Jamaican in Trinidad



After four weeks of nesting in the island, having a range of mishaps and serious episode of culture shock I have a few things to tell the Jamaican people about Trinidad. These are beginners lessons, easy ones that you too will learn on your first visit here, but these are the things I wished someone had told me just to get me prepared....

1. Trinidad and Tobago is a Republic, has been since 1976 what that means is the supreme power rests in all the citizens entitled to vote (the electorate) and is exercised by representatives elected, directly or indirectly, by them and responsible to them. It means that instead of a monarchy, this country is now represented by a President, who is head of state. Why is that important you may ask? Remember parliaments reaction to PJ's request? You see what's happening with the new prison and David Cameron sinking your country in more debt?  Well that and simply so you know what they mean when they say they are celebrating Republic Day.

2.Race matters here. What I mean is you know how you have some friends in Jamaica with curly hair and you call him or her coolie and you have some friends in Jamaica that you know there family came here as a decision not via the forced way your unknown grandparents came and the way you know that they know their parents and which route they took to get here. Well here, remember I have only been here for four weeks so I don't know the intricacies, but these Indian people aren't happy with the African people and African people are not so happy with the Indian people. Look if you don't believe me then look at their last elections and watch how they bash each other sake of hair cause it definitely not because of skin colour. "People here racial bad, not all a them some but they racial bad bad"

3.The Maxi Taxi. Now you know how we have coasters and taxi's and you have to fight to get into them? Well here t
here are lines and queues and all kinds of novel things. But the thing that will surprise the devil out of you is that these taxis don't carry six to a seat or five for that matter. The Maxi is a filled to the capacity of seats that it is meant to sit. So the maxi which is a quarter-million or a coaster does not, let me repeat, does not double up. When the seat full the bus driver move. So it no matter if you late or if you want to "cotch"- the bus full you cant go in.

4. Trinity Transportation. There are three roads travelling from east to west specifically from Arima to Port of Spain, there is the bus route the highway and the main road which runs through communities. That is right there is a bus route, and buses do run in the communities as well.

5. The Church Hill-Roosevelt Highway in Port of Spain will make you think of New York. This place has a way of making you feel bad about your home as it relates to engineering anyway. Although I hear a rumour that if it set up to rain Port of Spain flood. Yea!! our engineers designed gullies theirs designed roads.

6. Food. These people no matter the race eat (iguanas) lizards and (manicou) opossum, and they love it. They call it white meat. I haven't tried and god knows what side of the bed I will have to be to try it, not when there is curry goat and roti and doubles and bus up shot and all the other beautiful things to eat.

6b. Don't look in a Trini plate chances are you will see some ketchup and mustard covering everything. Sauce pon all pizza...me don't know me don't understand and it is ok!!!

7. The Jamaica and Trinidad rivalry is real in all interpersonal relationships, but it is non existent on the radio. You will not miss reggae or dance hall it will flood your er and you will hear artists you never hear more than one song from blasting in stardom.

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