There’s a lot more class-mixing in Trinidad than in many other Caribbean countries. At least from my observations anyway. I just think some of yours seem very generalised and certainly not indicative of everyone else’s experience. But I expect I may be idealistic in some perceptions.

I agree that Gayelle and Synergy have done alot for local television. They may not be on the level of international programming yet but I do enjoy the shows they air, especially Gayelle.

I think they have created a space for the ordinary Trini to showcase themselves. I mean you could wake up tomorrow morning and see yuh neighbour or yuh friend on Gayelle.And I really like how the presenters seem to connect with their regular callers.

I know that people like to bash Gayelle and say that they too unprofessional but they have improved and with time they will get better.

I was in primary school the last time I dared to taste a tonka bean. I almost forgot that the thing existed and what it looked like. What a dry, dry, vile fruit! I only ever ate it out of pure “greediness”.

That inslandspice above me has never heard of the thing is instructive. It was a rare even in those days. The distinctive flora of Trinidad is getting scarcer and scarcer and there seems to be no thought in the world as to remedying this–even as Trinidad begins to look more and more like “Mid-Florida”. I hate central Florida (no, I do not live there, thankfully).
When last have you seen a PommeCythere, Star Anise, Pommerac, Chinese Tamarind, Tamarind or Five Finger tree?

Sapodillas

Not only does atasha not know what a Tonka Bean is, she hates sapodillas.
What part of her mind has she lost?
Sapodillas are some of the rarest, best-tasting things in Trinidad. What a sublime fruit!
I have only ever seen one Sapodilla tree in my entire life and boy was I fortunate.

“Foreign TV”

As long as I have known Trinidadians unspecified “foreigners” have always been the cause of their major problems.
Stop it already!
There is “no” local programming that can even approach the allure and professionalism of foreign TV–which is a shame.

For one, with all the million-dollar houses for sale and with oil at this price, you’d think that people would put money behind television.
Here are Trinidad’s two yet-insurmountable problems:

–Trinidadians are not introspective. Period.
They talk about themselves, but they don’t really talk about themselves. Everything is whispered or likely alluded to in conversation. Nothing is ever spoken about directly. Innuendo, whisper, rumor and suspicion are the order of the day. Everybody “knows” yet nobody “knows”.

–Trinidad is class-stratified. Nobody really knows how anybody outside of their own social class live–so much so that there isn’t really any fully developed defined narrative about it.
I could tell you more about the stereotypical “Italian” or “Irish” or “Jew” or “Hispanic” or “African American” or “WASP” than I could about the people popularly known as “Trinidad whites” for instance–or the Syrians.
But this is the stuff of TV.
The upper class is a complete mystery. Nobody knows the size or dimensions of this group of people much less how much they are worth and why they are worth it etc. And this is where TV begins. We’ll never get to the “poor” or “middle class” at this rate (the normal “rest of us” of any race).

Water

We meed a Sheikh al Makhtoum of our own. Trinidad needs to not neglect its intrastructure.
We cannot move forward into any future century and be competitive with such poor public planning, bad land use and crumbling infrastructure. We’re already behind.
It’ll all collapse soon.
There is too much emphasis on the dubious “needs” of competing social groups (Any more national holidays anyone?)and not enough on the basics of a modern society (rule of law, law and order, diligence, professionalism etc.).
So the drought is the least of our problems (more like a symptom).

Ca y’ Est.

Yes Mani, I live in Trinidad most of the time .. I’s half Trini too .. can I get on your blogroll now? hhahaha .. I seeing Cranky and I know she be in Canada tho she may be Trini by injection..

so I comin to check u over there in Boissierre village for some tonka beans, ok Mani

Okay, now what is a Tonka Bean? have I been away from trini too long?

Yes Mani I will be visting home for 1 week and I can’t wait.

PS: Try a spa gift certificate. After all these years of buying the usual (flowers, perfume, chocolate), I finally clued into the ultimate gift so that’s what I just bought for my Mom.

Chennette, my uncle now brought us some sapodillas there. Geez, I thought they were all done. They actually play pirated DVDs on the TV stations? Good grief.

Spice, I forgot about the cable slip up. I should have included that in my controversy section, lol. For all you who don’t know, Columbus (the cable company here) is rearranging their channels and apparently unscrambled the slack channel overnight and into Wednesday morning for all to see. Many people got a rude awakening when flipping through their channels only to be confronted by, well you can guess. Spice, you in Trinidad too?

Since I came to England, I have to say how boring I find English television. Ugh! The one English show I enjoy is only 6 episodes (1,1/2 hours though) per season (Judge John Deeds). Still like the old re-runs of ‘allo ‘allo though. Anyone remember that?

The best shows here are American (CSI, LOST, Law & Order etc).

I was sitting with a bunch of trinis yesterday who were bitterly complaining that the media is so Americanized, guess this new tv station brings hope for a bit of change.