Well I don't know who ain't go get vex with this one.
Gone to dinner last night with my 2 friends from work. Nicky and Huw (pron. Hugh). At some point during dinner, Nicky and Huw started talking about Trinidad. I was busy stuffing my mouth. Next thing you know Huw starts coming out with stuff like, " I thought they all live in shacks don't they?"
Nicky looks at my face and I stop eating. Is he for real? This boy don't want me to lunge across that table?
He says that on some documentary around world cup time, that one of our footballers took the camera crew to his parents house which looked like a shack??????? So he thought that we all lived like that. Now I don't know what he talking bout. And why whenever you see they showing things about Caribbean Islands in general, it always looking slummish? They always in town somewhere by the drag mall, or what used to be. Talking to the people who hustling on the streets. Is this how the rest of the world sees us ? its worrying. We have nicer houses in Trini than it have here. Every town looks the same, same shops, same layout, the houses have like about 4 variations, so they tend to look the same too.
I'm still highly insulted, offended and everything else. OMG if he is like that, are there other people out there that think that is how we live?
Oh and I keep getting called jamaican as if I have a jamaican accent. And if its not that I get American. Huh?
And even my mother in law thinks that Diego Martin is some part of Jamaica.
People ask me when am I going back to Tobago? Cause to some people I'm from Tobago, I don't know if they think that Trinidad is in Tobago. This came up in the discussion too. Yes its actually TWO SEPERATE ISLANDS. I love Tobago, but I not from there!! I suppose for touristy reasons on this side of the world you only hear Tobago, never Trinidad.
And speaking of the World Cup, they kept annoying me at work by saying Soccer Warriors. They were pronouncing SOCA as SOCCER - I'm sure you heard it on the tv from the commentators as well. OMG it drove me crazy. I was trying to explain to people at work, its because of the kind of music that we have. They just didn't get it.
My son's friends were saying how its cheating that we have 2 countries vs one for the world cup. 5yr olds were upset that England didn't win over Trinidad & Tobago, and we cheated because its 2 countries. What you say to that? what you could really say?
And somebody just last week said to me, "If you were anymore laid back you'd fall over". There is this we're just laid back, don't do shit. Just smoke the herb, men have ras or whatever. ARHHHHHGHHHHARGHGHHHHH Help me educate these damn people.
Now I know it have some people like that lol, but that is not how the whole flipping country does operate.
Oh yeah and do we speak English? Is English our first language - he ask that too. and I've had other people ask me before. That isn't too bad a question actually. But when he ask that, I was like do I sound like I speak something else. On the other hand don't answer - as he is the one that gave me the nickname Chutney, because he didn't understand what I was saying about JET Li, and thought I was speaking about Chutney.
What a ting. Anyway I've flooded his email with Trinidad pics. STEUPSE!
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19 comments:
Girl sorry to hear that - some people just don't know, ignorance for true. But don't worry it ain't everyone :) I'm Italian - live in Canada and come Trinidad all the time. You would be proud to know that this year come Carnival I am bringing 2 of my girlfriends down who have never been before and they are so very excited :) I CAN'T wait to see them cross the stage (if there is one lol)
Tell them about your country and encourage them to visit. One trip can change your life forever - I can say it did mine :) But I get it too you know, last time I stay in Trinidad was this year Carnival for a month and before I left here some people were going on mad telling me to cancel my ticket and thing - how it not safe and people get kiddnapp - oh gosh - I sad to say they had me freting you know but I made the journey anyway and glad that I returned.
Sorry I am blabbing here - just don't want to see you down - you're a trini girl - you suppossed to always catch joke and be liking yourself :) Just wanted to let you know that there is a non-trini out there who love off your country!!!
BTW Tell him that white people live there too - and in back of yard bush at that!!!
Good work on the exposure buublenut. I think the guys want to come out because of the kind of pics they saw of carnival, i.e half naked women.
But they don't seem to realise we have it nice.
And about the crime, That is the one thing I feel shame about. I don't know how it got like that, when and how fast.
Before my last couple of trips out there it got to me too.Hearing about shootings etc down in my precious Deigo Martin I was shocked. The bombings, things happening in broad daylight.Combined with stories from my friends out there, it is scary.
I travel with my son, and I have to study it.
But thank God, we've always been ok. I must say that I felt normal once I was there.
Kevian, his email was flooded with pics today.
And when I was dropping him off after dinner I bang some 'soccer' in his head too.
It's amazing to me that some people still think we live in trees and shacks in the Caribbean, and especially Trinidad! Thank GOD we don't depend on tourism. It sounds all great to have tourists flocking to your island but imagine working in a service based industry and having to deal with people who think like your co-worker!
The crime situation in Trinidad is TER-RI-BLE. I have to admit because I live here. I am with you on I don't know how it got so bad! And lots of crimes of passions and gang related murders!Imagine now we have ex husbands taking out a hit on his ex wife and her new lover, for $200,000.00 no less!And all the gov't can do is supply a million dollar BLIMP that has no effect on the spate of crimes what so ever.
Let me stop before I plague your post with my rant, I just think that we need lots more police officers who are not corrupt and who do their job on the roads protecting citizens. At least the pass few years for Carnival have been crime free with extra police forces mobilised (kock on wood). I hope Carnival 2007 will remain crime free as well.
allyuh want to rant go ahead- i do on yours :-)
You made a good point there saucy. It has got to be said that Carnival has alot of security. Especially if you playing in a band, as they provide more than enough.
Just incase any foreigner carnival newbies reading.
Once you are street smart and alert you should be aright.
Yes, if is one thing I see the most amount of uniformed police and army officers mobilised for Carnival. And that is how it should be all year round!
Apart from that as you rightly pointed out, the Carnival bands also have their own security which also adds to the sense of "safety" on the road.
I felt it was very safe this Carnival and they did a great job. In Toronto as well this year we had our firt Carnival that was incident free in as long as I can remember. Crime is a problem all around the world and things really need to be done.
With Trinidad the only thing that really is sad is the kidnappings - that young girl (21 I believe) from last week was just tragic. God rest her soul and bless her family.
Buub
I know with the kidnappings it was usually the family of business owners, at FIRST. But by now there much be so much copycats etc.
Saucy
I liked the j'ouvert security best, because you know when everybody dutty, you can't tell who vagrant and ol' *so and so's*. They keep them All out, so at least you don't really have to be checking who wining on yuh every 5 mins
buublenut that "kidnapping" was a crime of passion, she was killed by her boyfriend. Very,very sad indeed.
humph icahwait...i applaud you.
i don't say jack shite to them...let them swim around in their ignorance...i have nothing to prove to them....i know where and whence i came from. They are the ones who are close minded and don't know anything about the world and other cultures.
I'm blessed, i can blend in with almost any culture and that's because we are trinbagonians, we just "mellow, and got it like that!"
that is sad saucy - I never heard that - we don't find out much over here.
Icahwait lol re vagrants I guess that really happens for true - I am sure you all have good stories to share :)
bagogyul I real proud of where I come from dread. I'm usually just happy to brush it under the carpet. but he just triggered me off and I had to unleash for a minute there.
Is only every now and again I act up bout them things. Cause trust me if you had to respond to every dotish thing, it'd be time to pack up.
Then sometimes people genuinely don't know, which they can't always help. And if my friend said he saw that on tv, the media not helping.
Its just small part & parcel of being a trini in foreign.
buublenut girl you ever play j'ouvert downtown? you can't tell who is who and what. They want to like theyself too LOL.
As far as I know I never get ketch.
I heard stories about people wining up on vagrant and thing during j'ourvert! There was a rumour that a woman (read BITCH) who worked with us even gave one MORE than a wine..LOL.
Yes Icahwait I play J'Overt in town last year but none of that happen to me - THANK GOD!!! but I will take real note of it this year - I had people looking out for me though, they well take care of my fireign ass :)
Saucy you killing me re your co-worker. I guess it true by the time they paint up and thing you can't tell but I well remember the signs you instructed us to look fir - naughty hair and mis matching shoes (or ones with holes in them) LOL
How many more days????!!!???
Well I see its the same stupidity thinking in Uk, in the US they think the same way...for some reason they think we swing on branches to get to work, live in shacks etc, etc..I blame the media that is broadcast to them..cause I have seen documentries on the travel channels and no doubt they always show us as "jungle" ppl.
So sad cause trini is a beautiful island.
Is true, the media doh really help. and its a shame.
I haven't really come across many people in the DC area who are that ignorant about Trinidad, but when I took my Trini husband home to Louisiana with me, we got the stupidest questions: "Do they speak English?" "Can you drive there?" I first learned about Trinidad in 2nd grade. Maybe these idiots just didn't pay attention in school.
I wonder how your husband felt about that. Can they drive? that is a first I never heard that one before.
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