Yuh know is like we jes doh realise how we does be spinning top in mud for de past forty-four years wid dis Independence ting.

Now I know dat allyuh go feel dat I a few months early to be talking about Independence, but is not de tutty-fust ah August dat I mean. Is ah state ah mind dat I talking about.

Is how much years we hearing de same robber talk from Pan Trinbago, NCBA, NCDF, TUCO, NCC, CDC, and all de ressa de alphabet dat involve in de ole mas dat we does call 'de Greatest Show on Earth'

Is why we does continue to trow way we Independence every year at Carnival time?

I ent know when we go tek de opportunity to stand up fuh we self and mek we self organise we business wid out expecting some freeco handout from de taxpayer every year?

And is dis 2007 dat is de best time to play weself in trute. All de ole-talk dat we get from Joan about mashing down de Grandstand on Ash Wednesday 2006 was jes dat, ole-talk.

Dey follow dat up wid all kinda fancy Carnival Centre design but it ent have no open competition fuh de design, dem jes picking number out ah dey Midnight Robber hat and saying dat dey go spend dat on de ting. We all know where dat reach.

So now we reach to final stretch and we hearing dat Imbot saying to doh dig no horrors, dat he say de Jean Pierre safe. Allyuh forget dat is de same fella dat say de wall in Grenada was safe too. And we now wha happen dey.

So why it is every year all we Carnival organisations does behave like de fete come upon dem like ah surprise. December reach and dey scrambling to organise dey competition and parade and ting. De excuse is always be de same - dey waiting on subvention from de taxpayer.

Doh forget, it ent no government money, is taxpayer money!

So when I hear Pan Trinbago saying dat de Government wasting money on Carnival and should spend it on finishing de Pan Trinbago offices on de highway ah does have to ask where de fust setta money gorn?

Is when I hear dat bandleaders want to boycott de Parade of de Bands, ah does have to ask, why not? I ent too sure what dem really feel dey does provide to de Carnival.

And it does be de same story from all de ressa dem.

Is when dey go arrange dey own business? Is why after forty four years we still cyar arrange de festival widout some kinda vikey-vie bacchanal every time?

Instead we does all complain about how de fete corst too much, de corstume corst too much, de drinks does be too much. And yet we does go back year after year after year.

When we go jes say we done. We not paying de high prices. We go do we own ting. We go have we house party and blocko again. We go pay panside to come and play a small fete and after Carnival we go hire a panman to play on a Friday afternoon in we shops. We has to love we own fust.

We does continue to feel dat we have to do de same ting every year but we jes not admitting dat it not wukking. So is like we doh care dat it doh wuk.

We does have ah Parade ah de Bands dat no-one does go to see, but we have dem Bandleaders like dey holding de country to ransom to make sure de Parade does happen. Eef de Bands does be dey to mek dey millions, why we even boderring wid de competition? Leh we jes abandon it, we doh need it. Jes let people play deyself in de Road.

We could den put more effort into supporting Sailor Mas, Midnight Robber, Baby Doll, Jab-jab, Bat, Burrokeet, and all de Traditional characters dat does mek we Carnival unique.

Why we does have to have a PanTrinbago fete every year? De money ent mean nutten because dem boys ent getting no big blues in dey hand at de end of de day. So leggo de 'rama and we go have a International Pan Festival later in de year, dat go be about de music and de pan. So now we could put de same money into putting de pansides back on de road.

Leh we not even talk about all dem Soca competition dat long stop being anyting but a big fete.

So in dis 2007, leh we tek a stand. Enjoy de Carnival, but doh make de focus de money, is de enjoyment we dey for. Because if we doh concentrate on dat we give up we Independence again - and one day we go wake up and realise dat 'de Greatest show on Earth' pack up and move to furrin.
 

BACKCHAT: Issue 02: Vol 8

Hi Tants,

A happy and prosperous 2007 to you and yours. Fete promoters gone mad in T&T? $400 dollars to get in a fete? Well honestly tants I flabbergasted. The sad part is Trinis will pay that and more to party around this time with no thought of the consequences. There should be a boycott but that is not going to happen. When will we as a people begin to understand the true value of things and not only monetarily. No wonder our young people think and act the way they do.

Fete out Trini in the US

//United States of America

Dear Tants,

I just wanted to let all your foreign readers know (especially the one from Switzerland) that's its Pommerac season in Trinidad, and I am thinking of all of them while enjoying one of the sweetest fruits on the earth.

And let me add my best wishes to everyone for this year 2007 and let us resolve to fix some of the problems that plague our small nation.

Hasta Luego!
//Trinidad & Tobago

Good day Tants

A Happy and prosperous belated new year :) We were in Ethiopia where we celebrated two Christmas (25th December and 7th January) plus an Eid al-Adar. Just a note to say, all the best and keep up the notes. By the way there are a bunch of Trinis in Ethiopia; we miss the lime with roti and thing by one day!!!! It is a nice place that would surprise any visitor! We recommend it. Trini still better but from what ah hear the crime is main problem.

So far the only place where I eh bounce up a Trini so far is Madagascar!!!! And ah sure if I looked there would have been one more than me!

PS I'll be in T&T for Christmas 2007 definitely ah miss de food.

//Oman