. Bahadur. The launch event was held virtually on 30 July, 2025.   This discussion happened before fire destroyed archives of the Guyana Trades Union Congress on 1 August, 2025. Dr Lisa Edwards of the Institute of Gender Studies at the University of Guyana welcomed the collection as it increased access to younger scholars who did not have access to the colonial archives in Europe and elsewehere. The Institute of Gender Studies hosted the event with the Guyana Gender Hub.  Gaiutra Bahadur read from the book. She talked about writing with the archives and writing against the archives, and filling the gaps and silences in the arch...