Plain Talk from Skratchy

I would like to use the following incident to highlight what happens when people are insensitive to each other. I am a 32 year old struggling business man. A while ago I was diagnosed with cancer and had to under go two major surgeries and several months of Chemo Therapy. This has left me in remission, but with damaged nerves in my hands and more so my feet. This means that my feet feel a bit numb and wearing shoes is very uncomfortable and difficult so I wear sandals most of the time (even at work).

As a result of my prognosis I try to enjoy life as much as possible. I have explained my situation to several places that would not normally allow persons with sandals to enter. The folks at 51 degrees, for example are accommodating.

Last Saturday, however, a friend of mine asked if I wanted to go to Club Zen and I accepted. I called one of the Managers there, a guy named Vince Charles (I had gotten his card some time ago). After I explained my situation to him he said that it would not be a problem so I decided to go to the club.

When I got there I waited about forty five minutes in the line. When I got at the ticket booth, the girl took my ticket and pointed out that I was wearing sandals, she then turned to a woman who was obviously overseeing the door and told her. The woman started to speak very loudly at me telling me that I can’t get in. When I tried to explain to her that I called ahead and spoke to Mr. Charles she just continued to say I can’t get in. I told her that she did not need to speak in that manner while I was walking down the step, she turned to me and ask me in which manner I was referring. I told her in the stupid manner (as I was upset by then) she replied that the only stupid thing was me trying to get in there. I found out that the woman who was shouting was named Lydia and the she runs the place. While outside I called Mr. Charles, who came out and apologized to me and said that “she is the boss” and that he could do nothing. I left for home.

To the management of Club Zen, is this any way to treat people? Even if I was not to be let in, it could have been handled more discreetly and not in a way to cause me embarrassment due to my illness. I urge anyone with a disability to be aware of people like the management of Club Zen.

In my first post for 2007..this is a light note. Happy new year to all.


Firstly, Trinbago people does claim dey is unified and one, buh we still like to identify we as from different quarters of de country.... Hence:

Yuh know you from South:

1)When yuh does "pull-bull" as a hobby.
2)When yuh tink Pt.Fortin is de capital of crime.
3)When other sectors of de country cyah understand yuh when yuh speaking.
4)When yuh feel yuh is a pretty boy or yuh know yuh is a skettle.
5)When yuh Friday evening lime is eatin' oyster and hittin' a strip pub.
6)When yuh does still walk around in ah buss-up jockey shorts and rubber slippers on ah Sunday afternoon stroll.
7)When yuh main objective is to tackle any gyul under 16 or fella over 30.
8)When yuh didn't have to pass Common Entrance to be ah genius....
9)When yuh tink Gulf City is de most happening place...
10)When yuh know Johnny Soong is ah asshole!

Yuh know yuh from North-West:

1)When yuh does date yuh best-friend ex-woman or he sister.
2)When dah same gyul does check for yuh fadder.
3)When yuh does talk with ah accent.
4)When you say skettle, yuh does mean yuh girlfriend and/or sister.
5)When yuh feel dat yuh more advanced dan de rest ah we.
6)When every two words out yuh mouth is MUDDACUN*
7)When yuh have no sexual preference.
8)When yuh does watch MTV 24 hrs a day.
9)When yuh feel yuh is a true Bob Marley fan an' ting but yuh doh go to Matsimela and Spectrum concerts'cause dat not "your kinda crowd."
10)When yuh never get blank from Coconuts or Base.

Yuh know yuh from Central:

1)When yuh feel doubles is part of a staple diet.
2)When yuh have a Chris Garcia poster.
3)When yuh still feel dat sugarcane is TnT's main source of income.
4)When yuh last name either ends< with -Singh or start with Ram-.
5)When yuh iz ah die-hard UNC supporter.
6)When yuh does always carry ah cutlass in yuh car.
7)When yuh idea of liming is Mastana Bahar on a Saturday.
8)When yuh have a hammock in every room of yuh house.
9)When yuh always smelling o' rum.
10)When yuh still claiming dat Lara originally from Couva.

Yuh know yuh from the East-West corridor area:

1)When yuh tink de best doubles from Curepe juction.
2)When yuh feel dat Trincity Mall is de 'boss' place to be.
3)When yuh always smiling.
4)When yuh tell every girl or boy yuh meet dat you is ah born-again virgin.
5)When yuh does lime in Chameleon every week.
6)When 110km/hr is de slowest speed yuh could drive.
7)When yuh does breeze up de bus-route ILLEGALLY to get home.
8)When yuh claim yuh date all de Sunday Punch girls.
9)When yuh push drugs at least once.
10)When yuh claim dat you is ah born alcoholic.

We cyah fuhget 'Bago now! Yuh know yuh from Tobago and NOT Trinidad:

1)When yuh overweight,built,tall and dark-genetically.
2)When yuh does still say "Doodoo darling...."
3)When yuh aunt name is Miss Jean.
4)When yuh does take soap and shampoo to the beach.
5)When yuh tink KFC have de best chicken still.
6)When yuh could say "Hello, I have ah big dick" in German.
7)When yuh does eat yam and eddoes for breakfast.
8)When yuh first choice in primary school was Signal Hill.
9)When yuh know a woman called Simona personally.
10)When yuh idea of taking a trip is hopping de Panorama over to de sister isle.

In the Christmas address, the Prime Minister announced that the plans for an industrial estate in the Cedros Peninsula at Chatham had been cancelled. Not just no smelter, but no industrial estate at all for Chatham.

The Prime Minister went on to announce that Aluminum Industry will instead be established at an at this point non existent 'offshore industrial island' further north on the island.
This announcement comes on the heels of a lawsuit filed against the government early in the week demanding an immediate halt to the industrial development of the Chatham area. This week, the Trinidad government also announced that there was 'no gas available' to sell to Jamaica for the expansion of Alcoa's Jamalco Aluminum refinery there.

Of course, everybody in the Peninsula is very happy about the unexpected news. We are hoping there will be confirmation from the EMA later this week that all applications for an industrial estate, port and the aluminum smelter indeed have been withdrawn.
People are cautiously optimistic and there are many questions: Will Alcoa be out of the picture? Will there really be an 'offshore industrial island' so close to Trinidad's second largest city? What will happen to the third aluminum smelter that was recently announced? Do we need all this in writing to believe it?

In the meantime, it seems like the unique rainforests and the people of the Cedros Peninsula are safe for now and it is now time to concentrate on the Cedros Development Plan to establish the kind of development we all want to see here. You can find the link to the Cedros Development Plan here:
http://www.therepublicofcedros.org/cedrosplan.html