Happy 50th Independence Day Trinidad & Tobago. A Land where The Ganges Meets the Nile.

 "The Future of our nation is in our children's book bags" Dr. Eric Eustace Williams

As a teenage romance fiction aficionado, my dream of the Caribbean was, just that of a vacation spot. A place to go on a honeymoon, you know, Sun, Sea, Sand, and plenty of fun. Well, that dream came true, not to go on a honeymoon, but on a working vacation.

My sojourn brought me to this beautiful twin Island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the Giant of the Caribbean. A land rich in history and culture, cosmopolitan in every sense of the word.

This tribute will not be complete without a preamble on history.
We all know about Christopher Columbus (Cristobal Colon)  and his voyages to the "New World" Some historians say he "discovered" the Americas, but they err for this can lead to a misunderstanding of the true nature of the encounter, between two distinct and independent civilizations— European and Indigenous American. Columbus merely stumbled upon it. He was actually headed for Asia but got lost.  He was, however, responsible for a lasting contact of Europe with the Americas.

 Since the Columbus exchange, the world has been in a constant convulsive Transculturation. Over the course of three more voyages, Columbus visited the Greater and Lesser Antilles, as well as the Caribbean coast of Venezuela and Central America.
He never admitted that he had reached the Americas, rather than the East Indies he had set out for, Columbus called the inhabitants of the lands he visited indios (Spanish for "Indians"). Hence the name West Indies.

Trinidad & Tobago is the most Southern Caribbean Island, lying just off the coast of Northeastern Venezuela and South of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles. The original inhabitants were the Amerindians, (Caribs in Tobago and, Arawaks in Trinidad) and its first Capital city was San Jose (Saint Joseph).

It was first a Spanish colony from the arrival of Columbus. Then changed hands between  Spanish, British, French, Dutch, and Courlander colonizers. Finally ceded to Britain in 1802 gained independence in 1962, and became a Republic in 1976. 
So in the local vocabulary, Spanish, French, and Dutch words feature in Trinidad Creole English, which we call "dialect"  The "sing-song" Trini accent is unmistakable and upon my arrival, I initially had trouble understanding the average Trinidadian on the streets, especially when asking for directions. 

The accent changes from Port of Spain, the current capital city to the Southern city of San Fernando, and as you journey deep South to the towns of Princess Town or  Debe, where you find the best "Doubles" (a common street food, a sandwich made with two bara (flat fried bread) filled with channa(curried chickpeas or garbanzo beans). Topped with a variety of spicy chutneys (mango, cucumber, coconut, tamarind) and extra pepper sauce 

The names of the towns are also influenced by Spanish, French, Dutch and Amerindian, and even Indian. Town names like Bacelot, and Bon Accord in Tobago are French. Barataria, Diego- Martin, and San Juan in Trinidad are Spanish. Chaguanas, in Central Trinidad and Arima in East Trinidad, are Amerindian in origin. Barrackpore in the South  - Indian.

The Trans-Atlantic Human trade brought Africans here to work the plantations centuries ago, mostly in Tobago the "younger" Twin sister isle (Tobagonians don't like to be called younger sister, but they are now).  Once upon a time in centuries past, when Sugar was the king export,  to describe the extent of one's wealth in the new world, one would say "As rich as a Tobago Sugar Plantation owner" Sugar was the Gold then, or rightly Petroleum Oil.
Well now, the saying is "Party like a Trini" Trinibagonians love to party, any excuse to "throw down a lime (small party) or an all-out fete (big party) and mash-up dah place"

The East Indians arrived at T&T as indentured laborers after the abolition of the Trans Atlantic Human (Slave) trade (someone had to work the Sugarcane Plantations) and Europeans are always looking for free or cheap labor. There are words in the Trini dialect that really tickled my funny bone. Words like  (a). Bacchanal- Scandal, heavy quarreling, confusion, (b) Tabanca- The forlorn feeling one gets when a love affair is over, (c)Mamaguy- To make fun of, to ridicule, (d) Dotish- Silly, stupid, foolish and dumb. (e) Bol'face- Pushy person, unreasonably demanding. 

Unlike the economy of most of the Caribbean Islands which is based on  Tourism, "TnT" as it is often called,  has an economy primarily Industrial, with an emphasis on petroleum and petrochemicals. the birthplace of steelpan, calypso, soca, chutney, and limbo.
 Also a most popular destination for Carnival, second to Rio De Janeiro in Brasil. The homeland of great calypso singers like Lord Kitchener, The Mighty Sparrow, and David Rudder

Maybe, I am not Columbus, taking a voyage just to explore and conquer other lands, but we do share a sense of adventure.  What was a one-year working holiday has spanned more than a decade and counting. Although I cannot still eat the callaloo (A thick soup made from dasheen leaves, and ochroes) 

I love it here, the Climate is excellent, it is sunny all year round, no winters (I hate the cold). A mixed population of Africans and East Indians, and a small population of European descendants, Chinese, and Syrians. 

The story of T&T would not be complete without mentioning the "Father of the nation" a man who fought for her Independence from the British-  Dr. Eric Williams, a noted Caribbean historian, who also became the First Prime minister. The Eric Williams Memorial Collection (EWMC) at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago inaugurated in 1998  is in UNESCO’s prestigious Memory of the World Register. 

Other notable Politicians are; Ellis Clarke, George Chambers, A N R Robinson, Solomon Hochoy, Noor Hassanali, Patrick Manning, Basdeo Panday, and the current Prime minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar (the first female Prime minster), Maxwell Richards, Winston Dookeran, Austin Jack Warner and the current opposition leader Keith Rowley.

We often say God is a Trini, because although T&T lies in the earthquake and Hurricane zones. We often only get the associated heavy rains of tropical storms and hurricanes and are spared a direct hit. 

The earthquakes are often deep in the earth's crust and have caused little damage above, The Seismic center keeps warning that the "Big" one will come one day like the 7.9 magnitudes in 1766 that destroyed the first capital city Saint Joseph (San Jose). Until then we shall continue to 'lime' and "Fete"

Trinidad & Tobago also pulls her weight in the literary world, The Nobel laureate V S Naipaul (I am not a fan though), The notable C L R James- author of "The Black Jacobins", A M Clarke,  Earl Lovelace, Merle Hodge.

I cannot conclude this tribute, without stating the obvious-  Trinidad & Tobago has the most beautiful women in the Caribbean, and that coming from a straight woman, means you can take it to the bank. 

As for the men, not so much, quite a number of "pretty boys" but not many  Professional men, (if you know what I mean). It would seem like while the girls were burning the midnight oil studying, the boys were "liming" on the block. A phenomenon that is common across all the Caribbean Islands.

Trinbagonian women have won world beauty titles
Janelle Commissiong won Miss Universe in 1977, Giselle Jeanne-Marie Laronde-West won the Miss world in 1986, and Wendy Fitzwilliam  Miss Universe in 1998 (whose picture is below).

The only dark side to this tropical twin Isle, however, is a crime, mostly gang-related, Homicides go unsolved. For a population of 1.3 million, the homicide rate is high only second to Jamaica in the Caribbean.

My son and I often joke that the only place you will find a Policeman is at the Police station, and there are not enough of them. The fact is that T&T is poorly policed.

While it is unfair to compare it with a city like New York, which has more resources, We can learn a thing or two about Policing from them. You cannot walk down a street in New York City without seeing a couple of Policemen, or a Police car cruising around or parking. That is what T&T needs to bring crime down.


A happy 50th Independence day Trinidad and Tobago, you have come a long way baby!
So whether you are looking for Fun or business, Trinidad and Tobago is your destination